Daylesford & Macedon Ranges

Wherever you are traveling from - overseas, intra or interstate - a visit to the region of Daylesford & Macedon Ranges will delight all your senses.

An hours easy drive from Melbourne CBD makes this region the perfect location for a short break. Daylesford, Woodend & Kyneton are packed with all styles of cuisine, culture & accommodation while the smaller townships like Trentham, Blackwood, Glenlyon & Tylden offer many surprises. If you need the feel of big smoke in the country Ballarat & Bendigo may be more your style.

Bacchus Marsh /  Greendale / Blackwood / Trentham

This new site is designed as a pre-planner for visitors to the region as well as a resource for those who are lucky enough to live here. It is constantly evolving & growing, just as the region is. If you have a business in the region, contact us

to see how easy it is to be listed on centralvic.com.au

 

 

Bacchus Marsh

"As a young child I remember setting out on family holidays. The long drive through Melbourne, on to the Ballarat Road, then, excitement as we passed the African Lion Safari - I always felt this was the point our holiday began."

Now, as Melbourne's 'burbs' spread, Bacchus Marsh increasingly signifies the end of Melbourne's sprawl & the beginning of Central Victoria.

Taking the first exit from the highway, the gateway to Bacchus Marsh is the Avenue of Honour, planted in 1918 to commemorate those who served in WWI. Seemingly ancient trees, spread & join over the road as if to offer protection to all who drive under them.

For more than a century fruit & vege stalls have lined the Avenue of Honour selling locally grown produce. Before that, the hotels catered to traveling gold miners on their perilous journey between Melbourne & the goldfields.

Now, visitors will find places to picnic & shop before heading further. This is the last main shopping area before Ballarat with banks, supermarkets, hairdressers & medical services.

Visitors to Bacchus Marsh should make the Visitor Information Centre their first stop. The friendly and helpful staff will be more than happy to welcome you to this beautiful town and introduce you to the attractions that it holds; the Avenue of Honour, bush walks, aerial sightseeing, forest parks, wildflowers, eagles, national and state parks and much more.

 

 

Greendale

Did you see the movie Charlottes Web? Remember those glorious green rolling hills? Yes, they are the hills & dales of Greendale.

About 10 minutes drive off the Pykes Creeks exit from Western Highway the centre of Greendale is the hotel at the roundabout. A left takes you to Ballan or a right to Trentham, through Blackwood.

Greendale Hotel (formally the Medway) promises a 'friendly smile & a voice well versed' as you quench your thirst. It incorporates the towns general store.

Many visitors stop to wonder at the historic 1/2 church just up from the hotel. The “half church” was dedicated in August 1877 in its present shape to allow for possible future expansion. A note in an early diary says, “went to church, preacher was Mr Scott”. Mr Scott was a lay reader with the Church of England at Bacchus Marsh but became more well known as “Captain Moonlite”, one of Victoria’s most notorious bushrangers. He was active in the district in the 1870s and was finally arrested in New South Wales. La Cote Homestead, which was located in La Cote Road, was owned by Mr Shuter, a stipendiary magistrate, before whom Captain Moonlite appeared. Scott was eventually hanged in 1879.

Greendale Country House offers peaceful self contained accommodation on a rural 5 acre property.

   

Blackwood, Victoria

84km from Melbourne on the upper reaches of the Lerdederg River, the historic gold-mining village of Blackwood was founded in the mid 1800's during Victoria's gold rush - many remnants of this era can still be spotted while wandering around the town.

Today, surrounded by the Wombat State Forest, Blackwood is a haven for Melbourne tree-hangers who find it is close enough to commute but far enough to hide away.
 
The sleepy town awakens on weekends to a hive of activity while visitors & weekenders take time-out from the hustle & bustle of their day to day lives.
Come for a day or stay a while. The fresh mountain air & eucalyptus fragrance is guaranteed to blow away the cobwebs.
In our lovely hideaway town, you can picnic at the minerals springs, play a game or two at the sports ground, wander through the reknowned Garden Of St Erth, try your luck at gold panning, fish for trout or take a bush walk.

Partake of the local cuisine or simply enjoy a beer at the pub. Relax, enjoy, recuperate.



 

Trentham

Trentham is a very special township nestled at the very top of the Great Dividing Range mid-way between Woodend and Daylesford, approximately one hour from Melbourne.

The town’s location in between the Macedon Ranges and the Spa Country at the edge of the Wombat State Forest makes it the perfect base to explore the many attractions of these areas.
 
Whether you are looking for a romantic weekend in the country indulging in the many gourmet delights and wines offered by the region, or more active outdoor pursuits like riding or bushwalking in the Wombat State Forest, a visit to Trentham is a must!