destination – Dandenongs an Yarra Valley

YARRA VALLEY
The magical offerings of mountains and valleys

While the geography of the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley may be different both areas have much in common – great scenery for a start. In the Dandenong Ranges it’s forests of lush ferns, tall trees and waterfalls. In the Yarra Valley it’s the ever changing colors of the vineyards and farmland.

Tourism is essential to both regions so visitors are extremely well catered for. As a result fantastic restaurants, numerous art and craft galleries and a huge array of accommodation options are in plentiful supply.

>> Destination Yarra Valley, Weekends For Two

Both areas are also easy to explore. There are numerous tourist drives which are well signposted and which take in the most popular attractions. One of the best known is the Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, a 30-kilometre drive between Upper Fern Tree Gully and Montrose.

At the same time the Dandenongs also offer some great walks.The Dandenong Ranges National Park, for example, features 300 kilometres of walking tracks. It’s possible to spot a cute, prickly echidna, along with laughing kookaburras, colorful parrots and squawking cockatoos. The elusive lyrebird is often nearby too, but its tricky habit of mimicking other birds makes it difficult to pinpoint.

During spring the Dandenongs are renowned for their fantastic gardens full of striking rhododendrons, azaleas, roses, tulips and daffodils.

The Dandenongs are also home to one of Victoria’s iconic tourist experiences, Puffing Billy. This historic steam train huffs and puffs its way through fern-filled gullies and small townships such as Emerald, Cockatoo and Gembrook. For a romantic experience couples often enjoy the train’s innovative dinner service after daytime passengers have left.

From Mount Dandenong you have the full panorama of the Yarra Valley below. The valley is one of Victoria’s oldest wine growing areas and is regarded as one of the world’s finest cool climate wine regions. Currently around 3800 hectares of the valley are under vine, around two percent of Australia’s total area. The valley is home to over 80 wineries, 50 of which are open to the public.

While chardonnay, pinot noir and sparkling wines dominate, the repertoire includes excellent examples of shiraz, riesling, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc. 

The Valley is also a food lover’s delight. There’s everything from game meat, freshwater salmon and trout and salmon caviar to organically grown fruit, berries and vegetables, handmade cheese, pastas and preserves on offer.