Phillip Island

Phillip Island is found off the coast of Victoria and is just 26 kilometres long and 9 kilometres wide. Access is possible either by road bridge from San Remo to Newhaven, or by passenger ferry from Crib Point on the Mornington Peninsula.

Cowes is the central township on Phillip Island where there are plenty of restaurants, cafes and entertainment for the thousands of holiday makers that visit the island each year.

Phillip Island has a mild climate between 12 - 35 degrees and is frequently tempered by ocean breezes.

George Bass discovered the island in 1798 and first named it Snapper Island. This was changed to Grant Island and then finally to its current name after the first Governor of Australia, Arthur Phillip.

Phillip Island offers some of the best beaches in Victoria including Smith"s Beach. The coastline that faces Bass Strait is best for surfing, boarding and sailing, while the beaches to the north are best for fishing, swimming and boating.

Wildlife watching is a major attraction on Phillip Island. Each evening Little Penguins return from their day"s fishing to their burrows on Summerland Beach. The Penguin Parade is avidly watched by hundreds of family holiday makers.

Fur seal colonies can be seen at the Nobbies on the western tip of the island and at Seal Rocks to the south. Koalas and wombats can be watched in their natural habitat at the Koala Conservation Centre.

Each October the island reverberates with the roar of engines as the 500 cc Motorcycle Grand Prix provides three days of racing and excitement.

Image: Phillip Island Seals - Tourism Victoria

Things to do