Nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, Healesville’s close proximity to Melbourne, the RACV Healesville Country Club, provides a most enjoyable easy pace stayput holiday.
Malcolm and Jeni Reed invite you to enjoy the relaxing, refined and quiet atmosphere of this private country club, not open to the public. A perfect setting for a short break, close to Melbourne and yet a million miles away. Enjoy the ambience, maybe a swim in the indoor heated pool, or a stroll around the grounds as well as excellent food and service.
Enjoy also the scenery of the Great Dividing Range, visit Marysville as it rebuilds after recent bush fires and view Lake Eildon, for the first time in many years full of water (and overflowing).
Day 1 (L,D) HOME, HEALESVILLE
Following metropolitan home/hotel pick up (interstate passengers arrive day prior) we travel through the eastern suburbs to the Yarra Valley, a major grape and winery area, to Healesville, where we visit Magic Garden Roses, home to 100,000 roses of all varieties and types. Enjoy a stroll in the garden, learn a little of how drought tolerant roses can be. Then to The Big Bouquet, a state-of-the-art gerbera and alpaca farm, where 60,000 gerberas are grown in a massive glasshouse. Lunch and a guided tour showing various aspects of these stunning cut flowers. Browse in the alpaca gift shop. Visit the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway for a 45 minute train journey. At Badger Weir enjoy the forest and fern glades, take a short stroll if you wish. Our home for four nights is RACV Healesville Country Club. We arrive in time to relax prior to a pre-dinner drink and evening meal together.
Day 2 (B,L,D) HEALESVILLE
This morning we visit Healesville Sanctuary. Over 200 species of Australian animals live here. Our morning includes the famous fly free “birds of prey” show. Today we also visit local galleries, the Healesville Historical Society and Maroondah Reservoir. Stroll through the gardens and, if you wish, the top of the retaining wall.
Day 3 (B,L,D) ALEXANDRA, EILDON
Today we travel along the Black Spur over the Great Dividing Range to Alexandra, centre of a farming district, and Eildon. Drive across the retaining wall, enjoy the extensive lake views from nearby Mt Pinniger. We return via the Melba Highway and Yea.
Day 4 (B,L,D) MARYSVILLE, WARBURTON
Today enjoy the tall eucalyptus forest as we drive to Fernshaw, once a gold mining village, and along the Black Spur to Dom Dom Saddle and the bush fire ravaged areas of Narbethong and Marysville. See the destruction of the fires but also the regrowth and commencement of rebuilding in these well-loved towns. Visit the fascinating Marysville and District Historical Society prior to lunch in Marysville. During the afternoon we climb high onto the mountains to the old mill village of Cambarville, then continue to Upper Yarra Dam and Warburton.
Day 5 (B,L) HEALESVILLE, YARRA VALLEY, HOME
A little time to browse in Healesville then to TarraWarra Museum of Art, the first privately-funded public art gallery, the culmination of Eva and Marc Bessen’s dream of sharing their passion for Australian art with the people of Australia. The collection is housed in a modern purpose-built gallery in the Yarra Valley. It comprises primarily works of art collected from the 1950‘s forward. Eva and Marc’s extensive private collection was donated to the gallery when it opened. Lunch today at Balgownie Estate Café before continuing to Melbourne, arriving at approximately 4:00 p.m. Metropolitan home/hotel and airport transfers complete a most enjoyable short stayput holiday at Healesville.
