Holiday houses in Sassafras

Located in the Dandenong Ranges, only 50 kilometres from the centre of Melbourne on Australia’s southeastern coast, Sassafras is nestled in the middle of rich Australian forest and enjoyed by walkers and nature lovers. Named after the Sassafras tree, this pretty little mountain town enchants with English-style gardens that it has been known for since the 1900s. Known for its biodiversity, the surrounding area is a great place to get close to nature with lush native vegetation. You can explore nearby forests, creeks, and waterfalls and hike the mountains of the Dandenong Ranges.

The town itself features a diverse collection of cafés, antique stores, and craft shops. You can take five at the Tudor-style tea house, shop for handmade candles, visit a plant nursery, have your tarot cards read, and pick up handmade toys. The village green is a peaceful spot to sit and enjoy the view of the rare flora native to the area.

The nearby annual Hurstbridge Wattle Festival is held the last Sunday in August and celebrates the beginning of spring. Spring in Sassafras is very pleasant — the humidity levels are moderate and temperatures are comfortable. The Tesselaar Tulip Festival is held annually in late September and early October — come and see more than half a million tulip bulbs flowering — while September’s MEPS Movie Festival takes place in Mooroolbark, around 20 minutes away.

Summer in Sassafras can be hot, so be prepared for high temperatures. For more moderate temperatures, the best months to visit are from February to April and September to November. At Kalorama Oval, only a 10-minute drive from Sassafras, the annual Chestnut Festival is held on the first Monday of May each year.

Sherbrooke Forest

Sherbrooke Forest is less than a 10-minute drive from Sassafras and features mountain ash, the tallest flowering plant in the world. There are excellent hikes through the forest, which covers two well-known waterfalls including Sherbrooke Falls. You can make a day of it, as there are also beautiful gardens to explore and several picnic spots that are equipped with tables and built-in barbecues.

Puffing Billy

Built in 1900 to serve the local communities that lived in the hills of the Dandenong Ranges, Australia’s favourite steam train, Puffing Billy, carried everything from passengers to timber, livestock, potatoes, and plants. The railway now enables visitors to experience a century-old tradition of steam train travel. See the steam billow out of the vessel’s chimney and listen to the sound of the train’s whistle from a bygone era. Puffing Billy provides a serene ride over the hills, across iconic timber trestle bridges, down the valley, and into the forest on the original mountain track between Belgrave and Lakeside.

TarraWarra Museum of Art

Founded by Australian philanthropists who are also passionate collectors of Australian art, TarraWarra Museum of Art boasts a collection of work from the 1950s to the present day. This range of modern and contemporary Australian art is housed in a beautiful building that was designed by one of Melbourne’s top architects.