From Penneshaw: Kangaroo Island Shore Excursion Tasting Tour

Kangaroo Island’s best flavors come from an unusual mix of farm, bush, and coastal producers. This seven-hour Penneshaw shore excursion takes you from dolphin-watching at Pennington Bay to honey, eucalyptus oil, lavender, wine, and spirits, giving you a broad taste of the island in one day.

I like the hands-on feel of the stops, especially the chance to see how eucalyptus oil is distilled and to taste several Ligurian bee honeys. I also like that guides such as Caitlin and Joel bring a friendly, good-humored touch to the long drive between producers. The main catch is simple: lunch is not included, and the tour is only for cruise passengers arriving at Penneshaw, not Sealink Ferry passengers.

Key points to know before you book

• Pennington Bay starts the day with coastal views: Keep your camera ready for beach scenery and possible dolphins or whales.
• Kangaroo Island honey has a special local story: Learn about the island’s Ligurian bees and taste different honey varieties.
• Emu Ridge shows a real production process: This is South Australia’s only commercial eucalyptus oil distillery.
• Lavender Farm morning tea is a welcome pause: Lavender scones give the food stops a home-baked feel.
• The final tastings are for adults with varied tastes: Bay of Shoals offers wine, while Kangaroo Island Spirits pours gin, vodka, and other liqueurs.
• The timing suits a cruise call: Pickup and drop-off are at the Penneshaw cruise terminal, with transportation and tastings included.

A food tour built around Kangaroo Island producers

This is not a single winery visit with a few token samples. The day moves through several kinds of local production, so you get a better sense of how Kangaroo Island turns its climate, plants, and farming traditions into saleable food and drink.

You will taste honey, wine, spirits, and lavender products, but you will also see the places where some of them are made. That matters. A tasting is more memorable when you understand the work behind it, and this tour gives you that context without requiring you to arrange several separate visits.

The tour costs $162 per person. That is a serious price for a day out, but it includes cruise-port pickup and drop-off, transportation, a guide, bottled water, morning or afternoon tea, and all listed tastings. For a cruise passenger with only one day on Kangaroo Island, the value comes from having the transport and route organized.

The island is large enough that independent touring requires planning, a vehicle, and a careful eye on the clock. Here, you can taste without worrying about driving. The tradeoff is that you follow a fixed schedule and spend a fair amount of time in the vehicle.

Meeting your guide at Penneshaw

The meeting point is at the end of the jetty. Turn left and look for colored flags and a sign reading Kangaroo Island Trails, Food & Wine Tour #3. Pickup and return are both at the Penneshaw cruise ship terminal.

This detail is important because the experience is designed for cruise ship passengers only. It does not serve visitors arriving on the Sealink Ferry. If you are coming by ferry rather than ship, this is the wrong tour, even if you can reach Penneshaw at the same time.

The vehicle carries you between stops across the island. The exact pace can feel full, since the day includes several visits, tastings, and long stretches on the road. Still, that structure is useful during a port call. You get a planned day rather than trying to guess which producers are open and how long each drive will take.

The guides are a major part of the experience. Caitlin is friendly and personable, while Joel is especially good at delivering information in a light, jovial way. The tour’s rating is 4.5 from 23 reviews, and transport receives a 91 percent perfect score. Those details point to a reliable strength: the people and the way the day is handled.

Pennington Bay and the first coastal views

Pennington Bay gives the tour a scenic opening. You stop at a beach with views back toward the Penneshaw coast, and dolphins and whales can sometimes be seen from shore.

No wildlife sighting is guaranteed, so treat this as a coastal photo stop rather than a dedicated whale or dolphin cruise. That is still worthwhile. After several hours of food and drink, a short look at the sea gives the day some breathing room.

Bring your camera, but also keep expectations sensible. The stop is listed as about 10 minutes, so you will have time for photos and a quick look rather than a long beach walk. If the weather is clear, this can be one of the day’s prettiest pauses.

Meeting Kangaroo Island’s Ligurian bees

The honey visit introduces the island’s Ligurian bees and the history connected with them. You can taste different honey varieties and compare their flavors rather than simply buying a jar without context.

This is one of the more distinctive food stops because the product is closely tied to Kangaroo Island. Honey also gives you a break from the alcohol tastings, which helps the day feel varied rather than repetitive.

The stop is listed as Island Beehive in the schedule, while the tour description identifies the honey visit as Clifford’s Honey. Either way, the useful thing for you is the same: expect a focused honey stop with a short tour and tasting, not a long farm visit.

If you find a honey you like, this is a sensible place to shop for a compact souvenir. Keep in mind the restriction on large bags and luggage during the tour, so do not plan on carrying bulky purchases around all day.

Lavender scones at Emu Bay

The Lavender Farm provides morning tea, including lavender scones. This is a gentle, distinctly local break, and it gives the tour a sweeter counterpoint to the stronger flavors of gin, vodka, and eucalyptus products later on.

The scheduled farm visit lasts about 45 minutes. That gives you time for tea and scones, along with a look at the farm’s lavender products. The tour description does not promise a long garden walk or a full farm workshop, so think of this as a food and product stop rather than an extended outdoor visit.

I like this part of the route because it slows the pace. The tour packs in many stops, and a seated morning tea can make the rest of the day more comfortable. If you prefer savory food, though, remember that a lavender scone is not a substitute for lunch.

A useful pause in Kingscote

Kingscote provides about an hour to take a break and wander around. This is your best chance to stretch your legs and pick up food if you did not bring something from the cruise ship.

Lunch is not included. The practical advice is to bring a light lunch from the ship or buy something along the way, with Kingscote being the obvious scheduled opportunity. Do not assume the tastings will fill you up. Honey, scones, wine, and spirits are samples, not a meal.

The length of this pause is one area where expectations matter. One person wanted another 10 minutes added to the lunch break, which tells you the hour can feel tight if you want to eat slowly and explore. I would make lunch the priority, then use any remaining time for a short wander.

Bay of Shoals for Kangaroo Island wine

Bay of Shoals Wines offers about 45 minutes of wine tasting. This is a good middle-to-late stop because you have already sampled sweet and herbal products, and you can now focus on the island’s wine offering.

The tasting is part of the tour price, so you do not have to budget for a separate tasting fee. You will have time to try the wines and learn from the staff or guide, though the precise selection can vary.

If you are not a wine drinker, this stop may be less important to you than the honey or eucalyptus distillery. Even so, it adds another piece to the island’s food story and gives wine fans a proper producer visit instead of a rushed sample at a general shop.

Pace yourself. The day continues with spirits, and the combination of wine and liquor tastings can catch up with you if you treat every pour as a full drink. Bottled water is included, but you should bring water as well.

Kangaroo Island Spirits and the stronger pours

Kangaroo Island Spirits is the final major tasting stop, with about 45 minutes for gin, vodka, and other liqueurs. This is likely to be a highlight if you enjoy craft spirits and a less appealing stop if you rarely drink them.

The advantage of visiting a dedicated spirits producer is variety. You are not limited to one style of drink, and the tasting gives you a chance to compare products made on the island. It also makes a useful shopping stop for a bottle, provided you can carry it safely and comply with cruise-line rules for alcohol purchases.

The tour does not describe cocktail-making or a full distillery workshop here, so expect tasting rather than a long production lesson. The more detailed process explanation comes at Emu Ridge.

Emu Ridge and the eucalyptus oil process

Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery is one of the tour’s most interesting stops for anyone who wants more than food samples. It is described as South Australia’s only commercial eucalyptus oil distillery, and you learn how a traditional Australian bush product is made.

The visit lasts about 30 minutes. You hear about the distillation process and how eucalyptus becomes oil, giving the day a practical, working-producer element.

I especially like this stop because it connects the tour to the Australian bush rather than only to tasting-room culture. You are seeing a local product with a clear process behind it, not just sampling something from a counter.

The short visit means you should not expect a full technical course. It is an introduction, but a useful one. If your interests lean toward local industry, plants, and traditional products, this may be more rewarding than another alcohol tasting.

How the seven-hour schedule feels

Seven hours sounds generous, but the day includes several drives and many short visits. The listed stops include roughly 45 minutes at the Lavender Farm, 20 minutes at the honey stop, an hour in Kingscote, 45 minutes at Bay of Shoals, 45 minutes at Kangaroo Island Spirits, 30 minutes at Emu Ridge, and a brief stop at Pennington Bay.

That leaves substantial time on the bus. This is not a criticism so much as a fact of Kangaroo Island geography. You cannot visit several producers around the island without spending time between them.

The vehicle is a strength for cruise passengers. You avoid arranging taxis or hiring a car, and you return to the correct terminal. The 91 percent perfect transport score fits the tour’s practical purpose.

The day suits you best if you enjoy conversation, scenery, tastings, and a structured route. It is less suitable if you want a slow morning at one farm, a long beach visit, or a full sit-down lunch.

What the $162 price really buys

At $162, you are paying for more than samples. The price includes the driver-guide, transport, pickup and drop-off at the cruise terminal, bottled water, morning or afternoon tea, and the tastings at each producer.

The biggest value is time. You can cover several parts of the island during one port call without handling navigation or driving after drinking. If you tried to duplicate the route yourself, you would need to arrange transport, check producer opening times, and allow enough time to return to the ship.

The price is less attractive if you plan to buy substantial food, bottles, or souvenirs. Those costs are extra, and lunch is not included. I would budget for lunch in Kingscote and decide in advance how much room you have for purchases.

One important financial warning concerns a missed port. If the cruise ship does not dock or tender and notice comes within 24 hours, the tour is not refundable. The operator offers a 50 percent credit for another tour at a later date and a letter for an insurance claim, but that may not help if you live far away and are unlikely to return.

Travel insurance is strongly recommended. A cruise-line tour may have different cancellation terms, so compare the risk before booking. This is the single biggest consideration for cruise passengers.

Who should choose this Kangaroo Island tour

I would recommend it to you if:

• You have one cruise day and want several island tastes in a single outing.
• You enjoy wine, gin, vodka, honey, lavender, or specialty food products.
• You prefer a guide and arranged transport to independent driving.
• You want some coastal scenery along with food and drink.
• You are comfortable with a full schedule and several hours on a bus.
• You can bring or buy a light lunch.

Families with children can still find the honey, lavender, coastal, and eucalyptus stops interesting, but the wine and spirits visits are central to the tour. If your group is mainly interested in wildlife, this is not a dedicated wildlife excursion. Pennington Bay offers a chance to spot dolphins or whales, but the main focus is local produce.

The tour also suits solo cruise passengers. The meeting point is clear, transportation is organized, and the small-group feel reported by one guest can make the day more sociable. Group size is not specified, so you should not book on the assumption that it will always be small.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want an efficient, adult-oriented taste of Kangaroo Island and your ship is scheduled to arrive at Penneshaw. The mix of honey, lavender scones, eucalyptus oil, wine, and spirits gives you a much broader introduction than a single tasting room visit.

I would be cautious if your port call feels uncertain, since a late cruise cancellation can leave you out of pocket. I would also skip it if you want a relaxed lunch, extensive beach time, or a wildlife-first day.

For the right passenger, the strongest reasons to go are the practical transport, the range of producers, and the warm guiding style shown by people such as Caitlin and Joel. Bring water, pack or plan a light lunch, leave large bags behind, and treat the day as a guided sampler of the island rather than a slow farm holiday.

FAQ

Is this tour available to Sealink Ferry passengers?

No. It is designed for cruise ship passengers arriving at Penneshaw and departs from Penneshaw only. It is not for guests arriving on the Sealink Ferry.

Where do I meet the guide?

Walk to the end of the Penneshaw jetty and turn left. Look for colored flags and a guide or driver holding a sign for Kangaroo Island Trails, Food & Wine Tour #3.

Is lunch included?

No. Bring a light lunch from the cruise ship or buy lunch along the way. Kingscote includes time to take a break and wander.

What tastings are included?

The tour includes honey, lavender products and morning tea with lavender scones, wine at Bay of Shoals, spirits at Kangaroo Island Spirits, and the listed food and liquor tastings. Bottled water is also included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. If your cruise ship fails to dock or tender and notice is given within that 24-hour period, the stated terms provide a 50 percent credit toward a later tour and a letter for an insurance claim.

What should I bring, and are large bags allowed?

Bring water. Luggage and large bags are not allowed on the tour.