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iandsmith Says: On one of my previous daytrips up there I visited the Albert Nicholas Gardens, named after the man behind that most famous of medications, Aspro; for this was once the family home. I was shocked to learn that this garden, whose boatshed features on every second publication...
iandsmith Says: However, that magnificent garden is but the tip of the iceberg. Next time up I went to William Ricketts Sanctuary, an iconic attraction whose creator originally named it the Potters Sanctuary, to revisit the wooden and stone sculptures of aborigines, a race that William had...
iandsmith Says: I’ve visited on more than one occasion and the enchantment never ceases as you pass through villages with enticing names like Sassafras, Olinda, Sherbrooke and Kalorama; all seeking to charm you with their wonderfully exotic gardens and quirky shops. Epicurean delights...
iandsmith Says: There are award winning pie shops and Sassafras is known as the village of tea so sharpen up your taste buds and look forward to fantastic food in one of Australia’s most beautiful surroundings. The Pie in the Sky Bakery advertises that it's the best east of Adelaide and...
Ivy Restaurant: Italian par excellence
iandsmith Says: The whole of the Dandenongs is a gastronomic delight and I was overjoyed when I dined at the Ivy to be served genuine Italian pizza with that wonderful thin and crispy crust and garnished lightly with all the flavours you’d expect of Italian food. The pizza was all I...
iandsmith Says: If you’re into walking then I’ve also done the Sherbrooke Falls walk although at around 40 easy minutes this is more of a short stroll than a full on bushwalk. Nonetheless, at the popular picnic area where you park, you cannot fail to be impressed by the tall gum trees...
iandsmith Says: I next drove up to the nearby Mount Dandenong Arboretum. Here there is a carpark, a picnic table and little else save the trees, of which there are 16 hectares of deciduous and conifer varieties. Should you walk among them you may reach a dirt road below and that track you...
iandsmith Says: My next goal was the perennial favourite, the National Rhododendron Gardens, set tucked away at the back of Olinda. I deliberately used the word “perennial” because many people think that the only time to visit is in spring when a stunning array of rhododendrons is in full...
iandsmith Says: Of course, colours can be seen anytime of the year at the many art galleries in the area. One of my personal favourites is in Belgrave where the Sherbrooke Art Society display their works and up to 300 may be on show at any given time and most are for sale. Because there are...
iandsmith Says: Another famous garden/nursery/cafe not far away is Cloudehill but it costs to go there though the ordered and sculpted garden is one of the wonders of the hill.I next stopped at R J Hamer Arboretum, 120 hectares of varied forest overlooking expansive views across Silvan Dam...
Mechanics Track and Olinda Falls
iandsmith Says: Moving on from the Mount Dandenong Arboretum (see Off The Beaten Path) you criss-cross a couple of roads on your way downhill.The track can be slightly boggy in the wet and very slippery in places so hiking shoes are advised but the walk through dense thickets of tree ferns...
Plan a Dandenong Ranges vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Dandenong Ranges locals
I’ve visited on more than one occasion and the enchantment never ceases as you pass through villages with enticing names like Sassafras, Olinda, Sherbrooke and...
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There’s something magic about the Dandenong Ranges. When you encounter your first copse of mountain ash there’s a sense of pervading calm that comes over you, exacerbated by the tree ferns that soon...
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This is one small step for VT and a giant leap for SirGaw - the first Dandenong Ranges page. I'll be adding content in the next few days and as a starter the photo is the famous bush and particularly...
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