Cape Woolamai 1-Hour Scenic Cruise Phillip Island

San Remo Jetty and the fishing village

San Remo is a small fishing village on the mainland side of the bridge to Phillip Island, and the first stop for most visitors driving down from Melbourne. Its working jetty is the base of the local fishing fleet, and the foreshore has a strip of cafes, bakeries and seafood takeaways that look straight across the channel to the island. The cruise boards right at the jetty, so there is no transfer or long walk.

Every day around midday, pelicans gather on the beach beside the jetty for the famous pelican feeding, a free and very popular sight for children. With departures at 12:45 and 14:45, it is easy to arrive early, watch the pelicans and then board your cruise. Parking is available along the foreshore, and the jetty area is flat and easy to reach on foot.

The Phillip Island Bridge and the eastern channel

Soon after leaving the jetty, the boat glides under the Phillip Island Bridge, the only road link between the mainland and the island. It spans the narrow eastern entrance to Western Port, where strong tides rush in and out twice a day and the water changes from deep blue to bright turquoise over the sandbanks.

From the water you get a view of the bridge and of the low coastline of Newhaven that you cannot see from the road. As the boat heads south along the island's eastern shore, the landscape becomes wilder, with grassy clifftops, rocky reefs and small beaches that are only reachable on foot. The commentary explains how the tides shape this coast and why so many birds feed here.

Cape Woolamai, the island's wildest headland

Cape Woolamai is the southeastern tip of Phillip Island and its highest point. Unlike the dark volcanic rock found on much of the island, the cape is made of pink and grey granite that the sea has carved into sheer cliffs, rock stacks and deep caves. Seen from the boat, the cliffs glow warm in the afternoon light against the blue water, and the swell bursts white at their base.

On land, Cape Woolamai is known for its walking tracks, its surf beach and its protected seabird colonies, but the most dramatic view of the granite pinnacles and caves is from the sea. Is the Cape Woolamai cruise worth it? If you love coastal scenery and photography, this short trip shows you a side of Phillip Island that most visitors never see, without the long hike to the end of the headland.

Seabirds and marine life along the coast

The rocky ledges around Cape Woolamai are favourite resting places for cormorants, which stand with their wings spread to dry after diving for fish. Australasian gannets patrol the deeper water and plunge headfirst into the sea from high above, and gulls, terns and pelicans are often seen along the way. From spring to autumn, shearwaters also nest in burrows on the cape.

Your guide points out the birds as they appear and explains how they live in this windy, tide-swept environment. Keep your camera ready, as birds often take off from the rocks as the boat passes. For safety, the front deck is reserved for passengers over one metre tall, so younger children watch from the side decks or the comfortable cabin while enjoying cake and a hot drink.