Autumn the perfect time to visit this pretty Victorian town
Holiday side quests — there's nothing like them. They're the holiday-within-a-holiday people (me) like to book as a change of pace from their 'main event' vacation destination. Off to Barcelona? Why not hire a car and motor up to the sunny shores of the nearby Costa Brava! London trip planned? Jump on that train to Brighton for a weekend away! Coming to Perth? A weeknight stay on Rottnest's a-calling — you get the drift.
On a recent trip to Melbourne, our planned trip to nearby Kyneton, situated in the Macedon Ranges region of central Victoria , proved JUST the detour we'd been looking for. Hisoric Kyneton's tree-lined streets come alive during Autumn. Credit: Clare Rigden
This year, Melbourne has experienced an unseasonably hot autumn, their warm spell coinciding with our planned two-week trip to Victoria's capital over Easter. So off in search of some cooler weather and pretty autumnal colour we went.
Our side quest destination of choice was the Goldfields town of Kyneton. Though just over an hour from Melbourne, this pretty and historic village felt a million miles from the bright lights and bustle we had come from — it didn't take long to relax into the change of pace. By night it was also a few degrees cooler, giving us the snuggly autumn atmosphere we'd been craving. Piper Street Food Co are famed for their delicious pies. Credit: Piper Street Food Co / Instagram
Coincidentally — and conveniently — we timed our long weekend to coincide with the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival, an event that runs the entire month of April every year. As the website explains, this is a great time to experience the 'autumn-inspired food and drink adventures' the region has to offer — yes, please.
If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your .
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.
There are nine villages that take part in this calendar of events, which offers everything from tours of gorgeous destination gardens, to artisanal workshops, farmer's markets, gallery exhibitions and a range of curated 'trails'. There's the Veggie Trail (eat your way around the area's fresh produce), the Pie and Tart Trail (sample the region's best pies — you don't have to ask me twice to pop into Kyneton's famed Country Cob Bakery, or the nearby Piper Street Food Co, who do a mean pork pie), and our personal favourite: the Tipple Trail, designed to encourage visitors to neck as many fancy cocktails as possible. That bit wasn't in the official tourist information, but we improvised — rude not to.
If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your .
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.
Though this festival has now concluded, if you're headed to Victoria in the next few weeks, you'll have jagged the ultimate autumnal experience as the trees are only just starting to turn — expect fluttering yellows, golds and auburns — snow angels in the fallen foliage anyone?
If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your .
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.
We arrived for the weekend just in time for a late lunch at Prato, a gorgeous, recently opened restaurant on historic Piper Street, the town's hub for trendy food and drink destinations. They specialise in Mediterranean and Greek fare, and our meal did not disappoint — the succulent lamb cutlets, prawn pizza and ooey-gooey saganaki were to die for. We washed it down with a beautiful bottle of Harbinger Fiano — a perfect pairing. Josephine's House in Kyneton was a perfect base for our trip. Credit: Josephine's House / AirBNB
At 3pm we checked into our accommodation, situated a street back from Piper Street, booked for its proximity to the restaurants we'd planned to visit. Originally we'd thought a stay at the retro Kyneton Springs Motel would be fun (it's got distinct Palm Springs vibes), but with six of us, we opted for something a little roomier. Within strolling distance, the delightful, newly-renovated Josephine's House ticked all the boxes, and by night we enjoyed sitting beneath a canopy of autumnal trees while we enjoyed a cheeky red beside the fire pit with the resident possums watching on. Botanik has weekly vermouth-by-the-glass specials. Credit: Botanik / Instagram
We started our evening with a cocktail at the town's famous cocktail bar and bottle shop, Botanik, dedicated to rare and exotic liquor — its moody surrounds provided the perfect backdrop to our Pretty in Pink negroni. The prawn and pomelo betel leaf starters were sublime. Credit: Clare Rigden
Dinner was spent at Piper Street's famed South East Asian restaurant Fook Shing, named for a Chinese detective who worked in the region during the 1850s. Situated in the historic old temperance hotel, it boasts cuisine from executive chef Danielle Rensonnet — begin with a dainty Chinese egg custard with crab and a prawn and pomelo betel leaf starter and work your way through the menu. Grab a takeaway hot chocolate from the gorgeous Malmsbury Bakery before heading to the nearby Botanic Gardens for a stroll. Credit: Malmsbury Bakery / Instagram
Most of our two days in the region were taken up exploring the stunning historical towns situated near Kyneton, perusing antique shops, bric-a-brac stalls and galleries. We started on Saturday with a quick trip to historic Malmsbury, which boasts a gorgeous Botanic Garden, a flock of resident geese and a beautiful historic railway bridge — the perfect backdrop for those Instagram posts. A stroll through historic Maldon is a must-do. Credit: Clare Rigden
Next stop was the quaint Goldfields town of Maldon. We stopped for a lunchtime pie at the famous Maldon Bakery. Established in 1854, it's said to be the oldest continuously running bakery in Australia — we opted for two peppered steak pies and a sausage roll, our best of the trip.
Maldon boasts some delightful gift shops and antique stores, including the divine Acorn Wood which sells colonial-era furniture and objects, and has a stunning selection of old kitchenware and Goldfields-era pottery and glassware.
Maldon proved the perfect pit stop before our arrival in Bendigo, the historic regional centre that plays host to our main reason for visiting: the excellent Bendigo Art Gallery. We were there to peep the Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image exhibition, which runs until July 13. The exhibition is an intimate look at one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and features an array of the artist's personal belongings, including clothing (her dresses!), make-up, accessories, photographs — you name it — all on loan from the prestigious Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico. All of these items were sealed in a bathroom for 50 years after Kahlo's death, but are now on display in Australia for the first time — it's a fascinating exhibition. The Rifle Brigade Hotel in Bendigo getting into the Frida spirit at their bar. Credit: Clare Rigden
Exhausted from our adventures, we opted for a simple pub meal at The Kyneton Hotel on the way back home. This is a great art deco spot beloved by locals which serves an incredible roast, big enough to be shared (comfortably) by three people — bargain. Boomtown Wine provided the perfect post-antiquing pit stop. Credit: Boomtown Wine / Instagram
As our side quest adventure was predominantly to facilitate the perusal of antique shops, Sunday meant a choc-a-block day exploring several iconic markets, including Castlemaine's Vintage Bazaar. Any trip shouldn't be complete without a side side-quest to Boomtown Wine and Oakwood Smallgoods, both housed within the same complex, The Mill.
If you have time on your way back through to Kyneton, take a detour to the picturesque Kyneton Ridge winery. Oakwood Smallgoods is a must-visit when in Castlemaine. Credit: Clare Rigden
Later, we travelled to Daylesford, only 15 minutes by car from Kyneton, to pop in to another antiques hub, The Mill Markets, which houses Australia's largest collection of collectables — it never disappoints. We stopped for lunch at the always fabulous Farmers Arms Hotel, long the pub of choice for foodie-loving locals. Our quick lunch — a warm mushroom salad for me, the hefty and extremely filling duck sausage for my other half plus a cheap kids' meal for the tween — was followed by a stroll directly across the road, for a peep behind the hoardings at the houses taking shape for this year's season of The Block, which is being filmed in Daylesford. I scored a tour, but the rest of you will have to wait until later this year when the show is on air for a look at how it's taking shape. Finishing a long day with a platter by the fire. Credit: Clare Rigden
A quick side-side-side quest to select a nice bottle of wine for dinner from the extensive local selection from Winespeake Cellar + Deli, (Latta Rouge Deluxe 2022 Syrah Grenache was the order of the day) and it was back to our Kyneton Airbnb for a cheese platter — served on the stunning Danish-inspired wooden lazy Susan dish we purchased from the markets.
Heaven!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
21 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Gen Z are cancelling hotel check outs, labelling it an 'old people's' act
Along with ankle socks, phone calls, skinny jeans, dancing with your hands above your head, and wearing a black top with blue jeans, Gen Z have cancelled checking out of a hotel. Lining up is an antiquated act, and moving forward we should be able to waltz out without saying a word. That's the logic. Why wait just to hand a card over? That's valuable doom-scrolling time. After a few days of hotel check-out rabbit-holing, allow me to explain what's going on (and the new rules of checking out of a hotel). The latest Millennial travel trend Gen Z has deemed uncool The hotel check out theory made waves on on Sunday, with popular Instagram account @iamthirtaf posting: "Boomers will literally wait in a hotel line to tell someone at the front desk that they are 'checking out' instead of just going home." The post cleaved people into two camps, with some agreeing it's time to phase out as much human interaction as possible from hotels, and others saying checking out is a habit worth maintaining. Over on Reddit, a thread on this same topic popped up on Monday, discussing whether checking out was actually "wasting the clerk's time" or indeed saving them time. Opinion was split, with some people saying it's polite to let staff know you're checking out, as they need to clean your room, and others saying it's unnecessary. "I always check out at the desk," one said. "It lets them know that I have left and they can clean the room." Another said: "If you can check out through an app, I'll do that. If there is no line, I'll let the clerk know. But I'm not going to stand in a line to let anyone know though." In another thread, a hotel worker ranted about how it slows housekeeping down if you don't check out, furious that "out of around 50 check outs each morning, I see maybe 15-20 of them at the front desk." She adds: "When did it become the norm to just walk out of the hotel without telling any of the front desk staff that you are leaving?" So, what's the right answer? Simone Mitchell, Escape's Associate Digital Editor, hopes the front desk check out eventually becomes a thing of the past (though she still does follow a hotel's check-out policy). "Oh my god yes," she said. "Flee the scene. Any opportunity to minimise small-talk with strangers, I am all for. I don't want to have to wax lyrical about how much I enjoyed my stay when I have an impatient Uber driver waiting." "And increasingly - especially in south east Asia - they put the hard word on you to give a five-star rating on Google/Trip Advisor as soon as you concur that you had an enjoyable stay. Nope, a key drop box at reception is my hotel love language." Escape Social Media Editor Edwina Hart is another fan of the Irish exit: "I'm all for a quick, fuss-free check out," she says. "Especially if it saves time when you're rushing to catch a flight!" Escape Editorial Production Manager Alessandra Allegretti, however, says "it's basic manners to say bye and thank the the staff before going." John Hannan, Escape Digital Director, says it's rude to leave without saying anything and that - for him - checking out of a nice hotel is all part of the experience (though he concedes that when travelling for business he's be happy with a drop off box). Rowena Ryan, Escape Digital Editor says talking to hotel staff is how you can score upgrades, get local advice and see a friendly face - all things which add up to making your experience feel like a holiday. As for me, a 30-year-old still confused about whether I identify more as a Millennial or Gen Z, I think checking out is an old people act that I would happily see abolished. So long as I don't have to download an app instead (no memory on my phone). The verdict Is it time for checking out of a hotel to go the way of MySpace, Jason Derulo, Good Charlotte, Green Day and Fedoras? For the time being - the polite thing to do is to follow your hotel's policy. Some hotels will have drop boxes for your room key. Others won't. So be guided by the place you're in. What's the future of checking out? Some hotels have a digital self service option (which allows you to check out on your own) and a growing number of guests are using it (currently around 30 per cent of guests at A by Adina Sydney are using this system). TFE Hotels' Global Marketing Officer, Katia Giurtalis explains that they are also testing people's check out preferences at a micro hotel lab called MM:NT, in Berlin. "Our theory is that there's a cohort of Gen Z and Millennial travellers in particular that are open to new ways of interacting with hotel services," she told Escape. "We're using the lab to explore various hotel interfaces to see how we can adapt to changing behaviours and demands." In other words: watch this space. Checking out is still a thing - for now. But not checking out is becoming more of a thing. So - like self service check outs at supermarkets there's probably going to be both options moving forward. Put that in your ankle socks and scratch it. And now excuse me while I go cry into the nearest IPA. Originally published as Apparently, checking out of a hotel is an 'old people's' act
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Influencer couple's eerie final video before fatal flight
A wellness influencer couple is among the victims of the tragic Air India plane crash, which claimed the lives of hundreds. The London-bound flight carrying 242 passengers went down just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport. Jamie Meek and partner Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek were among those on flight AI171, which plummeted to the ground shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after leaving the runway around 1.40pm local time. One man miraculously survived the horror crash. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British man, was rescued from seat 11A and is currently receiving treatment at Civil Hospital in Asarwa, according to local officials. It is feared that all other passengers, as well as numerous individuals on the ground, did not survive the disaster. The death toll currently sits at 294. Mr Meek's brother Nick told The Independent he had been expecting the couple to return home around 6.30pm on Thursday. He said Mr Meek, 44, and Mr Greenlaw-Meek, 39, who run The Wellness Foundry, had travelled to India for a 10-day wellness retreat. Nick described his mother's anguish as she heard the devastating news. 'She is not in a good way... it is all very raw for her at the moment. It's a lot to take in, and we only heard this news a couple of hours ago.' Before boarding the doomed flight, the wellness gurus appeared in what would be their final video on Instagram. In the clip, now widely circulated on social media, the couple can be seen preparing for their long-haul journey back to London, reflecting on their takeaways from their time in India. 'We are at the airport just boarding,' Mr Greenlaw-Meek said, before bidding farewell to India ahead of what his partner suggested would be a '10-hour flight back to England.' At the end of the heartbreaking video, Mr Greenlaw-Meek said, 'Going back happily, happily, happily calm.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. The Wellness Foundry specialises in psychic readings, tarot and aura interpretations, and has collaborated with major brands including Netflix, Google and Dior. According to the company's website, Mr Greenlaw-Meek founded the business in 2018 following a spiritual awakening brought on by a mysterious illness. His husband, Mr Meek, joined the team in 2023 as co-director and head of events. He also offered psychic readings and life coaching. In January, Mr Greenlaw-Meek appeared on a popular British morning television program to talk about people's auras and what they mean. He also appeared on Made in Chelsea stars' Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo podcast to offer them a tarot card reading. The couple were among 53 British nationals on board. In addition to the British nationals, there were 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national on the plane, according to a statement from Air India. Local media reports the plane crashed into the dining area of a doctor's hostel, attached to a medical college, with authorities fearing people on the ground either died or were seriously injured.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
Karl Stefanovic's model daughter Willow, 20, stuns during Tuscan wedding as she shows off striking $463 pink strapless gown
Willow Stefanovic has stunned at a recent wedding in Italy. The daughter of Today host and his ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn took to Instagram on Tuesday to share several striking photos of herself at the nuptials in Tuscany. Willow, whose first name is Ava but uses her middle name, attended the European wedding as a guest and opted for a summer-inspired outfit. The model, 20, looked elegant in a light pink $463 House of CB dress, which she accessorised with a drop pearl necklace and bangle. A flattering tan accentuated Willow's toned arms, and her long brunette hair was styled naturally to fall just below her waist. The social media influencers' family and friends praised her in the comments. Her father's Today co-cost Sarah Abo wrote: "Gorgeous girl xx". Willow's stepmother Jasmine Yarbrough, who married Karl in 2018, said the model looked like "a dream". "So so so beautiful," another person said. "Breathtaking. So is the scenery," one more person said. Willow shares a striking resemblance to both her mother and father. She is one of three children of Karl and Cassandra, a children's author, before the pair divorced in 2017 after 22 years of marriage. The following February, the Today host announced his engagement to Jasmine and the couple married in a ceremony in Mexico that December. They welcomed a daughter, Harper, in 2020. The model's latest round of photos comes as she continues to share her worldwide travels with her 11,000 followers on social media. In February, Willow was seen enjoying dining and shopping in Uruguay and gave fans a glimpse of breathtaking water views in St Tropez, France. The 20-year-old resides in London, where she began studying for a degree in fashion at the prestigious London College of Fashion in 2023. Willow is already making moves to follow her famous father into the spotlight. She signed with Precision MGMT in 2021 and told Stellar that Karl "backs me 100 per cent as long as I'm happy." "We all know I didn't get my fashionista gene from him,' she said. Speaking to the publication, Karl encouraged his daughter's pursuit and said it's just the tip of the iceberg of her many wide-ranging interests. "She doesn't go into anything blindly, especially the fashion world," he said. "She's a strong, independent young woman and wants to pursue lots of things in life. We love her spirit."
