From Penneshaw: Kangaroo Island Shore Excursion Tasting Tour

Kangaroo Island puts a surprising amount of flavor into one small corner of South Australia. This seven-hour tasting tour moves from Ligurian bee honey and lavender scones to island wine, gin, vodka and eucalyptus oil, with a coastal photo stop at Pennington Bay along the way. I like the mix of food, drink and local industry, and I like that the tour gives you a practical introduction to the island during a cruise call. The main catch is simple: this is for cruise passengers arriving in Penneshaw only, not for people coming by Sealink Ferry.

I also like the clear return to the ship terminal and the inclusion of tastings, morning or afternoon tea, bottled water and transport. Guides such as Caitlin and Joel have been praised for being friendly, well informed and good-humored. You should still plan your own light lunch, and build in insurance protection, since a ship that cannot dock can leave you with a partial credit rather than a full refund.

Key points at a glance

• Cruise-port timing: The tour begins and ends at the Penneshaw cruise terminal, making it suited to a day ashore during a cruise stop.
• A true island-produce route: Taste honey, wine, gin, vodka, lavender products and eucalyptus oil rather than visiting only scenic lookouts.
• Pennington Bay stop: Look for dolphins and whales from the beach and enjoy a fine view along the Penneshaw coast.
• Distinctive local producers: Visit South Australia’s only commercial eucalyptus oil distillery and learn about Kangaroo Island’s Ligurian bees.
• Lunch is your responsibility: You have time in Kingscote, but lunch is not included. Bring something from the ship or buy food along the way.
• Port disruption matters: The operator recommends travel insurance because a cancelled ship call may not qualify for a full refund inside 24 hours.

What this Kangaroo Island tasting tour is really about

This is not a grand wildlife safari or a full island circuit. It is a food-and-drink introduction to Kangaroo Island, built around several producers and a handful of scenic stops.

That focus works well during a cruise call. You can sample products made on the island, hear how they are produced, and see a little of the countryside between stops. The day also gives you more variety than a simple winery outing. Honey, eucalyptus oil, lavender, wine and spirits each show a different side of local life.

The price is $162 per person. That is not a bargain-basement excursion, but the cost includes port pickup and return, a guide, transport for the full day, tastings, morning or afternoon tea and bottled water. For a cruise passenger, the return to Penneshaw is especially useful. You are paying for a seven-hour day with several included visits, not just a single tasting flight.

The tour suits you best if you enjoy sampling local products and prefer a guided day with a clear schedule. It is less suitable if you want long walks, a major wildlife encounter or complete freedom to set your own pace.

Meeting your guide at Penneshaw

Make your way to the end of the jetty and turn left. Look for the colored flags and a guide holding a sign marked Kangaroo Island Trails, Food & Wine Tour #3.

The meeting arrangement is straightforward, but allow yourself enough time to get off the ship and reach the end of the jetty. The activity is designed for cruise ship passengers arriving in Penneshaw, and it departs from Penneshaw only. It is not intended for people arriving on the Sealink Ferry.

Transport is included throughout the day. The transport service received a perfect score from 91 percent of the people who rated it, which matters on a route with several stops spread across the island. You are not left arranging taxis between producers or trying to match public transport to a cruise schedule.

English is the tour language. The guide is an important part of the experience because the day involves several short visits rather than one long guided attraction. Joel has been praised for delivering plenty of information in a jovial way, while Caitlin has been described as friendly and personable. Those details suggest the tone is relaxed rather than formal.

Pennington Bay starts the coastal story

The day includes a stop at Pennington Bay, where you can take in views along the Penneshaw coast and photograph the beach. Dolphins and whales can often be spotted from this area, although no wildlife sighting is guaranteed.

This is a good early pause because it gives you a sense of Kangaroo Island beyond its tasting rooms. Bring your camera and take advantage of the short stop, but do not expect a long beach visit. The scheduled time here is about 10 minutes, followed by further stretches of driving.

The stop is scenic rather than a dedicated wildlife cruise. You will be looking from shore, so treat dolphins or whales as a lucky extra rather than the main reason to book. If you want a tour centered on wildlife, this food route is not the right choice. If you want a quick coastal view before settling into tastings, it fits well.

Lavender scones at Emu Bay Lavender Farm

Emu Bay Lavender Farm provides the morning tea break, including lavender scones and other lavender products. The scheduled visit lasts about 45 minutes.

The value here is the contrast with the wineries and distillery later in the day. You are not only tasting alcohol. Lavender gives the tour a gentler, more food-focused pause, and morning tea helps break up the driving.

I would treat this as a sampling visit rather than a long farm stay. Forty-five minutes is enough for tea and scones and some browsing, but you will not have unlimited time to wander. The stop works best if you enjoy small local products and want a change from spirits and wine.

Because lunch is not included, do not mistake morning tea for a full meal. You should carry a light lunch from the cruise ship or plan to buy something along the route.

Honey and the Ligurian bee story

At Island Beehive, also referred to as Clifford’s Honey, you learn about the history of the Ligurian bee on Kangaroo Island and taste different honey varieties. The scheduled visit takes about 20 minutes.

The Ligurian bee is a particularly useful detail because it gives the tasting a local identity. You are not simply trying generic honey from a shop shelf. The stop explains why these bees matter on the island, then lets you compare the resulting flavors.

Twenty minutes makes this one of the shorter visits, so expect a focused introduction rather than a long demonstration. That brevity also keeps the whole day moving. You can sample, learn the basic story and continue without losing a large part of your port day.

For me, this is one of the tour’s most distinctive stops. Wine tasting is common on Australian excursions. A Ligurian bee visit gives you something more specific to Kangaroo Island.

Kingscote gives you time to eat and wander

The route includes about an hour in Kingscote. This is your practical chance to stretch your legs, find lunch and get a little independent time in the island’s main town.

Lunch is not included, so use this hour wisely. You can bring a light meal from the ship, as recommended, or buy food along the way. One person who enjoyed the tour would have preferred another 10 minutes added to the lunch break, so you should not assume the hour will feel generous if you want a relaxed meal and a proper walk.

Kingscote also breaks up the producer visits. A full day of tastings can become tiring, especially when you are sampling both wine and spirits. A town stop gives you room to reset before the afternoon visits.

The schedule does not promise a specific lunch venue, and the available information does not specify exactly what food you will find. Think of Kingscote as useful free time rather than a hosted culinary stop.

Bay of Shoals Wines brings in the vineyards

Bay of Shoals Wines is scheduled for about 45 minutes and includes wine tasting. This is the clearest traditional winery stop on the route.

The visit gives you a chance to taste Kangaroo Island wine in a producer setting rather than ordering a glass as an afterthought. The stop is long enough for a proper tasting, though not long enough for an unhurried winery afternoon.

I like the placement after Kingscote. You have had some time away from the bus and can approach the wine tasting with more energy. If you do not drink alcohol, the wider tour still offers honey, lavender and eucalyptus products, but the wine stop will naturally be less important to you.

The day includes tastings, but it does not state that purchases or bottles are included. Plan to pay separately for anything you want to take home.

Kangaroo Island Spirits adds gin and vodka

At Kangaroo Island Spirits, you taste gin, vodka and other liquor. The scheduled visit lasts about 45 minutes.

This is one of the stronger reasons to choose the tour over a standard sightseeing loop. You get to compare different forms of island production in one day, from honey and lavender to wine and distilled spirits. The spirits stop also gives the afternoon a clear change of pace after the winery.

You should pace yourself. Several tastings are included across the day, and the tour still has a long drive and another producer visit. Sampling does not require you to drink every pour, and a careful approach will help you enjoy the entire seven hours.

The stop is best for adults interested in regional spirits and production methods. It is not a good match if you want a day with no alcohol-related visits, even though several nonalcoholic and food-based stops are included.

Eucalyptus oil at Emu Ridge

Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery is billed as South Australia’s only commercial eucalyptus oil distillery. The visit lasts about 30 minutes and explains how the oil is made through distillation.

This is the tour’s most industrial and educational stop. You get a look at a traditional Australian bush product and hear how the distillation process works. It adds useful context to the island’s local economy instead of treating the day as a string of tastings.

The half-hour visit is short but well chosen. You do not need a full afternoon to understand the basic process, and the stop offers a welcome break from alcoholic drinks. If you are buying souvenirs, eucalyptus oil may also be more practical than another bottle of wine.

The tour material describes the distillery visit as part of the included route, but it does not promise a hands-on demonstration. Expect explanation and a look at the production process rather than a workshop.

The driving time is part of the day

The itinerary includes several coach segments, including a longer drive of about one hour and further stretches between the island’s producers. This is the tradeoff for covering honey, lavender, wine, spirits, eucalyptus oil and the coast in one day.

You will spend a meaningful amount of time in the vehicle. That is not wasted time on Kangaroo Island, since the route connects stops that are not next door to one another, but you should choose this tour with a road-based day in mind.

The transport rating is encouraging, and the guide provides the commentary that links the stops together. Still, anyone who dislikes sitting on a bus should consider a shorter single-location tasting instead.

A small group is possible, since one booking was described as having a small group, but the tour does not guarantee a specific group size. That can affect how much personal attention you receive and how quickly each stop runs.

What the $162 price includes

At $162 per person, the tour offers reasonable value if you plan to use most of the day. The included package covers:

• Pickup and drop-off at the Penneshaw cruise terminal
• Transport during the activity
• An English-speaking guide
• All listed tastings
• Morning or afternoon tea
• Bottled water

The value is strongest for cruise passengers. Independent transport around Kangaroo Island would take planning, and missing the ship is not an acceptable risk. Here, the operator organizes the route and returns you to the same port.

The price is less attractive if you do not drink alcohol or do not care about food producers, since wine and spirit tastings form a substantial part of the day. It is also not an all-inclusive food tour. Lunch costs extra, so add that to your budget.

Bring water, even though bottled water is provided. Large bags and luggage are not allowed, so leave cruise luggage elsewhere.

Cancellation and cruise-day risk

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and the booking option allows you to reserve now and pay later. Check the available starting time for your cruise date.

The important issue is a ship that fails to dock or tender. If notice arrives inside the 24-hour period, the operator treats the booking as a no-show because transport, ferry arrangements, catering and staff costs have already been committed. The stated remedy is a 50 percent credit toward a later tour and a letter for an insurance claim, rather than a full refund.

I would take the recommendation for travel insurance seriously. A cruise line excursion may have different refund terms, so compare the protection before booking. This is not a complaint about the sightseeing itself. It is simply the financial risk of booking an independent shore excursion when weather or port conditions can change your day.

Who should book this tour?

Book it if you want a broad taste of Kangaroo Island in one organized day. It is especially suitable for cruise passengers who enjoy local food, wine and spirits, want a few scenic photographs, and prefer a guide to handle the driving.

You will likely appreciate the range of stops: lavender scones in the morning, honey, a coastal lookout, wine, spirits and eucalyptus oil. The most praised qualities are the friendly guides and the pleasant, informative tone. Joel and Caitlin are two names associated with that style, although your guide may be someone else.

Think twice if you want a long wildlife encounter, a serious hiking day or a leisurely lunch. The schedule is full, the coastal stop is short, and lunch is not included. Also check your cruise docking plans and insurance before committing.

FAQ

Is this tour available to ferry passengers?

No. It is designed for cruise ship passengers arriving in Penneshaw and is not for people arriving on the Sealink Ferry.

Where does the tour begin?

Meet at the end of the Penneshaw jetty, turn left, and look for the colored flags. Your guide will hold a sign marked Kangaroo Island Trails, Food & Wine Tour #3.

How long is the experience?

The tour lasts seven hours, including transport between the stops.

What tastings are included?

The experience includes tastings of Kangaroo Island honey, wine, gin, vodka and other liquor, plus lavender products and morning or afternoon tea.

Is lunch included?

No. You should bring a light lunch from the cruise ship or buy food along the way. Kingscote provides about an hour for a break.

Does the tour visit a eucalyptus oil distillery?

Yes. You visit Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery, described as South Australia’s only commercial eucalyptus oil distillery, and learn about the distillation process.

Can I see dolphins or whales?

Pennington Bay is a place where dolphins and whales can often be spotted, but sightings are not guaranteed. The stop is also useful for beach and coastal photographs.

What should I bring?

Bring water. Bottled water is included, but the activity also specifically recommends that you bring water. Large bags and luggage are not allowed.

What happens if my cruise ship does not dock?

If the ship does not dock and notice is given within 24 hours, the tour is non-refundable under the stated policy. You may receive a 50 percent credit for a later tour and a letter for an insurance claim, so travel insurance is strongly recommended.