Sovereign Hill & Wildlife Park

OVERVIEW

Take a full-immersion trip back to Gold Rush days in a town that never left them, and tour a wildlife park where the fauna roams free. This adventurous day begins with a 90-minute drive to the town of Sovereign Hill, a true living museum where the shops, miners’ huts, cottages, hotels and other buildings all carefully replicate the style of the 1850s, when gold dust and nuggets were how you paid your bar bill. Informative displays document daily life in the era and the craft and jewelry shops offer similar goods to those sold during the Rush. Lunch will be served at a popular local eatery before moving on to historic Ballarat – it’s a larger city, full of showy architecture built with the considerable wealth hauled out of the ground after the first strike was discovered nearby in 1851. On a drive through the charming city center, your driver will point out Ballarat’s most notable highlights, including impressive botanical gardens planted along the shore on Lake Wendouree at the peak of the era. Later, on a visit to Ballarat Wildlife Park, you’ll encounter free-roaming kangaroos, koalas, emus, Tasmanian devils, wombats and other iconic Aussie animals.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach across scenic Victoria terrain to the area where the Gold Rush of the 1850s began.
• Step into a living time capsule in Sovereign Hill, a perfectly recreated gold mining town – right down to the stagecoaches and spittoons.
• Wander period streets, browse period shops, and enjoy lunch served with modern utensils at a popular restaurant.
• Enjoy a guided drive through the historic center of Ballarat, the actual town where the Rush began.
• Visit Ballarat Wildlife Park and stroll among kangaroos, koalas, wombats and other native Aussie fauna.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.