Penguins can be found in many unexpected places around the world, and Tasmania, Australia happens to be one of them. Not only does this Australian island state have its own colony of little penguins, but it also happens to be home to a charming city named after these adorable creatures.
Penguin, Tasmania owes its quirky name to botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn, who found himself in this charming town in the 19th century when the first settlers arrived here. He was impressed by the little penguin rookeries scattered around its coast and decided to nickname this town after them.
Two centuries later, this Tasmanian town is still known as Penguin, and its 4,000 citizens fully embraced its quirky name. Penguin-themed attractions can be found all around this charming town, located on the north-west coast of Tasmania.
One of the town’s most notable attractions is a giant three-meter-high penguin statue located in its very heart. While roaming around this town, you’ll notice that penguins are painted pretty much everywhere else, from walls to rubbish bins.
In addition to countless penguin paintings and sculptures, you can also spot little penguins by the sea during nightly tours between September and March, due to Tasmania’s close proximity to Antarctica.
