Penguin Viewing Platform

Magical little spot to see fairy penguins! We arrived just prior to sunset and got very lucky to see two penguins pottering around under some bushes. Then after dark, as people began to gather, we watched parent penguins come back from a day at sea hunting to feed their chicks! Magical but be warned it is absolutely freezing. Well worth the stop!

Hidden little gem, we really enjoyed this one. We saw lots of penguins around the platform. There were some already even before the sunset. The arrival from sea wasn't very visible even with moonlight, but they eventually headed up close to the platform. Make sure to move around to increase your chances once they head up.
We're glad as opted for this one instead of another planned activity!

Wonderful, friendly and knowledgeable guides and lots of penguins. Really well set up with red lights illuminating the boardwalk and little concrete dens for the penguins to use. There were a few penguins that came out from the dens at dusk and a while later penguins coming up from the water. Great penguin viewing spot

All it takes is your patience to follow the volunteers red lights after sunset spotlighting little penguins coming ashore. A magical experiece! So happy we haven't missed it in Devonport.

We loved this place. Managed to see a penguin. The stony beach is beautiful. The stones were amazing and the water is so clear.

We were here in January 2024. Really cool to see the little penguins! There were also guides that you could ask anything about the birds. Recommend!

Saw penguins! DON'T GO until it's proper night time rather than dusk. Most people will have given up by that point, and you'll get some great videos and photos. Volunteers are genuinely warm and friendly and knowledgeable, yet super harsh if you break any common sense rules - which I'm totally onboard with. Parking easy. Bring some warm clothes. Leave a donation.

Tranquil and so Beautiful
Definitely a place to put on your list when visiting Tassie .

Very nice and well maintained viewing platform. Did not manage to catch pengiuns but still worth the visit. The beach was very pebbly and took a perfect round one home as a souvenir.

Fantastic platform with very good red lighting all around. Can easily get within 30cm of the penguins at times as they come right up to the platform.

Volunteers were knowledgeable and enthusiastic which added to the magic.

I would say this is the one of, if not the best spot to see the fairy penguins.

This is an absolute winner when it comes to spotting Little Penguins. We even had a local ranger speak to us for a good 30 minutes, answering all the kids questions. Must visit on your travels

Great spot to see these little penguins. They come back to the shore after sunset, so it is difficult to see them. Apparently , the red light does not bother them, but the white light does. There are rangers on site that give useful information about these penguins. I was there in January and it wasn't cold. I have heard the rangers saying that this is the best spot on the northern coast of Tasmania to observe these penguins. It is the largest colony on this coast.

Wonderfull experience seeing the little
Penguins.
We visited on 23/01/24 and the penguins started coming from 9:41 pm.
The volunteers lady was saying the earlier nights they came at 9:10pm as they record the timing for each day.
My girls were counting how many of the penguins came and that were about 16 of them.
Fantastic experience and the best part it’s Free.
We are from Victoria and for a family of 4 they charge around $200 to see the same at Phillip Island.

Very nice platform to wait to see the penguins.
There was no lights on the beach so you wouldn’t be able to see the penguins coming onto land but there was plenty of red light around the platform for people to see the penguins when they are feeding their babies. Very interesting.
I think the volunteers were doing their best with so many people on the platform.
Only problem is when people keep walking around on the platform and making so much noise. And some people were talking so loudly when they already told to keep as quiet as possible so as not to scare the penguins away.

An exciting viewing for Little Penguins during breeding season. Get there before sundown and settle to look for them.

Great, dedicated volunteers on-hand to count, as well as explain behaviours and answer questions.

Plenty of parking available.

Rug up warm it can get cold.

I really enjoyed watching the penguins up close. They don't come up the beach until it is dark and they feel safe. They can be a little hard to see as the only light you can use is infra-red. It was also cute seeing the babies wait for their parents to return. I advise you to take an infra red torch with you because without one you have to rely on the rangers or someone else to provide the light or you won't see anything. We got there really early and it was a long wait. Take warm clothes as it gets cold. It can also be very popular and crowded. We found getting a front row spot wasn't the best option as the penguins are hard to see coming up the beach. You are better off hanging back and following the rangers as they will follow the action. As the crowds dissipate it gets even better as you will find young waiting for their parents to return and experience their reunions up close. The pictures don't really do the experience justice.

Love visiting here, the volunteer guides are full of information and love to chat. The penguins never disapoint and lots of babies over the summer holidays

It's was a little crowded but was great seeing the penguins and we also got to see a few chicks. It is worth doing.

Volunteer are very helpful and not much crowed . Just you need patience and be quite

The Lillico Beach Conservation Area is located 6 km west of Devonport.Throughout the penguins’ breeding season, from late September to early the following April,about 7 km away from Devonport and open 24 hours.
Penguins make their way to the depths of the sea every morning and return to their shelters in the late evening, only 25% survive. They are also food for wild dogs on land. Therefore, with the support of volunteers, barriers were built to prevent penguins from becoming food for dogs.