Wender·Vista
Phillip Island
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileAustralia
off Victoria's south coast, two hours from Melbourne

Phillip Island

— — the beach the little penguins come home to.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Phillip Island sits off the southern Victorian coast, joined to the mainland by a bridge at San Remo. Every evening at dusk, the little penguins of Summerland Beach come out of the surf in clusters and walk up the dune to their burrows. They are the smallest penguins in the world, about 33 centimetres tall. The Grand Prix circuit runs at the western end. Most of the rest is paddock, surf coast, and short eucalypt scrub.

from the studio
Phillip Island
— bring it home

Phillip Island, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Phillip Island

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Phillip Island lies in Western Port off the south coast of Victoria, about 140 kilometres southeast of Melbourne. It covers roughly 100 square kilometres and is connected to the mainland by the San Remo bridge, opened in 1969 to replace an older 1940 span. The largest town is Cowes on the island's north shore, with a permanent population of around 4,800. Bass Coast Shire administers the island as part of Gippsland. Phillip Island Nature Parks manages most of the southern coast, including the Penguin Parade and the Nobbies.

— the year

Two things mark the island's year. The Penguin Parade runs every evening at sunset, when little penguins return from the sea to their burrows at Summerland Beach. The current viewing centre opened in 2019 and replaced an older 1980s building set too close to the colony. The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix has been held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit most Octobers since 1989, drawing crowds of 50,000 to 80,000. Outside those two windows the island is quieter — surfers at Cape Woolamai, walkers on the southern cliffs.

— the visit

The drive from Melbourne takes about two hours via the M1 and the Bass Highway, crossing the San Remo bridge onto the island's east end. The Penguin Parade requires a timed-entry ticket booked in advance through Phillip Island Nature Parks. The Nobbies and Seal Rocks lie at the island's western tip; Cowes is the main town for accommodation and food. The Grand Prix Circuit offers self-drive laps on most non-race days. Public transport from Melbourne is limited, so a car or coach tour is the practical option.

— where
Australia · Bass Coast Shire, Victoria
— within
Phillip Island Nature Parks
— position
-38.4900° S · 145.2400° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
12 km W
Summerland Beach
penguin colony beach
14 km W
The Nobbies
western headland
7 km SE
Cape Woolamai
granite headland
at the lake
Cowes
main island town
3 km E
San Remo
bridge town
N
Phillip Island
Summerland Beach
The Nobbies
Cape Woolamai
Cowes
San Remo
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Phillip Island — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Phillip Island lies off the southern coast of Victoria, Australia, about 140 kilometres southeast of Melbourne. It sits in Western Port and is connected to the mainland by a road bridge at San Remo.

Every evening at dusk, little penguins return from a day of fishing in Bass Strait and walk up the beach at Summerland to their burrows. Visitors watch from boardwalks managed by Phillip Island Nature Parks.

Little penguins are the smallest penguin species in the world, about 33 centimetres tall and weighing roughly one kilogram. Phillip Island's colony numbers around 40,000 birds, the largest in mainland Australia.

The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix has run at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit most Octobers since 1989. Race weekend draws between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators to the western end of the island.

Most visitors drive from Melbourne via the M1 and the Bass Highway, a journey of about two hours. The San Remo bridge connects the island to the mainland; there is no rail service.

Cape Woolamai's surf coast, the Nobbies boardwalk and Seal Rocks at the western tip, the koala conservation centre at Fivecorners, and the Cowes waterfront on the calm northern shore.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The piece carries the dusk light over Summerland Beach without showing the birds themselves — a quieter memento than a souvenir photograph. A Small or Medium reads well in a hallway or study.

The dune greens, ocean greys, and dusk pinks sit well with Coastal-modern, Australian-modern, and warm Minimalist interiors. The piece pairs cleanly with bleached oak, linen, and woven rattan.

Yes. The palette runs through the muted blues and sand tones currently driving coastal-modern design across Australia and the US, with enough warmth in the dune line to keep it from reading cold.

A Large works above a console. Above a standard sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the wall; a 9-tile Mural is right for a longer sectional or an open dining room.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for walls exposed to splashes or steam. Both resist scratching and clean easily with a damp microfibre cloth.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water. Avoid abrasive pads and solvent-based cleaners. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and will not fade with normal washing.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not license or resell — Reid Wender curates the atlas and signs each design.

— if this one stayed with you

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