The area is renowned for the rare and beautiful lyrebird display in the Sherbrooke Forest, unsurpassed autumn colours, camellias at their best, with occasional snowfalls which transform the ranges to a Christmas fairyland. Tulips, rhododendrons, cool shady gullies, walking tracks, picnic or barbecue tours and colourful floral festivals are all features of this area.
Throughout the year, antique and bric-a-brac shops are open for tourists and the area abounds with artists and art galleries. At the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary you can picnic with the local wildlife. Here, kangaroos, wombats, emus and other unique Australian fauna wander about oblivious to your presence and even eat from the palm of your hand.
Another pleasant way to enjoy the forests and fern gullies is to take a ride on the Puffing Billy (55min; 24hr information tel 1900/937 069; $25), which runs for 13km from the Puffing Billy Station in Belgrave to Lakeside on Lake Emerald, stopping at Menzies Creek and Emerald: one train a day continues a further 9km from Lake Emerald to Gembrook.
The Puffing Billy Station is about five minutes walk from Belgrave Railway Station (suburban trains). The steam train has run more or less continuously since the early twentieth century, though its operation now depends on dedicated volunteers; on total fire ban days, diesel locomotives are used. Timetables vary seasonally but there are generally several services daily until late afternoon; local buses also cover the Belgrave–Emerald route.
Just outside Emerald, man-made Emerald Lake has paddle-boats to rent and a swimming pool with waterslide, as well as trails through bushland continuing into the nearby state reserve.
As for accommodation, Emerald Backpackers, 49 Emerald Lake Rd, has a country setting and a casual party atmosphere; the owners can help long-stay guests find local work. On weekdays and Saturday morning, bus #695 runs from the Belgrave train station to Emerald. Choo Choos Restaurant and Bar, at 32 Monbulk Rd in Emerald, is a friendly, reasonably priced oddity, serving meals on authentic railway crockery in old railway dining carriages.
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