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Best things to do on Phillip Island: Fish and chips, wine and penguins

Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
From wine tasting to surfing, country walks and penguin spotting, this little corner of Gippsland has a lot to offer.

A seaside hotspot, Phillip Island has long been popular with holidaymaking families and international tourists, but there’s plenty more to this Bass Coast isle than just sun, sand, ice cream and penguins. Read on for our top seven things to do on Phillip Island.

1. Indulge in a wine tasting (and beer)

a hand holding a glass of wine at Purple Hen vineyard, Phillip Island
The idyllic Purple Hen vineyard produces premium cool-climate wines. (Image: Visit Victoria)

This little pocket of Gippsland is home to two cool-climate wineries with cellar doors. Going strong since 1993, Phillip Island Winery isn’t just some tourist trap: it produces a range of popular reds and whites (sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir) and is also host to a gorgeous little boutique that dispenses fresh local produce as well as flowers, sourdough, cookbooks, candles and wine. You can dine here too.

Known for its pinot noir and shiraz, but with plenty of whites and sparkling on offer too, Purple Hen Wines is in a scenic spot. Take your time on a tasting at one of the tables inside, admiring the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows, or grab a glass (or bottle) of your favourite drop to enjoy one of the picnic tables outside on the grass.

Beer lovers aren’t left out of the equation either. In the main town of Cowes lies independent, sustainable and family-run taphouse Ocean Reach Brewing: come for a tasting paddle and stay for the burgers.

2. Watch the Penguin Parade

the penguin parade on Phillip Island
Phillip Island is a proud home to the world’s largest Little Penguin colony. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Perhaps Phillip Island’s most iconic and enduring attraction, the Penguin Parade is the home of the largest Little Penguin colony in the world, drawing in kids, animal lovers and tourists alike. Watch legions of the flightless birds waddle out of the surf and onto the shore before heading up to their burrows, arriving like clockwork at sunset every night. Tiered seating overlooks the picturesque Summerlands Beach, and there’s an underground viewing area too. Arrive early and exploit the interactive activities and wealth of information supplied at the attraction’s visitors’ centre.

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3. Take a leisurely country walk

a man walking with his dog along the George Bass Coastal Walk, Phillip Island
Traverse the clifftop trail along the George Bass Coastal Walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

There’s a multitude of country walks to enjoy on this Bass Coast isle, many exploiting the rugged coastline views. Venture up to Cape Woolamai, the highest point on the island, from where you can gorge on 360-degree views of San Remo, Kilcunda and beyond. Take the Kitty Miller Bay Walk that leads to the rusted remains of a shipwreck. Waltz around Churchill Island, and you’ll likely encounter some highland cattle. Or hit one of the Conservation Hill And Rhyll Inlet Walks, home to the southernmost mangroves in the world.

4. Hit the surf

surfers at Surf Beach, Phillip Island.
Surf’s up on Phillip Island. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Home to Victoria’s first National Surfing Reserve, Phillip Island is a bit of a surfer’s paradise. A number of different surf schools operate out of family-friendly Smiths Beach, with its moderate and consistent swells, including Girls on Board, Island Surfboards and Archy Surf. But the beach is also home to ‘Express Point’, a barrelling reef break known in some surfing circles as the island’s premier wave. More experienced surfers might want to make for the world-class beach breaks of Woolamai, or Cat Bay’s left- and right-hand reef breaks.

5. Jump on a boat and spot some seals

seals swimming in the sea, Phillip Island
Seal Rocks is home to more than 25,000 fur seals. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Did you know Phillip Island is home to Australia’s largest fur seal colony? Pay a visit to this community of furry fellas with eco-friendly local operator Wildlife Coast Cruises. The company’s two-hour trip will take you within metres of the seals, which regularly approach the boat for a closer look, and on average, daytrippers will see more than 5,000 up-close, not to mention seabirds and pods of dolphins, if you’re lucky.

If you’re in the market for something a touch more high-octane, then give Ocean Adventures a call. You’ll speed along the island’s coastline on either a jet boat or thundercat, exploring the granite cliffs and caves of Cape Woolamai along the way.

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6. Get your catch of the day

a couple heading to San Remo Fisherman's Cooperative
Make a beeline for the best fish and chips in town at San Remo Fisherman’s Cooperative. (Image: Visit Victoria)

From jetties and beaches to boat charters, there are plenty of opportunities to cast a line of this little isle, with local anglers routinely catching flathead, snapper, whiting, garfish, salmon, shark and squid. Try Reel Obsession, T-Cat Fishing Charters, or The Island Charter Boat for a day out on the water. And if you don’t have much success then don’t fret: you can pick up super fresh fish from the professionals at San Remo Fisherman’s Cooperative anyway.

7. Rev up your adrenaline

motorcycles racing at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, Phillip Island
Witness the heart-racing Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Phillip Island is known for hosting the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, and the World Superbike Championship too, but that doesn’t mean petrolheads have to time their visit to coincide with the MotoGP. Rock up at any time of year and you can still take a guided circuit tour, which gives you access to race control, the media centre and the winner’s podium. Or stroll through the History of Motorsport Display. Or buckle up and race around Australia’s largest four-lane GP, at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Visitor Centre, which is home to a 760-metre scale replica of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, overlooking the Bass Strait.

Family-friendly activities

Penguin Parade and boat trips aside, there are a number of activities to entertain families on the island. Chief among them is Phillip Island Wildlife Park, where kangaroos, wallabies, emus, cassowaries, wombats, and koalas roam. Its grounds are spread across a whopping 60 acres and offer up-close encounters. A highlight for many visitors is the opportunity to hand-feed and pat kangaroos.

Those who have an affinity for koalas should head for the Koala Conservation Reserve, where treetop boardwalks wind through the Aussie bush. Guided tours are also on offer, promising a deeper insight into the lives of these sleep-loving creatures.

Older kids might get a kick out of the experiences at A Maze’N Things, such as mini golf, 3D mazes and a high ropes course.

Discover the best accommodation on Phillip Island

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Chloe Cann
Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
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From coast to bush: these are Gippsland’s best hikes

    Michael Turtle Michael Turtle
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    Video credit: Tourism Australia

    From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

    I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

    For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland, and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

    Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

    The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

    sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

    Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

    a couple on Mount Oberon
    Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit, which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

    a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

    You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk, even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

    the George Bass Coastal Walk
    George Bass Coastal Walk trails for seven kilometres along clifftops. (Image: Visit Victoria/Time Out Australia)

    Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk, usually done over seven days.

    the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland
    Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    The best bush hikes in Gippsland

    the Baw Baw National Park
    The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

    Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

    Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

    Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

    The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

    the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland
    Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

    As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park, along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

    the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park
    Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail, a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

    the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park
    The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

    Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park, known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the WildernessRetreats in The Prom
    Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

    Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

    Eating there

    the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

    Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

    a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.

    Video credit: Tourism Australia