Coldstream

Best known as the place where Australia's most famous opera singer Dame Nellie Melba lived, Coldstream is also the gateway to the Yarra Valley wine region. Learn about Dame Nellie's life and connection to the area in a fascinating exhibition at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum, and see her Coombe Cottage residence where it stands on the juncture of the Maroondah and Melba highways. Coldstream is the natural starting point for a Yarra Valley wine tour, with some of the region's most well-known wineries based around the town. Start at Domaine Chandon and taste your way through Coldstream Hills, Rochford Wines and Oakridge, or sample local beers and ciders at Coldstream Brewery. Explore the surrounding country on two wheels - cycle the Warburton Rail Trail that extends 38 kilometres from Lilydale through grazing land and spring wattle to Warburton. Earn your wings at the Coldstream Airfield where the Royal Victorian Aero Club operates a Flight School. Coldstream is located 50 kilometres east of Melbourne. Travel along the Eastern Freeway, the Eastlink tollway, and Maroondah Highway.