This is part two of a series about my time spent on Phillip Island, Victoria Australia. You can read Part One to catch up! So far I’d been visiting some well fed pelicans and attempting to surf the waves on Smiths Beach.
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
V8 supercars at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
As if surfing all morning wasn’t enough excitement on Phillip Island, I was challenged to a one-on-one go kart race with Andrew from Phillip Island Tourism. The clever thing about the go karting race track on Phillip Island is that it’s a replica of the actual Grand Prix Circuit, so you can pretend you’re a real racing driver. The Grand Prix Circuit is famous for being the home of the Australia MotoGP and is hosting the Superbike World Championship in February 2014.
The go karting itself was extremely slick, allowing us to log in via Facebook and adding our profile photos to the leader board. After a very cautious start to get a feel for the circuit, confidence began to build, taking the corners late and drifting out of the bends. Eventually I pushed my kart a little too hard and sped off on a tight corner not just into the tires but off flying over the grass! Thankfully my lap times were still good enough to clinch victory!
Although we didn’t get to experience much of the V8 super cars it’s certainly a big attraction on the island. If you’re really into the sport or bit of a petrol head then it’s well worth staying on the island and taking in a full weekend of the sport.
Beer tasting at Rusty Water Brewery
Range of ales at Rusty Water Brewery
After such an adrenaline pumping morning I was ready to take a break and have lunch. I’m always disappointed back in London if I go to meet friends in a pub and the selection of beer is poor or really generic, so when I saw Rust Water Brewery on my itinerary I was more than happy.
The Rusty Water Brewery is my kind of place – specialising in handcrafted ales! Wanting to test out the best of the ales Rusty Water had to offer I opted for the ale tasting selection, with my favourites being the Koala Pale Ale and Dark Malt Burnt Toffee Ale. It’s the only place you’ll find on Phillip Island specialising in hand crafted ales, so any beer fans should definitely add it to their itineraries. The food was also pretty exceptional with generous portions, I ordered the Aussie favourite, chicken parmigiana.
The Nobbies Centre
Inside the Nobbies Centre
After a much needed break the next stop was to explore the western tip of Phillip Island and admire the ocean views from the boardwalks around the Nobbies Centre. The Nobbies is the headland formation at the end of the Summerland Peninsula, the cliffs here overlook the churning seas of the Bass Strait and you can see Australian fur seals basking out on the Seal Rocks and bobbing around in the surrounding water.
Waves around the Nobbies
The scenery here is rough and rugged with swirling waves crashing upon the cliffs, it can be wet and windy here at times but it’s a beautiful part of Phillip Island. Out on the rocks there’s a colony of around 20,000 Australian fur-seals and from the warmth and comforts of the Nobbies Centre you can use remote controlled cameras to get a closer view without disturbing them. The cameras are stationed out towards the rocks and give visitors the chance (for a few dollars) to zoom in and around to get a close up of the seal colony. It’s an interesting and clever little innovation that works well.
Often over shadowed by Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade, the Nobbies Centre is well worth visiting. Although you can take a boat out to view the seals up close elsewhere on Phillip Island there are plans to run trips from nearer to the centre. This would certainly enhance the overall experience but the area itself is so breathtaking and naturally beautiful that it’s worth a visit for the views alone.
If you are thinking of visiting the Nobbies Centre you need to note that I does close at sunset, the reason for this is to protect the penguins who come waddling ashore after the sun goes down.
The Penguin Parade
Outside the Penguin Parade
The most famous of all Phillip Island attractions are the penguins and their nightly “parade” out from the ocean, up the beach and on to the sand dunes to find their nesting burrows. Visitors have been descending on Summerland Beach for well over 80 years and the tourist facilities have adapted over time. Unlike back in the 1920’s visitors are restricted to viewing the penguins from boardwalks and viewing decks, this allows the penguins to waddle their way up the dunes relatively undisturbed (apart from admiring eyes looking back at them). Photography is not permitted at the Penguin Parade as many visitors used to take photos with their cameras flash on, temporarily blinding the tiny penguins. It was a good move, it means that the visitors are pretty well behaved, there’s no pushing or jostling for the best position to take the perfect shot.
Although at first sight the grandstands on the beach (where visitors watch the penguins come ashore) can seem a little over the top, you soon realise that actually, with the sheer popularity of the attraction, Phillip Island tourism have done an amazing job in balancing the conservation of these tiny creatures with their inevitable popularity.
The spectacle of watching wave after wave of groups of tiny penguins scuttling across Summerland Beach brings a smile to your face, it’s just an amazing sight. Knowing that these little creatures have been out in rough seas but have made it back and are honing in on their nesting sites is incredible. With the boardwalks stretching from the Summerland Beach over the dunes and back to the Penguin Parade Visitors Centre you have plenty of time to stroll and observe groups of penguins searching for their nests.
I love wildlife and experiencing nature, the Penguin Parade certainly didn’t disappoint and it actually made a nice change not to be stuck behind the lens trying to capture that perfect shot. I’d recommend upgrading to the Penguin Plus viewing area if you’re planning a visit, you’ll be able to view the penguins in a smaller group and potentially see more up close.
The Koala Conservation Centre
View from Koala Centre
After such an adrenaline and wildlife packed day on Phillip Island, it was nearly time to say “goodbye”. I had one last stop before driving over the bridge to the mainland and onwards on my road trip, the Koala Conservation Centre. I was up early and surprised the staff at the centre as the first visitor of the day, I definitely recommend getting here at opening time because it’s such a beautiful and peaceful place when there is no one else around (or at least when it’s quieter).
After educating myself all about the different types of Koala, their habitat, health and history on the island, I ventured outside to find the furry creatures. Koalas are protected in this area but you can get up pretty close to them. Apparently they were introduced to Phillip Island but their numbers were suffering due to changes to their environment. The centre itself was set up to help educate people and protect the koalas on the island, special anti-koala climbing fences pen the koalas into a designated area for their own safety.
The Koala Conservation Centre has raised boardwalks to allow visitors to get a tree top view of the koalas in their natural habitat, at ground level it can be difficult to work out what you’re looking at other than a ball of grey fur. I took my time walking a trail in the forest then up onto the koala spotting boardwalks with only a handful of other visitors around, the koalas are pretty easy to spot and there is a beautiful look out point to rest and bird watch. Before leaving I took a stroll through the forest with the sun beaming between the trees and flora, the forest itself is home to an abundance of bird life and wallabies.
I have to confess that like many other visitors to Melbourne, I’d heard about Phillip Island and without actually having visited I really only associated it with penguins. There’s no doubt that the islands Penguin Parade is fantastic attraction but the island offers so much more, if you take a little bit more time to explore the area you’ll be rewarded with a great experience. The island is less than a two hour drive from Melbourne and offers so much in the way of natural beauty and wildlife that it should certainly be on most peoples itineraries.
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