Melburnians and visitors alike love visiting the little penguins who waddle around Phillip Island, but now there's a new (and equally adorable) addition to the coastal spot. You may not be familiar with the eastern barred bandicoot, but after witnessing their cuteness, you'll want to be. Soon, we'll be able to visit these adorable sweethearts with a brand new tour, thanks to the Phillip Island Nature Parks crew.
Across the Easter long weekend, there'll be three chances to visit these critters, each night from 29 to 31 March. The twilight tours aim to provide exclusive insight into how these endangered animals interact in the wild, with a guided spotlight walk through Churchill Island.
Attendees will learn of the incredible story of the eastern barred bandicoot – a species that went from being declared extinct in 2013 to now having strong population numbers on the island. What little troopers! The tours will also be a part of ongoing conservation efforts, with walkers invited to help count the sightings of bandicoot babies and adults. As the sun sets, the tiny nocturnal bandicoots emerge from vegetation to forage across the paddocks and lawns, digging and searching for bugs to eat. Visitors will venture on a 1.5km walk over two hours to see the animals in their natural habitat.
"This exciting spotlight walk will give members of the community a rare opportunity to observe eastern barred bandicoots foraging at dark and going about their nightly adventures in the wild, as well as a hands-on role in our conservation efforts," says Phillip Island Nature Parks tourism general manager Mark Anderson. "The new bandicoot discovery tour promises to be a magical experience. Not only will guests spot bandicoots in their natural habitat, but they may have the opportunity to see them with young at foot. We do not approach any closer than about ten metres, but bandicoots often delight guests by scampering and hopping around, and sometimes approach people up close.”
If you're anything like us, you're probably a sucker for anything cute and fluffy. So with only three chances to see these precious lil' creatures in the wild, it would be a shame not to pay them a visit.
More information and tickets for the tours are available on the Phillip Island Nature Parks website, with tickets priced at $80 for adults and $40 for children.