Yarra Valley, Melbourne, Australia
Wine Tours, Australian Wildlife and the Yarra's Regional Food Trail
The Yarra Valley is one of Australia's best wine and food regions and only a short drive from Melbourne.
It doesn’t take visitors to the rolling hills of Yarra Valley very long to figure out what the main attraction is. Neat rows of vines bearing round juicy berries snake across the landscape for as far as the eye can see, telling signs of Victoria’s premier wine region.
Wine Tasting and Tours
Around seventy wineries vie for space in a district that produces some of the best cool climate wines in the southern hemisphere, especially high quality chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir.
A trip to Domaine Chandon is a must. Built by the infamous French champagne makers Möet and Chandon, Domaine Chandon is one of the more popular wineries in the valley, for obvious reasons, and offers fabulous tasting rooms with views overlooking the Yarra. Other recommended cellar doors are those of DeBortoli and Chateau Yerring, both award-winning wineries, and TarraWarra which has an onsite art gallery.
There are regular daily wine tours with pick-up point across Melbourne so no one need miss out. Tours generally run from 9am to 5pm depending on which operator the tour is booked through.
Culinary Treats
Follow the Yarra Valley Regional Food Trail which criss-crosses the glen and leads to over 100 cafes, restaurants, shops and farms selling local produce, all signposted. Be sure to stop at Healsville Hotel which is rated as one of the best epicurean hotspots in the Yarra Valley. The front bar offers regular pub classics with a bit of pizzazz but if something more sumptuous appeals, book a table in the main award-wining Parisien bistro style dining room. The service is excellent and the food even better, especially if served with one of the local wines.
Healsville Sanctuary
For those who prefer to pet the animals rather than eat them, Healsville Sanctuary offers a chance to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s wildlife. Covering 32 hectares, the animal sanctuary is home to over 200 species including kangaroos, koalas, birds of prey and the elusive duck-billed platypus.
Marysville and Lake Mountain
The beautiful sub-alpine village of Marysville is the gateway to Yarra Ranges National Park where Stevenson Falls, an 84m waterfall, plays centre stage. There are a number of walks through the forest of varying lengths offering glimpses of smaller waterfalls; stop at Keppel’s Lookout for a magnificent view across the Yarra Ranges.
Lake Mountain, 25 minutes from Marysville, is the place to go for winter sports. Yes, it sounds weird in Australia but parts of Victoria are high enough and cold enough to get a good layering of snow so skiing, snow boarding and tobogganing are as popular here as anywhere else in the world.
Places to Stay
- Healesville Hotel, 256 Maroondah Highway, Healesville 3777
- Billanook Country Inn, 420 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale
- Balgownie Vineyard Retreat and Spa, Cnr Melba Highway and Gulf Road, Yarra Glen 3775
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