Phillip Island Things to Do

Phillip Island is filled with great beaches, and lots of fun walks. One of the easier walks is the Pyramid Rock. It was freezing out there in July, and it began raining when we headed out, so we did not stay too long, but the view is beautiful.

One of the things I will definitely recommend to watch out for is that the road is all gravel out to this site, so make sure your car can handle it, or just hire a car (and get the insurance just in case)!

On the far end of Phillip Island, you will find a nature park that is a great place for an afternoon walk. I am sure it would be much more enjoyable in the summertime, since we were very cold with the ocean breeze coming straight in from Antarctica, but we did enjoy the view of the rock formations just past the island. Also, you can view Seal Rocks, which used to be home to 18000 seals. Unfortunately, due to seal slaughters, that number has decreased significantly.

At first the price of $80Au put me off but after talking to a local in St.Kilda (and he explained it was 1.5hr drive there and 1.5hr back) + the different places you visit it was well worth it.You see..
Wine tasting at The Gurdies (the port was sensational, the wine @$20au/bottle),Wildlife Wonderland (normally $12au) to see Koala,Roos,Emus, Dingoes etc (cheers Cory the Ranger & Wilma the wombat),Cowes town,the Nobbies & Seal Rocks then on to Penguin Parade (the "little Penguin" breed come ashore every night to burrow (normally $16au)
An excellent day 1pm t 11pm & sandwiches thrown in too....

Visit the Koala Conservation Centre as they have 2 raised boardwalks which allow you to see these fascinating animals close up.

The Park has more than 6 hectares of bushland and plays a part in conserving koalas and undertaking research.

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Stuck out on the western end of the island is arguably the most scenic spot on Phillip Island. I refer, rather obviously, to The Nobbies; a set of eye-catching protruberances beyond the land's end.
They are also a haven for wildlife. Birds and penguins nest in this area and there is a scenic boardwalk that takes you on a circuitous route past nesting holes and has platforms at the best lookouts. Along the way are educational signs to better help you understand the area.
You can also see the awesome blowhole, a spectacular sea cave that thunders during big southern swells.
This is also where Australia's largest fur seal colony resides.
Access to the islands is not allowed.
This is where you come to see the penguins (pic 2).
The Penguin Parade happens every evening at dusk. It takes under an hour from the time the world's smallest penguins emerge from the ocean and cross the beach to their burrows in the soft soil.
Make sure you dress in warm clothing - Phillip Island is exposed - and it can get very cold waiting without shelter.
On a busy night up to 3000 people can be watching the penguins so make sure you get there early.
Prices start at $17 for adults. The dearest is $60, but this is limited to only about 10 people. You are taken by a ranger to a different spot, away from the main group of tourists, where you sit directly on the sand, and watch these gorgeous liitle penguins waddle right past you.
Check out the various tourist guides as they usually have a discount coupon to buy your tickets cheaper.

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The Koala Conservation Centre is a chance to see koalas in their natural habitat. There is a visitor centre and rangers on hand to answer any questions but the centre is not like a zoo. There are raised boardwalks among the trees for you to walk along to spot the koalas high up in the trees. Keep your eyes peeled! If your camera has a good zoom its definitely worth using it.

The Nobbies Centre has a cafe and a childrens play area and is an ideal place to relax for a bit on Phillip Island. We didn't spend too long here as we'd already eaten but we watched some children playing with the cameras that are zoomed in to Seal Rocks.

Seal Rocks, as the name suggests, are home to a colony of over 20,000 Australian Fur Seals. They aren't really visible to the naked human eye, hence the cameras which display the footage on large television screens. Its quite a sight!

Phillip Island is home to the world famous Penguin Parade where every night the little penguins make their way up from the sea to their burrows on Summerland beach. There are several different options and price ranges for viewing the penguins, we went for the Penguin Plus Viewing Platform but I don't know how much it cost because my lovely aunt and uncle paid ;-)

We weren't at the front of the viewing platforms but as the groups of penguins made their way up the beach, groups of people made their way back to the gift shop, so it pays to be patient as we made our way to the front eventually and had penguins passing us no more than a metre away (although we were in a fenced off area). We managed to stay until the last group of penguins appeared and it was well worth it.

The staff are very informative and on hand to answer questions. If you go during a busy season I would book early. We went in May and did not need to book. We did need to wrap up warm as the beach is quite chilly on a May evening.

One more thing, NO PHOTOGRAPHY. The flash is dangerous for the penguins eyes. You won't get away with it as a ranger is there at all times. If you do want a photo of the penguins then the gift shop is fairly reasonably priced (the souvenir brochure is quite good).