Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

SIDE TRIPS FROM MELBOURNE 559
9 Side Trips from Melbourne
DANDENONG RANGES
40km (25 miles) E of Melbourne
Melbournians traditionally do a “day in the Dandenongs” from time to time,
topping off their getaway with Devonshire tea with scones and jam at one of the
many cafes en route. Up in the cool, high country you’ll find native bush, famous
gardens, the Dandenong Ranges National Park, historic attractions such as the
Puffing Billy—a vintage steam train—and plenty of restaurants and cozy B&Bs.
The Dandenong Ranges National Park is one of the state’s oldest, set aside in
1882 to protect its Mountain Ash forests and lush tree-fern gullies.
GETTING THERE To get to the area, take the Burwood Highway from
Melbourne, then the Mt. Dandenong Tourist Road, which starts at Upper Ferntree
Gully and then winds its way through the villages of Sassafras, Olinda,
Mount Dandenong, and Kalorama to Montrose. If you take a turnoff to Sherbrook,
or extend your journey into a loop taking in Seville, Woori Yallock,
Emerald, and Belgrave, you’ll see a fair slice of the local scenery.
Auswalk, P.O. Box 516, Jindabyne, NSW 2627 (& 02/6457 2220; fax 02/
6457 2206; info@auswalk.com.au), offers 4-day/3-night, self-guided tours of the
Dandenongs for two or more people, including accommodations, most meals, a
ride on the Puffing Billy steam train (p. 560), national park entrance fees, vehicle
transfers, and an itinerary and maps. The tour costs around A$590 (US$384) per
person but could be a little cheaper depending on the season.
Parkwood Personalised Tours (& 03/5334 2428; www.oztour.com) runs
personalized day and multi-day tours of the Yarra Valley as well as other places
in Victoria, and the Great Ocean Road, staying at quaint B&B guesthouses or
boutique hotels.
VISITOR INFORMATION The Dandenong Ranges & Knox Visitor
Information Centre, 1211 Burwood Hwy., Upper Ferntree Gully, VIC 3156
(& 1800/645 505 in Australia, or 03/9758 7522; fax 03/9758 7533), is open
daily from 9am to 5pm.
NATURE WALKS
Most people come here to get out of the city for a pleasant bushwalk (hike), so in
that way it’s the equivalent of Sydney’s Blue Mountains. Some of the better walks
include the easy 2.5km (1.5-mile) stroll from the Sherbrook Picnic Ground
through the forest, and along the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, a challenging
rainforest track from the Fern Tree Gully Picnic Ground up to One Tree Hill.
Along the way are plaques commemorating Australian troops who fought and
died in Papua New Guinea in World War II.
FOR GARDENING BUFFS
Bonsai Farm If you don’t like to crane your neck to look at trees, then visit
this large display of petite bonsais. Some of them are many decades old and cost
a pretty penny.
Mt. Dandenong Tourist Rd., Mt. Dandenong.& 03/9751 1150. Free admission. Wed–Sun 11am–5pm. Transportation:
See William Ricketts Sanctuary below.
National Rhododendron Gardens From September through November,
thousands of rhododendrons and azaleas burst into bloom in these magnificent
gardens. There are 42 lovely hectares (104 acres) in all, with a 3km (1.75-mile)
walking path leading past flowering exotics and native trees as well as great vistas