6 March 2025
Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade has waddled into a stellar summer season, selling out a record 47 nights between December 2024 and February 2025, thanks to a $5 million Victorian Government project to build a new accessible boardwalk and upgraded penguin viewing stands.
Penguin Parade, Phillip Island. Credit: Phillip Island Nature Parks.
The new boardwalk and upgraded viewing stands, which were completed by Terroir Architects and Simpson Construction have officially opened.
The works, funded through the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund, have modernised the Parade and created an accessible boardwalk to the penguin viewing stand, upgraded the Penguins Plus viewing stand for safety compliance and accessibility and added extra seating to improve the visitor experience.
New Shearwater Boardwalk at Penguin Parade, Phillip Island. Credit: Phillip Island Nature Parks.
They also give visitors of all abilities better access to the penguin viewing stands as well as improving visitor flow, increasing the Parade’s capacity and creating an even closer view of the little penguins waddling home each evening.
The upgrades required careful consideration to protect the little penguins’ sensitive natural habitat from heavy construction vehicles. As part of the construction, steel framework was lifted by helicopter into location, with a skilled pilot guiding the beams and frames into position.
Other components of the boardwalk were carried in by hand and installed one-by-one to ensure as little disruption as possible to Phillip Island’s iconic little penguin population.
Visitors observing penguin from the new Shearwater Boardwalk at Penguin Parade, Phillip Island. Credit: Phillip Island Nature Parks.
All works were undertaken with qualified wildlife officers on-site, ensuring any penguins present during construction are monitored and uninterrupted by the works.
The upgrade has also protected the penguins’ habitat by reducing erosion from visitors walking in the area, minimising the impact of visitors on the species.
Discover more including how to book tickets at Phillip Island Nature Parks website.
