There is so much more to Phillip Island than little penguins (+video)

Looking back at my travels — and honestly, my life — there’s a clear pattern: I rarely do things the way most people do. That didn’t change when it came to visiting Phillip Island. While living in Melbourne for five months, it felt like everyone around me was booking the classic Phillip Island day trip to see the famous penguin parade: an expensive excursion to watch tiny penguins shuffle home, shoulder-to-shoulder with a big crowd. That’s what Phillip Island is known for — and that’s exactly what I didn’t do.

Besides the fact that you can see penguins around Melbourne’s coastline for free, I had already watched them up close on King Island and on Bruny Island, with no fences, no tour groups, and no one else around me. So when it came time to visit Phillip Island, skipping the parade felt like an easy choice.

When I arrived in Melbourne for the third time, I already knew what I wanted to do differently. Instead of squeezing the island into one rushed bus tour, I booked a place to sleep on Phillip Island itself and gave it several days. At that point I still had no clear plan for what would come after Melbourne, so the island became my breathing space — a place to walk, think, and figure out where my travels might head next.

Here’s the travel video that came out of that trip:

Phillip Island, my way

My main mission on Phillip Island was — surprise, surprise — hiking its spectacular coastline. Instead of joining the crowds at the penguin viewing platforms, I followed clifftop paths, beach trails, and quiet roads, soaking up the island’s raw scenery: wind, waves, and wide horizons. I still made time for small detours into the main town and even visited the local chocolate factory, because coastal walks plus chocolate is always a winning combination.

During those hikes, I often listened to audiobooks. That simple ritual — walking by the sea with a story in my ears — gave me space to unwind from the intensity of previous adventures and to gently sketch out the next chapters. Phillip Island became less about ticking off a famous attraction and more about slowing down and listening to what I actually wanted next.

Now, I’m in Adelaide, getting ready for my next adventure and trying to catch up on all the travel videos and travel guides that are still waiting to be made. There was so much more to Phillip Island than penguins, and telling that side of the story feels like an important part of this journey too.

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