I did a tour with VineTrekker Tours in 2019 and because I specifically wanted to revisit Healsville Animal Sanctuary, I contacted them again. I no longer drink wine so did not want to do the wine tasting. So the owner, Paul, agreed that he would sort out the trip to Healsville and I joined the rest of the group for lunch and the last two wine tastings of their day, without having to taste the wines. The guide/driver Cam was friendly and knowledgeable.
I had an amazing trip to Healesville again - my guide Jill was lovely. I was the only person on the tour who had opted to stop at the animal sanctuary so had a one-to-one tour, while the rest of the group visited Cellar Doors nearby. Apart from the very shy and elusive platypus I saw all the animals I wanted to see as we doubled back at the end of the visit to look again for an echidna which we found second time around. I love the sanctuary as I am very interested in wildlife and birds, but don’t like zoos. Knowing that many of the animals here are here because they were found injured or unwell, or because they are endangered species and are participating in breeding programmes, is reassuring.
The daily bird display at the Sanctuary, Spirit of the Sky is amazing. The birds don’t have to participate, the display is in the open air and the birds appear from nowhere as the wardens are speaking. They are obviously responding to food treats but there is nothing forced about this display and it is an opportunity to see both raptors and parrots up close.
The group had lunch at Yering Station which was lovely. I had the duck with pumpkin and halloumi and it was really enjoyable. Then I waited a while in the Cellar Door browsing the shop and gardens while the rest of the group did a tasting. We then drove to De Bortoli and this time I joined in as it was a cheese and wine tasting, and I just had the cheese so felt included in the group. The whole group appeared to enjoy the trip and I would recommend this company to anyone wanting to tour the Yarra Valley / Healesville.
Thank you Wales_Solo_traveller for your detailed 5 star review. It's wonderful when past passengers return and immensely gratifying when they have as good an experience on their second tour. We try to be flexible and are pleased we could accommodate your requirements. Thanks for your support and recommendation, it's very much appreciated
Thoroughly enjoyed Yarra Valley Wine Day Tour. Could not have picked a better tour and tour guide (Rob) to show case the beautiful Yarra Valley. Perfect combination of great wine and food. The tour lived up to its reputation of a high ranking experience. Outstanding value for money. So many wonderful and memorable experiences. Thank you.
Thanks for the review jodif501 and not surprised you had the best experience with Rob. He cares so much for his guests and looks to give them a better experience than they're expecting. We value our hard earned reputation and are delighted the tour met your expectations. Thanks for supporting us, we greatly appreciate it.
Rob was a fantastic host and very informative about the history of the Yarra Valley area. The vineyards we visited were all fantastic and lunch at Yering Station was amazing.
Great to hear from you Vicki and delighted to know that Rob took such good care of you. He's a very caring guide who invests in his guests. Yering Station is a highlight of the tour and we're so fortunate to dine there. Thanks for choosing us to travel with, we appreciate your support.
My wife & I decided to do this tour on Wednesday 15th June boarded the coach at Savoy Hotel Melbourne and the first thing we found was a very informative driver by the name of Tony.
After picking up all guests around Melbourne we headed out of Melbourne with 18 complete strangers.
However, after visiting four different wineries and meeting passengers from places all around the globe, 3 young girls from the USA, and couples from Scotland, Wales & India a Gent from Singapore as well as some local Australians we were now friends after a number of wines and lunch at different wineries on the tour.
Thanks for your review but it's been posted to the wrong company.
Our visit to the Yara Valley lead by tour guide Shane was fabulous. Shane went out of his way to accommodate everyone. The wineries we visited were great and they all obviously had a good relationship with this tour company. Lunch was delicious. I highly recommend this tour.
Thank you Kazzymarie for taking the time to post your review and thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed your Yarra Valley tour with Shane. He's very generous and cares a lot for his guests and is very well suited to being guide. Thanks for choosing to travel with us and your recommendation is very much appreciated.
