Australian Rainbow Trout Farm — Attraction in Melbourne

We recently visited a trout farm with my family, which includes my mum, dad, 93-year-old grandma, my 12-year-old son, my wife, and myself. It was our first time there, and upon arrival, we were greeted with an unexpected $70 entrance fee. When I asked the man at the entrance if this fee included anything, such as one kilogram of fish or the use of fishing rods, he quickly clarified that it was just the entrance fee. He did mention we could use the barbecue facilities if we caught a fish, but nothing else was included.

Since we had specifically driven there for this outing, turning back wasn’t really an option. Reluctantly, we paid the $70 and proceeded to the fishing ponds. We grabbed one rod, cast it into the water, and within about 30 seconds, my son caught a trout. Moments later, another fish bit, and we decided that two fish would be enough for dinner. The fishing itself was quick and easy, but that was the end of the excitement.

What followed was a rather tedious process. We had to queue for about 25 minutes to weigh the fish, as it was quite busy due to the holiday season. The fish were weighed ungutted, which was understandable, but we then had to pay $76 for the weight of the fish. On top of that, there was an additional fee of $6 per fish to have them filleted. After paying, we had to walk to another area where the fish were actually filleted, which added more waiting time. In total, from the time we caught the fish to when we were back in the car park, about 40 minutes had passed.

All this time, my grandma, mum, and dad could only watch, as there wasn’t much else to do. The total cost for our visit came to $140—for just two fish weighing 2.3 kilograms. For a short 40-minute outing, this seemed outrageous. I’ve visited other trout farms in Australia where the experience was entirely different. Typically, you only pay for the fish you catch, and everything else—rods, gear, barbecues, and even toilets—is included in the price. Here, everything felt like an additional cost.

Adding to the frustration, we were charged five full adult entrance fees, despite the fact that my 12-year-old son should be classified as a child, and my grandma (93) and my parents (78 and 79) should qualify for senior prices. It felt like we were taken advantage of because we were unfamiliar with their pricing structure.

While the fish itself was a decent size and looked fresh, the overall experience was disappointing and overpriced. Driving all that way for such a brief and costly outing felt like a rip-off. Next time, we’ll stick to buying fresh fish from a good local fishmonger—it’s far cheaper and far less hassle. This trout farm, unfortunately, isn’t one I...

Needs more staffing and support for people to spend their time efficiently for the money we spend there. And people need to stop leaving rods and buckets all over! Not to mention the unreasonable folks who leave fish to die in buckets and walk away once they decide the fish is too large to pay for! That's why it's best to make it affordable so people don't waste your fish!! Tangled lines all the way across then ponds. It's not my job as a customer to go around fixing and putting away rods so it doesn't get in our way... I'm not paying 150$+ to spend my time doing that. Yes the boys working there were very helpful and friendly but they had their hands full and looked like they needed a experienced adult to supervise and keep things organised. The fish could have been more varied and plentiful as we couldn't land a salmon even though we tried for an hour... maybe for the best as it's a tad over priced. The trek path at the challenge was a mess and dangerous for children, the bridges were old and broken very highly likely someone will be falling through and getting injured very soon. I almost did a twist on my ankle and fell in but luckily I'm not so clumsy but someone else would have definitely been injured. Alot of improvements to be made if you're gonna have people coming in for a long time in future... would hate to see this place go under due to mismanagement. The fish, Employees and people including local businesses in the area deserve a chance to survive and if places like this fail to impress then everyone will be impacted by this. Hope you guys can pull your socks up and fix the place up for the modern time we are in and make it safer for your patrons! You owe us that much to make sure we come to your place and leave there safe and well. Wish you the best guys. ✌ Hope you...

Fishing outing was great in the past but now a little over priced over budget when considering the costs.

1. They charge $29.90/Kg per complete trout (with internal organs intact so you are also paying for this extra weight in the fish/Kg which you do not eat) but fish mongers / shops charge $30/Kg with no internal organs so you pay only for the fish flesh that you eat BUT it is not guaranteed of being freshly caught that same day, however this is still an added cost.
2. Entry fee of $14/adult is a bit steep now as it adds an extra COST of $2 per fish for one adult entry for 7 fish caught or an extra $4 per fish for a 2 adult entry if you catch 7 fish between you (or an extra $2/fish for 14 fish caught between two of you).
3. Add petrol, any tolls etc to the points above and it could become quite expensive especially with high increases in cost of living. Pity that no discounts are offered over a certain quantity caught or that the cost is not per kilo of a 'gutted' cleaned fish or that an entry fee discount is available if you fish. Any of these which would make it more cost attractive to people considering all the costs involved. Appreciate businesses have added costs but they can claim these on their taxes (but consumers cannot) and most businesses pass on these costs with a profit added in. A great day that is too costly to repeat in...