Phillip Island

Phillip Island sits in Bass Strait off the south coast of Victoria, about 140km south-east of Melbourne. It is connected to the mainland at San Remo by the Phillip Island Bridge, which crosses to Newhaven on the island. The island covers roughly 100 square kilometres and is the home of the famous Penguin Parade.

The drive from central Melbourne to the Phillip Island Bridge at San Remo takes around 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on traffic. From the bridge, allow another 15 to 20 minutes to reach the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre at Summerlands, or about 10 minutes to Cowes. Friday afternoons and summer weekends are the slowest times on the South Gippsland Highway.

General Viewing tickets through Phillip Island Nature Parks are $34 for adults (16+), $17 for children (4-15) and $85 for a family of four. Premium experiences such as Penguins Plus, Underground Viewing and the Ultimate Adventure Tour cost more, ranging from around $46 up to $129 per adult. Always book online in advance through penguins.org.au, as the Parade regularly sells out.

The little penguins waddle ashore at sunset every evening, so the start time shifts through the year. In mid-winter the parade can begin around 5.30pm, while in summer it is closer to 8.30 or 9pm. The Visitor Centre opens about an hour beforehand, and Phillip Island Nature Parks publishes a downloadable arrival calendar each season.

All viewing happens at the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre at 1019 Ventnor Road, Summerlands, on the western tip of the island. Visitors watch from tiered concrete stands or boardwalks above the beach at Summerland Bay. Phones and cameras are not permitted during the parade to protect the penguins.

The Nobbies are the rocky headlands at the western tip of the Summerland Peninsula, joined to the mainland by free public boardwalks with sweeping views of Bass Strait. Just offshore lies Seal Rocks, home to Australia's largest fur seal colony. The boardwalks and car park are free to visit.

Self-guided entry is $17.50 for adults, $8.75 for children and $43.75 for a family. Two wheelchair-accessible treetop boardwalks (an 800m and a 600m loop) put you eye-level with wild koalas resting in the manna gums, and you may also spot wallabies, echidnas and native birds. A 90-minute Guided Koala Tour is available for $60 adult or $30 child.

Churchill Island is a 50-hectare working heritage farm linked by a short bridge near Newhaven, and was the site of Victoria's first European garden, planted in 1801. Daily demonstrations include sheep shearing, cow milking, blacksmithing and whip cracking, alongside the restored 1872 barn and 1860s cottages. Entry is $17.50 adult, $8.75 child and $43.75 family.

Yes. The circuit at Ventnor offers Guided Circuit Tours that take you onto the track in a bus with access to pit lane, race control and the podium, plus Hot Laps with a professional driver and a History of Motorsport museum. The 2026 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix runs from 23 to 25 October, and the World Superbikes round was held in February.

Little penguins come ashore every night of the year, so there is no off-season for the Parade. Autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November) deliver mild weather and quieter beaches, while summer brings the warmest swimming and the biggest crowds. October is the busiest weekend of the year thanks to the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, when accommodation fills months in advance.

Cowes on the north coast is the main town, with the widest choice of hotels, motels, holiday apartments and dining, plus a sheltered beach and jetty. Smaller villages like Rhyll, Ventnor, Smiths Beach and Newhaven offer quieter holiday houses, and San Remo on the mainland side of the bridge has fishing-village character with the famous daily pelican feeding.

Phillip Island is the traditional Country of the Bunurong (also spelled Boon Wurrung) people, who have cared for the island for thousands of years and know it as Milawul. Shell middens around the Summerland Peninsula show how rich the area was in shellfish, fish and muttonbirds. The Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation is the Registered Aboriginal Party for the island.