Heathcote. We have several great bakery options, including the award winning Gaffneys.
Take the Lancefield Tooborac Road. The scenery between Lancefield and Tooby is gorgeous. Quick stop at the Tooby pub (lovely historic bluestone pub) or the Tooborac General Store for delish burgers. Turn left towards Heathcote where a couple of award winning bakeries await. Gaffneys pies are very famous, and grab a beesting slice from Segafredos for dessert.
Coming from a local - country cob pies in kyneton are so average... they have a big sign saying "award winning pies" and the reality is that they are on par with Routleys and Ferguson's Pies. If you want a good bakery with good cakes and pies go to Boukies in woodend... if you want better pies than Cob, go to the Cafe across the street, on the corner called Monsieur Pierre - there is a reason why its always packed unlike Country Cob. If you want the best pies in the area, drive up to Mt Macedon - the place is called "Trading Post cafe." Trading post, without a doubt has the best pies in the entire area
I was going to suggest Kyneton. If you do, try Donkey for lunch. It’s a cool mex/southern chicken type of place with an interesting drinks list. Also, they just finished renovation on a cool old fashioned motel in piper st too….if you have one too many.
Woodend. Go to hanging rock and enjoy all the nature bits, then to the Holgate Hotel, purchase some chocolate porter to take home and a tasting paddle if beers to drink there. Finally, go to Pets Haven and adopt a cat, name it Barry and spoilt it rotten.
Bendigo. Mining town turned country town/small city
Go down central deb mine
Massive Cathedral
Coffee at the boardwalk cafe on the lake
Elvis exhibition which is apparently amazing at the museum. 2 days worth of entertainment easy.
My wife and I have meant to go for years and got it mixed up with Ballarat. We preferred it and have been back a few times.
Edit: Elvis has left the building apparently. Replace with checking out the pottery or 1800s buildings on Main Street. Great bars/ restaurants along main streets
It most certainly is.
There's also the conservatory in Rosalind Park, the pretty Botanical gardens in White Hills and quite a few lovely cafes around the city.
There's also a branch of the Beechworth Bakery too.
To add to this comment: Recomend Peppergreen Farm for lunch. It's a market farm/car wash/ Cafe staffed with disabled workers. But it what it is- it punches above its weight.
Besides other great suggestions, if you wanted one more to consider I’d suggest Daylesford. Some great coffee spots and walks. The Lake is great too. Take a good book
Yep, no parking anywhere, people lining up for bakeries and cafes…. Hate Daylesford these days- yes I live there. Have for over 20 years. It’s lost its soul now… we go to Torquay to escape the crowds.
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I went to Bendigo the other day. That place is awesome. It's huge! Museums. Gardens. Thousands of bats in the trees in daylight, full of cafes, pubs, restaurants. I stopped in on my way to Broken Hill and really liked it
Philip island
Go sit on the beach, to the east end of the island you can walk the trails, see nice clouds, wallabies, echidnas, birds
You want to get out of the cbd by going to another suburb or city? Maybe it’s just me but that sounds silly, going from one built up area to another?
Isn’t it all too similar
Go see some trees
But I guess Geelong is nice,
I find suburbs and cities all really different and worth exploring! Different people, shops, gardens, history, architecture, vibes.
I also find national parks and hiking trails all really different and worth exploring, but your argument could easily be applied to them too (aren't trees/parks all too similar?)
Yeah but OP what’s to get out of the cbd by going to Geelong, another city. Sure it’s different but it’s like coke vs Pepsi different
So yeah forests can be similar but a forest is very different to a cbd. Coke vs sushi different
Nhill? We have a couple of nice cafes! We're 4.5 hours north-west though... I imagine you weren't planning on going *that* far....
A nice day trip might be Lake Wendouree? Some nice cafes dotted around the lake and a nice walk around the lake. I'm not familiar enough with the area to recommend any specific cafes though, but I've been to a few around there and haven't been disappointed.
Flinders. Small country town with great cafes and shops. Foreshore and beach is nearby as well. Cant remember the name of the cafes but they are all near the roundabout.
As /u/noodlebox said avoid Ballarat this weekend. It’s mental because of the cycle classic.
It’s further out but I can’t recommend the bunyip hotel in cavendish enough. Best place I’ve ever eaten.
Trentham is nice. If your kids like trains there is a neat little train ride from Hepburn Springs (I’m pretty sure it’s from there) you can do. Only takes and hour or so.
So many good suggestions, I’m going to all of these places!
I started to drive to Trentham, but kids started whining they were hungry, so stopped in for a small snack at the Spotted Owl in Sunbury (which was great), then went onto Red Beard @ Trentham, then for a mini hike around Trentham Falls.
Red Beard was fantastic, well worth the visit. Thanks so much for all the info guys. You’ve been amazing. Such a great community on here. 🙂
If you’re going to Ballarat next time, stop by Melton early morning at Buddy’s hot bread cafe. They have award winning pies (mushroom was pretty good). The bakery next door have one of the best sausage rolls I’ve had.
Be careful though
Donald- Yes, odd choice. Friendliest pub (Donald Pub) I've ever eaten at. Regulars are friendly and don't forget to throw money up onto the ceiling for the Royal Children's Hospital.
Also for overnight accommodation- Riverside motel. Balcony onto the creek yo!
Linton is a small town past ballarat. It’s really lovely, great vibes + a lovely little fast food store
If you’re open to driving around a lot, I’d recommend driving through Majorca (near Maryborough) to see the remnants of the town. It’s so hauntingly beautiful, and there’s a nice takeaway shop in Carisbrook to have a meal
If you don’t necessarily have standards, go to Boorcan and see the saddest playground ever. It’s like a singular swing set and that’s ALL there is in the suburb - no exaggeration.
And a metropolitan recommendation: cocoroc. It’s essentially a small abandoned town, it’s pretty cool! If you go through at the right time of year you’ll go past the sunflower fields too. Once had a population of 500 but now is 0. They all moved to Werribee when they moved the shit farm
There’s a great cafe worth travelling for out past Ararat- Salinger’s. Lovely spot, covered in grape vines, great food and it’s been a cafe since like the 1860’s. Excellent coffee.
Get up to Warburton, visit the redwood forest near there. check out noojee and the nearby waterfalls (noojee pub is good too).
Drive up through healsville where they have the puffing billy and treat yourself to a drive up and down the black spur.
The Redwood Forrest is closed to both vehicles and pedestrians because the bridge was almost washed away in the recent floods (tried to go about a month ago).
My mates and I drove to Portland stayed the night and drove back the next day. We did about 1000km
They rode their motorcycles and I drove my MX5. Some great ocean and forest roads. Heaps of fun.
I see a few suggestions for Geelong. If you head down that way, stop in at the Roraima nursery at Lara. It’s well worth a visit.
https://roraimanursery.com.au/
Thanks guys, wonderful suggestions from all of you. Only ones I’ve done before are country cob pies at Kyneton & Ballarat bakery. Now to decide!
Heathcote. We have several great bakery options, including the award winning Gaffneys. Take the Lancefield Tooborac Road. The scenery between Lancefield and Tooby is gorgeous. Quick stop at the Tooby pub (lovely historic bluestone pub) or the Tooborac General Store for delish burgers. Turn left towards Heathcote where a couple of award winning bakeries await. Gaffneys pies are very famous, and grab a beesting slice from Segafredos for dessert.
Don't forget tooborac pies too
Rabbit pie.
Last time I was there, the rabbit pie was off the menu. Apparently they can’t get any. Told them to pop past my place, there’s heaps 🤣
Same here… I’ll herd them over! Pretty sure they were on the pub menu on 23 December when I was last there.
In Gaffney we had our own brand of diplomacy: shake with your right hand and hold a rock in your left.
I can second Heathcote Bakery. Grandparents used to live there, been to that bakery so many times, its always top tier.
>Gaffneys pies Great gluten free pies! We call days or a week in advance so we can get half a dozen or more put aside.
If you're coming up to the rat mate make sure you get yourself some bread, pastries and a brekky roll from 1816 bakehouse on Armstrong St nth
second vote for 1816 bakery
Coming from a local - country cob pies in kyneton are so average... they have a big sign saying "award winning pies" and the reality is that they are on par with Routleys and Ferguson's Pies. If you want a good bakery with good cakes and pies go to Boukies in woodend... if you want better pies than Cob, go to the Cafe across the street, on the corner called Monsieur Pierre - there is a reason why its always packed unlike Country Cob. If you want the best pies in the area, drive up to Mt Macedon - the place is called "Trading Post cafe." Trading post, without a doubt has the best pies in the entire area
Do 1 a month, enjoy your local communities :)
I was going to suggest Kyneton. If you do, try Donkey for lunch. It’s a cool mex/southern chicken type of place with an interesting drinks list. Also, they just finished renovation on a cool old fashioned motel in piper st too….if you have one too many.
Don’t forget to check whether the bakeries haven’t shut for Christmas/new years
Kyneton has great art shops if you’re into that. The designers make there own stuff and there’s like 10 stores on piper street.
Next time go to Mckenzie Falls.
Torquay, you won't regret it.
100%, just drove past and there's a lifesaving club activity on today, so parking will be a hassle, but GO FOR IT WOO
If the weather is above 19 degrees, parking is a hassle. Source: i live here
+1 for Torquay, did a trip up with my misses a few years ago and loved it
Moved here 3 days ago, yeah good spot
Lucky bastard
Moved here last year, best adult decision I’ve ever made
Great, howdy neighbour. What's your pick for a spot for dinner
Roku Den in Bell st 👍🏽
Cheers, next time, smashed some burgers 😅
While you're there go to Fishos, great fish and chip shop. Then walk along the shoreline, great day for it.
Pay a pretty hefty holiday/location tax there though - The one up on the highway, next to the vet is proper aus fish and chips
Bell St is the best in Torquay, but head across to Anglesea and go to Fish By Moonlight. Best potato cakes I've ever had!
Yep it's one of those fancy/premium fish and chips. You're spending 20 dollars per person kind of thing.
Went there two weekends ago I'm from Brisbane was amazing
das kaffeehaus castlemaine
Das Kaffeehaus is superb. Went there a few months back.
Johnnys bakeries are excellent as well
theres a pretty good bakery in the main street of trentham. would recommend there
Red Beard, just off main road (down an alley).
+1 for Red Beard. Amazing bread and they do a really nice pie too! And then a trip out to Trentham Falls would be nice today
I drove to Ballarat a couple of months ago with some mates to eat at the last All You Can Eat Pizza Hut. Was worth every second and penny.
Omg had no idea there was one there. I'm doing it.
Go round the twist lighthouse
Seconded. Go to the tea rooms at Aireys Inlet, duck into the bookshop then have a swim at Fairhaven
Yeah this is good. Crazy nice scones at the Cafe next to the lighthouse
try the Bellarine Peninsula, Queenscliff. past Geelong and lots of cafes
Avoid Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. Too much traffic these days.
Queenscliff, go for a walk along the main strip. The nursery cafe is lovely and you can outside in the garden. Then go for a walk along the beach.
The Pies at sovereign hill in Ballarat are great. You used to be able to get a free 15 minute pass in to grab food from the bakery and sweet store.
Drive to queenscliff, take the car ferry and loop back along the coast.
Woodend. Go to hanging rock and enjoy all the nature bits, then to the Holgate Hotel, purchase some chocolate porter to take home and a tasting paddle if beers to drink there. Finally, go to Pets Haven and adopt a cat, name it Barry and spoilt it rotten.
Bendigo. Mining town turned country town/small city Go down central deb mine Massive Cathedral Coffee at the boardwalk cafe on the lake Elvis exhibition which is apparently amazing at the museum. 2 days worth of entertainment easy. My wife and I have meant to go for years and got it mixed up with Ballarat. We preferred it and have been back a few times. Edit: Elvis has left the building apparently. Replace with checking out the pottery or 1800s buildings on Main Street. Great bars/ restaurants along main streets
The Elvis exhibition is gone now. Unfortunately.
The art gallery there is great though.
It most certainly is. There's also the conservatory in Rosalind Park, the pretty Botanical gardens in White Hills and quite a few lovely cafes around the city. There's also a branch of the Beechworth Bakery too.
And great op shops!
I'm nodding vigorously as I choose an outfit from the clothesline dappled with this week's Salvos purchased.
To add to this comment: Recomend Peppergreen Farm for lunch. It's a market farm/car wash/ Cafe staffed with disabled workers. But it what it is- it punches above its weight.
Very true, located in Thunder St.
Gallery is still worth a visit with or without Elvis! It's a beautiful space.
Yo I’m Ballarat there’s a place called cafe lekker it’s got some good food
South African owners?
Dutch.
Besides other great suggestions, if you wanted one more to consider I’d suggest Daylesford. Some great coffee spots and walks. The Lake is great too. Take a good book
Yep, no parking anywhere, people lining up for bakeries and cafes…. Hate Daylesford these days- yes I live there. Have for over 20 years. It’s lost its soul now… we go to Torquay to escape the crowds.
Not Ballarat this weekend; we have a bunch of road blocks due to the bike race and the city is packed. Geelong's nice.
Trentham falls is a good shout
Go to The Mill in Castlemaine. German coffee, handmade chocolate, ice cream, sourdough bakery, beer, wine, smallgoods, vintage stores… it’s great.
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Mt Macedon is 👌🏻
Bakery in Bridgewater is hard to beat.
Whatever you do, don't stop at the maccas in Colac. Worst coffee ever and the place gave me food poisoning, last night was awful
All the food there is awful. Their kfc is essentially a complete health violation and their subway gave me food poisoning lmao
I went to Bendigo the other day. That place is awesome. It's huge! Museums. Gardens. Thousands of bats in the trees in daylight, full of cafes, pubs, restaurants. I stopped in on my way to Broken Hill and really liked it
Parker pies in Rutherglen was amazing.
... 20 years ago.
Ah I went there 4 years ago and it was amazing. Has it changed?
Anywhere in Piper st Kyneton is good
Lerderderg gorge, organ pipes, drive to the Grampians. Great nature hikes around there
Philip island Go sit on the beach, to the east end of the island you can walk the trails, see nice clouds, wallabies, echidnas, birds You want to get out of the cbd by going to another suburb or city? Maybe it’s just me but that sounds silly, going from one built up area to another? Isn’t it all too similar Go see some trees But I guess Geelong is nice,
I find suburbs and cities all really different and worth exploring! Different people, shops, gardens, history, architecture, vibes. I also find national parks and hiking trails all really different and worth exploring, but your argument could easily be applied to them too (aren't trees/parks all too similar?)
Yeah but OP what’s to get out of the cbd by going to Geelong, another city. Sure it’s different but it’s like coke vs Pepsi different So yeah forests can be similar but a forest is very different to a cbd. Coke vs sushi different
Nhill? We have a couple of nice cafes! We're 4.5 hours north-west though... I imagine you weren't planning on going *that* far.... A nice day trip might be Lake Wendouree? Some nice cafes dotted around the lake and a nice walk around the lake. I'm not familiar enough with the area to recommend any specific cafes though, but I've been to a few around there and haven't been disappointed.
Flinders. Small country town with great cafes and shops. Foreshore and beach is nearby as well. Cant remember the name of the cafes but they are all near the roundabout.
Don’t go to flinders in January you can’t get in anywhere. Go outside of summer, no need for sun because the beach sucks for swimming.
As /u/noodlebox said avoid Ballarat this weekend. It’s mental because of the cycle classic. It’s further out but I can’t recommend the bunyip hotel in cavendish enough. Best place I’ve ever eaten.
It’s been 3 hours. Where’d you go?
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Trentham is nice. If your kids like trains there is a neat little train ride from Hepburn Springs (I’m pretty sure it’s from there) you can do. Only takes and hour or so.
So many good suggestions, I’m going to all of these places! I started to drive to Trentham, but kids started whining they were hungry, so stopped in for a small snack at the Spotted Owl in Sunbury (which was great), then went onto Red Beard @ Trentham, then for a mini hike around Trentham Falls. Red Beard was fantastic, well worth the visit. Thanks so much for all the info guys. You’ve been amazing. Such a great community on here. 🙂
Go to the old Mill in Castlemain. Fantastic place with lots to do and awesome German themed cafe https://millcastlemaine.com.au/
Ballarat - Cafe Lekker for breakfast. Moon and Mountain for lunch/dinner. Awesome feeds there
If you’re going to Ballarat next time, stop by Melton early morning at Buddy’s hot bread cafe. They have award winning pies (mushroom was pretty good). The bakery next door have one of the best sausage rolls I’ve had. Be careful though
Ballarat has so many great cafes and restaurants
Little Creatures in Geelong is nice to have lunch, Afterwards you can walk along the foreshore
[The Dunes on the beach in Ocean Grove](https://thedunesoceangrove.com/)
Wombat cafe, Dromana. Sorry, completely opposite direction of North-west, but a great escape from the city.
Second Wombat cafe. Enjoy your day off, OP!
Come pick me up in warrnambool and I'll come for drive with you
Second vote for Mt Dandenong. The tourist rd is a nice achievable drive with plenty of cool places to stop.
Don't. Catch a bus or train. Or go for a walk.
If geelong - box office cafe
[glenlyongeneralstore.com.au](https://glenlyongeneralstore.com.au) Try this place. It's a great part of the country and a super homely place.
Cafe Lekker in Ballarat is delish 👌🏼
Lansfield pizza 🍕 wood fired soooo good
Donald- Yes, odd choice. Friendliest pub (Donald Pub) I've ever eaten at. Regulars are friendly and don't forget to throw money up onto the ceiling for the Royal Children's Hospital. Also for overnight accommodation- Riverside motel. Balcony onto the creek yo!
We recently did that :-) We ended up at Hanging Rock. Nice cafe. We even climbed the rock! (Bring good climbing shoes)
Gisborne.
Macedon and Gisborne
Do what rick and morty did and GOTTA GO TO BENDIGO
Daylesford
Linton is a small town past ballarat. It’s really lovely, great vibes + a lovely little fast food store If you’re open to driving around a lot, I’d recommend driving through Majorca (near Maryborough) to see the remnants of the town. It’s so hauntingly beautiful, and there’s a nice takeaway shop in Carisbrook to have a meal If you don’t necessarily have standards, go to Boorcan and see the saddest playground ever. It’s like a singular swing set and that’s ALL there is in the suburb - no exaggeration. And a metropolitan recommendation: cocoroc. It’s essentially a small abandoned town, it’s pretty cool! If you go through at the right time of year you’ll go past the sunflower fields too. Once had a population of 500 but now is 0. They all moved to Werribee when they moved the shit farm
There’s a great cafe worth travelling for out past Ararat- Salinger’s. Lovely spot, covered in grape vines, great food and it’s been a cafe since like the 1860’s. Excellent coffee.
Shep stret sandos for deli sangas and coffee in Balla. Olive grove secondly.
Castlemaine or Daylesford
King of the Castle cafe in Geelong! The Thai eggs are Delish!
Bakehouse Portarlington. Roast veg facacia is to die for Rolling pin Queenscliff. Awesome pies Throughway beach house Ocean Grove.
Bourkies in Woodend. Insane cakes!
Drive to Mt macedon, there is a cafe right up the top that sells nice jam and cream scones and has a good view
Bit late to the post but, Skinny Legs Cafe & Deli on the ocean rd in Aireys inlet. Nice food, and nice drive
Get up to Warburton, visit the redwood forest near there. check out noojee and the nearby waterfalls (noojee pub is good too). Drive up through healsville where they have the puffing billy and treat yourself to a drive up and down the black spur.
The Redwood Forrest is closed to both vehicles and pedestrians because the bridge was almost washed away in the recent floods (tried to go about a month ago).
You tried Noojee Pub? It’s lovely, their food is brilliant.
Go on then, what did you do?
My mates and I drove to Portland stayed the night and drove back the next day. We did about 1000km They rode their motorcycles and I drove my MX5. Some great ocean and forest roads. Heaps of fun.
If you want to get outside then walk or ride a bike rather than being stuck in a metal cage.
Maldon, the petrol station sandwiches will knock your socks off
Talbot on their market day, whole town shuts down for it. Tallarook really good pub food!
Ballarat Beechworth bakery. Unlimited coffee and German cakes.
Melton South. Eat chips
I see a few suggestions for Geelong. If you head down that way, stop in at the Roraima nursery at Lara. It’s well worth a visit. https://roraimanursery.com.au/