2 Best Sights in The Dandenong Ranges, Victoria

The expansive gardens contain the largest collection of rhododendrons in the southern hemisphere, with around 15,000 rhododendrons and thousands more azaleas and camellias; the garden's premier season is spring, when they put on a show of spectacular blooms, including a cherry blossom display. The new attraction is the Chelsea Australian Garden, by landscape designer Phillip Johnson, a re-creation (albeit 20 times the size) of his garden that won Gold and Best in Show at London's Chelsea Flower Show. The gardens are a short stroll from Olinda village, otherwise, jump on board the Garden Explorer minibus for a short, guided tour. For a perfect afternoon, combine your visit with tea and scones in the park's Vireya Café or back down in the village.

Azaleas, camellias, and hydrangeas spill down the hillsides in this 6-acre European garden overlooked by Australian Mountain Ash trees. 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.