Entire home

Island Shack Family Retreat

Photo gallery for Island Shack Family Retreat

A modern living room with a flat-screen TV, a sofa, a coffee table, and a sliding glass door leading to a patio.
A dining area with a glass table, wicker chairs, and a potted plant.
A modern living room with a grey sectional sofa, a round coffee table, a TV, and a black fireplace.
A modern living room with a large sectional sofa, a flat-screen TV, a fireplace, and a dining area with chairs.
A modern kitchen with white cabinetry, a gas stove, and a built-in oven. There are wooden shelves above the counter and a cutting board on the counter.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 10% of guest reviews in this area

Highlights

  • Family fun awaits
    Top-rated for families.
  • Private fenced-in yard
    One of the few properties with a fully fenced outdoor space.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Phillip Island Wildlife Park

Popular amenities

  • Hot tub on site
  • Patio
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air-conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Washing machine

Explore the area

View in a map
Cowes, VIC
  • Place, Phillip Island Wildlife Park
    ‪14 min walk‬
  • Place, Cowes Beach
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • Place, Phillip Island Coastal Reserve
    ‪2 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 12)

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Single Bunk Bed

Bedroom 4 - Attached to garage

2 Single Bunk Beds

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Towels provided · Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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About the area

Cowes

Located in Cowes, this holiday home is in the city centre. Phillip Island Ferry Dock and A Maze'N Things are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Phillip Island Coastal Reserve and Rhyll Wetlands. Phillip Island Wildlife Park and Phillip Island Leisure Centre are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with jet skiing and power boating nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails and horse riding.
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Map
Cowes, VIC

What's nearby

  • Phillip Island Wildlife Park - 14 min walk - 1.2 km
  • Cowes Beach - 2 min drive - 1.6 km
  • Phillip Island Coastal Reserve - 2 min drive - 1.6 km
  • Phillip Island Leisure Centre - 2 min drive - 1.6 km
  • Silverleaves Beach - 3 min drive - 1.9 km

Getting around

  • Somerville Station - 73 min drive
  • Melbourne, VIC (AVV-Avalon) - 141 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Pino's Trattoria - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Bani's Restaurant & Bar - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪SAYANG - ‬12 min walk
  • ‪Fork N Waffle - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Wing Lock Chinese Restaurant - ‬3 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Island Shack Family Retreat pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Island Shack Family Retreat?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Island Shack Family Retreat?

Check-in begins at 12:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Island Shack Family Retreat?

Checkout is at 1:00 PM.

Where is Island Shack Family Retreat located?

Located in the heart of Cowes, this holiday home is within 1 mile (2 km) of Phillip Island Wildlife Park and Phillip Island Ferry Dock. Phillip Island Leisure Centre and Phillip Island Coastal Reserve are also within 2 miles (3 km).

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 26 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 26 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 26 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 26 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 26 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great house and communications with host. Would definitely recommend for family holiday.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice little place

Nice little place.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Nice place to stay. Our host was excellent and gave us vlear.instructions and the communication was great! The place is clean and perfect for a family
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Stay at the island shack

Beautiful house and extremely easy communication with host. Would definitely stay again!
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place and excellent host.

Very clean, quiet area, really hot spa and clean, all detergents if we needed was there, I highly recommend it to everyone to stay in there 👍👍👍
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

great stay

thanks for having us
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house was perfect for our group's stay and everything well stocked and thought of. Bonus for having a spa on a not hot summer day and outdoor area that we all could dine on.Kelly & Ben were lovely to deal with, would love to come back!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Stay!!!

Cute home, comfortable and great spaces to share! We have a great time there ❤️
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect holiday

Our family had the best time here! highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very good and relaxing

Perfect for three families. Host very responsive and helpful. Had a great time and enjoyed the stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great for families

We loved our stay at the Island shack. The house was amazing and spacious. The kids had so much fun ❤️
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We have stayed here before and the second visit didn’t disappoint. Easy walking distance to town. Very comfortable. Spa at the end of the day was fabulous!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

great family home

home away from home best family weekend. Definitely recommended for large family. thanks hosts.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Super please with absolutely everything!! House was beautiful, clean and in a great location Communication was perfect
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A lovely place

This holiday house in Cowes, Phillip Island, is a fantastic choice. It offers a safe environment for kids, and its proximity to the island's attractions is convenient. The house itself is charming and well-equipped, and the owners are attentive and hospitable. Highly recommended for a memorable vacation.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun time

We all had a fantastic time together. Its a nice property which is all the amenities and easy access to local center and beach.. Over all was a great trip to Cowes and its surroundings.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great MotoGP house!

Great modern property for a bunch of us down for the MotoGP. Reasonable walk to Cowes restaurants/shops etc (around 15 minutes) and very close to the bus routes. Plenty of room in multiple bedrooms large lounge/kitchen area and plenty of off street parking. There was a small issue with the washing machine but not a game changer and the host communicated well to try to fix the problem. Would definitely book this house again.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

This is the second time I’ve stayed at this property.I highly recommend it

We love it as it’s so close to everything and a short walk to the city restaurants and shops.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2022
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness

Room for improvement

The place should not be advertised to accommodate 12 people with space for only a 3 seater couch in an extremely tiny living area. The kitchen is very old and smelly. There were mice inside the house and they had a feast on our bread loaf. Fire place was a warm welcome but not much space to allow few adults to sit around and enjoy. The back yard is spacious and green, basketball ring keeps children busy and SPA is a relaxing escape. The back room is modern and clean but TV was not working.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great family holiday home

Great to have the teenagers retreat and we loved having the spa to use. Great walking distance into town
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Entertaining

The property has a very good veriety activities for children of all ages. There is no WiFi as advertised and only one aircond that may be tricky on a hot day (the 4th BR is outside and not airconded)
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Unforgettable

The house is perfect for family and friends. We had such an amazing time and definitely we will be back. We would like to highlight the communication between us and Kelly.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Finally Away

The Island Shack was in a perfect location and just amazing for a family. The property provided so much room and area for activities for our kids. The TV barely went on! Spa was definitely a relaxing bonus after the taxing past few years we have had!
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 7 Jan 2022
Hi Bree.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great for families

Had great time kids loved playing in spa basketball ring and trampoline provided. Good location to Main Street and beach
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

It was nice and cosy, and had amazing features Such as the spa

It was amazing! Very easy from the start of the process of renting it to the very end. The only thing I would say is the kitchen is very small, I'd recommend renovating a bigger one as the house does sleep 12. We had 6 of us and found it very clustered and hard to work in the kitchen over all great place though
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2021
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