Overview
You'd be excused for thinking every part of the photogenic Dandenong Ranges is a scenic attraction, but make a beeline for some real standouts to overwhelm the senses.
Blooming gardens
The magnificent gardens of the Ranges are at their best in spring when the flowers burst into bloom. Smell the rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and daffodils in the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden. Watch the colours turn in the tranquil Alfred Nicholas Gardens, and gaze upon a sea of bright tulips at Tesselaar Tulip Farm.
Dandenong Ranges National Park
Marvel at the forests of mountain ash and the plunging fern gullies. Listen out for the intriguing and elusive lyrebird as you walk through the beautiful woodlands to the thundering Sherbrooke Falls.
Stop in at the Micawber Tavern, in Belgrave, to share a lush beer-garden meal surrounded by tree canopy at the scenic edge of Sherbrooke Forest.
Panoramic views
Drive the 30-kilometre Mount Dandenong Tourist Road. Stop at the lookout at Kalorama for a view of the Warburton Ranges and Silvan Reservoir, or head off Ridge Road to the Mount Dandenong Observatory for stunning views of the city, particularly at night.
