Things to do

As well as Puffing Billy, there are some great things to do around Gembrook, or if you feel like a drive there are wineries, restaurants and beautiful townships close by.

  • Gembrook Bushland Park 500m from Signal Box
  • Big mountain ash trees in Gembrook Bushland Park
  • Good food and ambiance at Emerald market
  • Eastern Dandenong's Rail Trail

Walking distance:

  • Gembrook’s Bushland Park – 1 hour return walk on a made trail through the forest.
  • Puffing Billy Station – even if you don’t have time to go on the train it’s fun to meet it at Gembrook Station. Talk with driver and volunteers, have a look in the engine compartment; watch the water top up and check out the station building.
  • Eastern Dandenong's Rail Trail is part of the National Trail. You can take a walking loop around the town; view the ‘Early Settlers’ sculpture on the corner of Main Road and Launching Place Road and check out cafes, supermarket and the Post Office / Newsagent. The Eastern Dandenong's Trail is wheelchair friendly with various ramps and wheelchair rest points at the steeper sections.

    The trail follows the Puffing Billy Line to Cockatoo and then through Wrights Forest to Emerald Lake and Emerald township. If you time it well, you can walk one way and catch the train or a bus back. The Emerald trail is also suitable for bikes. Cog Bikes in Monbulk hire bikes, including ebikes from Lakeside Station, Emerald Lake, or Warburton on the trail. Cog will deliver bikes to Signal Box on the EDR Trail. (Book direct with Cog).

    People ask about Gembrook’s Historic Hotel. The Pub burnt down in 2018. The ‘Gemmie’ is sorely missed for its ambiance, history and as a centre piece in the railway precinct. Planning is underway for another ‘establishment’ so guests will just need to keep visiting to see what replaces our beloved hotel. The 'Local', on Main Street is a licensed premises serving meals, that aimed to fill the gap when the old pub burnt down.

 

Worth the drive:

  • Healesville Sanctuary – 35 minutes
  • Warburton – 40 minutes
  • Mount Dandenong – 35 minutes
  • Yarra Valley wineries – 40 minutes
  • Closer wineries: Chestnut Hill Vineyard; Paternoster; Monbulk Winery, Swallowfield; Gembrook Hill, Emersley, Yarra Ridge, Cannibal Creek, Five Oaks and more. Some have cellar door or hold weddings.
  • Kilcunda Surf Beach – 50 minutes
  • Mont De Lancey stately home – 30 minutes
  • Blue Lotus Water Garden
  • Wandin – 30 minutes and lots more…