Spring is the best time to visit Phillip Islands attractions. With many things to see and do and only an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne, there’s a great array of fun and affordable activities to enjoy this spring school holidays.
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Churchill Island was the site of the first farm in Victoria and its pioneering history is still evident today. It’s a great place to explore some of Victorias heritage and tranquil scenery. You can see the old homestead (listed by the National Trust) as it was in it’s day and experience daily heritage farming activities including cow milking, sheep shearing and working dogs demonstrations.
See the spring baby animals, meet the likes of Max the Clydesdale horse, Lucy the goose, the peacock, the highland cattle and others as you explore the farm grounds and its gardens which surrounded by the bay, are quite picturesque.
During School and Public holidays you can also enjoy a wagon ride.
Open 10am to 5pm daily
Daily farming activities:
1.00-1.45
pm wagon rides (school and public holidays only, weather permitting )
2.10pm cow milking
2.30pm sheep shearing
2.45pm whip cracking
3.05pm Working dogs
3.20pm Sheep shearing
Penguin Parade
Experience the magic of little penguins returning home at sunset to one of the largest penguin colonies in Australia.
Penguins arrive at sunset. Penguin Parade duration is 50 minutes from the time the first penguin crosses the beach. The operators request you arrive 1 hour prior to penguin arrival time and provide a Penguin Arrival Calendar to help you work out the right time to be there.
They’ve also introduced a free smartphone and tablet app for you to download which is a great way to discover more about the penguins, including burrow cam, image gallery, games and individual penguin statistics straight to your device the moment a penguin crosses a research weighbridge.
Located 90 minutes drive from Melbourne, and 20 minutes from the bridge to Phillip Island. The Penguin Parade is accessible for prams and wheelchairs. No photography is permitted at the Penguin Parade to protect the penguins.
While you’re there you can also explore the rugged coastline along the cliff top boardwalks at the free Nobbies Centre and look for the Australian fur seals and migrating whales.
Koala Conservation Centre
Come ‘face to face’ with koalas in their natural habitat. Explore the treetop boardwalks and stroll through the woodlands, home to many animals including wallabies, echidnas, bats and birds.
Koala Conservation Centre open 10am to 5pm daily.
3 Parks Pass
Penguin Parade, Churchill Island Heritage Farm & Koala Conservation Centre
Select your Penguin Parade date of visit when purchasing the 3 Parks Pass. Entry to the Koala Conservation Centre and Churchill Island Heritage Farm is valid for six months from the Penguin Parade visit date.
Family (2A+2C) $104.00
Wild Oceans EcoBoat tours
Two great options are available on the Wild Oceans EcoBoat tours:
EcoBoat Express (1hr):
Includes Seal Rocks, the Nobbies and Cat Bay. The fastest tour to Seal Rocks gives you more time at Australia’s largest fur seal colony. Watch the antics of playful seals as they surround the boat, ducking their heads in and out of the water. Return via the famous Nobbies landmark and Cat Bay National Surfing Reserve, famous for its longboard break. Operates year round and departs daily from either Cowes or Rhyll jetty.
Family (2A+2C) $235.00
Combine your EcoBoat Express tour with a 3 Parks Pass for discounted entry to the Penguin Parade, Koala Conservation Centre and Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Family (2A+2C) $328.60
EcoBoat Adventure (1.5hrs):
Operates seasonally – this tour operates between the first Sunday in October and the first Sunday in April only.
Includes Seal Rocks, the Nobbies, Summerland Peninsula cliffs and the Nobbies blowhole, plus Cat Bay on the return journey. Get up close with Australia’s largest fur seal colony, discover the Aboriginal and European history of the area and get a unique and exciting view of the Nobbies blowhole carved into the cliffs by thousands of years of explosive wave action.
With over 20 years of experience, our operator and ranger guides are experts at finding seals, whales, dolphins, penguins and other seabirds. Seating up to 47 people and operating year round, our world-class RIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) is also equipped with underwater cameras, giving you the best views above and below the water.
EcoBoat tours depart daily from Cowes jetty or Rhyll jetty (weather and tide may affect departure location).
To book, visit https://www.penguins.org.au/buy-tickets/category/id/36 or phone +61 3 5951 2800.