Discover the Wonders of Golden Plains Shire
Golden Plains Shire is a treasure trove of natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture, offering countless opportunities for exploration and adventure. Nestled between Ballarat, Geelong, and the Surf Coast, this enchanting region invites you to wander its scenic landscapes, delve into its unique heritage, and experience the warmth of its welcoming communities.
Explore picturesque walking trails that meander through rolling hills, serene forests, and breathtaking volcanic plains. Visit charming villages where history comes alive in beautifully preserved architecture and fascinating local stories. Nature lovers will delight in discovering hidden gems like tranquil rivers, stunning lookouts, and unique geological formations.
Golden Plains Shire also boasts a thriving arts and culture scene, with galleries, public art, and creative events that celebrate the region’s talent and spirit. Whether you’re seeking outdoor adventure, cultural immersion, or a peaceful escape, Golden Plains Shire is brimming with places to explore and memories to make.
Start planning your journey and let the wonders of Golden Plains Shire unfold before you—where every corner holds a new discovery.
The Golden Plains and Moorabool Valley regions are famous for fresh food, local produce, free-range meats, flowers, award-winning wines, gourmet food producers, artisan goods and breathtaking scenery. Only 20 minutes from Geelong in the heart of Bannockburn, the Golden Plains Farmers' Market is held on the first Saturday of each month (except January) from 8:30am to 12:30pm and presents the best the region has to offer in a relaxed and friendly environment. So, come and enjoy a morning out with family and friends at the Golden Plains Farmers' Market.
Address: Corner High and Milton Streets, Bannockburn 3331 VIC
Phone: 03 5220 7239
Website: www.goldenplainsfarmersmarket.com.au
Email: [email protected]
Artwork - Adam Webster
GP Arts Inc. invites arts lovers from across Victoria and beyond to the 2024 Golden Plains Arts Trail. The Golden Plains Shire nestles between Geelong and Ballarat, encompassing Meredith, Bannockburn and Smythesdale. As you drive along the north and the south trails, you'll enjoy rolling hills, bushland, small townships, each with their own unique character, and open stretches of farmland on the plains.
On your travels, you'll find 18 venues housing 50 artists. Many artists will be in their own personal art studio, giving you a chance to explore their creative process as well as viewing their artwork. Others will be in public venues where you'll be able to explore the artistic communities within the Shire, If you want to explore different creative mediums, you'll find everything from encaustics, ceramics, sculpture, textile art, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and more.
Ballarat Skipton Rail Trail
Race the train on the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail. Walk, cycle or ride your horse on the 53-kilometre trail and experience nature and history in towns, forests and farmland along the way.
Scenic flights and flight school. From the extreme to the serene, you'll find something that suits you happening at Lethbridge Airport 3429 Midland Highway Lethbridge VIC
The Corindhap avenue of honour, located on Colac-Ballarat road, was planted to commemorate those who served in the first world war. The avenue was planted on the 15th September 1917 as a mark of admiration for the men of Corindhap who had left to fight in the great war. Over the last few years some of these majestic trees have reached the end of their life but rather than chopping them down for firewood, the Corindhap community decided to keep the lower trunks intact and commissioned local artist Viktor Cebergs to fashion sculptures that would reflect the commemorative spirit of the site. The result is that the old trees have been transformed into sculptures depicting imagery of war.
Taking its inspiration from the creation story of Bunjil the wedge-tailed eagle, the lookout boasts spectacular views of the Moorabool Valley, while structure itself includes intricate carvings of Bunjil and his six helpers.
Local stories live and breathe in our historic sites and townships. The region has a rich gold mining history with over 300 disused mine sites, including Jubilee Mine, and many historic gold mining towns such as Smythesdale, Linton and Steiglitz.
With everything from bush tracks, a Rail Trail or township and heritage walks, there’s something for everyone in Golden Plains. Take your time and explore the region on foot, with so many different trails of varying lengths and levels of difficulty.
The Moorabool Valley Taste Trail encompasses the rolling hills and magical valleys of the region north west of Geelong, from Inverleigh to Meredith, Anakie to Ceres and everywhere in between. As well as the farm-fresh food and eateries, the region is home to some of Australia's best-regarded wineries, with each vineyard and cellar door on the trail bringing distinct flavour, personality and variety. Visit the Moorabool Valley Taste Trail and taste it for yourself.
Website: Moorabool Valley Taste Trail, Geelong & the Bellarine, Victoria, Australia
The 13.3 km of the Kuruc-a-ruc trail travels through this historic gold mining countryside and links the three goldfield townships of Dereel, where the trail begins, Corindhap and Rokewood. The unsealed Trail is suitable for walkers, horse riders and cyclists of all abilities.
Little more than an hour's drive from Melbourne takes you to the state's richest wildflower habitat. Set in a low range of mountains dissected by rocky gullies, the unusual geology of the Brisbane Ranges National Park has preserved plants that have long since vanished from other parts of the region. There are a number of options for bushwalking ranging from short walks to three-day walks. This park is also popular for picnicking, scenic drives and camping.
Nimons Bridge was Victoria's fourth-tallest timber trestle bridge when built and is the third-tallest surviving example. It is also the second-largest composite bridge combining traditional timber piers with RSJ spans and a timber deck. The bridge is the most visually spectacular timber-trestle rail bridge in Western Victoria and is among the most spectacular timber-trestle rail bridges surviving anywhere in Victoria. It is part of the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail. The bridge is located at Galatea Road in Newtown, Victoria.
The trail is approximately 35 kilometres in length and can be travelled on foot, bicycle or horseback, through rolling countryside. Trail conditions vary from the made roads to bush tracks of varying surfaces. Passage over the trail will expose the traveller to open countryside and native bushland, most with an historic gold influence.
Situated in the Brisbane Ranges between Geelong and Ballan, Steiglitz is almost a ghost town today. At the height of the 1860s gold rush, it had more than 1500 residents, four hotels, a newspaper, a variety of shops and even an undertaker. A tranquil setting for a bushwalk, picnic or discovering spring wildflowers. Our favourite spots include the Crossing Picnic Area and the former Steiglitz Courthouse.
Parks Victoria administers the site and provides a Visitor Guide here.
Located just outside Linton, this lookout lets you see right across Golden Plains, with views that span the Otways, Grampians, Bass Straight and the incredible broad acre farmlands.
This park is an important haven for wildlife, but during the gold rushes the peaceful landscape was dominated by tents and diggers from around the world. The digger’s lifestyles are often reflected in local place names like misery creek and surface point. Surface point was a chines settlement in the 1860s, and there are still relics to be found there, including round mine shafts and a memorial.
Dog Rock Reserve is accessed from the playground and carpark located at Tolloora Way, Batesford.
The Dog Rocks Reserve was donated to Trust for Nature to be reserved and managed for its geological, cultural, historical and landscape values. The signature of the reserve is the Devonian granite boulders that resemble lying dogs, thereby giving rise to the name Dog Rocks.
The property is highly attractive in its landscape amenity and attracts interest from many individuals and groups for its scenic beauty and unique natural features. It is a very popular site for landscape and sunset photography, stargazing and nature appreciation.
The Trust for Nature administers the reserve and provides a guide here.