It was too long, no need to leave Melbourne at 12:30 if you can drive yourself. French island was interesting we had a great guide however the van they drove us in was really hard to see out of not what is pictured in brochure, but overall trip 2-3 hours too long.penguins don’t come out until dusk but you get to the park 1 hour early which is far too much time. Our guide was nice, we saw a lot of koalas on French island and wallabies on Phillip island but loaded with tour buses. The penguin parade is really worth seeing but you need to buy the extra ticket to be up close or won’t be worth it. I would drive on hour own for sure. Overall I’d say both islands worth seeing if you want to see koalas in the wild and the penguins coming out of water at dusk but not on a tour that takes 12 hours.

Nice trip, well organized. Beautiful parks, local animals and good transportation. You can see Koalas, Penguins and many Kangaroos.

The tour was fun. Matt was very accommodating and informative. The drive was just right on time. He gave us enough time at each stop.

Michael is a professional and nice guide in the trip we joined on 7 Jan. He delivered high quality service with flexibility. Highly recommended to join his guided tour

We had great experience in 1 day tour to puffing billy steam train, wildlife tour including penguin parade. Our tour guide Michael made our tour very easy and comfortable. He is very professional, caring, soft spoken and considerate. He went above and beyond.

The day is stacked with so many cool spots. Ferry ride is fun and if you keep your eyes open may spot some dolphins. Strawberry picking is a lot more enjoyable than you think it will be and each one tastes great. Bill kept the day running smoothly and filled it with a lot of energy.

Train is cool and so unique to travel on. The forest you go though has lots of beauty. The animal sanctuary is awesome, filled with lots of different species to watch. Elena was good guide and kept us on track for the whole day.

Brilliant day out to sovereign hill and a drive around Ballarat . Small group in a mini bus with our guide Gary who loved the day as much as us. The queue on arrival was enormous, but we jumped straight to the front with our guide. The underground mine tour was amazing and we learnt all about the history of the gold rush. We had an hour free time at lunch to explore. Must do activity for all ages if you are staying in Melbourne.

Alena is a great guide. We enjoyed the tour and had a good time. Value for money and assures you the ticket to puffing billy ticket.

This was honestly one of the most expensive and most boring trips I've done in Australia this summer. I genuinely couldn't believe how crowded it was. Rent a car and go yourself. With two carriages being reserved for Puffing Billy it still felt overcrowded. The ride barely had anything scenic. I don't want to say anything mean but there seriously needs to be a group limit with these things. THERE WERE WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS GROUP. Getting lunch at Lakeside felt very rushed. At least give us more than an hour.... considering it takes 10-15mins just getting off the train and then the souvenir shop and then ordering food, let alone eating in time and getting to the bus. Then Wildlife sanctuary. Mate 2 hours is honestly way too much time for this place. You can see eveything here in an hour tops and still get a cappuccino. Then an 1½ hour drive back to Melbourne CBD. I honestly didn't want to pay $200 AUD for this. Honest waste of money man just so disappointed. Just save your money.

Lovely trip! Michael was extremwly patient even with guests who always arrive late. We loced the tidbits of trivia he shared while driving us to different spots. Highlight of the day would be our trip to Nibbles beach and the penguin parade. So worth the long trip and glad I've found Explore Australia's tour when all Phillip Island tours were all fully booked.

That was amazing!! When I was in Puffing Billy Steam Train, I saw many local people gave us a wave! Looked so lovely!! Also, the view was so beautiful!!!!

Great mix of outdoor forest and wildlife reserve activities centred around the unmissable Puffing Billy steam train ride. Perfectly scheduled and driven by Margaret whose enthusiasm and experience exelled.

Would happily follow Matt wherever he was leading, however wacky or dangerous. No danger here though, with excellent choice of venues and photo stops, other than over-indulging and laughing and learning too much. Highly recommended.

Good trip & excellent Guide cum Driver , Very Polite & smile & Supportive, Thank you Explore India , I am visitor from India ,