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 PenguinParadeVisitorCentre by xuessium
The tour goes through The Dandenongs, making stops along the way before finally hitting Philip Island in the late evening for the main show.
The morning saw stops made at a local vineyard, The Gurdies Winery, and then on to Maru Koala and Fauna Park, a wildlife park where you can mingle with kangaroos, emus, cockatoos, dingoes and wombats and eventually, a koala conservatory. (Note: Photo with koala is a separate A$15, circa 2008)
The tour smartly stopped the overloading of Australiasia fauna by making a stop at The Nobbies and Seal Rocks on Philip Island in the afternoon. This area offers spectacular coastal viewing from the boardwalks and lookout points set amongst natural sea bird gardens. Plenty of screeching seagulls here. 1.5 kms offshore from The Nobbies are Seal Rocks, home to Australia's largest Australian Fur Seal colony.
Let the wind literally knocks your sense off. It was very windy and very chilly here. Come prepared for the chills. Unfortunately, my tour arrived at a time (Oz autumn) when the seals had more or less left the spot, which was a real pity.
The last stop was of course the Philip Island Nature Park for the main show: The Little Penguins. The duration of the Parade is about 50 mins when the penguins first crossed the beach. PLEASE COME PREPARED FOR THE COLD. There is no shelter. Many tours arrived with thick blankets as you stood behind a barricade in the chilling howling winds, straining your neck for the first sighting. Do go down to the beach early; there is no announcements. (Folks can sign up for the Penguin Plus Package for another A$11, circa 2008, just so to increase chances for a sighting)
Visitors then followed the penguins back to their nests on covered boardwalks. No one is allowed to step onto the sand. Photography & video cameras are NOT allowed. The Visitor Centre has a carnival-like atmosphere, with souvenir shops and cafes. I did not enjoy it that much, compared to the more simpler understated but practical approach on Tasmania. It was almost like a theme park. Leave a Comment
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 the Little Penguins by grantravel
The Parade is open every day of the year. The best time to visit is at sunset/dusk if you wish to see the actual "penguin parade". This is when the penguins cross Summerland Beach to return to their sand-dune burrows. This "parade" can be experienced from environmentally friendly observation boardwalks and viewing stands.
Penguin Parade and Visitor Centre
$16.00- Adult
$8.00- Child (4-16yrs) Leave a Comment Phone: (03) 5951 2800Directions: About 1km (5 mins) onto the island, the Phillip Island Information Centre will appear on your left, just past a roundabout. Here you can buy tickets to the Penguin Parade, and the place is open till late in the evening.
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 Milking a cow at the Aust.
Dairy Centre by grantravel
It is a cheese factory with samples and sales of Australian cheeses and a dairy museum. There is also a souvenir and gift shop.
The centre is open from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. daily. Leave a Comment Phone: (03) 5956 7583Directions: The Australian Dairy Centre is located just over the bridge on Phillip Island Rd at Newhaven.
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 by UKDaisy
No photography or filming is allowed during the Penguin Parade to avoid scaring the penguins. The best position to view the penguins is on the boardwalk just behind the skybox. From here, you'll get a clear view of the beach and you can see the penguins' burrows, where at times, a penguin will pop out to wait for their relative to return from the sea.
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Phillip Island has so many activities. The Penguin Parade can be booked out so it's best to enquire online. It is the same if you are wanting accommodation during peak periods. The Island community provides an online Tourist Service which will also show you how to get to the island and to the main attractions. Best of it's free, and non-commercial although you can find and book online at all the main backpackers, caravan parks and motels.
Every month there are many other events that happen on Phillip Island that you can attend that aren't in the normal tourist guides. Like markets, art displays, world surfing championships and different types and levels of motorycle and car racing. You can get into a lot of this for free.
This community guide was the only one that had up to date calendars and replied to general enquiries rather than just one's they might make money from. Very family friendly. Hope that helps! Address: Phillip Island and surroundsDirections: Located is on westernport Bay by land bridge from San Remo. A passenger ferry service also runs from the Mornington Peninsula. There are ferries to French Island (old jail to visit, and also where Kylie Minogue and family get away from the public)Website: http://www.phillipislandguide.com
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The Maru Koala and Fauna Park was one of the stops before heading the Phillip Island. The Park was established and run by a family and located conveniently on the highway between Melbourne and the Phillip Island.
Currently, the Park is also known for its 18 hole mini golf course, "Australia Swings" which provides a scenic backdrop to the park and its native animals. During our visit, we saw Tasmanian devils, koalas, wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, and even emus!
You get a chance to go up close and personal with these animals, especially the wombats. The wombats are so cute! Everyone went ga-ga over them. Leave a Comment
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 A group photo at the Penguin
Parade Gallery by sailor_p, 2 more photos
Why the name "Little Penguins"? The name 'Little Penguin' is a more accurate translation of their scientific name, Eudyptula minor. They are also the smallest of 17 species of penguins in the world as they are only 33cm tall. But don't think of their sizes only - they can be very aggressive when provoked!
These Little Penguins will out be before sunrise to hunt for food. They are known to swim up to 100km a day and can catch 240g of fish. In the late afternoon, the penguins return to the waters near Phillip island and gather in groups called “rafts”. At dusk, the raft moves closer to the beach and breaks up into smaller groups before coming ashore.
Do note that depending on the season, the returning time of these cute little creatures is different. During Summer, due to daylight saving, they can be back around 9.15pm. Slowly, in groups, they will make their way from the sea to the shore and back to the burrows built by the rangers. So, it is not necessary to rush to reserve a front seat. You will get to see them when walking on the broadwalk back to the centre.
Please kindly note that no cameras are allowed beyond the centre as the penguins' eyes are sensitive to the flashes. During my visit, some inconsiderate tourists actually blasted the camera flashes at the penguins and they were not only warned by the rangers but also received glares from the tourists around them.
Do visit the gallery to learn more about the penguins and the gift shop - the gift shop does have a good stock of gift ideas. Leave a Comment
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Named after Governor Arthur Phillip, this well-received island with 97km of coastline attracts about 3.5 million visitors yearly. This popular island is well-connected to the mainland by a 640m concrete bridge.
The Penguin Parade at Phillip Island Nature Park is in fact the main attraction. Visitors from all over the world come here to see this special species of little penguins where they are not easily found in other parts of the world. Another popular tourist attraction is the Seal Rocks, which host the largest colony of fur seals in Australia.
Martin and I took up the day-tour package with Go West Tours (please see my transport tip on my feedback). The bus picked us up at 12.40am and we returned at around 12.30am (depending on the season). The programme includes the following:
- Stop for a quick lunch;
- Visit "The Gladys" vineyard for wine-tasting;
- Visit Maru Koala and Fauna Park;
- Stop at Woolamai Beach to enjoy the beach and sea breeze;
- Stop at "The Noobies" or also the Seal Rocks for seals spotting;
- Stop for dinner at Cowes, a town in Phillip Island;
- Visit Penguin Parade - the main highlight of the tour!
The Penguin Parade Tour was also our last tour in Melbourne. We really enjoyed the day-long programme though we felt a little sad to know that we would have to depart the following day! Leave a Comment
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1. The penguins at Phillip Island are the smallest of 17 species of penguins in the world (they are only 33cm tall) … their largest Antarctic cousin is the Emperor Penguin, standing up to 130 cm tall.
2. Penguins are found only in the southern hemisphere; so you will never see a penguin and Polar Bear together in the wild!
3. The name 'Little Penguin' is now used instead of 'Fairy Penguin' as it is a more accurate translation of their scientific name, Eudyptula minor.
4. A Little Penguin can actually sleep at sea, dozing as it floats on the surface.
5. A Little Penguin can stay at sea for weeks, diving for fish, yet its waterproof feathers keep its skin absolutely dry.
6. Penguins may swim 15 - 20 kilometres a day searching for small fish to eat. One penguin was recorded travelling 100 kilometres in one day!
7. A Little Penguin has been recorded diving to 65 metres!
8. The Little Penguin's dark feathers are not black like other penguins. They are a deep, rich blue. Their colour camouflages them from above and below the surface of the ocean.
9. Natural hazards for penguins are sharks, birds of prey, rough weather and fish shortages.
10. A penguin's biggest danger is humans. They die from our plastic rubbish, oil spills at sea and on land from cars and introduced animals such as foxes, cats and dogs.
11. A fox may kill as many as 30 or 40 penguins in one night. The fox is the penguins' main predator and keeps the rangers busy protecting the penguins.
Quoted from http://www.penguins.org.au
You can adopt a penguin at A$75 at Philip Island. Details at www.penguinfoundation.org.au/ Leave a Comment
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 Overseeing the Seal Rocks by sailor_p
Here, Martin and I strolled along the Nobbies Boardwalk to enjoy the spectacular views along the island's rugged coast. We must say that we were a little disappointed not being able to spot any seals on the rocks. However, the wind was pretty strong and we had to wear our windbreakers tight - unlike the extreme hot temperature we experienced at the Great Ocean Road.
Also, look for Little Penguins which nest around the boardwalk area. We spotted a couple of them. Here, our driver/guide, Kat from Go West Tours set up a tea/coffee & cookies station for us. All of us really needed that to keep us warm!
At the same time, visit the newly-opened Nobbies Centre to learn about the seals and purchase souvenirs. Leave a Comment
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