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Just 90 minutes’ drive from Melbourne, but a cliched million miles from the stresses of daily life, lies the lovely rural town of Daylesford.
Its picturesque location in the Central Highlands is reason enough to plot the GPS co-ordinates, but there are plenty of others as well. Sample the waters that bubble to the surface from the region’s famous mineral springs, savour sumptuous gourmet cuisine, do a spot of grape grazing, trawl the many antique shops for treasures from yesteryear, and the list goes on. The attractions of this day trip or short break destination are many and varied!
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to do in Daylesford.
Watch our video of Daylesford’s hidden gems and secret places:
Top Things to Do in DAYLESFORD, Victoria, Australia | Daylesford Hidden Gems & Secret Places
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1. Rejuvenate body and mind at a spa
On the leafy drive into town, you’re welcomed to ‘spa country’ — and with Australia’s highest concentration of natural mineral springs, it’s certainly a case of getting what’s written on the tin. Many hardy locals drink the tangy, mineral rich water, and public pumps are provided at various locations in Daylesford and neighbouring Hepburn Springs. Alternatively, you may like to bathe in it for the reputedly therapeutic effects. Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa (three kilometres’ drive from Daylesford) draws water from a spring and heats it to around 39 degrees. Slip into the toasty public pool or book a private bathing experience.
2. Be amazed at the Mill Markets
If your jaw doesn’t drop below your shoulder line when you walk into the Amazing Mill Markets, check your pulse. This vast indoor market overflows with a dizzying collection of books, furniture, clothes, and all manner of kitsch and curious memorabilia. Trash or treasure? You decide. Give yourself at least half a day to get through it.
3. Explore Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens
The gorgeous Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, just a short (but uphill!) walk from Daylesford’s town centre, coat the top of what was once a volcano and will have you completely captivated. See a variety of rare trees and take in dreamy views of the surrounding region. And you can enjoy lunch at the Wombat Hill House cafe and kitchen garden, which is operated by the team behind the prestigious Lake House hotel and restaurant. Sit inside or avail yourself of a table in the courtyard and enjoy the warm dappled sunshine. The baked treats from Dairy Flat Farm (also part of the Lake House group) are seriously to die for!
4. Enjoy culture at the Convent
Art lovers will be in their element in Daylesford. There’s a host of galleries to explore around town (including vibrant Bromley & Co on Vincent Street), but one of the most impressive and historically significant is the Convent Gallery. Set on the lower slopes of Wombat Hill, this former 19th century convent (and prior to that, the gold commissioner’s residence) is now an important showcase of local, national, and international fine art. It’s often described as ‘Australia’s most beautiful gallery’, so how are you going to resist seeing that? And why would you try?
5. Make for the lake
Fun fact: While it’s hard to believe when you look at it, the town’s tranquil recreational centerpiece — Lake Daylesford — is actually man-made! Enjoy a shady stroll around its entire circumference (which will take about 45 minutes at a relaxed pace), then settle in for a bite to eat on the deck at the Boathouse Restaurant (or perhaps push the boat out on a degustation at the aforementioned Lake House). If the water looks irresistibly inviting, head for the small beach at the end of Chatfield Avenue on the lake’s southern side.
6. Get some retail therapy on Vincent Street
The jumble of Victorian-era architecture along Vincent Street — Daylesford’s main retail strip — hosts fashion and homewares boutiques, food stores and cafes, and even a fourteen-room bookshop in an old bank. Work your way up one side of the street, then come back down the other to ensure you don’t miss a thing. And expect to make a more than a couple of trips to the car to drop off that retail booty.
7. Graze on tasty treats at Cliffy’s
Cliffy’s Emporium cafe and foodstore has been a Daylesford institution since the 1950s. It’s a bit off the beaten track (aka not on Vincent Street), but just ask anyone and they’ll point you in the right direction. Shop for fresh local produce, preserves, cheese, honey, coffee, and other gourmet goodies, or simply revel in the rustic setting as you dine. Their menu features an array of all-day-breakfast dishes and shared plates.
8. Try some top local drops
The neighbouring Macedon Ranges wine region has been producing mighty fine vintages since the 1800s, so it would be rude not to give them a try, right? And luckily, you don’t have to go too far to do it. Less than ten minutes by car (or taxi!) from the heart of Daylesford, Passing Clouds Winery is renowned for its nuanced pinot noirs and chardonnays. Do a tour and tasting at the cellar door, then hunker down for a long lunch in the onsite eatery.
9. Hit a purple patch at Lavandula
Lavandula Farm, a 20-minute drive north of Daylesford (just outside Hepburn Springs), teleports you out of rural Victoria and into the heart of Europe. Lose yourself in the purple haze of lavender plantings, admire the exquisite stone buildings, tuck into a lavender-flavoured scone at the cafe, and browse in the shop for scented bags of dried blossoms. The farm is at its bloomin’ best in December and January.
10. Do cocktails at Frangos
The circa 1880s architecture and distinctive wrought iron gates are what attract many passersby to Hotel Frangos, but it’s the cocktail list and prime people-watching opportunities that often keep them there! Occupying a prominent corner on Vincent Street, draped in grape vines, and featuring Parisian-style seating on the pavement, this is the perfect place to relax with a beverage and contemplate your next move. Which, after a few days in Daylesford, might just be a permanent one.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.visithepburnshire.com.au.
Browse our range of Victoria tours and experiences here.
Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of the best things to do in Daylesford? We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.
Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Julietta Henderson is a Melbourne-based travel writer and author. Originally planning to visit London for six months, she ended up staying for ten years and now divides her time between her home in Australia and several months of the year in the UK, Italy, and France. Julietta has travelled extensively through Europe, North America, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, and Russia, and believes the keys to a great travel experience are an open heart, an open mind, and an open-ended ticket. Her first two novels — The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman and Sincerely, Me — are now available in bookstores.
About the writer
Adam Ford is editor of Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas, and a travel TV presenter, writer, blogger, and photographer. He has travelled extensively through Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and the Middle East. Adam worked as a travel consultant for a number of years with Flight Centre before taking up the opportunity to travel the world himself as host of the TV series Tour the World on Network Ten. He loves to experience everything a new destination has to offer and is equally at home in a five-star Palazzo in Pisa or a home-stay in Hanoi.
