Victorian Goldfield Ride
Australian Motorcyclist Magazine touring maps take you on short and enjoyable rides to all sorts of places, all over Australia. Our map, by courtesy of Hema Maps, shows all the detail you will need but there is also a description for both the shorter and longer routes below.
Don’t forget the Hema Maps Australia Motorcycle Atlas, available from map shops and many bookshops; it features many other outstanding motorcycle rides. We owe a lot of the detail information below to Andrew Percy, whose research talents are indeed legion!
This is a pleasant one day ride of less than 250km that should take about four hours if you don’t stop. But of course part of the point is to stop and enjoy what’s along the way, so we’ve listed some of it below.
The ride begins in Bacchus Marsh and ends at the roundabout just off the Calder Freeway at the foot of Mt Macedon. We don’t know where you live in Melbourne, so we thought we’d leave it open to you how you get to the start, and home from the end. Obviously the ride can be done the other way around.
We have also shown a shorter, half day ride between the same points. It is just over 90km long and should take about an hour and a half, once again if you don’t stop. Needless to say you will have to add the time it takes you to get to Bacchus Marsh and then home from Mt Macedon to the times in both cases.
ROUTE DESCRIPTION (MAGENTA)
Head south out of Bacchus Marsh on the C704 and turn right into Glenmore Road. This leads you through a pretty little valley to a terrific set of corners past Yaloak Vale, taking you to the top of the plateau. Turn right into the C141 and then left to Mt Egerton. Continue to the Midland Highway, the C300, and follow that to Buninyong. You can continue along the Midland Highway, but we’d suggest turning onto the C294 back road at the roundabout in the middle of Buninyong, to Ballarat.
It’s signposted to Mt Clear and Ballarat. In Ballarat, turn right into Victoria Street and then left into Water Street. This is the C292 which will take you under the freeway and all the way up to Newlyn, where it rejoins the Midland Highway. Stay on the highway to Daylesford, and then take the Hepburn Springs road north.
Continue to Frankinford and straight ahead (signposted to Castlemaine) to rejoin the Midland Highway once again. In Castlemain, turn right into the Pyrenees Highway, the B180, and follow it to Elphinstone, just before the Calder Freeway junction. Turn right into the C794, the old Calder Highway. At Malmesbury, take the Calder Freeway south for a short distance before turning off into the C793 to Kyneton. At the T intersection in Kyneton, turn right and continue as this road becomes the C318. There’s a little bit of a dogleg where the C318 continues towards Trentham; make a short left and right to Central Road and continue south to meet the C317. Turn east and continue to Woodend, where you will meet the Calder Highway. Turn left.
Turn right into the C324, signposted to Romsey. This takes you over the freeway. Take a left into the Lancefield road, the C, and then an immediate right into the C322, signposted to Hanging Rock and Mt Macedon. This is a loop that takes you a little out of your way, but it does take you past Hanging Rock, as in that picnic movie. You can now stay on the C322 to the end of our ride, but I would suggest the short detour to the memorial Cross at the top of Mt Macedon, along the C328 or Cameron Drive. The C322 takes you through Mt Macedon township, and then you’re at the roundabout that marks the end of our ride. The Calder Freeway is ahead of you and it will, presumably, take you home. Thank you for joining us on this, the first Australian Motorcyclist tear-out map ride.
ALERNATIVE ROUTE (GREEN)
If you don’t have time for our longer ride, just head west out of Bacchus Marsh on the C602 and join the Western Freeway to the C318 turnoff to Greendale. From here it’s a terrific ride up to Blackwood – a little way off the road – and then on to Trentham. Stay on the C318 going north, and then turn right into the C317 at Tylden. That will connect you with our longer route just before Woodend. Follow the instructions above from there. It’s just over 90km and should take about an hour and a half if you take it easy.
ALONG THE WAY
BACCHUS MARSH
With its tree-lined streets, Bacchus Marsh is a green oasis in the sometimes rather brown paddocks along the Western Freeway. Maddingley Park makes a pleasant stop, and The Young and Main pub on the corner of Bacchus Marsh Road (the main road of town) and Young Street (you can see where the name came from) did a terrific beef and Guinness pie the last time we ate there. The various back roads from here to Ballarat are sometimes a bit straight, but relatively empty of traffic and potentially quite fun. The Yaloak Vale climb is a favourite of the Ducati Club, so watch out for bright red bikes! Ballarat The quintessential gold town, Ballarat celebrates its history with Sovereign Hill, a recreation of a gold rush town. The original Eureka flag is on display at the Art Gallery of Ballarat at 40 Lydiard Street. For breakfast or lunch, we recommend L’Espresso at 417 Sturt Street, open every day of the week at 7am. The George Hotel in Lydiard Street North is keen to have you call in. Established in 1854, the George is Ballarat’s second licensed hotel. It is within walking distance to the Fine Art Gallery and Ballarat Visitor Information Centre as well as cafes, restaurants and city shopping. The Hotel offers luxury, serviced accommodation in a traditional hotel atmosphere. The ride from Ballarat up to Daylesford offers all the best of Victorian roads – variety of surveying, with different corners, quietly wonderful scenery and a general relaxed bucolic feel. Road surfaces are not always brilliant, so take care. The downhill run into Daylesford is superb.
DAYLESFORD
Potentially a bit crowded on weekends and in holiday time, Daylesford is still worth a visit. Best known as a spa town, it has good cafés along the main street, but we recommend Cliffy’s for tucker, through town at 30 Raglan Street (the Midland Highway). We like the road through Hepburn Springs and Franklinford, but the Midland Highway is a good run too.
CASTLEMAINE
Pronounced “kesselmayne”, or so I’ve been told, this is the self-proclaimed hot rod centre of Australia. Good on them. Tourism is the watchword in Castlemaine, so there are many choices for coffee or a meal, but we recommend Saff’s Café at 64 Mostyn Street. The Victorian Goldfields Railway runs steam trains between Castlemaine and Maldon (www.vrg. com.au or 03 5470 6658) but during serious fire danger, the loco may be a diesel instead. Once again it’s a pleasant run down to Kyneton, avoiding the freeway as much as possible by sticking to the old Calder Highway.
KYNETON
Well known to Melbourne foodies, Kyneton claims the title of “Country Victoria’s Culinary Capital” and who are we to argue? We like Inner Biscuit Café at 34 Piper Street for lunch, open Thursday to Monday. We also like the general feel of the place. Once again we manage to stay off the freeway on our way down to Woodend.
WOODEND
Much more pleasant since the freeway took most of the through traffic, Woodend is now a terrific place to stop for a coffee or a meal. We particularly like the Holgate Brewhouse, on the corner of High Street (the Calder Highway) and Anslow Street. This big red building offers good and interesting food and some outstanding beers. And no, I’m not going to warn you about drinking and riding. We work on the assumption that our readers are grownups. The rest of this ride is just wonderful, both on the way up to Mt Macedon and down the other side. Have fun, take care and we’ll see you for the next Tear-out Map Ride. Oh, I nearly forgot: the alternative route!
BLACKWOOD
A peaceful little place, Blackwood offers the Blackwood Hotel and St Erth Café for refreshment stops.
