About Olinda
Olinda
Village is a small popular tourist destination surrounded
by majestic mountain ranges and state forests. Located
in the scenic Dandenong Ranges, between Mount Dandenong and
the villages of Sassafras and Kallista in the Yarra
Valley Dandenong Ranges region of Victoria. Olinda
is easily accessed from Melbourne making
it an ideal short break holiday destination or the
ideal city
escape for a romantic weekend getaway.
Olinda is famous for its art and craft
galleries and antique shops, boutique restaurants
and cafes. The Dandenong Ranges National Park covers
a vast
area of Olinda, and offers visitors tracks for hiking
or mountain biking. Exquisite gardens are also common
in Olinda. The National Rhododendron
Gardens
consist of 43 hectares
parkland featuring daffodils, camellias, azaleas
and of course rhododendrons.
The Holden family were the first European
settlers in the Olinda area in 1855.
Official settlement began in the 1870s, with
fruit growing and timber felling the first industries.
When fruit prices began to plummet guest houses
and tea rooms were established to encourage tourism
to the area.
Festivals
January
Summer Jazz festivals
April
The Autumn Festival in April.
August to October
The
Spring Floral Festival held
at the
National Rhododendron Gardens, Olinda
September
The Camellia Show
October and November
The Rhododendron
Show
Places to see
Cloudehill
Cloudehill features award winning formal gardens.
Inspired by the Art and Craft style of design, enjoy
wandering through a maze of jewel like gardens
with extensive herbaceous borders. The Rose Walk, Green
Theatre and Water Garden are a must see as is the
enchanted "5
Aker Wood". Twilight music recitals are held
the Green Theatre
in summer.
Other garden features include the Topiary Lawn,
Summer House, Bulb Meadow, Copper Beech Walk,
Kejoma Garden and the Azalea Steps and Peony
Pavilion. Cloudehill's formal gardens are surrounded
by woodlands of maple, beech, magnolia and rhododendron,
featuring fields of bulbs including bluebells, daffodils
and grape hyacinths.
Dandenong Ranges National Park
Dandenong Ranges National Park covers 3215 ha. This lovely national park is a
popular attraction with visitors.
It was declared a national park in 1987. The park offers numerous walking tracks,
ideal picnic spots, and the opportunity for bird watching. The park has more
than 350 recorded plant species, 130 bird species, 31 species of mammals,
21 reptile species and 9
amphibians.
Edward Henty Cottage
The Edward Henty cottage is home to an antique
gallery. The cottage is an 1850's prefabricated home and was once the home
of Edward Henty who became one of the first Europeans
to settle in Victoria. The
gallery specialises in 19th century Australian cedar items.
Heidelberg School Artists Trail
The Heidelberg School Artists Trail visits
sites
depicted in the paintings of those associated with the famous Heidelberg
School , including Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts,
Clara Southern, Emanuel Phillips Fox, Charles Conder,
Eigene Von
Guerard, May Vale and Jane Price. Each site has
a reproduction of the relevant painting, which gives
insight into the artist's interpretation of the
landscape
and allows visitors today, to see into how
the landscape has changed over time. The trail mainly
passes along the Yarra River, through
Heidelberg,
Bulleen, Templestowe, Eltham, Diamond Creek,
Research,
Warrandyte, passing through Ringwood and Montrose,
en route to Kalorama, Olinda, Kallista and
Upper Ferntree Gully.
Mt Dandenong Observatory
If you follow Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd through the village of Mount
Dandenong you will come to a turnoff into Observatory
Rd which
will
take
you
to Mount
Dandenong
Observatory.
Positioned at
the highest point in the Dandenong Ranges, 633 metres
above sea level, the observatory offers spectacular views of Melbourne, Port
Phillip Bay, the You
Yangs and
Mt
Macedon.
National Rhododendron Gardens
The National Rhododendron Gardens is set in a natural amphitheatre of mountain
ash, oaks, maples and beeches in 43 ha and boasts more than 15,000
rhododendrons as
well as azaleas, camellias and daffodils. At various times of the
year
visitors
can also view flowering cherries, magnolias, Japanese maples and proteas.
The gardens are home to numerous
birds including the superb lyrebird, king parrots,
crimson rosellas and peacocks.
Ducks and geese can be fed in the lake. Don't miss the moorlands, rock gardens
and fern gullies.
The Spring Floral Festival, held from
August to October, offers visitors the opportunity
to see (the
largest
undercover display of daffodils in the Southern
Hemisphere. The Camellia Show is held in September
and the Rhododendron Show in October and
November. Summer Jazz festivals are held in January
and the Autumn Festival
in April.
Olinda Golf Course
The Olinda Golf Course is a public access course located on top of Mt Dandenong
with fabulous views of the Yarra Valley. Facilities include a full pro shop
and licensed cafe.
Pirianda Gardens
The Pirianda Gardens, covering 11 ha, are home
to a vast display of rare, exotic and native
plant species, native
fern
gullies, and abundant native bird life including,
Rosellas, Butcher Birds,
Honey Eaters
and Kookaburras. The elevation of the gardens provide
visitors with spectacular views of the Mornington
Peninsula on a clear day.
RJ Hamer Arboretum
100 hectares of woodland offer ideal picnic spots with breathtaking views
across the Yarra Valley to the Warburton Ranges.
The Woolrich Lookout features two paintings
in the Heidelberg
School Artists Trail. The paintings two paintings
both by Arthur Streeton are "Golden
afternoon in Olinda" c 1924 and "View from
Farmer's, Olinda" c 1924.
William Ricketts Sanctuary
Just north of the village of Mount Dandenong, is the beautiful William Ricketts
Sanctuary which features a series of kiln fired clay sculptures created
by William Ricketts. He made many trips to
Central Australia to live with the Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte
Aboriginal people between 1949 to 1960 and their culture inspired his
sculptures.
Climate
Summer
maximum average temperature is 23 degrees celsius
minimum average is 9.5 degrees celsius
Autumn
maximum average temperature is 20 degrees celsius
minimum average is 7 degrees celsius
Winter
maximum average temperature is 10 degrees celsius and the
minimum average is 3.5 degrees celsius
Spring
maximum average temperature is 17.5 degrees celsius
minimum average is 8 degrees celsius
Getting there
By Car
Olinda is an easy 50 minute drive from Melbourne
By Air
The closest commercial airport is Melbourne's International
airport at Tullamarine (59kms) Car rental is available
at Tullamarine to get you to Olinda
By Train
The nearest railway station is Upper Ferntree Gully
(11 kms). From here you can take a taxi or bus
to Olinda.
More Information
http://www.olindavillage.com.au/
Useful Links To Shops, Services and other things
in Olinda
If you would like to display your business here,
click here to contact us.
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