out and about:
If you're going to treat yourself to a taste of the best of what Victoria has on offer - when it comes to saturated beauty, charm, country-style friendliness, and of course, personal indulgence - then Spa Country's Hepburn Springs is the place to go.
At only ninety minutes' drive north west of Melbourne, Hepburn Springs - and its next-door town of charm, Daylesford - make a day trip, a short break or a longer stay, both easy and accessible.
www.visitdaylesford.com.au
HISTORICAL HEPBURN BATHHOUSE AND SPA
Mineral Springs Reserve Road
Hepburn Springs VIC 3461
t: 03 5321 6000
e: info@hepburnbathhouse.com
w: http://www.hepburnbathhouse.com/
It’s not called ‘Spa Country’ up here for nothing. In Hepburn and Daylesford surrounds, mineral spas, health spas, indoor spas, and outdoor spas are in abundance.
But if you’re looking for authenticity, complete indulgence and a peak experience during your stay in Spa County, you can’t go past the historical Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa.
It’s been around for yonks, this place, and after its too-long hiatus while it underwent a transformation, Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa is back in full, glorious swing. And although you wouldn’t recognise it after its facelift, once you step inside this place you won’t want to leave in a hurry.
You'll still find the same friendly staff, a wide variety of therapies and experiences... but now with a little more schwank and style.
First up, there’s a mineral pool to die for. It is long, glorious, peaceful, perfectly tepid and almost ripple-free. There’s also a giant spa you and a whole bunch of others can be jostled about in.
For a few bucks more (less mid-week) you get to wear a fluffy bathrobe, slip-ons and a coloured wrist band that allows you total access to the public area and the ‘Sanctuary’.
As a band-wearer, you can venture through the glass doors where a more private spa awaits you; and instead of spending thousands of dollars to travel to the Dead Sea, you also have your own dense salt-float in the Sanctuary’s salt pool. (While you’re floating on your back, look up and you’ll see the sky through a large porthole, reminding you that outside, the other half are doing it tough.)
As well as these two band-wearing indulgences, your Sanctuary experience also includes – for as long as you can stand it – the mineral sauna room, which is hot hot hot!
After your soggy-salty-steamy indulgence, you can continue the extravagance and head towards the therapies area where you can be wrapped, massaged, floated, facial-ed... Anything your tired and weary body desires, they have it here at the bathhouse. And while you’re lounging around in your fluffy bathrobe, awaiting your therapy, tea will be served.
Is this heaven or what?
Check out this magnificent place and book in a therapy of your choice: http://www.hepburnbathhouse.com/
PS ...And if, like me, you forget your bathers, they’ve even thought of that! Buy your own or take your own. Either way, you’ll be glad you did.
DAYLESFORD SUNDAY MARKET
Raglan Street, Daylesford
t: 03 5348 3503
e: daylesfordrailway@yahoo.com.au
w: www.chtr.org.au
Before you leave the autumn leaves, summer sun, winter woods or spring flowers of Spa Country, make sure you drop in to the infamous Daylesford Sunday Market. Full of conviviality, joie de vivre, country spirit, toe-tapping music, farm fresh produce (including ‘bum-buster’ eggs and delicious, organic honey), this place captures the essence of community and fun.
Stock up your week’s produce and take a little bit of Daylesford back with you, collect some ancient collectibles, or eat your way around, from stall to stall. And if it’s footy season, you may even get to hear some local kids sing you your favourite team song. It’s all part and parcel of this great market.
(Rumour has it, if you want the top pick of all the good stuff, you need to get there early. Bumbusters included!)
MILL MARKET - DAYLESFORD
105 Central Springs Road, Daylesford Telephone: 5348 4332
If antiques and bric-a-brack are your thing, then you can't go past The Mill. (Actually, you can go past it quite easily; keep your eyes peeled as you head out of town towards Creswick; it's just past Fulcher Street, on the right.) Once inside this enormous 'shed', you'll think you've died and gone to heaven. This isn't the kind of place you drop into for a quick browse: it'll take you at least an hour to make it up a few of the aisles. (There are aisles-a-plenty here.) Either take a packed lunch, or snack out at the cafe that also resides under this one, big, enormous roof.
Told you it was big!
