Phillip Island The Travel Show

They're so cute! This might be the smallest penguins on Earth, but a

huge effort has gone into saving them here in Australia. Also coming

up this week... Oh, wow. This guy is getting down to business. We are

getting steamy in the kitchens of Madrid. And we're finding out when

is the best time to visit New Orleans.

Welcome to The Travel Show, coming this week from Phillip Island, off

the south-east coast of Australia. It is a place that attracts millions

of tourists every year. And this year marks the 185th anniversary of

a sea voyage that changed the world. It was December, 1831, when Charles

Darwin set off to see sites that would lead to his radical theory of

evolution. And a key moment came when he visited Australia, when he

was struck by the oddness of the country's animals. Much of

Australia's wildlife is found nowhere else on earth and it remains

a big draw today, with crowds of tourists queueing for a glimpse of a

koala or a kangaroo. One of the smallest and cutest of Australian

creatures is the little penguin, often called the fairy penguin by

locals because of their small size. Although there are some in New

Zealand, they are mostly found along the southern coast of Australia and

especially here in Phillip Island, about two Hours Drive S. Of

Melbourne. -- south of Melbourne. At the time of Darwin there were ten

penguin colonies around Phillip Island, but by the early 1980s there

was only one left, here on the very beautiful peninsular. Their numbers

were dwindling and Dr Peter Dan, a leading penguin researcher, was

brought into help. It wasn't going well for them at all and the numbers

were declining quite rapidly and there were a number of things

causing them to decline. Predation by introduced mammals, like foxes

and dogs, and the town in the middle of the breeding colony, where they

were getting run over on the roads each night. A radical conservation

effort was required, in 1985 the writ -- the Victorian state

government began a massive buyback of land, demolishing people's houses

and creating a largely human free habitat for the penguins. That

proved extremely effective, as did getting rid of foxes, and the

population increased almost threefold in the next 10- 12 years.

It's a conservation effort that has continued to this day, thanks to

Phillip Island Nature Parks, a not-for-profit organisation that

carefully monitors the health of the penguin colony. Each day researchers

come out just after dawn to check on the birds. Good morning, ladies.

Good morning! What are we doing here? We are checking penguin boxes

to see who's home and how healthy they are. What is the process? I

will take the bird out, give them a scam for a microchip put them in a

bag and get their way. Do you want to show you? Yes. In we go. She

seems pretty placid, Ricky Kalm? -- pretty calm. Most of the time they

are quite aggressive. They are wild animals, so they can be very

aggressive. So she is 11.50, so a very good weight. GROWLING. They

even offered me the chance to help. I was not going to miss an

opportunity to get up close and personal with a penguin. So,

scanning. Penguin attack! Great. Oh, I'm sorry! We will be really quick.

And I can report that these little guys are not as light as they look.

He is a big boy! Look at him go! In addition to monitoring their health,

the team are also working to combat new threats, such as oil spills.

Penguins are particularly susceptible to becoming oiled and to

clean them a lengthy process of bathing and soaping the bird is

required, which can damage their waterproof plumage. But researchers

here have developed a world first technology known as the 'magic

wand'. It works by using a very strong magnet and some very finely

ground iron powder. You have to wear one of these. I'm going to grab a

white feather and put a bit of diesel on it. The diesel is dyed

blue, so we can see it. Then I am going to apply some of this finely

ground iron powder onto the diesel part of the feather. It sticks to

the oil and when the magnetised warned is rubbed over the bird it

attracts the metal and brings the oil with it. It is quite a dramatic

effect. And then we bring the magnet in.

And the feather's as good as new. Wale, that's all gone. -- wow. So it

is quicker and less traumatic? Absolutely. Instead of 20- 50 days,

we think for small bits of oil it would probably take less than half

an hour and a can be released back into the wild. All of this

cutting-edge research doesn't come cheap, but luckily these penguins

have some powerful friends when it comes to funding. Tourists. Not

surprisingly, a lot of people want to come and see this very cute

penguin species and each year just under 700,000 tourists come to the

centre here, contributing around $400 million Australian to be

economy. While attracting so many visitors no doubt provide an

economic boost, it also presents a challenge. How do you host thousands

of people here every night without making life on bearable for the

little penguins? -- unbearable. There are some challenges. The

penguins are number one priority, without them there is no attraction.

What we do here is actually virtually no impact on the penguins

whatsoever. Even with all these people around, it doesn't impact on

their behaviour. Some of the measures include these boardwalks,

which allow the birds to walk freely beneath, and no photograph we as

all, as flashes can damage their sensitive eyes. To like the way

there are soft, yellow LED lights, just the right colour for minimum

impact. The time to see penguins is a dusk, when many of them come out

from the sea and make their way to buy rose on the hillside. -- to

burrows. This penguin parade draws most of the visitors here. And it's

not hard to see why. They're so cute! There are hundreds of them,

all just marching up the beach with their big, fat belly, like they're

late for an appointment. Absolutely gorgeous. Despite all the

challenges, the future certainly looks bright for the little

penguins. If all of these researchers and tourists have

anything to say about it, Dilip Island's smallest residents will be

around and very much protected for a long time to come. Well, it looks

like the future is right for this little penguins. And if you're

planning a trip to this wild part of Australia, here are our top travel

tips. The little penguins might be Phillip Island's most famous animal

residents, at if you're heading there you might also want to check

out the Koala Conservation Centre, where Treetop walkways allow a

closer view of this iconic animals. The island is also home to one of

the largest seal colonies in Australia. More than 16,000 fur

seals live on the south-western tip of the island and October- December

is mating season, so if you visit you can see the animals sunning

themselves on rocks, feeding their young and playing in the water. If

you want to see some more of the country's south-east coast, but

Great Ocean Road route will take you past some of Victoria's most

prominent landmarks, like the 12 Apostles, spectacular stacks of

limestone and merging from the ocean. It starts three Hours Drive

from Phillip Island, but there are also car and passenger ferries. That

trip takes 40 minutes. A two-hour drive inland from the great Ocean

Road is the Grampians National Park. A series of stamped on mountain

ranges and forests. -- sandstone. September to November is spring and

it is the best time to catch wild flowers throughout the region.

To stay with us on the Travel Show. Coming up: Simon is here with his

tips for those hoping to catch the total solar eclipse in the US next

year. And then is eating his way around Madrid, armed only with his

phone and your recommendations. -- Ben. It is the intestines of a lamb,

or all rolled up into one. Delicious. The Travel Show. Your

essential guide, wherever you are having. -- heading. Welcome to the

slice of the show that tackles your questions about getting the best out

of trouble. Coming up shortly, a fast track remedy for an expired

passport. But first: after five decades of disconnection between the

US and Cuba, scheduled flights across the Florida Straits are

returning to the airport departure screens. The Department of

transportation in Washington has authorised eight American carriers

to fly to the Cuban capital, Havana, from cities including Miami, Atlanta

and New York. By the end of the year there should be 20 flights a day to

and from Havana. Next, Catherine Sherwood is one of many Travel Show

viewers who are going to be in the US for the soul it eclipse next

August. On the 21st of that month, a line of totality will sweep across

America from Oregon to South Carolina, which is where Catherine

will be. Catherine, I'm delighted to hear you

will be in the US for the eclipse. So will I. But I am not thrilled

either prospect of an August visit to Orleans. The Big Easy is a great

city, but best enjoyed outside summer. The average daily high at

that time of year in New Orleans is 33 Celsius, with rain most days,

often in the form of a thunderstorm. High humidity adds to this

uncomfortable mix. So, for a great experience after the astronomical

phenomenon, I'd head high, along Highway 11 in the far north of the

state. It follows an ancient Cherokee trail across the edge of

the Blue Ridge Mountains and gives access to lakes and waterfalls and

is perfect in late August. Next spring, after cruising in the Azores

week, we intend to stay on the vicinity of the capital, hopefully

to get some good swimming. Any suggestions please? Brendan, I am

thrilled to hear you are on your way to the Azores, the great

undiscovered mid-Atlantic archipelago. It is a great idea to

spend a week on land at the end. The main island of San Miguel has much

to offer from stunning landscapes to the area's only the plantation. And

there are good road links to everywhere on the island from Ponta

Delgada. Now beaches are not the Azores's strong point but one of the

best is on the North Coast, a 15 minute Drive from the capital. You

could rent a car or take advantage of the official low-cost taxis to

its law the whole island. Finally, one viewer got in touch when she

discovered her daughter's British passport had expired, eight days

before she was due to fly to Cyprus. Fortunately, I was able to respond

just in time. The UK passport office does have a fast track service,

taking a week or less, which is open to children as well as adults. You

have to attend an interview, and Zelia was able to get an appointment

the following day. She submitted all the necessary documentation, and a

precious passport arrived just in time. Not save yourself such stress.

Go and check the expiry date of your passport Right now and take action

well before your next trip, wherever your next trip takes you, and

whatever your travel question, just e-mail the Travel Show. I will do my

very best to find you an answer. From me, Simon Calder, the global

guru, goodbye for now and see you next time. Finally this week, we are

off to the Spanish capital, Madrid. We have been trying something of an

experiment recently, exploring cities using social media as our

only guide. This time our trip start Benjamin finds that your

recommendations have taken on more of a foodie flavour. I am on the

mission to get the best out of my trips using only suggestions I have

seen on social media. I reckon nobody knows a place better than the

people who live there. Thankfully I can get in touch with all of them on

this. This time I am planning to eat my way around Madrid. Let's see some

of the most inspired feeds come via my phone. El Rastro means the Trail,

it refers to a trail of blood from cattle from the nearby abattoir.

These days is more of a food tour. It is like sardine, gherkin. I don't

even know is. Mmm. Under the next one. So baby eel is usually really

expensive, but this is the fake version. But it is equally as

delicious, hopefully. I've never had eel before, so here we go. They have

a kind of fishy noodle texture. They are made out of bits of various

other, cheaper fish. It is a very creamy taste. It is interesting. I'm

not sure what I think of it. I am getting a few people pointing me

towards this place, known for its snails. Can I try? How do I eat?

Like an animal. It's salty but delicious. I feel like I'm doing

exercise or something, it so fast paced. I could go for some more,

stick it in there. It is getting hot in here. Now, this is the most

disgusting thing I have ever seen, but they are usually the most

delicious. It is the intestines of land, I think, all rolled up into

one. Grazias. Grazias. Just bite it? Mmm. That's delicious. This is

intense. You can't slow down in this place. Thank you, gracias. He's done

with me now. Adios, muchos gracias. What a day, what a day. There you

go. Next destination. And it is that way. Famous for its little

paintings. Hola. Hola. Well, look at theirs. So many pigs. This guy is

getting down to business, roasting piglets. I feel honoured to be in

the oldest restaurant in the world. It is an achievement. My family is

running the restaurant since 1930, I am third-generation. And we were the

original owners from 1725. We run our facility the same way they did

in the 18th century. It's like, if you combine pork and chicken. This

would be the result. It's so juicy. It's just so succulent. What are

tapas? In the four years since I have been living here and writing

about Spain, I have realised that people who live here don't really

have a good idea. So it turns out there is a right and wrong way to

eat tapas and I have been eating it wrong all this time, according to

the sky. So who better to give me a crash course in eating tapas

properly? It is a skill for life. Tapas is coming. Here we go. The

thing is, we have ordered two plates of food, and that is key. You don't

order ten different things, because it is going to get cold and you are

things which are not necessarily the special specialties. So you come

here and you want your tapas evening to unfold. So I come to my tapas

evenings, I take them to four fireplaces. There is no rush. And

that is key for a tapas bar. We're on our feet. And that is key because

tapas is like fast food, it comes out fast and you might move on. To

recap, my tips for doing tapas like a local, number one, real estate.

Get good real estate in the bar which means get a spot at the bar.

Number two, tapas are A Moveable Feast. It is not static. So hop from

place to place. And number three, chill out. Don't order all your food

at once. Get a couple of plates and then let your evening unfold. That's

good. And to unwind after all that eating, a bit more eating. And the

sunset. There aren't many places that are

better than this to eat some churros. And these are some good

churros. What an end to the day. Well, I'm afraid that's all we have

time for on this week's Travel Show. I do hope you've enjoyed joining us

for all our adventures and if you would like to catch us while we are

on the road in real time you can signup to our social media feeds. If

you look at the bottom of the screen now you will see the details of how

to sign up. Coming up next week. I will be taking a trip down memory

lane with a round-up of some of our best trips in recent months. From a

humbling journey to Cambodia meeting the animals which have been rescued

from poachers... So a lot of these traps are designed to maim rather

than kill, so they can collect them alive. Yes. To a fantastic robot

wonderland in Palm Springs. It is made out of refrigerators. Made out

of refrigerators? So I do hope you can join us then. In the meantime,

from me, Christine, and the rest of the Travel Show team in the Phillip

Island, it is goodbye. We've had some exceptional heat

for September this week, It is the heat that gave

the atmosphere that sort of energy.