What's new

My Melbourne

Melbourne Accommodation

Out of Melbourne

Family Fun

Useful Info'

Other Stuff

Have Your Say

[?] Subscribe To This Site

The Dandenong Mountains

The "Blue Hills" Of My Childhood

The Dandenong Mountains can be seen framing the beautiful city of Melbourne.

At the top of Mount Dandenong you can see the television towers that act as a sign post to an area that I believe is full of fantastic Fun Things to Do with the Family.

Sponsored Ads Image

Some of my most cherished memories are of things I did in the Dandenong Mountains when I was a kid. Those once @ year school excursions with the nuns into the Sherbrook forest...great times!

As a "Grown up" I found these places again with my own kids and now I have the privilege of repeating the whole process with my Third Generation...my "Never Ending Story".

Flowering Bluegum

The Steel Blue Colored Eucalyptus Leaves

From a distance the Dandenong Mountains take on a silvery blue hue. This is thought to be because of the oils that are evaporating off the eucalyptus leaves, the Gumtrees that grow densely throughout the Mountain Range. Hence the endearing term "The Blue Hills"
I would love to share with you some of my great family travel ideas.

Visit some fascinating Australian history and build some great family memories.

As these beautiful mountains are such a pretty place to visit, perhaps you might like to extend your time up there and take in all that the area has to offer.

Booking.com lists a wide range of Accommodation including Holiday Rentals, Holiday Apartments, Holiday Homes and Serviced Apartments for short stay or long stay in Australia.

For more information and to view Accommodation, Availability and make bookings online, visit Booking.com

Riding the World Famous Puffing Billy from end to end.

Wander through the Beautiful Rainforest at The William Ricketts Sanctuary searching out those amazing Aboriginal Sculptures. This is such a surreal experience.

Statue in William Rickets Sanctuary

One of the Beautiful Sculptures at the William Rickett's Sanctuary


Australia's Remarkable Trees...With 164 million hectares of forest - the sixth largest area of any country in the world - and with a geography that includes snow-covered mountains, lush rainforests, harsh deserts and rich tablelands, Australia has a variety of trees matched by few countries on earth.	Australian Rainforest Animals...Australia is known for having some of the most interesting and unique creatures in the world. Nature Kids features these amazing creatures, from koalas to kangaroos, dingoes to duck-billed platypuses, photographed in full color in their natural habitats with easy-to-read text. This 8-volume set is sure to excite young readers.	Meditative Ocean & Rainforest [Box]...Over 25 years of research into the healing properties of sound have gone into Dr. Jeffrey Thompson's groundbreaking CDs, providing relaxing music and patented DELTA wave technology to invoke a deeply restful and peaceful state. This 2008 release by Thompson couples the sounds of a rainforest and an oceanscape to soothing sound waves for a solid two hours of meditative sound.

Picnicking in some of The Dandenong Mountains most beautiful venues such as The Silvan or Cardinia Reservoirs....I have some Great Picnic Food Ideas

How about roaming through some magnificent Gardens such as The Rhododendron Gardens or Tesselaar's Tulip Farm

Would you love to feed some of The Australia Native Bird s at places such as Grants Picnic Ground or try to find the Lyrebirds that roam through the Ferntree Gully Picnic Grounds.

Rainforest Lyrebird

Lyrebird

Fossick in one of the many little streams, you may be lucky to find a gemstone or two or perhaps some little bits of Gold! Names like Emerald or Gembrook may give you a clue.

Have a "Cuppa" on the top of the Dandenong Mountains at SkyHigh taking in the breathtaking View of the Melbourne Skyline

Perhaps you are a Train enthusiast, if so tour the

Emerald Lake Model Railway and then try out your fitness level in one of the Paddle Boats out on the lake at Emerald Lake Park

paddleboats

There are so many more things that you can do throughout The Dandenongs, these are just some that I have enjoyed with my Family and I am sure that you will to.

Happy Children

Childhood memories are made so easily

How to get to the Dandenong Mountains.....

Just head towards the Television Towers. The Dandenongs are 40 kms from Melbourne, by road via the Burwood Hwy or Canterbury Road.

You can also catch the Train to one of The Dandenong Mountains train stops....

Upper Ferntree Gully (FTG)....drop into the Dandenong Ranges Tourism Information Center 1211 Burwood Hwy Upper FTG

Upwey.....Visit the "Birrinja Arts and Cultural Center"

Tecoma...drop in for a Devonshire tea at one of the delicious little coffee shops

Belgrave...home to the Puffing Billy

Depending on what you like to do, each stop off offers things to do such as shopping, eating, drinking or "just being merry" (I couldn't help myself). I like to travel on to Belgrave where I can link up with the little Puffing Billy and go from there......

For a more detailed map of the region just click here.....

Google MyMaps

From Mt Dandenong

Wow what a view...Melbourne Skyline from Mt. Dandenong!

Television Towers on top of The Dandenongs

Pack your picnic bits, pick up some fresh bread rolls and a packet or 2 of sausages, fill the thermos and head out the door.

The Dandenong Mountains will definitely become one of your favourite Family Getaways just as they have became one of mine....Just a reminder Don't forget the camera.

It's a Maze thing come try it out

What is Rickett's Sanctuary?

Paddle Boats at Emerald Lake...Wow

Catch and Cook your own Trout...now that would be fun.

"Comin' round the Mountain"...Puffing Billy that is.