Discover 4 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Phillip Island (Australia). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Summerland Peninsula, Nobbies Centre, and Churchill Island. Also, be sure to include Phillip Island Nature Park in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Phillip Island (Victoria).
Table of Contents
Summerland Peninsula
The Summerland Peninsula is located at the western end of Phillip Island in Victoria, Australia. The peninsula lies within the Gippsland Plain Bioregion and is a site of high conservation significance.
As part of a protected area the peninsula supports a diverse array of animal and plant life, including a number of species listed as of conservation concern by international, federal and state bodies including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act) and it is a BirdLife International Important Bird Area. It is home to one of the largest Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) breeding colonies in Australia, the second largest breeding colony of Australian Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) in the world, one of the largest breeding colonies of Greater crested terns (Sterna bergii) in Victoria and an important breeding ground for Short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris). Several plants regarded as rare or threatened in either Victoria or Australia have been recorded on the peninsula, including River Swamp Wallaby-grass (Amphibromus fluitans) listed as vulnerable in Australia.
The peninsula was significantly modified by agricultural, residential and recreational developments until the 1980s causing overall ecosystem degradation, however protection, management and restoration efforts over the past 30 years has seen the areas biodiversity recover. Today Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP) manage the peninsula as an area of ecological significance under the Crown Land Reserves Act 1978. The peninsula is also home to two major state tourism assets managed by PINP, the Penguin Parade and the Nobbies Centre, which receive over 600,000 visitors annually. As a not-for-profit organisation operating revenue from these eco-tourism activities fund conservation work across PINP managed land.[1]
Nobbies Centre
Tourist attraction in Summerland, Australia. The Nobbies Centre is an ecotourism destination located at Point Grant, on the western tip of Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. Once known as the Seal Rocks Sea Life Centre, the centre is managed by the Phillip Island Nature Park, and features educational displays, a cafe, a children's play area, and a gift shop. Overlooking Seal Rocks, Australia’s largest colony of fur seals, with an estimated 16,000 inhabiting the area, around half a million people visit the centre yearly, with 53% being international visitors. A network of boardwalks outside the centre allow visitors to view the seal colony, The Nobbies, and The Blowhole.[2]
Address: 1370 Ventnor Road, 3922 Summerlands
Churchill Island
Island in Australia. Churchill Island is a 50.7-hectare island in Western Port, Victoria, Australia. It is connected by a bridge to Phillip Island, which is in turn connected to the mainland by another bridge. It is the site of the first European garden in Victoria. It contains a working farm, cottages dating from the 1860s and a homestead dating from 1872, all fully restored and open to the public. The island adjoins the 670-hectare Churchill Island Marine National Park. The island is maintained by Phillip Island Nature Parks.[3]
Phillip Island Nature Park
Wildlife park in Cowes, Australia. Phillip Island Nature Park is a conservation park located on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. Created in 1996, the park is owned by the Victorian State Government, however it is a self-funding commercial attraction for the purpose of animal conservation and research.
An oil spill off the island in January, 2000 led to a worldwide appeal for hand knit penguin sweaters.
Located 1.5 hours drive south of Melbourne, PINP covers several separate areas over 1805 hectares. The parks include Pyramid Rock, Rhyll Inlet, Seal Rocks, and Cape Woolamai, with specific viewing and attraction areas that include the Nobbies Centre (seals, dolphins, and shark viewing), the Penguin Parade (little penguins coming ashore at dusk), Koala Conservation Centre, and the Churchill Island Heritage Farm. Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade is the only commercial venue in the world where you can see penguins in their own environment and attracts tourists from different parts of the world. The Koala Conservation Centre is dedicated to koala research and conservation and allows the opportunity to view koalas in their natural habitat on treetop boardwalks.
Much of the park lies within the Phillip Island Important Bird Area, so identified by BirdLife International because of its importance in supporting significant populations of little penguins, short-tailed shearwaters and Pacific gulls.[4]