Melbourne’s weather staged another of its rapid transformations today. It was decidedly chilly when we began at the Royal Exhibition Building, pleasantly warm by the time we reached Parliament House and fiercely windy when we arrived at St Kilda Beach. The city appeared determined to demonstrate the full range of its climate within a single afternoon.
We followed the boardwalk and walked out along St Kilda Pier, leaning into the wind as we went. At the far end, among the rocks of the breakwater, we spotted penguins. We initially assumed that their small size meant they were young, but these were Little Penguins—the smallest penguin species in the world. A wild colony has made its home in the breakwater, returning from the sea around dusk and disappearing into the spaces between the rocks. Finding them so close to the centre of a large city felt both improbable and rather wonderful.
We ended the day with a sunset walk along Brighton Beach and the obligatory photographs beside its brightly painted bathing boxes. The huts are more than a colourful backdrop: bathing boxes began appearing along Brighton’s shoreline in the 1860s, when they provided bathers with somewhere to change while preserving the modesty expected at the time. Their purpose may have changed, but together they have become one of Melbourne’s most recognisable sights.
By sunset the wind had eased, the light had softened and Melbourne was showing us yet another version of itself. Four seasons in one day may be a well-worn description, but on afternoons like this it seems entirely justified.
More information at: Phillip Island Nature Parks, Parks Victoria and Bayside City Council.