SUMMER is just a bridge away
Teeming with PASSIONATE PRODUCERS, nature-based experiences and, oh yes, those famous SURF BREAKS, could PHILLIP ISLAND be the ultimate seaside getaway?
DREAMING ABOUT simpler times when the biggest stressor in your life was the queue at your local beach fish and chip kiosk? Recapturing the joys of a carefree, endless summer is as easy as crossing the bridge onto Phillip Island and leaving the world behind you in Melbourne, only a 90-minute drive away.
Surrounded by pristine beaches and endless surf breaks, the island is perhaps best known for its parading penguins and high-octane sports. A surprise for first-timers, perhaps, is that the island’s multitude of passionate food producers, charming coastal stays and nature-based experiences make this the perfect long weekend escape to make those long summer days last (and last).
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
Dotted with breezy coastal eateries, wineries in spectacular settings and passionate producers, Phillip Island is a gourmand’s dream set in a Monet painting.
The best way to get to intimately know the island’s produce? Lock in a reservation at local favourites, and or load up on fresh
(bangbangphillipisland.com.au) (banisrestaurant.com.au) (bassstraitdirect.business.site)
and
AND, ACTION!
Take 97 kilometres of coastline and add a spectacular, wildlife-heavy landscape and you’ve got something for every kind of traveller. Keen to unleash your inner Kelly Slater? If the four surf breaks that make up
(rustywaterbrewery.com.au).
don’t entice (you can
So much has changed in the last 15 or so years, but international growth is next on our radar. It would seem the industry is in for a bit of a rollercoaster ride over the next 12 months, so I think at this stage if we can just stay agile and adapt while remaining true to our original vision, we’ll be in a good place.
bassike.com
FAMILY ADVENTURES
Encourage little ones to give in to their deepest Willy Wonka fantasies by visiting the following:
FLINDERS CHASE NATIONAL PARK, located at the western end of Kangaroo Island, is a rugged wilderness area that’s home to all manner of native wildlife including local marsupials, beautiful birds and camouflaged reptiles, as well as some of South Australia’s most iconic natural landmarks.
And while it’s a fact of nature that bushfires are part of the landscape and ecology here – eight major fires have been recorded since 1931 – last summer’s were the largest in the island’s recorded history. The ferocious Ravine fire burnt 96 per cent of Flinders Chase and the adjoining Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area, causing untold destruction to wildlife, habitat and park infrastructure.
Remarkably enough, Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch and Cape du Couedic lighthouse and cottages emerged unscathed, and the park has reopened in a limited capacity for people to visit these landmarks (access will expand according to natural recovery and rebuilding of visitor facilities).
A visit to Flinders Chase today (entry fees apply; book ahead online at not only helps Kangaroo Island’s tourism industry recover but offers the chance to see some incredible regeneration: many native plant species are adapted to thrive after fire, such as the yakka – whose flower spikes that form in its wake can grow several centimetres a day.
Efforts to support native animal recovery are underway and while abundant species like koalas, kangaroos and wallabies suffered high attrition rates, their populations are expected to recover as habitat does. These efforts are particularly focused on non-abundant species including the endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart and glossy black-cockatoo.
parks.sa.gov.au)
GLOSSY BLACK-COCKATOO