Need a quick weekend escape? It’s the perfect time of year for a day in country Victoria. Here’s a few suggestions for a refreshing day out, mostly within two hours of Melbourne, and all with a good excuse to enjoy the drive.
Pack a picnic
…for a day at the races.
Country racing has a different feel to a day at the big tracks. It’s a little more relaxed, and there’s plenty of room to spread out with a picnic and enjoy the atmosphere.
Yea’s Larnoo Spring Spectacular on 17 October is a great example, with six races, live music, children’s activities and shaded picnic areas. At around 1 hour 40 minutes from Melbourne, it’s a proper country outing without being an epic journey.
Prefer to head south-east? Balnarring’s Champions Day on 7 November offers another chance to enjoy picnic racing on the Mornington Peninsula. Or head to Healesville for Derby Day Picnic Racing on 31 October and make a day of the Yarra Valley.
Take a ride
…or several.
If your idea of a country day involves fairy floss, showbags, livestock, sheep dog trials, showjumping and the possibility of getting dizzy on a ride, a country show might be just the ticket.
The Seymour Show, running 2–3 October, celebrates all the things that make a traditional country show great: horses, cattle, goats, alpacas, dogs, baking, crafts, produce, flowers and plenty more. There’s even an Animal Grand Parade.
Later in the season, the Castlemaine & District Agricultural Show on 30-31 October or the Kyneton Agricultural Show on 20–21 November are good reasons to point the car towards the Goldfields or Macedon Ranges.
And if you’re happy to make the drive a little longer, put the Boort Show on the calendar for Saturday 10 October. It’s a proper country show featuring my personal favourite event on the calendar (outside of the edible necklace competition, of course): the speed shear event. There’s something special about watching a skilled shearer work their way through a sheep at impressive speed, and it’s exactly the sort of thing you don’t get on an average weekend in the city.
Wander somewhere wonderful
…and stop to smell the roses.
Spring is made for garden visiting, and Open Gardens Victoria gives us a great excuse to peek behind the gates of some beautiful private gardens.
On 24–25 October, La Colline in Harcourt North opens its gates. The rambling country garden surrounds a beautifully renovated 1917 farmhouse, with orchards, magnificent trees, granite outcrops, spring flowers and views across the Harcourt Valley.
If the Surf Coast is calling, Moriac Heights in Paraparap opens on 31 October and 1 November. Set within a 120-acre farm, the 1.5-acre garden combines cottage planting, natives, a productive garden, garden art and wonderfully rural touches including a silo mural and vintage farm machinery.
This little piggie
…went to market.
Sometimes the best destination is simply somewhere you can buy something delicious to bring home.
The Trentham Farmers’ Market is held on the third Saturday of each month, with local dairy, honey, eggs, preserves, sourdough, olives, flowers and plenty more. The Trentham Railway Precinct Market follows on Sunday 25 October, making the town a particularly tempting double-header for a weekend wander.
Or pick a market closer to home, then keep driving. Stop for lunch, take the scenic route, explore a town you’ve never visited and resist the temptation to buy something enormous that you’ll have to somehow fit in the boot.
Before you hit the road
A day in the country is a lot more enjoyable when the car is happy too. If your service is due, or you’ve noticed a new noise, warning light, leak or anything else that doesn’t quite seem right, it’s worth getting it checked before you head off.
At Cox Auto, we service and repair with specialist diagnostics, straightforward advice and a complimentary loan car to help keep you moving.
So check the tyres, fill the tank, pick a direction and enjoy the drive. Sometimes you don’t need to go far to feel a long way from the rat-race.
Ready to get your car sorted for that country roadtrip? Book your next service now.
