dotheyarravalley.com.au

Not Just Another Dam Park!

Maroondah Reservoir Park, or Maroondah Dam as it’s more commonly known, is located just over an hour east of Melbourne along the Maroondah Highway. If you are planning a trip to the Yarra Valley it’s a great place to stop and stretch your legs. Explore the gardens or walk the path to the top of the dam wall. The car park is situated at the base of the dam wall and from there it’s a surprisingly short walk to the top. From the wall you can enjoy the magnificent panoramic views across the dam and look back over the walls edge to the gardens below.

Watch our video below to get a feel for the park and learn about some of the features including the time capsules.

There is plenty of wildlife to see and depending on where you walk you may catch a glimpse of any of the following: wombats, wallabies, echidnas, lyrebirds, Bronzewings, Cockatoos, Galahs, Sacred Ibis, King Parrots, Crimson Rosellas, and, in the evenings, Brushtail and Ringtail Possums, Sugar and Yellow-bellied Gliders and Tawny Frogmouths.

OPENING HOURS:
During daylight savings time: 8:30 AM until 8:00 PM
Non daylight savings time: 8.30 AM until 4:30 PM

FACILITIES:
There are free wood and electric barbecues, picnic tables, boiling hot water on tap for making hot drinks, play ground, toilets and walking trails.

GETTING THERE:
To plan your route  - type in your address and click get directions.

That’s right. All you had to do was be the 1000′th visitor to the recently opened Alowyn Gardens and you could have won FREE admission and a special gardening gift pack.

All you needed to do to win was visit the gardens sometime on Saturday the 13th of February. But it’s too late it’s over – the happy winners are pictured above. Now you will have to wait and be the 2000th visitor!

Alowyn Gardens opened late 2009 and is a superb example of what can be done with 4 acres of flat ground.

The purpose of the gardens at “Alowyn” is to provide an informative and educational experience for anyone interested not only in gardening, but also the enjoyment of a beautiful garden. It has been designed with shade and comfort in mind. Plants are being named and labeled to educate and inform the visitors about the gardens.

The gardens have been developed into six distinct areas all leading from one magnificent 100-metre long wisteria and rose covered arbor.

Read our full story on Alowyn Gardens here.

If my memory serves me correctly, not so long ago most weekends involved at least one family picnic with friends. Is it just me, or does it seem like that delightful distraction from the cares of the world – the family picnic - is losing popularity? We hope not. Anyway this story may be just what we need to rekindle our picnic spirit.

The Yarra Valley has so many wonderful spots to throw down a rug and unpack the picnic basket and this is certainly one of them. The forest walks among the towering Mountain Ash and the 200 year old tree ferns is a highlight. Not to mention the gentle gurgling of the crystal clear water of the Badger Creek as it tickles the rocks on its way by.

The facilities include shingle roof rotundas, landscaped grounds, wood barbecues, toilets and plenty of parking.

To get a feel for the experience watch our web video below:

	Badger Weir Picnic grounds is located 7km from Healesville (Melway Ref 278 K9). From Melbourne follow the Maroondah Highway through Lilydale to Healesville and then follow the signs.		The park is open every day of the year from 9.00am. Please observe park closing signs.

Take a walk in some of the most beautiful rainforest you will see anywhere in Australia.

Just past Warburton at the junction of Mount Donna Buang Road and the Acheron Way, you will find one of the Yarra Valleys hidden gems – The Warburton Rainforest Gallery. The Gallery has two attractions.  The first is a 15m high, 40 metre long aerial walkway named the ‘Skywalk’ that is one of only three in Australia. The second attraction is a boardwalk that descends into the Myrtle Beech Rainforest leading you past the beautiful, but oddly named Cement Creek.

This is not a long walk by any standards. It’s only about 350 metres around the loop track, so if you are a bush walker looking for a workout then this will not satisfy. This is probably why Parks Victoria have appropriately called this a forest “gallery”.

Here’s a tip: To maximise your appreciation of this pristine rainforest, as you wander along the railed pathway, pace yourself as though you are, in effect, strolling through an art gallery or museum. It’s definitely a ‘strolling’ walk and should not be rushed. Take your time, speak softly, fill your lungs with the crisp clean air, savour the sweet smell of the rainforest and allow the sights and sounds to melt away the pressures and cares of the world.  The Rainforest Gallery only needs 45 minutes of your time and, oh yes, did we mention this is all completely FREE!

To get a feel for the rainforest walk watch our video story featuring an exclusive interview with Park Ranger Mitch Nash, as he shares his extensive knowledge of the forests flora and fauna and gives a unique insight into what’s involved in being a park ranger.

Looking for a place to revive your spirit? Then look no further than Alowyn Gardens.

Alowyn Gardens is situated smack bang in the middle of the Yarra Valley just outside Yarra Glen. In 2008 the garden was named ABC Garden of the Year and deservedly so! As you meander through the 4 acres of visual and sensory delight, it’s hard to believe it was once a barren horse paddock!

The garden is designed along strong symmetrical lines that become blurred by the softness of the spaces and the grace of the trees. There are 5 clearly defined areas within the gardens; a perennial border designed for Spring and Autumn, a silver birch forest consisting of about 500 trees, an edible garden of generous proportions with avenues of fruit trees, a berry garden, beds of organic vegetables, flowers and herbs.

The formal area of the garden is built along 17th century design principles, that leads you through a series of small individual courtyards and garden spaces. Through all of this runs a wisteria and 100 metre rose covered arbor with a sunken rose garden and classical fountain as a centre piece.

	1210 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen Melways – 267 G9, 3.5 kms North of Yarra Glen. Look for the sign on the right.			Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Closed Weekdays – Closed Winter (June, July, August)
	Coffee, Tea & Cold drinks available.			Admission : Adults – $ 9.50 Concession: $ 8.00 Children : Free
	Ph (03) 9730 2400 Fax (03) 9730 1404			Alowyn Gardens 1210 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen VIC 3755