Secret Phillip Island: Go beyond the obvious at this classic haunt

The sun peeks above the horizon to illuminate a thin line of sand on a distant shore, the view framed by the soft folds of muslin draping from my rustic four-poster bed. From my reclined position, the sea appears close enough to be lapping at my doorstep, and I think about how I've had views like this before, from beach shacks in the South Pacific.

Then I sit up and consider the coastal-chic decor: seashell-trim cushions, bleached timber furniture and even a gas fireplace. Dune grasses peek over the veranda which holds a day bed, barbecue and clawfoot bath. Hmm, maybe it's more Cape Cod beach house.

It never ceases to wobble my sense of place, every time I walk outside, to be reminded that this safari tent-slash-paradise is actually in a caravan park, just under two hours south-east of Melbourne. NRMA Phillip Island Beachfront Holiday Park, to be precise.

I've always been a tad suspicious of glamping - all that comfort wrapped within token canvas walls - but this place does it well. So well, in fact, that I find it hard to leave. I had every intention of dropping my bags on arrival and heading out to see the sights but as soon as I clapped eyes on it, a swim and a little read seemed in order first.

As a Melbournian, Phillip Island has been a go-to for day-trips since I was a kid but for the first time, I'm spending two nights here and it allows me to immerse myself in a way I haven't previously. The island is renowned for its beaches (both the wild and windswept, and sheltered and calm), abundant surf breaks, and a penguin parade that sees up to 5000 little penguins waddling in from the ocean at sunset. Having extra time allows me to explore beyond the obvious.

Phillip Island might be famous for penguins but there's another avian show here that's equally impressive. Late September to early May is the time to see some of the one million short-tailed shearwaters (aka mutton birds) that nest around Cape Woolamai. By day, they're out hunting fish, squid and krill, but on sunset they return to their clifftop rookery in a cloud of black - an exhilarating spectacle.

To see them requires a 15-minute walk from Woolamai Beach car park, heading left along the sand and up a flight of steps to a trail that encircles the cape; anywhere along this stretch is good, all the way to The Pinnacles. By day, the 2.5-hour Cape Woolamai circuit offers epic views of rugged cliffs plunging into frothing waters and sea caves big enough to park a bus in, but on dusk it's more quietly grazing wallabies and sublime sunset skies.

The main action starts about half an hour after sunset when the birds return and the air erupts with the squawking of hungry chicks hidden in underground nests. Be ready for a lot of flapping of wings on the ground too (note, wingspan is 90 centimetres) as the adults clumsily negotiate the lumpy terrain.

Keep to the track and carry a torch for the return.

Meandering the boardwalk that drizzles around the headland at The Nobbies must surely be one of the best free shows in Victoria. Technically, the 800-metre coastal path is supposed to take 20 minutes but it'll likely take double that once you factor in pausing for all the spectacular views of pounding surf and blowholes, nesting gulls, grazing Cape Barren geese, a colony of crested terns, and Little Penguins crouching under boardwalks or hiding in nesting boxes. Just the headland itself is gorgeous, carpeted in grass and pink flowers, and facing the rock domes of the Nobbies.

In inclement weather, the massive Nobbies Centre provides a cafe and shop with soaring windows that bring the outside in. Also here is Antarctic Journey, an interactive and immersive experience that offers a virtual journey through the Southern Ocean to Antarctica, including the wildlife that live there.

It's a five-minute drive from here to the stretch of beach where the famous Penguin Parade occurs. Entrance is controlled (to protect the penguins) with options ranging from general admission from viewing platforms to guided tours through the colony using night-vision scopes.

A kilometre into the Bass Strait from The Nobbies is Seal Rocks, Australia's biggest fur seal breeding colony (numbers vary with the seasons but can reach 18,000). It's a real David Attenborough-level experience heading out with Wildlife Coast Cruises to get up close with the thousands of barking males, bleating pups and mothers that hang here. Being a Marine Mammal Conservation Zone, recreational boats aren't allowed within 200 metres but Wildlife Coast Cruises have a special permit to draw within 20 metres.

The boat moves around different spots to observe them doing their thing - rolling and diving in the water, resting, arguing - and with the captain narrating interesting facts, it's a really deep dive into the world of seals.

The two-hour cruise departs from Cowes, enabling a good look at the north coast of the island enroute to the seals. June to August is whale season, during which time Wildlife Coast Cruises circumnavigate the island to spot migrating humpbacks and southern rights as well as the seals.

In the 1930s, Florence Oswin Roberts bought a tract of land for the preservation of koala habitat and now Oswin Roberts Reserve represents the largest accessible bushland on the island. There are still koalas here - along with plenty of wallabies, echidnas, birds and butterflies - and the five kilometres of mostly flat gravel tracks looping through the trees and bracken fern are fantastic for bikes.

The reserve is linked by bike path and scenic boardwalk to neighbouring Rhyll Wetlands, a Ramsar wetland of international importance. Surrounding Rhyll Inlet, its beaches, mangroves and mudflats provide valuable feeding areas and roosts for abundant birdlife. A great view over the wetland, inlet and Western Port can be had from Conservation Hill, from where the trail continues all the way to the cute fishing hamlet of Rhyll.

It's a convenient and quick 10-minute ride from NRMA Phillip Island Holiday Park to the start of the trail (e-bikes are available for rent). Allow two hours for the return trip to Rhyll.

The island's western end cradles its only natural freshwater lake, and combined with surrounding wetlands and swamp paperbark woodland, it provides an important source of food, shelter and breeding grounds for birds, reptiles, mammals and insects (there were so many butterflies on my visit, I had one fly into my mouth!)

A 1.3-kilometre gravel trail and boardwalk starts among the paperbarks and moves through vegetated sand dunes to the lake where two bird hides provide the ideal place for a stake-out. Loads of species drop in and sometimes in big numbers - swan, egret, spoonbill, heron, grebe, teal, coot, Cape Barren geese and countless duck species, to name a few.

This is an environment that changes with the seasons: water often floods the paperbarks in winter while during hot summers, the lake naturally dries up.

1. Bang Bang Bar & Restaurant: A breezy coastal bar with Asian-inspired menu and bonus collection of vintage surfboards. bangbangphillipisland.com.au

2. Phillip Island Winery: Set on a picturesque 5.6 hectares and recently listed in Open Table's Top 50 restaurants in Australia. Come for a tasting board, pizza or something more substantial. phillipislandwinery.com.au

3. Anerie: A stylish and authentically styled French bistro, offering everything from croissants to moules et frites. anerie.com.au

4. San Remo Fisherman's Co-op: Victoria's best fish and chips (according to Delicious 100) can be found just off the island, at the end of the bridge. srfco.com.au

5. Isola di Capri: Super-cool design and sparkling sea views enhance this authentic Italian restaurant and gelateria. Family-run since 1972. isoladicapri.com.au

Getting there: Phillip Island is a 90-minute drive south-east of Melbourne, linked by bridge to mainland Gippsland.

Staying there: NRMA Phillip Island Beachfront Holiday Park is located in the island's main town of Cowes. Safari tents cost from $280 per night and sleep up to four people. nrmaparksandresorts.com.au/phillip-island

Touring there: Wildlife Coast Cruises to Seal Rocks cost $98 for adults, $68 for kids. NRMA Phillip Island Holiday Park rents out e-bikes for $15 per hour. Book in advance for the Penguin Parade at penguins.org.au. $30 for adults, $15 for kids.

Explore more: visitphillipisland.com.au.

The writer was a guest of NRMA Phillip Island.