Nobbies Centre
The basics
High-tech cameras inside the Nobbies Centre allow visitors to zoom in on the resident fur seals as they lie on the rocks and splash in the ocean. As well as seals, the landscape surrounding the Nobbies Centre is full of birds nesting and feeding on the cliffs. You can learn more about the seals and birds through interactive displays inside the center. Antarctic Journey, another interactive display in the center, focuses on Antarctica.
Nobbies Centre is a common stop on tours to Phillip Island. These tours usually focus on the evening penguin parade at Summerland Beach, a five-minute drive from the Nobbies Centre. Taking a tour from Melbourne is a great option for those without their own transportation and offers the chance to see other attractions along the way, such as Maru Koala and Animal Park.
Things to know before you go
- Coin-operated binoculars allow you to view the seals.
- The center and boardwalks are wheelchair accessible.
- Visiting the Antarctic Journey attraction requires purchasing a ticket.
- The coastal location means it can get chilly: pack a jacket.
How to get there
The Nobbies Centre is just under a two-hour drive from Melbourne. V/Line runs daily coach services between Southern Cross Station in Melbourne and Cowes on Phillip Island, from where you can catch a taxi. Alternatively, skip the hassle and book a guided tour.
Trip ideas
When to get there
The Nobbies Centre opens at mid-morning every day and closes around one hour before sunset to protect the native wildlife. Penguins nest here every night and you can see their burrows during the day.
- Phillip Island Nature Parks
- Penguin Parade
- Phillip Island Winery
- Phillip Island Circuit
- Phillip Island Wildlife Park
- A Maze'N Things
- Koala Reserve (Koala Conservation Centre)
- Churchill Island
- Cape Woolamai
- Phillip Island Chocolate Factory
- Moonlit Sanctuary
- Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse
- Cleft Island (Skull Rock)