By Derek Schlennstedt
Nestled among the tree tops and ferns, Olinda sits at the top of Mount Dandenong and, although a quaint town, it is well renowned for its beautiful location and its collection of craft and antique shops, boutique restaurants, and cafes.
9am
A big day requires a big breakfast and with so much to see and do Olinda Cafe is the only choice in town that delivers a beautiful and serene place to enjoy a delicious meal. Walking into a sheltered terraced garden with rustic stone walls surrounding it, Olinda Cafe provides a peaceful and comforting insulation from the outside world. With creamy eggs on toast, and of course sublime avocado, Olinda Cafe has a range of delicious goodies and will leave you content and ready to go.
10am
located in the Olinda Reserve and accessed via Falls road, Olinda Falls is only a five minute drive from the township. Visitors can enjoy the fresh mountain air, soaring gum trees, and the sonorous sound of a stream, which as you walk closer builds into the rushing sound of a waterfall. A 350-metre walk down to the falls is all that’s needed, and the falls has various viewing platforms and lookouts from which visitors can take in stunning views. The waterfalls are the perfect place for visitors to sit and relax listening to the vast array of bird life which inhabit the Dandenong Ranges.
Noon
After a brisk walk to the waterfalls and back it’s time to head back to Olinda to reinvigorate those muscles and treat the tastebuds. Established in 1893, Coonara Springs is one of the oldest restaurants in the Dandenong Ranges and if the saying ‘experience breeds excellence,’ rings true, then Coonara Springs is nothing short of excellent. The two-acre kitchen garden influences an al la carte menu, with the restaurant offering dishes of deeply classic meals draped in local produce from the Yarra Valley.
2pm.
No visit to Olinda would be complete without a trip to the antique stores. Mangana Olinda on 29 Olinda-Monbulk Road offers a fantastic assortment of trinkets and treasures. Each item has a vivid history and story to tell and walking through the store feel like a journey though history.
3pm
A jewel of the Dandenong Ranges is the iconic National Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda. The headline act of Olinda, the rhododendron gardens feature 15,000 rhododendrons, over 12,000 azaleas, 3000 camellias and 250,000 daffodils. Within the grounds itself you will find a large ornamental lake, sensory gardens, deep fern gullies dotted with mighty mountain ash and small rock gardens. The perfect location for spring, visitors can watch as thousands of flowers bloom and explode in a vast array of overwhelming colour and beauty.
6pm
The golden hour for photographers is also a golden, opportune hour for visitors. Skyhigh, located only a few minutes from Olinda on 26 Observatory Road, offers visitors the chance to see the Dandenong Ranges in all their glory. With panoramic views of Melbourne visitors can see the city dipped in golden sunset light before it disappears beyond the horizon. After sunset the southern sky, brilliant in the clear mountain night, is imitated by a spectacular carpet of city lights.
