[Sydney Trip] Day 7: Dandenong Ranges and Warrook Farm

Our accommodation was Best Western Atlantis Hotel at Spencer Street. After the good experience with Moorings at Metung, the rooms in here felt so small. We stayed in 2 separate rooms, one was the normal room for 2 pax and another was the family room for 5 pax. The bathroom tiles were marbles, making it slippery. There was only a small partition between the shower area and the toilet/sink area, which meant water being splashed everywhere. There was only one cloth hanger behind the door, and the door had no lock whatsoever. Even better, the door could open by itself as it could not be closed completely. When the door opened, whoever standing in the corridor could easily see the inside of the bathroom as the big mirror was strategically placed from one corner to the other. We're wondering what could happen if the unit was occupied by business associates :p

Oh, one more complaint: the TV channel in one of the rooms couldn't be switched to other channels. But one good thing, continental breakfast was included in the rate. Anyway we did not expect much and there wasn't much either on the buffet, just some scrambled egg, baked beans, toasts, apples, coffee, tea and juices. But it's enough for us.

So after a quick breakfast, we visited Grants Picnic Ground at Dandenong Ranges National Park. We bought some bird food to feed the wild birds that flocked the feeding area. At that time there were mostly cockatoos that had sharp claws and beaks. Long sleeved shirts were recommended to avoid some scratches. The park’s surrounding was serene and peaceful with really tall trees in the area.

Dandenong Ranges

Next, we’re off to Warrook Cattle Farm to see sheep shearing, whip creaking, cow milking, and demonstration on working dog herding sheep in the farm. From one point to another we were transported using a wagon, it’s so cool!

At the end of the tour we walked around the garden and saw a wombat named Stewart, and some kangaroos lazing around under the sun. As the restaurant was already closed for the day, we just had some chicken pie, beef pie and scones with jam to share before taking off.

Warrook Cattle Farm

Our next destination was Brighton Beach with its colorful beach cabins along its shore, a popular tourist icon. Too bad it was a cloudy afternoon with strong wind, not a good time to visit a beach. But still, I could not miss the photo opportunity with such brightly colored backdrop. It's really unique.

Brighton Beach

Dinner was curry yong tau foo at Grand BBQ, Target Center, Melbourne. I usually try to have healthy ingredients in my yong tau foo by choosing clear soup base, lots of vegetables and non-fried stuff. But since the food-lover hosts loved curry yong tou foo so much, I gave it a try. And it did not disappoint. The big bowl of soup was rich and flavorful, with noodles, tofu, crab balls and fishcakes. Yums.

Curry Yong Tau Foo