2 Best Sights in The Dandenong Ranges, Victoria

Fern gardens, moss-covered rocks, waterfalls, towering mountain ash, and 92 kiln-fired sculptures of Indigenous Australians and Australian native animals fill this 4-acre property on Mt. Dandenong. William Ricketts, who established the sanctuary in the 1930s, meant it to stand as an embodiment of his philosophy: that people must act as custodians of the natural environment as Australia's Indigenous people have for many millennia. Take an audio tour around the gardens (A$5) or download the podcast (free).

Azaleas, camellias, and hydrangeas spill down the hillsides in this 6-acre, English-style garden. While at its most colorful in spring, when the flowers are in bloom, and in autumn, when the trees turn gold and yellow, it is also beautiful in winter with a touch of snow. It's located just 8 km (5 miles) north of Belgrave in the little forest settlement of Sherbrooke, where whipbird calls echo through the trees.