Penguins and Superbikes on Australia’s Phillip Island, Victoria

Disclosure:  This sponsored post was written by Taylor Braxton, a Melbourne writer who specializes in Australia-related travel. She has visited Phillip Island every year with her family since she was a child and still isn’t tired of the penguin parade.

Phillip Island is a sightseeing paradise for petrolheads and wildlife lovers alike. Watch the fairy penguin parade, or view fur seals on the island’s coastlines. Take a tent and camp with your family. Or, thrill at the motorsports races the island offers on its Grand Prix Circuit, including MotoGP, Superbike and Supercar events.

Only two hours away from Melbourne, Phillips Island is an ideal side trip when visiting the Victorian capital, but there’s enough to do on the island to justify spending a whole trip devoted to its attractions. The island has several townships offering food and lodging; the biggest one is Cowes. Because it’s a popular weekend destination for Melbournians, searching online accommodation options is wise in the summer months or if a popular motorsports event will take place during your visit.

Penguins “Parade” to Onlookers’ Delight

One of the most unique sights for Phillip Island visitors is the penguin parade. Every night the colony of little penguins trudge up the sand from the sea to their nests. And, every evening, visitors to Phillip Island assemble to watch their commute. To protect the penguins, there are limited spaces available for onlookers, but it is possible to pay a little extra to watch the penguins from a better vantage point. The island’s Penguin Foundation estimates that there are 32,000 penguins living on its shores. And, it’s estimated that a half million human viewers come to watch this natural show every year.

Little penguins are the smallest of the penguin species, and they are found mostly in Australia and New Zealand. Some call them “fairy penguins,” due to their size, or “blue penguins,” due to their bluish feathers. They spend all of their day in the water foraging for food, which mainly consists of fish and squid.

If seeing families of penguins waddle to their nests isn’t enough cuteness for one trip, make an excursion to the Nobbies Centre or Koala Conservation Centre. The Nobbies Centre focuses on Australian fur seals and other marine life of the region. Seals live on some of the small rocky outcroppings visible from the centre. The Koala Conservation Centre lets visitors get up close in koalas’ natural habitat, using tree-top boardwalks for access. While emphasising koalas, the grounds of the conservation centre are also home to plenty of echidnas and wallabies.

Racing Sports Feed the Need for Speed

Nature lovers flock to Phillip Island because of its penguins, seals and koalas, but racing enthusiasts get their enjoyment at the Motor Racing Circuit.

The first Grand Prix to be held on the island was in the 1920s, and since then the locals have added infrastructure and marketing to the mix, making Philip Island a top destination for motorsports. Now, self-billed as the “home of Australian motorcycle racing,” the track hosts the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. In 2013, the race will be held 18-20 October, and it’s expected that the event will attract spectators and riders from around the world. The island has also hosted the Superbike championship, which pits high-performance street bikes from different manufacturers against one another.

If your taste runs more to four wheels than two, you may enjoy watching the V8 Supercars Championship Series. This 22-24 November, the island will host the Phillip Island 360 for the first time. The Grand Finale for this series will take place in Sydney. A family event, the V8 Supercars event will also feature activities for children.

But, if you’re not able to visit the island during a major event, you can still enjoy a visit to the racetrack. Visitors can take a tour of the Motor Racing Circuit, opened in 1956. For a fee, they can also be driven around the track in a race-ready car by a professional racing driver. This can only take place when the track isn’t being used for a racing event, of course. Tourists who want to race their friends can satisfy their competitive urges on the nearby go-karting track, which is a scale replica of the real track.