The Countryside of Victoria, Australia

Daylesford, Blampied, Hepburn Springs, Trentham Falls

Rolling green hills, eucalypt forests, small towns, and vibrant gardens are what you'll find just a few hours from the city of Melbourne. It was a delightful change of pace and a refreshing experience filled with pristine nature and marvelous people.

Daylesford

I took a train and a bus to stay with Malcolm & Ruth, a couple in their 80's who have a small permaculture garden and orchard at their cottage in Daylesford. In exchange for 4 hours of garden work in the morning, my hosts provided me with meals and accommodation.

During my stay, these grandparent figures taught me about Australian history, wildlife, aboriginal culture, leather shoemaking, and more from lived experience. They had so many interesting stories and helpful advice, going above & beyond to make me feel welcome.

They even organized for me to go on a hike with the local bushwalking group one morning. I couldn't have chosen better hosts to start out this journey.

Like I said in a previous post, I use HelpX to connect with local hosts.

A Progressive Small Town

Daylesford is known for hosting one of the largest LGBTQ+ events in the country, the Chillout Festival. It follows the Sydney Pride Parade every year and attracts thousands to enjoy an inclusive weekend of live music, comedy, drag shows, and more.

Otherwise, it's a charming tourist town with a little main street of independent shops, cafés, & bakeries. But rumor has it there are world-famous chefs in the area, so don't be fooled; you can find an incredibly high-class culinary experience in this seemingly sleepy corner of Victoria.

The town is surrounded by foresty nature reserves and small farms. The residents seem closely connected through local events & meetings, and many nurture their own gardens (the area has incredibly fertile soil).

In fact, one of the co-creators of permaculture lives locally! It's no wonder Daylesford and surrounding communities have adopted such healthy principles for living with the land.

The Sunday Market

Every weekend, the community gathers at the outdoor market to share their crafts and bounty. You'll find fresh produce, meats, flowers, pastries, handmade art, clothing, and all kinds of other things.

The day I went, I purchased some delicious spelt bread. That's when I met Mara.

Mara is the owner of a permaculture farm & cooking school called Village Dreaming. We got to talking at the market and she invited me to come to Orto (her farm) once my current work exchange ended. I said yes with little idea of what I was getting into!

Blampied (Orto)

After I packed up at Ruth & Malcolm's, Mara picked me up in her electric car and drove about 15 minutes west to her farm in Blampied. I was immediately WOW'ed.

"This is so beautiful!" I said, impressed, as we walked through the ivy-covered outdoor walkway and into the sunroom, where she holds her workshops. The green, hilly view outside went on for miles in the summer sunshine.

The workshops she hosts are aimed at teaching others traditional skills & artisanal crafts like soap making, foraging, food preserving, and cooking classes.

Her house has a rustic Italian feel, with a minimal design and a clear intention for sustainability. Every detail of the home & garden has a specific purpose, or often, multiple purposes, intelligently thought-out for minimum waste and maximum use.

Not to mention the dreamy aesthetic!

The most impressive part is that they bought the land with nothing on it, meaning her family planted every tree & garden, built every structure, and even created a healthy wetland in one portion of the property themselves. They truly nurtured a piece of paradise into being, which they share with many people, including travelers like myself. Inspiring.

Time moved slower while I was there. We did everything from scratch, reminiscent of old ways. We fed the chickens & pigs, harvested vegetables, fresh herbs, & flowers, and cooked every meal together with simple yet flavorful ingredients.

We milled flour for the bread dough, made fresh pesto for the homemade pasta, and hand-ground the coffee each morning. We even swam naked in the wetlands one hot afternoon. It was such a robust experience, every sense sharply engaged.

There were two other travelers, Christina & Freya from Germany, that arrived at the farm a day or two after me. We quickly bonded as Mara's helpers. We all loved to sing, so I borrowed the house guitar and we made LOTS of music. We shared meals with the family, picked wildflowers, and had many laughs & great conversations.

Between Mara's motherly wisdom, the kindness of her daughters, and connecting with Christina & Freya, I experienced a profound feminine medicine I didn't know I needed.

The beauty all around me and the authenticity of the lifestyle there helped me to relax & enjoy myself with more abandon than ever. I'm so grateful for the time I spent at Orto.

Hepburn Springs

I was lucky enough to make a local friend who offered to take me on a scenic drive through the surrounding areas, including Hepburn Springs.

If you know me, you may know I have a fascination with springs - and not only the hot ones (although they're the best). I just think it's neat that each spring in the world is distinctive by a range of factors. Does it trickle or gush out of the ground? At what temperature? Which unique minerals does it contain that cause a smell, taste, or colors to appear?

And it helps that they're often found in beautiful places. So, naturally, I was excited to see what Hepburn Spring was all about.

These springs are unlike any I've seen because they're naturally carbonated! From what I gathered, the geologic processes of this volcanic area cause the water to be pushed through lots of porous rock, which puts lots of tiny bubbles in it.

There were about five separate springs we walked to and tried, each one tasting a little different from the last due to the varying minerals. It felt like a wine tasting, but with mineral water. So unique!

There is also the Hepburn Springs Bathhouse with warm pools for soaking. I found their prices to be outrageous (starting at $55 for 1 hour of soaking), so I didn't get in. We did, however, take a tour of the place.

It had a high-end spa atmosphere with a minimal, modern aesthetic. Natural light came from large windows that opened to the forest & river. As we walked further into the building, the rooms and pool sizes got smaller, more private, and more expensive.

Trentham Falls

We also went on a short, faerie-core bushwalk at Trentham Falls.

The spring rains had made the forest lush with greenery and the river was flowing strong & powerful. As we neared the giant falls, mist sprayed heavily around us and the water roared. It reminded me of Oregon!

When we walked up to the top of the waterfall, we found a giant redwood amongst the eucalyptus trees. Thick green grasses and little wildflowers lined the sparkling clear river and colorful parrots flew through patches of sunlight overhead. Talk about magical.

Conclusion

I learned so much during my stay in this picturesque corner of Victoria and got a heaping dose of nature's beauty. I highly recommend the Daylesford area to anyone interested in sustainability, permaculture, organic cooking, and/or exploring nature.

The community there is welcoming, creative, and progressive while still showing reverence for history and simpler ways of living.

There are also a ton of trails to hike with plenty of kangaroos, wallabies, and other wildlife to see! I absolutely loved this leg of my journey. Thanks for reading!

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