Phillip Island's Best Attractions

About 140 kilometers from Melbourne, Victoria, Phillip Island hosts some 3.5 million tourists every year.  Aside from the island’s ideal surfing conditions, the island provides many other things to do.  The world-famous Penguin Parade at Phillip Island Nature Park is a major draw, as the island serves as one of the few places worldwide where the smallest penguin species can be observed in its natural habitat.  The Phillip Island Nature Park offers a variety of ranger tours, as well, and the chance to see koalas face-to-face.  For the quizzical and whimsical, A Maze’N Things offers a wide array of fun things to do.  And to indulge their taste buds, visitors to the island should stop by the wonderland of delectable sweets that is the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory.

Owners Geoff and Sandy have been puzzling visitors to Phillip Island since Boxing Day 1991, when they opened A Maze’N Things. Since then A Maze’N Things on Phillip Island has grown substantially over the years and today boasts a range of activities for all ages that will test your senses of logic and fun, including a 19-hole Maxi Mini golf course, an extensive playground, Optical Illusion rooms, Holiday Park, and Puzzle Island. This veritable world of merriment offers a great excursion for the whole family. Just 4.5 kilometers outside the Cowes township, A Maze’N Things is conveniently located close to other attractions and Phillip Island accommodation. If you don’t want to pack all the attractions into a single day, you can also stay the night at one of the air-conditioned, two-bedroom ensuite on-site cabins, or in one of the spacious powered and unpowered caravan and camping sites available.

For environmentalists and animal lovers, the Koala Conservation Centre and the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island are must-sees.  The Koala Conservation Centre, which is one of the Phillip Island Nature Parks, seeks to “be a world leader in environmental, economic, and socially sustainable nature-based and ecotourism experiences,” and affords visitors the opportunity to observe koalas in their natural habitats without disturbing them.  There are two treetop boardwalks that allow you to get up close and personal with these famous Australian marsupials.  You can also take a walk down one of the bushland tracks to catch a glimpse of birds and other wildlife.  There are also paths leading to the Oswin Roberts Woodland and the Rhyll Inlet.  There is a visitor center, where you can learn everything there is to know about fascinating koala life, as well as a gift shop, where you can buy a cute souvenir.  There is also a staff of friendly park rangers that can answer any questions you have about koalas or any other facet of Phillip Island wildlife.

Phillip Island’s award-winning Penguin Parade is famous throughout the world and most popular natural wildlife attraction in Australia.  As part of the conscientious mission of the Phillip Island Nature Parks, the Penguin Parade is devoted to ecologically sustainable ecotourism that builds environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and conservation.  The Little Penguin is the world’s smallest species of penguin.  And every night at sunset tourists gather on elevated boardwalks to watch these penguins make their way out of the water and waddle across the beach to their sand dune burrows.  The observation areas are constructed in a way that provides optimal viewing without harming the natural homes of the penguins.