Ultimate Reverse Direction - 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road - Small Group Tour

Reviews

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  JulieKilbride70 5

  25 Apr 2020

  Paul is a fantastic tour guide. Communication was excellent and he kept us updated with pick times. He was very knowledgeable with his history and facts all through the tour. We stopped at the chocolate shop and had amazing hot chocolate and Paul provided homemade Anzac biscuits, which were delicioius. We stopped for lunch in Apollo Bay, the crepes were freshly made and fab, as was the ice cream. The transport was extremely comfortable, spotless clean and air conditioned. Lots of stops for photographs and wildlife. A must do trip amazing trip with a fantastic host - would definitely recommend.

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  ddkg 5

  01 Apr 2020

  My son and I had one free day in Melbourne. Paul, who was also our driver/guide, opened an extra session of the tour so that we could go on our available day. (Many thanks, Paul!) There were 3 other people who joined the tour. The van was very luxurious and roomy - my 6'4" son had plenty of room for his legs! The trip itself was amazing. The views were great and Paul gave an interesting commentary on the trip. The Anzac biscuits were to die for! I don't know what crowds are like in the afternoon at the 12 Apostles, but in the morning, while there are other people there, you can see the views and take lots of pictures without having to wait for the prime spots. We had plenty of time at each stop and I never felt rushed. The cheese tasting, lunch and ice cream were excellent. My only complaint (if you can call it a complaint) would be that he drove too fast for taking pictures from the van (the scenery is fantastic!). But I know that if he had driven slower, the trip would have taken even longer than it did (it was about 12 hours). I highly recommend this trip and this company!

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  vhlong2103 5

  21 Mar 2020

  Paul is an excellent tour guide. He’s very knowledgeable, warm and understanding. The group is very small. Paul’s customised Mercedes van is modern and spotless clean. We visited the great ocean road during the Corona Virus period. Most things were closed but Paul still tried his best to get us to great viewing spots. He always go an extra mile. If you stayed within Melbourne CBD, he can pick you up and drop you off at your place too. So convenient. Highly recommend. Paul, If you’re reading this, thank you from Brian and Tracy. Take care buddy!

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  Mtotje5th 5

  20 Mar 2020

  This was an awesome journey. Paul was very prompt picking us up and went out of his way to make it a great experience. We had lot of photo ops and food stops. He was very I formative and filled us in on a lot of history and unique facts about the area. Lunch was great in Apollo Bay,as was the ice cream treat! Paul made a long day fun and I would definitely recommend this for others.

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  Trek601427 5

  18 Mar 2020

  Full day with amazing views. Small group made it special! Very knowledgeable and pleasant guide! Well worth excursion. Highly recommend!

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  SCBill 5

  14 Mar 2020

  Take this one. The views along the Great Ocean Road are something you don't want to miss and the reverse direction tour from Escape Discovery is an excellent way to see it. The travel to the Great Ocean Road is long regardless of how you do a tour. But our guide, Paul, made it enjoyable with a constant monologue on Australia, Australians, Melbourne, etc. that made the time pass quickly. The custom mini-van was extremely comfortable with plenty of room - a welcome change from the standard van that fit another row of seats and a lot less leg room. Paul took us to both the normal points along the Great Ocean Road (they were busy but not overcrowded) as well as some that gave great views but were less busy. The included morning stop for coffee and cheese tasting and the afternoon stop for ice cream were excellent even if we didn't try the vegemite ice cream.

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  KM001 5

  12 Mar 2020

  This was a great way to experience the Great Ocean Road in a day. First and foremost, Paul was very knowledgeable and personable. The tour operated in the reverse order in order to avoid the crowds and have the best opportuntiy to get some great pictures. Stops were made along the was at the right frequency and covered all of the appropriate sights. We were also able to see the birds, koalas, and kangaroos. The morning tea/coffee and cheese at the dairy farm was enjoyable as were the lunch and ice cream stops later in the day. We would not hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone.

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  sarahb68NZ76 5

  11 Mar 2020

  Took this tour in Feb 2020 with my husband who has mobility issues and uses a travel scooter to assist him with getting around. We had a wonderful time and it fully met our expectations, so we happily recommend this tour to all guests, but especially for those with mobility issues or special requirements. Positives: - small group (max 11 passengers) which allowed for good conversation with the tour guide and the other passengers. - good support for my husband's mobility issues. His travel scooter was easily accommodated in the back of the van. - good tour commentary and discussion (our tour guide was Brendan). Especially enjoyed the music selection and stories (often linked) that we were treated to by Brendan. - comfortable drive down in the van. - good morning tea stop at a cheese making place that included a hot drink and an excellent cheese tasting plate. - two stops to view the 12 Apostles. It was cold, windy and raining a bit for us but we still had wonderful views and found the coastline to be breathtaking to view. - great place for lunch that served lovely grilled focaccia sandwiches and crepes (savory and sweet) with very generous servings (many people couldn't finish). - chance to see lots of wildlife including koalas (by the side of the road), kangeroos (on a golf course that they seem to consider their feeding grounds) and parrots (by the side of the road). Considerations: - it is a long tour (13 hours) and starts early (7:00-7:30am) - there is lots of driving (over 600kms) but the van has comfortable seats and we had bathroom breaks and drink stops as needed. - make sure you have an early breakfast or pack something to eat as lunch isn't until about 2:30pm, though it is worth waiting for. - if you have any special requirements (like mobility assistance), discuss with Paul beforehand. I found over the phone was the easiest and then a followup confirmation via email. Negatives: - the only negative I had in the whole experience is that Paul isn't always prompt with his email communication. However, with some patience and a few phone calls I got everything, including our special requests to support my husband, sorted in a few weeks.

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  julros 5

  02 Mar 2020

  I was in Melbourne for several weeks and subsequently went on a good number of day tours - this one was by far my favorite! Paul (the director of the Escape tour company) was my tour guide - he was responsive and helpful both before the tour began (figure out where I would get picked up, etc), during the tour, and after (he snapped photos of when a bird landed on my head and sent them to me!). After all the pickups from Melbourne, we drove a bit out to a family owned cheese company and had a cheese tasting. Very nice, very simple, very tasty. We then continued the drive and hit the major Great Ocean Road sites “in reverse” from the usual direction. The reverse direction is nice because we encountered very few other tours on our trip. We had enough time at each stop to walk about and appreciate the magnificent scenery and take photos. Paul even took photos of us at the stops if we wanted. Both on the bus and at the stops his presentations were brief, packed with humor, and very informative - they made the trip much more enjoyable without weighing it down with “history lessons.” The lunch spot was excellent - my only regret is that I forgot to sample the vegemite ice cream at the ice cream place down the block! Along our way we also stopped at a few places to see koalas, magnificent birds, and kangaroos - all in the wild. I highly recommend this tour and tour company - wish I had known about them sooner to book other tours with!

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  cwalter1 5

  17 Feb 2020

  We went on a tour of the Great Ocean Road with Adrian and we had an excellent day. He picked us up bright an early from our hotel in the CBD, and he dropped us off 12 hours later - just in time to grab an 8 pm dinner. The vehicle was very modern, spacious and comfortable. I'm six feet tall and I could stand without hitting my head on the ceiling. And there were only seven of us on the tour, so at times it almost felt like a private tour. As others have mentioned, it does amount to a long (roughly 12 hour) day, but it actually goes by fairly quickly. We took the reverse route (starting with the 12 Apostles) which is the best way to tour the GOR during the busy summer months. Because we went in reverse, we avoided the crush of humanity since 90+% of the tourists were traveling in the opposite direction. We didn't nap during the initial drive to the 12 Apostles, but others did as the seats were so comfortable. It is advisable to eat breakfast before starting the tour, as the stop for lunch (in Apollo Bay) isn't until roughly 2 pm. There are a couple of stops prior to that where food is available if you're happy to eat something from a convenience store, but we were certainly glad we had eaten breakfast before starting the tour. Having said that, the lunch in Apollo Bay is excellent - huge sandwiches and wraps that are more than adequate even for someone with a big appetite - and there's a stop at an ice cream shop after lunch. We were certainly not starving by the time we got back to Melbourne at 7:30 pm. I definitely recommend Escape Discovery Adventures. If you're lucky you'll have Adrian as your driver. He has a nice, easy-going personality and he makes the day fun.

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