By Marcella Gallace
The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) is one of the most exciting live events you can witness, with unpredictable weather conditions, that scenic ocean backdrop and a straight that sees MotoGP riders reach up to 349km/h, it’s a weekend full of adventure.
Last year, Phillip Island boasted the highest spectator numbers since 2012, the year that two-time MotoGP Champion Casey Stoner retired. This is likely because of a three-year hiatus that saw the Australia MotoGP cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, spiking peak attendance for 2022. It could also be because it’s a great bloody experience.
If you’ve been itching to attend Phillip Island for the MotoGP but don’t know where to start, you have come to right spot.
As a freelance MotoGP journalist, I have attended Phillip Island MotoGP as both a spectator and for work. I’ve been super organised some years with planning this trip (six or three months ahead) and caught out at the last-minute other years (literally booking four days out), but STILL arrived at the Island.
I will provide a breakdown on where to start, tips, tricks and whole lot of fun.
Phase 1 – Book Accommodation for Phillip Island 6-months out
I have attended four MotoGP’s and never been successful at booking accommodation on or even close to the Island until 2023. I guess five times around, I learnt my lesson!
This is because the Island gets booked out a year in advance by the racing teams and a low residential population of 5,344 occupants means holiday houses or Airbnbs are scarce. You will need to book at least six-months ahead to get something on the Island or on San Remo for a reasonable price (two-nights for $700 or less). Keep in mind, many of the options at this point are to hire an entire house – so bring your friends, this will keep cost down by splitting the bill. If you are travelling in small numbers and after a hotel or villa, Cowes or San Remo are a great option, but you will need to book well before the six-month mark.
3-MONTHS OUT
If you’re in a pickle and can’t find anything on or affordable on Phillip Island, look outside the Island. At this point, accommodation is an average of $2,000-$3,000 (sometimes up to $5,000) for Friday and Saturday. If you are travelling solo or in a duo this isn’t feasible.
I’ve stayed at Coronet Bay (30-minutes by car), Inverloch (47-minutes by car) and Corinella (35-minutes by car and have had success booking these locations at the three-month mark. Price wise, I paid no more than a total of $500 for three nights’ (Thurs, Fri, Sat) accommodation at any of these locations but that was 2016, 2017 and 2019. The 30 to 45-minute car or motorbike communicate is worth the $1,000 plus saving!
24-HOURS OUT
I’m going to flip the coin on you and propose another option. You can stay in Melbourne. There are pros and cons to this, and you will be exhausted by Sunday night. But that’s part of the adventure, right? I took this option in 2022 when I decided on the Wednesday, 24-hours before the MotoGP weekend was about to start that FOMO is a real thing and I needed to be at the Aussie MotoGP. At this point, Melbourne is your only option. Keep in mind, I am writing this from the perspective that you are travelling from out-of-state to attend Phillip Island MotoGP and don’t want to hire a car. If this sounds like you, book a hotel right next to Southern Cross Train Station. This is the best location if you want to keep travelling fees low and convenience high.
Cheapest Way to get to your Melbourne Hotel from Tullamarine Airport
You can catch the SkyBus from Tullamarine Airport to Southern Cross Station at a great price of $22 one-way or $34 return for an adult.
How to Get to Phillip Island Circuit Without a Car?
The Australian MotoGP provides a dedicated coach service for the MotoGP. The coaches run on a loop system, between very specific hours, and depart Southern Cross Coach Terminal 1 approximately every 20-minutes. So, you’re pretty much safe booking this option last minute. In fact, on the Friday and Saturday I was booking my tickets as I was walking up to the coach! However, now that sprint races have been introduced to the Saturday, spectators are getting more action, so I suspect Saturdays will now be busier than previous years.
Race day is a different story, the circuit attracts an additional 10,000 spectators compared to qualifying day. When I hopped on the 5:40am coach at Southern Cross it was packed like a jar of sardines. I purchased this ticket on the Thursday, but I don’t think tickets actually sell out…I am assuming they just roster more coaches. The way your one-way ticket works is you can hop on any coach between the rostered time, let’s say you have a one-way ticket to Phillip Island for Saturday morning, you can hop on any coach from 6:30am-9:30am, so you’re not allocated to a specific coach and departure time. Freedom.
I caught this bus to and from Phillip Island every day – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You lose two-hours and 40-minutes one way. Yep, more than five hours a day are spent on a coach. That’s the con to staying in Melbourne. The other con is the last bus from Phillip Island Circuit to Southern Cross is 6pm on Friday and 6:30pm on Saturday, which means you can’t enjoy the night life that Cowes in Phillip Island has to offer (see Phase 7 – Night Life). BUT you meet great people, and the chats are endless because you all have one thing in common – MOTOGP! Every time I caught the coach, with the exception of race day, I had the seat next to me free, meaning you can catch up on sleep quite easily.
The purchase your Catch-a-Coach ticket and see their timetable – go here.
Pros & Con to Staying in Melbourne and not Phillip Island:
Con: You lose approximately 5 hours and 40-minutes commuting each day.
Con: You have to leave Phillip Island Circuit by 6pm (Fri) and 6:30pm (Sat).
Con: The pick-up and drop off location of the Catch-a-Coach at Phillip Island is Gate 3, this is a 20-minute walk to Gardener Straight.
Con: If you are travelling three days (Fri, Sat, Sun) worth, you'll spend $210 + as an adult. If you are travelling in a group, it's actually cheaper to hire a vechile and split the bill.
Pro: Accommodation in Melbourne can be found for $250 or less per night (located right next to Southern Cross Station).
Pro: You don’t have the worry of driving or hiring a vehicle and paying for insurance.
Phase 2 – Book your MotoGP tickets as soon as they are released
VIP Tickets – Buy ASAP, they Sell Out!
If you are after a VIP or hospitality experience, these tickets quite literally sell out as soon as they are released. I advise signing up to the mailing list to always be in the loop. Check this page to gain an understanding of what the Hospitality Suites offer.
Grandstand Tickets – On Sale 23 May 2023 at 12PM (AEST)
I’ve always chosen Bass Strait as my grandstand and have left purchasing these to the three-month mark. But depending on your grandstand choice, buy sooner rather than later.
Paddock Pass – How to Get One & Which Day to Choose - on sale 4 July 2023 (AEST)
Back in the day, you could purchase a Paddock Pass for about $115 (prices goes up per day) on top of the cost of a general admission fee. It was a brilliant deal. This eventually changed by 2019 and only those who purchase a Grandstand or Hospitality ticket have the option to also purchase a Paddock Pass.
UPDATE (30 June 2023)
It seems that the Australian MotoGP have reverted back to the old ways - which is brilliant - because it means you can now purchase a Paddock Pass if you have a general entry ticket (Island Pass)! Ignore what I have said in the paragraph above.
Paddock Passes sell out asap, especially for the Friday and Saturday, so buy them fast. In my opinion, it is ABSOLUTELY worth purchasing. My favourite section is the Moto3 garages, where you can watch teams frantically working on the bikes. You will also see MotoGP riders casually duck out from their garage and into trailers.
The riders are MORE THAN HAPPY to sign merch and take a photo, particularly on Friday when they are at their most relaxed state. As you can imagine, the pressure goes up as race day approaches, (also keep in mind there is now the Saturday Sprint Race), so be mindful of this. I believe a Friday Paddock Pass also gives you access to a special Pit Lane walk on the Friday (but I will have to confirm this).
If you can only choose one day to purchase a Paddock Pass, pick Friday.
In order of my preference:
Choice 1: Friday – Paddock Pass $120
Choice 2: Saturday – Paddock Pass $150
Choice 3: Sunday – Paddock Pass $200
Choice 4: Three Day Paddock Pass $350
Island Pass (General Admission) - On Sale 23 May 2023 at 12PM (AEST)
You don’t need a grandstand ticket to enjoy the race, there are so many great corners that you can station yourself at to watch the race, simply by purchasing an Island Pass (which will also save you a few hundred dollars!). We are extremely fortunate at Phillip Island as the track has no high fences that obstruct your view (which most, if not all, other tracks have). Bring your foldable chairs and picnic blankets, if you like.
Make sure you are also located near a big screen, so you don't miss anything. You'll often hear the crowd react to crashes or swift manoeuvres, so the big screen is essential to see the full race.
If you plan to stand right at a fence line, you’ll have to arrive at the circuit well before gates open on race day. Last year, I arrived at 8:10am and the entry line was already a 100-meters long for the 8:30am open gates.
Phase 3 – Book your Plane Tickets
If you are travelling from another state, don’t leave your plane tickets to the last minute. Prices really spike about seven-days out.
Last year, I was looking at $350 for a one-way flight from Sydney to Melbourne, seven-days out. This is compared to $250 return that I had paid in previous years for being well organised. You can usually grab a one-way plane ticket from Sydney to Melbourne, anywhere between $89-$109 at the five-month mark if you are flying out on the Wednesday or Thursday. Weekend will obviously cost a little bit more, but nowhere near $300 one-way if you get your act together a few months before.
I personally would not flyout on the Sunday night after the race from Melbourne to Sydney, and this is why. The last flight out is 9pm, you can check-in for that flight at 8:30pm at the latest, granted you have carry on only – on a perfect day, the race begins at 2pm AEST, by the time the podium ceremony is completed, it’s approximately 3pm. The actual distance to walk from the podium (Gardener Straight) to the Catch-a-Coach service is a minimum 25-minute walk, so you’re not on a coach until 3:20pm and will arrive at Southern Cross Station by 6pm or 6:15pm (given there are no road delays on the highway). The commute from Southern Cross Station to Melbourne Tullamarine is about 25-minutes by SkyBus. So, let’s say you can potentially be at the airport by 7pm – that’s a perfect world scenario, where you catch everything back-to-back and there are no hiccups.
If you drive and park at the circuit, this is a different story, it takes A LOT longer to get out of the parking fields and coach services have precedence, so they are ushered onto the main road quicker than cars. On the three occasions I have parked at Phillip Island, it has taken more than an hour just to get out of the parking area, and another 20 to 30 minutes to get off the Island. Due to the car commute taking less time than a coach, you can arrive at the airport by 7:30pm (in a perfect world). But oh so risky!
In the rare case that there is a rain or red flag delay for the MotoGP – it becomes a touch and go situation. If you leave Phillip Island just one hour later – you suddenly find yourself in a jam and you will miss your flight. For me, personally, it’s not worth the stress of rushing, I advise staying in Melbourne the Sunday night.
Phase 4 - Hire a Four-Wheel Drive
It’s approximately a two-hour car commute from Tullamarine Airport to Phillip Island, much quicker than the coach. If you have accommodation on Phillip Island or a neighbouring town, your best option is to hire a car. It would be too tedious catching buses and coaches.
Word of advice, if you are hiring a car, choose a four-wheel drive or UTE. You park in fields near the Phillip Island Circuit and rainfall over the MotoGP weekend is not uncommon, muddy grounds is an actual thing here. In fact, in 2022 the two main parking fields were closed for the MotoGP weekend due to floods in the region.
It's common to see cars bog, and the mud can dry into lumps, almost like a rock formation and scratch the bottom of your car if it’s too low to the ground. I’ve also seen this happen! Go for a four-wheeler.
Phase 5 - Prepare for Wet Weather Despite the Weather Radar
I have attended four MotoGP’s to date, and it has rained at one point or another across Friday to Sunday at each of those. Phillip Island weather is temperamental and for a first timer you likely won’t anticipate the wet and cold.
I made this mistake the first time I attended back in 2016…young and beaming, with fresh ALL WHITE converse shoes, specifically purchased for this event. They were waterlogged and brown before I even reached the entry gates to the track on the FRIDAY. Even though it wasn’t raining the morning we arrived, first timers aren’t aware that 90% of the Phillip Island Circuit is dirt ground or grass not concrete, so if it’s rained leading up to Phillip Island weekend the ground is often still muddy.
Phase 6 – What Clothing to Bring: Thermals, Boots, Raincoat
As explained above, the grounds at Phillip Island Circuit are mostly dirt, so do not wear your best shoes, unless you are attending the Sunday only, and there has been absolutely no rain for at least a week prior to the race (and you kinda don't care if your shoes get wrecked). If you are intending to be there from Friday to Sunday, wear waterproof boots or gumboots (that have been broken into), you will walk a few kilometres each day, and you want to avoid blisters from new boots.
Bring a windbreaker that doubles as a raincoat, the ocean breeze is cold and if the rain comes unexpectedly, which it does, you can at least stay somewhat dry. I always wear thermal socks, pants and a shirt under my clothing. Most years I also bring a beanie.
If you’re sitting on a grandstand or standing at a fence line anywhere between Bass Strait and Siberia (Corner 6) you will be hit by the artic ocean breeze, so thermals come in handy here, especially if it’s overcast. However, when the sun does beat, you will want to un-layer. Oh the joy of Phillip Island.
Phase 7 - Night Life – Cowes
If you are staying in Phillip Island over the weekend, by all means you must go to Cowes on the Friday and/or Saturday night. Make your way down to Thompas Avenue for a meal, where you will be treated to live music and an atmosphere like none other. It’s all MotoGP love down here.
Tip, there’s also a Coles on Thompas Avenue, so you can replenish on supplies here.
All in all, attending Phillip Island MotoGP is an adventure of a lifetime. If you haven’t attended one yet, treat yourself in 2023 and experience it firsthand. Chances are, this will be your first of many. See you at the Island.
The 2023 Australian MotoGP is Friday, October 20 to Sunday, October 22.