Just an hour’s drive east of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges offer breathtaking natural escapes. Explore ferny forest treks or camp by flowing rivers; ride one of its world-famous mountain bike trails!
For those seeking to take things at their own pace, hot air ballooning offers an amazing experience – drifting over the beautiful landscapes of this wine region while taking pleasure from breakfast included with your tour!
Splash Parks
Making memories while getting wet can be one of the greatest pleasures, and splash parks provide the perfect way for children to soak up a refreshing summer experience. Often situated beside rivers or surrounded by native gardens, splash parks are great places for family fun that include water slides, playground equipment, giant pillows, tennis courts or basketball courts to spend some quality family time.
Lillydale Lake in Healesville’s Gold Rush themed Water park features tippy buckets, bubblers, misters, snakes, mushroom fountains and water cannons to shoot water at different heights. There are 16 water sequences to enjoy here completely free! Additionally there’s also an excellent playground complete with BBQ shelter, picnic tables, bike racks and shade sails throughout.
Silvan Dam’s 2018 opening of its water play park proved extremely popular with families. This super-sized play area features numerous water jets for splashing around, plus larger slides for older children. Perfect for walking, trampolining, flying fox and rope course exploration as well as cubby houses and playgrounds (there’s even one nearby with a cubby house!), big sandpits (sometimes you might even spot a coffee caravan!), there’s even often an invigorating coffee caravan parked here where caffeine can be had on-the-go!
Splash Park at Morses Creek in Bright is another amazing water play space, featuring four splash pads designed to cater to different age groups and featuring arched and elevated sprays, dumping buckets, big circles with jets, water cannons, small tipping buckets and metal trays where water runs along – it all adds up to plenty of fun for kids of all ages – not forgetting there is even a nearby cafe!
Warburton Holiday Park provides an enjoyable way to relive childhood, with free access to its splash park. Noble Park Aquatic Centre near Melbourne and Olinda Community Pool feature water play parks which may drench visitors for hours at a time; all three can also offer giant splash pads. Play parks remain open from November until December unless extreme or catastrophic fire danger ratings apply;
Water Play Parks
At Lillydale Lake Playground in Yarra Valley there are various water play parks to help kids cool off. Most notable among these is Lillydale Lake Playground’s huge Lillydale Lake playground which provides everything from giant slides to swings for all ages (even one specifically tailored for mothers and babies!) along with a water play park featuring bubblers, tippy buckets and water cannons that shoot water at various heights from serpents, mushrooms and lilies! Perfect for letting off some energy during summer!
Sunvale Community Hub Park provides another wonderful destination with its playground, skate park, basketball court, tables and chairs, BBQs, toilets, art, grassy area, war memorial and bandstand – as well as its incredible water playground with waterfalls, sprays and fun gold rush themed water sequences for children to run through! If it’s hot out you should pack togs and towels as this makes an enjoyable outing with your children on sunny days!
Healesville Sanctuary’s (admission fee) amazing hippo water play area comes to life every summer and provides an ideal way to cool off and have some fun while interacting with sculptures of hippos by spinning their wheels to spray family and friends!
There are also other free water play parks in Yarra Valley. One is Seville Water Park, created from an old swimming pool. Set amidst parklands with picnic tables, an adventure playground and oval.
Halliday Park in Warrandyte offers another exciting playground with water play features and more. A water pump sends water down channels decorated with lovely blue pebbles before passing it through sluice gates to reach its sandpit below.
There are also other locations with water play parks, but these typically require admission fees and are in temperature-controlled buildings such as BIG4 Inverloch Holiday Park with its impressive tipping bucket and water cannons, or BIG4 Swan Hill Holiday Park’s massive splash park with water jets turned on between 8am-10am then turned off again at 9pm each day.
Rivers
The Yarra River has long been famed for its murky brown waters, yet in recent years has transformed and can now compete favourably with many metropolitan rivers overseas. Water quality in its upper catchment remains excellent while urbanisation, agriculture and stormwater runoff continue to pollute its downstream areas; thanks to community revegetation and erosion control efforts habitat loss has slowed significantly and platypus have even been found where they had once been lost!
Explore the Yarra Ranges by foot or mountain bike and you’ll discover its valley is alive with natural wonders. Follow the Yarra Valley Trail, RidgeWalk or ride Warburton’s mountain bike network; an adventure through this region will leave you refreshed.
Melbourne Water and the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation’s Narrap (Country) Unit have teamed up to increase billabongs’ ecological significance, creating isolated pools in the floodplain of the Yarra River that serve as breeding habitats for waterbirds and amphibians alike. Melbourne Water is working alongside them in managing their ecological significance as part of the larger plan of managing their river system.
There is plenty to see and do along the Yarra River, from regattas, rowing races, dragon boat events and picnics on its banks to strolling through picturesque regional towns to experience its rich culture and scenery. The Moomba Festival draws crowds from far and wide every year! Don’t miss it if you ever find yourself along this historic waterway!
Yarra Valley is renowned for its wine region, boasting more than 80 cellar doors and boutique vineyards to sample the region’s excellent cool climate wines – such as Domaine Chandon (Moet & Chandon’s Australian Winery), Yering Station or local beer and cider on the Yarra Valley Wine & Cider Trail.
Visit the lush fields to gather an abundance of fresh produce ranging from cherries and peaches, berries and apple juice. Don’t forget to sample some of Yarra Valley Dairy’s delicious cheese made from both cow and goat’s milk at Healesville Sanctuary or one of its boutique cellar door tasting rooms!
Pools
An outdoor pool can make an excellent addition to any home in the Yarra Valley where backyards tend to be spacious. An outdoor pool can form part of the garden’s design as a seamless element or stand out as a striking design feature.
If you’re planning a pool for your Yarra Valley property, there are plenty of swimming pool builders in the area who can assist. These professionals specialize in designing and building custom outdoor pools suitable for Australian climate conditions that not only add value to your home but also serve as relaxing spots where family can gather and unwind.
Public parks and recreation centres throughout Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges feature fantastic swimming pools perfect for families. These swimming pools feature slides, flying foxes, water playgrounds to keep the children amused throughout summer.
Golf clubs and resorts also provide plenty of pools, making them the perfect setting to spend an enjoyable day or two lounging by the water. Balgownie Estate features a brand new pool as part of their winery cellar door, restaurant, spa services and luxurious pool for couples to spend some time enjoying themselves by the water. Enjoy sipping your wine under the sunshine while swimming laps in their luxurious pool!
While you’re there, why not treat yourself to lunch from their on-site restaurant? With delicious meals created using locally produced ingredients and delicious drinks on tap, you can sit back and relax as the children splash in the pool!
Yarra Valley is easily accessible from Melbourne, making it the perfect weekend escape. Enjoy exploring pristine national parks on foot or mountain bike trails; witness ancient forests with waterfalls; camp near flowing rivers or mossy gullies; hike up mountains offering panoramic views; or simply camp and unwind alongside flowing rivers with gorgeous water features.
Visit the Yarra Valley for some delicious wine tasting. With more than 90 cellar doors to choose from, it shouldn’t be hard to find your favourite bottle(s). Make it an enjoyable day trip or book a wine tour if that suits your schedule better and allows someone else to drive while giving yourself time and space to recharge while touring!