Seville water park ( picture from Seville water park facebook page)
is a great way to cool off in the summer months and best of all it's free for anyone to use. I have to say after recently taking the kids to the water park that the water is really cold but the kids loved it once they got used to it. The park is located within the Seville recreation reserve, with parking on the Monbulk- Seville rd. Other features in the park is a small playground, toilets and large shade trees to picnic under, for more information
click here.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie is certainly going to be a popular destination for children and chocolate lovers alike. We have visited several times, and are always amazed at the amount of people that visit and how much chocolate they buy. See what all the fuss is about by visiting the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie at 35 Old Healesville Rd, Yarra Glen or for more info
click here.
Healesville Sanctuary is a favourite amongst most families with young children as you can get up relatively close to Australian native animals. The birds of prey show or more formerly called Spirits of the sky display is a real attention grabber when one of the giant birds miss people in the crowd by mere millimetres. Check out the Tassie devils at meal times, hold a parrot, pat a koala and much more. To read a more thorough review on the Healesville Sanctuary
click here. The Sanctuary is open 7 days a week and is located at Badgers Creek Rd, Healesville.
Rail trail
is as the name suggests a former railway line converted into a gravel cycling/walking trail and is fun way to discover the area under your own steam. The trail is 40km long and is dotted with cafe's and interesting places to stop along the way. For more info on the trail
click here and for bike hire at Warburtons Cog Cafe and bike shop, click here.
La La Falls trail
is located just outside the township of Warburton and is a lovely 3.2km return walk through temperate rain forest to the falls. Although the falls itself are small and not all that spectacular the scenery on the walk more than makes up for it. Look out for all the small stone bridges along the track. You will find the falls walk car park at 25 Irruka Rd, Warburton. For my full review on the walk
click here.
Take a train ride on the
Yarra Valley Railway located in Healesville. This short but pleasant journey travels towards Yarra Glen through paddocks with horses and kangaroos, through tunnels and over bridges. It's a long enough trip for most passengers and likely to keep toddlers and young children from becoming bored. For my full review of the YVR including prices and address,
click here.
Maroondah Reservoir is a perfect spot for a BBQ lunch or a picnic on the lush lawns. Take a stroll up to the top of the dam wall for a great view over the dam and surrounding mountain ranges. The gardens within the park is well maintained and worth a look. For more information
click here.
Taggerty Cascades
has heaps of natural attractions to visit including the
Steavonson Falls which at 122 metres is one of the highest waterfalls in Victoria. From the car park follow the short well maintained trail to the falls or if you want a longer trail you can start from the recreation reserve in Marrysville. The falls are also popular at night when the flood lights come on and give a different perspective on the area. My favourite walk begins along the
Lady Talbot Drive at the
Beech Forrest Walk and
Taggerty Cascades signs. The scenery is stunning and so far removed from the concrete jungle we live in. Check out my review of the Lady Talbot Drive and places to stop off
here.
Picture from m.visitvictoria.com
Something that I have never done before but would love to is
hot air ballooning, and what better spot than in the Yarra Valley. After a quick Google check I found half a dozen companies offering hot air balloon rides including
Go wild Ballooning that has a special discounted rate of $215 pp mid week and $259 for weekends, however make sure you read the fine print on their website here.
Coldstream Dairy
are two of the biggest attractions to the Yarra Valley so I need to include it on my list. Some of the most popular ways to sample the regions finest produce is at the
local markets,
wineries and
restaurants and direct from the farm with
berry picking in several spots around the Yarra Valley.
Warburton river
