Choose from 8 Fun Things to Do in Phillip Island
ShowingFilter 1-8 of 8 listings.
Refuge Cove
While it definitely isn't Australia's most accessible beach, Refuge Cove is more than worth the effort it takes to get there. Ensconced inside the forested refuge of Wilson's Promontory National Park, Refuge Cove gets its name from the protection it offers passing sailors. There aren't any roads leading into this bay"”which is accessible by boat or trail"”and it's a favorite of Australia's yachting community in need of anchorage in storms. For all other visitors who are traveling on foot, Refuge Cove requires a 10-mile hike from the parking lot at Telegraph Saddle, with many opting to break the trip up by camping at Sealers Cove. There's also a campsite in Refuge Cove at the southern end of the beach, where you can wake to the sound of waves striking sand and birds chirping in the trees. Watch the sunrise from golden sands that face the eastern horizon, and spend the day swimming in turquoise waters that seem clear enough to drink. If it weren't for a rule that limits camping to a maximum of two nights in a row, it would be easy to spend the days swimming and suntanning"”not wanting to head back home.
Practical Info
Refuge Cove is located on the east coast of Wilson's Promontory National Park. All hikers and campers must first make a booking at the Tidal River Visitor Center, or download an application from the Parks Victoria website. Since Refuge Cove is a backcountry location, all drinking water, supplies, and cooking equipment must be carried in by hand.
Address: Wilson's Promontory National Park, Australia, Australia
Admission: Varies
From $ 185
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory
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.
Practical Info
Panny’s Phillip Island Chocolate Factory is open from 10am-5pm or 6pm, dependent upon time of year. Admission is free to the café and retail store, and admission to Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate is $15 for adults, $10 for children, or $45 per family.
Address: 930 Phillip Island Rd, Newhaven, VIC, Australia 3925, Australia
Hours: Daily: Summer 10am-6pm, Winter 10am-5pm
Admission: Adult $15, Child $10, Families $45
From $ 13
The Nobbies Centre
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.
Practical Info
The Nobbies Center opens at 11am and closes an hour before sunset—perfect timing for making your way to the sunset penguin parade. Pack a jacket for the chilly winds, and a bring binoculars or a zoom lens for the best view of the seals.
Address: 1320 Ventnor Rd, Summerlands, VIC, Australia 3922, Australia
Hours: Daily 11am-5pm: Closing hours change seasonally
From $ 50
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse
To experience Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse you better have a strong set of legs. This historic light station on Wilsons Promontory can only be reached by foot"” and requires a journey that last two days and just over 23 miles. After sloshing for nearly 12 miles through lush, Victorian bush, this lighthouse that's stood since 1859 appears as literal beacon of hope that the hike is nearly complete. There was once a time when hardy families would live on this isolated point"”dutifully manning the flickering light to keep mariners safe at sea. Today those homes where the light keepers lived have largely remained the same, and are split into three, dorm style cottages where hikers can rest for the night. The granite cliffs surrounding the lighthouse form the mainland's southernmost point, and the roiling Pacific surrounds the cottages on nearly every side. After cleaning up from a long day of hiking, poke your head in the small museum of original lighthouse artifacts, or talk with the rangers who still call the lighthouse their temporary home. On the return trip, many hikers opt to return via Little Waterloo Bay, where golden sands and clear water are worth the extra couple of miles to the trail's original start.
Practical Info
There's a two-night maximum for the lighthouse cottages, and advanced reservations are required. Permits are obtained at the Tidal River information center, and all food, water, and rubbish must be packed both in and out.
Address: Wilsons Promontory, VIC, Australia 3960, Australia
From $ 185
Cleft Island (Skull Rock)
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.
Practical Info
Skull Rock is located three miles offshore of Tidal River"”the main visitor information area when visiting Wilson's Promontory. The area is approximately 2.5 hours from Melbourne and 1.5 hours from Phillip's Island, and has limited options for food and accommodations outside of camping in the park.
Address: Cleft Island, Victoria, Australia, Australia
From $ 185
A Maze'N Things
Set amid the natural wonders and wildlife reserves of Phillip Island, A Maze'N Things offers a fun alternative for a family day out. The small-scale theme park is packed with interactive exhibitions and activities, including mind-bending illusions, a gigantic maze, a minigolf course, and plenty of games, puzzles, and challenges to keep all ages entertained.
The Basics
Admission to A Maze'N Things includes entrance to its Magic Manor, Puzzle Island, Illusion Rooms, and the Maze, while tours from Melbourne often combine a visit with attractions like the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory or the evening Penguin Parade. Additional ticketed activities include the 19-hole Maxi Mini Golf course and the SkyTrail high-ropes adventure course.
Things to Know Before You Go
- A Maze'N Things is suitable for all ages, but there are age restrictions on some activities and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
- On-site facilities include a café, picnic and barbecue area, gift shop, and playground.
- The Maze takes an average of 45 minutes to complete, but plan up to three hours to enjoy all the park’s activities.
- Some of the park’s attractions are wheelchair accessible.
How to Get There
A Maze’N Things is located on the main Phillip Island Road, between the Rusty Water Brewery and Phillip Island Adventure Resort. It’s about a 1.5-hour drive from Melbourne city center and just a 10-minute drive from Phillip Island attractions such as Seal Rocks and the Penguin Parade.
When to Get There
Open daily year-round, A Maze’N Things is busiest in peak season (December and January) and during school holidays. The SkyTrail is open daily throughout January, but the rest of the year it opens only on weekends.
Family Fun at A Maze’N Things
Tackling a gigantic open-air 3-D maze, zooming down the LookOut! slide, clambering through the treetops on the SkyTrail, and playing a round of minigolf are just some of the activities on offer at A Maze’N Things. In the Illusion Rooms, you can make people disappear, see water flowing uphill, defy gravity, and get shrunk. On Puzzle Island, experience a Mirror Maze, ride a flying boogie board, or try to balance in a rotating room; and in the Magic Manor, see a flying chandelier, test your nerves in the scare rooms, and try out magic tricks.
Address: 1805 Phillip Island Road, Cowes, Australia
Admission: $44 for adults, $29.50 for children
From $ 25
Cape Woolamai
With its sandy beaches, windswept bluffs, and miles of rugged walking trails, Cape Woolamai is a place to unwind and simply get back to nature. Stretched across the southeastern corner of scenic Phillip Island, Cape Woolamai is a popular getaway for surfers, birdwatchers, and hikers. On the western stretch, Woolamai Beach has some of the best surfing in the entire state of Victoria, whereas the eastern stretch is covered in sand dunes just a short walk from town. Woolamai Beach is part of the Phillip Island Surfing Reserve and home to a popular lifesaving club, and granite cliffs provide a rugged backdrop to the wide, golden sands. Atop the bluff, a system of walking tracks leads to the highest point on all of Phillip Island, and while it’s only a moderate 370 feet, the viewpoint provides a panoramic vista looking back towards the Australian mainland. Avid hikers can enjoy the 5.3-mile loop that passes the best beaches and viewpoints, and between September and April, birdwatchers can scan the skies for shearwaters that migrate from Alaska. Of all of the cape’s rugged scenery, however, the most striking image is of waves crashing up against the Pinnacles—an iconic collection of eroded sea stacks towards the very end of the cape.
Practical Info
Cape Woolamai is accessible for hiking during any time of year. Snow and ice are extremely rare, and the coastal climate keeps temperatures comfortable even in the middle of summer.
Address: Cape Woolamai, VIC, Australia 3925, Australia
From $ 67
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
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.
Practical Info
To race your own go kart, drivers must be 12 years of age and in good physical health, and sessions are booked in blocks of 10 minutes—with two sessions generally recommended to get the best feel for the track. “Hot Lap” rides with a professional driver take place at 5pm, and guided circuit tours are at 2pm and last about an hour.
Address: Back Beach Rd, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia VIC 3922, Australia
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm
Admission: Guided circuit tour: $22; professional “hot lap”: $330
From $ 63