Lilydale: More Than Just the Gateway to the Yarra Valley
Article by Warren Parrot – @whatsupwithwaz
Lilydale is often treated as the place where Melbourne finishes and the Yarra Valley
begins – but we quickly discovered it deserves more than a quick drive-through.
It offers the practical conveniences of a larger town, easy access to some of Victoria’s best-
known wineries and attractions, and enough local history, walking trails and family activities
to justify staying several nights. Better still, you can leave the caravan set up, head off in a
different direction each morning and be back at the park before someone starts asking,
“What’s for dinner?”
I had the luxury of checking out this amazing park a couple of times in the process of
shooting one of my TV Shows a couple of years back, so it was nice this time around to visit
as a guest.
Getting to Lilydale
Lilydale is approximately 40 kilometres east of Melbourne’s CBD. Under reasonable traffic
conditions, the drive takes around 45 to 55 minutes, although Melbourne traffic has never
shown much interest in being reasonable.
For travellers approaching from nearby centres, Lilydale is roughly:
- 17 kilometres or 20 minutes from Ringwood.
- 19 kilometres or 20 minutes from Woori Yallock.
- 28 kilometres or 30 minutes from Yarra Junction.
- 23 kilometres or 25 minutes from Healesville.
Those distances make Lilydale a handy touring base. One day can be spent around
Healesville and Yarra Glen, another exploring Woori Yallock, Yarra Junction and Warburton,
and another heading into the Dandenong Ranges.
A Town with One Foot in Melbourne and the Other in the Valley
Lilydale stands on the traditional Country of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
European development followed during the nineteenth century, with the township surveyed
in 1860 as traffic increased through the district towards the goldfields and surrounding
agricultural settlements.
The origin of the name is still debated. One story says surveyor John Hardy named the town
after hearing one of his chainmen singing the popular nineteenth-century song Lilly Dale.
Another credits Lilly de Castella, whose family had strong connections with the early Yarra
Valley wine industry. Either way, the town was originally written as “Lillydale”, and that older
spelling survives in the name of Lillydale Lake.
The railway reached Lilydale in 1882, helping establish the town as a transport and
agricultural centre. It later became closely associated with Australia’s internationally famous
opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, whose Coldstream property, Coombe Cottage, was nearby.
Melba is buried at Lilydale Cemetery, and her connection with the district remains an
important part of the local story.
Today, Lilydale is one of the largest towns in the Yarra Ranges and the recognised western
gateway to the Yarra Valley.
Exploring Lilydale’s Main Street
Main Street is also the Maroondah Highway, so this isn’t a quiet little shopping strip where a
kelpie might wander across the road without checking both ways. It is a busy, working town
centre carrying locals, commuters, delivery trucks and visitors into the valley.
Despite the traffic, it is worth parking and exploring on foot. The strip combines cafés,
restaurants, pubs, specialty shops and everyday services, while nearby Lilydale
Marketplace provides supermarkets and the sort of practical supplies caravanners and road
trippers inevitably need five minutes after setting up camp.
We stopped at Hutch & Co at 251 Main Street for coffee and breakfast. It occupies a historic
shopfront but has a bright, modern interior, making it a good introduction to the newer side of
Lilydale. Further along, the Crown Hotel Lilydale remains an easy option for a pub lunch or
dinner when nobody feels like cooking back at the caravan.
A short walk from Main Street brought us to the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum in
Castella Street. Housed within an attractive heritage precinct, the museum explores the
people, industries and changing communities of the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges.
Entry is free, and it is an especially worthwhile stop for grey nomads, history lovers and
families looking for an indoor activity when Victoria serves up four seasons before morning
tea.
Walking, Riding and Playing Around Town
Our favourite local outdoor stop was Lillydale Lake. The mostly flat 2.5-kilometre circuit is
manageable for most walkers and is well suited to families, older travellers and anyone
whose knees have started issuing their own travel advice.
The wider reserve includes picnic shelters, barbecues, fishing jetties, a sandy beach area,
outdoor fitness equipment, dog off-lead areas and an all-abilities playground. During the
warmer months, the free splash pad is particularly popular with children. Parents can sit
nearby and enjoy a few quiet minutes – provided they don’t mind eventually taking a soggy
child back to the car.
Young adventurers and active couples should bring their bikes for the Lilydale to
Warburton Rail Trail. Beginning near Lilydale railway station, the 40-kilometre trail follows
the former railway corridor through Mount Evelyn, Wandin, Seville, Woori Yallock and Yarra
Junction before reaching Warburton.
You don’t need to tackle the entire distance. Short sections provide an enjoyable look at the
valley’s bushland, farmland and small communities without turning the holiday into an
audition for the Tour de France.
Touring Beyond Lilydale
Lilydale’s greatest strength is how easily it connects visitors with the broader region.
We followed Maroondah Highway to Coldstream and joined a guided experience at Coombe
Yarra Valley, Dame Nellie Melba’s former country estate. The property offers guided garden
walks and tours connected with Melba’s home and remarkable collection of art and personal
objects. Its seven acres of gardens were laid out more than a century ago, while the present-
day estate also includes a restaurant, cellar door and providore. Tour bookings are essential
so be sure to book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
Families should allow most of a day for Healesville Sanctuary, approximately 25 kilometres
from Lilydale. The sanctuary specialises in Australian wildlife and provides opportunities to
see koalas, kangaroos, wombats, platypuses, dingoes and native birds in a bushland
environment.
On another outing, we called into the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery at Yarra
Glen. Entry is free, it operates daily except Christmas Day, and there are plenty of
handcrafted chocolates and ice creams available. This was supposedly a stop for the
children. The adults left carrying most of the shopping bags, so make of that what you will.
For young adventurers—and couples celebrating something special—a sunrise flight with
Global Ballooning Australia offers an entirely different view of the region. Flights last
approximately an hour, although the overall experience takes several hours and depends on
suitable weather. Floating over vineyards and farmland at sunrise was spectacular. The only
difficult bit was remembering that sunrise experiences generally require being awake before
sunrise.
Travellers who prefer keeping their wheels on the ground can follow the Warburton Highway
through Woori Yallock and Yarra Junction. The road continues towards Warburton, with
forests, mountain views, walking tracks and sections of the rail trail providing plenty of
reasons to stop.
Trying Our Hand at Archery
Sometime if you don’t ask you don’t know. Local knowledge can be very helpful when you
are looking for something ‘different’ to do, so for something completely different, we drove to
Yarra Valley Archery Park at Launching Place, around 25 minutes from Lilydale.
Its indoor range welcomes complete beginners, with equipment and basic instruction
included in the one-hour experience, so there was no need to arrive carrying a longbow or
dressed like Robin Hood!
It was surprisingly easy to get started, although consistently hitting the centre of the target
proved to be another matter entirely. This is a terrific all-weather activity for families, couples,
young adventurers and active grey nomads, particularly those looking for an experience
beyond the region’s usual wineries and food attractions.
Sessions generally operate on weekends and advance bookings are recommended. By the
end, a few arrows had found the bullseye and the rest had at least remained in the same
postcode—an enjoyable and slightly quirky addition to our Yarra Valley travels.
Our Base: Lilydale Pine Hill Caravan Park
We based ourselves at Lilydale Pine Hill Caravan Park, located at 105 Warburton Highway
and part of the Kui Parks network.
The park’s standout feature is its position. It sits close enough to Lilydale for shopping and
supplies but is well placed for self-drive trips into the Yarra Valley, along the Warburton
Highway and towards the Dandenong Ranges. Instead of towing the caravan through busy
tourism towns every day, we could leave it safely set up and explore with the car.
Caravanners can choose from powered and unpowered sites, private ensuite sites and
drive-through sites suitable for larger caravans, motorhomes and big rigs. The drive-through
option is particularly welcome after a long day on the road—especially when your reversing
assistant communicates entirely through frantic arm waving.
Cabin accommodation includes modern one-bedroom and two-bedroom options, plus motel-
style cabins. Depending on the category, cabins can accommodate between two and six
guests and include kitchen facilities or kitchenettes, private bathrooms, air-conditioning,
televisions and comfortable living areas. Accessible accommodation and selected pet-
friendly cabins are also available.
Park facilities include:
- A camp kitchen and barbecue area
- A playground
- An indoor games and reaction room
- Outdoor gym equipment
- Laundry facilities
- Wi-Fi
- Disability amenities
- A dump point and LGP gas
- A DIY dog-washing facility
- Fire pits in allocated areas when conditions permit
- An on-site tourist information centre
There isn’t a giant resort-style water park, but that isn’t what Lilydale Pine Hill is trying to be.
Its strengths are practical facilities, pet-friendly options, accessible accommodation, helpful
local information and a convenient position for exploring several different parts of the region.
Kui Parks members can also receive the applicable membership discount when booking
under the program’s terms.
If you don’t have a caravan this park has a great choice of cabins to choose from, many of
them fairly new and great set ups.
When Should You Visit?
Autumn—particularly March through May—is our pick. The weather is generally comfortable
for walking and cycling, the vineyards are changing colour and the summer crowds begin to
ease.
Spring is another excellent choice, with green countryside, garden colour and pleasant
touring conditions. Summer suits families wanting to enjoy Lillydale Lake’s splash pad and
long daylight hours, although weekends and school holidays can be busy.
Winter shouldn’t be dismissed. Cold mornings, mist hanging over the valley, quieter cellar
doors and the chance to finish the day beside a permitted fire pit give the region a
completely different atmosphere. Pack warm clothes, a waterproof jacket and the confidence
to pretend you deliberately planned for rain.
Who Will Enjoy Lilydale Most?
Grey nomads will appreciate the drive-through and ensuite sites, history, gardens, wineries,
easy shopping and short day trips without repeatedly moving the caravan.
Families have Lillydale Lake, the playground and games room at the park, Healesville
Sanctuary, the Chocolaterie, Archery and plenty of open space.
Young adventurers can cycle the rail trail, go ballooning, explore the nearby ranges and use
Lilydale as the starting point for longer self-drive loops through the valley.
Lilydale may be known as the gateway to the Yarra Valley, but gateways are usually passed
through. This one is worth pulling up at, setting down the stabilisers and staying for a while.
To find out more about travelling to Lilydale & the Yarra Valley – HERE
To book your stay at Kui Parks Lilydale Pine Hill Caravan Park – HERE
To see find a Kui Parks Holiday Park that suits your next holiday – HERE
