VICTORIA'S
GREATEST DRIVING TOURS AND HERITAGE TOWNS
WEEKEND
DRIVE... KYNETON
WHY GO: The freeway has brought this town closer
to the city but it retains an admirable heritage built on gold
and bluestone.
DISTANCE FROM MELBOURNE: Kyneton is 85 kilometres north-west
of the city, but this round trip totals approximately 210 kilometres.
TIME: Driving time of around 2½ hours plus sightseeing
and browsing time which can easily add four hours.
ROUTE: Western Freeway past Bacchus Marsh to Myrniong, taking
the signposted Blackwood turnoff just before Pyke’s Creek
Reservoir. Continue north on Trentham Road through Blackwood and
Trentham, finally arriving at Kyneton. Return to the city on Calder
Freeway takes less than an hour.
ON THE WAY: Your first port of call should be Blackwood, an old
goldmining town in the hills of Wombat State Forest. General Store
and pub, plus several old buildings in town. Mineral springs are
located off Golden Point Road, so take an empty container if rock-flavoured
water is your inclination. Back on Trentham Road, head north for
the town of that name and browse craft shops or grab a coffee
to wash down the salts of the earth from your last stop. Continue
north through Tylden to Kyneton.
WHAT TO DO: Drive through the main shopping strip and turn left
into Piper Street – this was originally the Kyneton Main
Road and was inundated with heavy traffic until the freeway bypassed
town. It brought the demise of some businesses, including what
was one of the best bakeries in Victoria. On the flip side, the
wonderful array of heritage shops and buildings is now a pleasant
stroll, and the relaxed atmosphere is more likely to entice people
into the antiques and craft shops, cafés and restaurants
that toe the flagstone footpaths.
If history is your thing then delve into the past at the old
Bank of New South Wales, now a fascinating museum (open Friday
to Sunday); for a couple of dollars you can own a guidebook listing
most of the significant buildings in town. Kyneton, in essence,
was a tiny farming community until the Gold Rush, when the muddy
track squelched into the boots of thousands of hopeful diggers
from Melbourne. They were, in 1851, headed for the incredibly
rich alluvial gullies of nearby Castlemaine; in one day alone
it was reported that 11,424 ounces (approx 324 kilograms) of gold
moved through Kyneton on its way to Melbourne.
Kyneton’s Botanic Gardens on Trentham Road are surprisingly
good, and nearby is the start of a pleasant walking track along
the Campaspe River.
EATING AND DRINKING: There’s no shortage of places to eat
and drink in Kyneton. Piper Street has several cafés and
restaurants open every weekend; the Royal George Hotel is an imposing
old pub revamped into a good restaurant. The tiny Kyneton Provender is the right cup of tea for many. The main shopping strip has
bakeries, fast food and more pubs to try for lunch, though on
a fine day you could picnic in beautiful parklands by the Campaspe
River.
©Peter Robinson 2007
see my images at www.australianplaces.net
For the past
25 years Peter Robinson has travelled far and wide but Australia,
being home, is his first love. As an experienced travel writer
and professional photographer, his wealth of knowledge is revealed
in travel and accommodation reviews that have freelance integrity
and honesty. The main focus of this site is to present brief reviews
of a select group of places to stay for the weekend. Each place
has been visited at least once and evaluated for high standards
before inclusion - and after reviewing over 600 places Peter has
done the hard work so you can enjoy Great
Weekends Away.
