The New South Wales onetime goldrush, no spa town of Daylesford (pop. 2,600) is a quaint area about 115 km (71 miles) north of Melbourne, and it accounts for more than 80 percent of Australia's mineral water springs. I love wine and I love relaxing, and Daylesford offers plenty of lovely opportunities to enjoy both.
Wine Tour
My own favorite thing here was the wine tour. The tour has three stops for tastings at local wineries, as well as some small snacks. The winemakers were all very hospitable, eager to share their stories of how they came into the winemaking business and offer recommendations of their personal favorites for tasting. I was staying at a local rental home I found on Stayz (and I’d recommend you to the same, since hotels in the area can be pricey), and since I was in the area, the wine tour company even picked me up from my accommodation to take me on the tour.
Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens
This is a beautiful place to relax and observe the beauty of nature. The grounds are very clean. They’re kept up so well, you wouldn’t know that people stumble in and out of there as often as they do. The botanical gardens are shaded by large trees, many of which must be over a hundred years old. If you want the best view, I’d recommend the lookout tower just a short ways away from the carpark. You’ll get an excellent view from above.
Convent Gallery
The Convent Gallery is located just off Main Street, on the side of Wombat Hill. It’s near the shopping district, where you’ll find a variety of specialty shops and artisan snacks. The gallery itself has special space on the top floor for visiting artists, where you’ll be able to view their works in the beautiful light of the cathedral. The on-site eatery - funnily named the Bad Habits Café as a pun about the nuns who used to live there - offered up some pretty decent food. I really enjoyed myself.
Wombat State Forest
The forest itself measures in at about 70,000 hectares, so you won’t be able to explore the whole thing unless you’re up for quite a hike. The forest is rich with wildlife and unique native plants. I saw several koalas in the trees enjoying a nice nap. You’ll be able to see the place that a lot of endangered species of birds find refuge. You won’t find many opportunities to see these creatures that are so rare in the wild, so you may as well take this opportunity to visit them in their home.
Unique Shopping Experiences
There are plenty of places to shop in Daylesford, some of which I enjoyed more than others. I’m very passionate about antiques, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the wares at Triggers Antiques. I found they were affordably enough priced that I could safely take several home with me. I also visited the quaint and charming Avant Garden Bookshop on Vincent Street and browsed through their collection of hard-to-find literary masterpieces.
Truly, Daylesford is a great place to take it easy. I’d recommend the town to anyone who’s looking for a change of scenery without the stress of tourists plowing each other over in the streets. If you want a low adrenaline, peaceful getaway with charming bed-and-breakfasts, you’ll learn to love Daylesford quickly.
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