Phillip Island Tour | koala highlights

Koala Wildlife Park

It is only a 1hr 45min drive from Melbourne directly to Phillip Island. On arrival you will be greeted by Phillip Island Nature Parks Ranger for a guided walk through Phillip Island’s Koala Reserve. You will be given a presentation about Koalas, history and relevance of the Reserve and the last area of natural woodland on the island. Guide to accompany the group and assist Ranger with the group.

Explore Phillip Island

From the Koala Wildlife Park, it is a short drive to Phillip Island, a 10,000-hectare home to more than a hundred varieties of animal species. Phillip Island boasts a population of approximately 15,000 which is boosted during the busy tourist seasons. There are three main settlements being Cape Woolamai, New Haven & Cowes.

Cowes

Generally, we make time to wander through the coastal township of Cowes. Sheltered alongside the calm Westernport Bay this township was named after Cowes on the Isle of White. Beautiful seaside scenery, unique stores to peak into and many nice restaurants to purchase food.

Phillip Island Nature Park

At the Phillip Island Nature Parks, the beautiful scenery of sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and exotic wildlife is simply eye-catching. Phillip Island serves as a colony of and home to over 32,000 Little Penguins.

Nobbies and Seal Rocks

Next, we arrive at the Nobbies Rocks where we take you on an optional guided walk down the boardwalks to see the rocky coast and spot Penguins nesting in their burrows.

Phillip Island Penguin Parade

Next, we travel along the Phillip Island backroads through Phillip Island Penguin Habitat. Enjoy incredible views of the coastal cliffs on your way to the Phillip Island Penguin Parade.

Enjoy sunset at the Visitor Information Center and choose the right seat to have a great view of the main spectacles of the day — the Penguin Parade!

The main attraction of Phillip Island tour has always been the Little Penguins doing their daily ritual of penguin parade. These little friends are the smallest of its kind in the world. They’re also called “fairy penguins.” Measuring about 30 centimetres tall, the Little Penguins weighed just 1 kilogram making them the smallest penguin species in the world. They have established colonies in the coastlines of Australia and New Zealand. You can also spot them in Tasmania and the Chatham Islands. These penguins are also called Blue Penguins due to the colour of their plumage — indigo-blue and a white stripe from chin to the belly.

Living in large colonies, the Little Penguins made Phillip Island as one of their territories. On this Phillip Island tour, witness the Little Penguins appear magically from the surf to magically appear out of the surf to walk back to their homes. Crossing the Summerland Beach they travel in small groups back to their burrows. And it happens every day at sunset. Right after the day’s hard work of fishing in the seas of Phillip Island to bring food to their little ones left at home in the dunes.

Seasonal departure times to maximise our sunset experience, as this is when the penguins arrive.

Daylight savings: 

• 04 October 2020 – 03 April 2021 summer @ 1:45pm
• 04 April 2021 – 02 October 2021 winter @ 11:45am
• 03 Oct 2021 – 02 Apr 2022 summer @ 1:45pm
• 03 Apr 2022 – 01 Oct 2022 winter @ 11:45am

** Please arrive 5-10 mins prior to your nominated pickup location, so as not to delay or miss your tour.

Cancellations within 48 hours or failure to board on the day of tour, will result in 100% full fare forfeiture. Cancellation within 2 to 7 days prior to departure will result in a 50% loss of the ticket price. Date change fees apply outside of 7 days $25 per person. Read Full Terms and Conditions here

Part of our responsibility is educating guests on minimal impact practices and the importance of ensuring the safety of wildlife and the environmental sustainability of the destinations we visit.

Learn more about EcoTourism: https://www.ecotourism.org.au/

Traditional Owners

Autopia Tours would like to begin by paying our respects to the traditional owners of this country, with specific acknowledgement to the Bunurong people. Please be conscious and respectful of the sensitivities of indigenous culture and the spiritual connection they have with the land at all times.

Wildlife Encounters

The natural behaviours of wildlife are to be respected and not interfered with. When viewing wildlife, people should take care to avoid rapid or sudden movements, which could frighten the animal, and should keep noise to a minimum and refrain from touching, petting or feeding all wildlife including birds. Contact with people can introduce diseases to wildlife and can cause them to become aggressive.

Wildlife should not be handled or fed, unless by certified wildlife handlers. Feeding wildlife can alter their natural foraging behaviour and can lead to disease or illness through contact with people and the introduction of foods that are harmful to their digestive system. Feeding wildlife can also cause them to become aggressive toward people.

Wildlife that appears to be in distress, injured or in danger should be reported immediately to the appropriate authority, such as your Guide/Tour Leader, a National Park Ranger or Visitor Centre Staff.

Protecting our National Parks

People should remain on designated walking tracks, behind safety barriers/fences and follow all directions given by the guide/tour leader. Venturing off these can alter fragile ecosystems and can harm wildlife shelters and native vegetation. There are other dangers to be aware of too, such as cliff edges, unstable rock formations, overhanging tree branches and slippery ground cover. Remaining on tracks ensures safe visitation for guests and the environment.

No flora or fauna should be removed from their natural setting. This includes dead wood, fallen leaves, flowers and so forth, as they form part of the ecosystem of the region and their removal could cause a disturbance.

Waste Management

All buses are fitted with waste bins. No organic waste should be disposed of onto the ground. Although organic, items such as banana peels, apple cores, bread and other food scraps, are not natural/native to the region and can introduce pest species, diseases or harm to wildlife if found and eaten. We recommend all passengers bring a water bottle with you on our Phillip Island Tour. Purchasing bottled water contributes large amounts of plastic into the landfill. Therefore, we ask guests to bring their own bottle, as there is access to water refill stations available on our vehicles. Please ensure you stay hydrated throughout the tour to reduce the risk of sun exposure and dehydration.

First Aid

All our guides carry a current Level 2 First Aid certificate. Please report any accident or illness to your tour guide. We recommend anyone with an existing medical condition to carry their medication with them on tour and to notify their tour guide at the beginning of the tour.

If you are a smoker! We ask you to refrain from smoking whilst in the company of other passengers and limit it to designated smoking areas. Smoking is not permitted on any of our vehicles, or in any type of accommodation including permanent campsites. We make frequent ‘comfort stops’ to allow free time for guests but cannot guaranteed smoke breaks. Please ensure you dispose of your cigarette butt responsibly and appropriately.