Lilydale Lake is a massive playground for Adults, Kids and Pets…read more In the centre is a huge lake which you can use for non motorised boating of fishing. The lake is surrounded by wet lands for birds and wildlife. There are kilometres of beautiful walking tracks and a big circuit walk around the lake itself with workout stations For children the is a massive play area with lots of equipment There is also lots of tables and benches on the lawn area or under cover with BBQ facilities provided. Lots of free parking on site so parking is easy. There is two off lead dog areas, one little one to the front side of the lake, and a big one down the back. The larger area is bordered by the lake wall on one side and rivers/creeks on the other 3. creating a barrier of sorts to keep the dogs in. The creek is ideal for dog to swim in. there is lots of open grassed area to play fetch or just let the dogs run. I take my dog here and 99%of the other owners are good with there dogs. My dog is very small so i normally worry about her playing with bigger dogs but she has had nearly all good experiences here If you are in the area do visit the lake, you will have a great day :)

Sure it's a little bit of a drive in the middle of a quiet area with not a lot going on. And it's…read moresmall, so small that your visit here will probably take less than an hour. But what the Eltham War Memorial Park has going for it, is that it offers a pretty view. To get to this said pretty view, head inside the tower and there's an easy walk up three flights of steps. Once you get to the top, you get a good visibility on the neighboring area, mountains in different directions and hills and paddocks as far as the eye can see. I remember first coming here, and being able to see the Melbourne CBD from up there. But alas, the trees have overgrown thus obstructing that view. On the other side of the car park is a uncover viewing platform. It's symbolic that you walk in as a pioneer, and walk out with a native understanding. (Just take note of the footsteps heading in and out of the pavillion.) The posters contain information about the history of the local Aboriginals and how the area was settled. Some posters also cover the military history of the area and how the tower came to be. This park is right across from a winery, maybe it's a opportune spot to duck in for some oven fired pizza and wine while you're up there?

Didn't play golf, just went here for a coffee and some lunch. Certainly not designed to do this…read more Didn't feel very welcomed and the food selection very limited. Had a chicken parmigiana and chips, cost was $20 with a large flat white. Chicken Parmigiana was super hard underneath and had to really saw at it. Taste was okay and chips were nice. Flat white was nothing special. I think their main focus was the bar and of course golf.

Lots of native animals in more natural habitats instead of cages. It's a trek to get here from…read moreMelbourne via train, but that was part of the adventure. I liked learning about some of the conservation they're doing with the endangered species. My favorite was the Tasmanian Devil. Such a unique creature.

We went there with a tour, but if you live nearby you can buy a membership and visit often. We tend…read moreto buy memberships to the local museum and zoo in our area and when we have visitors it's nice to take them there. This zoo gives you a chance to see the animals that are local to Australia, like the kangaroo, the koala etc. they have lots of play areas for younger kids. ,a few picnic areas and at different hours they have one of the caretakers come out and talk about a certain species of animal found there. If there are specific topics you are interested in, I would suggest to look at their website and know what time they have their talks and where, to plan for that. The best part for us was at the end they have a bird show at 3pm where the trainers come out to show your a few if the species they take care of and your studio see how well the birds they have are trained. It's pretty impressive. The downside is that it was a bit hot day and most animals are napping in the shade with their face hidden. Perhaps it's better to buy tickets yourself instead of paying a tour company to take you. You will have more time to do as you please. The main issue you will have is how to get there.. but if you are local.. you probably won't have that issue ;)

When I tell people living in the city that I swim in the Yarra during summer, their reaction is…read moreusually a funny one to see. Yes, we swim in the Yarra, and no, it's nowhere near as filthy as it is by the time it hits the city where we choose to swim. Rolling lazily past the town of Warrandyte, there are many spots to have a paddle. We choose to head past the main town, to a secluded spot out of the way of teenagers drinking Jim Beam cans and blasting music from their stereos at the "Jumping Rock" closer to town. I must admit that it's usually up to mother nature whether to go all the way in or not, depending on how much rain we've had affecting the cleanliness and flow of the water, but on a good day this is a beautiful and tranquil spot to take the edge of the summer heat. With a fish and chips shop nearby, this is usually the order of the day, and with a few sneaky ales in the cooler, you can feel as thought the river is your own...depending on where you choose to sit.

Well work taking strolls along the river both during the day and at night. Lots of places to eat,…read moredrink and see local art. If you go at night makes ure you take camera to catch the flames light the waterfront on the hour. Last one was 22.00Hrs when we were there.

Ahh, another one of those rather charming parks that one seems to encounter when one wanders…read morethrough a country town. Well, this isn't quite the case since Healesville is reasonably close to Melbourne, but it is far enough away to consider it to be a country town. The park itself is quite large actually, and has quite a bit of shade, in the form of trees, as well. Another thing is that there is a creek flowing through it, which I also quite like. Oh, and there are plenty of places to sit, as well as play equipment, and the gym type equipment that you tend to find in a lot of these places as well.

This was one of our excursions.... Last year Australia had a major fire... several animals were…read moretransferred to this sanctuary... it was a rainy/sprinkling day..... some of the animals were not out... We did see kangaroo's, koala's, parrots, dingo's and few other animals...

I visited Healesville on a group tour since it's the only one that's approved due to their…read moreconservation efforts. It's a medium-sized zoo that focuses on Australian wildlife in their natural habitat. I got to see a few koalas, several kangaroos, emus, wallabies, and various birds. I even got to see the lyrebird do its jumping dance. The staff here seem to enjoy their jobs as they take care of the animals. Overall, I thought this was a pretty good zoo and I enjoyed my time walking through and seeing all the animals.

I admit that the salaciousness of the Tiger Woods scandal was probably what first piqued my…read moreinterest in golf, but now that I've 'played' the Yarra Valley's oldest - and arguably best - golf course, Warburton, I am a bona fide convert and enthusiast. Located roughly half an hour from Melbourne's eastern suburbs, Warburton is such a truly beautiful golf course that my long-suffering boyfriend had to make me leave my camera in the car lest I spend the whole time taking pictures and holding the other golfers up. While Warburton is an 18 hole course, you can opt for a round of 9 holes instead and non-members are very welcome to play. Fees are $21 per person for 9 holes and hire clubs $10 and staff are hugely accommodating of novices. Alongside the breathtaking green there's a club house with a bar, food menu, televisions, pool tables and lots of comfy seating; and far from feeling like a fusty old sports club, it's actually quite the place for an afternoon bevy after a round. Scandal be damned, Warburton could make even the most sports phobic gal fall in love with golf.

Warburton Golf course may not be the best designed, have the greenest greens and the smoothest…read morefairways, But it is damn good. For starters it is set on a stunningly beautiful hillside with a trickling river running through. Ok it is quite steep so be prepared to hire a golf cart or do some decent exercise. But it is worth it. When you do get to the top of the hill at about the 4th and 6th holes you will have two of the best T offs you have ever had the pleasure of driving from. It is a breeze to hit 300+ metres down the large slope and boy does it make all of the effort of walking up there float away into history ,as you smash the ball from the top of the mountain (ahem I mean hill). Warbuton Golf course is definitely a good days golfing.