The Best Wildlife On Phillip Island
Phillip Island should be at the top of any wildlife enthusiast’s list. You can find native species in their natural habitat along with sanctuaries set up to conserve the unique ecosystem on this island. Here are the best places on Phillip Island to get up-close and personal with.
The Penguin Parade
A visit to the island is not complete without a stop at The Penguin Parade Visitor Centre to see the adorable penguins emerge from the sea at sunset. You can view the world’s smallest penguin from the viewing platform at Summerland Beach, as you watch them waddle across to their sand dune burrows. There are various tours available with a chance of up-close encounters with these animals. You can see why this intimate experience is one of Australia’s most popular attractions.
Price starts from $26.50 for adults, and $13.20 for children (4 to 15 years) or get a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) for $66.50.
Australian Fur Seals at Seal Rock
Join a wildlife cruise to see the colony of over 25,000 brown fur seals basking on Seal Rocks in the sunshine. Crowds of 5,000 to 8,000 seals can be seen here at any given time! Their breeding season is between October and December, and this makes it a perfect time to watch the seals feed their young, wrestle and play in the cool water.
Dolphins are a regular sight too, and if you’re lucky you can come across whales during migrating season – so be sure to be on the lookout!
The 2-hour Seal Watching Cruise starts from $85 per adult, and $59.50 per child, with a discounted family ticket for $237.
Cuddle Koalas at the Conservation Centre
Learn about one of Australia’s most iconic animals at the Koala Conservation Centre. Unlike the zoo, the koalas here live amongst the eucalypt forests and surrounding wetlands in the wild (wallabies, possums and echidnas can also be found in this area). Walk along the treetop boardwalks through the bushland to see koalas ‘face to face’ as they go about their daily business of sleeping, eating and more sleeping!
Prices start from $13.20 for adults, and $6.60 for children (4 – 15 years), family tickets are $33.
Explore Phillip Island Wildlife Park
Set on 60 acres of park, head to the Phillip Island Wildlife Park for more personal encounters with over 100 different species of Australian animals. You can hand feed kangaroos and wallabies as they roam throughout the ground in a free-range environment. You can also find many species of birds from the flightless emu to cockatoos.
Prices are $19 for adults, and $9 for children (aged 4 to 14 years), with a family ticket for $50. Every ticket purchased includes one bag of Kangaroo food.
Bird Watching
With over 300 species of birds on Phillip Island, it is a paradise for bird watchers and bird lovers. You can see rare wading birds, migratory mutton birds on their journey from Alaska, to short-tailed shearwaters (mutton birds) returning to their colony en masse at sunset at Cape Woolamai. Regular sightings of the majestic white-bellied sea eagles and wedge-tailed eagles circle above the ocean and build large nests along the cliffs.
Don’t miss out on the daily pelican feedings too from midday at the San Remo beach!
Looking to book your next trip to Phillip Island, make BIG4 Phillip Island Caravan Park your base. With a ton of facilities and different accommodation to suit all needs, book direct with us here!
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*Ticket prices are correct of January 2020