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All 6 Cowes Attractions »

Penguin Parade

Summerland Peninsula, Cowes, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia
Ranked #1 of 5 attractions in Cowes
4.5 of 5 stars 230 Reviews
Type: Nature/ Wildlife Areas
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230 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    131
    60
    22
    13
    4
Date Rating
Wonthaggi, Australia
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 May 2012 NEW

A must see for any tourists travelling to the island. The only place in the world where you get this experience of seeing the fairy penguins, in their masses, arriving onto the beach and up into their burrows, underneath the boardwalks on your way out of the park!

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London
Top Contributor
53 reviews 53 reviews
Reviews in 37 cities Reviews in 37 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 May 2012 NEW

We did the premium tour and got right down on the beach with the penguins. It was a bit more money but the experience was incredible.

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See 2 more reviews by mjbwan for Cowes
Amstelveen, The Netherlands
Top Contributor
105 reviews 105 reviews
Reviews in 91 cities Reviews in 91 cities
57 helpful votes 57 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 May 2012 NEW

More expensive than some other places to see the same penguins (e.g. it's free at St. Kilda Pier). But there were lots of penguins and it was great fun. Too bad you can't take photographs or video of the penguins. I can understand that flashes can upset them but video (without light) should have been ok?

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Brisbane, Australia
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 May 2012 NEW

We were thrilled to be able to see these tiny penguins up close. Half the fun is on the walk back along the boardwalks where you can see them even closer than while they're on the beach, scurrying into their nests or just having a chatter with each other. We only paid the general admission price ($22.00 each) and we... More

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Michigan
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 May 2012 NEW

Phillip Island Penguin Parade is perhaps over-rated. These penguins are small - the size of a duck. There are two viewing areas - I stayed at the better area, which supposes to have 60% of the penguins. We saw probably 100 in the fist 30 min after the sunset. I am sure that if you wait for a longer time,... More

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See 2 more reviews by sun20 for Cowes
Rockville, MD
Senior Contributor
48 reviews 48 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
42 helpful votes 42 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We flew to Melbourne & immediately drove to Cowes for the Penguin Parade. We upgraded so that we sat in special seats. Glad we did that. Smaller group of people and great viewing. Excellent Park Ranger provided commentary. Also, we were given tea or cocoa which was nice b/c it gets chilly. While waiting for it to get dark, look... More

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See 2 more reviews by safegal for Cowes
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2012

Kids loved it - little penguins were "awesome" - bit of a money farm - however still fantastic - would recommend

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Melbourne, Australia
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2012

Too commerical for me! Go to the Nobbies Centre at the end of the island instead kangaroos jumping past as you drive and got lucky and got close to a stray penguin on the scenic coastal path. Plus excellent food and view.

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Auckland
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2012

The Penguin Parade was simply awesome. The penguins are expected to appear after sunset so the time varies based on season .Keep that in mind while having tight schedules. It is an awesome experience. But make sure to carry warm clothes immaterial of the weather because you will be sitting facing the beach and the sea breeze can get very... More

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Jakarta, Indonesia
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2012

It was amazing seeing these creature find their way home.

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