The best Phillip Island accommodation for a coastal getaway

Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
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Tuck yourself away in a design-led cabin, bed down in a schmick beachside apartment or hole up in a dreamy whitewashed Airbnb – there’s a wealth of choice on this Victorian island.

Long a popular seaside destination for holidaymakers, this Bass Coast isle is not short of hotels, cabins, guesthouses and holiday parks, but it can take a few clicks to find the right property. Whether you’re after a peaceful retreat in nature, a historic bolthole in the thick of the action, or a modern hotel with a few facilities, these Phillip Island accommodation options should have you covered.

Five Acres

a farm-style cabin at Five Acres, Phillip Island
Retreat into a farm-style cabin at Five Acres. (Image: Visit Victoria)

A cluster of three coastal cabins, hidden away down a dirt track on the isle’s west coast, Five Acres is the ultimate boutique retreat (it also made it into our coveted list of 100 Unique Stays). There are some serious Scandinavian vibes to the minimalist interiors here, sculpted from – and bedecked with – a riot of natural textures and materials.

The piece de resistance is arguably the freestanding smoky grey concrete bathtub that stands on the cabin’s sheltered deck, overlooking the owners’ micro-farm, where highland cattle and sheep graze. Bibliophiles will rejoice at the plentiful supply of reading materials, from cookbooks and poetry paperbacks to modern tomes on sustainable living. Guests are also treated to a beautiful breakfast spread, all from the comfort of their own cabin: you’ll find homemade granola, freshly ground coffee beans and locally made yoghurt in the kitchen pantry, perfect for enjoying alfresco on your villa’s private deck.

Address: 46 Mchaffies Ln, Ventnor

The North Pier Hotel

a room with a balcony at The North Pier Hotel, Phillip Island
Sleep in elegance in one of the north-facing Ocean View Rooms with a balcony. (Image: The North Pier Hotel)

Smack-bang in the centre of Cowes, Phillip Island’s main township, the North Pier Hotel is a solid all-rounder. There’s a wide range of rooms on offer, from more economical Budget Rooms with twin beds and ‘retro’ bathrooms, to north-facing Ocean View Rooms with outdoor spaces (either balcony or patio) and the spacious ground-floor Bay View Suite, which has a more boutique look and feel. The hotel is also home to a popular bar and bistro, which dishes up generous portions of classic pub grub: parmas, burgers, pizzas and more. Punters also love the huge play area for kids, which features indoor bouncy castles and even a mini theatre.

Address: 5 The Esplanade, Cowes

Verandah Retreat

a spacious beach house with a fireplace at Verandah Retreat, Phillip Island
The fireplace is the focal point of the Verandah Retreat.

Looking for a little exclusivity? This grand beach house delivers. Located in Cowes, Verandah Retreat is a whitewashed three-bedroom two-bathroom home that sleeps up to six and promises lashings of interior design inspiration (or, perhaps, house envy). Inside, there’s an open fireplace (firewood provided) and an open-plan kitchen with a breakfast bar island. Outside, lies a large deck with a dining table, picnic benches and a hanging swing chair, plus a north-facing garden. To top it all off, Verandah Retreat is just 200 meters from the ocean.

Address: 3A Gordon Street, Cowes

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The Sheltered Glamping Co

bright and light-filled tents under a starry night at The Sheltered Glamping Co, Phillip Island
Settle into a canvas bell tent and spend the night under the stars. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Those looking to get closer to nature should leaf through the options available with The Sheltered Glamping Co. This eco-conscious operation has several tents dotted around a private plot of land, all within walking distance of a secluded beach and a local winery.

Hosts Randall and Kathleen offer four different options to suit your needs (and budget), but all promise the same immersion within Phillip Island’s dreamy pastoral landscapes, plus access to a wood-fired hot tub under the stars for an additional fee.

The two canvas bell tents, ‘Gentoo’ and ‘Adèlie’, feature queen-sized beds and custom-made furniture, handcrafted on the island,  as well as a private outdoor heated shower and composting toilet, and a shared kitchenette facility.

Dial up the luxury factor a little, and you can stay in ‘Emperor’, a spacious, fully furnished safari tent. Home to an indoor wood-burning fireplace, a four-poster queen-sized bed, a king-sized bed built into the wall,  a small kitchen, solar-powered lighting, fans, USB charging ports, a speaker, and a private sheltered deck with a Weber barbecue, it’s fair to say every last detail has been taken care of here.

And if the idea of glamping at all is too much to contend with, there’s always the ‘Wülshed’. Ideal for couples, or small families, this former working woolshed has four solid walls and all the mod cons, as well as plenty of rustic country charm.

Address: Ventnor

Genesta House

the manicured garden outside Genesta House, Phillip Island
Be surrounded by the property’s manicured garden. (Image: Genesta House)

A cosy guesthouse right in the thick of Cowes and full of old-world charm, Genesta House has just three immaculately furnished suites, each overlooking the property’s manicured garden from their own private verandahs. With its white picket fence, plush furnishings, chandeliers, renovated bathrooms, and warm hospitality courtesy of owners and hosts Simonne and Marcus, you’re sure to feel right at home in this weatherboard house, which dates back to 1914.

Address: 18 Steele St, Cowes

Glen Isla House

the exterior of Glen Isla House on Phillip Island
This adults-only B&B offers an enchanting country stay. (Image: Glen Isla House)

Among the most highly rated boltholes on the island, Glen Isla is something of a failsafe for those seeking cosy country charm and good old-fashioned hospitality. With just a handful of rooms to its name, this adults-only B&B offers a quiet escape. Each of the quaint and homely ‘Classic Deluxe’ en suite rooms opens out onto a small, shared deck, and has garden views.

Family-owned and -operated, hosts Richard and Evie (and their charming pup Buddy) see to it that every guest is well looked after, from their hearty home cooked breakfast (included in the rate), to the warm welcome and their readily shared local knowledge.

Address: 230 Church St, Cowes

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Las Olas Shack, Phillip Island

an outdoor deck with a hammock at Las Olas Shack, Phillip Island
This bohemian-chic stay features a veranda with a hammock. (Image: Las Olas Shack)

A dreamy little two-bed ‘shack’, slap-bang in the centre of the island, Las Olas is a soothing blend of blond wood, white walls and bohemian-chic touches in shades of honey. Once a ‘60s fibro shack, this Airbnb has been lovingly renovated by husband and wife owners, Rich and Aura, who’ve clearly thought of every last detail, from curating the collection of vintage ceramic mugs in the kitchen, to the underfloor heating in the bathroom, and the beautiful linens that adorn this house’s four beds (one queen, one single, one set of bunk beds).

Beyond all of the run-of-the-mill mod cons, you’ll find a freestanding wood stove in the living room, an outdoor shower in the palm-lined garden, a cosy al fresco nook with a fire pit, and a veranda complete with a hammock.

Address: Wimbledon Heights

The Loft, Phillip Island

a rustic interior with a curved cream sofa at The Loft, Phillip Island
The beachside retreat combines rustic charm and contemporary design. (Image: The Loft)

This open-plan one-bed property, a mere block from Smiths Beach, is a showstopper. And what it lacks in square meterage, it makes up for in style and design. Open the front door and you’ll be greeted by a curved staircase lined with speckled dove-grey stone, imported from Italy, and walls clad with American Oak. Ascend to The Loft and you’ll find sweeping views of coastal farmland and Cape Woolamai, along with a palette of soft neutrals.

Highlights of this slick apartment stay include a custom-designed and built TV and soundbar cabinet, which revolves to face either the king-sized bed or the curved cream sofa, and the modern bathroom with a walk-in rain shower, bathtub and underfloor heating.

Address: Smiths Beach

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Chloe Cann
Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
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an aerial beach view at BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Phillip Island
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Discovering Bendigo’s unique heritage through incredible foodie experiences

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Tuck your napkin firmly in place and get ready to dive into Bendigo’s history.

    It’s an internationally recognised fact that Bendigo food experiences prove this region knows how to wine and dine. After all, its shiraz-laden landscape was named Australia’s first UNESCO Creative City and Region of Gastronomy. But what visitors lured in by this shiny label might not know is how deeply its culinary scene sits within the gold-rush town’s colourful past.

    Whether you’re eating in a grand colonial bank or nibbling through a gold miner’s garden, grab a big plate. In Bendigo, every meal is served with a huge helping of heritage.

    Take a food tour

    foodie walking tour in bendigo at Ms Batterhams restaurant Bendigo foodie experiences
    Join a Foodie Walking Tour to local highlights like Ms Batterhams.

    Start in the capable hands of Bendigo Guided Tours. Named as the 2025 Victorian Best New Tourism Business, they run two 12-person options. A Taste of Bendigo – Foodie Walking Tour will see you tasting seasonal dishes and sipping wine, craft beer and cocktails made with regional spirits over two-and-a-half hours, with stops at Ms Batterhams, Wine Bank on View, The Dispensary and Bendigo Brewing.

    You can up the ante a notch or two with the Four Hats of Bendigo – a night of fine-dine hopping with the experts across Terrae, Le Foyer, Alium Dining and The Woodhouse.

    Book a table

    Terrae restaurant in bendigo victoria
    Dine at Terrae.

    Alternatively, see Bendigo’s stars under your own steam. There’s Terrae, where produce from the owners’ own farm kitchen garden and orchard is plated up inside what was once a bank, while cocktails are poured in the underground bar below. For something special, book a private table in old bank vault. Rather less wholesome? The bullet hole in the window – a throwback to Victoria’s wild gold rush era.

    Another former bank-turned-eatery, Alium Dining, goes full art nouveau inside a 1908 building overlooking the Alexandra Fountain in the heart of Bendigo. Here, Alium’s Asian-meets-European flavours run all the way from duck leg croquettes with mandarin marmalade to raw trevally with coconut and nước chấm, to pork milanese with anchovy and stout mustard.

    Beneath an old school hall at Mackenzie Quarters, Ms Batterhams serves southern European-inspired dishes inside a 19th-century basement bar and restaurant. Beyond its sourdough crumpets (smeared with taramasalata, paprika and parsley oil, if you must know) is the origin of the restaurant’s name: Winifred Batterham, the owners’ mother’s former kindergarten teacher. Honour her properly with a ‘Winifred’ cocktail.

    Alium Dining in bendigo victoria
    Alium Dining offers a unique setting inside a 1908 building.

    Carnivores, get ready to bang your sharpest knives on the table. Bendigo’s only dedicated steakhouse, The Woodhouse, specialises in Wagyu sourced from surrounding farms. They’ve got beef every which way – from tartare topped with Giaveri Oscietra caviar and wagyu toast to porterhouse dry-aged and grilled over redgum.

    Your next bank stop on the food circuit is Bunja Thai. Housed inside the former Colonial Bank, it’s all Victorian-era Australian grandeur, from the enormous arched ceilings to the detailing overhead. Thai Singha and local craft beer jostle for attention – but both are perfect quenchers when you’re sharing barramundi baked in banana leaf beneath all that old-world opulence.

    If your trip through Australia isn’t complete without a country pub stop, make it The Bridgewater Hotel on the Loddon River. Renovated since its 1942 beginnings, but the establishment still retains its Art Deco charm. It’s the kind of place where steak burgers come stacked with bacon, egg, cheese and dripping beetroot relish, and are best handled in the riverside beer garden.

    Pour a glass

    Heathcote Wine Hub bendigo food experiences
    Find over 180 local wines at Heathcote Wine Hub.

    Your plate’s been stacked. Now it’s the glass’s turn – ideally with the famously bold shiraz and cab sav grown here. Early settlers in Bendigo and Heathcote were onto something when they first planted vines in the area’s mineral-rich soil, and their legacy still pours strong across more than 60 cellar doors today. Start big at the Heathcote Wine Hub, where more than 180 wines from nearby vineyards sit beneath the rafters of a restored former wooden church, with 16 available to taste by the glass.

    Heathcote Winery might have become one of the area’s first commercial wineries in the seventies, but its story started way before its courtyard tastings. Back in 1854, it operated as a miners’ produce store during the gold-rush years. Other cellar doors aren’t immune to reinvention under the wine wave either. At Munari Wines in Heathcote, charcuterie boards are presented in their newly renovated cellar, originally the stables of the former sheep station.

    Discover local events

    the Heritage and Hidden Spaces Wine Walk in bendigo
    Time your trip for the Heritage and Hidden Spaces Wine Walk

    Time your trip right and watch the parks, gardens and buildings fill with food and drink. Fans of the malt: mark 29 August  2026 for Bendigo On The Hop, when craft breweries take over venues throughout the CBD. Brews make way for history at the Heritage and Hidden Spaces Wine Walk (17 October 2026), where bottles are opened inside some of the city’s most interesting buildings – including rarely opened spaces. In November, the Regional Gin Gala raises spirits in Mackenzie Quarters with a boozy celebration of its homegrown distilleries, including Noble Bootleggers, Envy Distilling and In Good Spirits. Explore wine, food and live music at Heathcote on Show (6 – 8 June 2026).

    Take it all in

    bendigo tram cafe Bendigo foodie experiences
    Tram meets tasty at Bendigo Tram Cafe.

    Takeaway means something different in Bendigo. At Australia’s oldest operating Tram Depot, the Tram Cafe sits aboard an out-of-service 1916 N-Class Tram that serves tea and scones. Once you’ve polished off the last crumb, you can even pop into the driver’s cab and try the controls yourself.

    Peppergreen Farm continues Bendigo’s long connection to Chinese market gardens, first established here by immigrants in the 1850s. Today, the not-for-profit farm invites visitors to pick up organic produce, alongside jars of honey harvested from its own hives.

    Indulge in retail therapy

    Bendigo Pottery
    Elevate your at-home dining experience after a trip to Bendigo Pottery.

    If there’s still room in your bag among the clanking jars and bottles, stop by Uniquely Bendigo inside the Old Post Office. Sharing space with the Bendigo Visitor Centre, it’s a one-stop shop for favourites like Bendigo Brittle, Bridgeward Grove and Tea Associates.

    If you’d rather leave your fingerprints on your Bendigo souvenir, there’s a place for that too. At Bendigo Pottery, visitors can try their hand at shaping clay while taking part in another tradition of evolving old spaces – creating works of art within Australia’s oldest working pottery.

    Start planning your Bendigo adventure at bendigotourism.com.