Have You Heard Y.E.T? – January 2026
Happy New Year and welcome to the January 2026 edition of ‘Have You Heard Y.E.T?!’
We’re back after a short break in publishing and it’s good to be back! In this month’s newsletter we wrap up 2025 and bring you up to date on all that’s happening at Your Exclusive Tours. Our highlighted supplier is The Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road, Bendigo and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice Creameries and the experience of the month is Shore Excursions.
What’s happening at Your Exclusive Tours?
Welcome to 2026! Yes, I know that we have not released an issue since September, however during this time, Your Exclusive Tours has moved home offices and has dealt with illness and other personal challenges. But we’ve said goodbye to 2025 and we’re ready to take on another big year!
‘Have You Heard YET?!’ will be turning three in March this year! We cannot believe it’s been going for so long, and we are still excited by the positive response we get from our readers every month; we receive a lot of feedback from readers that they sit with either their morning or afternoon coffee to read Have You Heard YET?! We will continue to showcase some of our amazing suppliers & stakeholders this year, along with introducing some new team members, and stay tuned for a new segment or two later on in the year.
As we wrapped up 2025 and launched into 2026, we’ve had some amazing guests, which has enabled us to deliver our tours in style with their laughter, banter, and smiles as we captured those memorable moments. This in turn has brought a smile to our dial and made us feel good. Thank you to those wonderful guests!
The level of enquiries between October to December was steady, however a lot of booking across the Christmas / New Year Period were last minute, with less than 7 days- notice, and in some cases 12 to 24 hours-notice, which has created some challenges for us, particularly booking and holding tickets for attractions that sell out during this period. We are proud to say that we have achieved successful outcomes with many of our tour experiences, thanks in no small part to our great working relationship with many of our stakeholders.
Our highlights over the past 3 months include:
A visit to The Conservatory at Fitzroy Gardens with my 89 Year Old Mother, who is both a passionate gardener and our biggest critic.
Playing golf at some of Melbourne’s best golf courses. There were some very robust discussions amongst our guests to which was the best golf course .
This lovely couple were still well and truly in their ‘honeymoon phase’ after a remarkable 40 years of marriage.
Your Exclusive Tours Highly Commended in the 2025 Victorian Tourism Awards
Your Exclusive Tours is thrilled to announce that we were awarded a Highly Commended in the Victorian Tourism Awards Tour and Transport Operators category.
The Victorian Tourism Awards are the pinnacle of excellence in Victorian tourism industry, showcasing the state’s leaders in tourism excellence.
In earning a Highly Commended, we have again demonstrated our commitment to innovation, business excellence, professionalism, and collaboration. We are excited to be benchmarked against our industry peers and stakeholders and we always learn a lot from the awards process.
Review of the Month
This month’s review is from Karen, who recently enjoyed a great day on Phillip Island with her partner. They explored the Koala Conservation centre, indulged in a fish and chip dinner at Rob’s favourite spot, and then finished the night with the iconic Penguin Parade. We’d like to thank Karen for leaving her review.
Our Suppliers – The Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road, Bendigo and Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice Creameries
We continue our ‘Our Suppliers’ series this month with our focus turning to the Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road, Bendigo and Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice creameries.
Who are they?
The Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road, Bendigo and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice creameries are the home of great Victorian made chocolates, ice creams, and decadent desserts & drinks.
They launched in the Yarra Valley in 2012, when husband and wife team Ian and Leanne Neeland realised their dream of creating their very own ‘Chocolate Haven’.
What do they do?
The Chocolaterie and Ice creameries produce some of Victoria’s finest handmade treats, with more than 480 chocolates, ice creams, desserts and drinks across their 3 locations. Whether visitors settle into the café to indulge, grab an ice cream on a hot (or cold) day, or participate in one of their tasting workshops, there’s something for every sweet tooth to enjoy.
Why we love them
We love bringing guests to sample the unique flavours they can only get from handmade Aussie chocolates – Gum Leaf & Wild honey, Ginger & Lemon Myrtle and the Bush Tucker Dreamtime harvest.
We love indulging in a steaming hot chocolate during winter visits and getting stuck into a towering ice cream during summer.
Destination Experience of the Month – Shore Excursions
Cruise season is upon us, which means we’ve been back to Station Pier, Port Melbourne, running one of our perennial favourite Private Tours – the Shore Excursion.
Our Shore Excursion experience allows guests on short stays to explore the best of Melbourne, whether their wish is to:
- Visit Melbourne’s famous sights and surrounds
- Visit friends and family
- Go shopping in the Melbourne’s retail precincts
- Eat at any of Melbourne’s leading restaurants
- Experience one of our many exhibitions at National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Australian Centre for Moving Images, or Melbourne Museum.
- Explore Melbourne Gardens
We show the best of Melbourne’s City & Surrounds, or we can also take you further afield, including:
- Sampling an array of wines in either the Yarra Valley or on the Mornington Peninsula at award winning wineries, or even a gin, rum, and/or whiskey.
- Meeting some of our iconic wildlife from Koalas to Kangaroos, Wombats to Dingoes, Kookaburras to Owls, and if you are brave enough, a Snake!
- Taking a ride on Victoria’s own Puffing Billy Railway through the lush and beautiful Dandenong Ranges.
Guests can Immerse themselves in a Shore Excursion whilst their Chauffeur Guide will share the history, adventures, tales & stories of your tour stops.
If you, or one of your clients, is cruising into Melbourne this summer, why not let us create a Shore Excursion experience that won’t be forgotten
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Stay tuned for more news in our next edition of ‘Have you heard Y.E.T?!’, and in the meantime, if you haven’t yet subscribed, you can do so here: