Welcome to Phillip Island

A new adventure begins! We fly to Melbourne where we spend a couple of days before embarking on the cruise ship Grand Princess for a 13 night circumnavigation of New Zealand. Returning to land, our holiday continues at Phillip Island and ends with one last day back where we started in Melbourne. Join me for a round trip, on sea and on land, to destinations both familiar and new.

March 2023

Phillip Island, Victoria

There’s something for everyone at Phillip Island.

Surrounded on one side by the calm waters of Westernport Bay and on the other by the turbulent seas of Bass Strait, Phillip Island has 97 kilometres of spectacular coastal scenery. Hikers and bikers can admire the views on 14 well-marked trails.

Those who enjoy finding street art will be busy, with the history of the island and its people depicted by art works in several locations.

A painting on the wall of St Philip’s Anglican Church, the oldest building still in use on the island, portrays historical figures and local flora and fauna. Look closer to find references to the island’s two claims to fame, as a National Surfing Reserve and as the home of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

The Ferry Captain, carved from the remains of a fallen tree, pays homage to the days when Phillip Island was a vital link in trading routes along the Victorian coast.

This beautiful artwork, created by a local indigenous artist, greets visitors to Cape Woolamai on behalf of the Yallok Bulluk people of the Bunurong/Boonwurrung clan, the traditional owners of the land. Cape Woolamai is one of four sites in the National Surfing Reserve and the shapes inside the surfboard represent the significance of the ocean and the tides.

Fans of motor racing can visit the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit which hosts the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and World Superbike Championships. Rounds of the V8 Supercars Championship and the Australian Drivers’ Championship are also held here.

History buffs will find much of interest on the island.

These unusual buildings are all that remains of a once thriving agricultural industry. Chicory was first planted on the island in 187o and in 1873 the first of 25 chicory kilns was built. By the 1940s, 75% of Australia’s chicory crop was farmed on Phillip Island but as demand for chicory declined so did the industry; after the last crop was planted in 1987 the kilns were left abandoned.

An interesting collection of artefacts and memorabilia at the National Vietnam Veterans Museum recounts the stories of Australian Defence Force personnel who served in the Vietnam War.

Nature lovers will be on the lookout for the 40 different types of native wildlife which live on the island. Swamp wallabies and Cape Barron geese are easily spotted, while the shy short-beaked echidnas are harder to find. During the day, little penguins can be seen resting in their burrows on the steep hills along the coast.

Of course, a holiday on Phillip Island would be incomplete without a brewery visit.  Rusty Water Brewery, with its aptly named beers, is a great place to quench the thirst after all that sightseeing!