Daylesford and Surrounds Outing
A short stroll from Daylesford town centre lies Lake Daylesford, a manmade lake originally a site for gold diggers. The Peace Mile walk around the lake is a gentle 2.8-kilometre stroll which takes under an hour return. The walk can be extended to Hepburn Springs or towards Creswick. The jetty and small, sandy beach is perfect for hotter summer days, or head to the Lake House Restaurant for lunch alongside an acclaimed wine list. A hotel and spa also surround the waters.
9:30 Meet at Lake Daylesford and take the circuit around the lake.
Carpark – 2 Leggatt St, Daylesford VIC 3460
Take a walk around the perimeter of Lake Daylesford. This is a gentle walk with a well-formed trail and boardwalk.
Note the abundant bird life including swans, cormorants, ducks, moorhens in the water as well as sulphur-crested cockatoos, multi-coloured parrots and tiny wrens darting around in the bushes.
Time – 42m Length – 2.79 km Difficulty – Easy
The circuit walk around Lake Daylesford is one of the town’s most popular recreational activities. Set off in either direction from the car park off Leggatt Street (where you’ll find toilets and BBQ/picnic facilities). A gravel path follows the shoreline for most of the 2.5-kilomtrere walk, which is split in half by the Bleakley Street bridge. The walk is relatively flat and suitable for all levels of fitness.
It’s hard to believe looking at it today, but Lake Daylesford is actually man-made! It was originally the site of a series of gold diggings and a Chinese market garden. Construction of the ornamental lake began with the building of a dam wall across Wombat Creek in the late 1920s. The landscaping was designed by none other than American architect Walter Burley Griffin (who planned the nation’s capital Canberra). Today, the Lake is cherished by locals and visitors alike.
Don’t forget to taste the region’s famous natural mineral water at Wombat Flat (in front of the Lake House hotel and restaurant) and in the newly rejuvenated Central Springs Reserve.
11:30 Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens
Home to eye-catching flora, Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens is a gorgeous area atop the Daylesford township and is littered with an assortment of flowers, ferns, trees and many more plant species. Additionally, the gardens feature a small network of paved and unpaved trails, making it a perfect place to walk while taking in the views, sounds and smells. While there, be sure to check out the lookout tower which offers elevated views of Daylesford and Hepburn.
21 Central Springs Road, Daylesford 3460
1:00 Lavendula Swiss Italian Farm https://www.lavandula.com.au/
Lunch at Lavendula Swiss Italian farm (Tinetti’s Barn or Post Office Deli Larder). Then wander through the lavender gardens, view the historic stone buildings and say hello to the alpacas, famous Highland cows, and other farm favourites.
350 Hepburn Newstead Rd, Shepherd’s Flat (Gate fee of $5)
https://www.lavandula.com.au/pages/post-office-deli-larder
