Mount Dandenong

Mount Dandenong is nestled between the tourist towns of Olinda and Kalorama in Melbourne's bushy and scenic Dandenong Ranges.

The community of Mount Dandenong itself does not have a defined commercial centre, but it does include a number of boutique restaurants and stylish accommodation establishments which are tucked away in secluded spots along forest roads.

Much of Mount Dandenong is occupied by the Dandenong Ranges National Park, which offers a vast network of walking tracks through native Australian bush in a scenic and mountainous environment. Due to the area being the closest major mountain range to Melbourne, it is home to many of the city's TV and radio transmission towers, which soar into the sky out of the surrounding forests.

The premier tourist attraction in the area is the Mount Dandenong Observatory. At 633 metres above sea-level, it is the highest point in the surrounding ranges. At the peak is the Sky High Restaurant, a cafe, BBQ and picnic areas, attractive formal gardens, and spectacular views across Melbourne's eastern suburbs and to the city from various viewing platforms. Views can also be enjoyed from Burke's Lookout at Mount Corhanwarrabul, about one kilometre south of the Mount Dandenong peak.

Other places of interest in the area include the Mount Dandenong Arboretum with its 16 hectares of deciduous trees and conifers, and the William Ricketts Sanctuary with its mystical sculptures scattered along the ferny pathways throughout the park.