Dandenongs

Twenty miles or so east of Melbourne is a range of small mountains known as the Dandenongs. A popular summer getaway, these ranges double as a temperate rainforest, with towering eucalyptus trees spanning as far as the eye can see. The particular trees that are in the Dandenongs (there are all kinds of eucalyptus trees) are very unusual, in that they don’t have low branches, so there are just tree trunks for the first 50 feet or so before any branches reach out.



On our way to the top of Mount Dandenong we stopped for tea at Miss Marple’s, where we enjoyed finger sandwiches and Devonshire tea and scones.




Afterward, we summated the mountain and stopped at Sky High, the lookout point, where you can see Melbourne’s central business district like the Emerald City across the field of poppies in Oz. The view was amazing, like a map set out before me.



We tried to make it to a few other key sites, like William Ricketts Sanctuary (one of Luke’s Things to Do), where art meets nature with sculptures of William Ricketts tucked away in the forest, but we missed the opening hours. Hopefully I’ll find my way back to this little haven and fill you in on the rest.