The Jewel of Western Port
Phillip Island draws travellers in for rest and recreation in a magnificent coastal setting
Located just 125km south-east of Melbourne, Phillip Island is one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations, easily reached by car, train and ferry. Every year, an estimated 2 million visitors are attracted to the island for its spectacular coastal scenery and incredible array of wildlife, including its famous parade of Little Penguins. Pristine beaches and glittering waters provide boundless opportunities for sailing, swimming, surfing, fishing and scuba diving. The island also hosts international surfing competitions and annual motorcycle and V8 supercar races on a world-class circuit. Meanwhile, friendly towns with a quiet rural ambience offer a relaxing change of pace between bouts of adventure.
REGIONAL CONTEXT
Phillip Island lies at the entrance to Western Port (or Westernport), a large irregularly shaped coastal inlet bounded by the Mornington Peninsula to the west, the Koo Wee Rup lowlands to the north, and the Anderson Peninsula in the south-east. The island constricts the eastern entrance at ‘The Narrows’ between San Remo on the mainland and Newhaven on the island. Point Grant on the western end of the island stands opposite West Head at Flinders on the mainland, separated by the wide West Channel. San Remo and Newhaven are connected by the 640m Narrows Bridge, and a ferry service operates between Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula and Cowes.
At high tide the bay’s waters cover 680sqkm, and drain at low tide to expose 270sqkm of intertidal mudflats, mangroves and seagrass beds, mostly in the northern reaches. Its shallow waters are circulated in a generally clockwise direction by a large tidal range of between 2–3m, creating a strong current (up to 6kt) in The Narrows on an outgoing tide.
THE ISLAND
The island is about 26km long and 9km wide, with an area of about 100sqkm, most of which is lush flat farmlands. The south coast is bookended by the basalt outcrops of Cape Woolamai in the east and Point Grant and The Nobbies in the west. Between them, ocean swells from Bass Strait impact truncated cliffs edged in jagged tidal platforms and produce high-energy surfing conditions at several south-facing beaches. In contrast, the sheltered northern shore is fringed by sandy beaches, dunes, tidal flats and wetlands.
THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Phillip Island enjoys milder weather than Melbourne, with average temperatures ranging between 14–24 degrees Celsius and annual rainfall of about 780mm concentrated in the winter months. The island’s climate is tempered by ocean breezes, with south-westerly winds off Bass Strait prevailing most of the year.
The island and its rocky shores and outcrops are natural sanctuaries for seabirds and marine mammals. The southern and western coasts lie within the Phillip Island Important Bird Area, which supports significant populations of little penguins, short-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds) and Pacific gulls. The nightly Penguin Parade at Summerland Beach is one of Australia’s best known tourist attractions. Seal Rocks, at the western tip of the island, hosts the largest colony of fur seals in Australia (up to 16,000), while water birds abound in the swamps and tidal flats around Rhyll and Newhaven.
Phillip Island Nature Park is an 1800-hectare conservation reserve comprising several sections that include Pyramid Rock, Rhyll Inlet, Cape Woolamai, Swan Lake, the Koala Conservation Centre and the Churchill Island Heritage Farm.
The surrounding waters teem with more than 100 species of fish favoured by anglers, including snapper, whiting, bream and flathead. Rocky reefs are covered with soft corals, sponges and varieties of kelp and seaweed. In the shallows and estuaries extensive seagrass beds provide nursery habitats for fish and invertebrates, as well as feeding grounds for waders. In Bass Strait, increasing numbers of endangered Burrunan dolphins, migratory killer whales, southern right whales and humpbacks are seen near Phillip Island every year.
INDIGENOUS HERITAGE
The earliest inhabitants of Phillip Island were the Yalloc Bulluk clan of the Bunurong people, part of the Kulin nation. They called the island ‘Millowl’ and occupied it for many thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. There are several middens on the island, including one at Point Grant dated at about 2,000 years, containing mollusc shells, animal bones, stone artefacts, charcoal and ochre. The Forrest Caves near Surf Beach is another culturally significant location.
EUROPEAN HISTORY
Phillip Island was first seen by Europeans in January 1798, when George Bass mapped part of Western Port and explored the western end of the island on foot. He named it Snapper Island, but Governor King later changed this to Phillip in honour of his predecessor, Arthur. Bass returned nine months later with Matthew Flinders when they explored Bass Strait in the sloop Norfolk. During that voyage, they anchored off the eastern side of the island near what is now the township of Rhyll.
In 1801, after making the first known passage through Bass Strait from the west, Lieutenant James Grant surveyed and mapped Phillip Island. He also planted Victoria’s first crops of corn and wheat in the rich soil of the small adjoining island, which he named Churchill after a friend who had provided the seeds. Soon afterwards, Jacques Hamelin explored the bay in Le Naturaliste as part of a French expedition led by Nicolas Baudin, naming its major island Ile de Francais (since anglicised to French Island).
Western Port and Phillip Island were then largely forgotten by all but sealers until 1826, when Dumont d'Urville returned on another French scientific expedition in the corvette Astrolabe. Pre-empting a possible French move to colonise Western Port, Governor Darling despatched a squadron under the command of Captain Wetherall to take formal possession of Phillip Island and establish a fortified settlement at present-day Rhyll. The settlement lasted two years before a shortage of water forced its transfer to Corinella on the eastern shore of the bay.
The first permanent settlement of the island began in 1842, when John and William McHaffie were granted a pastoral lease covering most of the island to graze sheep. Twenty-six years later, farm lots were created across the island, and the village of Cowes was established on its north coast, with a jetty to facilitate communication and trade with the mainland. Villages soon sprang up at Rhyll, Newhaven and Ventnor. Today, around 60 per cent of Phillip Island is rural land devoted to grazing sheep and cattle, dairying and small-scale cropping, while commercial fishing and tourism have developed as major contributors to the island’s economy.
SAN REMO
San Remo is located on Griffiths Point, the western tip of the Anderson Peninsula, opposite Newhaven on Phillip Island. The township was established in 1840 around a small deepwater port that provided an export facility for local produce, cattle and coal. Early in the 20th century, commercial fishing began with the local fleet operating in Bass Strait and, in 1949, the Fisherman’s Co-operative was formed to market and distribute the catch. Commercial boats still sail out of San Remo, but the town’s economy is now largely based on tourism.
Access to San Remo jetty is restricted to vessels able to clear power lines (18m) across The Narrows to its south and the bridge (12m) to the north. The jetty is used primarily by fishing vessels but space for recreational boats may be available on the outer southwest end in 2.2+m LW. A new floating pontoon on the inside of the two jetty fingers has just over 2m LW on its outer side, but care is required when navigating in and out of it because the turn-around at the north end of the fixed jetty is tight and much affected by the tidal stream.
South of San Remo, The Narrows open into Cleeland Bight between the Anderson Peninsula and Cape Woolamai. Through it the Eastern Entrance channel has depths ranging from 3.6-10+m all the way to Red Point. The western shore has intermittent patches of rock, sandy beaches and mudflats, and the eastern shore is flanked by shallow sandbanks with breaking seas. There is good anchorage on the west side of the Bight in depths of 2.5m LW over sand and Parks Victoria has three courtesy moorings in the area.
NEWHAVEN
The small township of Newhaven sits at the eastern end of Phillip Island overlooking The Narrows. In tandem with San Remo, it developed as a fishing village based on bay netting and a fleet of couta boats that plied Bass Strait. Boat building began as an amateur hobby among the fishermen and grew into a cottage industry that peaked in the mid-20th century.
Reflecting these maritime traditions, the town hosts the Newhaven Yacht Squadron (founded in 1962) at the only marina on Phillip Island. With 188 berths, the marina provides a safe all-weather haven for boats from 6–12m, with power, water and ablution amenities. A casual berth is usually available for overnight stays and longer-term casual berthing is offered to members on a monthly rental. A boat maintenance yard is equipped with slipping facilities and offers a range of marine services, but no fuel. The marina entrance is highly visible with well-lit leads but should only be attempted at half-tide or higher, taking care to allow for strong cross-currents.
RHYLL
Rhyll is a hidden gem on Phillip Island’s north-east shore, about halfway between Cowes and Newhaven. The town occupies a bluff with coastal mudflats to its north and south, and a wetland conservation area to its west that provides habitat for koalas and a wide range of bird life. Rhyll has a boat service centre, two jetties and a three-lane boat ramp which is accessible 24 hours. A daily or annual ramp ticket is required to be displayed in vehicles using the ramp. The state government plans to upgrade the launching precinct in the near future.
Rhyll Pier also has a floating pontoon, both with adequate depth on the outside. It is accessed via a channel marked by piles and is sheltered from most winds, although a little exposed to N-SE winds at high tide. While there are moorings in the channel, it may be possible to anchor leaving room for access along the channel. There is a marked run of tide, and the anchor should be set firmly as holding is not great.
COWES
The bayside resort of Cowes is the island’s main town and administrative centre with numerous motels, units and caravan parks to accommodate the influx of tourists that nearly double the resident population during the summer holidays and major racing events. A busy shopping and hospitality precinct along Thompson Avenue is lined with large cypress trees in a reserve overlooking a golden beach that faces French Island across the bay.
Cowes Jetty was built here in 1870 and remains a popular attraction and docking point for the passenger ferry from Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula. There are four Parks Victoria courtesy moorings west of the jetty. Anchorage in good holding sand can be obtained outside the line of yellow marks, although the holding is better east of the jetty. It is protected from SE-SW winds, but is exposed to winds from all other quarters. The run of tide is noticeable but not extreme. Landing may be made at the Cowes Jetty, but keep clear of the ferry berth. The Cowes Yacht Club, 500m west of the main jetty, hosts a variety of sailing events for off-the-beach boats and trailer yachts, and is the only accredited Sail Training Centre on the Bass Coast.
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CONTACTS
PHILLIP ISLAND VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE
895 Phillip Island Road, Newhaven
P: 1300 366 422
E: piinfo@basscoast.vic.gov.au
W: visitbasscoast.com.au
NEWHAVEN YACHT SQUADRON
Seaview Street, Newhaven
P: (03) 5956 7515
E: admin@nys.org.au
W: nys.org.au
COWES YACHT CLUB
Osborne Avenue, Cowes
P: (03) 5952 2330
E: admin@cowesyachtclub.com
W: cowesyachtclub.com
AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEER COAST GUARD VF4
Western Port Marina, Hastings
P: (03) 5979 3322
Mobile: 0438 011 814
27mhz: 88
VHF: 16 & 21
PHILLIP ISLAND NATURE PARKS
1/154 Thompson Ave, Cowes
P: (03) 5951 2800
E: info@penguins.org.au
W: penguins.org.au