I joined some friends on a day tour that went all over Melbourne's surroundings and, while the…read moreDandenong Ranges Botanic Garden wasn't a main attraction, we did take about an hour to stop here. The grounds are expansive and walking through them, there's an experiential arc so much so that I felt I had gained understanding of the flora of Victoria.

Lovely quiet garden, many different routes to travel and it's very green and colourful with all the…read moreflowers and trees. Nice seating around the place and little viewing points. Only problem I had was that there were no rubbish bins? Which can be a bit chaotic because then people litter with all there rubbish. Overall, besides the bins, it was very beautiful

We were on a tour, and only had so much time. We spent more time on Shrine of Remembrance and then…read morehurried through Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful and wish we had more time, but we enjoyed seeing the many blooms. We did go into the office/gift shop just to see what was available.

The first time I came here, I was meeting up with some friends for a frisbee match. I'm not…read moreparticularly coordinated when it comes to the hand-eye activities and so I suggested I just might cheerlead from the side lines... Well, they were all running around and frolicking about in the sunshine - the huge lawns here are perfect for it - and before I knew it I was playing like a recent graduate from the Ultimate Frisbee Champion School. Apart from friendly frisbee games, the gardens are great for a stroll or a relaxed afternoon under a tree. The community garden in south-west corner is nice to poke around in, as are the hot houses. Keep your eye out for critters in the trees.

I always forget this place is here! I feel absolutely privileged to be so nearby. When you're in…read morethe mood for a beautiful scenic walk, this seems to be the place, providing you don't want to head into the city for the other one. The plant life is super abundant and the amount of grass that's available for picnic is awesome! There's even that nice little playground for the kidlets. The only downside is there's always poo on the ground, yes a big downside. I'm not a fan of that being right in the pathway, especially when you are responsible enough to clean up your own dogs poop! Be kind and keep the pathways and grass clean please!

"The Tan" as it is affectionately known (due to its surface of tan-coloured stone), is one of the…read moremost popular running tracks in Melbourne. It is 3.87km in distance and borders the Royal Botanic Gardens as well as the Kings Domain. The Tan originally served as a horse track and is now regularly used by runners, walkers, locals, visitors and even the odd celebrity! "Go the Tan," as well as many other regular fun runs and competitive marathons are often held at The Tan, especially on weekends it is a very busy running track filled with people getting their daily exercise as well as others wandering through on their way to a picnic at the Botanic Gardens gorgeous parkland. Open 24/7 but the lights turned off between midnight and 5:30am

I love going for a run or walk around The Tan Track. It's such a beautiful part of Melbourne with…read morethe lower part taking in the river, the dreaded Anderson St hill perfect for some hill sprints and the upper side encircling the Botanic Gardens and cafes along Domain Road. There are 250m markers all the way along the nearly 4km track (3.87km to be exact) and it's really well lit, with the lights only switched off between 12am and 5am. It's also a sandy gravelly surface that a bit softer on your knees and ankles than the old bitumen. There are always lots of people walking or running around, on their own, in groups, with dogs or prams. There's quite a few water bubblers all along the route, some of which are currently out of order due to irrigation works (note: they have been offline for more than 6 months and I have no idea when they will be back online). If you are a local or visiting from out of town it's a great spot to get some fresh air and turn the legs over!

Great experience to wander and see what Australian gardens offer. The volunteers are excellent and…read morefriendly and show great interest in their gardens.

If you are nearby you need to visit here. It is free to enter…read more They have stunning exhibits and you could easily spend a full day here. We came on the off chance as we noticed a brown sign on the freeway. With big information signs outside we were learning before we entered. The Australian desert garden is gorgeous. There is an awesome play area for the kidlets and even an area to wade in the water which our little one loved. A hidden treasure that everyone needs to visit!

Walk through the giant slate grey box that is the International Gallery, through the spacious…read moreentrance hall, through the stained glass room, and out to the garden. This is one of the lovely free art spaces dotted around Melbourne that are somehow still big secrets. I find that it's a beautiful place to relax, eat a packed lunch, drink a coffee, and just take time to oneself to enjoy the surrounds. The sculpture display changes in the garden frequently, so you can be sure to never get bored with what you see. Yes, I can still here the cars and the trams on the road, and yes, I am not alone in the garden. Yet who cares, when it's a little moment of peace in an otherwise busy day. And it's free!

A rehabilitated sand mine, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne now feature over 100,000 native…read moreplants from 1900 plant varieties. In a stunning setting featuring a central desert with North South garden bed. Peter, our guide led us around the garden home to rare bandicoots, swamp rats, tiger snakes and all manner of native birds. With an encyclopedic knowledge of the plants on show Peter was able to guide us through the many landscapes representative of this giant continent in just 30 minutes seeing Gymea Lilies, Grevillea, Hibiscus, Bottle Brush, Banksia, Kangaroo Paw, Melaleuca, Wollemi Pines and some of the 900 odd Eucalypt tree species including Snow, Scribbly, Spotted, Red, Box and Ironbark gum trees. Peter's knowledge base (including Latin names) was nothing short of amazing matching the breathtaking landscapes we quietly glided past. For lunch we headed upstairs to panoramic views of the gardens and a traditional Aussie BBQ with burgers, salad, caramelized onions and Kangaroo sausages on the menu (Poor Skippy!) washed down with a cool refreshing Lemon Myrtle drink. There's a nice gift shop here too.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Not many people know this but... Cranbourne Botanic…read moreGardens is part of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. That's right. The same people who bring you the beauty of the Royal Botanic Gardens in the city, bring you this gem for the Southeast burbs to enjoy. It's definitely a reason to make a day to enjoy Cranbourne. The whole thing is free and they have a lot of features to please any visitor. There's a beautiful Australian garden. You can spend an hour going through the loop, or longer if you want to really get off the beaten track and explore. There are bike tracks (with more than 6km of track) and a Woodlands picnic area. Heaps of walks to choose from: ranging from 400m to 5.4km. Apparently the "must do" is the Trig Point Lookout, a 400m loop. It's a 360 view of Mt Macedon, city skyline, Dandenong Ranges, Port Phillip Bay and Western Port. The whole place is really bigger than you'd think and the car park is right smack in the middle. If you like tours, there are two available: Snapshots of Australia (60 minutes) and the Explorer (an open-air bus that goes for 25 minutes). With a café and a gift shop, this park is rated. Open daily from 9am- 5pm.