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From the goldfields to the spa country — the best ways to spend a winter day in Ballarat.
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Winter in Ballarat is the city at its most atmospheric. The heritage streetscapes and goldfields history feel more appropriate in cold weather than they ever do in summer. Here are the best options for a winter day.
The open-air gold rush museum is Ballarat's signature attraction. In winter, the smaller crowds and muted light make it feel more authentic. The underground mine tour is particularly good on cold days. The evening Blood on the Southern Cross show needs advance booking.
Australia's oldest regional gallery runs a strong winter program. General admission is free. The permanent collection includes significant Australian colonial works. Special exhibitions often run through the winter months.
The Ballarat Botanical Gardens have some of the finest specimen trees in regional Victoria. In winter the deciduous trees are bare but the statuary and formal beds have a clarity the summer crowds obscure. Free to visit.
Lydiard Street's Victorian architecture is among the finest streetscapes in regional Australia. The Her Majesty's Theatre, the Art Gallery, Craig's Royal Hotel and the period terraces warrant a slow walk. Several cafes and restaurants on Sturt and Armstrong streets make lunch easy.
The spa town of Daylesford is 40 minutes from Ballarat. In winter the Hepburn Spa, the mineral springs walks and the Cliffy's Hotel are the draws. The winding road through the Wombat Forest is beautiful in the low winter light.
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