Dandenong Ranges Private Tour Including William Ricketts Sanctuary

Reviews

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  christopher_r 5

  21 Nov 2021

  Awesome nature immersion saw kangaroo lyre bird kookaburras cockatoos and many smaller birds amongst giant eucalypts

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  Nilesh C 5

  23 Jan 2021

  A fantastic day with Jay to the William Ricketts sanctuary was definitely the highlight of the trip. Jay is such a warm , friendly guy and very knowledgeable . His detailed explanations on each of the sculptures and an insight into the Aboriginal cultures was very soul stirring . I think this has been a very inspiring and humbling experience for me . Thank you Jay .

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  KarenECS 5

  12 Mar 2020

  The William Rickets Sanctuary, the lunch and the forest walk were each amazing--and each was enhanced (along with the car ride!) by the conversations with Jay. We highly recommend this trip. In addition, we subsequently booked a private tour with Jay to the Mornington Penisula, with a hike and a visit to the Peninsula Hot Sprints. This was a fantastic day out.

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  29patriciat 5

  08 Mar 2020

  We had a fantastic day with Jay. He picked us up from the hotel early and took us straight up to the sanctuary where he gave us a personalised tour of this magnificent outdoor display of art incorporated into nature. He explained the spiritual significance of the work enthusiastically. Afterwards we were treated to a satisfying lunch at a nearby restaurant. We completed the day at Sherbrooke Forest. Jay was magnificent. As we were about to return to the car it poured with rain and a thunderstorm started. All of us got soaked through but Jay kept his cheerfulness, patiently enduring our need to connect with nature. My husband and I would thoroughly recommend this small group eco tour. Thank you Jay and the restaurant staff.

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  explorerJLW 5

  08 Mar 2020

  Jay was very informative about William Ricketts Sanctuary. He made it interesting describing the history of how and why the Sculptures were made. He explained the symbolism and spirituality behind them. William Ricketts lived with the Aborigines for several years and fought for there causes of preserving the environment. I loved the tour and would highly recommend it

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  Amy 5

  02 Mar 2020

  I have wanted to go to the William Rickett's Sanctuary ever since I saw photos from there over two decades ago. I traveled across the world to see it and it did not disappoint. Jay was extremely knowledgeable and explained the significance of the place including both land and sculptures. He gave plenty of time to absorb this magical place. Afterwards, we had a delicious lunch followed by a walk in the woods. What a perfect day!

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  jm1940 5

  29 Feb 2020

  If you like a passionate, intelligent and highly motivated tour guide then Jay at Awaken tours will fill the bill nicely. The William Ricketts Sanctuary is an amazing place. Jay, your tour guide makes sense of it and makes it come alive. He only takes 3 people at a time usually. He spends as much time as you need to see everything, He even provides you with lunch at a nice little restaurant. You will have one of the best days you have ever had on a tour. I would give it more than 5 stars. Best tour guide we have ever had. A truly amazing young man.

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  klumpkin 5

  13 Jan 2020

  Our trip out of the city and into nature with Jay was fantastic from start to finish. He offered to pick us up at our hotel and arrived promptly on time, and then we had a lovely conversation about our trip, questions we had about Australia, and many other things on the way out to William Ricketts Sanctuary. The tour of the sanctuary was deeply informative - Jay clearly knows a lot about it, and he was a great asset in helping us to understand and reflect on the messages that the artist was trying to convey. After the sanctuary, we had lunch at a cozy little spot - it was delicious and well-balanced. Finally, we headed into the mountains for a nature walk, some bird-spotting, and getting views of the tallest trees we'd ever seen!! Jay had a lot of information about the trees, the birds, and the forest that was really interesting. This tour is highly recommended as a way to get out of the city and explore nature. Jay is an excellent tour guide, and will customize your experience to your preferences!

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  mirspacestation 5

  31 Dec 2019

  The time I spent at the Dandenong ranges with Jay was such a special and magical experience that upon recounting my year to my friend just now (on New Year’s Eve) I realized it was my highlight of an already great year. I was on a solo work trip last June (their winter!) so I had no friends available to go with me on the weekend I was visiting from Los Angeles but wanted to see the rainforest. Jay was not only an incredibly knowledgeable guide but just so fun to hang out with. I also really appreciated that he took me up into the Dandenong range despite the fact that it was just me. Usually the tours have more people which makes sense but I had explained to him I only had the one day available to go. It was very kind of him and I’m very grateful! He even made us a homemade ginger root tea to drink in the forest. The places we visited in the forest and the sanctuary were so peaceful and gorgeous. Jay’s tours are a real gift. I hope I get to return to Melbourne someday and when I do I’ll be booking again!

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  Christiane R 5

  05 Dec 2019

  I had a private tour with Jay and it was a great tour. It was very informative and the guide was as receptive to questions as possible. I highly recommand this tour.

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