Where is Phillip Island, home of The Block 2024?
Covering 101 square kilometres, Phillip Island is quite a small island – but it makes a big statement.
Dramatic headlands, impressive beaches, and windswept terrain are not only an outdoor lover’s paradise but also a wildlife sanctuary for seals, migratory whales, birdlife, and koalas.
Although best known for its famed penguin parade, the Hemsworth brothers and the grand prix circuit, Phillip Island has much more to offer.
And with the 20th season of The Block taking place in this holiday sweet spot, Aussies are about to see a lot more of Phillip Island.
Located along Victoria’s Bass Coast, it’s about a 90-minute drive south-east of Melbourne before you cross the bridge that connects charming San Remo on the mainland to the pleasant fishing village of Newhaven on the island.
At the last census, 13,800 people called Phillip Island home. A handful of hamlet-style villages are dotted across the island; however, most residents live in the main township of Cowes.
Its north-facing, sheltered bays are popular with families and swimmers, while the island’s southern side, bordering the Bass Strait, is home to striking clifftops, rugged terrain and famous surf breaks.
A popular tourism destination, Phillip Island’s Nature Park attractions welcomed more than 877,000 visitors in the 2022-2023 financial year.
The iconic Penguin Parade is the major drawcard on the island. Every night at dusk, visitors watch on as the colony of Little Penguins swim to shore and waddle across the sand to find their burrows for the evening.
After exploring the beaches, headland trails and extraordinary lookouts, locals and visitors can enjoy the island’s up-and-coming food scene or peruse the various wineries and breweries for an afternoon tipple.
Many of the island’s houses are holiday homes, so the towns and beaches come alive during the weekends and holidays.
For the first time on The Block, contestants will renovate and complete holiday homes, which is fitting because there is a strong appetite for holiday digs.
“The majority of residences are holiday homes,” says Yvette Tancheff of Ray White Phillip Island.
And compared to many seaside destinations, Phillip Island still offers bang for your buck.
According to Domain, the median house price for the Bass Coast was $725,000 in the March quarter of this year, down from $776,389 the previous year.
Housing on the island ranges from budget-friendly original beach shacks to modern, oceanfront mansions.
“In Ventnor, you might find a property right on the coast with direct beach frontage that is an acreage which would be valued in the millions,” says Tancheff.
“Cowes is the most popular area for people looking to buy a beach house, because quite often they want to be within walking distance to the shops and the family friendly beach which is ideal for all ages.”
The Block contestants have taken over a former holiday resort on Justice Road in Cowes.
“It’s a really big parcel of real estate which will be fantastic to go to market,” executive producer Julian Cress told Domain earlier this year.
Cape Woolamai is the island’s second-largest town after Cowes and is popular with families moving to the area.
As one might imagine, Surf Beach is a relaxed seaside pocket, while Silverleaves is home to some of the island’s more upmarket luxury hideaways.
The bulk of buyers on Phillip Island are from Melbourne, looking for a family weekender. The new Block properties will likely target this market.
“The majority of my buyers are purchasing a holiday home – some of them with a view to moving here permanently,” says Tancheff.
“We do get the occasional interstate buyers, and some from further afield in Gippsland. We also get buyers from the Mornington Peninsula because they see better value here; they can get closer to the beach.”
SEE & DO
Take in the sights at The Nobbies, a picturesque headland on the south-western tip of Phillip Island. If you’re lucky, you might see migratory whales passing by.
If you’re more of an adrenaline junkie, head to the Phillip Island Go Kart track, a 750-metre replica of the Grand Prix Circuit. Put your foot down and feel the ocean breeze in your hair while overlooking Bass Strait.
EAT & DRINK
Outback Chef’s Wild Food Farm offers a family-friendly atmosphere in Rhyll. Enjoy the lush greenery in the rainforest atrium while snacking on the house-made beef pie.
Spend a long lunch or evening at Anieu, an upmarket European-style bistro serving high-quality, traditional cuisine in Cowes.
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