Sassafras

Introduction

Sassafras Gardens

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Named after the Sassafras tree, this gorgeous little town will enchant you with its charms. Located only 50 kilometres from the centre of Melbourne, the eclectic mix of old world antiques and devonshire teas, mystic tarot and wizardry, and rare plant nurseries makes it well worth spending a few days out of the city.

The town of Sassafras is nestled in the middle of rich Australian forest and provides many opportunities for walkers and nature lovers. The town's commercial centre is based around the junction of the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road and the Mountain Highway and features a diverse collection of cafes, antique and craft shops.

Sights and Activities

Shopping

Don’t miss Melbourne’s largest range of hand made candles at Bluestone Candles, and choose from over 300 varieties of tea and a large range of teapots at Tea Leaves.

Stroll throughSmits and Bits Market tucked out of sight but with a facinating range of antique furniture, glassware and crockery as well as a huge selection of vinyl records, books, stamps and coins. There is also a huge marvelous dolls house on display and an open fire in the court yard during the winter months.

For something unique, visit The Oracle to have a Tarot Reading, browse books on magic, participate in story telling or request a magical deed.Peruse the fairytale Geppetto's Workshop where you will find old-world, hand-made toys, spinning tops, marionettes, hand puppets, kaleidoscopes, wooden puzzles and games.

For facinating browsing, visit Images of Yesteryear a store dedicated to providing reproductions of real photographic images of Australian scenes and life from the 1850s to the 1950s.

For the fasionista Simply Sassy offers quality jewellery and coordinated leather and fabric accessories.

Hiking

Walk the 13-kilometre Sassafras Creek Walking Track along the mountain stream and through the tree-fern forests to Emerald.

Gardens & Nurseries

Located in the center of town, Sassy Plants is a large nursery specialising in bonsi, box hedges and original timber-slab furniture.

Devonshire Tea

Take in a scrumptious Devonshire Tea of huge scones piled with lashings of jam and whipped cream. Almost all of the cafes along the main street offer Devonshire Tea - see the 'Eat' section for more details.

Pink Rohdedendron - Rohdedendron Gardens Olinda

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Events and Festivals

• During late September and early October, spring heralds the annual Tesselaar Tulip Festival. See more than half-a-million tulip bulbs flowering in riotous colour as you "tip-toe through the tulip fields".
• On the first Sunday in May, the annual Chestnut Festival is held at the Kalorama Oval, only 10mins drive from Sassafras town centre

Getting There

By Train

Take the metropolitan Melbourne train from Flinders Street station along the Belgrave line to either Upper Ferntree Gully or Belgrave train station. Trains on this line are operated by Metro and run approximately every 20 minutes between 7am and 7pm Monday - Friday. On weekends and public holidays you may need to wait up to 40 minutes for the next train. Check the Belgrave Line Train Timetable for more information. Ticket prices are available on the Public Transport Victoria website.

Connecting buses for Sassafras depart from Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave train stations.

By Car

The 40-50 kilometre drive from Melbourne via Burwood Highway or Canterbury Road is approximately 1 hour. Easy freeway access is along the M1-South Eastern Freeway (to Ferntree Gully Road) or the newly opened M3-Eastlink (to Cantebury Road). For driving directions visit Upper Ferntree Gully

By Bus

Take the train from Flinders Street Station (see above). Connecting buses for Sassafras depart from Upper Ferntree Gully railway station or Belgrave railway station.

From Belgrave railway station, take the 694 bus via Belgrave-Hallam Road, Monbulk Road, Sherbrooke Road, Mt Dandenong Tourist Road. Check the time table for the 694 bus for departure and arrival times.

From Upper Ferntree Gully railway station take the 688 bus via Burwood Highway, Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Ridge Road and Obvervatory Road to the Sassafras township. Check the time table for the 684 bus for departure and arrival times.

Many Melbourne based tour companies also run day tours to the Dandenongs by air-conditioned coach.

Getting Around

By Car

Whilst you won't need a car to see the sights in the township of Sassafras itself, a car is by far the easiest method to travel between the close nearby townships throughout the Dandenong Ranges.

By Public Transport

Local buses are the only public transport available in and around Sassafras.

By Foot

Sassafras is a small town. You can easily cover all the shops and sights by foot, however a car or local buses are the best way to see neighbouring townships like Olinda and Mount Dandenong.

By Bike

Bike riding within the Dandenong Ranges is extremely popular, particularly on weekends and public holidays. If traveling to Sassafras by car or bus, you will see large numbers of dedicated cyclists riding up and down the hills. There is not currently a place to hire bikes within Sassafras, however some Bed & Breakfast accommodation does provide complimentary bicycles for guest use.

Eat

• Miss Marples - Well known for its huge scones served with jam and cream, Miss Marples is extremely popular with tourists and won't take reservations - so you may be in for a bit of a wait! Inspired by Agatha Christie's delightful character, this Tea Room is a gallery of Miss Marple memorabilia.
• Flippin Pancakes - Offerring fresh, fluffy pancakes and crepes with virtually every topping you can think of, the menu will make your mouth water! For those few people who don't like pancakes, the resaurant also offers gourmet egg and bacon breakfasts, home made cottage pies, curries, steaks and salmon.
• Fortnums -Fortnums has the bright airy look and feel of an English conservetory overlooking beautiful gardens. Providing a predominately 'hearty home cooked' menu, Fortnums also offers Deavonshire Teas with a variety of jams and conserves made on the premises.
• Ripe - Open only for breakfast and lunch, Ripe specialises in providing a menu based on gourmet local produce. Choose from a mout-watering display of cakes baked right on the premises, fresh cheeses, locally produced chutneys and conserves and hearty soups. Breakfast includes homemade muesli with yoghurt and French toast with local berries; but if you want to try lunch, be patient - Ripe is a very popular lunch haven for locals.
• Chudleigh Park
• Black Kettle

Drink

Sleep

Keep Connected

Internet

Sassafras does not have a public internet cafe, although many of the Bed and Breakfasts offer wireless for those with their own computer. At present, there is also no internet cafe in other nearby towns.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Mobile phone coverage in Sassafras is limited, with Telstra offering the only reliable service. Optus has very limited reception, whilst Vodafone is not covered. There is a public payphone in the main street.

Post

There is an Australia Post Office on the main street (Mount Dandenong Tourist Road). The Post Office is open Monday to Friday 10:00am-4:00pm and for several hours on Saturday morning. Opened first in 1901, original name Sassafras Gully Post Office), the Post Office was one of the first buildings in the town.
A standard letter or postcard sent within Australia will cost $0.55. Internationally, it costs $1.40 to send postcards anywhere in the world. Letters cost $1.45 to send within the Asia Pacific region and $2.10 to anywhere else in the world. ^[1]. It is also possible to send things as parcels or by express mail.