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Things to do Moorea: Buggy Ride Around the Island
Moorea is a gorgeous island with fantastic resorts! To get the best views, rent a buggy from Moorea Roadsters and take a ride around the island! Things to do in Moorea, French Polynesia. What to do in Moorea, French Polynesia!
Moorea is such a beautiful island! One of our favorite activities when we visited was when we took a drive around the island in a cute little buggy! We rented a little 2 seater buggy, which was like a small go-kart that went faster than you would expect, zooming around the island in about 4 hours. The road was super bumpy at parts but overall it was a blast!
Related Post: Top 10 Things to do in Moorea
How to Rent a Buggy
We rented our red buggy through Moorea Fun Roadsters. The Sofitel Moorea concierge assisted us in booking the car the night before, and without a problem, they delivered it to our hotel the very next morning!
We went back and forth between renting for 4 or 8 hours, but we decided to do the 4 hour which was the perfect amount to go around the entire island and make all recommended stops.
Where to Go in Moorea
A map was provided by the Moorea Fun Roadsters, including the best places to stop (which we did most all of them). They recommended the following:
Opunohu Bay (black sand), Opunohu Belvedere, archaeological and legendary sites, Agricultural High School (tasting)
Protestant Papetoai Temple, Churches, Dolphin center & Marine Turtle Clinic (Intercontinental), Tiki village (Polynesian Village)
Surf Spot, Cascasde in the Afareaitu Valley, Golf, Moorea Juice Factory & Distillery (tasting)
Cook's Bay
Tahiti Aromas Factory (Noni, Monoi, Vanilla, Coconut and Tamanu Oil Production Laboratory, Natural Tiare Essences.)
Driving Around the Island
We were on our way! We drove for 2 minutes and then saw a picture-perfect view of our hotel, so we pulled to the side of the road and stopped for pictures. 4 hours didn't seem like it was going to be enough!
We hopped back in and made our way to our first stop, Belvedere lookout. The road to the top was bumpy and unpaved most of the way, but it was totally worth it!
To our surprise, there were many wild chickens around the island (and bugs)!
This was our favorite site, we were able to experience Belvedere and all its beauty.
On the way back down from Belvedere, we stopped at the Moorea Juice Factory & Distillery for a quick refresher. The pineapple drink was delicious, it tasted like ice cream!
We continued on, with many unpaved roads and quick turns, but overall we were enjoying our buggy ride. We kept stopping to enjoy the sights, including the gorgeous aqua water.
We figured it would be a good idea to stop at the only grocery store on the island on the way back since we had a way to get there! We picked up a few things such as cheese and crackers to snack on in the room and needed a mixer to go with our duty-free liquor pickup. Unfortunately, we picked up concentrate instead of juice but had plenty of Mango/Orange drinks for days!
Returning the Buggy
Before you return the vehicle, just like renting a regular car, you have to fill it up but it doesn't use much gas and it cost about $8 to fill it back up!
This was a great way to see the island and get out of the resort for a little bit. We would highly recommend it to anyone who visits Moorea!
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10 Things You Must Do in Sydney, Australia
Here are 10 things you MUST see and do in Sydney, Australia! Quick Sydney Guide | Where to go in Sydney | What to do in Sydney #sydney #australia #animals
We had a BLAST in Sydney, Australia! See what made our Top 10 list of things to do!
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1. Take a Tour of the Opera House
As an iconic staple to the city, We were excited to see this gorgeous building and learn the history behind it. Up close you can see the shaped tiles that are shell like making a chevron type pattern across the roof. The inside is just as stunning, as there are several venues within the house. The 2 largest concert hall is the largest and has the largest organ with over 10,000 pipes!
You can even book the tour through Google: CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS
2. Get up close and personal with the Animals at Featherdale Wildlife Park
I love animals and this was probably my favorite day in Sydney. You can get up close and personal with the animals - touch them, hold them, feed them. The ever so adorable Archer, the koala, is best-loved as he is the popular koala in the sanctuary. I even had my Mom paint him from a picture I took because I needed to see him everyday. Also, there are kangaroos that are just hanging out and they'll let you pet them!
Make a day out of it and book the Blue Mountain and Wildlife Tour - More info here - they’ll even pick you up and drop you off!
3. Take a Beachwalk Along the Australian Coast
We did the 5 mile hike along the coast from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. Along the way, we walked through the Tamarama and Bronte beaches. It was a beautiful walk on a summer day! This wasn't an easy hike, there were steep inclines, stairs and sun. Lots of sun. The sun was more intense than California sun and even after re-applying sunscreen a few times, we burned. It hurt. I recommend hats and something to cover your shoulders if you go in January!
4. Sydney Harbor Bridge
It's especially stunning at New Years with fireworks shooting off of it, but you can also do a bridge climb during the day. Or, you can get on a ferry and go under it, or even walk across it. The possibilities are just endless. The bridge is located directly across from the Opera House.
You have to check it out on New Years Eve!
5. Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
We walked through the aquarium and after scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, it felt like we had seen a lot of these fish before. However, they do have unique creatures that are hard to find in the deep blue and were glad to see them here (love the platypus). If you have kids (or act like a big kid like me) there are interactive pools where you can touch sea cucumbers and starfish. Also, the high point were the underground glass tunnels where fish and sharks swim around you on all sides and it feels like you're underwater with them.
6. Visit the Blue Mountains and Scenic World
Check out what makes the blue mountains blue and hear the tale of the sisters trapped in the rock formation in this Aboriginal legend. My favorite part was visiting Sceneic World and taking a gondola over the beautiful Eucalyptus forest! We had a blast with our tour that picked us up from the hotel and took us to the mountains, Scenic World and the Wildlife Park to visit the animals up close and personal!
Book your tickets here for the BEST tour on Viator: Blue Mountain and Wildlife Day Tour
7. Visit the Taronga Zoo and Take in the Views!
The zoo is built into a hill, leaving you with breath taking views of Sydney and lots of fun animals to visit!
8. Visit Olympic Park
The park was built to host the Summer Olympics in 2000. They had the torch, the Olympic Cauldron that looks like a spaceship which was where the flame was lit the duration of the games, markers that noted how high someone jumped, who won each sport, and name of everyone who participated.
9. Find the Speakeasy, the Baxter Inn
It was a little challenging to find but worth it when we got there. You have to head down a nondescript alley on Clarence Street and walk through an unmarked door on your right, down a dark staircase to the basement level. The dim lighting and waiters outfits felt like we had walked into another dimension. They had 360 different whiskeys from around the globe and make their own apple juice for their fine crafted cocktail!
10. Play in Luna Park
We came back cleaned up and took the ferry over to Luna Park, a carnival like amusement park with a scary entrance and did a couple of rides, but the highlight was playing on the slides in the fun house. Josh and I raced for at least 30 minutes. We were definitely the biggest kids there!
Buy tickets ahead of time here through Google Maps: Luna Park Tickets
I think it goes without saying, HAVE SOME ICE CREAM!
Messina Ice Cream is my favorite!
Gelato from Gelatissimo is sooo good!
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Little Fairy Penguins Parade in Melbourne, Australia
We watched the parade of little fairy penguins waddle in at the end of the day and return to their burrows! See why you can’t miss this cute event! | Things to do in Australia | Where to go and What to do in Melbourne, Australia #Melbourne #australia #penguins
Penguin Parade
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Address: 1019 Ventnor Rd, Summerlands VIC 3922, Australia
Booked through Viator: Phillip Island Penguin Parade Evening Tour
One of my favorite days in Australia, we observed the Little Fairy Penguins return from fish hunting all day and returning to their burrows to feed their families. These little penguins are the cutest penguins I had EVER seen! They are smaller than most penguins, standing just about a foot tall with beautiful slate-blue coloring. The Australians call them Fairy Penguins, but New Zealand calls them Little Penguins, therefore I am calling them Little Fairy Penguins!
Sunset over Philllip Island, Melbourne, Australia
BOOKING THE TOUR
We booked our Penguin Parade tour through Viator: Phillip Island Little Penguin Parade Evening Tour to see the fairy penguins (it was about $100 per person)! Although we booked it the night before, we should have booked further in advance!
A bus picked us up near Finders Street Station in Melbourne (just down the street from our hotel) and the drive was just about 2 hours through the countryside outback! Our driver/guide was informative and kept us entertained for the duration of the ride, I just couldn't wait to see these little penguins!
FIRST STOP: PHILLIP ISLAND
We stopped at the Phillip Island visitor Center where they had a cafeteria and a gift shop. We grabbed a bite and walked around the grounds where there was a large rock in the water that looked like a little island that was full of barking sea lion.
We boarded the bus again and were on our way to the Penguin Parade. As we were driving our guide spotted wildlife and we saw our first wallaby in the wild!
FIRST WALLABY SIGHTING IN THE WILD!
HAD TO TAKE A WALLABY SELFIE!
PENGUIN PARADE ARRIVAL
We arrived in the parking lot and saw these cute signs warning to look under your car. Apparently, some of the penguins lose their way, ending up in the parking lot, hiding under cars. When you go, be careful, and triple check under your car before you leave!
We walked into their visitors center where they had another cafeteria and a gift shop. The tour came with a coupon for a free drink so we redeemed our coupon - the cafeteria had sodas and light snacks. I ran into the gift shop and had to get a magnet for our collection on our fridge!
SEATING FOR THE PENGUIN PARADE
Finally, it was time to get our spot for the parade! There were little pathways built to lead to the bleachers and among the path were some of the burrows of the penguins as well as more wild Wallaby!
The viewing section was set up almost like a football stadium where bleachers were set up facing the ocean, with paths for the penguins to come between.
WAITING FOR THE PENGUINS TO ARRIVE FROM OUR PENGUIN PLUS VIEWING SECTION
We opted for their upgrade option, the Penguin Plus Viewing Platform. Here, we had a closer observation point, accompanied by a wildlife ranger who helped provide information as the penguins were approaching. The area is limited to 150 people and the penguins come so close.
We got a spot early on to make sure we were a close a possible.
THE PENGUIN PARADE
THE FIRST FEW START THE PARADE, MAKING THEIR WAY BACK HOME TO THEIR BURROW
After we waited a little while, we started to hear them before we could even see them! As they started to emerge out of the water, you could hear them to call to their families and the baby penguins came out of their burrows to meet their parent (and EAT).
Interestingly enough, the penguins would start to run for the shore in groups. Some would head to shore and make their way home, while others played it safe and would head back into the water in fear a larger bird such as a hawk, would swoop down and grab them.
What you're hearing is the sound of thousands of fairy penguins coming in from hunting all day, returning to their nests nearby.
We were told not to take pictures, but I had to document the moment. Too many people don't understand how to turn off their flash, therefore ruining the experience for everyone. There were some other tourists in front of us that kept taking pictures and they kept getting yelled at. They ask not to take pictures because the flash can hurt the penguins eyes, leaving them almost blind, unable to find their burrow.
HUNDREDS OF PENGUINS COME BACK LOOKING FOR THEIR FAMILIES
Before we knew it, hundreds of penguins started to flood in, waddling around!
As we started to walk back along the path the penguins were directly below on the trail next to us. Here, we saw them up closely admiring their cuteness!
It was hard to leave, but finally got on the bus to head back (we did check to make sure there weren't any little penguins under the bus first). We loved these penguins and were so glad we experienced their nightly parade!
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9 Reasons to Visit Bora Bora on your Honeymoon or in your Lifetime! We spent a few days in Bora Bora in French Polynesia on our Honeymoon and see what our favorite things were to do! Definitely bucket list worthy!