Explore Australia

Historic town walk: grab a brochure from the visitor centre and take to the wide, old footpaths to discover the historic delights of Maldon. See preserved 19th-century shopfronts and old stone cottages. Highlights include the restored Dabb's General Store in Main St, and the Maldon Hospital in Adair St. Museum: displays on mining as well as domestic memorabilia from Maldon's past, in heritage building; open 1.30–4pm daily; High St. The Beehive Chimney: southern end of Church St. Anzac Hill: the walk to the top is rewarded with magnificent views of the area; southern end of High St.

Porcupine Township This award-winning tourist attraction is a reconstruction of an early 1850s goldmining town, with an array of slab, shingle and mudbrick buildings moved here from other goldfields. The village, complete with a blacksmith's, a doctor's surgery and even a bowling alley, is located in rugged bushland on the site of the original Porcupine diggings, where the first gold discovery between Castlemaine and Bendigo was made. Visitors to the township can pan for gold, handfeed emus or take a ride on the Little Toot train, which does a circuit through the diggings. Cnr Maldon–Bendigo and Allans rds; (03) 5475 1000; 3 km NE.Mt Tarrangower Lookout Tower: town views; 2 km W. Carman's Tunnel Mine: guided mine tours feature relics from goldmining days; 2 km SW. Nuggetty Ranges and Mt Moorol: 2 km N. Cairn Curran Reservoir: great for watersports and fishing, water levels permitting; features picnic facilities and a sailing club near the spillway; 10 km SW. Victorian Goldfields Railway: historic steam trains run from Maldon Railway Station (Hornsby St) through scenic forest to Castlemaine; operates Wed, Sun and public holidays; bookings on (03) 5470 6658.

Maribyrnong River 116 km

The age-old adage about the grass supposedly being greener somewhere else applies to fishing around Melbourne. Many anglers who head out of town do so because they don’t believe any serious fishing is possible... Find out more

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Yarra River 119 km

Mulloway are one of the most sought and least caught Victorian species. Anglers often put in hundreds of hours in unsuccessful quests for a trophy of this enigmatic species. During autumn, reports tell of mulloway being... Find out more

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Altona to Williamstown 120 km

The skyline stretching around the shore from Altona to Williamstown provides an unlikely backdrop for top fishing. Industry dominates, in particular refineries, with flames burning off gases. However, anglers who fish... Find out more

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Werribee 121 km

The Werribee River is popular, both as an access point to the bay and the estuary itself. Excellent catches of whiting and flathead are made inshore near the weed beds. Further offshore, the deeper reefs have a big... Find out more

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Inner Harbour 124 km

Following the inner harbour around from Bird Rock you pass Avalon Beach, which is little more than a collection of old huts. There is a boat ramp at the west end of Avalon Beach and the seagrass beds between the old... Find out more

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St Kilda 126 km

St Kilda Marina gives boat anglers easy access to excellent snapper and whiting grounds. Inshore there is plenty of seagrass and sand areas for whiting while the deeper waters offer reef areas for snapper. The St Kilda... Find out more

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Bird Rock 126 km

An area on the north side of the outer harbour, opposite Point Henry, from Bird Rock east to an area known as the ‘Quarries’ (due to the large quarry on the shore), produces snapper most of the year. Anglers... Find out more

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Point Wilson 128 km

Opposite Clifton Springs, the long Commonwealth Explosives Pier easily distinguishes Point Wilson. Boaters need to stay at least  300 m away from the pier at all times. The waters surrounding the pier produce... Find out more

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Point Henry 129 km

Point Henry is a sand spit point on the southern shore of Corio Bay and is the demarcation between the inner and outer harbours. It is distinctive in that there is a large aluminium smelter and a long pier used to unload... Find out more

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Western Shore 130 km

Taking a southerly route around the bay from the lagoon you pass a large industrial and waterfront area. The next fishable water from shore is North Shore rocks, just outside the entrance to Corio Quay. During winter,... Find out more

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Golden Nugget Discovery Tours, Ballarat 66 km

This carbon-neutral business in Ballarat runs small, personalised tours of no more than six people in the Goldfields region, with three themes – wild nature, gold history and heritage, and food and wine.... Find out more

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Brisbane Ranges National Park 96 km

With a vibrant koala population, this relatively small national park only 80 kilometres west of Melbourne has picnic areas, walking tracks through rocky gorges and a basic camping area.... Find out more

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Melbourne Zoo 117 km

Melbourne has a choice of two excellent zoos: Melbourne Zoo, with more than 320 species on display; and the 225-hectare open range zoo at Werribee, about 30 minutes drive from the city centre (access from the Princes... Find out more

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Mountain-biking around Melbourne 121 km

With 20 kilometres of tracks developed by the Mountain Bike Association of Australia, Lysterfield Lake Park has something for all standard of mountain-biker, including family-friendly loops and exciting single-track... Find out more

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Indigenous tours - Melbourne 121 km

To grasp what Melbourne was like before the skyscrapers arrived you can take a two-hour Koori Heritage Trust walking tour. You will gain an insight into Indigenous history and the natural and cultural landscape of the... Find out more

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Cycling around Melbourne 123 km

Melbourne has an active cycling community that has helped develop and establish some great routes and a network of cycle paths. One of the best sources of information is Bicycle Victoria. One option is to hop on the Main... Find out more

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Indigenous tour - Shepparton 137 km

A free, short, bush-tucker tour is available from the Bangerang Cultural Centre in Shepparton. You will need to book, but you can visit the centre on weekdays to see the wide range of artefacts from the area, and from... Find out more

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Indigenous tours, Grampians National Park 138 km

Brambuk, the Grampians National Park and Cultural Centre, houses an Aboriginal cultural centre explaining much of the history and stories associated with the area. There is also a bushfoods cafe, where you can try emu,... Find out more

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Bicentennial National Trail - Healesville starting point 148 km

Acclaimed as the longest-marked, nonmotorised, multi-use trekking route in the world, this track traverses an incredible 5330 kilometres from Healesville to Cooktown in north Queensland, passing through 18 national... Find out more

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Dandenong Ranges National Park 150 km

About an hour’s drive out of Melbourne, some 35 kilometres east of the city, this park has forests of towering mountain ash and lush, damp fern gullies. Around 300 kilometres of walking tracks crisscross the park,... Find out more

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Eynesbury Golf Club 98 km

Some golf courses, Graham Marsh believes, are created not with strategy in mind, but simply with the aim of penalising bad shots. ‘We are pitching golf at a level that is just too difficult,’ he says.... Find out more

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Sanctuary Lakes Resort 117 km

Greg Norman stood on the balcony of a second-storey building in the late 1990s and surveyed the vast plain of salty wasteland before him. Beside him was Bob Harrison, chief course architect of Greg Norman Golf Design.... Find out more

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Riversdale Golf Club 134 km

Victoria’s second oldest club, formed 18 months after Royal Melbourne, began life in humble circumstances as the Surrey Hills Golf Club. After a brief stint at Camberwell the club moved to its present location... Find out more

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The Heritage Golf & Country Club (St John course) 135 km

Jack Nicklaus, the golfer, was the most powerful player of his generation and also its finest strategist, a man who could win a tournament based on smart play and at other times on pure heroics. Jack Nicklaus, the... Find out more

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Metropolitan Golf Club 136 km

Metropolitan has changed dramatically over the past century but has never been short of plaudits. The club, the second oldest on the Melbourne sandbelt, was established in 1908. J. B. Mackenzie was one of the founding... Find out more

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Yarra Yarra Golf Club 137 km

First-time visitors to Yarra Yarra Golf Club, expecting the river with the similar name to play a pivotal role, might be surprised. The closest the Yarra gets to this acclaimed sandbelt course is the spot where it... Find out more

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Huntingdale Golf Club 137 km

Huntingdale – Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath aside – is arguably the most famous of Melbourne’s sandbelt courses, home to the Australian Masters for 30 years. A parade of the game’s best... Find out more

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Commonwealth Golf Club 137 km

It is nearly 90 years since the first rounds were played where the Commonwealth Golf Club now lies. The club was constituted in 1920 and land – regarded as scrub country, and comprising only 89 acres – was... Find out more

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Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course) 138 km

Golf is unique in that it allows its devoted followers – no matter how good or bad their swing – the opportunity to emulate the champions of their sport on the finest arenas the game has to offer. The... Find out more

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Royal Melbourne Golf Club (East Course) 138 km

Dr Alister MacKenzie was long gone from Royal Melbourne and construction of his West course was in full swing when the idea of a second course was mooted. Two plots of land east of the main site at Black Rock had ... Find out more

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Penny School Gallery/Cafe

Housed in one of only six Victorian heritage-listed buildings in Maldon – itself classified by the National Trust as Australian’s first notable town – this gallery cafe was a former denominational... Find out more

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Zen Eden Produce

A lovely little two-storey 1870-built shopfront is the perfect setting for this most agreeable vegetarian cafe and produce store. Admire the pressed-metal ceiling as you check out the fresh organic and biodynamic produce... Find out more

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Holgate Brewhouse 57 km

Paul and Natasha Holgate have travelled a decidedly different path to most other craft-brewery operators over the past decade or so. They started brewing ales from a shed adjacent to their family home in Woodend in the... Find out more

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3 Ravens Brewing Company 120 km

This microbrewery began operating from the basement of the successful Thornbury-based engineering company Zetkin and has proved to be an interesting diversion or sideline for the principal business. Some of the company... Find out more

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Foster's Group (Abbotsford Brewery) 122 km

Re-branded as the Foster’s Group in the 21st century, Carlton & United Breweries was formed in 1907 through an amalgamation of the city’s six largest beer-makers: McCrackens City Brewery, Victoria... Find out more

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Mountain Goat Brewery 124 km

Kicking off in 1997, home-brewer Dave Bonighton and music industry booking agent Cam Hines proved that two good mates can start a successful microbrewery with no money, but with unlimited enthusiasm, dogged perseverance... Find out more

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Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company 137 km

Craft brewers come from all sorts of different backgrounds but classical pianist Simon Walkenhorst and his opera singer wife Beth Williams are among the more exotic. Together, they started Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company... Find out more

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2 Brothers Brewery 137 km

A microbrewery is not exactly what you might expect to find tucked away among panel-beaters and sheet-metal fabricators in the industrial estates of Moorabbin, 20 minutes south-east of Melbourne. While the location may... Find out more

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Matilda Bay Garage Brewery 153 km

Previously operating as the Stockade Brewery, this South Dandenong-based microbrewery was acquired by the Foster’s-owned Matilda Bay Brewing in 2004 and re-badged as their ‘garage’ brewery. Then head... Find out more

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Purrumbete Brewing Company (Red Duck) 160 km

Scott and Vanessa Wilson-Browne are another couple of ‘ale changers’ who swapped busy Melbourne careers to move to the country, bring up their young family, and brew and market craft ales. Along the way, they... Find out more

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Otway Estate Brewery 167 km

Located 12 kilometres from Colac, Otway Estate Winery was established in 1983, specialising in cool-climate wines; a microbrewery was added in 2007. Head brewer Luke Scott oversees the production of up to 15 different... Find out more

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Red Hill Brewery 176 km

Becoming hop farmers wasn’t part of their business plan when David and Karen Golding first applied to develop a microbrewery and cafe from their Mornington Peninsula property. Ultimately, though, they were advised... Find out more

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Butt’s Reserve camping area

Butt’s Reserve is west of town on Mt Tarrengower Road. After visiting the collection of artefacts at the North British Mine and exploring the adjacent Carman’s Tunnel, climb the fire tower on Mt Tarrengower... Find out more

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Mount Alexander camping area (bush camping) 21 km

You can go bush camping throughout this park. Talk to the ranger about the best places to pitch a tent on the slopes of Lanjanuc, which is the Aboriginal name for the mountain. Along with Dog Rocks, the Langs and... Find out more

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Vaughan Springs camping area 23 km

There’s only space at Vaughan Springs for a few caravans and a half-dozen tents, so get there early if you want to stay during holiday periods. To the north are the old Spring Gully Junction Mine and a walk along... Find out more

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Warburtons Bridge camping area 24 km

This basic campground is accessed off the Vaughan–Drummond Rd. It’s in the same part of the park as the Vaughan Springs camping area, which may prove useful if Warburtons Bridge is full. Up in the north of... Find out more

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Mount Franklin Reserve camping area 31 km

The crater of the extinct Mt Franklin volcano makes a wonderful setting for an overnight camp. Separated from Hepburn Regional Park proper by the Midlands Hwy, the reserve is an enclave of large conifers that makes a... Find out more

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Waanyarra Recreation Area 31 km

This recreation area is sited between the original Waanyarra town site, where gold-rush miners set up their tents, and the cemetery. Over spring and summer, wildflowers will burst into colour here. To take a close look... Find out more

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Newbridge River Reserve camping area 32 km

You’ll find the compact Newbridge River Reserve camping area next to the township’s main street, the Bendigo–St Arnaud Rd. Anglers set themselves up on the riverbank, while canoeists occasionally push... Find out more

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Karri Track camping area 35 km

There’s not much space at this camping area in the west of the park, so it’s best to contact the ranger beforehand to check the availability of sites, particularly if you have a caravan. You can walk across... Find out more

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Notley picnic and camping area 42 km

Notley is the only overnight option in Greater Bendigo National Park that has pull-through sites suitable for caravans. You’ll find this camping area off Nuggety Rd, which branches off the... Find out more

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A Welcome Stranger Holiday Park 64 km

Located 2.5 km east of Ballarat, this is a good quality park in a quiet, easily accessible area. The park has a large number of sites, a heated pool, a spa, minigolf, an adventure playground and a tennis court. We... Find out more

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BIG4 Ballarat Windmill Holiday Park 65 km

This well-established, quality park is in a quiet rural area 6 km west of the city on the old Western Highway. It has a great range of facilities including a spa, sauna and tennis court. Bookings are required at Easter... Find out more

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Ballarat Goldfields Holiday Park 66 km

Centrally located (2 km from the city centre) and easily accessible, this quality park has a wide range of accommodation and very good facilities, including a heated pool and spa, and bathrooms for children and families.... Find out more

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Goulburn River Tourist Park 95 km

This park is about 1 km from the town centre in a quiet off-highway location on the banks of the Goulburn River. The park offers good clean facilities and is easily accessible. There are canoes for hire. Bookings... Find out more

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Melbourne BIG4 Holiday Park 114 km

This is a tourist park in a quiet area of Melbourne’s northern suburbs, just 9 km from Melbourne’s CBD. The park has relatively easy access to the Hume Highway and other northern approaches and is a popular... Find out more

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Echuca Holiday Park 115 km

This is a popular, quality riverside park just a short walk from Echuca’s historic port precinct on the Murray River. The spacious park has a range of accommodation and great facilities. With its excellent... Find out more

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Lake Fyans Holiday Park 128 km

This is a spacious waterfront park on the shores of Lake Fyans, a popular watersports area to the south-west of Stawell. The park has a cafe and also canoes for hire. It is just a short drive to nearby Halls Gap and is... Find out more

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Crystal Brook Tourist Park 129 km

This park is undergoing a transformation and will cater for tourists. It has good facilities and is located in a leafy area of the northeastern suburbs of Melbourne. A minimum-length stay applies during holiday periods.... Find out more

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Geelong Riverview Tourist Park 132 km

This is a great park on the south side of the Barwon River, just 2 km from the centre of Geelong. Bookings are required at Christmas, Easter and long weekends.... Find out more

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Heatherlie

This lovely 1880 house comprises a main house to accommodate up to three couples and an intimate pool house perfect for a romantic tryst in historic Maldon. Magnificently presented, owners Robyn and Ian Slattery have... Find out more

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Mount Hawke of Maldon

This 1860s home has been beautifully restored to provide traditional B&B accommodation in three rooms in Australia’s first ‘Notable Town’ as designated by the National Trust. Typical of other... Find out more

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Wywurri B&B

This Federation home offers private accommodation for one couple or two singles travelling together, with exclusive use of the front verandah and pretty garden. The main queen-size bedroom features beautiful linen and... Find out more

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MillDuck, Harcourt North 20 km

This strawbale house won a Most Energy Efficient Home award (North West Region) when it was built. More than 1000 trees have been planted on the property since it was purchased, and it is now an alpaca stud. The B&B,... Find out more

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Alto Hotel on Bourke 120 km

Although it is not doing anything radical, this plush hotel on Bourke Street is one of the most ecologically aware in Melbourne, and should be commended for its power-saving measures, garbage sorting, supply of... Find out more

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Grampians Eco YHA 138 km

At this eco-hostel you sleep under roof tiles that are actually solar panels. Any extra power generated is fed back to the electricity grid. The passive solar building, featuring rammed earth walls, also has solar... Find out more

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Pomponderoo Bush Retreat, Dimboola 191 km

With solar power, rainwater tanks and tree planting to offset carbon emissions, these three self-contained timber cabins are a great accommodation option near the north-eastern edge of Little Desert National Park.... Find out more

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Apollo Bay Youth Hostel 199 km

This relatively new hostel was built with an eco-friendly design, including thermal storage banks and other passive solar heating and cooling. It also has solar hot water, rainwater tanks, a worm farm, drought-tolerant... Find out more

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Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology 208 km

There are not many better-thought-out ecotourism ventures than this superb multi-award-winning facility on Cape Otway. It has its own 66-hectare wildlife refuge and doubles as a shelter for injured and orphaned wildlife,... Find out more

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Little Desert Nature Lodge, Nhill 223 km

Set on 117 hectares of bushland beside Little Desert National Park, the lodge has 24 rooms with ensuite bathrooms, or 16 bunkrooms with shared facilities. By staying here, you are helping support projects such as the... Find out more

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Jessie Kennedy Rest Area 16 km

6 km S of Castlemaine (R) or 30 km N of Daylesford (L) Large area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S37 06.621 E144 11.057... Find out more

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Ravenswood Rest Area 16 km

20 km S of Bendigo (R) or 130 km N of Melbourne (L) Large open area just off the motorway. Good facilities. GPS: S36 54.589 E144 13.296... Find out more

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Jock Comini Rest Area 17 km

18 km S of Bendigo (L) southbound only Large area just off the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S36 53.57 E144 13.07... Find out more

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Happy Jacks Rest Area 19 km

At Lockwood on Alt Calder Hwy (A790) Large grassed area around a few trees just off the highway. Good facilities located 100 metres south. GPS: S36 50.29 E144 09.20  ... Find out more

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Vaughan Springs Camp Area 22 km

T/O 9 km S of Castlemaine (L) or 27 km N of Daylesford (R) Small campground 6 kilometres east of the highway via Vaughan Springs Road. Good facilities at nearby picnic area. GPS: S37 09.576 E144 12.861... Find out more

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Bendigo South Park Area 28 km

South side of town Parking adjacent to the highway. Good facilities. GPS: S36 47.308 E144 14.721... Find out more

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Mount Franklin Rest Area 31 km

26 km S of Castlemaine (L) or 10 km N of Daylesford (R) Large secluded area located 1 kilometre off the highway in a very pleasant forest setting. Good shade. GPS: S37 15.937 E144 09.044... Find out more

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Bendigo North Park Area 34 km

North side of town Parking area adjacent to the highway near the lake. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S36 44.820 E144 17.575... Find out more

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Huntly Rest Area 43 km

35 km S of Elmore (R) or 11 km N of Bendigo (L) Small parking area just off the highway among some large trees. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S36 40.203 E144 19.635... Find out more

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Bridgewater Park Area 45 km

North west side of town via Dunolly Road and Brewery Lane   Large area on the banks of the Loddon River. Good shade. GPS: S36 36.04 E143 56.18   ... Find out more

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Creswick South Rest Area 52 km

3 km S of Creswick (R) or 16 km N of Ballarat (L) Small area adjacent to the highway. Good shade. GPS: S37 26.581 E143 53.335... Find out more

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Slatey Creek Camp Area 54 km

T/O at Creswick Small secluded campground located 6 kilometres south- east of Creswick via Bungaree Road, Slatey Creek Road, and Petticoat Road. NOTE: Access road part unsealed GPS: S37 27.744 E143 54.246... Find out more

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No.2 Creek Rest Area 55 km

59 km S of St Arnaud (L) or 3 km N of Avoca (R) Large area just off the highway among the trees. Good shade. GPS: S37 03.39 E143 27.39  ... Find out more

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Melville Caves Camp Area 55 km

T/O 29 km SE of Wedderburn (R) or 7 km NW of Bridgewater (L) Large area among the trees in Kooyoora State Park, located 21 kilometres west of Inglewood via Kingpower Road. Good facilities. GPS: S36 36.03 E143... Find out more

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Lexton South Rest Area 57 km

27 km S of Avoca (L) or 43 km N of Ballarat (R) Large area just off the highway. Only limited shade. GPS: S37 17.21 E143 32.50 ... Find out more

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Goornong Park Area 57 km

Middle of town Small area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S36 36.923 E144 30.273... Find out more

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Ryans Creek Rest Area 65 km

12 km SE Wedderburn (R) or 24 km NW of Bridgewater (L) Small area just off the highway among a few large trees. Good shade. GPS: S36 29.11 E143 42.57... Find out more

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Stuart Mill South Rest Area 69 km

28 km S of St Arnaud (R) or 34 km N of Avoca (L) Large area just off the highway behind bushes and trees. Good shade. GPS: S36 50.23 E143 19.10 ... Find out more

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Teddington Reservoir Camp Area 74 km

T/O 24 km S of St Arnaud (R) or 38 km S of Avoca (L) Large secluded camp area in the forest 6 kilometres south- west of Stuart Mill via Teddington Road. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S36 50.36 E143 15.46... Find out more

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Wedderburn Park Area 76 km

Opposite the bowls club Small town park just off the highway. Good facilities. GPS: S36 25.04 E143 36.48... Find out more

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Smythesdale Park Area 79 km

East side of town Secluded town park situated among numerous trees well off the highway via Gardens Street. Good facilities and shade. NOTE: Camping available for a fee. GPS: S37 38.372 E143 41.141... Find out more

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Clarendon Rest Area 79 km

26 km S of Ballarat (R) or 60 km N of Geelong (L) Large secluded area just off the highway behind some shady trees. GPS: S37 42.501 E143 58.964... Find out more

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Aysons Reserve Camp Area 80 km

T/O 31 km W of Stanhope (R) or 5 km E of Elmore (L) Large camp area 3 kilometres north-east of the highway on the banks of the river. Good shade. GPS: S36 27.621 E144 40.116 ... Find out more

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Bailes Camp Area 82 km

T/O 32 km SE of Ararat (L) or 12 km NW of Beaufort (R) Small secluded area 9 kilometres north of the highway in the forest in Mt Buangor State Park. Good facilities and shade. NOTE: Access road unsealed. GPS: S37... Find out more

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Middle Creek Camp Area 82 km

T/O 32 km SE of Ararat (L) or 12 km NW of Beaufort (R) Large camp area located 8 kilometres north of the highway. Good facilities and shade in an open forest setting in Mt Buangor State Park. NOTE: Access road... Find out more

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Skinners Flat Rest Area 82 km

26 km SE of Charlton (L) or 4 km NW of Wedderburn (R) Small secluded area located 1 kilometre north of the highway in the scrub on the shores of the reservoir. Good shade. NOTE: Access road unsealed. GPS: S36 21.55... Find out more

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Woady Yaloak Creek Rest Area 85 km

26 km E of Skipton (L) or 6 km W of Smythesdale (R) Large secluded area surrounded by scrub just off the highway. Good shade. GPS: S37 40.692 E143 38.337 ... Find out more

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Green Lake Recreation Reserve Camp Area 92 km

T/O 12 km W of Stanhope (R) or 24 km E of Elmore (L) Large open camp area located 2.5 kilometres north of the highway around a few trees. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S36 26.310 E144 49.702... Find out more

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Mount Langi Ghiran Camp Area 93 km

T/O 13 km E of Ararat (L) or 31 km W of Beaufort (R) Small but secluded area located 5 kilometres north of the highway in a natural bush setting in Mount Langi Ghiran State Park. Good facilities and shade. NOTE:... Find out more

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Mount Langi Ghiran Rest Area 94 km

17 km E of Ararat (L) or 27 km W of Beaufort (R) Large area adjacent to the highway. Good shade. GPS: S37 20.14 E143 06.09 ... Find out more

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