Life is better on a set of wheels and Cog Bikes know this all too well. The local eastie company has been lending their bikes to families on the Warby Trail for years and NOW have a hiring shed at Emerald Lake, right next to the station platform. You can combine your ride on Puffing Billy with a ride on the back of a bike too. After sitting for a while on the carriages, it is great to get the body moving again!

You can explore Emerald Lake on two wheels while you await your return trip on the train. Or for the more experienced riders (as it is a little hilly), head onto the Eastern Dandenong Ranges Trail. This track leads all the way through Cockatoo and into Gembrook. You might not have time to get all the way (especially if catching a return train to Belgrave - but even the section leading out of the lake in Emerald is a stunning part of the forest. Read more about the trail HERE.

The shed has a range of bikes - including balance bikes for the little tackers and cool e-bikes for the adults. Mamma took this extra powered bike for a whirl and it made the entire journey on the trail a breeze (sorry everyone else while I zoomed passed you up the hills!).

Mamma’s special mention: Emerald Lake is real family GEM. There is all the walking trails, some well loved playgrounds, paddle boats, Puffing Billy Visitors Centre, the model railway, an outdoor wading pool that opens over the warm summer days, AND … of course, the famous Puffing Billy.