Melbourne

First of all, I highly recommend it. Although it's not cheap, costing around NT$5,000 per day, the trip was at the end of October. Australia is on daylight saving time, so we met around 11 am and didn't return to the hotel until around 11 pm. The itinerary included lunch, a miniature train ride, the zoo, and the penguins. We booked a group of 20 people, but we originally wanted a smaller group, which was full. Luckily, there were only 7 people today, which was fantastic. The bus was large and clean, which alone earned it 100 points. The driver/guide was also very nice, introducing the sights, telling stories about history, and even helping us take photos. We were also lucky that the weather was super nice. The highlight of the trip was seeing the penguins. We upgraded to "plus" for an extra fee, which I think was well worth it. The penguins were very clear, but it was extremely cold, so we had to stand in the wind for at least half an hour before we could see the penguins slowly returning home. So, if the weather is very cold, it might be even better to go underground.

The tour leader was a kind person, the vehicle was excellent, and the itinerary was well-managed, not rushed at all (we didn't go to the zoo). There's a cafe near the Rainbow Hut where you can have lunch, and the one-hour train ride to Puffing Billy was fantastic – it was great not having to get off halfway. There's also a restaurant at the penguin center (the fish and chips were delicious), so I didn't have to worry about going hungry the whole way.

The English-speaking travel guide Gary was very experience with nice attitude to the tour group. He was very patient even when two people in the group disappeared for 15 minutes without being able to reach them. The Puffing Billy railway ride was interesting. The Penguin tour was quite disappointed as we could only see a few dozens coming back even though sitting for an hour. Not really worth travelling a long way unless spend more time on the island to watch more penguins coming on shore later at night.

The guided tour was simply excellent. Before going, I was worried about whether I would enjoy a mixed English and Chinese tour, but even as a Japanese person, I had no problems enjoying it! The tour guide was very attentive to my concerns and frequently asked about the meeting time and if there was anything I needed to know, so I was able to tour with peace of mind. Above all, you can really feel their desire to have fun! They taught me local information and history, which was also educational. I was lucky enough to see a koala, and it was adorable to see it rocking to sleep. The weather was also beautiful, so the scenery was amazing, and I was able to take in the local cityscape, which is something you can only get from a bus tour. I would definitely request this tour again if I go to Melbourne again!