Adelaide to Melbourne touring route brochure - South Australia

Ballarat, Grampians & Wine Country
THE JOURNEY
Taking the inland route from Melbourne
to Adelaide is a golden opportunity not
to be missed.
Ballarat is the city of gold, springing up almost
overnight when the precious metal was
discovered in the region in the 1850s, including
the world biggest nugget, The Welcome
Stranger. Today that story of gold is told all
around the city, in its grand architecture and at a
number of major attractions.
Sovereign Hill is a living, breathing gold rush
town. Visitors can pan for gold and ride on a
stagecoach. At night the sound and laser show,
Blood on the Southern Cross, tells in fiery detail
the story of the Eureka Stockade rebellion, just
one of two civil uprisings in the history of
Australia. More than 20 miners protesting
against new government taxes died in the
battle, along with four troopers.
The flag under which the rebels fought is on
display in the Art Gallery of Ballarat. The Eureka
Centre, built on the site of the bloody battle, has
a complete list of all the participants on both
sides.
Situated on Lake Wendouree, Ballarat also has
fine Botanic Gardens.
The road from Ballarat to the Grampians
National Park passes through some of the finest
wine growing country in Victoria, including the
town of Great Western.
Ararat is unique in Australian history as the only
town founded by Chinese settlers. The story of
their struggles and eventual success are told at
the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre.
The town of Stawell is home to Australia’s
oldest and richest foot race, the Stawell Gift
held over Easter each year.
Halls Gap, inside the Grampians National Park,
rests beneath two towering mountains. A visit
to Brambuk – The National Park and Cultural
Centre, provides an insight into the rich
Aboriginal history of the region, including
ancient rock paintings.
The Grampians abound with native wildlife,
especially on evening walks around Halls Gap.
There are also four waterfalls close by,
MacKenzie Falls the most spectacular,
especially after rain, when the roaring waters
mingle with rising mists from the valley floor.
The rural centre of Hamilton is one of the last
stops before the South Australian border. This is
wool country, some say the wool capital of
Australia, which explains all the sheep in the
paddocks around the town. Hamilton has an art
gallery, botanic gardens and lots of shops selling
woollen products and fashions.
Across the border, the visitor is quickly into
two of South Australia’s most famous wine
regions, the Coonawarra and Padthaway. The
Coonawarra is known as Australia’s “other red
centre”, its secret lying in a magical marriage of
red soils, limestone, pure underground water
and long cool ripening seasons. There is more
than 23 cellar doors from which to taste and
purchase some of the best red wines in the
country, luxurious and boutique accommodation
and great history in the townships of Penola and
Naracoorte.
Naracoorte World Heritage Fossil site has plenty
of options for discovering Australia’s ancient
Mammal’s through caving tours.
Nearby, the Padthaway and Mt Benson wine
regions complete a comprehensive array of
vintages, red and white. The Padthaway
Conservation Park, 1.5 kilometres east of the
tiny town that shares its name, has a wide range
of native trees and is home to the rare
long-billed Corella.
The small town of Penola is part of the story of
Sister Mary MacKillop, the woman set to
become Australia’s first saint. In 1866, Mary
MacKillop, a young teacher and Julian Tenison
Woods, a priest and scientist, founded the
Australian Sisters of St Joseph. At first they
provided a free Catholic education for isolated
bush children, but eventually for many young
people both in Australia and overseas.
> Top 10 Experiences
1. Sovereign Hill: One of the best theme
parks of its type in Australia, a faithful
recreation of a 19th Century gold mining
town. Attractions include the nightly sound
and light show.
2. Blood on the Southern Cross: The story
of the famous Eureka uprising which many
claim was the beginning of Australian
democracy, is retold every night at
Sovereign Hill.
3. The Eureka Centre: Built on the site of the
bloody fire fight between troopers and
miners, it has a complete record of all the
participants on the day – those who lived,
and those who died.
4. The Art Gallery of Ballarat: Regarded as
one of the best in regional Australia, with a
collection of colonial art as well as modern
pieces. The original Eureka Flag is also part
of the collection.