A Maze N Things: Is the Phillip Island maze any good?
In Cowes, Victoria, A Maze N Things offers puzzles, illusions and a two kilometre maze. The Phillip Island maze is enjoyable, but kids will love the indoor attractions more. It’s a good rainy day attraction on Phillip Island.
A Maze N Things in Cowes, Victoria, is an entertainingly unusual take on a theme park. On Phillip Island next to the Koala Conservation Reserve and Rusty Water Brewery, A Maze N Things combines magic, illusions and fairground-style silliness.
The centrepiece, of course, is the maze, which is made of wooden fences and sprawls around the main building. At first glance, this Phillip Island maze looks relatively compact, but inside are 1.99km of passages and 21,000 linear metres of timber.
5 Phillip Island experiences to book before arriving
- The legendary Penguin Parade – watch dozens of little penguins waddle home from the sea.
- Seal-watching cruise – visit Australia’s largest fur seal colony.
- Phillip Island helicopter tour – fly above the beaches and dramatic sea cliffs.
- Whale-watching cruise – with dolphins, seals and rare sea birds on the way.
- Phillip Island Chocolate Factory tour – with more than a touch of Willy Wonka.
Phillip Island maze
The aim of this Phillip Island maze is to reach four different-coloured flags within the maze, then find your way out. This takes a surprisingly long time, as you have to retrace your steps a lot once you’ve found one flag.
There are plenty of dead ends, winding paths and crossable bridges on the way.
If it was just the maze, A Maze N Things would be an OK attraction. What makes it really impressive are the gimmicks inside.
Which Phillip Island tour from Melbourne should I choose?
- For wildlife: Small group tour including Penguin Parade 🐧, Moonlit Sanctuary and Brighton Beach bathing boxes.
- For koalas: Phillip Island Penguin Parade 🐧 trip including Koala Conservation Reserve 🐨.
- For value: Full day tour including Penguin Parade and seals at the Nobbies Centre.
A Maze N Things: Magic Manor and Puzzle Island
These are broadly split into two sections – Magic Manor and Puzzle Island. Magic Manor is devoted to the art of illusion, with rooms full of magic tricks. Tucked way handkerchiefs can reappear floating down from the ceiling, and a time machine returns you to a room as it looked ten minutes ago.
Puzzle Island is a little more giddy, with lots of interactivity and photo opportunities. There’s a mirror maze, a room that seemingly defies gravity, a treasure hunt through tricksy gates and a simulator where you ride a surfboard around Phillip Island.
A Maze N Things: Rainy day attraction on Phillip Island
There’s plenty packed in, and A Maze N Things can easily keep kids occupied for half a day. It’s an excellent indoor option on an island that mainly leans towards nature and outdoor pursuits, too.
For more information, visit the attraction’s website.
Other things to do on Phillip Island include walking to Cape Woolamai, surfing at Woolamai Surf Beach, whale-watching cruises from Cowes and the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory. The nightly Penguin Parade is rightly the top attraction, though, with the best time to see penguins being just after sunset.
This article came as a result of a Melbourne to Sydney coastal road trip in March/ April 2022. This trip was supported by Tourism Australia and Visit Victoria.
More Victoria travel
Enjoy the lakes around Donald, Victoria.
Stop for a lake cruise in Sale on the drive from Traralgon to Bairnsdale.
Explore Gunbower Island near Cohuna on the Echuca to Swan Hill drive.
Go walking in Mount Worth State Park near Yarragon.