Being located in Central Victoria adds to the appeal of Heathcote. No matter which direction you head from the township and you’ll discover wonderful towns and villages offer a range of experiences.
Elmore
Set halfway between Bendigo and Echuca, Elmore might be small, but each October more than 60,000 visitors flood the town for the annual Elmore Field Days which is Victoria’s oldest and largest agricultural expo. For the rest of the year, Elmore is a pleasant, sports-conscious village where you can catch up with the past and present at the Campaspe Run Rural Discovery Centre.
Tooborac
Just 15kms south of Heathcote, this is a great place to visit local wineries and a fantastic boutique brewery. Tooborac has recently undergone a resurgence with the renovation of the Tooborac Hotel and the construction of a craft brewery. The 150 year old two storey bluestone and ironstone Tooborac Hotel & Brewery is a meeting place for locals and travelers alike. The small community take pride in their streetscape and the Tooborac Bird Baths are worth visiting to view a wide range of statues.
Toolleen
Head north of Heathcote to discover some of the region’s popular wineries. Enjoy the hospitality of the hosts at nearby Moss Valley Deer Park and be sure to check out the food at the local pub.
Graytown & Costerfield
These two old gold mining towns offer a wealth of history, but very little remains of their glory days. A drive along the road to Nagambie will take you to the former settlements. At Graytown, the Heathcote-Graytown National Park is accessed at Mount Black and Melville’s Lookout. Remnants of World War Two Internment Camps are also evident.
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Redesdale and Mia Mia
First visited by Major Mitchell in 1836, Redesdale is a small farming community on the road to Kyneton. He crossed the Campaspe River about 3kms from the present iron bridge. A handy location to experience local produce, locally-grown wines and the popular, local pub for a hearty meal.
Mia Mia is a picturesque area that is largely broadacre farms raising cattle and sheep. Mia Mia is notable for being the home of John Duigan and brother Reginald Duigan who built and flew the first Australian made areoplane in 1910 on their property named Spring Plains. And Burke and Wills passed through on their 1860 expedition.
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Lake Eppalock and Goulburn Murray Water
This wide sweeping lake is situated on the Campaspe River between Heathcote and Bendigo. It was made by man in 1961 as a water storage system for the surrounding region. Watersports and recreational activities like fishing are popular when the water levels are good like now. Goulburn Murray Water manage this vast water system.
Redcastle
North of Heathcote, Redcastle is an area that encompasses vast bushlands of Box-Ironbark and granite outcrops. It is in the heart of the Heathcote Wine Region.
Axedale
Situated midway between Bendigo and Heathcote on the Campaspe River, Axedale is a small township with a close-knit community. A picturesque golf course follows the river and the local hotel, wineries and accommodation properties add to the offerings.