Daylesford, Melbourne

Man oh man, Hepburn Springs, Dayelsford Lake, Wombat State Forest. This place is wonderful.

You CANNOT miss the Daylesford markets at the old train station. Or the quaint little antique shops in the main street.

The Spa at Hepburn Springs is....heavenly....albeit a little pricey for those on a lowish budget. You can go for a day spa or stay at local bed and breakfast (and there are some great ones around) and do the whole weekend!

If you are into books, you must visit the bookshop at Daylesford Lake. They used to have an open fire in there during winter and it was wonderfully inviting.

The Convent Gallery is outstanding also.

This town is a place to relaxe and enjoy. The area is renowned for its Mineral Waters which flow continually from the 72 springs throughout the area.
There are lots of holistic places and spa centers.
Just as you enter the town, there is a tourist information desk. There you find different spa centers and accomodation. Try to go and take a look there first, before start looking around.
Here there is a web page to browse some accomodation places: http://daylesford.stays.com.au/browse.html
The best place to go for massage and hydrotherapy is Hepburn Springs Resort. Just get in there and they give you very tempting packages. The web site is: http://www.hepburnspa.com.au/
Other important visit to do within the town is the Convent Gallery. Obviously, a former convent with a twist of art. Nice restaurant/Bar.Built in the 1860's as the private residence for the Gold Commissioner, was purchased by the Catholic Church in the 1880's and was a convent and boarding school for nearly 100 years. Left in disrepair, the old building was meticulously restored to its original splendour. Now as a gallery it houses sculpture, fine art, pottery, antiques, local fare and jewellery all under the one roof.

FESTIVALS in Daylesford:
January - Lavender Harvest Picnic, Hepburn Springs
February - Dilkara Arts Festival, (Sunbury); Kyneton Country Music Festival; Opera by the Lake Festival, (Daylesford)
March - Bacchus Marsh Apple Festival; Ballan Autumn Festival April - Kyneton Literature Festival; Mt Macedon Autumn Floral Display and Open Gardens
May - Sunbury Arts Society Exhibition; Swiss Italian Festa, Hepburn Springs
June - Rotary Arts Show, (Bacchus Marsh)
July - Daylesford/Hepburn Springs Mid-Winter Festival; Kilmore Celtic Festival
August - Sunbury Wine Festival
September - Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival
October - Kilmore Spring Festival; Macedon Winemakers Budburst Celebration
Ah! One more thing, don't miss Frango restaurant in down town.

Daylesford is a small peaceful area 100 kilometres north west of Melbourne. Abour two hours drive from the city is Lake Daylesford. There is a great book store here and some nice walks. You can swim in the lake or relax on the shore (with lots of ducks). The area has a variety of mineral springs, so you can try the pumps along the walks to sample different water. There is a hot springs spa you can visit for various relaxation treatments. A mineral spa and a massage are a great way to wind down after a few days of sight seeing.