I’ve been wanting to do the 1000 Steps for a long time as it’s known to be a great fitness walk, with a steep-incline for the entire 1000 Steps but I also wanted to experience the same sense of exhaustion that was felt by the Australian soldiers in the battle against Japan during World War II in Papua New Guinea. The original Kokoda Trail is by far more intense spanning for a length of 96 kilometres and is a popular hike which takes between four and twelve days, depending on fitness (keep note that some people have died to complete this track). I recently saw the Documentary “Kokoda” and had a much deeper sense of appreciation for the soldiers who fought for our peace and freedom.
The 1000 Steps is a good alternative, especially since it’s not far from where I live at all in Ferntree Gully, Melbourne and only takes 1-2 hours for the whole circuit. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with a plaque which depicts the lives of those who fought and died on the trail during the Kokoda campaign in 1942. But you don’t have to wait until you get to the top to be rewarded – you’ll see beautiful tree ferns, manna gum and blackwood towards the top of the hill and the cool freshness from the high altitude of the Dandenong Ranges. The air is so clean & crisp!
On the way down, my legs were all jelly and wobbly because my knees was struggling with the continual steep decline, but I definitely felt fantastic afterwards and would definitely do it again!
It was pretty scary considering that Endeavour Hills has been my home town for the majority of my life. Bushlands is very much apart of where we live, let alone the rest of Australia. On some occasions, it was nice to have a family barbeque at the park. It’s lovely to be surrounded by beautiful trees. It’s sad to know that it’s all been destroyed.
Below are some photos I took of what it looks like one year after the fire. You can see some regrowth of the grass the trees, but most of it is still branches are still blackened. I’m hopeful that one day it’ll be back to what I remember it to be.
While Churchill Park was reasonably contained, the bushfires that ripped across Victoria was devastating. Hundreds of homes, let alone lives were lost. Australia will never forget what we now know as Black Saturday – our most tragic natural disaster in history.
In February of this year, I flew back home to Australia for three weeks. I hadn’t been home for one whole year and had accumulated quite a list of things I wanted to see and do. One of them being to visit Pie in the Sky in Mount Dandenongs.
I’ve heard many people speak highly of this place and while I live quite close by, I had never been! I’d grown up on the great Aussie meat pie. I especially remember after my weekly netball game, my parents would buy me a good ol’ Four-N-Twenty Meat Pie. There was indeed also those days where I was allowed to buy canteen food at school for lunch and I would get either a meat pie or a sausage roll – a typical Aussie school lunch.
So why was Pie in the Sky such a priority in my list of things to do in Australia? Well, Pie in the Sky is known to be awarded 11 Gold Medals for their famous meat pies and being number 1 in all of Victoria. The pies are presented as main courses, accompanied by salad or vegetables and chips. Or you can also opt for traditional peas and mashed potato. You can also take home some of their pies (as seen above) if you just couldn’t get enough (like I did, haha).
I just love chips so I went for a Beef Burgundy pie with salad and chips. Yum!
Here’s what a Curry pie looks like with mashed potatoes, peas and tomato sauce.. Nom nom.
The place is quite large and seats a number of people, but it sure gets packed during lunch time! Make sure you head there early. The service is so lovely, typical friendly small town Aussie service.
While Pie in the Sky had some amazing pies, they serve the best scones ever! If you want a good Devonshire Tea (a cream tea taken with a combination of scones, clotted or whipped cream, and jam), make sure you make it to Pie in the Sky :)
Pie in the Sky Restaurant Review
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The meal certainly fills your sweet spot. I'm sure to be back to try the rest of the menu!
