Autumn the perfect time to visit this pretty Victorian town
On a recent trip to Melbourne, our planned trip to nearby Kyneton, situated in the Macedon Ranges region of central Victoria , proved JUST the detour we'd been looking for. Hisoric Kyneton's tree-lined streets come alive during Autumn. Credit: Clare Rigden
This year, Melbourne has experienced an unseasonably hot autumn, their warm spell coinciding with our planned two-week trip to Victoria's capital over Easter. So off in search of some cooler weather and pretty autumnal colour we went.
Our side quest destination of choice was the Goldfields town of Kyneton. Though just over an hour from Melbourne, this pretty and historic village felt a million miles from the bright lights and bustle we had come from — it didn't take long to relax into the change of pace. By night it was also a few degrees cooler, giving us the snuggly autumn atmosphere we'd been craving. Piper Street Food Co are famed for their delicious pies. Credit: Piper Street Food Co / Instagram
Coincidentally — and conveniently — we timed our long weekend to coincide with the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival, an event that runs the entire month of April every year. As the website explains, this is a great time to experience the 'autumn-inspired food and drink adventures' the region has to offer — yes, please.
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There are nine villages that take part in this calendar of events, which offers everything from tours of gorgeous destination gardens, to artisanal workshops, farmer's markets, gallery exhibitions and a range of curated 'trails'. There's the Veggie Trail (eat your way around the area's fresh produce), the Pie and Tart Trail (sample the region's best pies — you don't have to ask me twice to pop into Kyneton's famed Country Cob Bakery, or the nearby Piper Street Food Co, who do a mean pork pie), and our personal favourite: the Tipple Trail, designed to encourage visitors to neck as many fancy cocktails as possible. That bit wasn't in the official tourist information, but we improvised — rude not to.
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Though this festival has now concluded, if you're headed to Victoria in the next few weeks, you'll have jagged the ultimate autumnal experience as the trees are only just starting to turn — expect fluttering yellows, golds and auburns — snow angels in the fallen foliage anyone?
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We arrived for the weekend just in time for a late lunch at Prato, a gorgeous, recently opened restaurant on historic Piper Street, the town's hub for trendy food and drink destinations. They specialise in Mediterranean and Greek fare, and our meal did not disappoint — the succulent lamb cutlets, prawn pizza and ooey-gooey saganaki were to die for. We washed it down with a beautiful bottle of Harbinger Fiano — a perfect pairing. Josephine's House in Kyneton was a perfect base for our trip. Credit: Josephine's House / AirBNB
At 3pm we checked into our accommodation, situated a street back from Piper Street, booked for its proximity to the restaurants we'd planned to visit. Originally we'd thought a stay at the retro Kyneton Springs Motel would be fun (it's got distinct Palm Springs vibes), but with six of us, we opted for something a little roomier. Within strolling distance, the delightful, newly-renovated Josephine's House ticked all the boxes, and by night we enjoyed sitting beneath a canopy of autumnal trees while we enjoyed a cheeky red beside the fire pit with the resident possums watching on. Botanik has weekly vermouth-by-the-glass specials. Credit: Botanik / Instagram
We started our evening with a cocktail at the town's famous cocktail bar and bottle shop, Botanik, dedicated to rare and exotic liquor — its moody surrounds provided the perfect backdrop to our Pretty in Pink negroni. The prawn and pomelo betel leaf starters were sublime. Credit: Clare Rigden
Dinner was spent at Piper Street's famed South East Asian restaurant Fook Shing, named for a Chinese detective who worked in the region during the 1850s. Situated in the historic old temperance hotel, it boasts cuisine from executive chef Danielle Rensonnet — begin with a dainty Chinese egg custard with crab and a prawn and pomelo betel leaf starter and work your way through the menu. Grab a takeaway hot chocolate from the gorgeous Malmsbury Bakery before heading to the nearby Botanic Gardens for a stroll. Credit: Malmsbury Bakery / Instagram
Most of our two days in the region were taken up exploring the stunning historical towns situated near Kyneton, perusing antique shops, bric-a-brac stalls and galleries. We started on Saturday with a quick trip to historic Malmsbury, which boasts a gorgeous Botanic Garden, a flock of resident geese and a beautiful historic railway bridge — the perfect backdrop for those Instagram posts. A stroll through historic Maldon is a must-do. Credit: Clare Rigden
Next stop was the quaint Goldfields town of Maldon. We stopped for a lunchtime pie at the famous Maldon Bakery. Established in 1854, it's said to be the oldest continuously running bakery in Australia — we opted for two peppered steak pies and a sausage roll, our best of the trip.
Maldon boasts some delightful gift shops and antique stores, including the divine Acorn Wood which sells colonial-era furniture and objects, and has a stunning selection of old kitchenware and Goldfields-era pottery and glassware.
Maldon proved the perfect pit stop before our arrival in Bendigo, the historic regional centre that plays host to our main reason for visiting: the excellent Bendigo Art Gallery. We were there to peep the Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image exhibition, which runs until July 13. The exhibition is an intimate look at one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and features an array of the artist's personal belongings, including clothing (her dresses!), make-up, accessories, photographs — you name it — all on loan from the prestigious Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico. All of these items were sealed in a bathroom for 50 years after Kahlo's death, but are now on display in Australia for the first time — it's a fascinating exhibition. The Rifle Brigade Hotel in Bendigo getting into the Frida spirit at their bar. Credit: Clare Rigden
Exhausted from our adventures, we opted for a simple pub meal at The Kyneton Hotel on the way back home. This is a great art deco spot beloved by locals which serves an incredible roast, big enough to be shared (comfortably) by three people — bargain. Boomtown Wine provided the perfect post-antiquing pit stop. Credit: Boomtown Wine / Instagram
As our side quest adventure was predominantly to facilitate the perusal of antique shops, Sunday meant a choc-a-block day exploring several iconic markets, including Castlemaine's Vintage Bazaar. Any trip shouldn't be complete without a side side-quest to Boomtown Wine and Oakwood Smallgoods, both housed within the same complex, The Mill.
If you have time on your way back through to Kyneton, take a detour to the picturesque Kyneton Ridge winery. Oakwood Smallgoods is a must-visit when in Castlemaine. Credit: Clare Rigden
Later, we travelled to Daylesford, only 15 minutes by car from Kyneton, to pop in to another antiques hub, The Mill Markets, which houses Australia's largest collection of collectables — it never disappoints. We stopped for lunch at the always fabulous Farmers Arms Hotel, long the pub of choice for foodie-loving locals. Our quick lunch — a warm mushroom salad for me, the hefty and extremely filling duck sausage for my other half plus a cheap kids' meal for the tween — was followed by a stroll directly across the road, for a peep behind the hoardings at the houses taking shape for this year's season of The Block, which is being filmed in Daylesford. I scored a tour, but the rest of you will have to wait until later this year when the show is on air for a look at how it's taking shape. Finishing a long day with a platter by the fire. Credit: Clare Rigden
A quick side-side-side quest to select a nice bottle of wine for dinner from the extensive local selection from Winespeake Cellar + Deli, (Latta Rouge Deluxe 2022 Syrah Grenache was the order of the day) and it was back to our Kyneton Airbnb for a cheese platter — served on the stunning Danish-inspired wooden lazy Susan dish we purchased from the markets.
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