Daylesford weekend: spa town, lakes and food stops

A Daylesford weekend is easy to plan: stay near the lake, spend Saturday at the springs in Hepburn Springs, and save Sunday for the market, a vintage train and the view from Wombat Hill. The town sits about 108 km from Melbourne in Victoria's spa country. It is a small town of about 2,500 people, and two days is enough for the main sights.

This guide gives a simple order for the two days, with opening details from the places themselves where we could find them.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Daylesford, Victoria; Visit Victoria, Daylesford.

Why Daylesford and Hepburn Springs

Daylesford began as a gold town. Gold was found in 1851 on ground that is now covered by Lake Daylesford, and the town site was surveyed in 1852. By the 1860s the easy gold was gone, and in later years the town became a fashionable spa resort, because the area has one of the highest concentrations of mineral springs in the country. Wikipedia counts 65 springs in the Daylesford and Hepburn Springs region, more than 80 per cent of Australia's known mineral springs.

Hepburn Springs is the next town along. Miners from England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France settled there in the 1850s. Many residents came from spa areas in Italy, Germany and England. In 1864 local people met at the Savoia Hotel and asked the government to protect the springs from mining, and the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve was created in 1865.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Daylesford, Victoria; Wikipedia, Hepburn Springs, Victoria; Visit Hepburn Shire, Hepburn Springs.

Saturday: the springs and a bath

Start at the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve. Wikipedia says the reserve has a playground and barbecue facilities, so it works as a picnic stop. The reserve, with its bathhouse and pavilion, is on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Wikipedia describes the region's mineral water as effervescent. Visit Victoria lists the Hepburn Bathhouse and Peppers Mineral Springs in Hepburn Springs among the places to book a spa session. In Daylesford it names Daylesford Day Spa and The Spa at Lake House. Spas book out on weekends, so reserve a time before you leave Melbourne.

If you would rather walk, Hepburn Springs is surrounded by the Hepburn Regional Park. Visit Hepburn Shire suggests the Tipperary Track and the old Hepburn Pool. Its buildings look different from those in Daylesford, because the 1906 bushfire destroyed most of the village's earlier buildings.

Sources for this section: Visit Hepburn Shire, Hepburn Springs; Visit Victoria, Daylesford; Wikipedia, Hepburn Springs, Victoria.

Saturday afternoon: Lake Daylesford

Head back into town for a slow walk around Lake Daylesford. Visit Victoria says you can watch native wildlife there and fill a bottle with the local mineral water.

Visit Victoria also lists Jubilee Lake as a spot to paddle a kayak. Check with the operator for hours and prices, because we could not find a fixed rate.

Sources for this section: Visit Victoria, Daylesford.

Sunday: the market and the train

The Daylesford Sunday Market runs every Sunday at the old railway station, 18 Raglan Street, on the Midland Highway. The railway says it opens from 8 am to 3 pm and winds down from about 1.30 pm, or earlier in poor weather. Stalls sell books, clothing, collectables and fresh local produce. Food stalls are limited. Parking is free, and dogs on a leash are welcome.

The same station is the base of the Daylesford Spa Country Railway. Historic railmotors run on Sundays, except Christmas Day, between Daylesford, Musk and Bullarto. Tickets are sold at the station on the day. Timetables change for track work, so check the railway's page before you go. Visit Victoria suggests the train as a good outing with children.

Arrive early if you want a good look at the stalls. Eat at the market or in town after the train ride.

Sources for this section: Daylesford Spa Country Railway, Daylesford Sunday Market and Timetable and Fares pages; Visit Victoria, Daylesford.

Sunday afternoon: Wombat Hill and the Convent Gallery

Visit Victoria suggests a walk to the top of Wombat Hill for a view over the township. The Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens are in the same area. Wikipedia says they are on the Victorian Heritage Register, and that the gardens held their 150 year anniversary in 2013.

Once at the top, you can visit the Convent Gallery, in a historic 19th century mansion. Visit Victoria describes three levels of local, national and international art, plus a cafe and a sculpture park. Plan a couple of hours for the gallery and the gardens.

Sources for this section: Visit Victoria, Daylesford; Wikipedia, Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.

Food stops and planning

For food, mix the market with a sit-down meal. Wikipedia counts about six restaurants and three cafes in Hepburn Springs alone, along with two pubs. The Savoia Hotel there is named after the Italian royal family and was the heart of the Italian-speaking community. Visit Victoria lists the Lake House Restaurant in Daylesford as a renowned restaurant. Book dinner ahead on a Saturday night.

• Distance: about 108 km from Melbourne.
• Best order: springs and spa on Saturday, market and train on Sunday, because the market only runs on Sundays.
• Bring: a water bottle for the springs.
• Check first: spa bookings, train times and gallery hours.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Hepburn Springs, Victoria; Visit Victoria, Daylesford.

Sources

1. Visit Victoria, Daylesford (snapshot of December 2019): visitmelbourne.com
2. Daylesford Spa Country Railway, Daylesford Sunday Market: dscr.com.au
3. Daylesford Spa Country Railway, Timetable and Fares: dscr.com.au
4. Visit Hepburn Shire, Hepburn Springs: visithepburnshire.com.au
5. Wikipedia, Daylesford, Victoria: en.wikipedia.org
6. Wikipedia, Hepburn Springs, Victoria: en.wikipedia.org
7. Wikipedia, Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens: en.wikipedia.org