The Places and Views That Really Pop!
Unique, Memorable Experiences
- Purchase a gold-panning kit from the Castlemaine Visitor Information Centre and head to the Forest Creek Gold Diggings to search for gold (Good luck!)
- Ride the historic Victorian Goldfields Railway from Castlemaine to Maldon, taking in the beautiful Central Victoria landscape and the goldrush-era architecture of Maldon.
- Visit Jirrahlinga Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Castlemaine and get close and cuddly with local wildlife including dingoes, koalas and reptiles.
Look at the View!
- For the best views across Castlemaine head to the Burke and Wills Monument at the top end of town.
Garden Beauty
- The Castlemaine Botanical Gardens next door to BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park are one of the oldest public gardens in Victoria. Enjoy the ornamental lake, magnificent rare trees, summer rose gardens, shady picnic spots, abundant bird life and more.
Food and Wine
- Enjoy fine dining with outstanding local produce, wine and cocktails at Bar Midland (which holds an Age Good Food Chef’s Hat).
- Enjoy hearty traditional country pub meals in one of our great local pubs – try the historic Bridge Hotel across the road from us or the award-winning Five Flags in Campbells Creek.
- Visit one of the many regional farmer’s markets: there’s a market in Castlemaine every Wednesday afternoon and on the first Sunday of the month and a market in Bendigo on the second Saturday of the month.
- Plan a picnic: you’ll find fantastic produce across the road at The Mill including artisan bread, hams, smoked fish, pate, cheeses and chocolates, wine and beer.
- With around 20 wineries around the Castlemaine area, you’re spoilt for choice if you’re after a glass of excellent red, white or rose. We’re fond of Sutton Grange Wines, BlackJack Wines, and Harcourt Valley Vineyards but they’re all good (And cheers to that!).
- Visit the Love Shack and Shedshaker Brewing for locally made and incredibly delicious craft beers
Let’s Go Shopping!
- Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar at the Mill Complex across the road from BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park is a wonderland of quality vintage clothing and collectibles. You’ll also find local artworks and handmade products and souvenirs.
- Castlemaine’s Mostyn Street has some fun, funky and fine boutiques and shops.
Pretty As a Picture: Nearby towns and Villages
- Within a 15 to 45-minute drive from Castlemaine you’ll find picturesque towns and villages like Kyneton, Maldon, Newstead, Clunes and Daylesford, with historic architecture and buildings, good cafes, Aussie pubs and more shopping. Maldon and Clunes have been used as backdrops for Australian and Hollywood films!
History
- Explore the fascinating history of the Chinese in Bendigo and Central Victoria with a visit to the Golden Dragon Museum and traditional garden in Bendigo, just a 30-minute train ride from Castlemaine.
- Visit the Pennyweight Flat Cemetery, located on a hill overlooking the Forest Creek goldfield in Castlemaine where 30,000 diggers once lived and worked. The beautiful, evocative cemetery contains the marked graves of children and adults, including Chinese migrants, who died in the early days of the goldrush.
- The Vaughan Mineral Springs Chinese Cemetery was also established during the early 1850s goldrush and was used until 1857. It was restored by the Chinese communities of Bendigo and Castlemaine. It is located at the entrance to the beautiful Vaughan Mineral springs – a special picnic and walking area surrounded by Australian bush and wildlife.
