Whether you’re into fast paced adrenalin sports, sniffing out the best culinary fare or experiencing a gentler pace, Kinglake Victoria has every intrepid explorer covered. From fresh local produce, fine wines, forest walks, secluded camping spots, picnic spots, horse riding and mountain biking trails, and wildlife at every turn - and all only 50 minutes from Melbourne!
Situated on the majestic slopes of the Great Dividing Range, Kinglake National Park is the largest, and closest national park to Melbourne, making it an ideal spot for a day trip or a weekend getaway.
Highlights include Bollygum Park Adventure Playground, Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk, Masons Falls and Frank Thomson Reserve.
Kinglake, Victoria: a slice of nature with a sprinkle of serenity.
HIGHLIGHTS
BOLLYGUM ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND
Step into a storybook setting full of wonder, awe and enchantment at Bollygum Park, Kinglake. This two-and-a-half-acre wonderland, based around the award-winning children’s book ‘Bollygum’ by Garry Fleming, features a climbing wall, monkey bars, rope bridges, flying fox, wave slide, bird nest swings, dual metal slide and an architecturally designed skate park, all set within natural bushland.
WIRRAWILLA RAINFOREST WALK
Unleash your inner Tinkerbell and feel right at home here within the fern gullies and sassafras trees in the Toolangi State Forest. This enchanting walking trail takes in the sounds and scents of the cool, temperate rain forests, providing a magical experience for the young at heart. The boardwalk circuit is a gentle easy walk (approximately 2km in length), so a great one for families with little ones in tow, including the four-legged variety. Just beware of those rowdy goblins!
FRANK THOMSON RESERVE
Lady Stonehavens Lookout is located within the Frank Thomson Reserve, and boasts an elevation of 630 metres, offering spectacular views of Melbourne’s skyline rising from the southern plains and the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley to the east.
EAT & DRINK
Flour Flower Bakery
Flour Flower Bakery is an artisan bakehouse in the heart of Kinglake West, known for its stone-baked sourdough, free-range meat pies, and specialty house-made cakes. The spacious, beautifully designed bakery also offers an all-day breakfast menu, excellent coffee brewed with locally roasted Arthur’s Creek beans, and a large outdoor courtyard with undercover seating.
Open seven days a week, including major public holidays, Flour Flower is just one hour from Melbourne and makes the perfect stop for day-trippers, road-trippers, and bakery lovers seeking quality food in a relaxed country setting.
Walk-ins are welcome, and bookings are available via email or phone.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Kinglake Market
The Kinglake Market has a variety of stalls, a great scenic country location and something for all ages.
You will find fresh fruit and vegetables, chutneys, jams, relishes, soaps, candles, hot and cold food, both sweet and savoury, wines, crafts, a variety of handmade giftware, plants, quilts, cheese, meat, breads, great coffee and much more. Children’s activities vary every month.
They do all the research to ensure that only quality products are available for you.
Held at the Kinglake Community Centre, there are stalls indoor, under verandahs and outside. Ample parking is available at the Kinglake Football grounds, just across the road and the venue is close to Kinglake National Park, with its walks and waterfalls, Bollygum Children’s Park and only five minutes from the Kinglake Township with supermarket, bakery, cafes, pub and more. March and December dates may vary due to public holidays.
Visit the website for details.
STAY
Kinglake Pub
The Kinglake Pub sits on top of the Kinglake Ranges, surrounded by the National Park. This spot has been a favourite place to stop for locals and visitors enjoying a weekend of bushwalking, mountain or dirt bike riding. It offers accommodation, food and refreshments with old fashioned country hospitality since 1906.
Rebuilt after the 1926 bushfires the hotel has continued on with refurbishments over the years updating the facilities but maintaining its original charm with open fires and wood heaters.
Along with Harrys Sports Bar, the Kinglake Pub has a separate bistro, Lawsons Function room and six motel units with parking at your door.