Warrnambool: Dogs and Penguins
We didn’t come to Warrnambool expecting to discuss dogs protecting penguins, but that’s the thing about slow travel. You stop long enough, look a little closer, and suddenly the most interesting stories aren’t the big attractions at all.
Middle Island sits just offshore, close enough to see from the mainland. For years, it was home to a colony of little penguins that returned each night under the cover of darkness. Foxes changed that. Numbers crashed. Extinction was a real possibility. What followed wasn’t fencing, trapping, or removal. It was dogs.
The story might sound familiar. It became the basis for the Australian film Oddball, which brought the Middle Island Maremma Project to a much wider audience. Like most films, it simplifies things, but the heart of the idea is true. Sometimes protection doesn’t need technology or fences. It just requires presence.
The Middle Island Maremma Project introduced livestock guardian dogs to the island, trained to live alongside the penguins and protect them from predators. It sounds unlikely until you understand how Maremmas work. They don’t chase. They don’t herd. They stand their ground. Their presence alone is enough to deter foxes, and it turned out to be enough to give the penguins a chance again.
Standing near the lookout, reading the signage and watching the island from afar, the solution felt quietly clever. Not flashy. Not perfect. Just considered. It’s one of those rare conservation stories that doesn’t feel like a compromise, but a collaboration.
We never saw the dogs or the penguins. And that felt right. Middle Island is closed to the public, and the project works precisely because it’s left alone. The story is told from the mainland, through signs, community knowledge, and the understanding that some places are better protected than experienced firsthand.
Warrnambool itself makes a good base for learning this story. The coastal walkways, lookouts, and interpretive signs do the explaining without spectacle. You leave knowing more than when you arrived, and that’s usually the mark of something done well.
We’ve passed through Warrnambool many times over the years, usually visiting Neil’s family. It’s a town we know in an everyday way rather than a one-off stop. That familiarity made this story land a little differently. It wasn’t something we stumbled across once and moved on from. It’s part of the place, retold quietly, visit after visit, as the coastline and seasons change.
Join our newsletter for stories, secret spots, and off-the-main-road adventures that don’t make the guidebooks. Delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.
What are those strange domes? Find out in our Traveller’s Notes!
Middle Island, Warrnambool
Middle Island sits just off the Warrnambool coastline in Victoria and is part of the local marine and coastal landscape. It’s known for the innovative conservation project that pairs Maremma guardian dogs with a colony of little penguins, helping protect them from introduced predators.
How to Get There
Warrnambool is around three hours southwest of Melbourne via sealed highways. Middle Island itself is visible from several coastal lookouts around town, but access to the island is restricted.
What to See / Tours / Activities
What we did:
Read the Middle Island Maremma Project signage and displays.
Walked the coastal paths and viewpoints looking out toward the island.
Spent time learning how the guardian dog program works.
Other highlights nearby:
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village for local history.
Warrnambool’s foreshore walks and lookouts.
Logans Beach during whale season.
The wider Great Ocean Road coastal scenery.
When to Visit
The story can be explored year-round. Spring and autumn are ideal for coastal walks without crowds or heat. Whale season adds another layer of interest in winter.
Final Thoughts
The Middle Island story reminded us that good ideas don’t always need to be loud. Sometimes the smartest solutions are the quiet ones, passed down through a community, standing watch while life carries on around them.
What’s Nearby
Warrnambool sits at the western end of the Great Ocean Road, with coastal towns and clifftop walks unfolding eastward. Inland, farming country and small Victorian towns offer a slower counterpoint to the coast.
Some of our favourite stories aren’t about places you can visit, but ideas you can learn from. Those tend to appear in our Travel Dispatches.
Fast Facts
Location: Warrnambool, Victoria
Distance: Approx. 260 km southwest of Melbourne
Traditional Owners: Gunditjmara people
Access: Mainland lookouts only; island closed
Facilities: Walkways, signage, coastal paths
Walking Track: Foreshore and coastal trails
Best Time to Visit: Spring and autumn
Dog Friendly: Dogs allowed on-lead in many town areas (not on island)
Things That Could Kill You (Probably Won’t)
A semi-serious guide to surviving Australia. Mostly common sense, occasionally luck.
Coastal Weather: Conditions change quickly. Wind off the Southern Ocean is no joke.
Slippery Paths: Sea spray and sandstone don’t mix well underfoot.
Curiosity: Getting closer than you should never helps wildlife.
Other updates you may like…
Just offshore from Warrnambool, guardian dogs quietly protect a colony of little penguins. The Middle Island Maremma Project is a thoughtful conservation success, best understood from the mainland, where learning matters more than access.