Links
Some of these sites might be useful as you plan your break.
Enjoy the property
Ironbarks is 100 acres. You can spend many hours exploring the various parts of the property: the creek, the hills, the dams and the fields.
Bring a few old fairway golf clubs and some old balls and practise your long shot.
One of our favourite things is to get outside at night and watch the stars, the satellites and even the odd shooting star go past.
A wonderful photo sent by one of our guests of a meal they made from Yabbies
caught in the Dams.
Relax on the Deck
The two decks provide a great opportunity to sit back and relax. You can keep
an eye on the children (or Adults) enjoying the great spaces around the house.
Wine Tasting
The Pyrenees wine district is just down the road. Think about booking in advance if you want to have a lunch at one of the wineries, otherwise just pop in for wine tasting.
Birdwatching in the Central Victorian Goldfields
Guests who are avid, or amature, birdwatchers are well rewarded. One group of our guests commented "an avid birdwatcher and walker (we) saw 68 individual species of birds and observed that the area was an intersection for birds from south eastern Australia and the inland; hence so many sightings in a week."
Regional Markets
Each weekend there is a market in one of the nearby towns. Check the Welcome Stranger newsletter for details (available at one of the shops in town).
The standout of these is the Talbot Farmers Market on the third Sunday each month. A fantastic market for fresh regional produce.
Cycling & Mountain Biking
Think about bringing your bike. There are some really neat signed bush tracks around the Dunolly district, or you might just like to ride around the property, or surrounding state forest. Obviously, bring maps, a compass and appropriate clothing if you are heading out into the state forest. You can pick up maps of the bike tracks at either the Cockatoo Cafe or the Rural Transaction Centre in town.
Lots of people enjoy riding their road bikes around the district too.
Group Getaways
Ironbarks is great for groups wanting to spend some time together out of Melbourne. Either spending time walking around the property or surrounding bush, mountain biking through some of the local bush tracks, touring the Pyrenees wine district or just relaxing - Ironbarks has the space for your group.
Gold Prospecting.
Yep, they are still finding gold around Dunolly. If you’re
interested in going prospecting the best place to start is
Gold Search in Dunolly. Give them a call on
(03) 5468 1877 to book equipment in advance.
You need to get a prospecting licence too. Do a search on
"Prospecting" via the
Department of Sustainability
and Environment website to get
a licence.
Regional Tourism Info
A map of the Goldfields area might help you plan your trip. Exploring heritage towns such as Daylesford, Maldon, Maryborough, Dunolly, Castlemaine, Avoca, Ballarat and Bendigo are all great day trips. You might like to do the entire Goldfields Tourist Route.
Maldon has Steam Train Rides which are fun for the kids. Check out their timetable.
Weather Forecast
Dunolly’s weather seems to have a loose association with the North Central forecast provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
The Bureau of Meteorology updates its site frequently. Last time we looked they were showing Dunolly on the Melbourne weather radar.
The DSE has great information on the various forests in the Bendigo area, all accessible from Dunolly.
The region hosts a number of festivals which are fun for all the family. The White Hat website is a good source of information for what is going on.
Other ideas for getting out and about are available at the Visit Victoria Website and Backpack Victoria
Maldon Folk Festival
Ironbarks is a great option for those wanting self catered accommodation for the Maldon Folk Festival. Ironbarks is a 20 minute drive from Maldon. This year the festival is being held from October 29th to November 1st.
