Phillip Island
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Less than a couple of hours from Melbourne, Phillip Island is a stunning holiday destination. Home to the little penguins, idyllic beaches, captivating coastlines, unique wildlife, family fun activities and world-class events, you can be sure adventure awaits you on Phillip Island! Gastrology enjoyed a weekend away to explore Phillip Island’s wonderful offerings. Here’s what we got up to!
DAY 1
2pm - Check into Ramada Resort Phillip Island
Spread across 65 acres of rustic countryside, Ramada Resort by Wyndham Phillip Island is a great option for a relaxed, no fuss holiday where you can experience the island’s diverse wildlife and natural beauty. We loved staying in one of their two bedroom self-contained villas.
Address: Phillip Island, 2128 Phillip Island Rd, Cowes VIC 3922
Phone: (03) 5952 8000
Web: https://ramadaphillipisland.com.au/
3pm - Enjoy the facilities at Ramada Resort Phillip Island
The excellent resort facilities include an outdoor swimming pool and toddler pool, gym, spa, two tennis courts, e-bikes and seven kilometres of walking and cycling tracks surrounding the resort. The pedal carts are an extremely popular and fun activity that we highly recommend. There is even a mini–Grand Prix track if you want to get a little competitive!
5pm - Penguin Parade
Phillip Island is home to the largest Little Penguin colony in the world. An absolute MUST DO when on the island is experiencing the magic of watching these amazing seabirds waddle home from the ocean to their burrows any night of the year from the viewing platforms and boardwalks at The Phillip Island Penguin Parade. The newly opened visitor centre offers fun and educational activities for everyone to enjoy. We recommend opting for the Penguins Plus tickets which provides access to the premium viewing platform. The platform overlooks the penguins’ most-used pathway, so we were in an amazing position to see plenty of adorable penguins up close and personal.
Address: 1019 Ventnor Rd, Summerlands VIC 3922
Phone: 03 5951 2800
Web: https://www.penguins.org.au/
7pm - Dinner at Phillip Island Brewing Co
If you’re a beer lover, Phillip Island Brewing Co is where you want to be. The brewery specialises in creating unique small batch handcrafted beers unlike your standard lager. Unique flavours are created with the use of malts, yeasts and hops. The addition of a diverse range of Australian native fruits and plants create a range of speciality brews unique to the Island.
While you’re there we suggest you enjoy their hearty menu which is perfect to wash down with one of their hand-crafted ales. Top picks from the menu include Pan roasted barramundi fillet served with roasted kipfler potatoes and beetroot as well as their sticky date pudding.
Address: 1821 Phillip Island Rd, Cowes VIC 3922
Phone: (03) 5952 1666
Web: https://www.phillipislandbrewingco.com.au/
DAY 2
9am - Breakfast at Kelp Dining
San Remo’s newest edition, Kelp is a captivating eatery which oozes coastal vibes. The café offers a delicious breakfast menu, and later in the day, tapas and summer-inspired cocktails. We loved starting the day at Kelp with a couple of their delicious breakfast bagels and excellent coffees. We got the smoked salmon bagel and the smashed avo bagel – both were utterly yum!
Address: 141 Marine Parade, San Remo VIC 3925
Phone: 0493 521 829
Web: https://kelpsanremo.com.au/
11am - Wine tasting at Purple Hen Winery
Purple Hen Winery is a gorgeous place to visit. The property boasts 32 hectares of prime grazing land. We suggest doing a little tasting ($15 for 6 wines) of the wines on offer while taking in the beauty of the place.
Address: 96 Mcfees Rd, Rhyll VIC 3923
Phone: (03) 5956 9244
Web: https://www.purplehenwines.com.au/
12pm – Lunch at Flametrees Restaurant & Bar
While staying at Ramada Resort by Wyndham Phillip Island, we recommend enjoying the convenience of the onsite restaurant, Flametrees Restaurant & Bar. The eatery offers an extensive internationally inspired menu that is accompanied by a wine and cocktail list. The entire menu is available for dine-in or takeaway. We opted to take our delicious food away with us so we could spend more time enjoying our villa. Top picks from the menu include the addictively creamy butter chicken and flavour-laden chana masala.
2pm - Seal Watching Cruise with Wildlife Coast Cruises
We enjoyed a spectacular 2-hour scenic coastal cruise where we experienced an up-close encounter with thousands of seals at Australia’s largest fur seal colony. Seal Rocks is situated 2kms off the rugged southwest coast of Phillip Island. Our boat drifted within meters of the seals, which meant that we could truly see them in their natural environment firsthand. It was impossible not to be captivated by these naturally playful and inquisitive animals, as they regularly approached the boat! Along the way we even saw whales and dolphins and a variety of seabirds. This was a thoroughly memorable experience – perfect to take in the beautiful coastline.
Address: Departs at Cowes Jetty, 11 - 13 The Esplanade, Cowes VIC 3922
Phone: 1300 763 739
Web: https://www.wildlifecoastcruises.com.au/
7pm - Dinner at Hotel Phillip Island
Situated on The Esplanade in the heart of Cowes, Hotel Phillip Island overlooks the historic jetty with stunning views of Western Port, French Island and the Mornington Peninsula.
If you’re expecting regular pub grub, think again. Hotel serves up stunning modern Australian cuisine with an Asian influence. It is, in our view, a must-visit for foodies when on the island. Read more about Hotel here.
Address: 11-13 The Esplanade, Cowes VIC 3922
Phone: (03) 5952 2060
Web: http://www.hotelphillipisland.com.au/
DAY 3
12pm - Daily pelican feeding at San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op
A fun and free activity that is perfect for the family is the daily pelican feeding in San Remo. The San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op feed the pelicans daily at 12 noon, on the foreshore next to the San Remo Pier. We loved watching these hungry birds being fed while learning about their diet, lifestyle and how we can improve conservation and environmental efforts to protect these Australian icons.
1pm – Fish and Chips at the Co-op
After seeing the pelican eating up all their delicious fresh fish, it was hard not to pop into the San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op to grab some delicious fish and chips ourselves! Established in 1948, San Remo Fisherman's Co-op sources the freshest seafood from their own boats, with sustainably harvested species including lobster, scallops, octopus, gummy shark, snapper, flathead, and more. So, it is no surprise it produces the best fish and chips in town.
We loved the wonderfully fresh Tasmanian oysters as well as the bang for your buck Twin Pack which includes two beautifully battered fish, calamari rings, chips and homemade tartare. What the San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op does, it does extremely well. The simple yet delicious menu is a compelling option to loyal punters and fresh seafood lovers.
Address: 170 Marine Parade, San Remo VIC 3925
Phone: 03 5678 5206
