Somehow the arrival of my tour bus and getting on the road also comes with a sense of relief. Even if there was a surprise both for me and my bus driver Trevor: He was driving a large 48-seater bus. I thought I was getting a small bus with a luggage trailer. He thought he was getting 40 people not 14. I think we can both say it was a win win. It always feels good to gather my tour group in one place, they can chat endlessly in the huge big seats and its easier for me to talk.
Driving out of the city was easy and with Trevor’s 30 years on the road he swiftly had us climbing the hills of the Dandenong’s. It is very green and lush here and obvious they have had recent rain. Large houses hide in the trees and their grounds sweep out to meet the road. Little communities are dotted all over the hills and from here many choose to commute into the city.
Our first stop for the all-important coffee was the small Village of Olinda. It also sports one of the best hat shops in the country. Its owner duly arrived late to open but in time to sell a couple of hats and inform us many of his relative live in Dunedin (small world) https://truffaux.airshipcms.io
Just along the road is ‘Cloud Hill ‘Garden, a Japanese tea house and the Dandenong Rhododendron gardens so in that order we walked through the garden rooms of Cloud Hill, enjoyed a simple Japanese lunch but finished with a few decadent cakes and for those that wanted a brisk 30-minute walk in the botanical gardens. The Autumn colours are so disappointing compared to the previous two visits I have had here. The cool wet weather has made a big impact. Yarra Valley is only an hour’s drive away from Melbourne. We passed one of the biggest flower growing areas of the region. But, soon had vineyards spreading around us on all sides. Our accommodation is in a wine estate complex called Balgownie and within an hour we were immersed in our first wine tasting of Yarra Valley wines – notably – Sparkling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, followed by dinner.
A group of hot air balloons are up each morning early even though we have a leisurely 9.30 start. The mornings are cool and the valley below is shrouded in mist.
Three years ago, when I did my research trip I was advised to go to a Nursery called ‘Antique Perennials‘. I meet Matt and his partner and they offered a tour of the nursery. So, I finally made it and wasn’t disappointed. This nursery is famous all over Australia and sells 99.5% of everything they produce. Matt was generous with his time and knowledge and we were shocked to hear he lost everything in the black fires of 2009. At the gate the plant store is packed with the most interesting and strong plants and surrounded with a fabulous example of perennial planting suited to dry conditions. Only wish we could buy …
The largest town in the Yarra Valley is Healesville – and also the home of ‘Four Pillars Gin’. After a brief walk and for some a little essential shopping !! (Which is always necessary on tour). We started with a paddle of 4 gins to taste. It was fun, different and the casual shared food was whisked to the table super quick.
The destination on our second day was to the town of Marysville.
The famous Black Spur drive links the Yarra Valley to Marysville and is bordered by immense mountain ash trees and equally tall tree ferns. It’s a windy road, which provided wonderful views of the dense forest.
A visit to Marysville is a humbling experience and amidst the beautiful Autumn trees it’s hard to envisage the town, which previously had a population of over 500 people, was devastated by the Black Friday Murrindindi Mill bushfire on 7 February 2009. Killing 45 people and around 90% of the town’s buildings were destroyed.
Today it has returned to a quaint little village, ideal for a quiet time out of the city for walking or biking. The memorial is sobering and a reminder of the terrifying fire that destroyed so much.
A quirky talented artist called Bruno attracts visitors to his garden of terracotta sculptures and provides photos of his garden completely burnt out. It is surely an example of the fantastic resilience and hard work that is so evident here and in surrounding areas.
Returning to our hotel we made an essential stop at the famous Chandon winery. It is one of the oldest in the district and is dedicated to creating méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines.
Many of the Yarra valley wineries have large venue facilities for large functions and especially weddings. Our final nights’ dinner was at one such winery venue called Meletos. Attention to detail, clever interiors and beautiful gardens and surrounds, along with a delicious dinner made this a perfect way to end our time in the Yarra Valley.
