Execellent - Everything is good .. Loved it .. Driver/Guide was very helpful and considerate. Definitely a trip for us to remember !

Guide, be kind. - The Guide was friendly and kind. At first I was worried if I could understand English, but the accent was beautiful so I could hear it!

An incredible day out! - So very glad we picked this tour. From start to finish, it was a great day out. We were especially lucky because the weather was absolutely gorgeous. We received clear instructions ahead of time where to meet and what time we’d be departing. Our guide, Lachie, was awesome and had great energy across the whole day. Our group were especially good at keeping time so that helped and meant we never felt rushed, despite how many places we went. The drive up to the Dandenong Ranges/Puffing Billy was smooth and easy, the bus was comfortable and Lachie dropped bits and pieces of local info along the way. When we got there, he ensured we knew exactly where to go and when, giving us our tickets and then later meeting us on the platform to make sure the whole group got onto the carriage. We had a quick bit of time to get some food, hit the loos and the gift shop (I recommend the Rocky Road. I got some for my family back home and they loved it!). The train ride was fantastic! Such an amazing and beautiful way to travel through the mountains and enjoy the countryside and the friendly locals. I only dared to hang out for parts of it, but it always felt safe (just had to cling extra hard to my phone!). A tip for anyone who might have asthma or allergies (like I do), there is definitely a bit of soot that hits you from the train. I have glasses so my eyes weren’t an issue, but it might be a good idea to wear a mask. I’m not sure if it was just because we were so close to the front (we were in Carriage B), and if maybe it’s less of an issue further down the train. Also, my friend’s white jacket got a bit dirty from it, so perhaps wear darker colours. Easily the only downside I can think of, though! It is definitely a worthwhile ride. We were met at the Belgrave Station (no dawdling here!) and it was another easy drive to Phillip Island. We drove out to Cowes, where we had the chance to stretch our legs and maybe get some lunch. The beach and the jetty are a lovely and peaceful spot for a rest, and there were toilets as well. We were there for about 40 minutes, before we got back on the bus to head out to the Nobbies to do some wallaby (and geese) spotting and enjoy the spectacular coastal views. We didn’t stop at the visitor centre, but the drive was fun, especially for those who’d never seen a wallaby or penguin tracks before. Then eventually we could see the Penguin Parade beach in the distance. Again, we received our tickets and clear instructions at the Visitor Centre. My friends and I were able to sit and enjoy some dinner, before meeting the rest of the group on the boardwalk to see the best spots for penguin spotting, then heading to the beach and waiting for the big moment. Note here – the team were very clear on us not taking any videos or photos of the penguins as this might disrupt their journey home, so please put your phone away! I know it’s a vain instruction, because tons of people were doing this anyway, but please be considerate of their wellbeing. The penguins were due to appear around 6.50pm, but came out closer to 7.20pm. Luckily, Lachie extended our time at the centre to make room for this, and our 6.45 departure time was moved to 7.10. This was more than enough time to get to observe the groups of penguins popping out of the ocean, lolling on the beach, then eventually making their way towards their nests along the boardwalk. My friends and I stuck to the beach for about 20 minutes after the first group appeared, before heading back along the boardwalk to see if we could see the penguins for closely. As expected, getting a spot on the barrier was rather difficult, the crowds can get pretty crazy, but we all got lucky to get spots where we could not just see groups of penguins as they waddled by, but also see as new groups would come around the corner. Some penguins would even stop less than a metre away from us and just chill there, then either move on or get pulled away by another incoming group. This was easily one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen and I’m so impressed by how the team have set everything up so that we humans get such an amazing chance to view the penguins up close without disturbing them. Overall, this was a genuine highlight from our Melbourne trip and I appreciate the tour group running everything so smoothly. If you’re thinking of heading out and you don’t have a car, I highly recommend this tour!

Our experiences on Puffing Billy and penguin tour. - Weather was could not have been better, tour guide was excellent and the major activities were a lot of fun. We had an excellent day out.

Engaging and fun tour - Lachie was the best tour guide we can ask for! Tour was entertaining and insightful. We had a great day overall and would highly recommend to use wine hop & coastal tours as your english speaking tour guide.

Great experience - Our tour guide for the day was the awesome Lachey (bad jokes and all) very knowledgeable about the areas we were going too. The Puffing Billy was awesome, great scenery. It was amazing watching the penguins come to shore on Phillip Island. The day/night ran so smoothly with the direction and suggestions from Lachey

The tour guide was very good - There is no place to go to the toilet during the trip, which seriously affects the experience.The tour guide was very good and nice.

Disappointing Day. - There was a lot of confusion from people waiting for the bus. Once you pay, you receive instructions regarding the schedule of the day. We are told that we will picked up by the bus at 10 am in front of The Windsor. Two days before, we are told to be there at 8:30 instead. We got there early to ensure pickup, only to find the bus driver was running late. He didn't arrive until 9 am. It was only a small bus, very cramped and nowhere to put your belongings above for storage. Difficult to get in and out of the seats. We arrived at Puffing Billy by the skin of our teeth, when the conductors rushed us onto the train. No time to go to the cafe or gift shop. The train ride was wonderful, with beautiful vistas. Next was the town of Cowes. For some reason he left us there for TWO hours, which was I believe unnecessary, the time could have been better spent at The Nobbies or more importantly the Penguin Parade. The next stop was the Nobbies for about an hour which was lovely. Now we are on our way to the Penguin Parade. This is where everything goes down hill. On the way there the driver stopped a few times as there were some photo opportunities to photograph wallabies. Then we drive over to the Penguin Parade location. As soon as we got there the driver gave us instructions as to how to make sure we got back to the bus location later. He also gives instructions regarding the best locations to see the penguins and gives us our tickets. By this time he tells us to follow him in, no time for gift shop or use the amenities. He just takes us straight in. He tells us that the Penguins will be coming out of the water at 5:50 pm, and to be back at the bus no later than 6:45 pm. The penguin experience itself was wonderful, seeing them come out of the water and following them to their burrows. You are not allowed to photograph or film them which is understandable. Unfortunately, the penguins didn't come out of the water until 6:10 pm. They come out in groups, slowly up the ramps to their burrows. As you can imagine this takes time for them all to come up. Therefore, it was a rush job to see them, we didn't get to see them all, as we had to get back to the bus by the allocated time. Not only that, I had an American friend with me who wanted to go to the gift shop, but we had to get back to the bus. Not enough time was allocated to see the penguins, go to the cafe and visit the gift shop. But wait, it gets worse. The driver (Raph) had organised with a few passengers to drop them off at different locations on the way home, for a small fee. ????? I didn't say anything because I thought surely he will drop the rest of us passengers off first at The Windsor. But no. He dropped a gentleman off at a Hallam petrol station. Then dropped off another three people at the Victoria Market Night Market. The trip should only have been around one hour and forty-five minutes. Instead, the trip from Phillip Island to The Windsor took TWO AND A HALF HOURS. We were back at the Windsor at 9:30 pm, we left at 7 pm. Needless to say, I missed my 9:31 pm train, which I had planned to catch. Except for the beautiful locations, the actual schedule, bus, and the unprofessional bus driver spoilt the day. Wine Hop and Scenic Tours are basically saying that mine and other people's time is unimportant. I can wait. The passengers he dropped off could have found their own way. It was a long day, so don't make other people get home later because you want to make some extra money along the way. Totally unprofessional. Wine Hop and Scenic Tours NOT RECOMMENDED. I would definitely go with another company that has a better schedule, professional drivers, and has larger buses too.

WORST EXPERIENCE!!! - I had the worst experience ever with this tour!! We booked the Puffing Billy and Phillip Island Penguin Parade Bus Tour. The tour has canceled the Emerald Lake sightseeing and also they got us on the next train station which halved the train journey in our tour. We didn’t get to have lunch until 4:30 because it was bad tour management and there was no stop for food until philip island. As we were getting close to Nobbies lookout we learned the center is closed and we couldn’t get inside so that part was also taken out of our tour. And the worst part of all this was that our tour bus driver has threatened to drop off us in the middle of nowhere and told us we need to take uber back home just because we complained about the bad tour management which ruined our day! The bus driver name is Holley davidson and I had never come across anyone as rude as him!! Overall I’m horrified by the bad experience that we had with this tour and I don’t recommend it at all!

The Worst Tour I have Ever Taken!!! - I had the worst experience ever with this tour!! We booked the Puffing Billy and Phillip Island Penguin Parade Bus Tour. The tour has canceled the Emerald Lake sightseeing and also they got us on the next train station which halved the train journey in our tour. We didn’t get to have lunch until 4:30 because it was bad tour management and there was no stop for food until philip island. As we were getting close to Nobbies lookout we learned the center is closed and we couldn’t get inside so that part was also taken out of our tour. And the worst part of all this was that our tour bus driver has threatened to drop off us in the middle of nowhere and told us we need to take uber back home just because we complained about the bad tour management which ruined our day! The bus driver name is Holley davidson and I had never come across anyone as rude as him!! Overall I’m horrified by the bad experience that we had with your company’s tour and I don’t recommend this company at all!