Let's Go High Up Into The Dandenong Mountains 

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Melbourne sightseeing in the Dandenong mountains, crammed full of exciting activities for all the family to enjoy.

At the top of Mount Dandenong you can see the television towers that act as a sign post to an area filled with top things to do in Melbourne for every member of your family.

The Dandenongs can be seen in the east framing the beautiful city of Melbourne.

From a distance the Mountains take on a silvery blue hue. This is thought to be because of the oils that are evaporating off the eucalyptus leaves on the gumtrees that grow densely throughout the Mountain Range.

Hence the endearing term The Blue Hills.

In these Blue Hills you can visit some intriguing Australian history and build some great family memories.

Experience meeting some totally unique Australian animals and bird life.

rainforest in the dandenongsTypical vegetation up in the Dandenong Ranges rainforest

How To Get Into The Dandenong Ranges

Head towards the Television Towers in the east. The Dandenongs are 40 kms from Melbourne by road via the Burwood Hwy or Canterbury Road.

You can also catch the Train to Belgrave where the train tracks stop ....

  • At Upper Ferntree Gully (FTG), drop into the Dandenong Ranges Tourism Information Center 1211 Burwood Hwy Upper FTG for information on what is going on on top of the mountain
  • At Upwey ..... Visit the Birrinja Arts and Cultural Center
  • At Tecoma ... drop in for a Devonshire tea at one of the delicious little coffee shops
  • At Belgrave why not take a ride on Australia's most well known heritage stem train, the Puffing Billy

Depending on what you like to do, each stop offers different things to do such as shopping, eating, drinking, picnicking and perhaps hiking. I personally like to travel onto Belgrave where I can link up with the little Puffing Billy and travel from there all the way through to Gembrook.

Wander through the Gembrook Market that features a wide range of local craft and fresh produce. The Gembrook Market is on very 4th Sunday of the month from 9:00am through to 3:00pm.

For a more detailed map of the region just click onto the map below. Each of the suggestions that are on this page are marked clearly so that you can easily find your way there.

Top 10 Things To Do In Melbourne In The Dandenong Mountains

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It has to be riding the world famous heritage steam train, the Puffing Billy from its beginning to the very end of the tracks, Gembrook

Puffing Billy and Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary Day Tour

puffing billy tourExperience the heritage steam train through the Dandenongs

Enjoy this well put together tour with friends and family

  • Board the historic Puffing Billy train ride through the Dandenongs to Menzies Creek.
  • This tour also includes wine tasting and lunch at Fergusson's winery, Aussie Bush Billy tea and a stop at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery.
  • The afternoon is spent at Healesville Sanctuary for an exclusive 'Meet and Feed' experience with a unique Australian animal! 
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Wander through this amazing spiritual place and wonder at the amazing aboriginal sculptures that are scattered throughout the grounds. Visit the William Ricketts studio where some of these works were first created. This is a family friendly outing well worth the visit.

Dandenong Ranges Tour including the William Ricketts Sanctuary

William Ricketts Sanctuary Aboriginal sculptureWilliam Ricketts Sanctuary Aboriginal sculptures

Another well packaged tour through my travel partner, Viator.

Less than an hour from Melbourne city, the Dandenong ranges are a low mountainous region with deep valleys and dense forest.

Intimate groups of maximum 3 people, so it's a more personal experience.

In the serenity of the forest, discover unique sculptures of Aboriginal people, and learn about their culture and spirituality, at the wondrous William Ricketts Sanctuary.

Enjoy a delicious gourmet lunch at an award winning local restaurant.

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Enjoy Picnicking
in some of The Dandenong Mountains most beautiful venues such as the Silvan or Cardinia Reservoirs.
Picnic in the park with ducks Mount Dandenong Melbourne AustraliaPicnic in the park with ducks Mount Dandenong Melbourne Australia
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Roaming through some magnificent Gardens in the Dandenong Mountains, such as the National Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda or Tesselaar's Tulip Farm in Silvan.

Rhododendron gardens Olinda Melbourne AustraliaRhododendron gardens Olinda Melbourne Australia
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Would you love to feed some of The Australia Native Birds at places such as Grants Picnic Ground or try to find the illusive lyrebird that you can hear roaming through the Sherbrook forest.


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Fossick in one of the many little streams in the Dandenong Mountains, you may be lucky to find a gemstone or two or perhaps some little bits of Gold! 

rainforest streamFossick in a rainforest stream in the Dandenong Ranges
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Have a cuppa on the top of the Dandenong Mountains at SkyHigh taking in the breathtaking view of the Melbourne Skyline.

Up here you will find one of our top, world class Melbourne restaurants.




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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

Pace out the Kakoda Track Memorial Walk in the Ferntree Gully forest reserve.
The park contains the Thousands Steps trail leading to One Tree Hill. This is a very steep walking trail over 2.5 km in distance and commemorates the battle for the Kokoda track in Territory of Papua during World War II.

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Visit the Sherbrook Falls deep in the heart of the Sherbrook forest. Savour the sweet smells of the "Aussie" bush and perhaps come close up to some real "fair dinkum" Australian wildlife.


The Dandenong Mountains will definitely become one of your favourite places to getaway with the family just as they have became one of mine.

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Experience Oz, my travel affiliate partner, offers the most amazing touring experiences into this region with professional service and expert guides.

I highly recommend that you click the link below for some amazing touring ideas and specials.

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Please note that some links on this page are to companies that I have an affiliation with. By that I mean that if you purchase a product through them I receive a very small commission. This way of earning income is termed Monetization and it is a way for me to keep my site out here for you to enjoy. I will only affiliate with companies that I feel offer value for money and excellent back up service. These are Companies that I personally have used to purchase products for myself, my family and my friends. To learn more please refer to my Disclaimer page

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