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Favorite thing: 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 and the Yarra Valley. The trails start between the toilet block and the barbecue area and lead to some truly big trees. I can think of few places in the world where you can see the giant sequoias and the world’s biggest hardwoods side by side. Bird lovers will find this place a treasure as well with much variety and colour, particularly crimson rosellas, golden whistlers and eastern yellow robins. This is a particularly good place to visit in autumn if it’s colour you’re after, the mesmerising yellows and reds of the liquid ambers and maples cannot fail to please.
Written Dec 10, 2011
Favorite thing: 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 bloom. My advice is to visit whatever the season for there is so much more to the gardens; the lush greens of summer, the exotic lilies, the reflective lakes with their reed beds and the weird trees and shrubs. To walk there anytime is a pleasure as I discovered while talking to a local who comes here every day for her daily stroll. She described in vivid detail the changing seasons and what they bring to the garden.
Fondest memory: Walking around here in spring is one of the great garden walks of Australia but, as I said previously, just walking around here anytime is special. Take note of all the exotic species, some will amaze you.
Written Dec 10, 2011
Favorite thing: 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 a special affinity for after spending time with them in the outback. He felt that their spiritual values regarding the land should be adopted by all.
Fondest memory: No less a well known figure than Billy Connelly said it, “..was the most impressive thing I’ve seen in Australia”. Ricketts died in 1993, aged 94, but there’s a self portrait of him among the sculptures. Every face carved is of someone, they are all original and, while you’re there, try and discover the spiritual meaning of the concentric circles, a theme revisited many times throughout the park.
It was here that I found out things had changed. Every Parks Victoria site on the mountain was free, where once there had been a charge.
There's a story behind pic 3. The lady is ex-German and had never been to the garden but her mother in Germany read an article about it and wanted to know why she hadn't been there!
Written Dec 10, 2011
Favorite thing: The winding roads lead ever upward to near where Mount Dandenong, at 633 metres the highest point, lords over all that surrounds and the attraction called Sky High can be found. A cafe, BBQ and picnic areas, attractive formal gardens, and spectacular views across Melbourne's eastern suburbs and to the city from various viewing platforms can be had. Views can also be enjoyed from Burke's Lookout at Mount Corhanwarrabul, about one kilometre south of the Mount Dandenong peak.
However Sky High costs, to get in, to park, to do anything. Might I point you in the direction of other aspects of the Dandenongs, particularly those associated with Parks Victoria, for which you won’t even have to reach into your pocket for loose change.
Fondest memory: 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 about the Dandenongs, was free to the public. The winding pathways that lead up and down the hillside ultimately finish up at the most delightful pond in the area. It took an English gardener and 80 assistants to render what you see today after Alfred bought 20 acres in 1929.
Written Dec 10, 2011
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Reviews and photos of Olinda attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Olinda sightseeing.
The winding roads lead ever upward to near where Mount Dandenong, at 633 metres the highest point, lords over all that surrounds and the attraction called Sky...
1 member lives in Olinda
Q: ... should I use, in your opinion, to put all the Dandenong info in? Which of the pretty little villages dotted around is the...
A: Olinda screams Dandenongs to me. But I think that I would go with putting the lot under Dandenongs.
Read 9 Replies
1
It was a shame we had to keep on driving through it because we couldn't find a park. It was the day ofter Boxing Day - and it was swarming! But we did go to Cloudehill Gardens & Nursery which is a few...
2
Olinda, in the Dandenong Ranges, about an hours drive east of Melbourne is a delightful place in any season. The flora and fauna is picturesque in any season.
3
As mountains go, Mount Dandenong wouldn't really rate in terms of height and mass but, don't try telling that to Melbournians for this place is deservedly revered in Australia's second biggest...
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