Puffing Billy
Rainforest steam-engine ride
Dangling your legs from Puffing Billy’s open-sided carriages is a fond memory for many Melburnians and visitors to the city. One of the world’s most popular heritage railways, the steam engine chugs its way through towering temperate rainforest in the Dandenong Ranges, some 40km east of central Melbourne.
The 24km route runs from Belgrave to Gembrook, crossing the National Trust-listed Monbulk Creek Trestle Bridge (1899) on its way to pretty Emerald Lake Park and sleepy Gembrook. A return trip takes about five hours, with passengers able to hop-on and off for bucolic strolls or a lakeside picnic.
1 Old Monbulk Rd, Belgrave
Opening hours: Vary; see website
Tickets: Belgrave-Gembrook return adult/child $78.50/39.50
Transport: Train to Belgrave
puffingbilly.com.au