Discovering Phillip Island Day Tour

Experience a piece of Victoria’s heritage on this historic island, where you can enjoy a relaxing stroll through the fragrant cottage gardens and lawns. Coastline walks offer magnificent views of Phillip Island and Western Port, while the restored farmhouse and cottages provide a glimpse into the past lives of early Australian settlers and past farming practices. Churchill Island, just off the coast of Phillip Island holds an important place in the history of European settlement in Victoria. The site of the first European agricultural pursuits in Victoria, the island has been farmed since the 1850’s and in 1872 was purchased by Samuel Amess, former Mayor of Melbourne. This tiny island of 57 hectares is now open to the public as a historic working farm that boasts significant natural and cultural values with world-class wetlands, ancient Moonah trees, heritage gardens and historic buildings.

The Koala Conservation Centre is an ecotourism attraction that has played a key role in saving the population of koalas on Phillip Island. Tree-top boardwalks allow watching koalas up close in their natural habitat. The abundant birdlife, wallabies, echidnas and bats can also surprise the visitors. Australia’s most iconic critters up can be seen close and personal in their natural habitat. There are over 6 hectares of bushwalking trails to explore, all easily accessible. From the boardwalk, the beautiful wetland landscape that surrounds the centre and spot other native species can be seen.

The Nobbies Centre is an ecotourism destination located at Point Grant, on the western tip of Phillip Island. A network of boardwalks outside the centre overlook Seal Rocks, The Nobbies, and The Blowhole. Inside you can enjoy a meal and drink at the cafe and shopping in the gift shop all while enjoying the great view with floor to ceiling windows looking out to Bass Strait. The Nobbies Centre is also home to the Antarctic Journey. Around one kilometre offshore from The Nobbies is Seal Rocks, home to Australia’s largest colony of fur seals with an estimated 16,000 inhabiting the area.

Phillip Island is a large island at the mouth of Western Port Bay, located less than two hours drive from Melbourne in Victoria. Because of its proximity to the state capital, it's a popular weekend tourist destination, especially during the summer months. The island is separated from the mainland by just a channel and is connected by a bridge. It is part of the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland. Cowes is the main town on the island, and in addition there are other smaller towns such as Rhyll, Cape Woolamai, Ventnor (closest town to the Penguin Parade) and Newhaven. The principal source of income is tourism, and there are many cafes, restaurants etc. to cater to the appetites of the tourists.

With over 100 species of Australian native animals, the Phillip Island Wildlife Park is a huge nature park set over 60 acres on the picturesque Phillip Island. This park is popular with visitors to the island because of the close encounters visitors can have with the wildlife living within the park. Kangaroos and wallabies roam freely throughout the park and visitors can even hand feed these animals for the ultimate up close and personal wildlife experience. There is a chance to spot a kangaroo with a joey in their pouch. There are also koalas and dingoes as well as kookaburras, echidnas and Tasmanian devils. There are also many species of birds living within the park including emu and cassowary. There are also a number of parrots and cockatoos that roam freely around the park.

San Remo is the gateway to Phillip Island, a lively seaside town where fishing and dining options abound and pelicans keep watch along the foreshore. Named after the famous Italian Riviera resort town, San Remo is situated at the southern entrance to Western Port. A bridge in the town centre provides a link from the mainland to the popular holiday destination of Phillip Island. San Remo's commercial centre stretches along Marine Parade which runs parallel to Phillip Island Road and the bridge across to the island. Originally established as a deep water port for the transportation of farm produce and coal to Melbourne in the mid 1800s, a thriving fishing industry soon developed in San Remo and it is currently the base for Australia's largest shark fishing fleet.