- Activities
- Melbourne, Phillip Island
- Melbourne Phillip Island Nature Parks Ultimate Penguin Tour
Melbourne Phillip Island Nature Parks Ultimate Penguin Tour
Phillip Island Nature Parks
- Melbourne, Phillip Island
- English
- 2 - 2.5 hours (approx.)
- Free Cancellation prior to 7 days of travel date
- 48 Working Hours Confirmation
Standard Inclusions
- 1. Ultimate Penguin Tour at Penguin Parade
- 2. Personal headsets and high-tech night vision scopes
- 3. Walk through the penguin colony
- Penguin Parade Visitors Centre opens at 5pm daily including Christmas Day 25 December. Ultimate Penguin Tour runs Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays evenings.
- Vaccination documentation no longer required upon check-in.
- The penguins are wild birds, so the numbers and arrival times vary with the life-cycle activity, weather and seasons. Please refer to 'Other info' section for the guidelines of seasonal arrival times.
- 2023 session times - suggested arrival time to exchange tickets (for reference only, times may vary without notice):
- 8:00pm 01-31Jan
- 7:45pm 01Feb-28Feb
- 7:00pm 01Mar-02Apr
- 5:30pm 03-25Apr
- 5:15pm 26April-01May
- 5:00pm 02-15May
- 4:45pm 16May-05June
- 4:30pm 06-27June
- 4:45pm 28June-10July
- 5:00pm 11July-07Aug
- 5:15pm 08-21Aug
- 5:30pm 22Aug-18Sep
- 5:45pm 19Sep-01Oct
- 6:45pm 02-16Oct
- 7:00pm 17-30Oct
- 7:15pm 31Oct-13Nov
- 7:30pm 14Nov-04Dec
- 7:45pm 05-18Dec
- 8:00pm 19Dec-31Jan2024
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Melbourne Phillip Island Nature Parks Guided Ranger Tour
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1 Key Facts
Included
- 1. Ultimate Penguin Tour at Penguin Parade
- 2. Personal headsets and high-tech night vision scopes
- 3. Walk through the penguin colony
- Penguin Parade Visitors Centre opens at 5pm daily including Christmas Day 25 December. Ultimate Penguin Tour runs Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays evenings.
- Vaccination documentation no longer required upon check-in.
- The penguins are wild birds, so the numbers and arrival times vary with the life-cycle activity, weather and seasons. Please refer to 'Other info' section for the guidelines of seasonal arrival times.
- 2023 session times - suggested arrival time to exchange tickets (for reference only, times may vary without notice):
- 8:00pm 01-31Jan
- 7:45pm 01Feb-28Feb
- 7:00pm 01Mar-02Apr
- 5:30pm 03-25Apr
- 5:15pm 26April-01May
- 5:00pm 02-15May
- 4:45pm 16May-05June
- 4:30pm 06-27June
- 4:45pm 28June-10July
- 5:00pm 11July-07Aug
- 5:15pm 08-21Aug
- 5:30pm 22Aug-18Sep
- 5:45pm 19Sep-01Oct
- 6:45pm 02-16Oct
- 7:00pm 17-30Oct
- 7:15pm 31Oct-13Nov
- 7:30pm 14Nov-04Dec
- 7:45pm 05-18Dec
- 8:00pm 19Dec-31Jan2024
Not included
- 1. Transport from/to hotels
- 2. Food & beverages not listed as Inclusions
- 3. Souvenirs
- 4. Travel Insurance
| Destination | Melbourne, Phillip Island | |||||||||
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| Depature point | ● Departs: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays Tour does not run on Christmas Day (25 December), Good Friday (15 April 2022) |
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| Address | Penguin Parade/Nobbies Centre/Antarctic Journey: 1019 Ventnor Rd, Summerlands VIC 3922 Koala Conservation Centre: 1810 Phillip Island Rd, Phillip Island VIC 3923 Churchill Island Heritage Farm: 246 Samuel Amess Dr, Churchill Island VIC 3925 | |||||||||
| How to get there | ● By Car Located approximately 169km south of Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, takes about 2.5 hours; approximately 144km south of Melbourne Federation Square, takes about 2 hour 5 minutes. - Free Onsite parking available ● By Public Transport Unfortunately there is no direct public transport available. Most visitors drive or arrive on a coach tour. If you do not drive, please book one of the day tours that visits Phillip Island. |
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| Operating hours |
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| Reconfirmation requirements | Please be advised you are required to contact The Service Provider 24 hours on 03 5951 2830 prior to the travel date during business hours to reconfirm your booking, meeting point and time, and departure time with your confirmation number. Please adjust your travel plan according to the details given by The Service Provider at time of reconfirming. | |||||||||
| Check-in requirements | The Ultimate Penguin Tours have strict start times. Regrettably, failure to arrive before this time will most likely be classified as no-show and result in forfeiting the booking and it cannot be refunded or transferred. If you are not familiar with the area or travelling on a weekend or local public holidays / school holidays, please make sure you've checked your timetable or driving route beforehand, and allow extra travelling time for unexpected delays to ensure you do not miss penguin arrival. |
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| What to bring/wear | ● Wearing contact lenses instead of spectacles may make the use of night scopes easier for those visitors who have this option. ● Comfortable enclosed walking shoes are mandatory ● Please bring your own gumboots and wet-weather gear if rains (must be dark and non-reflective) ● The Penguin Parade is at sunset and at the outdoor, suggest to bring warm clothes ● A rug to sit on the seats is also handy ● Appropriate clothing for all weather conditions, eg. jacket for cooler months. ● Water bottle, Snacks ● Insect repellent ● Money / credit card for optional purchases |
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| Other info | 【Pre-bookings, fitness requirements and updates】 - Minimum of 16 years of age required for all participants. - Bookings are essential as numbers are limited to a maximum of 10 people. - Commentary delivered in English only. - Reasonable fitness required, including the ability to walk on soft sand, descend and ascend 20 stairs, and walk up to 1.5 km (0.8 miles) on uneven surfaces. - Ultimate Adventure Tour duration approximately 2 - 2.5 hours, but may be extended subject to penguin arrival times. - For the latest updates, please refer to https://www.penguins.org.au/visit/ 【General terms and conditions】 ● No photography or filming is permitted at the Penguin Parade. Penguins have sensitive eyes and a bright, sudden flash or unusual light can frighten or disorientate a penguin. To ensure penguins keep coming back to this special area please do not use your cameras, camcorders or camera phones at the Penguin Parade. 【Penguin arrival calendar】 ● Penguins arrive at sunset each night. Please arrive at least 1 hour prior to penguin arrival time. ● Beach access doors will open approximately 1 hour prior to penguin arrival time. ● Penguin Parade duration is 50 minutes from the time the first penguin crosses the beach. ● Please allow extra travel time if visiting from mid-December to late January, during long weekends, school holidays or other peak periods, as traffic can get very busy. ● The penguins are wild birds. Numbers and arrival times will vary with the life-cycle activity and weather. ● Estimated penguin arrival times (Guideline Only) January - 20:45 February - 20:30 March - 20:00 April - 19:00 (Daylight Saving Time) / 18:00 (Non-Daylight Saving Time) May - 17:30 June - 17:15 July - 17:45 August - 18:00 September - 18:15 October - 18:45 (Non-Daylight Saving Time) / 19:45 (Daylight Saving Time) November - 20:15 December - 20:30 |
2 Overview
Ultimate Penguin Tour
Please book ahead during the holiday season as many penguin viewing options book out well in advance.
Phillip Island Nature Parks
Phillip Island is part of the UNESCO Western Port Biosphere Reserve and encompasses wildlife sanctuaries, wetlands, woodlands and breathtaking coastlines which are protected and managed by world-renowned environmental and research programs. Habitat within Phillip Island Nature Parks supports significant populations of little penguins, hooded plovers, short-tailed shearwaters and other international migratory bird species, and mammals such as koalas, possums, wallabies, Australian fur seals and bats.
Penguin Parade
The Summerland Peninsula in the south-west of Phillip Island is home to an estimated 32,000 little penguins – one of the largest colonies in Australia. The Penguin Parade represents approximately 10 per cent of the colony. Each night at sunset, little penguins (numbering in the hundreds or thousands depending on the season) make the march across the beach and return to their burrow homes in the sand dunes.
Fun Facts
- Little penguins are the smallest of the 17 penguin species and the only penguin that lives permanently in Australia.
- There are approximately 32,000 breeding penguins on Phillip Island.
- The first tourists visited the Penguin Parade in the 1920s.
- In 1955 the State Goverment established a large reserve over the penguin colony.
- The Little Penguin Scientific Advisory Committee was formed in 1966 and penguin counts and research programmes began.
- The Phillip Island Nature Parks were established in 1996.
Be one of the select few to venture out to a secluded beach away from the Penguin Parade on this fully accredited Eco Tour, perfect for lovers of both nature and adventure.
Only 90 minutes from Melbourne, Phillip Island features spectacular coastal scenery and plenty of Australian wildlife.
Experience the magic of little penguins returning home at sunset to one of the largest penguin colonies in Australia
A true highlight of this tour is the walk back to the visitor centre through the heart of the penguin colony.
3 Policy
Cancellation Policy
● If you cancel at least 7 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
● If you cancel between 0 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
● If no show, no refund.
4 Yotpo Reviews
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