Things to Do in Phillip Island

The Nobbies Centre offers a front row seat to nature’s powerful drama. Marooned out on the western end of Victoria’s Phillip Island, the Nobbies is a spot where the jagged rocks are met by the fury of the sea. The area is best known for the 16,000 fur seals that make their home on the rocks, and the spring season from October-January is when males fight to claim their territory and mothers feed their young. Above the rocks and crashing surf, hundreds of sea birds float and glide on gusty currents in the sky—almost to the point that their avian cloud can partially block out the sun. 

A series of boardwalks and lookout points leads from the center to the coast, although the seals are rarely close enough to be seen with the naked eye. Instead, it’s the power of the wind, waves, and sea spray that offers immediate drama. When a storm rolls in off the Southern Ocean and encounters the slippery rocks, the walls of whitewater furiously exploding are reason enough to visit. If the wind is whipping up a chill, escape to the confines of the educational center and warm up with a coffee or tea, and keep your eyes peeled for Little Penguins that burrow under the boardwalk. While the Centre itself is a quick visit, it’s the sweeping views from the coastal boardwalk that make this a visitor favorite.

It looks like something from a movie script; a large, stone, skull shaped rock rising halfway up from a deeply blue sea off an isolated stretch of coast. This isn't some villain's lair, however, but a famous rock off Wilson's Promontory on Victoria's southern coast. This rugged peninsula is the southernmost point on the entire Australian mainland, and when surfing, hiking, or camping on "the Prom," Cleft Island silently looms like a haunting skull offshore. To add to the rock's mysterious allure, it's believed that only a handful of people have ever set foot on the rock. The cliffs on all sides are dozens of feet high, and an enormous cave the size of a building consumes the center of the rock. For as foreboding as it appears on the surface, however, Skull Rock is a diver's paradise on the granite walls below. As part of the Anser and Glennie Island groups, Cleft Island is in the middle of Wilson's Promontory Marine National Park"”where colorful sponge gardens, groupers, and seadragons all thrive in the chilly depths. Unless you're a dedicated diver, however, chances are that Cleft Island will be something you view from afar"”whether it's lounging on sandy Norman Beach and playing in the crashing surf, or enjoying the backcountry bushwalking trails of Victoria's southern coast. 

For many travelers, Phillip Island is known for the penguins that stumble ashore at sunset, but for anyone into high speed racing on motorcycles, go karts, or stock cars, it’s known for the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit and the legendary, ocean view course. With a total lap length of 2.7 miles, the circuit is not only technically challenging with all of its twist and turns, but considering the sweeping ocean views, is generally regarded as one of the sport’s most scenic and popular tracks. If there happens to be a race while in town, head to one of the spectator spots to watch the fast-paced action, where professional riders accelerate to speeds that can often top 200 mph. On days when races are actively in session, go kart rides are offered for visitors to get the feel for the course, or you can also whip through the track at high speeds while accompanied by a professional driver. To learn even more about the history of the circuit, and relive its memorable moments, join in a guided tour of the track that takes place at 2pm, where you’ll finish the tour on the winner’s podium like the greatest racers in the world. 

All hail the mighty chocolate! That’s the feeling you might get when you tour this chocolate-laced compound. Located over the bridge from San Remo when you arrive on Phillip Island, the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory is an Australian shrine to chocolate. On a tour through “Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate” you can find art, houses, activities, and games that are made entirely from chocolate, and you’ll even find chocolate spilling down from the world’s largest chocolate waterfall. Stroll past a carving of Michaelangelo’s “David” that is exquisitely carved from chocolate, and see a solid block of chocolate that literally weighs a ton.

For more of a tasty, hands-on experience, design and create your own chocolate that is instantly made for you to eat. Draw your name in chocolate syrup and watch chocolatiers at work, and then wash down the endlessly tasty morsels with a hot chocolate in the café. The chocolate served at the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory is its own special blend, and from the moment you’re greeted with white truffles that are made from the “secret recipe,” you can literally taste the pride and passion for everyone’s favorite sweet.