The Dandenongs

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Dandenong Ranges

The Dandenong ranges are located about 50 Km from Melbourne. They are a well known local beauty spot and a very popular tourist attraction.  The area experiences heavy rainfall which in turn provides the Dandenongs with lush green vegetation and the area is a mass of ferns and green trees.  There are many attractive townships located around the Dandenongs.  The Dandenongs has long been a traditional summer retreat for many Melburnians and a lot of the older buildings have been converted into B&B's and guesthouses. Mount Dandenong is the highest point of the ranges at 633 feet above sea level and from the viewpoint at the top you can see the most spectacular views of Melbourne.  There are picnic facilities at this point. You might even want to try to take a night trip to the Dandenongs, the view of city lights from the top is well worth the visit.  

Emerald was the first settlement in the area and it has many interesting galleries that you can visit and the surrounding countryside is taken up with fabulous views and many lavender farms.  It also has lots of picnic areas so it is a great place to explore for the day.  Olinda is also a good town to visit as it has lots of restaurants and the home of one of Australia's first settlers Edward Henty.

Puffing Billy is one of the Dandenongs most famous attractions and probably one of Australia's as well.  It travels 13.5Kms on a single track, leaving from Belgrave and running to Emerald Lake.  This is a unique experience in itself and is well worth the small fee that they charge to ride this railway as it chugs through some of the most beautiful scenery going.  

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