What you do Ride one of the world's great coastal drives in a private vehicle, arriving at the 12 Apostles at golden hour when the limestone stacks glow amber above the Southern Ocean. This is the definitive Victorian bucket-list day.

What to expect Your private driver-guide collects you dockside and heads west along the cliff-hugging Shipwreck Coast. You'll walk the rainforest boardwalk at Kennett River to spot wild koalas, then stand on the platform at the 12 Apostles as the stacks emerge from morning mist. Lunch is taken at a locally loved restaurant in Lorne or Apollo Bay rather than a tourist canteen. The return run north through the Otway Ranges gives you rolling green hills, Cape Otway Lighthouse, and a glass of regional wine on the way back.

Good to know The Great Ocean Road runs roughly 220 km west of Port Melbourne — allow a full day (10–11 hrs). Melbourne's cruise terminal is at Station Pier, Port Melbourne; pre-book the pick-up directly for dockside collection. Confirm all-aboard time with your ship and build in a 90-min buffer for the return leg.

book direct with Melbourne Private Tours → · the full guide →

What you do Watch hundreds of Little Penguins waddle ashore at dusk on Phillip Island — one of Australia's most extraordinary wildlife spectacles — then encounter koalas and wallabies in the wild on the same day.

What to expect The island sits roughly 90 minutes southeast of Melbourne, and the journey itself delivers sweeping views of Westernport Bay. Arrive in time to explore the Koala Conservation Reserve, where treetop boardwalks bring you eye-to-eye with wild koalas. As the sun sets over Summerlands Beach, the first penguins surface from the surf — then hundreds follow in wave after wave, shuffling past your boots to their burrows. Guides narrate the science and conservation story in real time.

Good to know Photography with flash is strictly prohibited — a phone-torch mode is fine. Book the Ranger Guided Sunset Tour well in advance as capacity is tiny. Phillip Island is about 140 km from Station Pier; pair with a private transfer for door-to-door comfort and to guarantee all-aboard timing.

book direct with Phillip Island Nature Parks (official) → · the full guide →

What you do Victoria's premier cool-climate wine region unfolds just 60 minutes from the dock — Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling Blanc de Blancs poured against a backdrop of rolling vine-covered hills and misty mountain ranges.

What to expect A luxury vehicle collects you at Station Pier and heads into the Dandenong Ranges and on to the Yarra Valley floor. Three or four handpicked estates await, each with a dedicated tasting hosted by the winemaker or cellar-door expert. Lunch is a long table affair at a vineyard restaurant, with matched wines and local produce — think truffle, farmhouse cheese, and smoked duck. The late-afternoon return passes through Healesville township, with time to browse if you wish.

Good to know The Yarra Valley is approximately 75 km northeast of Port Melbourne — typically a 60–75 min drive. An all-day private tour comfortably returns before standard all-aboard times; confirm your ship's schedule when booking. Cellar doors at top estates can sell out; the operator pre-books all tasting slots.

book direct with Melbourne Private Tours → · the full guide →

What you do Step inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground — the spiritual home of Australian sport and one of the world's greatest stadiums — for an expert-led behind-the-scenes tour of spaces that are closed on match days.

What to expect You enter the ground through the members' gates and are led by an expert guide — many are former players or lifelong MCG insiders — deep into the stadium's working heart. The Long Room is lined with Victorian-era cricket portraits; the players' rooms still carry the electric feeling of a dressing room on game day. The Australian Sports Museum, included in the premium experience, houses the Ashes Urn, Don Bradman's baggy green, and Cathy Freeman's Sydney 2000 Olympic torch suit. The 100,024-seat bowl seen from the boundary is staggering.

Good to know Tours depart daily and run approximately 75 minutes (standard) or 2 hours (premium). The MCG is a 20-minute tram ride from the CBD and about 35 minutes from Station Pier via taxi or rideshare. Pre-book online — popular time slots sell out. If the ship calls during the AFL season (March–September), try to coincide with a match-day afternoon for the full atmosphere.

book direct with Melbourne Cricket Ground (official) → · the full guide →

What you do Duck into the graffiti-splashed secret laneways that made Melbourne famous, sampling world-class espresso, hawker-style dumplings, and craft chocolate with a local foodie guide who knows every hidden door.

What to expect The walk threads through Degraves Street, AC/DC Lane, and Caledonian Lane — Melbourne's famous outdoor gallery — before surfacing at the Queen Victoria Market for its extraordinary multicultural food hall. You'll pull espresso at a third-wave roastery, fold your own bao, spoon through a Cantonese dumpling tasting, and finish with single-origin chocolate in a hidden arcade. Your guide weaves in the city's gold-rush history, its immigrant food culture, and the civic pride that makes Melbourne consistently rank as one of the world's most liveable cities.

Good to know The walk covers approximately 3–4 km over 3.5 hours and is mostly flat — comfortable walking shoes required. Station Pier is a 15-minute taxi or rideshare to the CBD start point. Ideal for half-day port calls; the morning departure is best before the markets grow busy. Book directly with Local Way Tours to secure small-group placement.

book direct with Local Way Tours → · the full guide →

What you do Ride to Level 88 of the Eureka Tower and step onto The Edge — a glass cube that cantilevers you 300 metres above Melbourne's glittering skyline — for a perspective on the city that simply cannot be replicated at street level.

What to expect The lift rockets to Level 88 in under 40 seconds, its interior darkened; the doors open to a 360-degree panorama of Melbourne laid out in every direction. Interactive displays map every neighbourhood, from the Royal Botanic Gardens to the MCG. The Edge cube slides out on the south face — the floor, walls, and ceiling are pure glass, offering an unobstructed view straight down to the Yarra River below. Allow an hour here, then combine with the walkable Southbank Promenade, Crown entertainment precinct, and Federation Square steps away.

Good to know Pre-book The Edge online as timed sessions sell out, especially on clear days and weekends. The Eureka Tower is on Riverside Quay, Southbank — 35 minutes from Station Pier via taxi or rideshare, and easily walkable from the CBD. Combine with the Laneways Food Walk (morning) for a superb full-day itinerary. Not suitable for those with severe vertigo.

book direct with Melbourne Skydeck at Eureka Tower (official) → · the full guide →

What you do A bespoke, gourmet-catered private tour covering Seal Bay, Remarkable Rocks & Flinders Chase with an expert local guide. Arguably the finest single day possible on the island — intimate, unhurried, and extraordinary.

What to expect Your private guide collects you from the pier and sets the pace entirely around your group. You'll walk the Seal Bay boardwalk alongside wild Australian sea lions with a ranger, then stand atop the wind-sculpted granite domes of Remarkable Rocks as the Southern Ocean crashes below. A gourmet spread using local KI produce — island cheese, charcuterie, and wine — is laid out at a scenic stop. The day closes at Admiral's Arch, where New Zealand fur seals bask beneath a naturally formed rock tunnel.

Good to know Pre-book well in advance — private departures fill quickly around cruise calls. The guide monitors all-aboard times and will return you to the pier with time to spare. Seal Bay requires a national park pass (included by most operators).

book direct with Exceptional Kangaroo Island → · the full guide →

What you do Walk among a wild colony of rare Australian sea lions on one of the most pristine beaches in the Southern Hemisphere. Ranger-guided access brings you within metres of pups, bulls, and mothers in their natural habitat.

What to expect An accredited park ranger leads your small group down the dune path onto the pristine, ivory arc of Seal Bay. You'll spend 45 minutes on the sand, patiently observing sea lions resting, socialising, and nursing pups at close — but respectful — range. The ranger narrates their behaviour, diving rhythms, and conservation story with genuine passion. It is one of the only places on Earth where you can walk freely among a wild, unmanaged sea lion colony.

Good to know Book the first or second morning session to avoid midday heat. The park is about 60 km from the Penneshaw pier — arrange private transfers or a hire vehicle. The guided beach tour must be pre-booked online; self-guided boardwalk access is available but far less rewarding.

book direct with Seal Bay Conservation Park (DEW South Australia — official) → · the full guide →

What you do Scramble across gravity-defying granite boulders perched on a cliff above the Southern Ocean, then walk through an ancient basalt arch alive with fur seals. Two of Australia's most photographed natural wonders in one wild half-day.

What to expect You arrive at Remarkable Rocks — 500-million-year-old granite domes streaked with orange lichen — as morning light sets them ablaze in amber and rust. Your guide shares the geological story of these surreal formations while you scramble, photograph, and simply marvel. A short drive brings you to Admiral's Arch: a wave-carved tunnel at the headland tip where dozens of New Zealand fur seals bask on the rocks below a hanging garden of stalactites. The roar of the Southern Ocean is visceral and unforgettable.

Good to know Flinders Chase is 100 km from Penneshaw — allow at least 2.5 hours' drive time round trip. Wear sturdy shoes; the rocks can be slippery. Pre-book your private guide and confirm your all-aboard time clearly so the itinerary is tailored around it.

book direct with Kangaroo Island Trails (Private Tours) → · the full guide →

What you do Seek out wild koalas dozing in manna gums, then join an expert guide after dusk to spotlight possums, wallabies, echidnas, and more in their natural bush habitat. One of the most magical wildlife evenings in Australia.

What to expect Your guide leads you through the sanctuary's eucalyptus groves in the late afternoon, pausing beneath trees where koalas sleep curled in the forks of branches just metres above. As dusk falls, the forest transforms: spotlights pick out the reflective eyes of brushtail possums, Tammar wallabies graze in the clearings, and echidnas trundle along the sandy tracks. The sanctuary's private land means wildlife density here is exceptional, and the absence of light pollution makes the Southern Sky above utterly breathtaking.

Good to know The evening tour timing works best for cruise passengers on late-afternoon or overnight calls — confirm your ship's all-aboard time before booking. The sanctuary is on the island's south coast (~110 km from Penneshaw); arrange private transfers. Book directly on the Hanson Bay website.

book direct with Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary → · the full guide →

What you do Stand in the open air as wedge-tailed eagles, owls, falcons, and kites fly just centimetres overhead in one of Australia's most celebrated birds-of-prey shows. An adrenaline-tinged, deeply moving encounter with apex aerial hunters.

What to expect You settle into an open-air amphitheatre carved into native bushland as the show begins with the soft hoot of a barn owl gliding silently overhead. Handlers release a succession of raptors — each with its own story — culminating in the awe-inspiring flight of a wedge-tailed eagle, Australia's largest bird of prey, which sweeps low enough for you to feel the rush of its wings. Commentary is expert, passionate, and laced with real conservation urgency. There is an optional 'meet the reptiles' add-on for those who dare.

Good to know Shows run at set times throughout the day — check the schedule and book ahead to guarantee your preferred session. Located near Seal Bay in the island's central south, making it an ideal pairing with a Seal Bay visit. Allow 90 minutes including the reptile encounter.

the full guide →

What you do Discover Kangaroo Island's remarkable cool-climate wines at one of its most acclaimed boutique wineries, then follow with a tasting at the island's celebrated artisan distillery. A connoisseur's afternoon on one of Australia's most exciting emerging wine frontiers.

What to expect Bay of Shoals' cellar door overlooks American River and the tranquil inland waterway that gives the wine its unique terroir — crisp Rieslings, structured Shiraz, and estate-grown Cabernet poured in a beautifully unhurried setting. A short drive brings you to Kangaroo Island Spirits, where the distiller explains how native botanicals — lemon myrtle, Samphire, native juniper — are woven into world-class gins and liqueurs. The island's purity of air, water, and botanical life is tasted in every glass.

Good to know Both venues are near Kingscote, making this an ideal combination for a self-guided or privately chauffeured afternoon. Arrange a private driver or join a small-group food & wine tour (Exceptional Kangaroo Island also offers this itinerary). Purchase bottles to take home — both ship internationally.

the full guide →