Steam and Cuisine Luncheon Train

Tue 1st January  until Thu 31st December , Departs daily at 12.30pm - 3.30pm (except public holidays)

We invite you to Puffing Billy for a different experience - travelling First Class! Relax and unwind with a majestic three-hour steam train journey as you take in the scenic vista of the Dandenong Ranges. Indulge in a delicious seasonal three-course menu or Natter Platter filled with a selection of cured meats, fine cheeses and Devonshire Tea. All tickets include your selected meal, 2-hour train journey and 1-hour spare time at Emerald Lake Park.

Puffing Billy Belgrave Station, 1 Monbulk Rd, Belgrave

See the website for pricing

Devonshire Tea Anyone?

Tue 1st January  until Thu 31st December

People often travel to The Villages just for a real Devonshire Tea and with the increasing popularity of a High Tea, will often spend all afternoon drinking tea and grazing on the sweet and savoury delights. What a way to spend a day! Whether you want a full English High Tea Experience or just a piece of delicious cake or tart with a pot of tea or a coffee - you're in the right place! Find out more about the differences and where you can find the best Afternoon Tea experiences in the Dandenong Ranges.

See the website for best places in the Dandenong Ranges

The Gully Market

Wed 30th January  until Thu 31st December , Saturday 8am-3pm Sunday 9am-3pm

The Gully Market is a long established market that runs every Saturday and Sunday in the carpark of the Upper Ferntree Gully Train Station. Drop in on the way up (or the way down) the mountain and stretch your legs as the Gully Market has lots of craft stalls, fresh fruit and vegetables, plants and home made goods.

Upper Ferntree Gully Railway Station

Enquiries: 0417 599 466

Friday Night Wine Tasting at Olinda Cellars

Thu 31st January  until Thu 31st December , 5pm - 8pm

Join us EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT for free wine tasting where we explore new wines, new vintages and sometimes golden oldies. With a reputation as one of Melbourne’s finest boutique wine specialists, we offer sensational wines from all over Australia, with a great collection of hard to find vintage wines, boutique local beers and Australian Spirits.

Shop 7/540 Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda

Wines are selected weekly so call 9751 0999 for details of wines available for tasting.

Save 25% off at Puffing Billy Railway

Mon 20th May  until Mon 30th September , 12:20 pm departure from Lakeside Station

Mid-Week Special Offer. Receive 25% off your tickets when you travel Lakeside to Gembrook between Monday to Friday on Puffing Billy Railway, Australia's premier preserved steam railway. With lush fern gullies brushing past and Mountain Ash trees towering overhead, Puffing Billy makes for a wonderful opportunity to relax and breathe in the fresh air whilst the train makes its way through the temperate rainforest from Lakeside to Gembrook. Running everyday over winter! Use promo code RUGUP to redeem the special discount online. See the website for terms and conditions.

Emerald Lake Park, Emerald Lake Road, Emerald

Child: $22.85, Concession: $34.85, Adult: $44.25

3 Night Mid Week Special at Arcadia Cottages

Sat 1st June  until Sat 30th November

Book 3 nights midweek in Olinda Cottage, Treehouse Cottage or Forest Cottage and you'll get 10% OFF as well as a delicious breakfast basket, special treats and an 11am checkout! For bookings made through Arcadia Cottages website only or by phoning direct on 03 9751 1017. See our website for full details.

Arcadia Cottages, 188-190 Falls Road, Olinda

10% OFF as well as a delicious breakfast basket, special treats and an 11am checkout.

Reliable Roses - Winter 2019 Bare-root Rose Season

Sat 1st June  until Sat 31st August

The Bare-root Winter Rose Season commences 1st June. Reliable Roses are specialist growers of species, old fashioned and rarer modern roses. We have Accreditation for posting roses to all States. Please send an email or telephone for our New Winter 2019 Rose List which lists many rare Old Roses to [email protected] Also check our website for Rose List/Order Form.

Request Free Winter 2019 Rose List by emailing Jean Newman at [email protected]

Sunday High Tea at Marybrooke Manor

Sat 1st June  until Sun 29th December , 1-4pm every Sunday

High Tea can be enjoyed every Sunday afternoon at the historic Marybrooke Manor. Celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and hens days or just to spoil yourself. Our delightful menu consists of unlimited Manor made scones with chantilly cream and jam, assorted savoury and sweet selections and a selection of Madame Flavour teas and brewed coffee. Seatings available in the Sherbrooke Room between 1pm and 4pm. Bookings are essential. Please call (03) 9755 2755.

Marybrooke Manor, 10 Sherbrooke Rd, Sherbrooke. Bookings Essential on 9755 2755.

Price $40 per person. Children under 12 years are half price.

Weekend Bottomless High Tea Brunch

Sat 1st June  until Tue 31st December , Saturday & Sunday at 10am

Gather your friends and join Mary Eats Cake for a Bottomless Brunch. The brunch menu is High Tea style including: smashed avo, quiches, savoury and sweet scones, homemade bircher muesli and pastries. Filtered coffee and tea are available. Enjoy your high tea and free flowing mimosa and Pimms whilst surrounded by pretty decorations of flowers and vintage teaware. Please note alcohol service is between 10am - 11:30am (we’re trying to be responsible adults and all…)

Mary Eats Cake, 13 Leith Road, Montrose

$49 per head includes brunch, free flowing scones, free flowing mimosas, pimms and specialty teas

Valley Ranges Getaways Winter Warmer Offer

Sat 1st June  until Sat 31st August

Enjoy a complimentary Winter Warmer Dinner at your accommodation. Stay in any of our properties for 3 consecutive nights until the end of Winter and a Pot of hearty soup, a loaf of crusty bread and winter warm puddings will be waiting for you on your arrival night. Simply Add the code WINTER when booking 3 nights or call 1300 48 84 48 to book.

Stay 3 nights or more in any of our properties over winter and receive a complimentary Winter Warmer Dinner at your accommodation.

Offer is not available for stays that include public holidays. Direct bookings only and not valid in conjunction with any other offer.

Murder on the Puffing Billy Express

Sat 20th July  until Fri 13th December , (Please see the website for dates)

Amongst the glamour of the Flapper Era where pearls and feathers, silk bow ties and braces are the fashion, there has been a Murder on the Puffing Billy Express! All tickets include a three-course meal, 2-hour train journey and 2-hour live entertainment in the Nobelius Packing Shed.

Puffing Billy Belgrave Station, 1 Monbulk Rd, Belgrave

$120 per person. Departs 7pm - returns 11.30pm (please arrive 20 mins prior)

SkyHigh FREE Entry August

Thu 1st August  until Sat 31st August , 9.15am until 10pm Monday to Friday during August

With Winter coming to an end and Spring on the horizon, August is a great time to visit SkyHigh Mt Dandenong! Whilst temperatures can often remain chilly, views of Melbourne can be spectacular and very beautiful, even on overcast or foggy days. What’s more, by simply showing the voucher at the gate you’ll gain FREE entry Monday to Friday right throughout August!

SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, 26 Observatory Rd, Mt Dandenong

FREE ENTRY

Mid-Week Lunch Special at Coonara Springs

Thu 1st August  until Sat 31st August

From now until the end of August, Coonara Springs are offering a $49 per person Mid-Week Lunch Special which includes a 2-course meal (plus a glass of wine). And with the winter flowering in full bloom, it is an absolutely beautiful time of the year to visit. Only available Wednesday-Friday lunch. Menu subject to change. Some block out dates may apply. Please call us on (03) 9751 1686 to book or simply make a booking online.

Coonara Springs, 129 Olinda-Monbulk Rd, Olinda

$49 per person

Cockatoo Country Market

Sat 3rd August , 8.30am - 1.30pm

The Cockatoo Country Market is your local artisan market held in Cockatoo in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges. Where possible stall holders offer locally grown and made products.

77 Pakenham Road, Cockatoo

Kallista Community Market

Sat 3rd August , 9am - 1pm

Kallista is a vibrant outdoor country market with handmade and home crafted goods including jewellery, plants, wood crafts, soap, clothing, delicious food and so much more.

Village Green, Church St, Kallista

Emerald Lions Grow it, Bake it, Make it Market

Sun 4th August , 9am - 2pm

Fancy a day out, up and around the hills... Do we have the prefect place to start your day off. Come to The Grow It Bake It Make It Market from 9 till 2. How about starting your day off at the market with a delicious egg & bacon roll? While your there pick up some yummy bread, veggies, or maybe some beer and check out all the other amazing stalls that will be there. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Gemco Community Centre, 19 Kilvington Drive & Main St, Emerald

Enquiries: 0467 957 549

Melbourne Trail Running Series: Silvan

Sun 4th August

The Trail Running Series at Silvan Reservoir Park in the Dandenong Ranges is part of an annual series in and around Melbourne, Victoria. The Dandenong Ranges race is at the Silvan Reservoir Park, where you'll race along trails that wind through mighty Mountain Ash that seemingly reach to the sky overhead, you'll run past lush tree ferns and gullies of verdant undergrowth all in the friendly company of the local birdlife, including crimson rosellas, kookaburras and the superb lyrebird. It's the toughest (but most rewarding) of the series with all courses being a few kms longer and noticeably hillier in comparison to the other races.

See the website for further details.

August Special Sunday Roast Lunch

Sun 4th August  until Sun 25th August , 11.30am until 3pm on Sundays in August

It’s time to get out of the cold at SkyHigh Mt Dandenong, one of Melbourne’s best restaurants and August is the perfect time to bring the whole family or a group of friends for an enticing Sunday 3-course roast luncheon. Dining upstairs in our stylish function room, you will have spectacular views across Melbourne from the Mornington Peninsula to Mt. Macedon and beyond. Secure your table today!

SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, 26 Observatory Rd, Mt Dandenong

Adults $30 Children $15 (5 - 12yo) Under 5 FREE

Lilydale Craft and Produce Market

Sun 4th August , 8am - 1pm

A farm fresh produce and craft market next to Lillydale Lake with over 50 stalls with a variety of fresh foods, easy access and car parking. You'll find a range of local crafts, fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits and berries, butchers with beef, pork and small good products, processed foods – jams, chutneys, sauces, soups and pasta lines, bakery products – breads, croissants, cakes, tarts & muffins and more... and baby farm animals and a jumping castle for young children to enjoy.

Bellbird Park, Swansea Rd, Lilydale

Monbulk Produce Market

Sat 10th August , 9am - 2pm

Monbulk Produce Market at top of main street brings fresh seasonal produce, home baked good and wares to our local town where the community. Make it, Bake it, Grow it. Meet the producers and everyone benefits.

73 Main Road, Monbulk

Free Entry

Puffing Billy - Steam & Cuisine After Dark

Sat 10th August , 7.30pm - 10.30pm (Please arrive 20 mins prior)

Welcome to the opportunity to step back into the romantic era of train travel. Enjoy an evening of luxury dining with family and friends whilst whistling through the exquisite Dandenong Ranges. All tickets include a three-course meal, 2-hour train journey and 1-hour spare time at Emerald Lake Park. Our roving live musician will be entertaining guests from the moment you arrive on the platform at Belgrave Station.

Puffing Billy Belgrave Station, 1 Old Monbulk Rd, Belgrave

$115 per person

Friends of George Tindale Plant Sale

Sat 10th August , 10am - 12 Noon

Keen gardeners should not miss the opportunity to purchase a treasure at the monthly plant and bulb sale hosted by Friends of George Tindale Gardens. Smaller in size, our sales will focus on seasonal plants, propagated from our collection & donated from the Friends' gardens. Visitors will also have an opportunity to meander through the magnificent George Tindale Gardens. All monies raised will be used to assist with ongoing improvements to the garden.

George Tindale Gardens, Sherbrooke Rd, Sherbrooke

Free of charge

High Tea Express on Puffing Billy

Sun 11th August , Train departs at 12.30pm returning at 3.30pm

Join us for the High Tea Express - allowing visitors to enjoy high tea on the tracks in the train’s historic first class dining carriages. We've partnered with Melbourne's high tea extraordinaire and local Montrose business, Mary Eats Cake. A high tea menu will be delivered with a fresh modern twist while keeping to the old fashioned traditions of vintage teaware and classic desserts. Guests will enjoy delicious savoury items, fluffy scones and sweet treats prepared by a French-trained pastry chef. All adult guests will also receive a complimentary glass of sparkling wine.

Puffing Billy's Belgrave Station

$115 per person

Belgrave Big Dreams Market

Sun 11th August , 9 am - 2 pm

A place to find all things grown and made with love : A dream come true : A dream to foster community, abundance, joy and creativity. You'll discover a collection of Melbourne's finest Artists and Makers. Discover original and bespoke design pieces alongside some of the yummiest and freshest produce the area has to offer with live music courtesy of our very talented onsite buskers, bouncy castle and facepainting for the kids, this is a market for the whole family to enjoy!

Hayes Car Park/Blacksmiths Way, Belgrave

Free Entry

Montrose Craft Market

Sat 17th August , 9am - 1.30pm

Situated at the base of the mountain on the way to Lilydale the Montrose Market has a variety of craft and fresh produce stalls. Drop in on the way out to the Yarra Valley.

Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd, Montrose

Enquiries: 9728 1703

Emerald Craft and Produce Market

Sun 18th August , 9am - 3pm

The Emerald Market is vibrant and colourful featuring locally made products and home grown produce right in the centre of town. Visitors can expect a variety of goods including preserves, cakes, hot food stalls, local specialties, vegetables and plants, jewellery, clothing, food, lifestyle products and massage. Our market is plastic bag free, so don’t forget to bring along your own bags.

Cnr Kilvington Drive & Main St, Emerald

Enquiries: 0419 345 750

Hancock's Daffodil Garden Festival

Fri 23rd August  until Fri 27th September , Weekdays 11am-4pm. Weekend 10am-5pm.

Visit Hancock's Daffodil Garden Festival and discover how to make your own Magical Spring Garden with daffodils and spring flowering bulbs. Take this unique opportunity to select and order your favourite varieties for planting next autumn by choosing from the flowers themselves. You will enjoy colourful and extensive indoor and garden displays, plus a huge variety of fresh cut flowers, potted daffodils and collectors bulbs. Complementary self-serve tea & coffee. Picnic ground opposite.

Corner Belgrave-Gembrook Road and Grantulla Road Menzies Creek

FREE Admission. Bus tours are welcome (please book on 9754 3328).

Spring Garden & Trains in the Garden Open Days

Sat 24th August , 10am - 3.30pm

Our Garden Train Display will be open to coincide with peak flowering of the Spring Bulbs. The garden features a model ‘garden railway’, a miniature English village, spring flowering shrubs, plantings of daffodils and other rare and interesting plants. The trains will be running, winding their way around the miniature village across bridges and through the garden. Tea or coffee and biscuits are available and are included in the entry fee. Part of the proceeds are donated to the Fred Hollows Foundation. Enquiries: 0419 504 432.

C&M Drewitt, 8-10 Henderson Hill Rd, Silvan

There is a Garden entry fee of $3 per adult and $2 for each child. A family ticket costs $10 for two adults and three children.

Mt Evelyn Community Market

Sat 24th August , 9am - 2pm

Come along to Mt Evelyn’s RSL Community Market. With great stalls from local businesses and community groups, it’s a great day to catch up with friends, do some local shopping and find out what’s available in Mt Evelyn. Located in the beautiful RSL Memorial Gardens on the corner of Wray Cres and Birmingham Rd. There is a lot of (free) parking along Wray Cres, and public toilets are located next to the gardens.

RSL Memorial Gardens, Wray Cres, Mount Evelyn

Gembrook Market

Sun 25th August , 9am - 2pm

Promoting sustainable living, many of the 90+ stall holders are artisans and craftspeople who have created unique items from recycled materials. Purchase home grown produce including some wonderful gourmet foods. We have a 'garage sale site' and if occupied on the day you visit, who knows what bargain you may find! A jumping castle, farm animals or similar activities for young children are on site at most markets.

Gembrook Community Centre, Gembrook-Pakenham Rd, Gembrook

Wood Working Wonders Expo at Warratina Lavender Farm

Sat 31st August  until Sun 15th September , Wednesday - Monday 10am - 4pm

Come along to Warratina Lavender Farm and enjoy wonderful wood turning demonstrations, wood carvings and all kinds of wood items for sale including furniture, salad bowls, toys, pens and many other beautiful pieces! Entry fee to the local CFA. During Exhibition times it is advisable to make a booking if you require lunch or refreshments. All enquiries please call 03 5964 4650.

Warratina Lavendar Farm, 105 Quayle Rd, Wandin Yallock

Exhibition entry: Gold Coin Donation

Spring Garden & Trains in the Garden Open Days

Sat 31st August , 10am - 3.30pm

Our Garden Train Display will be open to coincide with peak flowering of the Spring Bulbs. The garden features a model ‘garden railway’, a miniature English village, spring flowering shrubs, plantings of daffodils and other rare and interesting plants. The trains will be running, winding their way around the miniature village across bridges and through the garden. Tea or coffee and biscuits are available and are included in the entry fee. Part of the proceeds are donated to the Fred Hollows Foundation. Enquiries: 0419 504 432.

C&M Drewitt, 8-10 Henderson Hill Rd, Silvan

There is a Garden entry fee of $3 per adult and $2 for each child. A family ticket costs $10 for two adults and three children.