February 2010

The Other Philip Island

Phillip Island offers much more than just birds and motorbikes

The Other Philip Island

WORDS ELIZABETH QUINN

The once-sleepy holiday destination of Phillip Island is well and truly waking up. The nightly penguin parade and the annual Grand Prix are still the biggest shows in town, but visitors to this stretch of coastline are discovering the other face of the island, with its promise of fun for everyone from families and foodies to adventurers.

The new Koala Conservation Centre features an interactive visitor education foyer, while elevated boardwalks provide close encounters of the furry kind, sign-posting the presence of individual treetop inhabitants as they sleep peacefully in the breeze.

Churchill Island Heritage Farm at Newhaven has its share of loveable residents. This working farm, with its heritage buildings and gardens, provides daily demonstrations of old-style farming practices, and its animal nursery is a magnet for children of all ages. Don’t miss the farmers’ market held here on the fourth Saturday of the month. A ‘3 Park Pass’ is an economical option for families and includes a visit to the Penguin Parade.

For a new perspective on family-friendly attractions on the island, stop by at A Maze’N Things fun park on the road to Cowes. From the moment you enter the Anti-Gravity Room, your view of the world is turned on its head. Optical illusions play games with your mind in the Mirror Maze with its seemingly endless twists and turns, while the Shrinking Room sees children become giants and adults turn into oompah loompahs.

Take the Rhyll-Newhaven Road to the Rhyll Trout and Bush Tucker Farm where Paul Mannix has spent the past seven years designing, building and adapting his vision of a family- and environmentally-friendly tourist destination. First, catch your fish: the hard part is deciding whether to take it home and cook it yourself or have it cooked for you while you wander through the newly established Bush Tucker Trail, featuring more than 6,000 native plants and 22 different species.

From the indigenous to the indulgent: the mouth-watering range of chocolates at the famous Panny’s Phillip Island Chocolate Factory is made from the finest Belgian Callebaut chocolate. Gaze in awe at the life-sized depiction of Michelangelo’s David (with strategically placed spearmint leaf). An interactive exhibition educates and prepares the taste buds for the chocolate rush beyond its doors. Visitors learn that good quality chocolate should never be chewed but will melt within 60 seconds, while poor quality chocolate will take five minutes to melt in the mouth. And, as Panny rightly asks, “why test your patience on an inferior product?”

Those who appreciate the finer things in life will find much to love about Phillip Island. Take a detour to The Purple Hen winery in Rhyll, with its distinctive avian logo on display on the tasting room-cum-café wall. A small but stylish grazing menu encourages visitors to settle in as they admire the floor-to-ceiling view of Westernport Bay and ponder the big questions… such as which award-winning Purple Hen wine to take home.

Stock up on homemade provisions at The Island Food Store in Cowes, tucked away in a cul-de-sac next to Coles’ car park: just follow the aroma of freshly baked muffins and good coffee. A short drive to Ventnor will take you to The Island Primary Produce Store, an old-fashioned butchery that only sells meat produced on the property. For butcher-turned-farmer Ted Walsh, meat “is my passion: it’s what I do.”

Passion is a word used often by the residents of Phillip Island. “We want people to know we’re here, to know there’s good food in Phillip Island,” says Patrick O’Garey of Infused Restaurant and Wine Bar in Cowes. Offering modern Australian cuisine in elegant yet casual surroundings, Infused is the place for a special night out or all-day grazing. The alfresco wine bar area is a magnet for passing beachgoers on their way home. Oysters are a house speciality: in summer, more than 100 dozen per week are shucked on the premises and are served in a variety of ways, from natural through to tempura style with chilli jam.

Now that you’re fed and watered, it’s time for those with an adventurous streak to experience the excitement-fuelled activities Phillip Island has to offer. Depending on how wet you want to get, you can learn to surf, experience the sea spray in a jet boat ride, or strap yourself in with an experienced racing driver for a taste of the Grand Prix circuit. (Go 26–28 February to catch the Superbike World Championship, when Aussie lads Troy Corser and Chris Vermeulen do battle with Noriyuki Haga and James Toseland.) Or for an eye-popping point of view, board a Phillip Island Helicopter for a scenic joyride — doors are optional!

At the end of the day, Phillip Island’s accommodation is as diverse as its range of visitors. The Waves Apartments in Cowes are situated across the road from the foreshore and feature a spa bath, kitchenette and two bedrooms that sleep up to five. Recent renovations include premium accommodation for couples with 180-degree bay views. Holmwood Guesthouse is situated just around the corner, nestled among the eucalypts. Guests can choose one of three beautifully appointed ensuite rooms in the guesthouse, or one of two self-contained cottages that sleep up to four people. Freshly squeezed orange juice and a cooked breakfast are provided for guesthouse residents, while cottage dwellers get a breakfast hamper.

Whatever you’re after, the Phillip Island experience can be all things to all people. As residents Eric and Serena van Grondelle of Holmwood Guesthouse, reveal: “We came for a day and stayed for a lifetime.”

Jetstar flies to Melbourne from across Australia, and from Bangkok, Bali and Christchurch. Book online at Jetstar.com. Earn points to pay for your flights with every purchase on your Jetstar MasterCard.

FIRST LOVE

Due for release in April 2010, First Love is a documentary about three young girls from Phillip Island and their journey towards becoming professional surfers. One of the girls, India Payne, lists Flynns and Woolamai as her favourite surfing spots on the island. When she’s not training at the local gym or away from home competing, she likes to do what most 15-year-old girls do: spend time at the beach hanging out with friends. “I just love being by the water,” she says.

FIND IT

Koala Conservation Centre 1810 Phillip Island Tourist Rd, tel: +61 (3) 5952 1610

Churchill Island Heritage Farm Newhaven, tel: +61 (3) 5956 7214

Penguin Parade 1019 Ventnor Rd, Ventnor, tel: +61 (3) 5951 2830

A Maze’N Things 1805 Phillip Island Rd, Cowes, tel: +61 (3) 5952 2283

Rhyll Trout and Bush Tucker Farm 36 Rhyll-Newhaven Rd, Rhyll, tel: +61 (3) 5956 9255

Panny’s Phillip Island Chocolate Factory 930 Phillip Island Rd, Newhaven, tel: +61 (3) 5956 6600

The Purple Hen 96 McFees Rd, Rhyll, tel: +61 (3) 5956 9244

The Island Food Store 2/75 Chapel St, Cowes, tel: +61 (3) 5952 6400

The Island Primary Produce Store 511 Ventnor Rd, Ventnor, tel: +61 (3) 5956 8107

Infused Restaurant and Wine Bar 115 Thompson Ave, Cowes, tel: +61 (3) 5952 2655

Phillip Island Helicopters 1340 Phillip Island Tourist Rd, Newhaven, tel: +61 (3) 5956 7316

The Waves Apartments The Esplanade, Cowes, tel: +61 (3) 5952 1351

Holmwood Guesthouse 37 Chapel St, Cowes, tel: +61 (3) 5952 3082






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