Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit — Attraction in Ventnor

We went there for the MotoGP race and purchased the VIP village passes. The space overlooked the start/finish straight. You really can't ask for better than that. Our hosts Birgit and Oliver took time to remember all of our names and to introduce us to others that were sitting at our table. They were always smiling and making sure everything was perfect. The food was perfect and the beverages were great too. All the staff and security were professional and attentive. The only bad part was the weather that canceled the fun on Sunday. Phillip island was the highlight of our trip to Australia. It really was a bucket list place. Now I need to tell you about what we Americans think of Australia. It is our understanding that everything wants to kill you. Crocodiles, sharks, platypus, snakes of many varieties, jellyfish, and all the spiders. It's that last that is the one I encountered at PI. I was standing outside looking down at the people in the paddock enjoying the fresh air. I was chatting with the woman that was in charge of checking credentials of those entering the VIP area. She looked at me and shrieked then ran inside. She returned in seconds with a tissue and thrust it at my shoulder. Apparently a giant Sydney redback brown wolf huntsman spider was preparing to attack me. She smashed it with the tissue and crumpled up the tissue without me even seeing it. She told me she is deathly afraid of spiders and without regard to her own safety saved my life. Jenny Crupi is her name and she is a true hero, she saved my life from this murderous arachnid. I will remember her and my trip...

Our boys were keen to try out the go carts as we were in the area.

The place is right next to the main Phillip island trace track and apparently is a smaller replica.

We came just before the 9am opening and there was already a small crowd. There was a sign at the front door saying everything was booked out so we were expecting to be turned away but strangely that wasn't the case as we spoke to a staff member and asked if they could accommodate myself and my two kids and they were happy to oblige.

After going through the registration process we paid for a single for my eldest and we got a tandem for my youngest and we were booked in for the 9:30 am session.

We were called in for the safety briefing video around 9:40 and were fitted with helmets and in our karts just before 10am.

In our session there were about 5 tandems and maybe 14 singles.

We were out for, what seemed like, 15 minutes on the track but perhaps it just seemed longer than it was.

Track was smooth flowing and easy enough to navigate. I guess it helps when you have more experienced drivers on the track that aren't crashing.

For the most part it's luck of the draw if one karr is faster than another. In our case, despite us being lighter occupants than other tandem kart users they were pulling away from us on the straights even when slip streaming... Can't do much about that.

Fun day...

I've been coming here for MotoGP and WSBK races since 2004 and have also done a couple of track days and a Superbike school day since then. It’s a pretty spectacular track to watch racing, being of an older style, and is made that much better with the location. The location, however, means you have to be prepared for all weather conditions so packing wet weather gear, warm clothes and sunscreen when heading down isn’t unusual. You can walk around most of the track with only a handful of narrow spots were you need to be careful. Wheelchair access is also not too bad for the most part, but the ground undulates a bit so again, care is needed. They have reasonable toilet facilities dotted around the place, but keep in mind that you are sharing these with lots of other people.. Getting out of the circuit (and the island) after the MotoGP can take some time, especially if you’re in a car. If you want to get involved, they also offer the opportunity to volunteer at the events. The track days are around $300 to $325 and you have to factor in the cost of the garage spot if you don’t have somewhere sheltered to park yourself and your bike between sessions. You can also hire one of their BMW S100RRs but if something happens, you will have to pay up to $5000 for the crash repair on the day. The days are well organised but can be busy when the...