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Mountain Tea LbNA #13042 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jan 11, 2005
Location:
City:Melbourne, Australia
County:Other International
State:Other International
Boxes:1
Found by: Not yet found!
Last found:N/A
Status:a
Last edited:Jan 11, 2005
Background:
Near the top of Mt Dandenong lies the charming township of Olinda, about 44 kilometres (27 miles) east of Melbourne. Olinda gets its moniker from the nearby waters of Olinda Creek, which was named after Alice Olinda Hodgkinson in 1858. The scenic town was first settled in the 1870s, and made its income through timber. Today, Olinda thrives on tourists flocking to its art galleries, tea rooms, antique shops and handicrafts.

Olinda itself is a wonderful treasure to discover, but there’s plenty to explore along the way. Make sure to keep an eye out for the array of flora and fauna that dapples the Dandenong Ranges- a good place to start is the Dandenong Ranges National Park or make the trek to Olinda Falls. Gardeners will delight in the National Rhododendron Gardens, the Cloudehill and Pirianda Gardens or the intriguing William Ricketts Sanctuary.

While there is plenty to see and do on Mt Dandenong, there’s also plenty to eat! We suggest the following culinary itinerary: For a tasty breakfast accompanied by excellent service, we recommend the Flippin’ Pancakes Parlour in Sassafras. After you browse the cottage-themed streets, stop for morning tea at Miss Marple’s down the street. Make the journey up to Olinda and experience quintessential Aussie fare- the meat pie- for lunch at the Pie in the Sky (we proudly endorse the steak, bacon, and onion pie). For coffee and dessert with a fireplace setting, stroll down the street to The Ranges Cafe. And make sure to grab some lollies (candy) for the trip home (that is if you can still fit in your car!) at the Olinda Sweet Company, which is just around the corner.

Clue:
After finishing your pie or Devonshire tea in Olinda, head out for the letterbox. Walk down the stairs from Pie in the Sky and turn left onto the sidewalk. Keep walking up the sidewalk, and you will pass a mammoth tree stump on your right, and on your left sits the last shop of the main strip called Hand to Heart Country Wares (feel free to have a look in here for a genuine slice of Americana).

Continue up the path until you see a sign for the Olinda Primary School. About ten feet before the sign, you’ll see a tree close to the sidewalk on your left. There are several holes in the bottom of the tree, as well as some bent nails scattered along the trunk. Around the back of the tree are some rocks piled at the base. Under these rocks lies the letterbox.

As this is a touristy town, it can get pretty busy. Also, this box is well-buried, so you might have to dig a bit and get a tiny bit dirty.

For more information on Olinda and the Ranges, go to any of the following web sites and type in ‘Olinda’ in the search fields:

www1.visitvictoria.com
www.travelmate.com.au
walkabout.com.au
www.thatsmelbourne.com.au
For general directions go to www.street-directory.com.au

Enjoy and happy hunting!
KW and Noles