Hiya Pals,
The rural city of Bendigo is the fourth largest city in Victoria. It has been known as a “city within a forest” being surrounded by lakes, reservoirs, wineries and gardens.

We honour that Bendigo is located on the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and the Taungurung Peoples of the Kulin Nation. They are the traditional custodians of this land.

Country Victoria has so many cities worth visiting, it just depends on what you’re after in a weekend away!

If you would like to know “How to spend a weekend in Bendigo” click ‘read more’

In this article, you’ll find: (click to be taken there)
The Basics: How to get there.
My Top Choices: What you should see.
My Recommendations: Mostly, where to eat.
Where to Stay: Where I stayed or where friends stayed.
What I did: My diary entry.

All my posts have a key:
⏰ Opening Hours. 📍Location 🕒Distance
💰Cost 🎫Ticket 📝 To note. 🎒What to bring.
♿ Accessibility 🌱Vegan / Veg Options.

THE BASICS

How to get to Ararat: From Melbourne.

🚃 Rail:

1h 58m | From 31st March 2023 vline is capped at $10 read here
– There is no Wifi on the Vline itself and may cut out at times. Make sure you’ve got something else to distract yourself; podcasts, books etc.

🚗  DRIVE: 2 h 31m 

Bendigo Visitor Centre

⏰  9:00 am – 17:00
📍  51-67 Pall Mall, Bendigo VIC 3550
💰  Free
♿ Yes

Situated in the Old Post Office, it showcases Victorian Architecture. It’s a good spot to learn from the volunteers and staff about what’s on in Bendigo. They’ll give you a map of the city and advise you which spots they recommend. They sell a range of postcards, and items from locals and have a museum off to the side showcasing local artists.

Bendigo Art Gallery

⏰ 10:00 – 17:00
📍 42 View St, Bendigo VIC 3550
💰 Free
♿ Yes

Founded in 1887, Bendigo Art Gallery is Australia’s oldest and largest regional gallery. With each new chapter of Bendigo, the Art Gallery has seemed to grow with a new wing and style to match. In 1998 it was fully refurbished. I found the art a great mix and to see a Kathryn Del Barton is always awe-inspiring.
I do have to mention though, that the gallery store was lacking and i do love a good gift store.

Poppet Head Lookout

⏰  9:00 – 18:00
📍  30 Gaol Rd, Bendigo VIC 3550
💰 Free
♿ The surrounds – not the tower.
The Poppet Head Lookout is originally from the Garden Gully United Mine and was installed in 1931. During the gold rush, flags used to be visible from the top to advise that mail had arrived.
Suggestion: Get a photo from the one down below to avoid the fence barricade.

Rosalind Park

⏰ 24 hours.
📍 30 Gaol Rd, Bendigo VIC 3550
💰 Free
♿ Yes
📝 Each autumn thousands of tulip bulbs are planted for spring.

Rosalind Park was a government camp, filled with deep freshwater pools before being transformed into the lush 60-acre gardens in 1851. When walking through you’ll be met with the grey-headed flying foxes. These are the largest of Australia’s four fruit bats.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

Wine Bank on View

📍 45 View St, Bendigo VIC 3550

In a heritage building constructed in 1876, this venue is coffee during the day, and wine at night. As a country town, Bendigo’s lunch stops early. Recommendation: try a pasta from the specials!

WHERE TO STAY

I just did a day trip, but if you were looking to spend the night there are a range of hotels and motels.
You could also check Airbnb. Click here (affiliate) for $55 AUD off your next trip!

WHAT I DID

We left melbourne around 9:30am and found free parking down by St Killian’s primrary school before walking the Bendigo Creek Trail through to Rosalind Park, where we gawked at hundreds of fruit bats. We stopped off at Bendigo Visitor Centre to grab some recommendations on where to spend our time.

We checked out chain “Storehouse Thrift Store” in which melboure prices ould never. While I didn’t grab anything, helly managed to grab a few bits. The Bendigo Art Gallery had on the ‘Women’s Weekly Exhibition’ which was for a slighty older demographic. The birthday cake book display was interesting to see.

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Grabbing a bite at Wine Bank on View, a pasta dish with roasted pine nutes, pumpkin with added arugula and feta. We climbed Poppet Head Lookout for the view. Walking back through the park, we stopped off at the Vinnies before making the drive back to Melbourne.

Other things to do:

• Bendigo Vintage Talking Tram.
• Central Deborah Gold Mine – underground tunnels of a real gold mine from the 1900s.
• Bendigo Pottery – workshops, cafe, museums and a store – this would have taken up our whole day. Recommended to book in advance.
• Golden Dragon Museum – check a blog post here.

Bendigo was a great little day trip.

Stay cool,
Sarah.