Mount Dandenong - What is at the top of Mt Dandenong? A fun place to go and a good coffee to boot!

Mount Dandenong in the Dandenong Ranges Located about 35 kilometres as the cockatoo flies East from the centre of Melbourne.

Mount Dandenong is both a suburb and a mountain. With a height of about 633 metres, the summit of Mt Dandenong is the highest point of the Dandenong Ranges. It's also one of the closest places to Melbourne where snow falls.

Although its not exactly Perisher or Falls Creek, in most years on two or three occasions, Mount Dandenong and surrounding areas usually receive a light dusting of snow.

 Unusual fact : how Mt Dandenong got its name. Originally known by the Aboriginal name Corhanwarrabul, it was decided, possibly after a few wines, that this name was too difficult to say and spell, so a new name was needed.

Being the highest peak in the Dandenongs, this is how Mt Dandenong received its new name.

It was first settled by Europeans in 1893. In 1938 it was the scene of a tragedy with the Kyeema aircraft disaster. A Douglas DC 2 crashed in heavy fog and low visibility close to the summit of present day Mt Corhanwarrabul, not far from Mt Dandenong. Today, Mount Dandenong is a fun place to visit.

Perched right up the top at the summit, there is a restaurant appropriately named Sky High. There are several viewing platforms above and around the restaurant, with high powered binoculars, and panoramic views across Melbourne and Port Phillip towards the You Yangs.

 Sky High is more than just a room with a view however. Plenty of fun and things to do for the kids and family, with a lovely scenic walk, a hedge maze, and many fun and unusual sculptures and artworks to see as you stroll. Keep a special eye out for the fairy door, as well as the giant's chair.

 There is a small fee to park your car at the car park at the top, which is fair enough considering the cost of upkeep and the stunning views. The carpark at the summit used to be free years ago but back then the facility was government owned.

These days it is privately owned. If you don't have a car to get there there is a bus service that runs along Ridge Road at the bottom of the driveway, but be warned, it's a steep walk up to the top.

 Back towards Olinda there is a small shopping village with excellent cafes such as the Deli Platter, pubs such as the Pig And Whistle and restaurants, called the Mount Dandenong shops, but many locals regard these as Olinda.