Phillip Island And French Island Wildlife Expedition

The tour is organised poorly. It tries to collect travellers for different tours in one bus. Unfortunately, it was heavy raining, so we saw almost nothing at French Island. In addition there were leaks in the bus, so water was dripping from the top of the bus. The Pinguin parade was interesting and entertaining. We upgraded our tickets, that was really beneficial since I am not sure how much has veen seen from the general seatings. It would be nice if we knew in advance that we cannot use umbrellas and need to bring something to put on seats in case of rain

Wonderful trip! We didn’t have great weather but tour guides helped us make the most of it. Wild animals, fabulous lunch, history of the area. Enjoyed the day.

We were picked up in downtown Melbourne near Her Majesty's Theater which was just a block away from our hotel. Our driver and guide, Lucky, was on time and very friendly! It was a really windy and chilly day for this tour and Lucky told us that potentially the ferry to French Island might not be running due to the wind. Fortunately when we arrived in Mornington the weather cooperated and we went to French Island with our guides Scott and Nathan. As Scott drove us around the island looking for wildlife he explained the unique aspects of French Island and its residents as well as some of its history. We were able to stop and photograph some echindnas and koalas! After a couple hours we stopped at Mandalay Estate for lunch that consisted of potatoes, beef "sloppy joe", cole slaw, and bread. It was delicious! We even had a glass of wine with our food! There was a resident peacock that wanted to come in and eat with us... One of the proprieters, Lee, took us on a tour of the property to see some resident koalas in oak trees. Weird that they weren't in eucalyptus right? We also saw some Capr Barren Geese and even a Kuckaburra! We left from there to catch the ferry over to Phillip Island. At Phillip Island we met back up with Lucky where we took a little tour of Cowes before we drove into the country for the Penguin Parade. In the country we saw wallabies and the volcanic rock formations called Nobbies. What a beautiful area! We saw more Cape Barren Geese and wallabies before heading to the penguin parade. We had seats in the Penguin Plus area for the sunset parade of penguins returning from the sea to feed their young in hillside burrows. It was certainly a grand parade to observe and it totally made our trip to Australia! One thing to note is that there is NO PHOTOGRAPHY or VIDEO after sunset so as not to confuse the penguins on their way to their homes in the hills. All in all this was an OUTSTANDING experience! I can't say enough about our guide Lucky. He was very knowledgeable and friendly as well as so much fun to be around!

This was a great trip. Matt (our main guide for the day) was very friendly and clearly wanted to give us all a great trip. He was very knowledgeable of the area and pointed out all the spots! Going to French Island was really cool too, we saw koalas and had lunch with the locals!

Daisy was a Top Guide ! Extremely knowledgeable on the Wildlife, Fauna & Geology. + A Great driver too , highly recommended

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.

Tour was changed without contacting me by phone, even though the booking requires phone number so they can contact you. Was placed on a tour I had no interest in and only became aware of it when what the tour guide was talking about didn’t marry up with what I had booked and paid for. Further to this, the original booking included a meal, which the changes booking did not, so we had to make unplanned alternative arrangements. Very disappointing.

Phillip Island and French Island Wildlife Expedition You just can't beat the experience. We signed up for this trip and couldn't have been happier. The tour was well organised, all pickups and transfers were clearly explained and went off without an issue. Matt was the ultimate tour guide and driver. He made everything fun and kept us all in good spirits. The king of Dad jokes also had a resume, which allowed him to give us great insight into the area, its history, flora, and fauna. 15 years as a tour guide, and the history of research in this field meant he could tell you anything you wanted to know. Don't be mistaken people there is brains behind the beauty. The trip to French Island was fantastic. Our guide was Scott, who served with Vic Parks for 20 or 30 years, and much of this was involved with ecological projects on the island. Eradication of invasive species, koala population management, and many more. We also visited a farmhouse with a local who shared her experiences living in a community that is totally off the grid. You'll also see all the koalas you could hope for. Finally, on to Phillip Island! The Penguin viewing, which was like a dream. The facilities are first class, the staff are friendly and very interactive, and the penguins are the star of the night. You can't ask for a better time. Big thank you to Explore Australia Tours - no hesitation with giving this tour 5 stars.

My son and I had such a great time on our tour. Our guide Gina was terrific - she was both knowledgeable and kind. I really appreciated how she took her time to make sure we got to see as many animals as possible. We took the French Island extension and upgraded to the underground penguin viewing. The highlight of French Island for us was the farm visit. Our host was delightful and lunch was really delicious. And getting up close and personal with the penguins was definitely worth the extra cost. Thanks for a great day!

Wonderful trip. The view is stunning and impressive, and our guide, Matt, is pretty awesome as well. I expect to go back again.

The view is breathtaking that I take lots of photos. Matt (tour guide) is funny and full of knowledge. He gave us a great memory during the whole trip. I indulge myself the whole time so much!

The tour company was amazing, the bus was top-notch and Ryan & Scott were incredible tour guides! If you're going to spend money on anything, spend it on the Ranger Guided tour @ Phillip's Island - where the penguins are at a must see!

The penguins get 5 stars, the rest of this "tour" do not. Perhaps our "tour guide" is to blame, but this was not much of a tour. It was a large bus shuttling a large group between points with little or no instructions or guiding. This was a 48 passenger bus and our guide barely spoke loud enough for the first three rows to hear. We spent a lot of time in the bus which had no information of any kind while traveling. Example: we were driving through some kind of nature park with wallabys everywhere. It would have been great if our guide got on the PA and shared info about them, described the difference between them and kangaroos, or said anything. Ours did not. Example #2: the tour ends around midnight. Our "guide" gave no instructions as the bus was making drop offs. So much so that we arrived at the final stop and a large group of people were still sitting on the bus completely unaware we had reached the final stop. We all just sat there staring at our guide who was not saying anything. French Island was okay, but felt like we were just killing time until the penguins. To be perfectly honest, our family would have been much happier with buying tickets to the penguins directly and finding our own way there.

Great views of the little penguins. Our tourguide was very caring and explained a lot about the animals. Even though P. I. was very touristic and I worried a little about the penguins being distracted, as so many people took photos after dark although it was strictly prohibited. French Island was pure nature. We saw many koalas in their natural environment and had nice lunch on a farm. HIghly recommended tour!

I enjoyed my tour to French Island and Phillip Island very much. Toby did an excellent job. French Island is a very special place. It was so nice to see koalas in the wild and enjoy a home-cooked dinner. We had a short time in Cowes to browse the shops and have an ice cream. Then we were off to the Nobbies. I wish we had more time there to see the Visitor Centre. But it was a treat to see the penguin chicks in their nest boxes. I paid extra for the penguins plus viewing platform, which was worth it to have a closer look at the birds as they returned to their nests. Though the best views could be had from the boardwalk along their path. We returned to Melbourne quite late, but the long day was worth it.

A truly special and memorable day - especially seeing koalas and echidnas in the wild on French island, then the super cute penguin parade on Phillip. Brooke was a first class guide, with great organisation and enthusiasm.

Another GREAT DAY in Australia! Loved everything about this trip and our Driver, Toby made it all the more enjoyable! Everything was on time and better than expected Highly recommend! Mike and Maria/ Vancouver, BC, Canada

Wonderful day trip with helpful guide Margaret, and Scott in French Island. Although this trip is not very popular plan, we do feel that the arrangement met our expectations. • WHAT WE LIKE very cute purple bus, afternoon meal in French Island villa, wild koalas hidden in the trees, waddling penguins, songs on the bus back to Melbourne! • IMPERFECT More minutes in nobbies. • TIPS You really need to bring a winter coat.

Had an awesome time at French Island and Phillip Islands! The views are amazing. The penguin Parade is totally worth it!

Had a amazing day with the family. Brooke was our tour guide and she was fantastic. Fun, friendly, energetic and full of info about all the places we stopped and past through. We had scotty as our guide for French Island and he was brilliant friendly and very knowledgeable of the island. Had lee take us in for lunch on the island and showed us aorund his place and got to meet some of his animals as well, given loads of information about the island and how the community live there, enjoyed it loads. The food was lovely too. The penguin parade was amazing got to see so many of them up close and was great to see how much all staff involved in it really care about them. Would highly recommend this company. Brooke was great for the chat as well in the spare time on the bus. One the best tours we have done in Australia will definitely be recommending.

Brooke was truly amazing! She radiated enthusiasm and genuinely cared about everyone in the group. I had a fantastic time visiting all the animals and enjoying the beautiful beaches and penguin sightings. I highly recommend joining Explore Australia Tours with her as your guide. Brooke is friendly, shares her experiences, and explains everything about Melbourne in a way that's easy to understand and enjoy. Thanks guys :)

It was a nice trip, I feel at home, we were in real life if someone was on a fresh island, they give us a fold in their own house and I see that very very cute and rich in culture. Both gides were amazing

Overall, this tour was very good. There was a hiccup at the beginning: we booked the version of the tour that went to both Philip Island and French Island, but while we were waiting to be picked up, maybe 5-10 minutes prior to the van arriving, we got a call from the operator saying that the French Island leg of the tour was canceled for the day because of hazardous conditions that forced the cancellation of the ferry (not operated by the tour company). This happened so soon before pickup that our tour guide, Lauren, wasn’t even aware of the update. We believe that, going forward, it would be a very smart idea to include a visible disclaimer (like in bold or even as a popup) that such a thing is possible, at least during the time of year where this is more likely. That being said, Explore Australia refunded that portion of the trip’s price the same day, so the situation was handled as professionally as it otherwise could have been (except for the lack of warning / disclaimer). We specifically chose the French Island version of the tour because we had already been to two animal sanctuaries, and as unique as Australian fauna is, there’s only so much more you can learn about koalas and the like at sanctuary #3 vs. sanctuaries #1 & 2. Once we actually got on the tour, it was a great experience. We did learn things at Moonlit Sanctuary that we hadn’t learned at the previous two sanctuaries we’d been to in Australia thus far. The Moonlit Sanctuary does have a number of keeper talks, where the staff offer talks about the specific animals they care for every 15-20 minutes or so. We then drove to Cape Woolamai on Philip Island, which was a great place to explore for a few minutes. Following that, we went to a few more scenic places around Philip Island, the last of which was the Nobbies Center, before heading to the Penguin Lookout. Watching the little penguins come up from the sea is an unreal experience that is unlike anything else; it’s quite indescribable and incredible. If you go (regardless of whether you’re on this tour or not), please be respectful and don’t use your phone there after dark. Lauren is a great tour guide. She’s smart, funny, and knowledgeable, as well as a great storyteller. In addition, she’s a great DJ, ensuring that good and timely music was playing in the van when she was not telling a particular story. Though it was a fairly long day, the tour felt like it was paced well and we never felt particularly rushed at any point. Definitely recommended!

Very attentive guide (Lauren)! The itinerary was timed very well with enough time at each stop. Highly recommended

French Island’s interesting - homestead lunch superb! Penguin parade - a great experience with our kids. Wonderful tour guide Lauren:)

French Island is idyllic. The hospitality of Celia with her home cooked food wonderful. A gorgeous place to visit. A couple of koalas spotted there. So fantastic to see a mother & baby koala. Thank you Celia. Your home is stunning. The trip around both islands very interesting & beautiful. Spotting wallaby on Philip Island. The penguins are so cute. Waiting for them to come out of the ocean & make their way home fantastic.

Lovely to see a koala and its baby, the landscapes, and cute little penguins. The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Our driver on French Island was a disappointment. Our driver on Phillip Island was great! He made a point to learn our names and did a great job of keeping us together as well as sharing information.

Our guide Adam was friendly and warm! He shared his knowledge about lots of fun things on the way. The group was small. He took care of every one. He pulled over for us to take photos when there were goose nearby because one group member was very into the goose. Appreciate that! The tour was well arranged. Recommend!

A quick (but sufficient) one day experience where you can start to understand the respect for wildlife. The guide was very preparered and kind. A unique experience!

The day started with a convenient on-time pick-up and was followed by a drive with a knowledgeable tour guide - Chris. We then had a great time on French Island with a delicious lunch. Chris was full of tips regarding things to see, tips for photos, and different ways to view the penguins. Thank you for a great day!

Brilliant day out and excellent value for money. Guides Chris and Adam were friendly and knowledgeable. French Island was stunning, farmgate lunch with Celia was delicious, wonderful to see parts of the island, enjoy the wildlife and breathtaking views. Adam made sure we had plenty of opportunities to spot koalas and get photos.The ferry trips between islands was smooth and ferry clean and comfortable. Phillip Island was a treat, lots of wildlife to view and our guide Chris showed us the best spots to take incredible photos. The penguin parade did not disappoint, Chris gave us tips on best places to view and afterwards there was plenty of time to grab dinner and souvenirs. We loved this tour and highly recommend it.

Visiting the local's home on French island was good. Seeing the penguins and learning about the conservation efforts on Phillip Island was rewarding. Chris did a great job as guide.

The trip was nice. The local guides on French island were amazing and knowledgeable. The route was smooth that we felt every moments were meaningful.

Phillip and French Island were amazingly beautiful places, with so much to do within each island. Of course the main attraction was the French Island expedition and the Penguin parade, but Explore Melbourne took it a step further, and personally guided us throughout the whole island, exploring all the nooks and crannies there are to these joyful places. In my experience, this was all possible due to our phenomenal tour guide Adam - he insightfully explained the heritages and backgrounds to any little attraction there was to the islands, whilst also personally taking the family to what he thinks, are the best places. There was so much freedom with Adam, and we felt highly comfortable with him. It was as if we had a private tour bus, who had total freedom to take us wherever he thinks would be pleasing. If you have Adam, then you are set for the trip XD. 15/10 rating for the lad. Thank you Adam, and thank you Explore Australia, for such an amazing trip!!

We were unsure of what the day would bring but it turned out to be one of the best tours/days out that we’ve ever had, the highlight would of course be seeing the Koalas on French Island they are just so cute and our guide Adam was knowledgeable and helpful , I’d definitely book another tour with these guys next time we’re in Melbourne.

What an amazing day out!! French Island is so close to the city, yet feels so far away. It is a truly unique experience to see the island and learn all about the nature, wildlife and people who live there. Phillip Island is even more beautiful than I had expected, and I am so impressed with the efforts put into preserving the natural habitat for the animals that live there. And the PENGUINS!! I felt like I was in a nature documentary watching the parade go by. Our guide, Adam, was very knowledgeable and professional. He did a really great job at reading the crowd and checking in with us to make sure we were all enjoying ourselves throughout the day (and we definitely were!). I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone who loves nature and wildlife, or if you are looking for something a bit different for a day trip from Melbourne.