Creswick Travel Guide

  cellar door at Captain's Creek
by Kate-Me
 
  • cellar door at Captain's Creek
      cellar door at Captain's Creek
    by Kate-Me
  • Preparing to film inside the 'Jewellers'
      Preparing to film inside the 'Jewellers'
    by Kate-Me
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by Kate-Me
  • Town hall just after filming
      Town hall just after filming
    by Kate-Me
  • Rob Lowe near the Post Office
      Rob Lowe near the Post Office
    by Kate-Me
 

Explore Creswick

Things to Do  

Old gold bank

Old gold bank, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  On the town walk, another important building in the town was the old gold bank. The huge internal vault has been removed now, and the building has had several changes of life in recent years, from coffee shop to B & B and soon will become something different again.It has... 

Historic Creswick Walking Tour

Historic Creswick Walking Tour, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  By world standards of course, all of Australia's towns are very young, but when judged by Australian standards, we do have many historic towns which are still interesting - just in a different way to other countries.Creswick is a historic gold town in its own right. The... 

Restaurants  

The British Hotel: Pub (2)

The British Hotel: Pub (2), Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  This one is more the drinkers and gamblers pub (with the TAB agency attached right next door) rather than the pub one thinks of if wanting to have a meal. Live music on Friday or Saturday nights from time to time. 

The American Hotel: Pub 1

The American Hotel: Pub 1, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  For meals, the American Hotel is the most popular of Creswick's 3 pubs and in the past couple of years has really been getting a bit of a name for itself (since hiring a former chef of the well known establishment the Grand Hotel in Mildura)The pub recently added a 2nd... 

Transportation  

Creswick Map 2

Creswick Map 2, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  Another more detailed map of Creswick, with Ballarat-Creswick Rd (leading to/from Ballarat) running vertically in the centre of the bottom of the screen. 

Public Transport from Ballarat

Public Transport from Ballarat, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  The bus service to and from Creswick isn't so regular (particularly on weekends) but on weekdays it's quite ok. Here is the timetable.Mon - Fri Ballarat - Creswick7.25 am - ar 7.459.05 - arr 9.2512.15 arr 12.352.20 arr 2.403.45 arr 4.054.45 arr 5.055.50 arr 6.10Sat: 8.45 am... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Watch out for Mineshafts if Bushwalking
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Chinese mineshaft

If you're bushwalking in Creswick and stray off the paths, be aware that in many areas there are rather deep mine shafts...some which have been capped, others which are perhaps only loosely covered with undergrowth, and many which remain completely open.
This mine, pictured, is one of many in Eucalypt forest only 5 minutes from my house, and very close to town.
This is one of many Chinese mines in the town.
Europeans tended to dig square mine shafts, and the Chinese round ones, not just because round shapes were less likely to collapse at the sides, but because the Chinese were superstitious and believed that ghosts could hide in the corners of square cut mines.

Updated May 15, 2003

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 Hiking and Walking
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Off The Beaten Path  

Sunsets

Sunsets, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  This photo was taken of VTer Martin NL at the top of Australasia Mine in Creswick, one summer night a couple of years ago now.... if you watch out, there's quite a lot of good sunsets to be had here in a season, especially if you've a good vantage point.Even in winter, we... 

Captain's Creek Winery, Blampied

Captain's Creek Winery, Blampied, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  The Cellar door of Captain's Creek (an organic winery) just opened in August 2006, though the winery itself has been there (situated on a 100 year old farming property) for several years. It's open on weekends or by appointment. The winery is located just off the highway at... 

the countryside around Creswick

the countryside around Creswick, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  If you're in the right place at the right time, sunsets in and around Creswick in summer can be great, especially since the town is surrounded on several sides by hills and mountains on its outskirts. This photo was taken between Creswick and the neighbouring town of... 

There's a lot of wildlife to be seen

There's a lot of wildlife to be seen, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  There's a lot of wildlife to be seen around Creswick, particularly bird life around St George's Lake and some of the other bushwalks near water. They may not be obvious at first glance, but if you keep a look out and stay quiet, besides the regular birds you could be lucky... 

Favorites  

Filming

Filming, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  Filming outside the Salem's Lot Jewellery store...the crew/crowd controllers were for the most part very easy going, so most of the time there weren't even any barricades, making it very easy to get rather close to the action and see a lot of what was going on.On the film... 

Rotunda II

Rotunda II, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  The Post Office as viewed from beneath the cast iron lacework of Creswick's rotunda in the Main Street.Photo 2: The Post office in 2003 as "Eva's Rooms for rent" during Salem's Lot filming. 

Lemon tree Gallery (formerly Creswick Mowers)

Lemon tree Gallery (formerly Creswick Mowers), Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  This building wasn't used in the filming, but I include a photo of it just because it's one of my favorites, and quite unique in town for its European shutters. Shops in the town which were not used but were located anywhere near the filming sites just had their 'Creswick'... 

'Pawn Shop'

'Pawn Shop', Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  For the movie filming, Creswick scored itself a temporary American style Pawn Shop, complete with patriotic red, white and blue balloons in the window, an assortment of the usual appliances found in such stores just about world wide, with one interesting and amusing... 

Village Antiques

Village Antiques, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  This was a very interesting Antique store during the movie...established about 1522...but of course it's not real, just a convincing jeweller's shop in the Salem's Lot movie.In modern day times, this building is now a Real Estate agent's office. 

RSL

RSL, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  This is the Returned Serviceman's League building in the main street, before the filming began...Second picture: A few days later, no more canon, flag poles, rocks, etc.Now it is a convincing Grazioso's Funeral Parlour for the movie...complete with fake (foam sprayed) snow. 

Norton's Cafe

Norton's Cafe, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  Red Heap cafe (at the time little more than an outside facade, with a rather glaringly painted bright red roof) within a matter of days, changed colour schemes inside and out to become Norton's Cafe, a convincing looking American style cafe, for the film. 

Miners Cottage

Miners Cottage, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  This is one example of Miners Cottage style which you can see if you take a walk or drive down Creswick's Melbourne Road, one of the oldest parts of the town. Miners cottages are generally older than the Victorian houses, and often started out quite small. Other rooms were... 

Creswick heritage housing 1

Creswick heritage housing 1, Creswick

 Kate-Me Says:  This Victorian cottage (era 1920's-40's or so) is an example of the housing you will see not just in Creswick, but all over this region of Victoria. 

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Map of Creswick