Victorian Railway Adventure

We’ll depart Melbourne this morning, travelling by coach to the quaint goldfield town of Castlemaine. On arrival we’ll have some free time to enjoy the delights of Castlemaine and visit the historic town centre and extensive ‘Mill’ Arts precinct and Gallery, before embarking on a steam-hauled tour on the Victorian Goldfields Railway along the old branch line.

While onboard, enjoy “Ales on Rails”, the Ultimate Beer, Food and Railway Experience in first class style in the 1920’s era club and parlour carriages. As your heritage train takes you through the countryside from Castlemaine to Maldon, you are taking another journey. Beginning with an easy drinking wheat beer you sample a range of specialty beers culminating in a rich chocolate porter. Light snacks are served by our stewards on the train. For those who are not quite such beer enthusiasts we do offer alternatives; local wines, ciders and soft drinks.

Enjoy lunch at leisure while exploring Maldon, an iconic gold rush town awarded the ‘most intact townscape’, before heading back to Castlemaine on Victorian Goldfields Railway in the mid-afternoon.

On arrival back in Castlemaine, visit Buda House, a classic, beautifully preserved Victoria Goldfields Villa set on 8 acres of tranquil gardens, followed by an early dinner at the popular Railway Hotel before heading back to Bendigo later in the evening.

Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo (B, D)

We’ll depart Bendigo this morning, travelling by regional express train to Echuca. Watch the landscape whip past your window as we pass Bendigo, Elmore and Rochester and arrive in time to board our Paddlesteamer for a gentle lunch while the steamer rolls down the Murray River from the historic Port of Echuca. In the afternoon, we’ll board our coach for the afternoon journey to Bendigo via the silo art in the towns of Rochester and Colbinabbin. Arrive at the elegant and historic Shamrock Hotel Bendigo, where you have free time before joining together for dinner in the hotel.

Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo (B, L, D)

This morning we begin our tour of the city of Bendigo, an iconic gold rush town rich with an intriguing history and unique character. Starting at the Bendigo Tramways Depot and Workshop, we’ll learn about the history, restoration, and character of their iconic tram fleet. Following this we’ll resume our tour of the city on the old tram on a tour that showcases the main sights and attractions of Bendigo, finishing at the Central Deborah Gold Mine. Here you have the option to enjoy a surface tour. Alternatively, don a hard-hat and grab a miners’ lamp and descend 61m below the surface of Bendigo to walk in the footsteps of past miners on a guided tour.

The rest of the afternoon and evening are free to explore the city at your leisure, with your two-day Talking Tram ticket allowing you to hop on and hop off at will. Sights to explore include Bendigo Pottery, the Chinese Dragon Museum, the stunning Bendigo Art Gallery and the old Joss House.

Your evening is free to enjoy the many dining options around the city.

Overnight: Shamrock Hotel, Bendigo (B)

Checkout after breakfast and continue your exploration of Bendigo using your Talking Tram passes. In the early afternoon we’ll re-group and board our coach once again for the short trip to Maryborough. Here, we’ll take a break and explore the old railway station, one of Australia’s grandest regional Victorian era buildings. Here, after a break, we board a local V-Line train for a short cross-country run to the fair city of Ballarat, our base for the next two nights.

We’ll check into the wonderful Craig’s Royal Hotel in the centre of the city and enjoy some free time to freshen up and relax before heading out to a local restaurant for dinner.

Overnight: Craig’s Royal Hotel, Ballarat (B, D)

Today we’ll depart Ballarat by coach and travel to Daylesford, a little town in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. Here we’ll take a privately chartered trip on the historic DERM Railway. After some time at leisure, we’ll board the railway for the 1.5hr scenic round trip. Afterwards, we’ll continue by coach for the return trip back to Ballarat.

On arrival we’ll head to Sovereign Hill, a living museum presenting the story of Ballarat as a gold rush boomtown. Gold was discovered here in 1851, triggering the greatest alluvial gold rush the world has ever known. The sleepy pastoral settlement of Ballarat grew rapidly into a fine provincial city built on the wealth derived from its gold. The outdoor museum showcases rare trades, working machinery, exhibits, and costumed interpreters. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure for you to explore the city or perhaps take an optional side trip to the Eureka Centre, home to the Eureka Flag and museum dedicated to the story of the colonial days on the goldfields. In the evening we’ll regroup for dinner in the grand dining hall of our historic hotel.

Overnight: Craig’s Royal Hotel, Ballarat (B, D)

After a morning at leisure, we’ll visit the Ballarat Tramway Museum for a look at their impressive collection of vintage trams. They were once the city’s main form of public transport, and all of them are at least 100 years old. Enjoy a privately chartered run on the quaint Ballarat 4-wheel tram and learn of the days when they dominated the city. Back in town we’ll have some free time to enjoy lunch and visit the excellent regional gallery and gold exchange.

In the afternoon we’ll travel by coach to Halls Gap via Dunkeld to view the scenic southern half of the Grampians National Park before settling into our accommodation for the evening. Dinner is hosted in our hotel’s restaurant with views over the hills beyond.

Overnight: Comfort Inn Country Plaza, Halls Gap (B, D)

This morning we’ll take time to smell the roses of the Aussie bush in this dramatic setting before taking a special coach trip deep into the heart of the spectacular Grampians National Park. Known for its rugged sandstone mountains, dramatic cliffs and plummeting waterfalls, you’ll see why it deserves its reputation as one of Victoria’s greatest natural wonders. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant back in Halls Gap before the return coach to Ballarat then a train from Ballarat to Melbourne. Here, we’ll check in to our hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.

Overnight: The Batman Hill on Collins, Melbourne (B, L)

After breakfast, we head back to Southern Cross Station to take a metro train to Belgrave, the departure point for the legendary Puffing Billy, Australia’s most popular heritage railway situated in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Originally built in the early 1900’s as a low-cost 2’6” gauge line to service the local communities and timber industry, it was closed in stages in the 1950’s before being saved by dedicated volunteers and rail fans who strived to restore the line and the rolling Stock. Since the 1960’s it has been serving a huge role as one of Victoria’s most popular tourist attractions. Here we’ll get to experience a steam-hauled trip along the length of the character-filled narrow-gauge line. There will be an opportunity to visit the new Lakeside Centre as part of your excursion ticket.

We’ll return to Melbourne in the late afternoon for an evening at leisure.

Overnight: The Batman Hill on Collins, Melbourne (B)

This morning, after a gentle start to the day, we’ll head down to the Docklands to catch a ferry to Queenscliff for our date with the Q Train, Australia’s premier rail restaurant. Here we’ll be met by our hosts for the short transfer to Drysdale, where our restaurant train departs. The award-winning rolling restaurant travels along the historic Bellarine Railway between Drysdale and Queenscliff in restored carriages from the former Queensland Railways Sunlander train. The rural and coastal scenery rolls by while you dine on fresh local produce, a fitting finale to our journey across Victoria. We’ll return to Melbourne later in the afternoon and enjoy a free evening on our last night in this dynamic city.

Overnight: The Batman Hill on Collins, Melbourne (B, L)

This morning your tour concludes after breakfast in the hotel.