Local Souvenirs in Mitcham VIC

Puffing Billy is the iconic tourist attraction of the Dandenong ranges. The attraction is the sound and smell of the steam engine (especially in the colder months when the steam hangs around longer) and the simple childish pleasure of hanging your legs over the side. The most impressive part of the track is in the first kilometre where it passes over a large wooden trestle bridge. It is expensive by most standards but remember most of the workers are volunteers and the upkeep is very costly. When I have visitors I usually drop them at the start and then drive along and video them from the car at various crossing points. Then I pick them up at the end of a one-way trip so it is cheaper. I recommend the pub at Gembrook for lunch. Other tourist railways around Melbourne are the Mornington Peninsula railway, the Bellarine railway, and the Yarra Valley railway.