Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GOLDFIELDS TOWNS
As splendid as Ballarat and Bendigo are, to really appreciate this part of the world you
need to get out and explore the country towns and former gold-mining relics that make up
central Victoria. Touring the likes of Castlemaine, Kyneton, Maldon and Maryborough -
and the tiny communities in between - will give you a good understanding of the incredible
growth and inevitable decline of the gold towns, but you'll also pass through gorgeous
countryside and an increasingly flourishing (and trendy) wine and food region. Head north
of Melbourne along the Calder Hwy (M79 and A79) to start the journey.
GOLDEN TRIANGLE TOURING
The so-called central Victorian 'Golden Triangle' has yielded plenty of gold over the years and is still popular with
prospectors and fossickers using metal detectors.
The world's largest alluvial nugget, the 72kg Welcome Stranger, was found in Moliagul in 1869, while the 27kg
Hand of Faith (the largest nugget found with a metal detector) was found near Kingower in 1980. A good touring
route starts in Castlemaine or Maryborough and heads up to the historic town of Maldon. From there take the back
road through the farmland and canola fields of the Loddon Valley to Dunolly. It was here that miners John Deason
and Richard Oates first brought the Welcome Stranger nugget, where it was cut into pieces because it was too big
to fit on the scales! See a replica of the nugget and the anvil it was cut up on at the
Goldfields Historical Museum
( 03-5468 1405; Broadway, Dunolly; adult/child $4/0.20; 10am-3pm Tue & Wed; 1.30-4pm Sat & Sun) .
Dunolly's main street is lined with historic buildings and you can hire metal detectors in town for $45 a day. From
here it's a pleasant drive to Moliagul, where signs point to the Moliagul Historic Reserve and the
Welcome
Stranger Memorial
, erected in 1897 roughly where the nugget was unearthed. Moliagul is also known as the
birthplace of Reverend John Flynn, the founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the world's first air-ambulance
service that still brings medical care to remote corners of rural Australia. It's a further 15km east to Tarnagulla, an-
other interesting old mining town, and from there it's an easy drive back to Maldon or across to Bendigo.
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Kyneton
POP 4460
Kyneton, established a year before gold was discovered, was the main coach stop between
Melbourne and Bendigo, and the centre for the farmers who supplied the diggings with
fresh produce. Today Piper St is a historic precinct lined with bluestone buildings that have
been transformed into cafes, antique shops, museums and restaurants.
