- Duration
- ~290 km return by car, 12–13 hours, back around 11 pm (≈ 8 h 37 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- With kids
- Transport
- walk, drive
- Start
- San Remo pelican feeding
- Finish
- Penguin Parade
- Pace
- relaxed pace
- Best time
- Year-round; penguins come ashore every night at sunset, around 7:45 pm in October and 8:15 pm in November (daylight time). Leave Melbourne by 9:30 am to make the 12 noon pelican feed. The beach is cold and windy at night even in summer: bring warm jackets and a rug
- Budget per adult
- Adult tickets: Penguin Parade (General Viewing) A$34, Koala Conservation Reserve A$17.50, Churchill Island A$17.50; the 3 Parks Pass combo from A$58.50 (booking site, October 2026). Kids 4–15 half price, Penguin Parade family A$85. Pelican feeding and the chocolate shop are free; food extraPrices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
By car: M1 Monash Fwy, then South Gippsland Hwy and Bass Hwy (M420/A420) to San Remo, ~125 km, 1 h 45 min; cross the bridge to the island. Parking is free everywhere. Without a car: the V/Line Cowes/Inverloch coach (via Dandenong and Koo Wee Rup) from Southern Cross, weekdays 06:16 to San Remo 08:19, but there is no public transport back from the Penguin Parade at night, so this day needs a car or an organised tour
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. San Remo pelican feeding~30 min at the stop
Every day at noon staff from the San Remo Fishermen's Co-op feed the pelicans on the foreshore beside the pier: a couple of dozen birds turn up and kids stand just metres away.
Tip: Free, daily from 12 noon. Arrive 15–20 minutes early for a spot at the front; numbers vary from day to day.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 2 min · 0.15 km
- Lunch
2. San Remo Fisherman's Co-op~45 min at the stop
A local fishermen's co-op since 1948: the chip shop fries the day's catch, there is a grab-and-go seafood bar, and since December 2025 the fresh seafood shop has reopened next door.
Tip: Open daily 10:30 am–7 pm. Take it to the foreshore to eat, but keep the chips away from gulls and pelicans.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 5 min · 2.9 km
- Snack
3. Phillip Island Chocolate Factory~40 min at the stop
A chocolate factory just over the bridge: the café does hot chocolate, ice cream and sweets, and the shop sells chocolate to take home. Café and shop are free to enter.
Tip: Open daily 10 am–5 pm, café until 4:30 pm. The interactive Panny's Amazing World of Chocolate: adult A$25, child 4–15 A$15, family A$72, tickets on site only, last tour 4 pm.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 9 min · 2.8 km
- For kids
4. Churchill Island Heritage Farm~1 h 30 min at the stop
A heritage farm on a small island reached by a bridge: kids watch hand cow milking, sheep shearing, working dogs and whip cracking, with Highland cattle grazing nearby.
Worth knowing: The first European garden in Victoria was planted here in 1801, with a crop of wheat and corn.
Tip: Open daily 10 am–5 pm, last entry 4:30 pm. Adult A$17.50, child A$8.75, family A$43.75. Afternoon demos: milking 2:10, shearing 2:30, dogs 2:45, whip cracking 3:00.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 19 min · 11.3 km
5. Koala Conservation Reserve~1 h at the stop
Two treetop boardwalks run at canopy level, so you see koalas a couple of metres away in the branches. Echidnas and plenty of birds live in the bushland, and there is a free Nature Play area for kids.
Tip: Open daily 10 am–5:30 pm, last entry 5 pm. Adult A$17.50, child A$8.75, family A$43.75. Koalas mostly sleep by day, so bring binoculars.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 20 min · 15.8 km
6. The Nobbies boardwalks~40 min at the stop
Boardwalks over the cliffs at the island's western tip, looking out to the open ocean and Seal Rocks, home to one of Australia's largest fur seal colonies.
Tip: The boardwalks and car park are open and free, but the Nobbies Centre, café and toilets are closed (October 2026). Use the toilets at the Penguin Parade centre. No stopping on The Boulevard on the way to the penguins.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 7 min · 3.6 km
7. Penguin Parade~2 h 30 min at the stop
At sunset little penguins come out of the surf in groups onto Summerland Beach and waddle to their burrows; you watch from the stand, then walk the boardwalks with penguins passing a metre away.
Worth knowing: Phillip Island is home to the world's largest little penguin colony.
Tip: The centre opens at 12 noon; arrive at least an hour before the penguins. General Viewing: adult A$34, child A$17, family A$85, book online. No photos or video after sunset, phones included. Drive carefully at night: wildlife on the roads.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.