What are the best things to do on Phillip Island, Victoria?

The best things to do on Phillip Island near Melbourne include the Penguin Parade and a Seal Rocks boat cruise. Other Phillip Island attractions include the Koala Conservation Reserve and Churchill Island farm.

Phillip Island in Victoria is undoubtedly one of the best day trips from Melbourne, but it’s hardly an undiscovered secret. Dozens of tour buses head to Phillip Island from Melbourne every day, particular in the summer when the Phillip Island weather is at its best.

Most are going for the justifiably popular Penguin Parade. This wildlife experience happens every evening, around dusk, when dozens of little penguins emerge from the sea. They congregate on the beach, checking for predators, then make a run for it. Watching them waddle home to their nests is a delight.

The viewings at this Phillip Island attraction can be a little crowded, so it’s worth paying extra to watch the Penguin Parade from an underground bunker. There, penguins scurry past at eye level, giving you a much better view.

The Penguin Parade is obviously the main attraction on Phillip Island, but it is by no means out on its own.

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.

Things to do on Phillip Island: Koalas and birdwatching

There are plenty of other wildlife attractions on Phillip Island – it is one of the best places to see wildlife in Victoria. The Koala Conservation Reserve is arguably the best of these. Here, the boardwalks around the trees are deliberately constructed so they’re near the top of the trees. This means you get to see koalas at eye level.

Less showy is the Rhyll Inlet State Wildlife Reserve, which is home to plenty of mangroves and birdlife. Birdwatchers can go for a walk and see plenty of oystercatchers, egrets, herons, spoonbills and cormorants.

Churchill Island, an islet off Phillip Island, specialises in farm animals. This heritage farm aims to show what farm life is like. That means demonstrations of traditional farm skills, such as whip-cracking, sheep-shearing and cow-milking. It’s moderately engaging, but the sort of attraction you can usually find within a couple of hours of a major city anywhere on earth.

Things to do on Phillip Island: Fur seals and boat tours

After the penguins, the most beloved inhabitants of Phillip Island are the fur seals. Thousands of the Phillip Island seals live around the Nobbies, the rock formations at the western tip of the island. You can hopefully see some of them from the boardwalks near the Nobbies Centre, which is home to Antarctic Journey. This museum-style attraction aims to teach visitors about life in the Antarctic, and is worth half an hour to an hour of your time.

The Nobbies and Seal Rocks on Phillip Island, Victoria — The Nobbies and Seal Rocks on Phillip Island are popular hangouts for Australia’s largest fur seal colony. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Alas, the bulk of the Phillip Island seal colony hangs out at Seal Rocks, 2km off the coast. So the best way to see the Phillip Island seals is by boat. Wildlife Coast Cruises runs a two hour seal-watching cruise departing from Cowes. There’s a good chance of seeing dolphins and sea birds along the way. Tickets cost $85. The same company also runs Phillip Island whale-watching cruises between June and August, heading around Cape Woolamai.

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.

Other Phillip Island attractions

Not all the things to do on Phillip Island are about wildlife, however. A Maze N Things is a gloriously silly collection of mazes, strangely-proportioned buildings, puzzles and optical illusions. Kids will love it, and it’s cheesy enough for adults to enjoy too.

It’s also possible to go wine-tasting on Phillip Island, although don’t expect the greatest wines in Australia. Sampling at the Purple Hen or Phillip Island Winery is fine to kill a bit of time, but don’t make it your only wine-tasting experience in Oz. Larger, more established wine regions such as the Mornington Peninsula or Yarra Valley do this much better near Melbourne.

If food and drink is your thing, then the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory runs tours with generous samplings at the end and the Rusty Water Brewery offers locally-brewed beers.

Should you want high speed thrills, meanwhile, try Phillip Island Go Karts.