Nillumbik Shire

The towns of Nillumbik Shire are nestled among unspoilt bushland and picturesque hills. The region combines nature experiences with art, history and a rural character. If you’d like to bring together different interests on your trip, you’ll find opportunities here for days outdoors as well as discoveries relating to art and local culture.

Bushland, reserves and trails

The Panton Hill Bushland Reserve System comprises seven bushland reserves managed by the municipality in the Panton Hill, Smiths Gully and Watsons Creek areas. Together, they cover about 140 hectares. The reserves offer opportunities for bushwalking, birdwatching, horse riding and mountain biking. When planning your stay, you can weigh up whether you’d rather watch birds or get moving on horseback or by mountain bike. The size of the system as a whole gives you an idea of its scope; it does not describe the length of any individual trail.

Nillumbik’s trail network is also varied, with routes for walking, horse riding and cycling. The Green Wedge Trail offers the chance to explore the rural areas of the Shire. It runs from Watery Gully Road in Wattle Glen to Clintons Road in Smiths Gully. These two endpoints give you a concrete reference if you’re considering including the trail in your travel plans. The Hurstbridge Heritage Trail has a different focus: it passes 30 historically significant sites, whose history spans from early settlement to the mid-20th century.

Discover art and history

Montsalvat is an arts centre and artists’ community founded in 1934. Set on a 12-acre site, it comprises more than 34 buildings. These include three galleries, 19 studios, a ceramics centre and event spaces for concerts. Montsalvat offers exhibitions, studio programs and ceramics classes. If you’d like to do more than simply view art and explore different areas of artistic practice, you’ll find several specific points of interest here—from galleries and studios to the ceramics centre.

You’ll also encounter art across Nillumbik beyond a single centre: the public art collection includes sculptures, land art, murals and mosaics distributed throughout the Shire’s towns and landscapes. The Nillumbik Artists Open Studios 2026 program invites you to visit more than 30 artists in their studios throughout the Shire. The disciplines represented include painting, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture and musical instrument making. For families with varied interests, this focus on art can offer another direction for planning a trip alongside outdoor activities.

Experience nature and discover local produce

Edendale Community Environment Farm is located beside Diamond Creek in Eltham and covers seven acres of land. It provides education about sustainable living and the natural environment. This offers an educational way to engage with nature that differs from activities in the bushland reserves: the focus here is on learning about the environment and sustainable living.

Local produce is also part of Nillumbik’s character. The region offers fresh farm produce, family-run wineries and handcrafted goods made from local resources. Open Cellars invites you to explore the Nillumbik Hills and meet local winemakers. If you’d like to combine art and nature with local products, you can take these themes into account when choosing the focus of your trip.

Planning your stay

The Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Tower is a heritage-listed Nillumbik landmark in the Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Park Reserve and a popular destination for locals and visitors. The park reopened to the public on 27 February 2026 after restoration work. Nillumbik is about a 45-minute drive from Melbourne; this approximate journey time can help you put the region’s location in context as you plan your trip.

When choosing holiday accommodation, you could start by considering which experiences you’d like to shape your stay: trails and bushland, art and history, or local produce. The Shire’s destinations offer different areas of interest, so your personal interests can provide a useful guide when looking for suitable accommodation. The town of Research is another point of reference.

More destinations: Frankston City, Hume City, Darebin City, Casey City, Moonee Valley City, Yarra City, Latrobe City.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.