Express Twelve Apostles Day Trip from Melbourne

Disappointing travel with BILBY

The driver/guide in the car was extremely rude, was very unhelpful, barely spoke. Overall, a terrible few days with BILBY, you'd expect paying so much money we'd get better but it wasn't the case

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your feedback about your experience with us. I am genuinely sorry to hear that your trip did not meet your expectations.

via Tripadvisor

Majestic Twelve Apostles

We did this trip as a shore excursion from our cruise. Our time in port was short but Richard did an excellent job of getting us there, showing us the highlights and getting us back to our ship on time. The long drive was well worth the views of the coast.

Response from the operator: Thank you for choosing our tour as your shore excursion and for the great review! I'm delighted to hear that Richard made your experience memorable and efficient, especially with the time constraints. It's wonderful to know that the scenic coastal views were worth the drive. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon!

via Viator

A bad start for the day before the actual tour

On our first visit to Tasmania, we chose Melbourne instead of Sydney because we heard so much about the Twelve Apostles which is a 12 hours trip leaving very early morning, and for thsi reason we chose Clements House which is only minutes walk. However on the day before the trip, we receied a note from the operator that the assembling place had been change from 6:50 am to 6:30 am, and the meeting point became Wynham Resort, without any street number. When we get back to our place of stay, w e checked Google but cannot find any Wynham Resort. There was a hotel by the name of Wynham Hotel. Withour a street number, we had to check out if the two are the same one. So we had to give up our usual afternoon nap (we both are 76) and walked to and from to Wynham Hotel to ensure that the two are the same. By the time we get back to our place of stay, we receive another note the the time and place remianed unchaged to 6:50 at State Theatre. We then just assumed that the other participants will be still meeting at 6:30 and then us at 6:50 am. Next morning, we arrived at the State Theatre there was a whole group of people. Later, an empty van arrived. The guide named xxxx got off the van and started letting people in. We followed the crowd, then we had the first insatnce of discrimation . People before us were let in by giving their first name and the guide searched his mobile phone then letting them boarding the van. Then our turn, we gave him our names but the guide ignored us. Instead he greeted the girls behind us and let them in, leaving only the two of us alone. We mentioned our names a second time, then we were let in, and took the only two vacant east at the back of the 11 persons van, behind the back wheels. When the road is not that smooth you can imagine what we felt. The tour was worth visiting if not for this unfounate incident

Response from the operator: This review was posted by mistake! First of all, we do not conduct Public Tours, nor do we send SMS messages with a meeting point in the centre of Melbourne and we do not check tickets on travellers' phones when we meet. We run Private Tours only. The whole experience described in the review suggests that this tour was conducted by anyone but us. We also checked our records, and we're pretty sure we've never done any tours for anyone starting between 6:30 and 7:00 at the Wyndham Hotel or the State Theatre. We’d be very grateful if you could check who conducted this tour for you and address this review to them. Thank you!

via Tripadvisor

Horrible

STAY AWAY, BE WARNED ! you be totally wasting your money, Stay away from this company, I have referred them to Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) please do write to CATO if you suffer from them I had a twelve apostles tour with them on the 13.10.2022 1. the driver did not give information about area, this was a tour I wanted to know about area / bit of its history background but none given to me , he just drove 2. He dropped me and left me all alone at twelve apostles saying he will go and snooze in the car park and I must do it myself , so you pay for tour staff to sleep during your tour , So under that heavy rain I went to twelve apostles myself , I confused the roads and walked to wrong direction , it was heavily raining I could not even take photos myself whilst he was snoozing in the car today’s tour was not private tour it was rather like getting UBER car , although return UBER would be 250 dollar so take UBER 3. On the way back Driver made extra stop to strect his legs ! And when I wanted to go to toilet he said I must make the payment first , I had to hold myself n pain until he sorted out payment which took 10 min 4. His extra stopped made us run late for an hour 5. On the way back the driver dropped me totally other side of the road under heavy rain and i did not have any umbrella, than I messaged my concerns to Max, however he used deception and manipulated the entire matter STAY AWAY

Response from the operator: Dear Readers. I address this reply to you first rather than the client, who wrote the review above. It is pretty clear about this client to me, but I’m writing this feedback for everyone who wants to hear our opinion about the matter. Recently we had to provide the service to that person and unfortunately for us didn't realise on time that we are dealing with a special person, eccentric, sensitive and quick-tempered. This client was very quiet and friendly most of the tour and didn't express any disappointments. In fact, the client decided to sleep on the rear seats for some while on the return journey without a seat belt (against the driver’s instructions) with his dirty, wet feet on the seat. As a private tour company, we do not give a set commentary but rather explore the time in getting to know the individual and giving relevant information at each point of interest. We gave all relevant information at each stop of point of interest but noticed that the client experienced jetlag and judged wrongly, it seems, with hindsight, that he would not prefer a constant stream of information. As part of our fatigue management plan, the driver must take some rest stops along the course of the day. This day we experienced extremely heavy rainfall and bad driving conditions so the driver must take care of his health for his and his client's benefit. The tour guide has driven this tour a hundred times and has very rarely accompanied the client to the Twelve Apostles as we feel this is very well signposted and the driver has to have an essential rest in readiness for the three-hour drive back to Melbourne. However, if the client had expressed an interest in the tour guide accompanying him for the walk, he would have been more than ready to please. We are very sorry about the fact that the client got lost and will take this information on board as we thought the directions given were very straightforward, we shall review this part of the tour. The stop in Winchelsea is at roughly the halfway point of the return trip and the tour guide did inform the client that we would be stopping there for a toilet break before setting off. We may have misjudged the client's urgency to visit the toilet but, as he knows, the delay in payment was due to his bank. It is client's bank that blocks the transaction and calls him for confirmation. We also requested to make the payment there, as we knew, at the drop-off point, that there was no place to wait. As for the extra time he spent on the tour, we informed him on pick-up of the different tour options and after discussing with the client agreed that the client would like to do the “Great Ocean Road Private tour” rather than the “12 Apostles Express Private tour” and adapted to client's needs. This tour would take 12 hours rather than 8 and the client agreed before departure that this tour would suit him better. In this regard, we got the client back two hours before the usual time and didn't charge any extra for the more expensive product, it was a free upgrade. The client's hotel is located on the slowly moving part of Toorak Road and the tour guide offered to make a right turn into the road next to the hotel but the client assured the driver that it would be fine to drop the client on the opposite side. As for the cost complaint. The client paid us $699 as advertised plus 2.5% credit card surcharge. For that money, we provide to the client with a personal driver-guide and a luxury Mercedes minibus. The client was well aware of the price before he made a booking because I’m the person who sent him this email. The assumption about an alternative way of getting to 12 Apostles for $250 is based on, as the client said: “This specific Uber driver Sandesh said $250”, sounds plausible at least if not incorrect. We check the Uber prices and it says the minimal price with UberX is $727 return, and mind you there will be no waiting time for sightseeing. The luxury option of UberXL (minibus) would cost you more than $1100. Almost immediately after he returns to the hotel, he begins sending messages about a negative experience. The client started with a complaint and then threatened us with negative reviews and legal actions. As I remember he mentioned CATO (which is a voluntary tour operator association), ASIC and the Government. All of it looks like a silly blackmail attempt and he just googled for names that sound loud. All of this time we were trying to find a way to compromise but the client was getting more and more aggressive with each message. The last message contains words like “Do not impose conditions on me. I do not like it.”, “I am getting fed up of this text messaging”, “That is my last word If you do a refund now I close the matter”. I should say to the Client, after all words you said to us directly and publicly, we conclude that you are a “consumer extremist” who’s dealing with companies like ours based on threatening, blackmailing and litigation with the purpose to pay nothing or close to nothing. My only regret is that we crossed and my only wish to you is “Good riddance!”

via Tripadvisor

Easy day trip arrangements from Melbourne

Easy, one stop shopping to book the Great Ocean Road/12 Apostles day trip from Melbourne. Friendly and safe driving service, with good humored commentary, good choice of stops, walks, and views. Then booked a Yarra Valley wine tasting tour for a few days later. One phone call and a few What'sApp messages and all the booking was done. Perfect and friendly follow through on everything.

via Tripadvisor