Looking for somewhere to stay that is close to Melbourne, but does not seem to be actually in it? You might like to have a look at this park, Crystal Brook Tourist Park. The park is in Doncaster East surrounded by the Deep Creek Reserve, and opens up so much of Melbourne and the countryside to you, that you will find it hard to leave after a few days.

Firstly, lets look at the park. There are five styles of cabin to choose from all sleeping either five or six starting with the deluxe Creekside Villa through to the standard cabin. You need to choose the best for your family and your budget, but they are all excellent value. If you are bringing your caravan or tent, then you will be sure to find a good site, they are all powered and some have an en-suite.

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It is nice to find a park where you can entertain yourselves, and the kids, at any time of the year and this is one of them. Having a heated swimming pool definitely helps with that! For the warmer months there is a wading pool too. When the kids have too much get up and go then the jumping pillow is ideal, and the go karts are an excellent way to use up the energy too. If you are like me and cannot go away with the laptop, it is nice to know that WiFi is available.

Now you need to find places to go and things to do. Well, Melbourne is a great place to start, it all depends what you like to do. The botanical gardens are beautiful and I used to love going to Captain Cooks Cottage when I was much younger. It is a tiny little cottage and you do wonder how people manage to live in something as small as that.

When you go to Melbourne you have to take a tram, and there is a free tourist tram that simply goes round and round and you can get on and off as much as you like. There are some great places to eat throughout Melbourne and the suburbs, and the more you eat out the more of a holiday the main cook gets!

The Dandenong Ranges are easy to get to, and the Yarra Valley is not far away either. If you have never seen a platypus, then head for the Healesville Sanctuary, they are really an amazing looking animal and Healesville has a successful breeding program to help protect this unique mammal.
The Yarra Valley has an outstanding range of home grown produce from blueberries through meat and fish to chocolates, there is bound to be something to tempt the fussiest eater. Have a look at www.visityarravalley.com.au to see what is available.

But the best place to start to plan your holiday is the parks own website, their activities and attractions page is a very long one with all sorts of things to see and do. Crystal Brook Tourist Park is in a perfect spot for you to see and experience the best that Melbourne and Victoria has to offer.

Crystal Brook Tourist Park
182 Warrandyte Rd
Doncaster East Vic 3109
Ph: 03 9844 3637
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.cbtp.com.au
Review posted by Alison Huth September 2011
Photos thanks to Crystal Brook Tourist Park and Alison Huth