Yarra Valley, Dandenongs & Mornington

The editor of the Small Guide book, Fran Church, believes that The Yarra Valley leaves the Hunter Valley for dead when it comes to wineries. And it may well do. But Fran lives in Melbourne and I come from Sydney. Perth people would probably say the same about Margaret River and Adelaidians would put forward the Barossa. It’s part of our parochial pride, I guess. My only tip for those who like a tipple is to seek out wineries wherever you find them – apart from the wine you’re almost guaranteed to find excellent cuisine, lively conversation and fine scenery.

The Yarra Valley is a haven for wine buffs with 30 wineries open for tastings and sales. Top wineries include Domaine Chandon (joint venture with the French Champagne house of Moet et Chandon), and top Australian names like Coldstream, St Huberts and De Bortoli (great Italian food here as well!). There are excellent restaurants attached to many of the wineries. The Yarra Valley Dairy incorporates a restaurant in an old dairy building and produces more than 20 varieties of hand-made cheese.

Early morning balloon flights give a birds-eye view of the vines and hills and an excuse for a breakfast with bubbly.

But it’s not all vines and wine in the Yarra & Dandenongs. You can cycle, walk or saddle up for the 38km Warburton Rail Trail, starting in Lilydale. Some of the state’s best forests are found in this region. The Beeches (near Marysville) is a 5km stroll through ancient beech and mountain ash forests.

A rewarding day trip in itself is to Healesville Sanctuary (60km east of Melbourne), for fascinating native birds and other animals in a bushland setting. Don’t miss the platypus exhibit, the bird of prey displays and the nocturnal viewing area.

This area is also regarded as one of Australia’s best garden regions. One of the finest formal gardens is the Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens in Sherbrooke. It was originally part of the home estate, Burnham Beeches, and owned by the family that developed the world famous Aspro analgesic. My dear Aunt Laura, who was still tending a small garden aged 100, gave me the tip to put half an Aspro in water to extend the vase-life of agapanthus. The things you remember…

And speaking of old gardeners, the William Ricketts Sanctuary is a relatively small but interesting collection of native and exotic plants growing together on a hillside. Ricketts, a sculptor, was inspired by many years of living with Aborigines in central Australia, particularly their affinity with the land. He worked in the gardens until he died in 1993, aged 94. And the National Rhododendron Gardens, on the Olinda-Monbulk road include 15 000 rhododendron plants, 12 000 azaleas and 3000 camellias. August to November is the Rhododendron season.

Train buffs and kids will enjoy a trip on Puffing Billy, the only survivor of several narrow-gauge steam trains, which connected Melbourne with nearby country areas at the end of the 1800s.

It generally runs 3 or 4 times a day from a special station at Belgrave to Emerald Lakeside Park (1 hour one-way) or a longer trip to Gembrook (1 hour 45 minutes).

It has a stop at Menzies Creek, which has a steam train museum open on weekends and public holidays.

The Mornington Peninsula also makes for a great day trip or weekend from Melbourne and boasts three seafronts – the sheltered beaches that front Port Phillip, the wild beaches fronting Bass Strait and the surf beaches of Western Port.

There are around 40 wineries, most of them around Red Hill. These are more your pretty-as-a-postcard boutique cellars than big wine producers and, like the Yarra Valley, there are many with fine eateries. Most open Fridays and on weekends. The Red Hill Markets are vibrant and open on the first Saturday of the month from September to May.

Popular tours include a circle trip around the shoreline of Port Phillip, taking in the seaside suburb of St Kilda with its long beachside esplanade, Frankston and the towns of Mount Martha, Dromana, Sorrento and Portsea in the east.

From Sorrento you can hop the ferry across to Queenscliffe to explore the Belarine Peninsula, Point Lonsdale before heading back to Melbourne through Geelong to complete your circle.

A short drive from Dromana, Arthurs Seat rises 300 metres to provide sweeping views of the bay and surrounding countryside. A chairlift operates from September to May, and every weekend for the rest of the year.

At the southernmost point, Cape Schanck, the rugged coastline overlooks a pounding ocean and tours of the 140-year-old lighthouse and its museum are available.

The Cape Schanck Golf Course is one of 20 on the peninsula and there are plenty of spots for anglers to wet the line.

More Information

For more information about Victoria:

• Events And Festivals
• Accommodation
• To See And Do
• Melbourne
• Great Ocean Road
• Goldfields
• High Country
• Grampians
• The Murray
• Gippsland

Victoria Tours With Tours To Go