Top tips for a weekend drive to Trentham
If the idea of a roaring log fire sounds more enticing than pounding surf this time of year, then the tiny town of Trentham in the Macedon Ranges is perfect for a mini tree-change from Melbourne.Trentham, Victoria
Close to: Melbourne. 95km via the Calder Freeway and Woodend.
Day or Weekend: Definitely the weekend. Stay at Trentham Lake Villas for couples or The Bales for groups of up to eight.
Hidden Gem: Trentham Falls (just out of town), especially after rain.
Everybody goes to: Redbeard Historic Bakery for a coffee and a slice.
Take home: A bag of spuds (and other farm-fresh produce) from one of the many local farm gates.
Trentham may be small with just over 1000 inhabitants but it packs a punch when it comes to a historical calm that makes nearby Daylesford look like Las Vegas.
Trentham made its mark during the 1850s gold rush and with its tree-lined streets and beautiful old buildings, you wouldn’t think much has changed.
Yet, looks can be deceiving because there’s plenty to do for an easy day or weekend trip away from the city. Beneath the shady verandas of the main street are a variety of lovely shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants perfect for strolling and browsing.
Eat and drink
Great food is a local drawcard and du Fermier restaurant (run by local chef and legend Annie Smithers) delivers the best: garden-fresh and cooked to share in a casual, French-café style rustic bistro.
Then there’s the recently refurbished Cosmopolitan Hotel, the colonial façade of which hides a big bar and restaurant, a cracking tasting room for local wines, one of Victoria’s best beer gardens and that roaring log fire you were looking for.
For a casual brekky or lunch and excellent coffee try The Trentham Collective on High Street, and if you want to take something tasty back for later, the Redbeard Historic Bakery’s sourdough is de rigeur in the Macedon area.
Wyld Thyme is another local favourite, with plenty of delicious treats as well as a café, wine bar and restaurant.
Shopping
Shopping? Glad you asked. Stroll down the main street and discover gems such as Phillip & Lea’s range of cooking and homewares (including exquisite French Mauviel copper pans), browse for antiques at Trentham Old Wares or if you need some life-sized fibreglass livestock or native fauna, you’ll naturally want to drop into Two Fat Wombats. No, seriously.
See and do
History buffs should sniff out the old police station with its slab-built old lock-up (behind the current cop shop), and if a spot of golf sounds tempting in the afternoon, the Trentham Golf Club is extremely picturesque and within walking distance of the town centre.
These days, locals are more likely to be grubbing for spuds than gold nuggets, and potato farmers will be celebrating with their annual Spudfest in the middle of town on Sunday 6 May 2017. Speaking of produce, on the third Saturday of each month the Trentham Farmers Market sells a cornucopia of locally produced comestibles.
Staying a little longer?
Trentham is definitely worth visiting for a day, but we bet you’ll want to stay for at least the weekend.
Not far out of town you’ve got Woodend, Kyneton and Hepburn Springs, but for something completely different try lunch or dinner (or just a glass or two) at Lyonville’s wonderfully quirky and eclectic Radio Springs Hotel (Hawaiian shirts are optional in the back beach bar).
If you like flowers (and who doesn’t?) head to the Spring Hill Peony Farm to pick up a bunch during spring or enjoy lunch at its annual picnic in November.
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