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Victoria has its perks all year round – summer brings long balmy beach days, and winter brings the snow – but there’s something particularly pretty about this beautiful state during springtime. As the weather warms up, gardens burst into bloom, hiking trails are lined with wildflowers and entire fields turn into technicolour wonderlands.
Whether you like the idea of wandering through fields of tulips or getting lost among cherry blossoms, these are five of the best places in Victoria to stop and smell the flowers this spring.
RELATED READ: Five magical day trips to take from Melbourne this spring
Tesselaar Tulip Festival, Silvan
If you’re keen for a mega dose of flower power this spring, make a beeline for the Dandenong Ranges. Every year, the Tesselaar Flower Farm transforms into a sea of colour for the annual tulip festival, with more than one million flowers blooming. The tulips are the main attraction, but you’ll also find daffodils and cherry blossoms in the earlier weeks of the season. This year, the festival runs from September 12 to October 11, with Dutch food, live entertainment, market stalls and themed weekends adding to the European holiday vibes. It’s less than an hour from Melbourne, making it a super easy springtime day trip.
Best for: Feeling like you’ve jumped on a flight to the Netherlands.
CherryHill Orchards, Wandin East
You don’t need to fly to Japan to experience cherry blossom season – just head to the Yarra Valley. CherryHill Orchards hosts its annual Blossom Festival from September 18 to October 4, when rows upon rows of cherry trees erupt into delicate pink and white flowers. The orchard’s 35 hectares of cherry trees make for a particularly dreamy backdrop, and you can fuel up with cherry-based drinks, picnic packs, food trucks and live music.
Best for: Cherry blossom enthusiasts and anyone who wants to pretend they’re in Japan for the afternoon.
Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, Olinda
Formerly known as the National Rhododendron Garden, this 50-hectare cool-climate garden is one of Victoria’s most beloved springtime spectacles. According to Parks Victoria, it's home to more than 15,000 rhododendrons, 12,000 azaleas, 3,000 camellias and 250,000 daffodils, plus a cherry blossom grove. Spring is the garden’s peak flowering season, with daffodils making an appearance early on before the azaleas and rhododendrons hit their colourful stride later in the season. There’s a 3.5-kilometre circuit to wander, along with plenty of smaller paths and picnic spots where you can slow down and take it all in.
Best for: Seeing a truly ridiculous number of flowers in one place.
Werribee Park and the Victorian State Rose Garden, Werribee
For something a little closer to the city, point your car west towards Werribee Park. The grand gardens surrounding Werribee Mansion come alive with flowers from mid-September, while the neighbouring Victorian State Rose Garden is the place to go when the roses reach their peak in November. The award-winning rose garden is arranged around the historic mansion in a series of elaborate beds, making it particularly lovely for a leisurely stroll. And if you ask us, spring is also prime time for exploring the wider Werribee Park grounds, so it’s worth turning your flower-spotting mission into a full day out.
Best for: Rose lovers and heritage buffs looking for an easy day trip from Melbourne.
Anglesea Heath, Great Otway National Park
If you prefer your spring blooms with a side of ocean air, make for the Great Ocean Road. Anglesea Heath, within the Great Otway National Park, is home to a stacked line-up of native plants, and becomes particularly spectacular as wildflowers start to emerge through spring. The Great Otway National Park is home to around a quarter of Victoria’s plant species, so there’s a lot to spot as you explore. If you ask us, it’s a good excuse to combine your floral pilgrimage with a Great Ocean Road adventure – because every outing is more fun when there’s a beach at the end of the drive.
Best for: Wildflower fans and coastal road trippers.
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