Travel: Phillip Island, Vic

After months of hectic deadlines and long work hours, I jumped at the chance to indulge in an island getaway… Phillip Island, to be precise.

Only 140km from Melbourne, and with a milder climate, Phillip Island is one of the top tourist-magnets in Australia. The wide range of accommodation, restaurants and man made attractions are first-class, and the island's natural charms are internationally renowned.

We stayed at Cowes Caravan Park, where owners Mark and Julie Curran made us most welcome in a clean and spacious deluxe cabin with full facilities - oven, stove, TV, two bedrooms, ensuite, verandah and equipped kitchen.

Cowes Caravan Park offers neat, cosy accommodation including ensuite cabins, and powered and unpowered caravan sites, some right on the beach front in plenty of shade.

To exit and enter the park, a four-digit code is given to patrons, which is used to access the electronic gates at the front. The grounds are well signposted and concrete paths lead to such facilities as the laundry, amenities block and camp kitchen. Once you reach the playground, basketball court and barbecue area, concrete gives way to soft sand and a path leading right down to the picturesque shore.

When the weather turns nasty and the beach isn't an option, the recreation hall makes for a cosy retreat: kids can play table tennis, and on arcade games and rides, while adults sit by the fireplace and chat into the small hours.

There is no kiosk to speak of, but 10 minutes down the road is a shopping strip with restaurants, from cheap to chic, to satisfy budgets of all sizes.

The first morning we awoke to a terrible day - rain, hail and wind all at once - but I knew that I only had two days to capture the magic of Phillip Island, so I would just have to pray like mad for sunshine.

Against our better judgement we took a drive up to Seal Rocks, which is located just off the western tip of the island. In clearer conditions, you can view Australia's largest colony of seals through telescopes from the boardwalks that run along the clifftop.

Unfortunately, the force of the wind threw our car door open so hard that it became unhinged and wouldn't close properly; we drove the 20 minutes back to Cowes holding the door closed with one hand while hazily steering with the other. Luckily the RACV in Phillip Island was available on a Saturday to temporarily fix the damage, but we stayed indoors for the rest of the day.

The next morning my prayers had been answered: the storms had disappeared and left behind clear blue skies and bright sunshine.

The friendly office staff at Cowes Caravan Park were ready to offer advice and directions to the nearest island attractions, and upon hearing of my previous bad luck, they didn't hesitate to let this journalist stay an extra full day, so I could catch up on the sights.

History and mystery
With map in hand we left Cowes and proceeded along the main drag of the island, where the majority of main attractions, including magnificent beaches, lies off the road.

I recommend Churchill Island as a must-stop: the new visitor's centre holds intriguing tales of the history of these 57 hectares, but there are still a few secrets to be unlocked when you roam the island itself, in particular the hauntingly beautiful Amess House.

For a small fee visitors are given an electronic pass that allows access past regular island observers, through the lush grounds and into a shaded paradise.

Even though I knew it wasn't true, when I came to the end of the path and pushed back the ferns that surrounded the entrance to Amess House, it felt as though this magnificent structure had lain undiscovered for hundreds of years, waiting for me to stumble upon it. It was as though I had stepped back in time, and I was somewhat irritated to hear the excited intakes of breath as other visitors pushed back the ferns to unearth their own piece of history.

The wonderful thing about a visit to Amess House is that you can actually step inside and look around. Everything in the house is original, except for the floor boards, and most items of furniture are on loan from the National Trust of Victoria.

Despite its breathtaking beauty, Amess house has a sinister and melancholy quality that fascinated me. Displayed on the walls of the dining room are blueprints for the Kew Hospital for the Insane, one of the many building projects completed by master stonemason and building contractor for many of Melbourne's landmarks, Samuel Amess, who built the house in 1872.

In the courtyard I was captivated by the sight of a richly-coloured peacock languidly wandering the grounds.

The view from the house is magnificent, with trees framing Westernport Bay in the distance. A one-hour tour of the island is available - led by an experienced ranger, you can sample authentic billy tea and damper, view whip cracking demonstrations, or take a horse-drawn carriage ride over the bridge that joins Phillip Island to Churchill.

While driving along the main road into Cowes, you cannot miss the colourful flags that beckon visitors to see A Maze'N Things, a theme park that was originally constructed in 1991.

Don't let the bright colours and "Maxi Golf" facilities fool you into thinking this one's just for the kids - while young ones will get a kick out of Puzzle Island and its zany, mind-bending attractions, big kids at heart will love the fascinating hall of mirrors, illusion rooms and lateral thinking challenges that lie around every corner.

For all ages is A Maze'N Things' main drawcard: its giant maze, of course! Designed to keep visitors guessing for no less than 45 minutes, the wooden, castle-like labyrinth has four checkpoints that you must visit before you reach the finish. I have to admit that after 20 minutes of fruitless dead ends I made my way to the top of a turret to figure out a cheater's route, but once I got back within the depths of the maze I was lost again - it's great fun for the whole family!

Kids will love the LookOut slide: a 6.6 metre-high structure that drops so steeply, patrons must wear overalls made of thick cotton to slow their progress as they shoot down 19 metres of polished vinyl at high speed.

Don't forget to browse the A Maze'N Things gift shop, which holds all manner of puzzles, gags and fun problem-solving books to commemorate your trip.

If you'd prefer to stay and play, a range of accommodation is available at A Maze'N Things Holiday Park: deluxe spa/family ensuite cabins, onsite vans and powered camp sites in a quiet bush setting.

Park facilities include barbecues, laundry, playground, camp kitchen, public phone and gas refills. Accommodation is in one section of the theme park, and guests are entitled to a 20 per cent discount on theme park admission.

I needed a change of pace after having my mind bent, so we dropped into the Koala Conservation Park, where staff informed us that on this particular day we would see no less than nine koalas.

It was awesome - within 20 minutes of looking up into the trees I saw 12 koalas napping. It was a windy day and the poor creatures were hanging onto the branches as the trees swayed violently from side to side, but they seemed unfussed by the occasional bout of turbulence.

Just outside of Phillip Island is the small town of San Remo. Each day at 11am a huge flock of pelicans is fed by a member of the fishing commission on the shore next to San Remo Jetty. Visitors can come to the jetty for a free peek (from as little as two feet away) at these beautiful birds having lunch, but don't get too friendly as they can become quite aggressive during feeding time. Across the road are plenty of places to grab a meal after 'the show' if you too are feeling peckish.

On our last night in Cowes, we ate at the fully licensed Bistro 115, owned by chef/manager Harry Schmidt and his wife Kerstin. I loved the herb crumbed fish: it wasn't a cheap meal, but entirely worth it, and a great cap-off to a memorable stay.

After dinner, we were off to see Phillip Island's most famous asset by far - the nightly Penguin Parade. There are now three exciting new ways to view the penguins: the Penguins Plus Viewing Platform provides visitors with a more personal encounter, plus ranger accompaniment; Penguin Sky Box allows you to enjoy the parade from the comfort of an exclusive, elevated viewing tower. I recommend to keen animal lovers the Ultimate Penguin Experience, where experienced rangers provide extensive commentary to intimate groups, on a secluded beach, where you can view the penguins with the latest night vision technology!

I checked out the visitor's centre, which makes for an ideal place to wait until it's time to watch the penguins cross the beach. There is another new attraction that has international tourists excited: a chance to be photographed with the cute creatures! Well, not quite, but it is as good as the real thing. Since photography is forbidden at the actual parade, the visitors centre now offers an alternative that is proving quite popular. Visitors have their pictures taken as normal, then using "green screen" technology (the same used in Hollywood films), the penguin images are superimposed onto your picture, so it looks like you are standing with them. Obviously it isn't as good as a live penguin, but it makes for a fun souvenir!

I wanted to steer clear of all things Grand Prix in this article, but there is something new for motorsport fans - you can now soak up the brilliant views and atmosphere of the GP circuit at a more leisurely pace, on a low-powered electric scooter for a fee of $40 (14 ages and over).

For a group alternative, the minibus tour will get you up to speed with the history and excitement of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, with a lap of the famous seaside track, stopping at points of particular interest, as well as visits to the panoramic race control tower, media centre, race paddock, pit buildings and garages.

Phillip Island is a great place to spend a couple of nights at the coast, or even a luxurious week or so. It's an ideal spot to get away from it all - you can almost feel life slow down as you cross the bridge from city hustle to island harmony.

Phillip Island fast facts

How to get there
By car: from Melbourne, take the Monash Freeway (M1) and turn south onto the South Gippsland Highway (M420). Follow this through Cranbourne to the Bass Highway (A420) then take the Phillip Island turn-off to San Remo. Cross the bridge and follow the signs.
On tour: Major day tour bus companies run daily tours from Melbourne.

Cowes Caravan Park
164 Church St, Cowes, (03) 5952 2211, fax (03) 5952 5521, email stay@cowescaravanpark.com.au, web: www.cowescaravanpark.com.au

A Maze'N Things
Phillip Island Road, Cowes, (03) 5952 2283, fax (03) 5952 2227, web: www.amazenthings.com

A Maze'N Things Holiday Park
(03) 5952 2020, fax (03) 5952 3031, email amazepi@waterfront.net.au
Tariffs range between $63 (Standard Cabins), $107 (Deluxe Spa Cabins) per double per night.

Bistro 115 (Euro cuisine)
115 Thompson Ave, Cowes, (03) 5952 6226, fax (03) 5952 2308. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Fully licensed venue.

Grand Prix Circuit (open daily)
Back Beach Road, Cowes, (03) 5952 2710, www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au

Phillip Island Information Centre (open seven days, 9am-5pm)
895 Phillip Island Tourist Road, Newhaven, Vic, 1300 366 422, email piinfo@waterfront.net.au, web: www.basscoast.vic.gov.au

Phillip Island Nature Park
Purchase a '3 Parks Pass' to Penguin Parade, Churchill Island and Koala Conservation Centre, all at one discounted rate! Call (03) 5956 8300, fax (03) 5956 8394, email penguins@penguins.org.au, web: www.penguins.org.au