Phillip Island

Introduction

Cowes, Phillip Island

© All Rights Reserved katesnape

Phillip Island is home to one of Victoria's most popular wildlife attractions, the daily Penguin Parade. As the sun sets, the penguins waddle their way up the beach to the safety of the sand dunes. Witnessing it is one of the main tourist attractions in the state of Victoria. Although the island only has a permanent population of just over 6000, annually it attracts over 3 million visitors.
For more information, go to the official Visit Philip Island website.

Geography

Phillip Island is located in Western Port, roughly a two hour drive south east of Melbourne.

Towns

• Cowes is the main town on the island
• Newhaven
• Rhyll
• San Remo

Sights and Activities

Little Penguin - Phillip Island

© All Rights Reserved wooster81

• The Penguin Parade is the undoubted star attraction of the island,
• The Koala Conservation Centre provides even more opportunity to experience Australia's fauna firsthand.
• Churchill Island, a historic working farm, can be accessed by a short bridge from Phillip Island.
• The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit plays host to some of Australia's most prominent motor racing events, including the MotoGP.
• Whilst not traditionally thought of for scuba diving, Port Phillip Bay is actually one of the world's best locations for wreck scuba diving, home to over 600 wrecks. Phillip Island is a wonderful spot for departing on a variety of dive trips.

Events and Festivals

• Cowes Classic Weekend, held in February, includes two swimming events, the Cowes Classic and the Phillip Island Swim Classic.
• Roxy WQS Womens Surfing Festival, February
• World Superbike Championship, March
• Churchill Island Working Horse & Pioneer Festival, March
• Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, October
• Phillip Island Jazz Festival, next on 21 - 23 Nov 2009
• Pyramid Rock Music Festival is held on a farm on the south coast of Phillip Island on New Year's Eve. (See Outdoor Music Festivals in Victoria)
• Farmers Markets are held each month on Churchill Island.

Weather

Philip Islands' summer last from December to February when it's usually warm, dry and sunny. Although relatively close to Melbourne, temperatures are noticeably lower here. Still, with winds blowing directly from the north/northwest, temperatures can hit 40 °C during some occassions as well. Winters last from June to August with temperatures mostly between 10 and 15 °C during the day. Most of the rain falls during the winter.

Getting There

By Plane

Phillip Island Airport (YPID) at Newhaven is a possible way to get here by plane, but it will have to be a charter flight.

By Train

There are no trains servicing Phillip Island. You could possible catch a train from Melbourne to Dandenong and then catch a bus from there, but you probably might as well just catch the bus all the way from Melbourne.

By Car

From Melbourne, get on the the South Eastern Freeway (M1). Exit at Cranbourne onto the South Gippsland Highway (M420). Follow this through to the Bass Highway (A420). Once you have reached Anderson, turn right at the roundabout onto the Phillip Island Tourist Road (B420) and travel through San Remo and Newhaven to reach Cowes.

By Bus

Several V-Line buses travel from Melbourne to Cowes daily and take about 3 hours to make the trip. Download timetable (PDF).

There are also numerous day tours on offer from Melbourne that will ensure you get there in time to see the penguins.

By Boat

Ferries run by Inter Island Ferries connect Phillip Island to nearby French Island.

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Eat

Drink

Sleep