Ballarat And Surrounds Including Begonia Festival

Day 1

Home - Ballarat
Following your flight into Melbourne, join your AAJ crew as we travel to Ballarat, Victoria's largest inland city. Visit Ballarat Art Gallery, the oldest and largest gallery in regional Australia. See its extensive history of Australian art from the colonial period to today, before settling into our accommodation for the next five nights.

Day 2

Ararat
Today we travel to Ararat where our first stop will be J Ward at Ararat's Old Gaol and Lunatic Asylum. A guided tour will tell the stories of prison life and the history of the criminals imprisoned there. After lunch, visit Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre and discover the story around the birth of the City and the struggles and difficulties faced by the miners on the Victorian Goldfields.

Day 3

Sovereign Hill
Spend the day immersed in the 1850s at Sovereign Hill, a goldfields town with shops, a theatre, schools, factories and underground mines to explore. Take time to purchase your own morning tea and lunch while discovering this museum brought to life by costumed characters and working exhibits. Return to our motel with time to freshen up before dinner.

Day 4

Daylesford - Hepburn Springs
Our journey today takes us to some unique destinations. Visit the Cricket Willow and see the masters create the cricket bat from bud to bat. Indulge the chocoholic within at the Chocolate Mill and explore Daylesford and Hepburn Springs. This afternoon, a stop at Creswick Woollen Mills concludes a diverse day of touring.

Day 5

Ballarat Begonia Festival And Sovereign Hill Light Show
This morning we'll take the time to become better acquainted with the City of Ballarat on a guided town tour. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at the Ballarat Begonia Festival, jam packed with entertainment, free activities and all the fun of the fair. Wander through the brilliant floral displays, gather those important gardening tips, explore the market stalls and purchase your own lunch from one of the many food outlets. Late afternoon, we will return to our motel for dinner before returning to Sovereign Hill for the Sound and Light Spectacular - Aura. This 90 minute, multi-sensory theatre experience uses 3D technology that allows you to feel the vibrations as stars explode in front of your eyes, watch as the land as it's transformed by the gold rush, and dive into the chaos of the Eureka Rebellion as you witness the creation and discovery of the world's most precious metal.

Day 6

Eureka Centre - Home
Enjoy a relaxed start to the day before a visit to the Eureka Centre. The centre is located on the site of the 1854 Eureka Stockade and is home to the remains of the original Eureka Flag. Later we enjoy lunch at a local club before making our way to Melbourne Airport, where our crew will assist with your check in ready for your flight home.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner