Melbourne - Australia 2004 - page 565

WHERE TO DINE
Churinga Café CAFE This is a nice place for a quick lunch or morning or
afternoon tea. It has nice gardens and is just across from the William Ricketts
Sanctuary. You can get everything here from curries to traditional British fare.
Devonshire tea costs A$6 (US$3.90).
1381 Mt. Dandenong Tourist Rd., Mt. Dandenong. & 03/9751 1242. Main courses A$13-A$14
(US$8.45-US$9.10). AE, DC, MC, V. Sat-Wed 10:30am-4:30pm.
Wild Oak Café MODERN AUSTRALIAN For good home cooking you
can't beat this cozy cafe. The food includes the likes of chargrilled steak, smoked
Atlantic salmon risotto, linguini with prawns, and Cajun chicken. The restau-
rant has a few vegetarian selections and a roaring log fire in winter.
232 Ridge Rd., Mt. Dandenong. & 03/9751 2033. Main courses A$16-A$19 (US$10-US$12). DC, MC, V.
Daily 10am-10pm.
YARRA VALLEY
61km (40 miles) E of Melbourne
The Yarra Valley is a wine-growing region east of Melbourne. It's dotted with vil-
lages, historic houses, gardens, crafts shops, antiques centers, and restaurants, as
well as dozens of wineries. There are some good bushwalks around here and the
Healesville Sanctuary is one of the best places in Australia to see native animals.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE McKenzie's Bus Lines ( & 03/9853 6264 ) operates a
bus service from Lilydale Railway Station to Healesville. (Catch a train from
Melbourne's Spencer Street Station to Lilydale; the trip takes about an hour.)
Buses connect with trains roughly 12 times a day; call for exact connection
times.
If you're driving, pick up a map of the area from the Royal Automotive Club
of Victoria ( & 03/9790 3333 ) in Melbourne. Maps here are free if you're a
member of an auto club in your home country, but remember to bring along
your membership card. Alternatively, you can pick up a map at the tourist office.
Take the Maroondah Highway from Melbourne to Lilydale and on to
Healesville. The trip takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
VISITOR INFORMATION Pick up details on attractions and lodging at the
Yarra Valley Visitor Information Centre, Old Court House, Harker Street,
Healesville ( & 03/5962 2600; fax [phone]). It's open daily from 9am to
5pm.
EXPLORING THE VALLEY
There are three principal roads in the valley: Melba Highway, Maroondah High-
way, and Myers Creek Road, which together form a triangle. Within the trian-
gle are three smaller roads, Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Old Healesville Road,
and Chum Creek Road, which all access wineries. Most people start their tour
of the Yarra Valley from Lilydale and take in several cellar-door tastings at vine-
yards along the route.
Balloon Aloft ( & 1800/028 568 in Australia) offers dawn balloon rides over
the wineries for A$195 (US$127) for adults and A$130 (US$85) for children
over 8. The flight includes a champagne breakfast. Peregrin Adventures ( & 03/
9662 2800; www.peregrine.net.au) also has balloon flights over the valley, with
free pickup from Adelaide for A$195 (US$127) on weekends and A$175
(US$114) on weekdays. Peregrine can also arrange accommodations.