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Thank
you for visiting the French
Island
Eco
Tours, Products & Services Page.
Last
Updated October 2008
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Please ring or e-mail me if you are
desperate for some hard copy info and I will try to help you.
Regards Rod xxxx 61 1300 30 70 54 Phone/Fax or 0429 177 532. (info@frenchislandecotours.com.au)
1. French Island Eco Tours - Products
- Afternoon General Interest Eco Tour (Schedule:
November – May: Wednesday and Sunday Afternoons, PLUS January
Fridays, June, July, September, October – Sundays only, other days
by arrangement) For around $A40 enjoy a 12 minute ferry ride, delicious
organic lunch, an award winning, entertaining and informative tour,
exploring French Island, its National Park and McLeod Eco Farm &
Historic Prison. (Note: You can supply your own lunch and enjoy our sweets
as an afternoon tea tour.) Please discuss departure times, as these will
vary between 12.00 noon and 12.35pm, depending on the day. Return time
approx 5.00pm. Please Note: Ferry fares of around $20Adults,$15 concesion, $5Children
are extra.
- No Frills
tours (ie BYO Lunch etc, etc) by arrangement. (Please Note:
We understand the cost of lunch can be too expensive for some groups, so
please don't hesitate to ask about our BYO option..)
- Tours at
other times are by arrangement: PLEASE CONTACT
us. 0429 177 532
- Scheduled
Full Day Tours (Please
ring to arrange as this tour only operates subject to numbers and if I
have time before the afternoon tour. Note you can always come and have a
cuppa, go on a walk or chill out before the afternoon tour commences) Tours are
Sunday's commencing at 10 am, exploring the West Coast (Hastings side) and
other attractions such as a Pinnacles walk, or visit to the Island's Queen
Bee/honey farm, and places we don't have time to visit on our regular
afternoon tour. At 12.15 to 12.35 pm we join our regular afternoon
tour, with the optional organic lunch etc. Prices start at $80 retail per
adult, Concession $75, Children $45. Subtract $10 pp if you want to bring
your own lunch.
v.
Saturday Evening Twilight Dinner
Tours During January to Easter, when daylight savings time
is in, we will be doing a TWILIGHT SATURDAY evening Organic DINNER and
eco-tour. Times are approximately, 6.00 till 11.00 pm. This tour includes the special
organic dinner, similar to our daytours, but with
more emphasis on entertainment and having a good time. THIS GETAWAY IS GREAT
FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES OR SPECIAL EVENTS. Price around $65 inc
ferry, departs around 6.30pm, returns 11.30pm.
vi.
Special Interest Bird Watching , Wildflower, Nature and Heritage Tours of French Island
National Park and
surrounds. (Please enquire about times and dates)
- School Group Tours Tailored
to schools wishes, with an emphasis on nature, tree planting, lifestyles
etc. Catering for Primary and Secondary Schools, University, Colleges of
Advanced Learning. (Tourism Courses a specialty.)
- Seniors and other Club Group DAY Tours (Emphasis
on history, pioneer stories etc.)
- Guest
Speaking (Probus
& other mainland Clubs, Subjects - French Island the Mystery Island.)
- Schedules
& Booking Please ring or email for the
latest details.
2.
Recommendations
The following section is a list of established accommodation and tour
operators who recommend the French
Island Eco Tour and/or
have included the tour in their advertising material. Where available, links to
the home pages of these operators have been established.
- MOTELS
- BED
& BREAKFAST's
- BACKPACKERS
HOSTELS, YOUTH HOSTELS, ETC
- TOUR
OPERATORS (Including Bus Companies)
- BOOKING
AGENCIES
- CONFERENCE
ORGANISERS
- INFORMATION
CENTRES
- STATE
OR REGIONAL TOURISM ASSOCIATIONS
- LOCAL
TOURISM ASSOCIATIONS
3. Accreditation
4. Community Goodwill Tours
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End of Page Table of Contents ----------------------------------------------------------
1. French Island Eco Tours - Products
a) Afternoon General Interest Eco Tour For
around $A40, enjoy a delicious organic lunch, an entertaining and informative
tour, exploring French Island, its National Park and McLeod Eco Farm &
Historic Prison. (Please note: For $25, you can supply your own lunch but enjoy
our sweets as an afternoon tea tour.) Please discuss departure times, as these will
vary between 12.00 noon and 12.35pm, depending on the day. Return
time approx 5.00pm.
Note:
Ferry fares are extra and cost around $20 Adults,$15 concesion, $5Children are extra. The ferry/cruiser is an
important part of the French
Island day, allowing you
time to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the “mainland” and get
ready for the “adventure” which lies ahead.
Schedule:
November to May: Wednesday and Sunday Afternoons, PLUS January Fridays, June,
July, September, October – Sundays only.
Tours
for groups, schools are generally organised on other days than those mentioned
above, by arrangement.
The tour discusses the threats to French
Island, and what is being done
(practically) to conserve areas such as French Island
in their pristine states, for the benefit of the endangered flora and fauna,
and the enjoyment of future generations.
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Wildlife Coast Cruises: Kasey Lee
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Inter Island
Ferries: George Bass
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Tankerton Jetty walk.
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FIET’s 22 seat minibus, 49 seat coach
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The tour highlights the amazing environment, fascinating history,
unbelievable geology, pioneer lifestyles, combined with the local flora and
fauna (including guaranteed sightings of koalas in the wild), together with
spectacular scenery and countless Island legends and stories.
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“The
Lodge”
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Scenery
Stop
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Koala
spotting.
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Koalas
in the Wild
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The
general interest/discovery tour is tailored as an introduction to French Island,
allowing the participant to experience the Island's isolation, beauty and
difference of French
Island, first hand.
The
tour takes in all the sights, discussing the amazing gifts of nature such as
the short tailed shearwater, the koala, the echidna, the sea eagle, potoroos,
king quail, orchids etc, along with the lifestyles, hardships, and the joys of
its 80 human inhabitants.
The
Island's features such as geological features, native populations, the water
table, industries, and fascinating heritage are also discussed in a fun and entertaining manner. The tour concludes
with a discussion of the threats to French
Island, what the
“authorities” are doing to preserve French Islan.
The trends in population growth, land sales are also discussed.
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French Island's "Diamaru"
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PERSEVERENCE Primary School
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Salt
Mine Point Barge Landing
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McLeod
Eco Farm Dining Room
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"Scheduled" Tours depart regularly (subject to bookings) from Stony Point at around 12.30pm..
The tours are arranged to meet train passengers who can catch either the
Inter-Island public transport Ferry which departs Stony Pt at 12.00pm or on
Weekdays, the Wildlife Coast Cruises, Kasey Lee will pick you
up at around 12.35pm. From Cowes, people can do
the tour Sundays and Wednesdays and book with Wildlife
Coast Cruises, at the Cowes Rotunda or on 1300 763 739 and depart
at 12.15 pm. We are happy to take passengers who are already on French Island, enjoying overnight accommodation, or choose to take
the public transport ferry earlier in the day. Please call me on 0429 177 532
Please ring us about any other time, including Saturdays. We often have
tours on Saturdays, but these need special discussion. Please ring if in doubt,
we need a minimum of 6 adult participants for the tour to proceed. We can
operate with less people, however we may have to
charge a little more money to cover costs. Sorry!.
The best phone number to contact me on is 0429 177 532. or 1300 30 70 54
(Please note we have a short break during the wet season in August to
early September, to allow us a little to catch up on major maintenance etc.)
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL.
b) Special Interest Bird Watching , Wildflower,
Nature and Heritage Tours of French Island
National Park and
surrounds. (Nominally the last Saturday of the month is a special interest birdwatching tour) Please ring for details.
c) School Group Tours Educational
tours cater for all schools with an emphasis on nature, tree planting,
lifestyles and French
Island's unique
environmental culture, we can all appreciate and learn from etc.
All Schools can be accommodated, from Primary, Secondary, University, Colledges of Advanced Learning. eg Tourism and Eco-Science Field
days are a specialty.
A special treat is to spend time at Perseverance Primary School
(subject to availability and teachers OK), and even help them with some of
their exciting projects.
Ring for prices, providing schools have reasonable numbers, it can be
surprisingly inexpensive and well worth the extra spent on ferry fares. Times 10am to 4.45pm. Please ring or email for prices and a
subject/activities list. 0429 177 532.
Typical activities include: shearwater talk, alternative energy talk,
koala viewing and talk, visit to Perseverence Primary
School (one of the smallest in Victoria with only 9 pupils), marine life
exploring at Salt Mine point , campfire lunch, Billy tea, organic farming talk
, and tree planting for the koalas including the presentation of a souvenir
certificate.
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Alternative
Energy
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Talking
Echidnas
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Campfire
Billy Tea talk
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Tree
Planting
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School group tours are usually held on weekdays ,
departing Stony Point jetty at around 10am,
returning about 4 to 4.45pm. Assuming the children bring their own lunch, the
day costs between $20
to $30 pp depending on numbers (including ferry, trees, tree
planting certificate, eco farm entry etc. (Note: 1 adult per 10 children are
free) Price depends on group size. FOR BOOKINGS PLEASE RING ROD ON 0429 177
532.
d) Seniors and other
Club Group Tours (Emphasis
on history, pioneer stories etc.)
Seniors or Club tours are usually held on weekdays ,
departing Stony Point jetty at around 10am, returning about 4.30 pm., timed to
catch the train departing Frankston at 9.05pm and the return train departing
Stony Pt. at 5.07 pm.
The tour includes a FREE morning tea, West coast tour, short walk to Fairhaven beach, barge
landing visit, McLeod Eco Farm for lunch, prison and farm tour, plus coach
return.
Due to the popularity and quality of the food available at McLeod Eco
Farm, most clubs are choosing to have the buffet style organic luncheon of
stress free killed meats, home made breads, organic vegetables and salads
freshly picked on the day of the tour.
This costs around $30 to $40 dollars pp, plus ferry fares around $15.
If the group bring their own lunch, and have a delicious afternoon tea,
the day costs between $35 to $45, including GST, ferry, morning and afternoon
teas, and eco farm entry. Note: Price depends on group size. FOR BOOKINGS
PLEASE RING ROD ON 0429 177 532.
e) Guest Speaking (Probus & other mainland Clubs, Subjects - French Island
the Mystery Island., Tourism - The Next Millinium) Please note: These talks are basically free of
charge, however, a small financial contribution to our out of pocket expenses
would be appreciated.
f)
Schedules & Booking
"Scheduled" Tours depart regularly (subject to bookings) from Stony Point at around 12 to 12.30pm returning just after
5pm. The tours are arranged to meet train passengers who can catch either the
Inter-Island public transport Ferry which departs Stony Pt at 12.00pm.
On Weekdays, the Wildlife
Coast Cruises, Kasey Lee
will pick you up at around 12.35pm. From Cowes,
people can do the tour Sundays and Wednesdays and book with Wildlife Coast
Cruises, at the Cowes
Rotunda or on 1300 763 739
departing at 12.15 pm. We are happy to take passengers who are
already on French
Island, enjoying
overnight accommodation, or those who choose to take the public transport ferry
earlier in the day. Please call me on 0429 177 532
Schedule: November to May: Wednesday and Sunday Afternoons, PLUS January
Fridays, …… June, July, September, October
– Sundays only …August Closed
Please ring us about any other time, including Saturdays. We often have
tours on Saturdays, but these need special discussion. Please ring if in doubt,
we need a minimum of 6 adult participants for the tour to proceed. We can
operate with less people, however we may have to
charge a little more money to cover costs. Sorry!.
The best phone numbers to contact me is mobile 0429 177 532.
2. Recommendations
2a. Tourism Awards from Tourism & Business Organisations
- WINNER, 2003/4
Frankston & Mornington
Peninsula Awards,
Eco-Tourism Excellence Award
- WINNER, 2002
Yellow Pages, Victorian Tourism Awards, Eco-Tourism Category
- Highly
Recommended FINALIST AWARD,
2001, Mornington
Peninsula Business
Council, Tourism Category
- MERIT AWARD,
2001 Ansett Australia, Victorian Tourism
Awards, Environmental Tourism Category
- MERIT AWARD,
2000 Ansett Australia, Victorian Tourism
Awards, Environmental Tourism Category
- FINALIST AWARD,
2000, Mornington
Peninsula Business
Council, Tourism Category
- FINALIST AWARD,
1999, Mornington
Peninsula Business
Council, Tourism & Hospitality Category
2b. Tourism Operators.
The following section is a list of established accommodation and tour
operators who recommend the French
Island Eco Tour and/or
have included the tour in their advertising material. Where available, links to
the home pages of these operators have been established.
a) MOTELS
- Abby
Appartments - Frankston, (xxx 61 03 5975 2130)
- Tortoise
Head Guest House - Tankerton, French
Island, (xxx 61 03
5980 1234)
b) BED & BREAKFAST's
c) BACKPACKERS HOSTELS, YOUTH HOSTELS, ETC
- Mcleod
Eco Farm & Historical Prison - French Island, (xxx 61 03 5678 0155)
d) TOUR OPERATORS
(Including Bus Companies)
- Bay
Connections Ferry Charters and Tours - San Remo, (xxx 61 03
5678 5642)
- Hastings
Coaches - Hastings, (xxx 61 03 5979 4300)
- Tri-Star Aviation Moorabbin
Airport
- Australian
Wildlife Tours Australia (Inbound Operator)
- Pearcedale
Conservation Park/Moonlit Sanctuary (03-5978 7935)
e) BOOKING AGENCIES
- Mornington
Peninsula Information Centre & Booking Service - Dromana, (xxx 61 03
5987 3078, (xxx 61 1800 000811))
f) INFORMATION CENTRES
- Melbourne
Information Centre - Melbourne Town Hall, ((xxx 61 03 9658 8864)
- Mornington
Peninsula Information Centre & Booking Service - Dromana, (xxx 61 03
5987 3078)
- Frankston
Information Centre - Frankston, (xxx 61 03 9770 1822)
- Mornington
Information Centre - Mornington, (xxx 61 03 5975 1644)
g) CONFERENCE ORGANISERS
- Inner
Wheel Australia,
1999 Conference Committee,
- Frankston
Cultural Centre - Frankston , (xxx 61 3 9784 1070)
h) STATE/REGIONAL TOURISM ASSOCIATIONS
- Mornington Peninsula
Tourism Association (xxx 61 03 5987 3078)
i) LOCAL
TOURISM ASSOCIATIONS
- French Island
Tourist Association - (xxx 61 03 5980 1209)
- Frankston
Tourist Association - (xxx 61 03 9787 9633)
- Western Port
Tourist Association - (xxx 61 ?)
- Northern Mornington Peninsula Tourist
Association - (xxx 61 03 5975 2435)
2c. Customers.
We have countless customer referrals, often who say "This is the
BEST TOUR we have been on and we have experienced many". A
"testimonial" list is currently being compiled. Please ring or email if
this is of interest.
3. Accreditation
1. French Island Eco Tours are an Accredited Bus, Coach and Tour
operator (#AC00856), under the Victorian Dept Of
Infrastructure.
2. French Island
Eco Tours are accredited with the Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria under the
Better Business Accreditation Program.
3. French Island Eco Tours are avnaced
ecotourism accredited members of the Ecotourism Association of under the NEAP
Program. This standard has been the basis of the International "Green
Globe 21" World wide standards for eco-tourism operations and it is
expected Green Globe 21 accreditation will follow.
4. French Island Eco tours are Parks Victoria, Licenced
Tour Operator No PV 1525
4. Community Goodwill Tours
- Frankston Susono Friendship Association - May 1995
- Victims of Chenobyl
- Childrens Tour May 1998
- Frankston Susono Friendship Association - Childrens
Tour August 1998
- Victims
of Chenobyl - Childrens
Camp and Tour May 1999
- Australian Koala
Foundation September 1999
- Victims of Chenobyl - Childrens
Goodwill Tour - June 2002