ISLE of MIGHT
Penguins are one of the oldest kinds of birds: it’s believed they’ve been around for more than 60 million years. Little penguins are the smallest of the world’s 17 species, and grow to a mere 33cm in height. Native to Australia, they have been nesting in the sand dunes around Phillip Island, VIC since time immemorial.
Early farmers on the island, which was first settled by Europeans in 1842, had the island’s glorious beaches to themselves. Many pioneering families made their way across the trackless landscape to Summerlands Beach to watch little penguins make their way to their burrows in the dunes after a day’s fishing at sea.
Aside from locals and a sprinkling of visitors, all was relatively quiet at Summerlands until the 1920s, when an access track was established and growing numbers of visitors began seeing the penguins perform their nightly ritual.
Today Summerlands is home to Phillip Island Nature Parks Penguin Parade, one of Australia’s most popular wildlife attractions.
BEAT THE CROWDS
During peak holiday periods just getting onto what is affectionately known by locals as “the island”can, like many popular holiday destinations, be hard work. Traffic has been known to
