How to Make Sure You See the Penguins on Phillip Island

A visit to Phillip Island, or even Melbourne, isn't complete without a penguin viewing sesh. In fact, it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing for many Aussies and travellers to Melbourne - seeing penguins in their natural habitat.

Here's a guide to make sure you don't miss out on witnessing those feathered and flightless birds in their full form!

Every sunset on the glorious Phillip Island, you can see penguins waddling onto the beach known as the "Penguin Parade". Up to 1,200 penguins can be seen in one night (if you're lucky!).

Fortunately for you, the penguins never take a public holiday and they parade all year round. So unless you don't make it before one of the times listed below, you're bound to see at least a couple! To avoid cooler nights, head later in autumn or earlier in the spring months.

It is suggested to arrive one hour before penguin time to explore the visitor centre displays and also take in the fresh air and beach surrounds of the island. Christmas, Easter, Lunar New Year and school holidays are especially busy, so it's advised to book well in advance.

You can buy tickets instantly to the Penguin Parade from here. General Viewing gives you access to an outside seat on a "grandstand-like" podium. With Penguin Plus, you get access to a new stand that rather looks like the curvature of the beach. And Underground Viewing you can see the furry ones from below!

If you want to beat the cold, Underground is recommended - but General Viewing and Penguin Plus are much of a muchness. The general advice is if you go for General Viewing, try and get there as early as possible (up to two hours!) to get the best viewing spot. If you're unable to do this, then better off optioning for Penguin Plus as there are less people and more view points.

Get on this two-hour wildlife cruise off the rugged coast of Phillip Island and encounter thousands of seals at Australia's largest fur seal colony, Seal Rocks!

Bonus tip: Save 20% off the cruise only for the month of April - take advantage and see up to 5,000 cute little seals up close!

By car, Phillip Island is 90 minutes drive from Melbourne CBD. Make sure you give yourself about 1 hour 30 though, as it can take 20 minutes from the bridge accessing the island to get to the point of the Parade. There is free car parking on site. You can also combine the Penguin Parade with a pass, which gives you access to other attractions on the island. The different passes are listed below:

If you are just after the Penguin Parade, then select "None" under the passes option when purchasing tickets like so:

On the other hand, if you don't have a car or unable to make the self-drive trip, there are also a number of tour options available from Melbourne which may suit your needs! The Penguin Parade Phillip Island Tour from Melbourne includes a visit to Koala Wildlife Park, walks along the island beaches and through the town of Cowes, and access to the Nobbies Antartic attraction, as well as the viewing. Alternatively, the Phillip Island Day Tour firstly takes you to see the Brighton Beach bathing boxes before you head off to the Penguin Parade!

All proceeds from the ticket purchase go to conservation of the habitat, so you're not just watching the little ones waddle around, you're also protecting their species. This has been going on for many years, with people watching the penguins parade since the 1920s! Not that long ago, but not that recent either - here's a picture of the author with her sister in their penguin tees and dad on the Philipp Island boardwalk in the early 2000's.