Virtual Tour of Phillip Island

Enjoy special wildlife experiences and admire extraordinary coastal scenery via your computer screen on our virtual Phillip Island tour.

With stunning coastal views and some of Australia’s best wildlife experiences, Phillip Island is a wonderful day trip from Melbourne. Home to the world-famous Penguin Parade, Phillip Island offers visitors a unique chance to observe little penguins in their native habitat as they come ashore after a day out at sea feeding. While these amazing experiences are off-limits for now, enjoy this virtual tour to give you a taste of what this special destination has to offer.

• Maru Wildlife Park

  Family owned Maru Wildlife Park, on the way to Phillip Island, is perfect opportunity to view and interact with some Australia’s most loved wildlife. The park offers a range of wildlife experiences from handfeeding kangaroos and wallabies, to photo opportunities with koalas and dingos.

  Did you know that wombats and Tasmanian devils have a backwards facing pouch to stop dirt getting inside when they dig? Or that koalas have strong cartilage in their bum to keep them comfy when they are wedged in eucalyptus tree branches? What about that emus have two sets of eyelids? Keeper presentations take place throughout the day to offer stacks of fascinating information like this about the animals’ habits, feeding, breeding and life in the wild.

• Woolamai Beach

  Surf’s up on Phillip Island at Woolamai Beach! The famous beach on the southern end of Phillip Island in a popular spot for local surfers. As the large waves from the Bass Strait roll in, admire the surfers’ skills in the water from the lookout points along the beach or hit the waves yourself if you dare! ‘

  At 4.2 kilometres long, Woolamai Beach is the longest stretch of beach on Phillip Island, offering you a great chance to feel the sand between your toes as you explore the breathtaking coastline. Enjoy a pleasant walk along the beach, breath in the salty ocean air and appreciate the stunning beach views all the way to the pink granite cliffs of Cape Woolamai.

• Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

  Motor enthusiasts will love a stop at the world-renowned Grand Prix Circuit on Phillip Island. Since its establishment in 1956, the racetrack was used intermittently for car and motorcycle races until it was included in the regular MotoGP calendar in 1997. Phillip Island now hosts the premier event annually in October, when thousands of fans descend on the area to witness motorcycle royalty whizz around the 5.3-kilometre track. Fancy yourself with a chance to beat Jorge Lorenzo’s record time of 1:27:89? The track offers ride days for amateurs to test the limits of their motorcycles (and fear) in a controlled environment.

• Nobbies

  Getting back to nature we make a stop at The Nobbies to wander along the boardwalks that hug the rocky coastline. Gaze across to Seal Rock from the lookout points to spot members of the largest colony of Australian fur seals as they lay about warming up in the sun. Take a peek under the boardwalks and into the dunes – you might spot some little penguins in their burrows!

• Penguin Parade

  The highlight of any Phillip Island Tour is the Penguin Parade at the end of the day. Observing the little penguins waddle out of the surf with their bellies full of fish after a day of feeding is truly a magical wildlife encounter.

  The Penguin Parade first started as a tourist attraction in the 1920s when some entrepreneurial residents started bringing travellers to the island by boat to watch the penguins on the beach. When the bridge from the mainland was built in the 1940s, more tourists came to witness the nightly spectacle, but the lack of management meant the penguins’ habitat was damaged and their numbers began to decline. Eventually, the area was fenced off and protected, with gradual upgrades to the facilities offering both an awesome experience for travellers and protecting the main attraction – the captivating little penguins. The Penguin Parade is now a premier ecotourism attraction and conservation facility.

  Also known as fairy penguins, the little penguin is the smallest species of penguin standing just 33 centimetres tall and weighing around one kilogram. They are found along the coast of southern parts of Australia and New Zealand, with roughly 32,000 calling Summerland Beach in Phillip Island home. They spend most of their life out at sea fishing, returning to their burrows in the dunes to breed and raise their young, moult and take a rest. Besides their size, they are distinguishable from other penguin species by their feathers which are blue and white as opposed to black and white.

  The little penguins are only active on land under the safety of darkness to avoid predators, waiting until the sun has set before making their way ashore. They will often linger in the surf to gather into a small group before waddling across the exposed beach to the relative safety of the sand dunes. At the Penguin Parade, you can take a seat on the viewing platforms to watch in amazement as they emerge from the surf and group together to make their way across the beach. As they head into the dunes, meander along the boardwalks to walk side by side with the adorable creatures making their way home.

The virtual tour of Phillip Island is no match for a real-life encounter with the little penguins and other local wildlife. We hope to see you soon for a tour in real life so you can enjoy meet these amazing animals!

Related article: Which is the best Phillip Island Tour?

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.