Phillip Island - Victoria - Islands of Australia

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Island Details

Accommodation

Places to Visit

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Unique to the Island

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Phillip Island is a large island protecting the mouth of the Western Port Bay on the southern coast of Australia; neighboring French Island is fully within the bay.

Phillip Island is well-settled, with somewhat more than 7000 year round residents upon land area roughly 26 kilometers long and 9 kilometers wide. A bridge connects the township of Newhaven to the mainland village of San Remo, and the island is about two hours by car from the city of Melbourne.

The island is a popular tourist destination for several reasons, most notably the nightly “Penguin Parade” at Summerland Beach, in which visitors can watch groups of “Fairy Penguins” returning from their sea hunting. Koalas, dolphins, seals, pelicans and many other types of wildlife can also be seen in the various parks. The island also has its own Grand Prix track in Cowes, which hosts races for V8 Supercars, Motorcycle Grand Prix, Superbike and many more types of racing almost year round. On New Years Eve each year, more than 10,000 music enthusiasts gather for the Pyramid Rock Festival.

The island was often visited by aboriginal Australians, but was given its modern name after its “discovery” by British explorer George Bass in 1798. It was named for Governor Arthur Phillip, founder of Sydney. No permanent settlement was made until 1826, after which the farming of the coffee additive chicory was its primary industry. Several ships have run aground in the sometimes tricky waters.

The most populous township on the island is Cowes. It was originally named Mussel Rocks, but renamed after the town on the Isle of Wight in 1865 by a homesick sea commander. The township’s jetty, built in 1870, was the docking point for the island ferry, which was the most common point of access for visitors for the next seventy years.

An access road and spectator platforms built in the 1920s allowed viewing of penguin colonies, which quickly became a major tourist draw, and car ferry service was instituted. A suspension bridge was built in 1940, and the first of the Grand Prix races soon followed, along with more nature tourists. A concrete bridge was built in 1969 to serve the ever-increasing traffic.

In the 1990s, several different parks and preserves were combined into the non-profit Phillips Island Nature Parks, which now oversees the Penguin Parade, the Koala Conservation Centre, Churchill Island, the Rhyll Inlet, The Nobbies headland and blowhole, Seal Rock, Swan Lake and more.

The island now serves more than 3.5 million visitors every year.

Accommodation (Resorts and Hotels) Phillip Island

 

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Three hotels, two caravan parks, and about a dozen bed & breakfast, guest house, and homestead stays. Also three to four dozen cottages, apartments and beach houses for short-term rental.
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Places to Visit Phillip Island

 

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Penguin Parade

Koala Conservation Center

Cape Woolamai

Maru Koala and Fauna Park

Pyramid Rock

Rhyll Inlet

Rhyll Fishing Park

Seal Rocks

Swan Lake

The Nobbies

Warrook Cattle Farm

Phillip Island Historical Society Museum

Vietnam Veteran’s Museum,

A Maze’N Things (illusions, mirror maze, indoor slides, timber maze, maxi mini golf)

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Places to Eat Phillip Island

 

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Ten restaurants, plus smaller cafes and takeaways, and grocery stores.
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Tours Phillip Island

 

 

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Helicopter tours

Wildlife coast cruises

Duck Truck tours

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Activities Phillip Island

 

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Bushwalking, bird watching, pelican feeding, Grand Prix races, go-karts, ten-pin bowling, scuba diving and snorkeling, golf, fishing, biking, nightclubs, beaches and surfing, wine tasting

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Car, Bike and Boat Rentals/Hire Phillip Island

 

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Facilities Phillip Island

 

The Continental conference centre, numerous shops and services, pharmacy, computer/Internet access, massage, salon
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How to get there Phillip Island

 

Airplane

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Buses

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Ferry/Ship/Boat

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Car/Bike

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V-Line bus from Melbourne to Cowes daily, with stops in between; Phillip Island Bus Service, Inter Island Ferries from Cowes to French Island to Stony Point on the mainland, Phillip Island Helicopters.

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Unique to the Island Phillip Island

 

Penguin Parade, Grand Prix racing, Koala and nature parks, Pyramid Rock, Seal Rocks, Nobbies boardwalk and blowhole, Wildlife coastal cruises.
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Facts and Figures Phillip Island

 

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Services Phillip Island

 

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Pictures - Photos of Phillip Island

 

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Map Phillip Island


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