A flat top mountain range in the East is visible from Altona Beach. I always suspect that to be the Dandenongs but could not be sure as the Mornington Peninsula also has a mountain range or elevated region. I tried to confirm my guess from googling but could not find the answer.
Two Sundays ago on 22 Aug 2010, I was strolling on Altona Pier with my family. A chatty elderly man initiated a conversation with my wife. He was from Gembrook, a small town in the valley of Dandenong Mountains. He started out from his place at 6 a.m. in the morning, took a train and had to change to a bus at Footscray because the Werribee Line was undergoing servicing that day. It took him four hours to reach Altona.
He pointed out the Dandenong Mountain Ranges to me, which confirms my guess all along and showed me where the Mornington Peninsula, Frankston, Bellarine Peninsula and Queenscliff are located. However, my eyesight is not that powerful to see the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsula. Perhaps, the air is still not that clear that day. Now I understand why many mansions along the Esplanade have large window facades and have a telescope as part of their furniture. With these powerful telescopes, one may even be able to see houses in Frankston and Queenscliff.
In the photograph below, you can zoom in and out to have a closer look of the Dandenong Mountain Range.
The guy told me that the sky was clear when he set out but now it was very cloudy so he predicted the following day will be a very rainy day, which did not turn out to be so.
I gave him the URL of my Altona Blog and told him that he can get a very good view of Melbourne CBD from Truganina Park. He would need to do it on another day as it is simply too far to walk from Altona Pier to Truganina Park located at the western end of Altona.
I had forgotten to ask for his name. If he happens to read this post, I hope he can send me an email at anton.ang@gmail.com
