OK. I'm using the term "mountains" loosely, because these are no gorgeous snow-capped Alpine peaks. They basically just look like hazy green hills in the distance.
Still, Dallas is so flat that the joke is you can watch your dog running away from home for three whole days. So coming from Dallas, the Dandenongs look pretty durned nice to me.
Mt. Dandenong is the highest peak in the ranges with an elevation of 633 meters or 2,077 feet. At the top is a little park and observation tower with an overpriced restaurant for fancy-pants events like weddings and corporate events. The view toward Melbourne is pleasant enough in the daytime, but it doesn't really becoming stunning until twilight, when the city lights start to twinkle.
The Dandenong Ranges are east of Melbourne, so when you're at the Mt. Dandenong lookout (which is called "Sky High"), you're looking west over the city. Which makes the sunsets pretty noice.
The day I went, it was partly cloudy, party sunny, so I got some interesting shots of the clouds wreaking havoc with the sun's attempts to set. I went with my friend Triana, and we spent a couple hours walking around the area's gardens and hiking trails before stealing a table at the cafe to watch the sunset show.
Pretty flowers at the Sky High garden:
The clouds get interesting:
Walking trail through the forest near Sky High:
Sky High gardens:
Sunset:
Carved tree:
A bee hanging out in the lavender bush at Sky High:
Triana took this picture of me on the walking trail:
Very odd purple/orange leaf/flower thing:
Balcony at the lookout. The view was too hazy to photograph:
Cool purple flowers:
Another sunset shot:
Hidden garden (I think they hold small ceremonies here):
Speckled flowers:
Sky High patio:
This kid needs to get out of my otherwise AWESOME photograph:
Twilight and Nighttime shots of Melbourne city from the Sky High lookout:
Some people admiring the view:
Triana took these of me at the lookout:
Goofing off with a statue:
By public transport, it takes about an hour and a half to get up to Sky High. First you have to take a train from the city to Upper Ferntree Gully or Croydon, and then the 688 bus to the intersection of Ridge Road and Observatory Road. And then walk a little ways to the top of Observatory Road.
If you don't plan it correctly (which we didn't), you could get stuck waiting a long time in between the train and the bus (which we did). But we had some excellent milkshakes while we waited, and the bus ride definitely had pleasant views, so it wasn't too much of a hardship. Just make sure you get the off the mountain by the time the last bus goes by! I think it was around 9pm.
All in all, it was a nice day out and definitely worth doing if you're visiting Melbourne on a clear day.
