Spa Country - Victoria, Travel Information

History and pampering Victoria-style

The Spa Country and Goldfields regions of Victoria offer visitors the opportunity to explore the historic roots of the area as well as being thoroughly pampered.

Luxury accommodation & cottages in Spa Country

Spa Country Lavandula Lavender Farm near Daylesford in Victoria’s Spa Country embodies all the qualities that make this area, some 90 minutes north-west of Melbourne, a perennial delight. The Swiss Italian farm dates from the 1850s, with many of the original buildings still intact. The European sense of order is evident in every aspect of this property, which produces lavender, olives and grapes. A licensed cafe serving delicious Swiss Italian fare in a beautiful setting makes Lavandula the kind of place you’d like to settle in for a coffee and leisurely read of the morning paper.

Summer is the best time to enjoy the fragrance from the lavender crop, which is harvested by hand sickle in January. A range of lavender products is available at the farm stall. The modern global trend to spa retreats is nothing new to the Hepburn Springs/Daylesford region, where visitors have been enjoying the mineral waters and spas for more than a century.

Mount Macedon, with its impressive mansions, wineries and fine gardens is well worth exploring, as are most of the quaint towns and villages in the region. The area is perfectly located for a weekend or midweek escape from Melbourne.

Major annual Events in the Spa Country

* December – Highland Gathering
* March – Chill Out Festival
* April – Food, Wine and All That Jazz

Activities & Attractions

A sample of activities and attractions the Spa Country has to offer:

1 Visit the local Botanic Gardens, which offer a panoramic view over Daylesford from the top of Wombat Hill.
2 Purchase high-quality local craft on display at the Convent Gallery.
3 Sink to the bottom of a spa bath with a blend of relaxing essential oils at the Hepburn Spa Resort.
4 Take the Tipperary Walking Track and explore Hepburn Regional Park and numerous natural springs.
5 Enjoy fine dining at the many high-quality establishments in the area, some of which are celebrated in well-regarded food guides.
6 On Sundays, take a vintage railway trip from Daylesford Station through the Wombat State Forest.
7 Have breakfast at the Boathouse Cafe by the lake, then hire a boat or feed the ducks. Horse riders can venture out on local trails for picnic rides.

The Goldfields

The discovery of gold in Victoria in the mid-19th century sparked one of the biggest gold rushes in history, the legacy of which is still evident in many parts of regional Victoria. The civic fathers and entrepreneurs must have had a sense of history about them as they set about creating towns and villages, which today are absolute gems of the Victorian era.

Luxury accommodation & cottages in Victoria's Goldfields

A drive through Ballarat, Bendigo and many smaller towns reveals monuments to their foresight. The beauty of the Goldfields area is that it’s a vibrant slice of multicultural Australia, energetically making the most of the natural and man-made assets of the region. Allow a few extra days to do it justice when planning your visit. The area has excellent self-drive touring routes for experiencing the local wineries and fine foods. Produce on offer ranges from handmade pies and puddings to locally farmed organic beef, catch-your-own trout farms, traditional bull-boar sausages, apples and pears, and Mediterranean influences in the locally grown olives and tomatoes.

There’s a vibrant calendar of events across the Goldfields region, with scarcely a weekend without celebrating something in consummate style. Local tourist websites will have all the information you require when planning your trip.

Be sure to visit Ballarat’s many attractions outlining the history and heritage of the gold-rush era: Sovereign Hill’s world-class village depicting life in the time of the gold rush; the Eureka Centre; the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery; the Gold Museum; and the spectacular Blood on the Southern Cross sound and light show, which illustrates the Eureka Stockade some 150 years ago.