Phillip Island 3 Parks Pass - Penguin Parade and more!

• Admission for the Penguin Parade®
• Admission to the Koala Conservation Centre
• Churchill Island
• Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST)

• Food and beverages

•  This tour must be booked at least 48 hours in advance of your travel date
• Confirmation for this product will be received at the time of booking
• Tour is operated in English unless otherwise stated
• The Parade is an outdoor experience so please dress warmly
• Plan your day to arrive one hour before sunset
• Penguin arrival time is advertised around the island
• All revenue generated by the Phillip Island Nature Park benefits penguins and conservation
• Vouchers are non-transferable
• Vouchers are valid for booking date only
• Vouchers cannot be exchanged or returned after purchase
• No refunds are due for adverse weather conditions

Photography and video are NOT PERMITTED at the Penguin Parade
Why can we not take photos of the Penguins?
Phillip Island Nature Park understands the disappointment of not being able to use your camera but hope you have an enjoyable experience of the Penguin Parade®. The Park did not take lightly the decision not to allow cameras. After many years of consideration the cameras were banned for the following reasons:

• Flash photography is at the blue end of the light spectrum and disturbs penguins.
  Whilst flash photos were always banned, the Park could not stop them being taken. Many people could not turn their flash off their camera.
  This taking of flash photos also disturbed other customers who were obeying the ban. 
• The parade lights are soft and dispersed at the yellow end of the spectrum.
  Research has proven that these lights do not affect the penguins. 
• All photos are banned because some new digital and video cameras are very like flash cameras in appearance.
  Since the new cameras regulation many people have commented on the improved experience while watching penguins. Visitors are no longer crowded by other customers trying to take pictures and the whole evening is now much more peaceful for people and penguins.

Phillip Island Nature Park's management has to consider the penguins first. We hope you understand this position.

Some amazing Penguin facts:

• The penguins at Phillip Island are the smallest of 17 species of penguins in the world (they are only 33cm tall). Their largest Antarctic cousin is the Emperor Penguin, standing up to 130 cm tall.
• Penguins are found only in the southern hemisphere; so you will never see a penguin and Polar Bear together in the wild!
• The name 'Little Penguin' is now used instead of 'Fairy Penguin' as it is a more accurate translation of their scientific name, Eudyptula minor.
• A Little Penguin can actually sleep at sea, dozing as it floats on the surface.
• A Little Penguin can stay at sea for weeks, diving for fish, yet its waterproof feathers keep its skin absolutely dry.
• Penguins may swim 15 - 20 kilometres a day searching for small fish to eat. One penguin was recorded travelling 100 kilometres in one day!
• A Little Penguin has been recorded diving to 65 metres!
• The Little Penguin's dark feathers are not black like other penguins. They are a deep, rich blue. Their colour camouflages them from above and below the surface of the ocean.
• Natural hazards for penguins are sharks, birds of prey, rough weather and fish shortages.
• Sadly, a penguin's biggest danger is humans. They die from our plastic rubbish, oil spills at sea and on land from cars and introduced animals such as foxes, cats and dogs.
• A fox may kill as many as 30 or 40 penguins in one night. The fox is the penguins' main predator and keeps the rangers busy protecting the penguins.
• The Penguin Parade® research team are world leaders in the study of Little Penguins.
• Volunteers are knitting sweaters for penguins to keep them warm during the rehabilitation process after being oiled by spills at sea.
• Phillip Island Nature Park is a self-funding organization dedicated to protecting Little Penguins and other wildlife and their habitats on Phillip Island. The Penguin Parade® has become the number one wildlife tourist destination in Australia, with over half a million visitors per year.

Koala Conservation Centre
This area of natural bushland provides exceptional koala viewing whilst promoting koala conservation on Phillip Island. The Koala Conservation Centre features a visitor interpretation centre with gift shop and treetop boardwalks for 'up close' koala viewing.

Things to do at the Koala Conservation Centre

• Visitor Centre opens daily at 10.00am
• Wander through the Visitor Centre and learn more about the koalas' lives and their conservation.
• Look for koalas in the woodland.
• Stroll along the treetop boardwalk in the close-viewing area, and see koalas up close
• Spot colourful parrots, kookaburras and other native birds.
• Woodland Walk - A gentle stroll through the woodland. Rangers place directional arrows to where koalas are to be found in the trees.
• Close Viewing Area Walk - Start at: Visitor Centre. 500m loop 20 minutes - easy
• Visitors are also encouraged to look for more themselves. Start at: Visitor Centre - 1 km loop 34 minutes - easy

Churchill Island
This charming island where Victoria's first crops were planted combines historic buildings, fragrant heritage gardens, ancient Moonah trees and picturesque coastal views.

Churchill Island is a working farm with Highland cattle, sheep, ducks, chickens and Clydesdale horses. Ranger guided walks and talks, old time farming demonstrations and festivals bring the island to life throughout all seasons of the year.

Things to do on Churchill Island

• Visit the Churchill Island Visitor Centre and learn of the islands - unique position in our history through interactive heritage displays.
• Visitor Centre opens daily at 10.00am
• Enjoy a meal at the 'Moonah View' Licensed Café. The balcony features views stretching across Westernport.
• Enjoy a Devonshire tea or lunch on the lawns set amongst fragrant gardens.
• Explore the historic homestead, outbuildings and gardens which are registered heritage sites.
• Churchill Island Loop Track - A stroll around the entire island. Start at: Homestead. 4.5km - 2 hours - easy
• North Point Loop Track - Takes you to North Point via Pickersgill lookout and the ancient Moonah forest. Start at: Homestead 2km - 1 hour - easy

The Nobbies
From this magnificent headland, the views stretch forever.
This area offers spectacular coastal viewing from the boardwalks and lookout points set amongst natural sea bird gardens. One and half kilometres offshore from The Nobbies are Seal Rocks, home to Australia's largest Australian Fur Seal colony.

Things to do at The Nobbies

• Stroll along the Nobbies Boardwalk and enjoy spectacular views along Phillip Island's rugged south coast
• See the awesome blowhole, a spectacular sea cave that thunders during big southern swells
• Enjoy the sea bird gardens offering spectacular flowering displays in the spring
• Little Penguins are often seen here resting between seasonal and daily duties.
PLEASE NOTE THIS BOARDWALK AND SURROUNDING AREA IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC AT SUNSET TO PROTECT LITTLE PENGUIN AND OTHER SEABIRD HABITAT.

How to Get to Phillip Island
By Car:
From Melbourne, take the Monash Freeway (M1) and turn south onto the South Gippsland Highway (M420). Follow this through Cranbourne to the Bass Hwy (A420) then take the Phillip Island turn-off to San Remo. Cross the Bridge onto Phillip Island and follow the signs to the first exciting destination.


Public Transport:
For enquires please contact V-line (phone 136 196 from Victoria) or www.vline.vic.gov.au. Please note the V-line bus only goes to Cowes and does not take you to any of the attractions on Phillip Island. Once on Phillip Island you need to hire a car, take a tour or hire a push bike to get around. The Penguin Parade® is 15 kms from the centre of Cowes.

Phillip Island is 26 kms long and 9 kms wide. Its usually only a maximum of 20 minutes drive from one fabulous location to another.

Complete Operator information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, are included on your Confirmation Voucher. Our Product Managers select only the most experienced and reliable operators in each destination, removing the guesswork for you, and ensuring your peace of mind.