TRAVEL: BALLARAT, VICTORIA
Prior to my most recent visit, the only thing that really came to mind when someone mentioned Ballarat was gold and Sovereign Hill thanks to several school excursions in primary school and early high school. But as I recently discovered, there’s definitely much more to region, with plenty to do and plenty to eat and drink.
My visit took place a few months ago courtesy of Visit Ballarat, during Ballarat’s inaugural annual food festival Plate Up Ballarat. The festival spanned the entire month of May with several events showcasing the produce of local growers and producers in the region, serving up the best of Ballarat. We arrived on a Friday afternoon, checking into The George Hotel before kicking off our weekend of Ballarat adventures. See below for snaps of our weekend getaway with some additional blog posts covering the food in more detail to come. Enjoy!
itinerary
Friday:
Lunch at Mitchell Harris Wines
Explore the historic streets of Ballarat i.e. Lydiard St
Stroll around Wendouree Lake
Dinner at Moon and Mountain; blog post here
Saturday:
Breakfast at Yellow Espresso
Drive to Creswick (20-30 minute drive from Ballarat)
Visit Creswick Woollen Mills; see alpacas and other farm animals
Lunch at Captains Creek Winery
Attend Plate Up Ballarat’s An Afternoon on the Balcony at The George Hotel
Visit the Art Gallery of Ballarat
Dinner at Freight Bar and Restaurant
Sunday:
Breakfast at Webster’s Market and Cafe
Stroll around Ballarat Botanical Gardens
art gallery of ballarat
lake wendouree
ballarat botanical gardens
creswick woollen mills
THe food
Mitchell Harris
Moon and Mountain
Yellow Espresso
Captains Creek Winery
An Afternoon on the Balcony
Freight Bar and Restaurant
Webster’s Market and Cafe
Disclosure: I stayed at The George Hotel, dined at Moon Under Water and Yellow Espresso, and attended An Afternoon on the Balcony courtesy of Visit Ballarat and Plate Up Ballarat. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.