Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On the north coast you can explore
Rhyll Inlet,
an intertidal mangrove wet-
land, where you can see wading birds such as spoonbills, oystercatchers, herons,
egrets, cormorants, and the rare bar-tailed godwit and the whimbrel.
Bird-watchers will also love
Swan Lake,
another breeding habitat for wetland
birds.
Elsewhere, walking trails lead through heath and pink granite to
Cape
Woolamai,
the island's highest point, where there are fabulous coastal views.
September through April the cape is home to thousands of short-tailed shear-
waters, or muttonbirds as they are sometimes called.
If you really want to see a bit of the island (instead of just seeing the parade
and dashing off ), consider taking one of the 15 different tours offered by
Mike
Cleeland
and his
Island Nature Tours,
RMB 6080, Cowes, Phillip Island, VIC
3922 (
&
03/5956 7883
).
A pedestrian bridge is the only connection to
Churchill Island,
an islet where
you can visit beautiful gardens and a villa situated 1km (
1
⁄
2
mile) from Newhaven,
open every day (except Christmas Day). Admission is A$7.70 (US$5) adults,
A$3.70 (US$2.40) children.
Koala Conservation Centre
Koalas were introduced to Phillip Island in
the 1880s and at first they thrived in the predator-free environment. However,
overpopulation, the introduction of foxes and dogs, and the clearing of land for
farmland and roads, have all taken their toll. Though today you can still see a
few koalas in the wild, the best place to find them is at this sanctuary, set up for
research and breeding purposes. Visitors can get quite close to them, especially
on the elevated boardwalk, which lets you peek into their treetop homes. For the
best viewing come around 4pm, when the ordinarily sleepy koalas are on the
move.
At Fiveways, Phillip Island Tourist Road, Cowes
&
03/5952 1307.
A$5.60 (US$3.65) adults, A$2.60
(US$1.70) children under 16, A$14 (US$9) families. Daily 10am-5pm.
Phillip Island Penguin Reserve
The Penguin Parade takes place
every night of the year at dusk, when hundreds of little penguins appear at the
water's edge, gather together in the shallows, and waddle up the beach toward
their burrows in the dunes. They're the smallest of the world's 17 species of pen-
guins, standing just 33 centimeters (13 in.) high, and they're the only penguins
that breed on the Australian mainland. Fences and viewing stands were erected
in the 1960s to protect the nesting areas. Flash photography is banned because
it scares the little guys. Wear a sweater or jacket, since it gets chilly after the sun
goes down. A kiosk selling food opens an hour before the penguins turn up.
Reservations for the Penguin Parade are essential on weekends and public holi-
days and in summer—all times when tickets can be difficult to get.
If you get to Phillip Island on your own and don't have a car, the
Penguin
Parade Bus
(
&
03/5952 1042
or 04/1736 0370) will pick you up from your
hotel. The round-trip price is A$19 (US$12) for adults and A$11 (US$7.15) for
children and includes a prebooked ticket for the Penguin Parade.
Summerland Beach, Phillip Island Tourist Rd., Cowes.
&
03/5951 2800.
www.penguins.org.au. Admission
A$14 (US$9.10) adults, A$7 (US$4.55) children 4-13, A$35 (US$23) families. Visitor center opens 10am; pen-
guins arrive at sunset.
WHERE TO STAY
Penguin Hill Country House B&B
This private home with views over sheep
paddocks to Bass Strait is within walking distance of the Penguin Parade. Each
Kids
