Visiting Monbulk, Puffing Billy, Sherbrooke Forest, Mt Dandenong & the Dandenong Ranges: FAQ

Question 1

Where is Monbulk in the Dandenong Ranges, and how far is it from Puffing Billy, Sherbrooke Forest and Mt Dandenong?

Accepted Answer

Monbulk (postcode 3793) sits in the fertile eastern valley of the Dandenong Ranges, 42 km east of Melbourne. By car, Main Road Monbulk is 5 minutes from Sherbrooke Forest and Grants Picnic Ground in Kallista, 5 minutes from Silvan Reservoir and the Tesselaar Tulip Festival, 8 minutes from Olinda and the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, 10 minutes from Belgrave Station and Puffing Billy Railway, and 12 minutes from SkyHigh at the summit of Mt Dandenong.

Question 2

How do I get to Monbulk, Sherbrooke Forest and the Dandenong Ranges by public transport from Belgrave or Lilydale?

Accepted Answer

Take a Metro train from Melbourne on the Belgrave Line (to Belgrave Station, right beside Puffing Billy) or the Lilydale Line (to Lilydale Station). Ventura Bus Route 663 runs daily between Belgrave Station and Lilydale Station via Grants Picnic Ground (Sherbrooke Forest), Kallista, The Patch, Main Road Monbulk and Mt Evelyn.

Question 3

What are the best things to do near Puffing Billy, Belgrave and Sherbrooke Forest?

Accepted Answer

Ride Puffing Billy from Belgrave over the historic Monbulk Creek Trestle Bridge to Lakeside at Emerald Lake Park, walk among giant mountain ash and listen for lyrebirds at Grants Picnic Ground in Sherbrooke Forest, wander the 15,000 rhododendrons at Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden or the boathouse lake at Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, and drop into Monbulk for country pies, retail plant nurseries, Baynes Park along Sassafras Creek, and easy Main Road parking.

Question 4

Where can I buy plants, bulbs and rare trees in Monbulk and the Dandenong Ranges?

Accepted Answer

Monbulk is the horticultural heart of the Dandenong Ranges, supplying bulbs, cut flowers and trees across Australia since 1893. Visitors can browse retail nurseries right in town, including JADE Nursery (103 Main Road), Little Lands terrariums (45 Main Road), Laneway Nursery (61-63 Main Road), Garden Express (470 Monbulk Road), Yamina Rare Plants (82 David Hill Road), Newstead Roses (387 Monbulk Road) and Wishing Well Nursery (407 Monbulk Road).

Question 5

Where should I eat near Puffing Billy, Sherbrooke Forest and Olinda without the tourist crowds?

Accepted Answer

When cafes in Olinda, Sassafras or Belgrave are packed on weekends, Main Road Monbulk is five minutes down the hill with plenty of parking, two full supermarkets (Woolworths and ALDI), four local bakeries and pie shops (Tim's Homemade Pies, Bakery Bliss, Sherbrooke Bakery and Edison Bakehouse), welcoming cafes (Friends on the Hill, Tatiana's and Crunchy Nut Cafe), fish and chips, pizza, Jack's Bistro at Monbulk Bowling Club, and cellar-door lunches at Yarra Ranges Estate.

Question 6

Where can I see lyrebirds and walk in Sherbrooke Forest near Monbulk?

Accepted Answer

Start at Grants Picnic Ground on Monbulk Road, Kallista (5 minutes from Monbulk). Walk the shady Lyrebird Walk, Neumann Track or the trail to Sherbrooke Falls early in the morning or late in the afternoon for the best chance of hearing or spotting a Superb Lyrebird scratching in the damp leaf litter alongside Eastern Yellow Robins and Crimson Rosellas.

Question 7

What is the weather and fire danger rating in Monbulk and the Dandenong Ranges today?

Accepted Answer

Monbulk and the Dandenong Ranges sit in Victoria's Central fire district and run 3 to 5 degrees cooler than central Melbourne, with higher rainfall and mist. On days of Extreme or Catastrophic fire danger or severe winds, Dandenong Ranges National Park (including Sherbrooke Forest) and the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden close. Check live Monbulk weather, CFA fire danger ratings and planned outages on our home page before driving up.

The locals' guide.