Top Things to do in Healesville
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Top 10 Things to do in Healesville, Victoria
Discover the best top things to do in Healesville, Australia including Healesville Sanctuary, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Fernshaw Picnic ground, Four Pillars Distillery, Watts River Brewing, Alchemy Distillers, Payten & Jones Wines, Maroondah Reservoir Park, The Big Bouquet, Hedgend Maze.
Restaurants in Healesville
1. Healesville Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,063 reviews
Healesville Sanctuary, in the heart of the Yarra Valley, is world-renowned as the best place to see Australian wildlife in their natural habitat. Set in a beautiful natural environment, the Sanctuary offers a place for people and animals to reconnect with nature from creek to canopy, and plays a critical role in saving some of the world's most endangered animals. Explore the 70 acre bushland haven to experience close-up encounters with some of Australia's unique and endearing wildlife, including koalas, kangaroos, wombats, emus, dingoes, birds of prey and platypus. Visitors are also free to explore the Australian Wildlife Health Centre, a working vetinary hospital treating over 1500 orphaned, ill or injured wildlife every year. The expert team shares the journey of animal rescue, rehabilitation and release with the Sanctuary's visitors. Don't miss: Spirits of the Sky: A free flight presentation featuring Australian raptors such as the Wedge Tailed Eagle, and colourful parrot species. Tales from Platypus Creek: Come face-to-face with Healesville Sanctuary's most iconic species in a world-first interactive Platypus show. Observe Platypus as they interact with keepers, play in the water and even enjoy having their tummies tickled! Wade with the Platypus: In this world-first, hands-on experience it will be your turn to be the Platypus keeper. You will have the opportunity to step into the shallow water of the 'Platypus play pool' where it's normally the keeper's job to play, frolic, tickle and feed our little furry friends.
Reviewed By MackMelbourne
The sanctuary is outstanding and brilliant, staff are lovely and passionate, they have an animal hospital there too, saw a koala being cared for, they have dinosaur exhibition until April 2021, fantastic!!
2. TarraWarra Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 165 reviews
TarraWarra Museum of Art will reopen to the public on 28 November with 'Looking Glass: Judy Watson and Yhonnie Scarce'. Tickets now on sale via twma.com.au. We can't wait to welcome you back! TarraWarra Museum of Art is located in the beautiful Yarra Valley region, just one hour's drive from Melbourne. Throughout each year the Museum presents seasonally changing exhibitions within an award-winning building set in the rolling hills of the natural landscape. Since opening in 2003, the Museum has become recognised as a cultural jewel of the Yarra Valley, providing visitors with an enjoyable and inspiring experience which combines stunning architecture with the very best of Australian and international modern and contemporary art.
Reviewed By flanaganz - Auckland, New Zealand
A beautiful setting for a museum of art. It is set in the TarraWarra vineyard area, which is a working vineyard. There are also large outdoor art installations on the grounds. The exhibition we saw was The Art of Robert Klippel. It was well presented and thoughtful. There was a wide range of his pieces across many years of his life. Accompanying this was quality merchandise. You can combine a visit to the museum with wine tasting, a light meal or a more formal meal in the vineyard restaurant.
3. Fernshaw Picnic ground
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By 3925
A pristine piece of Australiana nestled in the Blackspur ranges. Amazing to realise this was a Cobb and Co stopover and a vibrant little town, once upon a time. There are the most beautiful European trees towering among the eucalyptus, even an ancient cork tree!
4. Four Pillars Distillery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 518 reviews
This former timber yard has been transformed into a fully functioning gin distillery over 700 square metres, featuring our two German sister-stills Wilma and Jude, (and soon their miniature sister Eileen) and a new hospitality space showcasing the many facets of gin. At the Distillery Door you'll find all styles of Four Pillars Gins for tasting and sale, a long copper bar serving paddles of G&T three ways, design-your-own Negronis, Ginger Mules (gin and ginger beer), really good nuts and olives, gin-steamed marmalade on toast, great coffee and even beer and wine if you ask real nice. We have seating both inside and out and also regularly host masterclasses run by our distiller and Healesville local, Cameron Mackenzie, the heart and soul of Four Pillars Gin. Details of our next masterclasses and events are always available on our Facebook page and on our website. Four Pillars Gin launched in December 2013 and has gone on to win a swag of awards at home and around the globe.
Reviewed By wat2w - North Perth, Australia
Four pillars was the first stop for us on our day trip to Healesville. We each chose to try the tasting paddles, which came with a tonic water mixer and matching garnishes. The waitresses were very well educated on their products, giving us a run down on each one before we tasted. We also received a special extra tasting of the Christmas gin! We fell in love with the ‘bloody Shiraz’, a surprisingly refreshing gin with a touch of tonic water. The cheese board was a nice little accompaniment, overall a fantastic experience and great distillery!
5. Watts River Brewing
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Independent, mad keen brewers, passionate about great beer. Come and let us pour you a beer at the cellar door while we enjoy the view of the shiny stainless steel of the brewhouse. Now also serving pizza. Based in Healesville, at the heart of the Yarra Valley.
Reviewed By 372narellem
We visited Watts River Brewing for the first time because we had won a beer tasting there (by completing a survey after the Hop Fest event late last year, where we first tried their beers). I rarely drink beer but even I enjoyed the tasting. My husband thought the beers were excellent and that they had a very good range. Aaron ran a great tasting experience and was very generous - going beyond the prize package to offer us additional drinks and food. The brewery has a relaxed, informal atmosphere with tables and chairs where visitors can enjoy the beers and some food. We'd recommend visiting Watts River Brewing - you can even reach it in a couple of hours by public transport from Melbourne (bring a backpack to carry some purchases home!).
6. Alchemy Distillers
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 24 reviews
Alchemy Distillers is a small batch distillery with a focus on creating world class whiskies. But we haven't stopped there! We do gin and vodka too! Located in the main street of Healesville, in the middle of the Yarra Valley.
Reviewed By Haggis_Supper - Melbourne, Australia
On a tour of the Yarra Valley we had intended to visit Four Pillars but our driver suggested Alchemy as an alternative. As we’d all previously been to Four Pillars we agreed to give Alchemy a try - and what a good choice it proved to be. We arrived at 11am just as they opened so we had the place to ourselves. The delightful Julia entertained us with her knowledge and passion and gave us a vodka, a citrus vodka and finally the chamomile gin to taste. I’m not a vodka drinker, indeed I haven’t had a vodka in almost 30 years but I have to say these were smooth and tasty. No strong burning aftertaste. Actually enjoyable ! Clearly vodka making has moved on considerably since I was a teenagers. I’m also not a fan of chamomile so hadn’t been too keen to try the gin but the 14 botanicals in the gin offered many different flavours and the chamomile was very subtle. The gin was fantastic - so much so that we bought a bottle and a Capi tonic, water, with a grapefruit thrown in for free. With only three drinks to try you won’t be here too long - we were probably in/out in 20 minutes. It’s a very different experience to Four Pillars, which has become a massive tourist draw and therefore insanely busy. If time permits, I’d recommend visiting both. Tastings are $10 and redeemable with any bottle purchased.
7. Payten & Jones Wines
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
we're Yarra Valley winemakers, and our wines are a little different to the big guys.Minimal intervention, a bit of "raw" processes, nothing too filtered or cleaned up in any way.They're a bit edgy.Always interesting, delicious, with a little soul left in.So if that's what you're at looking for, well, sweet!
Reviewed By jgmo89 - Melbourne, Australia
What a fun time at Payten & Jones. Great wine done a bit differently, as they'll happily explain as they take you through each wine with precision and care. Wonderful staff and good cocktails too - thank you for giving us the lowdown on Jamaican rum! Definitely a great stop before or after four pillars.
8. Maroondah Reservoir Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 176 reviews
Reviewed By 3925
Very spacious grounds, beautiful trees and many facilities for a days outing for the family. The children’s play area is excellent.
9. The Big Bouquet
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 33 reviews
Modern, working gerbera farm and alpaca stud. Experience 60,000 gerberas in full bloom every day of the year. Glasshouse and alpaca farm tours daily, fee applies. Cafe serving light lunches, Devonshire Teas and local foods. Gerbera plants and flowers for sale. Picnic facilities, playground. Alpaca shop with extensive range of alpaca products. Full wheelchair access. Coaches welcome by appointment.
10. Hedgend Maze
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 111 reviews
Explore a beautiful 20 acres of stimulating, fun filled ACTIVITIES for all ages. Hedgend offers a creative environment that stimulates a fun personal journey for everybody. If you enjoy being active, run through our mazes and play unlimited Minigolf and Frisbee Golf. Enjoy a GAME of trust as a partner blindfolds you and navigates you through the Native Maze. Unearth dinosaur bones in the Fossil Dig. The Tangled Web will test your agility. If you enjoy visual brainteasers, you'll love the Rainbow Maze and Giant Eyespys. Analyse and solve the cryptic secret message inside the Famous Hedge Maze, or perhaps you prefer to surround yourself in nature, you'll ENJOY our magnificent panoramic views of the gorgeous Yarra Valley. Bring all your family and friends and celebrate togetherness or find an intimate spot to picnic with someone special. Experience Hedgend how you wish to spend a memorable day. We also have Laser Sport available! Laser Sport is an experience a LIVE adrenaline fuelled version of Call Of Duty, in an outdoor battlefield. Laser Sport can be described as a combination of modern computer games and military training scenarios, where players work with a strong emphasis on tactics, stealth and strategy in order to WIN missions.
Reviewed By Tchickdp - Melbourne, Australia
don't read the bad reviews. Seriously people, what is wrong with you? if you want more than $18 worth of joy go somewhere that charges more than $18. I can count at LEAST 18 things that gave me a dollar worth of joy at this place. 1) fat healthy chickens. One of them bit my kid. Life lessons. right there. 2) a really loud sheep that baa'd so loud it made the kid giggle and forget that a chicken bit her. 3) lawn jenga. Bring a bike helmet if your kid is younger than four. 4) trust maze. Blindfold the dad and make the kids guide him through. That's at least three dollars of giggles. 5) big mother maze. It's big, it's old it's tired. It had hipsters filming something with an old telephone and a candle in it. there are quotes from wise people and lots of puddles. Take gumboots. 6) you can climb a tower at the end and pretend you are royalty. 7) the rainbow maze. Math nerds go nuts. that thing gets hard. easy bits to entertain the kid while dad runs patterns in his head 7) a tangled rope course. I'll pay a dollar any day to watch my kid concentrate for 20 minutes. 8) a mural with hidden things in it. Not just any mural, a photo of a mural. It has Australiana? are you a tourist? look for the hills hoist. We couldn't find the scissors. 9) i beat my super competitive parter and mini golf. 10) number 12 has a loop the loop tire and you get to bash it really hard. 11) frisbee golf. Numbers on poles in a paddock. 12) there were kangaroos in the paddock too. 13) amazing background of mountains behind the numbers on sticks and kangaroos in the paddock. 14) toasted sandwiches and jelly in the cafe. 15) a donation box for a kid with no explanation. It had football cards. 16) fossil digging in the sand. My kid thinks all those fossils are real and that dinosaurs roamed the maze. 17) stables and a marquee. You can get married there and then play frisbee golf at your reception and get drunk and lost in the maze with the dinosaurs 18) edible bush tucker garden. Go here. find your inner kid. it is fun.
