This past weekend I was lucky enough to have a visit from Mum & Dad in my adopted city. Since all three of us have spent so much time in Melbourne and seen much less of country Victoria, we decide to hire a car and head out of the city to a few different regional spots. Not so lucky though, that it also coincides with a crazy time at work which means that our planned four day weekend in the country is cut short when I’m told I need to be back in the office Monday afternoon. Still, for the brief break outside of Melbourne is really feels like a holiday.

An extremely easy drive about an hour and a half out of Melbourne, we arrive into Daylesford, labelled on the welcome sign as the ‘spa capital of Australia’.   The area sits on natural mineral springs and as such has turned into a town of pampering and you can even swim in the (apparently medicinal) springs.  Also supposedly the gay capital of Victoria (still not sure why, I think we missed something), the town is sort of like the Blue Mountains but maybe slightly more ‘small town’.  Servicing tourists and weekend visitors from Melbourne is clearly the main business and it’s reflected in the knick-knack type shops that line the main street.  You know, the type that you go into and have look around but pretty much never buy anything.

Gardens in Bendigo

Finally the Melbourne weather found me in Daylesford because it pretty much rains the entire weekend and for the first time this winter I’m seriously cold. Like ‘trip to the snow’ cold. It means the weekend is based around food & pampering which suits me perfectly! We eat out at every meal and there’s not one place that disappoints – the food is consistently good, from a trendy Melbourne-esque coffee house to a vegetarian café we accidently stumble upon.  Worth its own mention though is “Perfect Drop” the restaurant we go to on Saturday night which was chosen by Mum after some clever trip advisor research.  The place is conveniently next door to our accommodation and boasts possibly the best Modern Mediterranean food we’ve ever tasted.  The restaurant is cosy with fireplaces and accents like old records and exposed brick and has a really trendy vibe for such a small town.  Every dish is amazing and following our meal we sit in front of the fire as if we’re at home and order another bottle of red. I honestly could have stayed there all night, which Mum & I almost do, only leaving when we get the feeling they’d like us to move along.   Tragically we’re told by the waitress that their head chef is leaving to “spend more time with his family” which we assume means he’s been poached by some upcoming Melbourne spot.

Bendigo Courts

The rain continues on Sunday and I decide I have NO other option than to get a massage and a facial at one of the several spas in the centre of town (poor me, right?!).  By now I’m sufficiently relaxed and the impending work stress that awaits me is a little further from my mind.  Daylesford is probably not more than a one day or two day destination but it was still a gorgeous quaint little town and I’m glad we went.

Melbourne bound on Monday morning, we take brief detour to Bendigo which is built on gold (!) and the town wows us all with its grandeur, apparently left over from the gold rush. Not exactly the type of place you could spend too much time I’m afraid but definitely worth a drive in and out visit and a nice end to our very brief tour of country Vic.

Bendigo’s Town Hall