How to Get to Phillip Island with a Rental Car
Just a couple of hours in a rental car from downtown Melbourne, Phillip Island makes for a fantastic daytrip or overnight destination.
People come for the penguins, but there is plenty more to see and do.
Located in the state of Victoria, around 140 kilometers to the southeast of Melbourne, Phillip Island is one of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations. The island is best known for its famous resident penguins, which attract visitors from around the world, however the island has plenty of fantastic coastal scenery for you to explore ... while you wait for the penguins to return home.
Make sure you book your tickets for Phillip Island Nature Parks to see the nightly parade of little penguins appearing from the sea and waddling around the island beach. While you’re at it, be sure to also visit the Penguin Foundation and join the thousands of people devoted to the protection of little penguins of Phillip Island — you’re even able to adopt one (though you can’t take it with you).
Getting to Phillip Island in a rental car
The good news is Phillip Island is easily accessible by road and, as there is no ferry involved, most rental car providers in Melbourne will happily let you drive your hire car to the island.
The journey from downtown Melbourne to Phillip Island is around 140 kilometres and to drive there in your rental car should take two to 2.5 hours depending on traffic. An easy driving route from Melbourne to Phillip Island involves taking the Monash Freeway (M1) to Pakenham, where you then need to turn south and drive to Koo Wee Rup, taking a left onto the South Gippsland Highway (M420). Then just follow the Bass Highway through Lang Lang and Bass until you reach San Remo from where the bridge leads onto Phillip Island.
Getting around Phillip Island
All of Phillip Island’s main attractions are accessible via sealed roads. From the main bridge, Phillip Island Road leads visitors to Cowes — the island’s largest town. From Cowes, Ventnor Road leads on to the Nobbies and the famous Penguin Parade. Take Back Beach Road if you’d like to spend some time exploring some of Phillip Island’s southern beaches.
Top attractions on Phillip Island
Penguin parade
Phillip Island is famous around the world for its local population of penguins. There are more than 30,000 living on the island, and every evening visitors can watch them cross the beach back to their burrows.
Bruny Island wine
You’ll find the island’s most spectacular coastal scenery at Nobbies. Follow the boardwalks that overlook the rocky coast and stop by the Nobbies Centre to learn more about the area.
Pyramid Point Lookout
Located pretty much at the middle of the southern coast of Phillip Island, the observation deck at Pyramid Point delivers wildly spectacular ocean views. Do keep an eye out for passing pods of whales as they’re not an uncommon sight.
