Phillip Island

The penguin parade on Phillip Island is an extraordinary natural spectacle and one of Eastern Victoria’s most popular tourist attractions. Every evening at sunset at all times of the year, hundreds of little penguins come ashore at Summerland Beach and waddle across the sand to their burrows in the spinifex tussocks (spiky clumps of grass), just as their ancestors have been doing for generations.

Once ashore, the small penguins spend their time in the dunes preening themselves and, in summer, feeding their hungry chicks, seemingly oblivious to visitors watching from raised boardwalks.

At Seal Rocks, off the rugged cliffs at the western end of the island, is Australia’s largest colony of fur seals. Some 7,000 of these seals can be seen playing in the surf or feeding their pups on the rocks.

Tourists can watch them from the cliff top or on an organized boat trip. Live film footage of the seals is transmitted to the Seal Rocks Sealife Centre, an interpretive centre at The Nobbies. There is also a large koala colony on Phillip Island.

Cape Woolamai, with its red cliffs and wild ocean seas, has good walking trails, birdwatching opportunities and surfing. The peaceful town of Cowes is ideal for swimming, relaxing and dining out on the island’s fine seafood.

Mornington Peninsula

Only an hour’s drive from Melbourne, on the east side of Port Phillip Bay, the Mornington Peninsula is the city’s summer and weekend getaway. From Frankston down to Portsea near its tip, the area is ideal for relaxing beach holidays. The sandy beaches facing the bay are sheltered and calm, perfect for windsurfing, sailing or paddling, while the rugged coast fronting the Bass Strait has rocky reefs, rock pools and surf beaches.

Arthur’s Seat, a high, bush ridge, has a spectacular chairlift ride offering views of the peninsula. The surrounding Red Hill wineries are fast gaining a reputation for their fine Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Sip a glass of one of these wines in the historic village of Sorrento or take a ferry trip across the narrow and treacherous Rip to the beautiful 19th-century town of Queenscliff.

Running the length of the peninsula, the Mornington Peninsula National Park has lovely walking tracks. Point Nepean, formerly a quarantine station and defence post, is now part of the national park. The beach at the tip of The Heads and Cheviot Beach, where Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while surfing in 1967, are both beautiful spots.

ENVIRONS: The village of Flinders is a peaceful, chic seaside resort, while Portsea is the summer playground of Melbourne’s rich and famous.

The atmosphere at the remote French Island, a short ferry trip from Crib Point, is unique, with no electricity or telephones. The island also teems with wildlife, including wallabies and the rare potoroo.