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Unforgettable Wildlife Encounters
Your Australian adventure begins at the award-winning Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park. Get ready for close-up encounters with iconic native wildlife. 🐨 You will have the chance to meet friendly kangaroos, wombats, and echidnas up close in a beautiful natural bushland setting.
Coastal Wonders and Dramatic Views
Next, we journey to the spectacular Phillip Island. We will stop at the famous Woolamai Surf Beach (time permitting) to watch surfers carve up the powerful southern waves. From there, we travel to the rugged western edge of the island to visit the Nobbies. Here, you can walk along the scenic boardwalks and marvel at the dramatic blowholes and crashing ocean waves.
The Magic of the Penguin Parade
Prepare for the main event: the world-famous Penguin Parade! 🐧 As the sun sets, you will take your seat on the protective viewing platform. Watch in awe as hundreds of the world’s smallest penguins emerge from the sea and waddle across the sand to their burrows. This incredible natural spectacle is managed by a non-profit organisation, meaning your visit directly supports the protection of these precious seabirds.
Tour Highlights
- Moonlit Sanctuary: Get up close with kangaroos, wombats, and echidnas.
- The Nobbies: Take in breathtaking coastal views and rugged clifftops.
- Penguin Parade: Witness the magical nightly march of the little penguins. 🌊
- Expert Guidance: Travel in comfort with your professional Oceania24 Guide.
*If you prefer not to advise a pick up hotel, we will collect you from the Travelodge Southbank – 9 Riverside Quay Southbank.
We will send you an email to confirm nearest pick up time and place if your accommodation is not listed.
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Thank you for a lovely day Travis
The moonlit sanctuary was great. I paid extra to pet a koala which was definitely worth it.
This is a great half day tour ( not a lot of walking ) but definitely a lot of animals to see.
OF seats or suspension system.
Josh was incredible informative, knowledgeable, engaging and super fun!!
Word has it, he’s better than some guy named Travis. :)
At Moonlit Sanctuary, he took us through the different areas and animal exhibits (and made sure my 13 year old got into the koala encounter - and what an encounter it was! My son said it was the experience of a lifetime! He pet a koala who was posing and hamming it up for the camera!). The guide knew the animals personally (which kangaroo was which and how each typically behaved, etc) and the staff there. Amazing experience.
We then continued to Phillip Island, where he took us through the Nobbies, pointing out the penguin nests and finding some that were occupied, as well as stopping at beautiful lookouts over the stunning coast. He then gave us a briefing on what to expect at the penguin parade (where to stand and go for the best views - how much time to spend at the viewing platform - we took one of the platform upgrades - and when to head to watch them walk along the path).
One thing we liked a lot about our guide - he cared about the animals and their welfare, driving carefully and slowly along the island roads to preserve the safety of the animals and their habitats (we saw large buses coming through at high speeds, even though there were some animals on the road).
Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and kept the day fun while sharing interesting facts about the places we visited. Everything was well organized, the transportation was comfortable, and we had enough time to enjoy each stop without feeling rushed.
I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Melbourne who wants to experience some of Australia’s most iconic sights and wildlife in a single day. Thank you for a fantastic experience!
Trip should leave a couple hours earlier so no rushing and time to fully see and enjoy both the remarkable Moonlight Sanctuary, get early dinner to go and get to Phillip island to tour then to penguin park earlier to enjoy the exhibits at the visitors center and spend more time watching the fun fairy penguins that don’t start Landing from sea till dark. Felt rushed at both of the best parts of tour but did see a lot of wonderful wildlife.
Fred arrived a bit early to pick us up. Child car seats were provided. Before we knew it, we were at the Moonlit Sanctuary. He gave each of our two children (ages 9 and 6) some roo food so they could feed the wandering kangaroos and wallabies. Our visit to the sanctuary included some time checking out the other animals, including the wombat, koala, and dingoes.
Afterwards, we drove through the Nobbies to glimpse at the magnificent coastline. We also happened to spy upon a penguin resting in its home, waiting for others to return later that evening.
The penguin parade was also a sight to behold. We highly recommend upgrading to the Penguins Plus experience. Aside from just better viewing, where you’ll see the penguins return home as they pass by the seating area, some will hang out just outside arm’s length, as they appear to have made a home under the seating area itself. That gives plenty of time to admire them up close. If you don’t have a good seat at first, just be patient. Plenty will open up later. Everyone (part of the tour or not) only gets about 50 minutes to observe the penguins before lights turned off.
Our kids found this the best thing they did in Melbourne this trip. This is a must-do experience for penguin and animal lovers.
He made sure we were safe and comfortable through out our experience
He is very polite and respectful and kind
I liked the gesture of the comfy seats he provided us for the cold evening with the penquins! We had a fun after noon with him seeing the wildlife and the penguin parade
We appreciated the useful tips he provided to enhance our experience
The second day we did the Great Ocean Road. It was a beautiful experience. Fred made sure we stopped at unique lookout points. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and then headed to the Twelve Apostles. It truly was remarkable. Well worth the visit! Thank you to Fred for making these two days so memorable.
As for the Penguin parade at Philip Island, a Penguin Plus pass is highly recommended.
A special thanks to our guide, Sarah, who was fantastic at explaining every stop in a clear and engaging way. We visited breathtaking places and also had the chance to meet people from different nationalities during the tour, she was also incredibly helpful in giving us information about other tours for the next few days and recommending the perfect upgrade for our trip.
A big plus for Sarah is her very clear and easy-to-understand English, perfect for international travelers. Highly recommended!












































































