Dandenong Ranges

Driving into the lush forests of the Dandenong Ranges you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve entered a film set. The romantic hilltop villages, luxury hideaways, beautiful gardens and magnificent tall forests create a fairytale world of wonder and excitement where you can let your imagination run wild.

For over 100 years the Dandenong Ranges have been an idyllic retreat for Melburnians wanting to take the mountain air and escape the bustle of city life. Today visitors flock to the romantic hilltop villages for luxury hideaways, beautiful gardens, and magnificent tall forests and views.

Visit Olinda and the National Rhododendron Gardens, home of 15,000 rhododendrons, 12,000 azaleas, 250,000 daffodils, native birds, and spectacular panoramic views of the Yarra Valley and distant ranges. Spend a relaxing afternoon browsing through the many art, antique and handicraft galleries and sampling a famous Dandenong Ranges Devonshire cream tea.Take a ride on Puffing Billy, Australia’s oldest steam railway, through thick forests, fern-filled gullies and past gorgeous villages with poetic names like Belgrave, Gembrook and Emerald.

Home of spectacular tall forests, the Dandenong Ranges National Park is the perfect place to unwind and relax. Over 300 kilometres of walking tracks meander through lush gullies and misty mountain ash forests to magical places such as Sherbrooke Forest, Dongalla Homestead and the Thousand Steps.

For those looking for a romantic getaway, choose from one of the many B&Bs hidden amongst the hills, garden-fringed guesthouses and self-contained cottages offering spa baths, open fires and panoramic views of city lights, and lush forests and valleys.

Must See & Do

• William Ricketts Sanctuary—See over 93 kiln-fired clay sculptures set amongst ferns and towering mountain ash
• State parks and private gardens—Wander through beautiful gardens and lush forests
• Lunch at Skyhigh—Enjoy the unparalleled vista from the top of Mt Dandenong
• Visit Healesville Sanctuary—Come face-to-face with koalas and other wildlife
• Puffing Billy Steam Railway—travel through thick rainforests & lush fern filled gullies on Australia’s oldest steam railway