Hepburn Springs
Hepburn Springs is a little gem tucked into the Great Dividing Range, just outside the well-known spa town of Daylesford in Victoria’s historic spa country. Natural Mineral Springs, the historic Hepburn Bathhouse, forest walks, and heritage stretching back to the Gold Rush era make this a destination where the experience matters more than a long […]
Lake Wendouree
Lake Wendouree is one of Ballarat’s easiest places to combine walking, gardens and sporting history. The precinct brings together the 6-kilometre Steve Moneghetti Track, Ballarat Botanical Gardens, wetland birds, historic boat sheds and the rowing course used during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The lake alone probably isn’t enough reason to travel from Melbourne, but it […]
Sovereign Hill
Sovereign Hill is one of Ballarat’s strongest reasons to explore the city’s gold rush history. This large outdoor museum recreates the streets, Gold Diggings, trades and underground mining of 1850s Ballarat, bringing together Gold Panning, Mine Tours, demonstrations and costumed interpreters across the site. Best Time to Visit Sep–May Recommended Stay Half–1 Day Getting Around […]
Creswick
Creswick is a small Victorian Goldfields town where gold-rush history, forest restoration, walking trails and Australian wool come together. The historic centre provides the context; Creswick Regional Park, La Gerche Forest Walk, St Georges Lake and old mining country give you the best reasons to stay longer than a quick roadside stop. Set in the […]
Daylesford
Daylesford – a Victorian getaway I’d choose for the experience rather than just one major highlight. Set in the picturesque Great Dividing Range, it brings together beautiful Lake Daylesford, natural mineral springs, the lovely Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, rich heritage, local food, and its charming neighbour, Hepburn Springs, in one compact trip. It’s famous for […]
Clunes
Clunes is a tiny Australian town in the heart of the Hepburn Shire, where gold rush history, 19th-century architecture and a love of books come together in one compact historic centre. When I got to Clunes, what caught my attention wasn’t a show-stopping attraction but how much the old town still feels like a real, […]
Talbot
Talbot is a small town in Victoria’s Goldfields region where the streets seem almost too grand for the number of people living there today. Take a stroll down Scandinavian Crescent, past old shopfronts and civic buildings, and the reason soon becomes clear: this quiet little place was once swept up in one of the great […]
Maryborough
Maryborough is one of those Victorian Goldfields towns where the past feels a little too big for the place you find today. The grand Maryborough Railway Station, wide streets, old mines and bold heritage buildings are remnants of a time when this was a town at the heart of the gold rush.What makes Maryborough worth […]
Mount Buninyong
Mount Buninyong, or Mt Buninyong, is an extinct volcano rising to 745 metres above sea level near Buninyong in Victoria’s Ballarat district. Part of the Newer Volcanic Province, it has a deep central crater, old lava flows, native forest and walking tracks leading towards the summit.What stayed with me most was the contrast between the […]
Mount Macedon
Mount Macedon, only about an hour from Melbourne in Victoria’s scenic Macedon Ranges, is a perfect blend of the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross, the 1,011-metre-high Camel’s Hump, Sanatorium Lake, a historic gardens and a walk through the beautiful Macedon Regional Park.What really stuck with me was the contrast between the native mountain forest and the […]