travel

30 comments

1. 30 Angela
   Aug 14th, 2008 at 9:53 am

   The drive from Melbourne airport through Lancefield & Romsey to Tooborac was stunning, the rock formations equal to the Devil’s marbles in NT and easily more accessible. But the next day when we saw the Pink Cliffs we wondered how this regional attraction could be a secret for so long and so close to Heathcote town!

2. 29 Melissa Labura
   Aug 13th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

   We stayed in Heathcote for 5 nights in June 08 and had a fabulous time. It was a great first holiday with our new baby boy who was 4 months old at the time. We stayed at Hut on the Hill which was very relaxing and had every comfort. We also went winery hopping to Munari, Shelmerdines, Armstead Estate, Flynns and McIvor Creek Winery - tasted some fantastic wines! We dined at Cellar & Store, Emeu In and Flynn’s - and all were delicious, especially Flynn’s with their Heathcotean Bistro menu which they matched with their own wines! I’ll be going back for sure and would recommend it to anyone. Plenty to do and see and great food and wine to boot!

3. 28 Sue & Greg
   Aug 12th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

   We recently spent a relaxing weekend in Heathcote which is only a 90 minute drive from Melbourne and stayed at the magnificent Hut on the Hill, just the place to get away from it all, ah the serenity..Dinner at the Tooboorac Hotel was the icing on the cake with great food to enjoy. We’ll be back!

4. 27 Bob Pitt
   Aug 12th, 2008 at 1:00 pm

   Last Novermber, I spent a very enjoyable several days at Hut on the Hill in Heathcote before a business trip to Melbourne. This was my first trip to Australia, and being an amateur astronomer, I wanted to stay in a location with dark skies relatively close to town. I brought my binoculars and a small travel telescope and was very pleased with the excellent accomodations and the wonderful skies. I hope to repeat this trip sometime in the near future!

5. 26 Steph & Cam
   Aug 12th, 2008 at 12:14 pm

   For a heavenly holiday we stayed at Hut on the Hill in Heathcote and enjoyed a weekend of blissful indulgence. From superb sunsets watching kangaroos to delicious dinners at the many local wineries, it was a weekend to remember and one to note in our diaries to return to see more of this interesting area .

6. 25 Natasha
   Jul 21st, 2008 at 3:35 pm

   I has a great experience in Heathcote. We went to a few wineries in the area, popped in to Cellar & Store which is a must and some of the other stores. Then we had lunch at Flynns Winery. What a great place with a operating cellar door & winery with a great little Bistro attatched what a lovely meal we had. Not to mention the wines….lots of great fresh produce from their garden. Will have to go back there again!!!!!

7. 24 Judy
   Jul 18th, 2008 at 12:41 pm

   Heathcote with its central location,is an ideal place to spend time.It is a very friendly town with lots of fantastic places to stay, plenty of local wines and food to sample & lots of sightseeing. Victoria’s Heartland !!!!!

8. 23 Gary Stuart
   Jul 17th, 2008 at 11:30 am

   Heathcote region has a very warm and friendly atmosphere, not to mention
   the wonderful wineries and small cafes selling their local produce. Making
   it a place to spend more time enjoying the walks and native animals and flora plus the local Gold mining History.

9. 22 John
   Jul 15th, 2008 at 10:30 pm

   Fantastic locale. Great big reds. Fantastic food and ambience at the Tooborac Hotel and Brewery. Only 45 minutes from the airport via Lancefield and Romsey. Amazing granite hills.

10. 21 Annette Benger
    Jul 14th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    I enjoyed visiting this region recently for a long weekend. You can spend some time driving around Castlemaine and other gold rush areas and then spend lunch in Heathcote at The Bank or Emeu and run round some very nice wineries in the Heathcote area. The Bank was lovely for lunch in a very stately old building and the people were really friendly across the board.

11. 20 Shannon
    Jul 14th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

    Great region with amazing wines. Lunch at ‘The Bank’ in Heathcote was fantastic! Simple, gourmet food made with local produce and a perfectly matched wine was the highlight of my trip. They even gave me tips for local wineries to visit that I might have otherwised missed!

12. 19 robyn lawther
    Jul 14th, 2008 at 11:57 am

    A very friendly place with many interesting ‘iddy biddy’ shops to sift through. The visit was made more enjoyable due to there being a market on the Saturday morning. Enjoyable eating places and just a short drive from Melbourne, Benalla and Echuca.

13. 18 Barry
    Jul 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am

    I loved Heathcote, the people were warm and friendly. The food at the Emu place didn’t agree with my constitution and neither did their service but the rest of the experience made up for it. Met some really nice local girls at the pub. The wine is fantastic.

14. 17 Janet
    Jul 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    My partner and I loved Heathcote. We walked through the liquid ambers holding hands and had a candlelit dinner at a beautiful historic bank building which is converted to a cafe and wine bar. The staff were friendly and the local art was beautiful. We overindulged in the local wine. We stayed at a local house in Palm Court, apparently that’s where all the action is. Can’t wait to go back…

15. 16 cate burns
    Jul 11th, 2008 at 11:18 am

    Bendigo and surrounds has so much to offer - great food and wine, and fantastic weather. The Art Gallery is amazing and secures exhibitions that don’t even make it to Melbourne - you just missed the Archibald Prize exhibit. In January there is going to be an exhibition from the V&A in London - the only venue to have the exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere! Go Bendigo!!!

16. 15 anne
    Jul 10th, 2008 at 2:37 pm

    Come to the best kept secert in Victoria it is a town called Heathcote where the best wines are grown for the wine drinkers, plus there is other attractions such as pink cliffs,mount ida lookout, veiwing rock, liquid ambers, and the historical buildings to see, and only one hour from Melbourne.

17. 14 marilyn lethlean
    Jul 9th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

    With pink cliffs and some of the best wine in the region.

18. 13 carol
    Jul 8th, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    Heathcote is a wonderful place with all the things to see and do in the area, many wineries in the region for the wine buff or a first timer, so come to Heathcote for a visit

19. 12 Jeanette Knight
    Jul 2nd, 2008 at 12:55 pm

    Heathcote’s proximity to Melbourne makes it an ideal drive of only 80 mins. The boutique wineries where you can talk to the winemakers on weekends, makes this region unique from the larger companies of other areas. Whilst in Heathcote browse around to find many treasures in town, or the many walks and trails in the parks surrounding Heathcote.

20. 11 kathleen thomas
    Jul 2nd, 2008 at 12:53 pm

    travel to heathcote and visit old minning sites and explore the pink cliffs

21. 10 Craig Aitken
    Jun 13th, 2008 at 9:39 am

    Over the past 10 years Heathcote wine region’s shiraz wines have established it as the premier red wine region in Victoria for that variety. Many consider that the Heathcote region performs on a par with the best from the Barossa Valley region.
    The Heathcote wine region can be reached from Melbourne in just over one hour’s drive.

22. 9 Elisabeth Smith
    Jun 10th, 2008 at 1:17 pm

    Bendigo Heritage uncorked
    Held on Sat October 11th 2008 this is a fantastic moveable wine festival. Experience the wines of the region and sample gourmet treats while strolling from one stunning heritage venue to the next.

23. 8 Kerri-Anne
    Jun 10th, 2008 at 11:11 am

    There are some fabulous restaurants in Bendigo - Gold Mines, The Wine Bank, The Boundary Hotel (for fabulous steaks!), Whirakee, just to name a few that we dined at. The coffee shops in View Street and Bath Lane are also great. The coffee shop attached to the back of the Art Gallery provides a beautiful view out onto the park surrounds.

24. 7 Kate Hicks
    Jun 10th, 2008 at 9:31 am

    The Heathcote region includes the townships of Heathcote, Redesdale , Mia Mia and Tooborac. There are many vineyards in the region with at least five cellar doors open every day, and more than 15 open on weekends. Dining and accommodation opportunites cover all budgets.

    There’s a National Park, several state forests, mining relics, and scenic countryside - and it’s just over 100 KM from Melbourne. Other Central Victorian towns such as Bendigo, Kyneton, Lancefield, Nagambie are only a short distance away. Heathcote is a great base for a holiday.

25. 6 Astrid Salter
    Jun 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    Heathcote’s wines
    Some of the most elegant wines Victoria has to offer in glorious settings over the great dividing range. Just over 110k from Melb.

26. 5 Anne & Tony
    May 30th, 2008 at 6:04 pm

    We discovered the very unique Hut on the Hill in Heathcote after a beautiful 90 mins drive from Melbourne. A hidden treasure away from everything in a peacefully beautiful setting right in the middle of the best shiraz wines we’ve ever tasted!

27. 4 Dean Connor
    May 29th, 2008 at 3:45 pm

    Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort & Spa
    Less than an hour’s drive from Melbourne, this impressive resort & spa offers 65 elegantly appointed spa suites, each with picturesque views over the vineyard and the undulating hills of the Yarra Valley. Facilities include Day Spa, Health Club, Indoor Heated Experience Pool, Restaurant, Conference & Function Facilities, Cellar Door, Tennis Court, Giant Chess Board and a walking trail.

28. 3 Trevor
    May 5th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    From goldfields to grapevines this region is an absolute gem for those seeking both a rich heritage experience and some of the best warm climate (red) wines in Australia.

29. 2 Obe
    May 1st, 2008 at 12:47 pm

    Some of the best Shiraz in Australia!

30. 1 Erica Rosat
    Apr 23rd, 2008 at 8:18 pm

    You could spend a week visiting the numerous excellent boutique wineries around Bendigo and come come back for more!