Hi!
welcome to my blog, I hope you have a lovely time here.
Love Anna x
welcome to my blog, I hope you have a lovely time here.
Love Anna x
For a day trip just out of Melbourne, I’d highly recommend this cluster of towns on the edge of the Lerderderg State Park. We tend to do this trip every few weeks, be it to stock up on mineral water in Blackwood, swim in the Lerderderg River in summer, amble through the gorge in winter, but mostly, to visit this region’s incredible Op Shops!
Your first stop on this itinerary is Bacchus Marsh, a lovely little town a 1 hour drive from Melbourne. It boasts 3 beautiful country town Op Shops, beginning with the Bacchus Marsh Hospital Op Shop, which is oh so cute! We’ve found so much treasure there over our many jaunts. The Salvos in Bacchus Marsh is probably one of my top 5 Salvos in Melbourne and it’s beautifully decked out with loads of retro goodies and a great bric-a-brac section. And they’re always playing cool 60’s music. I love visiting this store and always find treasure there. Then just around the corner is a really lovely Vinnies too.
From here, we cruised over to Ballan, which is a 20 minute drive away. I use the word quirky a lot, but Ballan is super quirky, with everything from trees to lamp posts to entire verandahs that have been yarn-bombed, so it’s always bursting with colour when you drive in. It has 3 amazing Op Shops, all independently owned and full of character, just like the town itself. Two of the Op Shops have cafes in them and Frankie and I loved our brekkies from the Thrifty Minx, so it comes highly recommended.
Another 20 minutes up the road and you’re in the sleepy town of Blackwood. There is a cute cafe - Martin Street Roasters, which has a lovely fireplace and a polished menu, but you’ll have to be here during the week as it’s closed on weekends. Next door is the post office where you can buy second hand lamps, vinyl, soap, groceries and if you’re in need of a bite, they have toasties and pies. They have a lovely outdoor seating area with views out over the forested valley below, so grab your toastie and head on out. Across the road is a pub which serves meals on the weekends, but you can grab a drink and enjoy it by the roaring fireplace.
Then it’s time to head down to the ultimate forest gem right in the middle of town, the Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve. It’s situated on the clear Lerderderg River, so great come summer or winter. We took in a 30 litre container and filled it up with mineral water from the spring across the bridge while the kids played at the playground. There are BBQ’s, fire pits and picnic areas all around and we come here in winter to collect water and roast marshmallows on the fire. There’s a walk up to Shaw’s Lake or you can drive to O’Briens Crossing and walk along the gorge from there. In spring, the wildflowers here are beautiful.
Right next to the reserve is the Blackwood Mineral Springs and Holiday Park. You can rent retro caravans here for $60 a night and enjoy an open fire right outside them on those cool nights.
Martin Street Coffee Roasters
Blackwood - 21 Martin St, Blackwood VIC
DIRECTIONS
Blackwood Hotel
22 Martin Street
Salvos
120a Main St, Bacchus Marsh VIC
Closed Sundays - DIRECTIONS
Vinnies 8 Grant Street , Bacchus Marsh VIC
Open Sundays 10 - 4pm - DIRECTIONS
Bacchus Marsh Hospital Ladies Auxillary Op Shop
Gell street, Bacchus Marsh
you can find this op shop behind the Salvos beyond the car park.
Silver Linings Op Shop
Holts Lane, Baccush Marsh
Steptoes Op Shop
111 Inglis St, Ballan VIC
Open Friday & Saturdays, closes at 3pm
DIRECTIONS
Thirfty Minx Op Shop & Cafe
25 Fisken St, Ballan VIC
DIRECTIONS
Ballan Op Shop & Cafe
159 Inglis St, Ballan VIC
DIRECTIONS
Ballan Farmers Market
On the first Saturday of each month (not January) in the main street of Ballan, from 9.00am till 1.00pm
Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve
41 Golden Point Reserve, Blackwood
Great for swims in summer and walks in winter, plus there a playground for the little ones. The river might be low if there hasn’t been any rain for a while. There’s a short walk up to Shaw’s Lake that’s good for toddlers and BBQ’s, fire pits, multiple picnic areas and toilets.
Lerderderg State Park
There are multiple entrances to the Lerderderg State Park, with a great walk to O’Briens Crossing good from the Blackwood side. It’s not a loop so you’ll have to head back out the way you came and it you plan on making it to the crossing, it’s a few hours in.
There’s also great swimming at MacKenzies Flat and Graham’s Dam, which is reachable from Bacchus Marsh.
Blackwood Mineral Springs Holiday Park
41 Golden Point Road, Blackwood
$60 a night for a retro caravan.
* The best days to hit all the ops while they are all open is a Friday or Saturday
* Don’t let a rainy day discourage you from doing this day trip, the rain was beautiful and there were lots of places to seek shelter while we waited for our mineral water.
* Take a big container to fill up with mineral water - it tastes beautiful, a little like soda water (takes a while to fill)
* Take a few changes of clothes for the kids!
* Leave a donation at Blackwood Mineral Springs Holiday Park ✌️
All photos by me Pixie Rouge Photography
Film by my husband Pale Forest Films
