The Dandenongs

After coffee with Joy & Barrie's  "English " neighbours (they've been here about 40 years! ), Rob & I  headed off on the scenic route to the Dandenongs, an area of great natural beauty. A steady climb up Mt. Dandenong, 633m above sea level, through the Mountain Ash forest. Not the Mountain Ash we know in England  ( Rowan ), but the largest Eucalyptus species - it is a "stringy bark" variety, that sheds its bark in long strings leaving the most wonderful grey multi -toned trunk.   These forest are similar to the ones we saw in the Otway / Kennet River area, with tree ferns alongside the Eucalypts.

We walked to the Olinda Falls
A truly spiritual peace descends on you - walking through the forest as if you are the only people in the world with just the birds for company. .

It's been a day of bird spotting, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, crimson rosellas & the noisy Koocaburras.


We had amazing views from the high point across the valley right over to Port Phillip Bay, Melboune's sky scrapers & the Great Dividing Range.

We passed through Ferny Creek, Sassafras, & Olinda. They are as lovely as they sound! Check out Miss Marples Tea Rooms for a Devonshire (cream ) tea, the quaintest of shops with antiques & frenchstyle furniture & sundries, lovely clothes & jewellery &  a quirky teapot shop.