Getting out into nature and exploring the beautiful forests in Eastern Victoria
Over the weekend Cindy and I decided that it was time for a cheaper expedition of activities, so we had a look around at all the walking tracks we could find that weren’t too far away. We easily settled on the Dandenongs as they are so beautiful and it was going to be a gorgeous day.
We met up at Nat’s house at 10am and then drove up to Grant’s Picnic Ground which is pretty much the central meeting point for all the walks at Sherbrooke Forest. By 10.30am the car park was already very full, so getting there any later would have been a real problem. Grant’s Picnic Ground has a lovely little café, public toilets and an information stand so you can get your morning coffee and a map before heading out.
There is also an area where tourists can feed the cockatoos which was quite a bit of fun as well. Cindy and her little friend enjoyed watching the mayhem while she was having her morning coffee.
The 7km walk started on a downhill and we were immediately enclosed by lush forest and quiet beauty. It was very peaceful and we had a really great start to our morning hike.
We eventually reached an area that looked like an open field, it was beautiful and sunny and we had some fun taking photos and having a bit of a traipse around.
There was some stunning scenery that we encountered as we went along, both of us stopping to capture a few quick photos (and yes, we are both wearing the exact same pink top from H&M).
Finally we came to a MASSIVE hill that we had to go up and it almost defeated Nat, but she made it in the end (with a few breathers along the way!).
Below is a shot on the final section of the walk. It was mostly flat for the last kilometer or so and quite possibly the most beautiful scenery of the whole walk. The huge gum trees and the quiet stillness around you is really very peaceful.
After our hike we made our way on to Olinda for some lunch, stopping in at Dudley’s Olinda for pizza and parmas! The pizza was enormous and at least half of it was taken away in a doggy bag to be eaten for lunch the next day.
We did a final bit of shopping and looking around before stopping for Devonshire tea at Pie in the Sky. It was a long but really wonderful day all up.
Until next time,
Nat x