Daylesford and the Goldfields: Scenic 4-Day Walking Tour with Dining Inclusions and Spa Visit

Soak up beautiful rugged landscapes as you discover historic remnants of the Victorian Gold Rush, sample gourmet local food and cider and bathe in the famous mineral springs whilst staying at The Manor House, a beautiful and cosy farmhouse-style retreat with private en suite bedrooms.

What You’ll Love…

The Accommodation - A farmhouse-style retreat an hour from Melbourne

Sitting conveniently just over an hour from Melbourne, your return group transfers will deliver you to (and from) The Manor House, a charming property that oozes cosiness and intimacy and acts as a welcoming sanctuary after a busy day out and about. This retreat features a countryside kitchen, log fireplace, main indoor dining room, outdoor barbecue and dining area and eight private bedrooms.

Wake up in an elegant and cosy room with king or twin bedding and a private en suite bathroom which overlooks the gardens.

The Food - Enjoy daily breakfast, three lunches and two dinners

Enjoy daily breakfast at the Manor House and a morning tea at the Red Beard Bakery in the village of Trentham, a historic bakery whose original wood-fired Scotch oven was in continuous use from the years 1891 - 1987. You’ll also enjoy daily pre-dinner nibbles and feast on fresh local produce with three lunches and two two-course dinners included.

The Trek - Enjoy guided walks by day, soothing bathing one afternoon and more

Set off on daily scenic guided walks with experienced guides. Admire the scenery from beautiful Lake Daylesford to Hepburn Springs passing rugged gorges, The Blowhole of Sailors Creek - which was carved into the rock to allow miners to search for gold in the dry creek bed - and handmade bridges en route. Walk along the Goldfields Track past Beehive Gully, a ravine caused by extensive mining. Then walk from Porcupine Ridge through Sailor’s Gully, Vaughan and Fryerstown, a former gold town which was home to more than 15,000 people at the height of the gold rush.

After busy days of walking and exploring, relax and experience the benefits of the mineral-rich waters of Hepburn Springs spa town with an afternoon of bathing to soothe your muscles.

Sample indulgent chocolates at the Chocolate Mill and visit the Daylesford Cider House, a boutique cider maker which produces 17 varieties from organically grown English heritage-listed apples.

Your Package Includes:

• Three nights’ accommodation at the Manor House, Daylesford
• Daily breakfast, three lunches and two dinners
• One morning tea at the historic Red Beard Bakery in the village of Trentham
• Daily guided walks with experienced guides
• An afternoon of bathing in the natural mineral waters at the iconic Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa
• Chocolate tastings at the Chocolate Mill
• Visit the boutique Daylesford Cider House and to the 19th-century mansions of Covent Gallery
• Return group transfers from Melbourne to Daylesford
• All transport and guiding

This tour departs from the National Gallery of Victoria on St Kilda Road in Melbourne’s Southbank; approximately 26km (a 30-minute drive) from Melbourne’s international airport.

Getting to Melbourne is easy. Regular flights are available with Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar, departing all Australian capital cities.

Flights depart regularly from major gateways including Singapore (approx flight time of 7 hours), Hong Kong (approx flight time of 9 hours), Dubai (approx flight time of 14 hours) and Bangkok (approx flight time of 9 hours).

Need Flights? We have a dedicated team who are able to assist with all your flight requirements. If you need a stopover or are looking at travelling to more destinations, our team can help. Contact our flights concierge team using the phone number on our website.

Day 1 - Daylesford to Hepburn Springs 14km walking, approx. 6 hours of walking, including breaks (easy grade)

Once we depart from Melbourne, we head in a north-westerly direction and arrive in the idyllic village of Trentham where we will stop at the Red Beard Bakery for morning tea. This historic bakery houses an original wood-fired oven. The original Scotch oven was used continuously from 1891 to 1987, weighs 75 tonnes and can bake 600 loaves from one firing. It has been producing sourdough breads since 2005. You can see the bakery in action.

From Trentham we head to the famous mineral springs town of Daylesford for our first walk which starts at beautiful Lake Daylesford. The walk itself is approximately 2.5 hours to Bryces Flat where we enjoy a lovely lunch provided by Park Trek at the picnic area.

After lunch we begin our walk toward Hepburn Springs which will take another 3.5 hours. The track passes by the blow hole, revealing rugged, sheer-sided gorges along the creek. The path is narrow and rocky and a distinct view awaits around each bend.

From the Blowhole the trail crosses the willow-lined Spring Creek several times via handmade bridges. We finish for the day at Golden Springs at approximately 3.30-4pm.

We will head to our accommodation at Daylesford Manor House to unpack and change, and one of the Park Trek guides will take you to the famous Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa for a relaxing dip in the natural mineral springs pools. The Bathhouse has been providing the experience of traditional communal bathing since 1895 and comprises of the Relaxation Pool and Spa Pool both providing mineral water bathing, which rehydrates and oxygenates the body giving you a total sense of wellbeing.

After a relaxing dip, guests are able to purchase wine from the local Hepburn Store or Savioa Hotel before being taken back to the guest house for pre-dinner nibbles followed by a two-course dinner prepared by the guides.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Daylesford Manor House

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Day 2 - Hepburn Springs to Porcupine Ridge 14km walking, approx. 6 hours of walking, including breaks (easy grade)

After breakfast and lunch making we head out from our accommodation to Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve, to begin the walk along the Goldfields Track. Here we have the opportunity to sample some of the local mineral spring water.

Today’s walk takes us through Beehive Gully, which resembles a mini Grand Canyon 10 – 15m deep, a result of extensive mining. Remnants of shafts, water races, quartz crushing battery and a fan of tailings can be seen.

The track meanders up and down through bushland, emerging at the Chocolate Mill. This local chocolate manufacturer offers a mouth-watering selection of chocolates, and you will get the opportunity to sample some, as well as an indulgent hot chocolate, on your visit. If you wish to purchase any we will have an esky in the vehicle so they can be kept cool and taken back to our accommodation for you.

The Goldfields Track takes us towards porcupine ridge road to our lunch stop at the view point just before the ridge. At the highest point of the trail we get good views through the trees in both directions. After lunch we will hop back in the Park Trek vehicle and drive to Daylesford Cider in Musk. This boutique cider maker produces a wide range from organically grown heritage apples and we can enjoy some cider tasting in the picturesque setting.

Mid-afternoon we depart Musk and head to the Convent Gallery in Daylesford. The Convent Gallery was once known as the Holy Cross Convent and home to a group of Presentation Sisters. Since opened in 1991 the heritage building complex has expanded to include several galleries, bars, reception spaces, museum, gardens, gift shop and a café.

Park Trek covers the entry to the Convent Gallery and once inside you can wander around at your leisure. From here guests can wander to Vincent Street – the main shopping strip in Daylesford or can choose to revisit the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa (own expense) before nibbles are served around 6pm followed by a lovely two course dinner prepared by your guides.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Daylesford Manor House

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Day 3 - Porcupine Ridge to Fryerstown 17km walking, approx. 6 hours of walking, including breaks (easy grade)

After breakfast and lunch making we pack up and depart from our accommodation and make our way back to Porcupine Ridge (the end of yesterday’s walk). From there the track takes us through Sailers Gully where we stop for morning tea.

We continue our walk onto Vaughan where there is are mineral springs and a picnic area where we stop to have our lunch, and a swimming hole in the Loddon River. If the weather is warm, swimming in the water hole is an option.

After lunch we continue onto Fryerstown (approximately 2 hours). Nestled in the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park Fryerstown has a strong gold history and was home to 15,000 miners at the height of the gold rush. Several fine buildings remain. The town had a butcher, a blacksmith, a boot factory, 25 hotels and a lolly shop.

Following the end of the walk, guests are then transported back to Daylesford where there is some free time to explore the sights of the town such as the Botanic Gardens, Lake Daylesford, Vincent Street or simply relax at Manor House.

This evening we eat out at a local restaurant (own expense) and enjoy some local Daylesford Hospitality.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Daylesford Manor House

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Day 4 - Porcupine Ridge to Fryerstown 8km walking, approx. 4 hours of walking, including breaks (easy grade)

After breakfast and lunch making, we pack up and check out of Manor House. Our final day of walking commences from Fryerstown where after a short distance we find the remnants of the Spring Gully mines which was one of the most famous mines of the Castlemaine district operating from the 1850s until the 1930s. The most prominent feature is the high stone-faced loading ramp from which quartz was fed into a stamping battery for crushing.

As we approach Castlemaine, a short sharp climb brings us onto The Monk. In season there are wonderful wildflowers and orchids on this prominent viewpoint. The summit is 200m south of the track with vehicle access via Jacobs Track and is our morning tea stop.

After we leave Castlemaine and bid farewell to the Goldfields Track we make our last stop on our way back to Melbourne at the well-known Duck Duck Goose and Larder, Kyneton.

Located in Piper Street this establishment offers café, larder and providore where you can browse or purchase any items you may like to take home with you.

We return to our drop off location in Melbourne outside the National Gallery of Victoria between 4.30 and 5pm.

Meals: Breakfast