Visiting... Dandenong

We visited the Dandenong Ranges, a one-hour drive from Melbourne, and rented a house through Valley Ranges Getaways. We travelled here with our three daughters, ages six, four and three. The rental home was exquisite – it was as if Martha Stewart tossed you her house keys for a week – and we spent a good amount of time at the house eating charcuterie and cheese purchased from gourmet delis while the kids played in the shady three-acre yard. Despite the flight, this trip is easy for families, which is not a word I have ever connected to travelling with small kids. We dined at restaurants without reservations, parking was abundant, activities were close by and everyone was extremely friendly.

There are lovely restaurants in the mountain villages of Sassafras and Olinda, especially Proserpina Bakehouse (diet be gone!), King Henry Arts Cafe (wonderful playground for kids) and Brunch Cafe (best coffee and lovely owner). Healesville Sanctuary is an hour away, so you can get up close and personal with kangaroos, koalas and more. William Ricketts Sanctuary is a mossy hike through the forest to learn about one man’s dedication to preserving Aboriginal culture. Puffing Billy steam train is a must-do train ride, though we did miss it as there is so much to do – hikes, a kids’ maze, farmers’ markets, relaxing and letting the kids run around the yard. On our return to Singapore, I immediately booked the same house for the following year – a first!

Most memorable moments were the twilight feedings of the kookaburras that landed on our verandah every evening and the kids running semi-naked through the yard in the rain (their idea!).