St Arnaud
Pop. 3500, elevation 240mtr
Time to head 150klm south, to Daylesford, to meet up with the a group of friends who all have caravans, and have been neighbours for over 40years. We meet regularly, our children went to school together and we have had many memorable celebrations together.
A lovely open fire!
We stayed at St Arnauds Recreation Reserve. This is free camping located next to the Trots Racing Club, on the same road that runs past the town caravan park. St Arnaud is a former gold mining town, situated on the main route between Ballarat and Mildura. The town was settled in the mid-1850s. The reserve is situated on the old tailings, a process when mining for gold, the residual rock after crushing is disposed. We loved it. Approx 800mtr walk to the main street.
A picture of the old pool circa 1930, next to the reserve, must have been an impressive space for recreation all those years ago. The water authority now occupy the site for water treatment purposes. The main street and an old building sits above the open storm drain/creek at the rear of the shops.
An historic town with lots of character and wonderful period buildings. A drink and a bite to eat in one of the period pubs hits the spot.
A lovely region with rolling hills. It is named after French marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud. St Arnaud has a warm temperate climate, 32-40 deg days, with frosty winter nights and cooler days between 9-14 deg.
Daylesford
Pop 3000, elevation 616 mtr
All the vans set up, time for a chat, snack and a drink. Daylesford Holiday Park, is a tranquil park surrounded by trees, and a short walk from the town and the lake.
Daylesford is a town in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, , approximately 114 kilometres north-west of Melbourne. First established in 1852 as a gold mining town.
As one of Australia’s few spa towns, Daylesford is a notable tourist destination. The town’s numerous spas, restaurants and galleries are popular alongside the many gardens and country-house-conversion styled bed and breakfasts.
A visit to the old Convent Gallery. An old boarding school, run by nuns. We visited Lavandula Farm and had some lunch. It has a European-style stone buildings, cobbled courtyards and fragrant gardens reflect the influence of early Swiss-Italian settlers whose skills in farming and stonework helped shape the landscape we see now.
Ed & Rosemarie, Garry & Helen in the Lavender fields. Dave & Lorraine enjoying Daylesford
Trentham Falls worth a visit.
Some great local places to visit. 
Agricultural activity followed the gold rush, with many of the Chinese in the area also operating market gardens, and Italians in particular establishing vineyards.
A run, or a walk round the lake is beautiful, especially on a fresh misty morning.
Joe & Rita Doolan, part of our Dandenong North Community from the nineties, have a home in Daylesford. Great to catch up with them and their wonderful hospitality.
The Last Supper in Daylesford
