Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne
Olinda, William Ricketts Sanctuary and the Puffing Billy Steam Train
Discover the cool climate region of the Dandenongs on a day trip or weekend break from the bustling Australian city of Melbourne.
If asked to describe Australia few people would mention mountainous alpine regions with giant pine trees and fern gullies yet it perfectly describes the Dandenong Ranges, a popular holiday destination only an hour from Melbourne; a world away from the buzzing bars and beaches of the city.
Olinda
Visitors to the small town of Olinda, central to the Dandenongs, remark on the similarities to north Western Europe and Olinda obligingly plays up to the notion. The Cuckoo restaurant in the village offers a European food smorgasbord and puts on a unique Bavarian show, together with cowbells, slap dancing and yodelling. It really is easy to imagine being somewhere else.
However, it’s not all brash. The majority of accommodation and restaurants in the hamlet are high-end and often frequented by newly-married couples or those seeking to get away from the madness and mayhem of city.
For a romantic break, check in to A Loft in the Mill bed and breakfast. Only a hop, skip and a jump from the amenities of Olinda, this converted mill house boasts four-poster beds, double spas and toasty log fires. Or lay in the lap of luxury at Linden Gardens. Nestled within towering mountain ash trees this exquisite getaway is the perfect pad for a special occasion. It’s impossible not to be seduced by the beauty of the surrounding forest viewed directly from floor-to-ceiling windows of the Sanctuary Tower, a suite laid out over three floors, complete with a two person hot-tub.
Puffing Billy Railway
Puffing Billy, Australia’s only 100 year old steam train, trundles along its original route from Belgrave to Gembrook, ferrying visitors through the tall trees of the Dandenongs every day, save Christmas Day.
Open carriages and raised tracks allow passengers to get a good view of the passing forest and landscape below and although it is open to all visitors, it is most popular with children obsessed with a more famous train, Thomas the Tank Engine.
William Ricketts Sanctuary
It’s difficult to portray the tranquillity and wonder of this strange and enchanting haven hidden behind lush fern trees on the bend of a road. William Ricketts, a native Australian artist and sculptor, had a deep affinity with the natural environment and was in awe of the relationship indigenous Aborigines had with the land.
For over 10 years he visited with the Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte people of Central Australia who became the inspiration and sometimes subjects of his magical statues. Ethereal clay figures of people and animals protrude from rocks among the forest as if they’ve always belonged there. William Ricketts’ lauded ability to intertwine art and nature makes his fairy tale Sanctuary worth a trip to the Dandenongs alone.
