Tall Trees & Vines touring route

Recommended duration: Two days
Total distance: Melbourne - Healesville 65.5km, Healesville - Marysville 27.9km, Marysville - Melbourne 93.3km
Driving time: Melbourne - Healesville 1hr 15min, Healesville - Marysville 20min, Marysville - Melbourne 90min

Iconic animals in native habitats
See over 200 species of Australian wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary, including the elusive lyrebird and platypus. Wander through enclosures to see animals in their native habitats or join a Meet the Keeper session and learn about Australian animals from the experts.

Winding along the Black Spur
Travel to Marysville amid the spectacular tall forests of immense mountain ash trees and lush green ferns on the road known as the Black Spur, which winds its way up the Great Dividing Range between Healesville and Narbethong on the Maroondah Highway.

In Marysville visit Victoria's highest waterfalls – Steavenson Falls – an 84 metre drop to the bush and fern-fringed Steavenson River below. See them illuminated by floodlights at night.

Keep driving along Lady Talbot Forest Drive along the Taggerty River. Take a picnic lunch, and a walk through old growth myrtle beech forest to cascading waterfalls.

From winter snow to wines in the vines
Hit the snow in Mount Donna Buang and Lake Mountain for tobogganing and cross-country skiing during the snow season, or see the mountains ablaze with wildflowers in summer.

On your way back down the hill to the city, call in to any of the 40 cellar doors throughout the Yarra Valley to sample some of Australia's finest wines.