Phillip Island top 10

What are the top 10 things to do on Phillip Island?

The Penguin Parade first, then the Koala Reserve, Churchill Island, The Nobbies, Seal Rocks, Cape Woolamai and the Grand Prix circuit.

1. The Penguin Parade at sunset, from A$34. See the ticket guide.
2. Koala Conservation Reserve: wild koalas from treetop boardwalks.
3. Churchill Island Heritage Farm: an 1872 homestead, cow milking and sheep shearing.
4. The Nobbies boardwalks: clifftop views, a blowhole and Seal Rocks offshore.
5. A cruise to Seal Rocks from Cowes jetty.
6. Cape Woolamai: granite cliffs, a surf beach and walks of 4.4 to 8.1 km.
7. The Grand Prix Circuit: go-karts and a motorsport display.
8. Cowes: the main town, with the jetty, cafes and a calm bay beach.
9. San Remo: the fishing village at the bridge, a stop on several tours.
10. Guided Daytime Adventure Tour: a A$25 walk through the restored penguin habitat by day.

Why is the Nobbies Centre closed?

Storm damage in May 2025. The building has "reached the end of its useful life" and stays closed; the boardwalks and car park are open.

The Nobbies Centre, its café and toilets are closed, as is the Antarctic Journey exhibition inside, and the Nobbies Fish and Chip Café is temporarily shut, according to Nature Parks. In October 2025 the whole precinct also closed for a while after wind damaged the roof and solar panels. A draft master plan for the Summerland Peninsula is due out for public comment later in 2026, the South Gippsland Sentinel-Times reported.

The boardwalks are the reason to go anyway: clifftop views over Bass Strait, the blowhole and Seal Rocks on the horizon. Bring binoculars. The nearest toilets are at the Penguin Parade visitor centre car park, and parking is not allowed on The Boulevard between the two. Updates are in our Nobbies post.

Where can you see koalas on Phillip Island?

At the Koala Conservation Reserve, where two treetop boardwalks put you at eye level with wild koalas in the gum trees.

The reserve has an 800-metre Koala Boardwalk and a 600-metre Woodland Boardwalk, about 20 minutes each, both easy and wheelchair accessible. Entry is A$17.50 for adults, A$8.75 for children and A$43.75 for a family; the Guided Koala Tour is A$60. It is open 10 am to 5:30 pm, last entry 5 pm. Look for wallabies, echidnas and birds on the bush trails too.

Koalas sleep most of the day. Spotting one is easy; seeing one move is luck. The Penguins & Koalas tour includes the reserve, and the wine tour offers it as a paid option.

The Koala Reserve boardwalks, The Nobbies, a break in Cowes and the parade, with a Penguins Plus upgrade if you want it.

★ 4.7 · 9.5 hours · from $125

Explore the Penguins & Koalas tour → Tour details

What is there to do on Churchill Island?

A working heritage farm with an 1872 homestead, daily farm demonstrations and easy walking trails, reached by a bridge from Newhaven.

Churchill Island Heritage Farm is about 10 minutes from the San Remo bridge. Entry is A$17.50 for adults and A$8.75 for children, open 10 am to 5 pm (last entry 4:30 pm). The afternoon is the time to be there: cow milking at 2:10 pm and sheep shearing at 2:30 pm, then working dogs and whip cracking. On weekends and school holidays there are morning demonstrations and wagon rides too.

The restored homestead has 16 rooms of period furniture, and the island's first European garden dates from 1801. Walk the 2 km North Point loop (about an hour) or the full 4.5 km circuit. The Farmhouse Kitchen café serves breakfast and lunch.

How do you see the seals at Seal Rocks?

By boat from Cowes jetty on a cruise of about two hours, or from a distance with binoculars from The Nobbies boardwalks.

Seal Rocks, off the western tip of the island, holds Australia's largest fur seal colony, estimated at up to 16,000 animals. Wildlife Coast Cruises runs a Seal Cruise from Cowes jetty; check its site for the season's times and prices. From The Nobbies the rocks are visible, but the seals are specks without binoculars.

The seal cruise and penguin tour from Melbourne combines a two-hour wildlife cruise from Cowes with The Nobbies and the parade in one long day, in a group of 15 at most.

Is Cape Woolamai worth visiting?

Yes, for walkers. It has the island's highest point, granite cliffs, a surf beach and, from late September, about half a million shearwaters.

The Cape Woolamai walks start from the car park at the trailhead. The Pinnacles return walk is 4.4 km (about 2 hours); the Beacon Loop is 7.2 km (about 4 hours) and climbs to the lookout at about 112 metres, with views to Wilsons Promontory on clear days. The full circuit is 8.1 km. Pack water and check tides: some sections can be impassable at very high tide.

Short-tailed shearwaters arrive in late September after a migration of about 16,000 km from the Aleutian Islands near Alaska, and nest in burrows across the cape. The surf beach is strong water: swim only at a patrolled beach between the flags, and stay at least 10 metres from the base of the cliffs.

What else is there to do on Phillip Island?

The Grand Prix Circuit for go-karts, Cowes for the beach and cafes, San Remo for the fishing village, and a winery lunch.

• Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit: the track opened in 1956 and hosts MotoGP and World Superbikes. The visitor centre has a 750-metre replica go-kart track, a motorsport display and a café, open 9:30 am to 4:30 pm daily (Visit Phillip Island).
• Cowes: the island's largest town, on the sheltered north shore, with the jetty, shops and a bay beach.
• San Remo: the fishing village on the mainland side of the bridge.
• A winery lunch: the wine, dine & penguin tour includes a tasting and a wood-fired lunch at a Phillip Island winery.
• Chocolate: the small-group tour offers a stop at the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory as a paid option.

Is the 3 Parks Pass worth it?

Yes, if you visit the koalas or Churchill Island as well as the parade. Separate adult tickets cost A$69; the pass bundles them at a discount.

The 3 Parks Pass covers the Penguin Parade on a date you choose, plus the Koala Conservation Reserve and Churchill Island once each within six months. You don't have to fit all three into one day. On GetYourGuide the 3 Parks Pass starts at about US$41, with free cancellation up to 2 days before.

A good one-day plan with a car: Churchill Island at 2 pm for the milking and shearing, the Koala Reserve before it closes at 5:30 pm, an early dinner, then the parade. In winter, with a 5:15 pm sunset, swap the order and start in the morning. Check the arrival time for your month first.

The parade on your date, the koalas and the heritage farm within 6 months, at less than three separate tickets.

★ 4.4 · Valid 6 months · from $41

Explore the 3 Parks Pass → Tour details

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