Dandenongs

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5 Reviews | Add review

Address: Melbourne
Hours: Open daily
Admission: Free

ATTRACTION Keywords:
Off-the-Beaten Path, Walking/Hiking, Mountain

6:15 PM Thursday, May 23
Passing clouds. Cool.
7 day forecast

On a clear day you can see Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges draping the horizon from most places in central Melbourne. Forming the south-eastern border to Melbourne’s famously far-flung suburbs, the Dandenongs are a beautiful mountain retreat just on the city’s doorstep.

The ranges aren’t tall, less than 800 metres (2,620 feet) above sea level, but they’re crowned with breathtaking forests of towering mountain ash and woven with valleys of tree ferns and bushwalking paths. Cute mountain villages offer afternoon tea stops, guesthouses and craft shops, while the Mount Dandenong Lookout has panoramic views over the suburbs to Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay.

The legendary Puffing Billy Steam train runs through the ferny foothills from Belgrave, and if you’re lucky you might spot wildlife including wallabies, cockatoos, lyrebirds and koalas on a stroll through the ranges.

Don't miss the popular Sherbrooke Forest area, known for its lush vegetation and for being the home to the lyrebird. The best way to see its beauty is to take the 7km (4.3 mile) Eastern Sherbrooke Forest Walk through the trees where you can spot all different kinds of birds.

Latest Reviews

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All Dandenongs Reviews

Review by Jacqueline F, December 2012
Doing what: Puffing Billy Steam Train, Yarra Valley and Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary Day Tour

My husband and I departed Federation Square on what was to be the beginning of one of the best day tours I have EVER undertaken and apart from the Itinerary, it was in no small part due to our driver PETER.
Peter could not have been more informative, his knowledge of Melbourne, The Dandenongs and The Yarra Valley was second to none and exactly what someone wanting to learn about our fair city and surrounds would be eager to learn. He also made everything so interesting.
Morning tea was great, Puffing Billy was fantastic, Lunch at Ferguson's Winery was wonderful and Healsville Sanctuary was a delight.
I am a Melbourne girl and I know a thing or two about my city but as it turns out, I know NOTHING compared to Peter.
At the end of a very long, but satisying day, I would not hesitate to reccomend this wonderful experience to anyone.
And if their other tours are anything like this one, we will be back for more.
And, if their other drivers are of the same calibre as Peter then I am sure the tours will be equally enjoyable.
Jacqui and Joe (front seat on the door side)

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Review by Ray L, Australia, March 2011
Doing what: Yarra Valley Wineries and Puffing Billy Steam Train Day Tour from Melbourne

What a great day to see Melbourne countryside. The Puffing Billy ride was enjoyable and fun. The drive through the Dandenongs was just beautiful. Our coach driver was courteous and very informative about the sights we were seeing, and he joked with us along the way. The Yarra Valley was great to see and the highlight was Chandon Winery - what a beautiful spot. And the tour at Chandon was so interesting. The only disappointment was lunch at Ferguson Valley winery - plain roast beef with boiled carrots and lettuce leaves - so unappetizing. Since when do wineries serve this sort of a meal!! If I had of known, I would have brought along my own lunch.

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Review by Michelle J, December 2010
Doing what: Puffing Billy Steam Train, Yarra Valley and Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary Day Tour

Beautiful trip through the Dandenongs. Lots of photo opportunities.

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Practical Info

The main tourist villages in the Dandenong Ranges are Sassafrass, Olinda and Kallista. Trains run from central Melbourne to Belgrave at the foot of the mountain, and buses run from here to the mountain towns. From Melbourne, it's an hour or so drive along the Burwood Highway to the Dandenong Tourist Road, which winds its way up the mountain and through the villages.

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