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INDULGE ON GASTRONOMY TRAILS
A perfect blend of remarkable dining paired with award-winning wines, boutique cellar doors with vineyard views, unforgettable interactive wildlife experiences and peaceful escapes into the lush, ferny Dandenong Ranges. Here, you can do it all.
You can explore under the tall mountain ash of the Dandenong Ranges or get a bird’s eye view from a hot air balloon. Encounter a koala or a platypus or climb aboard Australia’s oldest steam train as it weaves its way through ferny gullies or enjoy a day on the green. From here, spend your afternoon enjoying some of Australia’s finest, award-winning wines at a variety of cellar doors chat with the winemakers or visit a local distillery where you’ll find some of the best spirits around. Enjoy a range of luxury accommodations and fine dining experiences certain to please the palate.
It’s all in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, just one hour from Melbourne.
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A World Away, An Hour Away
Just an hour outside of Melbourne, the wide range of unforgettable experiences from adventure to family-friendly experiences and culinary indulgence-here, you’ll feel a world away. With so much to enjoy and explore, you can spend the day climbing aboard Puffing Billy, Australia’s oldest steam railway which weaves through dense forests and lush fern gullies in its open-air carriage. Alternatively, book a seat in the dining car and enjoy a first-class dining experience with all the romance and nostalgia of yesteryears.
Nearby, Healesville Sanctuary offers VIP tours and encounters as well as insight into Australia’s native wildlife and the initiatives being undertaken to protect and care for these special creatures including koalas, kangaroos, platypus, dingoes, wombats, emus and more.
It doesn’t get any fresher than enjoying fruit straight from the orchards and Rayner’s Orchard is the place to climb aboard on a tractor tour for one of the freshest tastings you’ll ever do. Here, more than 450 varieties of fruits come straight from the orchards, so there’s always a variety to try year-round.
Likewise at Cherry Hill Orchard, you can pick and enjoy fresh, plump cherries straight from the tree. Guests often bring their onsite picnic to enjoy on the grounds, visit the on-site café of food trucks and try their famous cherry ice cream, and enjoy the scenic surroundings.
Speaking of fresh, time your visit to enjoy the region bursting to life with colour as part of the Tesselaar KaBloom Festival; a celebration of millions of flowers bursting to life over five acres. Also in late spring and early summer, the lavender at Warrantina Lavender Farm creates an impressive wonderland to wander through. While you’re there, visit the shop and café to enjoy exclusive lavender products and try their famous lavender scones, a Devonshire tea and signature lavender herbal teas in their onsite tea house.
A Feast for the Senses
Incredible wineries, distilleries, and vineyard-view-dining, experience it all here. Tempt your tastebuds with local breweries, craft distilleries and of course, some of the finest wines you’ll ever taste, all peppered throughout the region. Indulge in internationally acclaimed food and wines at over 80 cellar doors, microbreweries, and restaurants. Here are just a small selection to get you inspired.
Four Pillars Distillery
Renowned for its award-winning small bath gin, Four Pillars is crafted using native botanicals, fresh citrus and Asian spices. Their doors are always open for tasting and keep your eye on their event calendar for special events and masterclasses.
Levantine Hill
With stunning vineyard views, visitors to Levantine Hill can enjoy beautifully matched wines to dishes inspired by the classic Mediterranean food styles of Europe.
Oakridge Wines
An award-winning winery, cellar door and restaurant, Oakridge are internationally renowned as a producer of distinctive and age-worthy wines, especially revered for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
De Bortoli Wines
As one of the best places to experience all the best of the Yarra Valley’s indulgences, De Bortoli Wines’ Locale restaurant is a dining favourite for its picturesque surroundings and Italian-inspired menu.
