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Your Definitive Guide to The Nobbies, Phillip Island

Is The Nobbies Centre open in 2026?

Yes — the boardwalks, car park, and outdoor viewing platforms at The Nobbies are open daily. The Nobbies Centre building itself (café, retail store, and toilets) is closed for maintenance, and the Antarctic Journey exhibit that used to operate inside it has permanently closed. There is currently no food, retail, or toilet access at The Nobbies. The nearest facilities are at the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre, a short drive away, open daily from 12pm.

What happened to Antarctic Journey at the Nobbies?

Antarctic Journey was an indoor multimedia exhibit inside the Nobbies Centre, running for eight years before Phillip Island Nature Parks permanently closed it in October 2025 due to ongoing technical issues with the displays. Ticket holders received full refunds, and the Nature Parks confirmed they're now planning a new use for the space. There's no reopening date, and the closure is unrelated to the Nobbies boardwalks or outdoor areas, which remain open as usual.

Why visit The Nobbies?

Visitors walking along Nobbies Lookout boardwalk with ocean and coastal views, Phillip Island.
  • Clifftop boardwalks over the ocean: A network of raised walkways along the headland, with no entry fee and no exhibit ticket required.
  • Seal Rocks viewing platforms: Lookouts toward Australia's largest fur seal colony, roughly 2km offshore, best viewed with binoculars.
  • The Blowhole: A natural rock formation where waves force water up through a gap in the cliff face.
  • Free and open access: Unlike the Penguin Parade, there's no ticketed entry to walk the boardwalks or car park.
  • A short, self-paced stop: Most visitors spend 20–40 minutes here, making it easy to combine with other Phillip Island attractions.

Plan your visit to The Nobbies

  • The boardwalks and car park generally open around 10am and close roughly one hour before sunset, since the site sits within active wildlife habitat and access is timed to avoid disturbing returning penguins after dark.
  • Seasonal hours have historically run from around 4pm in winter up to 8pm in summer, though these shift year to year, so it's worth checking current hours before you go rather than relying on a fixed time.
  • Because the Nobbies Centre building is closed, there's no staffed indoor point to confirm hours on-site; check ahead online, and don't plan to arrive right at closing, since the car park gate can close before full dark.
  • There are currently no toilets, café, or retail at The Nobbies itself.
  • If you need facilities, the closest option is the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre, a short drive away, open daily from 12pm with a café, retail store, and toilets.
  • If you're visiting with young children, plan a bathroom stop before you arrive, and budget extra time if you'll need to backtrack to the Visitor Centre partway through your visit.
  • There's also no shelter from wind or rain on-site, so this isn't a good stop to wait out bad weather in.
  • Mornings and early afternoons tend to be calmer than late afternoon, when wind picks up ahead of the evening change.
  • The Nobbies is one of the most exposed points on the island — there's no tree cover and the boardwalks sit directly on the clifftop — so conditions can shift quickly regardless of season.
  • Check the forecast before you go and dress for wind even on a mild day.
  • If you're combining this with the Penguin Parade later, an earlier visit (late morning or early afternoon) avoids doing both stops in worsening light and wind back-to-back.
  • The Nobbies sits at Point Grant, on the western tip of Phillip Island, about a 5-minute drive from the Penguin Parade and roughly 90 minutes from central Melbourne via the South Gippsland Highway and San Remo.
  • Free parking is available in the car park directly beside the boardwalks — there's no separate parking fee.
  • The Boulevard (Southern Road) connecting the Nobbies to the Penguin Parade remains open for through traffic, though there's no stopping or parking allowed along it.

What's at The Nobbies today

The boardwalks

A network of raised walkways runs along the clifftops, giving direct views over the Southern Ocean without needing to book or queue. The paths are flat and mostly easy walking, though exposed to wind year-round.

Seal Rocks

From the western viewing platforms, you can look out toward Seal Rocks, home to Australia's largest fur seal colony — an estimated population in the thousands. The seals are visible but distant, so bring binoculars if you want a closer look.

The Blowhole

A short walk along the boardwalk brings you to the Blowhole, a natural feature where incoming swell forces seawater up through a gap in the rock. It's most dramatic in rougher conditions or at higher tide.

The closed Nobbies Centre building

The building that once housed Antarctic Journey, a café, and a gift shop is currently closed and not accessible to visitors. There's no public timeline for reopening, and Phillip Island Nature Parks has indicated they're considering a new use for the space rather than restoring Antarctic Journey.

Need to know

  • There is no ticketed entry for The Nobbies boardwalks — they're free and open to the public.
  • Antarctic Journey is permanently closed as of October 2025 and will not reopen in its previous form.
  • No toilets, café, or shop are currently available on-site. The nearest facilities are at the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre.
  • The Nobbies is one of the windiest points on Phillip Island — bring a windproof layer regardless of season.

Worth knowing

  • The Nobbies pairs well with a Penguin Parade evening visit, since it's a 5-minute drive away and makes a good late-afternoon stop beforehand.
  • If Antarctic Journey was the reason you were planning to visit, there's currently no indoor alternative on-site — the appeal now is entirely the outdoor boardwalks, Seal Rocks views, and the Blowhole.
  • Because there are no facilities at The Nobbies itself, it's worth timing your visit around a stop at the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre if you'll need food or toilets.

Frequently asked questions

Phillip Island Antarctic Journey is an interactive educational attraction in Melbourne, Australia, showcasing the wonders of Antarctica, its wildlife, and the importance of environmental conservation. In October 2025, it was permanently closed due to technical issues.