Puffing Billy Railway and Dandenong Rainforest Tour Melbourne

The Dandenong Ranges

The Dandenong Ranges rise just beyond Melbourne's eastern suburbs, a low chain of hills covered in cool temperate rainforest, fern gullies and some of the tallest flowering plants on earth, the mountain ash. Much of the area is protected as the Dandenong Ranges National Park, and small villages with cafés and gardens are scattered along its winding roads. It is the classic day trip from Melbourne for anyone who wants forest and fresh air close to the city.

On this Dandenong Ranges tour the drive itself is part of the experience: after about an hour in an air-conditioned vehicle, the road climbs into the hills and you get around fifteen minutes of scenic views on the way, with your guide explaining the area's history, its forests and how locals escape here on weekends.

Grants Picnic Ground and its birdlife

The first stop is Grants Picnic Ground at Kallista, on the edge of Sherbrooke Forest, a favourite spot for short walks beneath giant mountain ash and lush tree ferns. About twenty minutes here is enough to follow one of the gentle trails, breathe the scent of eucalyptus and look for native birds living in the wild: sulphur-crested cockatoos, bright crimson rosellas, galahs and sometimes kookaburras.

Feeding the wildlife is not allowed, which keeps the birds healthy and natural in their behaviour. There is a café on site where you can buy a coffee at your own expense before rejoining the vehicle. For photographers, the soft forest light and the birds perched on nearby branches make this one of the most rewarding stops of the day.

Belgrave Station and the history of Puffing Billy

Belgrave is the starting point of Puffing Billy, one of the best-preserved heritage steam railways in the world. The narrow-gauge line opened in 1900 to bring timber, farm produce and settlers out of the hills, and its tiny engines, puffing through the forest, soon gave the railway its affectionate name. When a landslide closed the line in the 1950s, volunteers fought to save it, and it reopened in stages from 1962.

Today the restored line runs through the forest between Belgrave and Gembrook, still largely maintained by volunteers. Your Puffing Billy tickets are included in this tour, so there is no queue to worry about at Belgrave: your guide takes care of boarding while you watch the engine being prepared, with steam and smoke rising above the platform.

The Puffing Billy steam train ride

The ride lasts about one hour, and the best part is the open-sided carriages: like generations of passengers before you, you can sit on the window ledge with your legs dangling over the side as the train winds through the rainforest. The line curves around fern gullies, through small villages and over wooden trestle bridges, the best known being the trestle at Monbulk Creek near Belgrave.

The sound of the whistle echoing through the trees, the smell of coal smoke and the tall forest close on both sides make this a memorable experience for children and adults alike. At times the train may run in the reverse direction, from Lakeside towards Belgrave, but the scenery and the open-carriage experience are the same.

Lakeside Station and the visitor centre

The train ride ends at Lakeside Station, set beside a calm lake in Emerald Lake Park, a peaceful spot surrounded by lawns, gardens and tall trees. Here you have about an hour of free time. You can buy lunch at the café at your own expense, walk by the water or simply relax before the drive back to Melbourne.

Inside the Lakeside Visitor Centre, the Lakeside Hall tells the story of the railway with steam artefacts, old equipment and interactive displays that children enjoy. It is a good place to understand how the line was built and saved. Afterwards your guide meets the group for the return drive of about an hour, with drop-off at the same central Melbourne points.