Goldfields
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Towns
Central Goldfields
Loddon
Victorian Pyrenees
Macedon Ranges
Understand
For a period of time immigrants came from all over the world for the new gold rush in the Victorian hills north of Melbourne. The gold rush has long past (leaving a legacy of architecture in Melbourne and the surrounding towns), but there is much history to experience in this easy day trip from Melbourne.
See
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Hanging Rock Recreation Reserve
phone: +61 418 373 032 (ranger)The 1975 film Picnic at Hanging Rock, directed by Peter Weir, has made this awe-inspiring location famous. According to the plot, widely believed by many (erroneously) to be a true story, during a private school excursion, two school girls and a teacher went missing from the Rock on Valentine's Day 1901, with no trace of them ever found. The area is well developed, with walking trails, lookouts, interpretive displays, large picnic areas and barbecues, and a cafe. A short exploration of the area with its crevices and sharp drops will show you how easy it would be to disappear here. There is little danger staying on the well marked trails though. Take a picnic.