Daylesford and Hepburn Springs

Daylesford and neighbouring Hepburn Springs sit around 110km north-west of Melbourne in central Victoria, reached in about 1.5 hours by car via the Western Freeway and Midland Highway; public transport options are limited, making a car the practical way to visit. The twin towns hold the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia, centred on the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa at the Mineral Springs Reserve in Hepburn Springs, alongside boutique day spas, Lake Daylesford's walking track, the Convent Gallery housed in a restored 19th-century convent, and Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens. A typical day starts with a mid-morning soak at the Hepburn Bathhouse, booked well ahead since weekend sessions fill up weeks in advance, followed by lunch at one of the cafes on Daylesford's Vincent Street. The afternoon can be spent walking the loop around Lake Daylesford, browsing the Convent Gallery, or, on a Sunday, visiting the Lake Daylesford Market, which draws stallholders from across the region. The trip works year-round, with autumn showcasing the area's spa-town gardens at their most colourful and winter suiting the mineral springs, when a hot soak is most appealing against the cold. Food and rest stops cluster on Vincent Street in Daylesford and around the Hepburn Springs General Store, and travellers should bring their own swimwear and towel for the mineral pools, since on-site hire is available but limited.