Celebrate the wonder of Fall in Victoria with the best places to see gorgeous red Autumn leaves a short drive from Melbourne. We'll leaf you to it.
With autumn leaves now falling in the beautiful parks and gardens across Victoria and outer Melbourne, there’s no time like the present to get outside and appreciate the golden hues of this vibrant season.
To celebrate all the leafy delights autumn offers up, we’ve rounded up the best spots around Victoria to take in the colours this season, so what are you waiting for?
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Gardens of Tieve Tara – Mount Macedon
Mount Macedon is famed for its vibrant autumn leaves and there is no better vantage point than Gardens of Tieve Tara. The grounds are lined with maples, pin oaks, aspens, liquid ambers, and more, each bringing forth a different shade. Serene lakes reflect the fiery trees which line their banks, making it a truly magical setting.
Find Gardens of Tieve Tara at 751 Mount Macedon Road, Mount Macedon
Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens – Mount Dandenong
Punctuated by ornamental lakes, Japanese-style bridges and greenery, Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens are stunning year-round, but come Fall, the landscape is set alight with burning red and orange autumn leaves, creating the most beautiful foliage. Most Australian trees are not deciduous, meaning autumn has no effect on them, though Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens are sprinkled with an assortment of non-native species which erupt into a colourful canopy.
Find Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens at 1 Sherbrooke Rd, Sherbrooke
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🍂WHO IS READY FOR AUTUMN?🍂 Ps I had to add my own touch of Autumn to this shot😉
Fitzroy Gardens – East Melbourne
If you don’t want to stray too far from the city, Fitzroy Gardens is a great way to get your fix of deciduous trees. English elms, maidenhair trees and lindens each turn golden, carpeting the sparse inner-city park in rich yellow and orange leaves. Although it’s situated within the inner city, Fitzroy Gardens are surprisingly serene and offer a great place to pull up a picnic rug or roam the grounds.
Find Fitzroy Gardens at Wellington Parade, East Melbourne
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A panoramic view of red and orange: Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens – Daylesford
Perched atop an extinct volcano, Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens offer panoramic views of the surrounding scenery. During autumn, Daylesford becomes a tapestry of golden foliage which only grows more beautiful the higher you climb. The Pioneers Lookout Tower offers uninterrupted views of the town whose colours burns bright in the afternoon sun.
Find Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens at Central Springs Road, Daylesford
Cloudehill Gardens – Dandenong Ranges
So much beauty sweeps through Cloudehill Gardens each autumn that Cloudehill Festival of Flowers exists to celebrate the influx of tawny hues. Weeping maples, salvias and beeches litter the ground with a spectrum of tones ranging from crimson to honey. Situated on a slope 580 metres above sea level, the well-manicured gardens are as if plucked from a fairy-tale.
Find Cloudehill Gardens at 89 Olinda-Monbulk Road, Olinda
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Valley of Liquidambers – Heathcote
As their name suggests, liquid ambers epitomise the beauty of autumn in an ochre-tinged, towering package. While not great in size, Valley of Liquid Ambers is a visual feast of which you’ll never grow full. Take a picnic and nestle in among the trees or take a stroll along the leaf-litter. If you’re up for a challenge, take a walk to Viewing Rock Lookout and take in the town and its trees in all their resplendence.
Find Valley of Liquidambers at Range Drive, Heathcote
Autumn leaves close to home: Royal Botanic Gardens – Melbourne
Experience immaculate autumnal beauty within Melbourne’s own backyard at the Royal Botanic Gardens. The best spot for photos is the Oak Lawn – with its beautiful oak trees of all varieties, it’s a perfect place for a picnic. With its beautifully manicured lawns, crisp autumn foliage and pristine lakes full of birdlife, the Royal Botanic Gardens are a place for rest and to reconnect with nature at the heart of our busy city.
Visit the Royal Botanic Gardens at Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne. They’re open 7.30am to 5:30pm.
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Yarra Valley – Victoria
As grapevines turn various shades of gold and amber, there’s nothing more beautiful than a vineyard in autumn. With no shortage of wineries, the Yarra Valley is the perfect place to explore as the autumn leaves start to change colour around Victoria. At just an hour’s drive away, it’s the perfect weekend getaway amongst award winning wineries and cellar doors.
The Yarra Valley & Dandenong Ranges are an hour’s drive east from the CBD.
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Mansfield – High Country
With beautiful lakes and walking tracks, Mansfield invites you to discover a nature lover’s paradise. Situated at the base of Mount Buller, Mansfield offers many scenic walks and horseback treks through the autumnal mountain countryside. Across Mt Stirling, the Delatite River, the Howqua River and beyond, you will experience the scenery from ‘The Man from Snowy River’. If you’re in the area on a Saturday, there’s a monthly farmer’s market that has the best local produce from the region.
Mansfield is 190km north-east of Melbourne. Post code: 3722.
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Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour – Ballarat
Dedicated to the services of the local men and women who served in the First World War, this tree-lined avenue spans 22 kilometres and is the longest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Each tree (there are a whopping 3,771 of them) has a plaque dedicated to an individual who served in the war. The avenue has a grand Arch of Victory and is a beautiful place for a drive in the autumn months, as the elm trees turn copper, gold and red.
The Avenue of Honour spans across Sturt Street in Ballarat.
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Buchan Caves – East Gippsland
These jaw-dropping caves from the Devonian period were formed by underground rivers boring their way through limestone rock. The surroundings boast impressive European trees, which light up the valley in autumn with their red and gold leaves. Visit the Buchan Caves and the Buchan Caves Reserve to experience native wildlife and the scenic trees through a natural wonder.
Visit the caves and the parklands that surround them at 98 Caves Road Buchan Victoria 3885 Australia
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A festival of Autumn leaves: Bright – High Country
Autumn is without a doubt, the best time to visit the town of Bright. An extremely picturesque town full of deciduous trees that burst with autumn splendour, they even have an Autumn Festival, which is a must-see event for any lover of changing Autumn leaves. With boutique wineries and breweries, Bright is the perfect place for a weekend getaway between the mountains.
Visit Bright in the Alpine Shire local government area. Its postcode is 3741.
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If you’re curious about the seasonal changes that happen during the Autumn months, head here.
