The re-opening of the mountain means you can once again enjoy the Alpine region and explore everything on offer along the way!
Here’s what you should look out for on your way up the mountain:
Follow the Eastern Freeway towards Ringwood, jump on the Maroondah Highway and head towards Lilydale. Lilydale is known for its natural attractions and premium estates. Each winery produces delicious, signature wines.
Lilydale Lake Park has 10km of shared trails around a beautiful lake, a great spot to stop and stretch your legs or enjoy a bike ride along the park or picnic with the family.
The Warburton Trail is a must for adventure lovers on their tour of the Yarra Valley. This trail starts at the end of the metropolitan rail network and heads through the rural landscape to the town of Warburton. The trail passes through the Yarra Ranges National Park, vineyards, wineries, and the Yarra River Valley, with spectacular views of the mountains ahead.
If you decide to head towards the Yarra Ranges National Park, we highly recommend exploring travelling through Mount Donna Buang. From here, you can see views of Westernport Bay and Port Phillip.
Be sure to head to the Victorian Parks website to find out about further activities you can get up to!
Healesville is only an hour’s drive from Melbourne CBD, located in the heart of the Yarra Valley food and wine district. This buzzing town is filled with culinary and natural delights. Surrounded by mountains, forests and rolling hills marked with various wineries and berry farms for you to explore.
Healesville Sanctuary focuses on the importance of creating a safe space for Australian native wildlife and allows visitors to see the processes happening in real-time.
The zoo also allows you to get up close and personal with a few of the animals (including koalas!) to feed and interact with them. It also means that when you purchase a close-up encounter you are directly contributing to Zoos Victoria’s work to fight wildlife extinction.
As well as exploring the grounds, you can explore a number of picnic spots located within the sanctuary. So whether you bring your own lunch or decide to choose from the abundance of food stalls and cafes within the sanctuary, you can easily make a day (or afternoon) out of it.
Another family fun experience is the Hedgend Maze, a Frisbee golf course, maze and mini-golf course all in one with panoramic views of the gorgeous Yarra Valley.
The drive from the Yarra Valley to Marysville is 30km long through a thick ancient forest, known as the Black Spur. The Black Spur is known to be one of Victoria’s most beautiful road trips to discover. The road weaves through towering mountain ash trees and giant, lush green ferns that encapsulate your surroundings. If you’re truly looking to immerse yourself in your surroundings, this drive is definitely worth the trip.
Be sure to keep a look out for native wildlife along the way!
The Black Spur is a stunning drive that takes you through some of Victoria’s most scenic routes, among those is Marysville. A picturesque little town filled with an abundance of popular attractions, hiking trails and activities for you to enjoy during your stay.
A popular attraction in Marysville is Bruno’s Art and Sculpture Garden. Bruno’s sculptures were badly burnt in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, however owner and artist Bruno Torfs stayed in Marysville and began the process of rebuilding. There are more than 120 sculptures scattered around the grounds, as well as a gallery that has been built to house artworks by children’s book illustrator Katz Cowley.
Making your way to Steavenson Falls is an easy 700 metre walk that arrives at one of the highest waterfalls in Victoria. These spectacular walls plummet 84 meters down and have been a favourite amongst travellers since the 1860s.
Lake Mountain is currently heading into “Green Season” which means there will be plenty of activities available for the whole family. From mountain bike riding to bushwalks & boardwalks, there’s no better way to explore this stunning landscape. There’s 35km of relaxed ski trails and 40km of challenging MTB terrain to suit all levels of ability and age.
Not to mention the extensive number of well marked, well-maintained hiking trails that wind through the beautiful alpine landscape. The Summit walk (40 minute round trip) and Echo flat walk come highly recommended.
If you’re excited for a road trip that’s fit for the whole family, the drive to Lake Mountain definitely won’t disappoint. We can’t wait to see you all again soon!
Stay COVIDSafe this summer by staying up to date on the latest physical distancing and restrictions via the https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/ website.