Experience Penguins Like Never Before: New Parade Attractions
April 1, 2025: Phillip Island’s magical Penguin Parade is bringing tourists even closer to the incredible beach waddling spectacle with a range of new eco-experiences – just in time for school holidays.
Phillip Island Nature Parks has launched a new boardwalk, upgraded premium viewing stands and extra seating with the Penguins Premium experience, Penguins Plus platform and Shearwater Boardwalk.
Each night, little penguins waddle up Summerland Beach to their burrows with mesmerised visitors witnessing the natural wonder within incredible proximity.
The new Shearwater Boardwalk and viewing stand upgrades received $5 million funding through the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund to deliver safety compliance, accessibility and additional seating to improve the visitor experience.
The Nature Parks General Manager Tourism, Mark Anderson said demand for nature-based tourism was growing and the new ticketed experiences would take visitors closer to Summerland Beach and ensure the Penguin Parade retains its position as one of the top eco-tourism experiences in Australia.
“Phillip Island is home to the largest little penguin colony in the world, and each year hundreds of thousands of people visit to experience the magical sight of the little penguins waddling up the shore,” Mr Anderson said.
“The Penguin Parade had an incredible summer season, selling out a record 47 nights between December 2024 and February 2025”.“Support from the Victorian Government has enabled the Nature Parks to complete the first stage of critical works as part of a broader project to ensure the Penguin Parade can remain open for everyone to enjoy now and in the future”.
New experiences at the Penguin Parade, Phillip Island:
The new Shearwater Boardwalk provides a seamless, elevated pathway connecting the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre with the magnificent Summerland Beach. Visitors can view native birds and other wildlife as they walk above little penguin habitat with burrows on all sides. The new outbound path is accessible for all visitors as they make their way to the penguin viewing areas.
Visitors can discover the little penguins in their natural habitat with the Penguins
Premium experience, which provides premium beachfront viewing. The fully accredited eco- experience guides visitors along a secluded boardwalk to a special platform within the Penguin Parade colony.
The enhanced experience at Penguins Plus allows visitors close-up viewing along the most popular penguin pathway. The redesigned viewing platform offers optimal viewing, along with increased accessibility and capacity for visitors.
The new experiences build on the current offerings at the Penguin Parade including General Viewing, Underground Viewing, Guided Penguin Tour, Ultimate Adventure Tour, and Family Wildlife Tour.