AFL Grand Final comes with the bonus of a Friday public holiday—perfect for a weekend getaway. Tom and I packed up the car and hit the road for a 90-minute drive southeast of Melbourne to Phillip Island, famous for its unique wildlife, wild beaches, and the roar of engines at the Grand Prix circuit.
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| September 26-28 |
We hit the road early—8:30am to beat the traffic—and stopped off on the southeast side of the island. It's an easy walk to Forrest Caves, dramatic sea caves that are visible at low tide.
Despite the cold, overcast drizzle, we pushed on to the Cape Woolamai Circuit—the island’s best hike. I did this one last year on a day trip, and was excited to share it with Tom. The 8 km trail follows the cape along two beaches, rolling hills, and cliffs with sweeping ocean views. Cleeland Bight Beach is only passable at low tide, so we reversed the loop.
One of the unique things about this trek is the contrast of calm, sheltered waters on one side of the cape, and wild surf on the other. Along the way we spotted wallabies, including one with a joey in her pouch!
The crowds picked up when we reached Woolamai Surf Beach.
We arrived at sunset and waited patiently as darkness fell, giving the penguins cover from birds of prey.
At 7:01pm, we heard them before we saw them—small, noisy groups waddling ashore in mostly neat lines. 843 penguins were counted that evening; a research team has been monitoring the colony since 1968, making it the longest ongoing bird study in the world.
After about 20 minutes, we moved to the “penguin highway” boardwalk to follow the tiny birds as they scurried toward their nests. It was breeding season, so pairs take turns sitting on their eggs.
Saturday: Pyramid Rock
Tom and I set off for the island’s rugged south coast and were treated to an unexpected sight along the road—a pair of peacocks courting, the male fanning his tail and rattling his feathers. Our hike began at Pyramid Rock, following the trail to Berry’s Beach.
Tom and I set off for the island’s rugged south coast and were treated to an unexpected sight along the road—a pair of peacocks courting, the male fanning his tail and rattling his feathers. Our hike began at Pyramid Rock, following the trail to Berry’s Beach.
It was a windy walk, with wallabies darting through the scrub along the way. Plan for 1.5 hours to complete the 6 km trek.
The Nobbies outcrop was packed with visitors, drawn by the panoramic views toward Seal Rocks, home to Australia’s largest colony of fur seals. The area was also teeming with Cape Barren geese.
We rounded out the day with a tasting at Purple Hen Winery—some criss-crossing of the island, but its compact size made it easy. Back in Cowes, we settled in for the big game: Brisbane Lions vs Geelong Cats.
Sunday: Cowes Beach
After checking out of our bnb, Tom went for a long run while I stopped by Red Rocks Beach and then went for a paddle along Cowes Beach.
The protected waters of Cowes Beach and Smith Beach are the island's top places for swimming and paddling, though Sunday was a bit windy. Still a refreshing way to finish the weekend!
