Phillip Island Helicopters operates from Veterans Drive in Newhaven, the only commercial heliport on Phillip Island's eastern shore. The facility opened in 1989, initially serving charter clients and emergency medical transfers before expanding to scenic flights in the mid-1990s.
The 90-kilometre direct route from Melbourne's Essendon Fields crosses Port Phillip Bay, hugs the Mornington Peninsula's western edge, then arcs over the Bass Strait between San Remo and the island's northern beaches.
The helicopter ride from Melbourne to Phillip Island covers terrain inaccessible by road: the submerged limestone reefs off Kilcunda, the tidal flats at Corinella, the volcanic outcrops near Cape Woolamai. Flight altitude varies between 500 and 1,500 feet depending on weather and air traffic control clearances. On clear days, pilots track the coastline at lower altitudes, allowing passengers to spot seals on the rocks below Nobbies Centre and shearwater colonies nesting in the dunes near Summerland Beach. The journey takes 25 to 35 minutes depending on wind speed and routing, compared to the two-hour drive via the South Gippsland Highway.
Phillip Island's heliport sits 200 metres from the Phillip Island Nature Parks visitor centre and three kilometres from the Penguin Parade boardwalks. Most charter operators offer morning departures from Melbourne between 9am and 11am, returning in late afternoon after passengers have explored the island's wildlife reserves. The airfield accommodates single-engine turbine helicopters and light twin-engine models; weight restrictions limit passenger loads to three or four depending on aircraft type. Ground staff coordinate arrivals with penguin viewing schedules during breeding season from October through March.
The flight path offers unobstructed views of the coastline's geological strata: the Tertiary basalt columns at Pyramid Rock, the Cretaceous sandstone cliffs at The Nobbies, the Pleistocene dune systems backing Woolamai Beach. Passengers seated on the starboard side gain better sightlines of the island's southern coast during the final approach, while port-side seats favour views of Western Port Bay's mangrove wetlands.
12 hr
