By Rodney Harris

Now we come to a rare experience and the climax of the day:
We're off to see the penguins down at Summerlands Bay.
Out from the sea they march each day…it's called the Penguin Parade.
They emerge just after sunset, their predators to evade.

And so with several hundred other folk, we wait on our boardwalks.
The baby penguins in their burrows call their parents with loud squawks.
And then on cue we see them, bless their little cotton socks…
Leaping from the breakers and hopping 'cross the rocks.

And then they start to waddle in their little dinner suits…
Up across the sands …sometimes singly…some in large groups.
Every now and then they stop and have a little rest.
After all they're full of fish and not quite at their best!

Finally they reach the dunes. It needs a final push.
They've got to climb this great big hill and they see no need to rush.
Like the sea they've left behind, they then advance in several waves.
We stand there above them…wrapped in wonder….looking down…amazed.

Back to Done That...

We really like the people who send in their stories and poems. Their views are always worth listening to. Sometimes they might differ from that of Explore, but that's okay because the world is an interesting place and we like to discover and talk about it, even if we don't agree. Just so you know.