Later this year I am going to Australia on holiday. I understand that it is possible to see penguins there. Can you recommend a tour - if possible we would like to do something with just a few people - and somewhere to stay near by? Phil David, via e-mail

Times travel expert Julia Brookes responds: You can see penguins on Phillip Island (00 61 3 5951 2800), 90 minutes' drive from Melbourne. As well as penguin parades with an audience of about 2,000, the nature park runs a night-time tour designed for groups of up to 15.

Wearing night-vision goggles, visitors get the chance to view Little Penguins on a secluded beach; a park ranger provides a commentary that can be heard through headsets. It costs £35pp - (participants must be aged 16-plus).

One of the best places to stay is Glen Isla House (00 61 3 5952 1882), a small hotel near a beach where rooms start at £124 a night including breakfast.

Times recommends

• The Green Spaces Travel Awards, 2008 - the winners
• Britain's 12 best winter walks
• The insiders' guide to bohemian Paris