Description

----- Take your budget further and get 5% off when you use the code WELWIKI5 on your booking through the link on WikiCamps. Enjoy your experience! ----- Looking for gold? This is the tour for you. Depart Melbourne early for the 1 hr 30 min journey north to Ballarat. The first stop is Ballarat Wildlife Park, where you can see crocodiles, snakes, kangaroos and many other Australian animals. Then, it's on to Sovereign Hill, a historic precinct that brings to life the excitement of Australia's great 1850s gold rushes, providing a uniquely Australian experience and entertainment. Try your hand at panning for real gold and it's 'finders keepers.' Plus there's an underground gold mine (optional extra), street theatre and the opportunity to meet costumed goldfields characters. See a spectacular $150,000 gold pour and chat with skilled craftsmen at work in the blacksmith's forge, the candle works, the wheelwright's plant, the coach builder's and the confectionery factory. You'll also enjoy entry to The Gold Museum, which cares for and displays the extensive collections of the Sovereign Hill Museums Association. With over 150,000 items, the collections are used to tell the stories of Ballarat, the Victorian goldfields, and the extraordinary impact of the 19th-century gold rushes on Australia's national heritage. After you've had your fill of Victorian history, it's time for the journey back to Melbourne.