Introducing the kids to Phillip Island’s famous Penguin Parade has been one of our Kid Bucket List items that also draws a whole lot of childhood nostalgia for me. I was Sunshine’s age when I first visited Phillip Island. We were on school camp. I can remember the excitement of heading to the Penguin Parade where we were to see Fairy Penguins for the very first time. It was a little tricky to see them. You had to be really close to one of the rangers who would use their torch, covered with red cellophane, to show them in the burrows.
I also remember getting into a lot of trouble for running on the pathways as you could literally squash the penguins at the numerous penguin crossings if you didn’t stop in time.
That was almost 30 years ago and time has really been the friend of the Penguin Parade which has morphed into a very slick tourist destination over the years where the health and wellbeing of the penguins have been put at the centre of the entire development. These days there is no lollypop lady preventing school children from squashing the penguins as they run along the pathway, there is no need! The entire site has been developed to protect the Little Penguin and reduce the human impact on their nightly parade back to their burrows.
Check out our things to see on Phillip Island with kids.
We organised and self-funded our stay on Phillip Island. Phillip Island Nature Parks hosted our Penguin Parade tickets. All options are our own.
Image via Phillip Island Nature Parks
Visiting the Phillip Island Penguin Parade
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Visiting the Phillip Island Penguin Parade is something you need to do at least once. Watching flocks of penguins come to shore and then run to their burrows sometimes in their hundreds, is impressive. But to see it well, to see it in all of its delightful glory will need a little planning. Hopefully this resource helps you!
Image via Phillip Island Nature Parks
The History of Phillip Island Penguin Parade
The shores of Phillip Island have held the colonies of Little Penguins for thousands of years with the penguins making the exact same route to their burrows night after night.
Back in the 1920s, a trio of enterprising local men started Summerland Beach viewings of the Little Penguins. This was prior to a bridge connecting Phillip Island to the mainland, so the men would meet visitors at the ferry and for five shillings, provide a personalised tour of the island including the Penguins.
The viewings of the Penguin Parade continued to grow and by the 1940s crowds of people were arriving with their picnic baskets, their trip made easier by the building of a bridge to the island. This was not a good thing for the penguins. Dogs were brought along, people trampled the burrows and houses were built on top of their nesting areas. As such, the penguin population started to decrease.
Finally, in the 1960s, fencing and viewing stands were installed to prevent further damage to the population. Since then, continued upgrades have taken place to make the Summerands a space that the Little Penguin can be safe once more.
Today, the Phillip Island Nature Park is one of the best eco-tourism facilities in the world! The residential housing blocks have been removed from the Summerland Estate section of the island, and continued scientific research and conservation goes on to refine the work to protect the birds. It’s certainly changed since I was a girl!
Image via Phillip Island Nature Parks
Buying Tickets to Phillip Island Penguin Parade
The Phillip Island Penguin Parade runs every single evening. It is hugely popular, being on the bucket list of not only Australians but tourists arriving from overseas. Its popularity does mean that the event often sells out, especially in peak school holiday and summer seasons.
You will need to prepare in advance for this experience rather than just hope it works out.
Know Your Dates
Firstly, during peak seasons heading to the Penguin Parade on a whim will end in disappointment. Dates book out days and weeks in advance so you do need to do some planning. Don’t make it a last minute adventure as you won’t even make it to the car park without being turned around (although if this does happen we were told you will be offered 25% discount for the next free day!).
Know your Budget
One of the first things that blew my mind on our visit was the sheer number of people visiting the Penguin Parade. Thousands! It was like going to a match at the MCG! We observed numerous coaches pulling in and offloading tourists from the city. We watched mini buses carting more people from the mainland. There were so many people! The queue to get into the car park itself was already backed up a good two hours before the actual penguins arrived! It is important to consider this when buying your tickets to the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island. Each provide an opportunity to see the Little Penguins, but the experience and who you share it with will differ depending on the option you choose.
Ticket Options
Main Penguin Viewing
The Main Penguin Viewing ticket will provide you and your family with a 180-degree elevated platform to the coast. The penguin parade platform is nestled right along the sandy shore so you will be able to see the penguins waddle up the sand, however you will be sharing the view with quite a crowd and will need to wait for your turn to move up the front.
The platform fills up quickly, so I highly recommend showing up early to grab one of the seats at the front.
Penguin Plus
We accessed the Penguin Plus option which is closer in proximity to the penguins and is restricted to 300 guests each evening. The Penguin Highway, the spot where the majority of the penguins start their journey to the their burrows after leaving the ocean, is straight in front of the Penguin Plus area. Seriously, spend the extra and invest in these tickets!!
Underground Viewing
The Underground Viewing area sits under the Penguin Plus area and is restricted to 70 people each evening. It’s indoors so is the perfect all-weather space, and takes guests eye level to the the penguins that are waddling past.
Because it is indoors and surely sound-proof, a guide provides a detailed commentary on the history, daily life, and facts about the Little Penguin.
I feel that the Penguin Plus experience was as good, however we arrived early and had front row seats. In cooler or rainy weather, the underground viewing area would be amazing
Ranger Guided Tours
In addition to the three options above, you could choose a ranger guided tour which is a little more pricey but takes you on to the beach and closer to the penguins.
When to Arrive at the Penguin Parade
It was suggested that we arrive an hour prior. I was unsure what “prior” meant? Prior to night fall? Prior to the 8.30 pm time on my ticket? When should we arrive? We decided to arrive at 7.00 pm, with the penguins said to be arriving at 9.00 pm. This gave us two hours of leeway. It was the perfect timing for our adventure.
When buying your tickets, ask what time the penguins should be arriving that night and plan accordingly. The sheer volume of people arriving at the Penguin Parade each night make it difficult to just arrive and walk straight in. You will need to work through the crowd. You will need to line up. You will not get a good spot to view the penguins if you arrive last (although you won’t miss out on seeing them).
Arrive a minimum of one hour before the penguins arrival time.
The Penguin Parade Centre
Opening in July 2019, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade Visitor Centre is an amazing space to explore before the gates to the Penguin Parade setting occurs. There are two seperate boutiques for merchandise – one artisan (and $$$) and the other your typical souvenir style gift shop. There is a cafe and a restaurant. There is also an interactive area for children which Sunshine found heaps of fun, but is probably most suited to children aged 1-10 years.
The New Visitor Centre replaced the one that I saw as a kid. It’s build resulted in the restoration of 6.7 hectares of penguin habitat and created new habitat spaces for over 1,499 breeding penguins. It’s so great to see the penguins put at the centre of the build.
The Interactive Area for Children
While waiting, children will love the interactive area. It features a range of pods designed to teach and inform children about the Australian ocean and the Little Penguin. The pods include an area to read a range of picture books; an interactive screen where you can become a penguin, a ranger station where two rangers provide information about the Little Penguin and a few hands on teaching moments, a giant magnetic wall where children can construct a utopian or dystopian world for Little Penguins, and a few other spaces. This area could easily hold the attention of your kid for an hour or more.
Toilet Facilities
There are numerous toilet facilities scattered across the site, including one prior to entering the building, within the Visitor Centre itself, and then out on the dunes. They are clean and well provisioned. We did not line up once which quite unique given the crowd!
Gate Opening
The gates onto the dunes open an hour before the penguins arrival. The whole idea of waiting on the dunes for a good hour before arrival didn’t seem
No Photography
Say what? Yep, photography can actually hurt the penguins. They have very sensitive eyes and the flash and lights from phones, cameras and camcorders can frighten, disorientate and even hurt the penguins which could impact them returning to their burrows.
We were able to take imagery right up to the Penguin Plus area. At around 8.15p, (45 minutes before the penguins arrived) a message was broadcast stating that from that point no further images could be taken. Throughout the parade, rangers were requesting people put their cameras away. Seriously – don’t do it!
How to get to the Phillip Island Penguin Parade
The Penguin Parade is in the Summerlands on Philip Island. There are a number of ways to get there, although self-driving is by far the easiest way.
By car: Phillip Island is located 90 minutes drive from Melbourne. During peak times it can take over an hour to cross the bridge into Phillip Island as there is only one way in and out of the island. Free parking is on site at the Penguin Parade.
By bus: Public transport is limited on Phillip Island. V-line operates a bus to Phillip Island’s main town, Cowes, from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne city.
Please note that the V-line bus does not go to the Penguin Parade and there are no return buses to Melbourne at the conclusion of the Penguin Parade.
By taxi: Contact Phillip Island Taxis on 03 5952 2200 to arrange transfers on Phillip Island.
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