The Nobbies at Phillip Island
The Nobbies are dome-shaped rock formations off the coast of Phillip Island which provide an important home to the islands Little Penguins.
The largest colony of Little Penguins can be found nesting in and around Phillip Island, only a couple of hours drive from Melbourne. During our Phillip Island day tour we stop in at the Nobbies for the spectacular views and a chance to see penguins before sunset.
A clifftop boardwalk provides panoramic views of the coast, the Nobbies, Bass Strait and the entrance to Western Port Bay. You can look out to Seal Rocks which home to Australia’s largest colony of fur seals and Nobbies Blowhole – where waves crash in to a cave in the cliffs and mist sprays back out again.
A stroll around the boardwalk is not all about the views – there is also a chance to see the Little Penguins in their nests. The penguins nest in burrows, but rangers from Phillip Island Nature Parks, have also built little wooden boxes to mimic the burrows. This provides a warm, dry place for the penguins to nest.
The penguins stay in their burrows and out of sight of potential predators during daylight hours, so the best viewing opportunities are to look into the entrance of the wooden boxes, or you might get lucky and spot a penguin hiding underneath the boardwalk.
