14 Best Places to See Autumn Leaves in Victoria
Autumn is a glorious time to explore regional Victoria to check out places with beautiful autumn leaves. During the months of March, April and May the vibrant autumn foliage transforms country towns into a breathtaking sight. Additionally, autumn festivals provide an additional reason to visit the country during this season.
Amongst the many places to sight autumn leaves around Victoria, these are the best locations. Whether it's a day trip from Melbourne or something longer, you won't be disappointed.
If you're looking for the best places to see Autumn leaves in Melbourne check out Guide to the Best Places to see Autumn leaves in Melbourne.
Click on the link for each town to see a list of family activities in that town.
BEST PLACES FOR AUTUMN LEAVES IN VICTORIA
1. Bright
Bright in Victoria's High Country is the most famous place in Victoria to see spectacular autumn colours. A highlight of the season is the Bright Autumn Festival which is held over ten days at the end of April with a gala weekend on the Saturday which features a market, music in the streets and a grand parade.
2. Marysville
Autumn is a lovely time to visit Marysville with deciduous trees lining the streets and parks. The gorgeous reds, oranges and yellows bring the mountain town to life every Autumn. The area is also home to impressive waterfalls.
3. Mansfield
The small town in the foothills of the Victorian Alps has splashes of golds and reds during autumn with tall poplars dotting the landscape.
4. Walhalla
This small gold rush-era township in West Gippsland with heritage buildings is ablaze with colour during the autumn period.
The Walhalla Goldfields Railway passes through Stringers Creek Gorge and landscape with vibrant hues of colourful foliage. If you would prefer to walk rather than ride, the Walhalla Goldfields Rail Trail is a 7 kilometre trail which follows the former route of the narrow gauge Walhalla railway line between Erica and Thomson station, near Walhalla.
The Walhalla Tramline Walk follows an old timber tramline along the contours of the Valley of the Gods with flora, fauna, historic gold mines and great views of Walhalla including those beautiful gold and red leaves.
5. Mirboo North
The main street of this South Gippsland country town is a sea of orange during autumn and a walk around Baromi Park will be rewarded with impressive golden ash trees. Head along the highway towards Leongatha and stop off at Mossvale Park, which is a riot of colour from towering European trees.
6. Ballarat
Ballarat's Avenue of Honour, which is the longest memorial avenue in the Southern Hemisphere, is lined with 3771 trees representing a man and woman from Ballarat who served in World War One. It's a spectacular route along the ash, maple, elm and oak trees bursting with colourful leaves.
Take a stroll around Lake Wendouree to see the colours of the heritage oak trees and lovely elms reflected in the tranquil waters of the lake.
7. Daylesford
Two wonderful places with a blanket of autumn leaves are Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens and Lake Daylesford.
The 11 hectare Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens are perched high on the summit of an extinct volcano. Make sure you climb the Pioneers Lookout Tower for uninterrupted views of Daylesford town and surrounds including the colourful autumn leaves below.
Built in 1929, Lake Daylesford is a man-made lake which offers scenic walks. The mature trees which border the paths which encircle the lake drip with amber and ruby shades during autumn.
8. Glenlyon
Located a short distance from Daylesford, this small country town has a main street which lights up with a display of vibrant reds and oranges.
9. Castlemaine
Castlemaine is a lovely country town with a gold rush era history where creative activities and great food abounds.
The Castlemaine Botanical Gardens are home to an impressive collection of native and exotic trees including a huge English Oak which was planted by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1867. There is a beautiful ornamental lake surrounded by landscaped gardens and in Autumn the avenues of oaks, elms and poplars display spectacular arrays of yellows, reds and browns. The gardens also have a charming playground for the kids.
The Goldfields Track as it crosses through Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park provides a lovely tunnel of colourful deciduous trees in Autumn.
10. Heathcote
The Valley of Liquidambars is a lovely location beside McIvor Creek near the centre of town which has superb autumn colours. Liquidambars, also known as 'Sweet Gum', are deciduous trees that develop glorious yellow, orange, red and burgundy maple-like autumn leaves.
11. Buchan
Buchan is nestled in a picturesque East Gippsland valley that is surrounded by huge European trees which provide a stunning vista in Autumn.
The main attraction are the Buchan Caves which were formed by underground rivers cutting through layers of limestone rock and boast elaborate stalactites and stalagmites.
12. Macedon Ranges
The Macedon Ranges, with its close proximity to Melbourne, is the perfect place to see the beautiful colours of autumn. The region celebrates the autumn season with the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival. The program of events, nature experiences, art exhibitions and food and wine trails typically is held in late April.
One of Macedon's most popular tourist attractions is the Avenue of Honour, an avenue of Pin Oak trees that honours the 154 men and women of Macedon and Mount Macedon who fought in World War I. Every year, the area attracts a lot of visitors in the peak autumn season, so there are temporary traffic management measures in place during this time.
At Mount Macedon, there are a number of stunning private gardens that are open to the public (for a fee), such as Forest Glade Garden and Tieve Tara Gardens (currently closed).
The Macedon Ranges also has two exceptional historical gardens with European trees that provide a colourful autumn display - Kyneton Botanic Gardens and Malmsbury Botanic Gardens.
13. Jamieson
Jamieson is a small town located at the junction of the Goulburn River and Jamieson River north-east of Melbourne. The town is ablaze with colour in Autumn as the tree lined streets turn gold, copper and bronze.
14. Dandenong Ranges
The Dandenong Ranges are so close to Melbourne that it's easy to reach but still provides lovely nature and tranquillity.
Autumn is a beautiful time of the year for a walk in the Dandenongs. Enjoy the glorious autumn colours in the free gardens dotting the area including Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, Alfred Nicholas Gardens, Pirianda Garden, George Tindale Memorial Garden and RJ Hamer Arboretum.
Photo Credit: Indranil Mondal and Harsh Athalye
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