There are few things cuter than watching hundreds of little blue penguins rise up out of the water, cross the golden sand and return home after a hard day looking for food in Australia's Bass Strait. Phillip Island is home to an estimated 32,000 breeding pairs, the largest colony in Victoria and over 4,000 have burrows around Summerland Beach.

Behold their ancient nighttime ritual with a three-hour excursion to Phillip Island's southwest corner. To thoroughly enjoy this bucket list adventure be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and a jacket since the ocean breezes can be chilly late in the day. In order to protect the penguins, photography is not permitted.

Your adventure begins as soon as you board your coach. Sit back and relax as you travel around to the island's most southwestern point in anticipation of this wondrous experience.

Sometimes called blue, fairy or little penguins the world's smallest penguins measure just 13-inches high and weigh only two to three pounds. Like all penguins they cannot fly, but their paddle-like flippers are excellent for "flying" at speeds of over three miles per hour through the water. Each day the little penguins leave their burrows about an hour before sunrise and swim up to 62 miles before returning at dusk. Affectionately known as the Penguin Parade, the spectacle of watching these cute creatures waddle across the sand has been entrancing visitors since 1920.

As soon as you arrive at Summerland Beach you'll disembark for a self-guided tour of the Visitor Centre where you'll learn about the island's wildlife through a series of interactive and educational displays.

Next, guides will escort you down the Penguin Parade boardwalks through the penguin colony to the beach or to the tiered viewing stands. Look for the penguin burrows where some penguins will rest during the day or where other penguins return to at sunset. Then, as the sun slowly sets, a hush falls over the crowds as hundreds of little penguins waddle up the beach to the safety of their homes in the sand dunes.

At the end of your adventure you'll return to the pier enlightened and charmed by this unforgettable experience.