Great Summer Travel Escapes: Ballarat, Australia

If you are looking for a great place to take your family this summer for vacation, set your travel plans for Ballarat, Australia. Ballarat is on the southern end of Australia, not too awfully far from Melbourne in the state of Victoria. What is so cool about Ballarat is that it has something for everyone in the entire family, and enough to keep you busy for a good week or more.

If you are driving into Ballarat from the Melbourne airport, the first stop you will want to make is going to be Kryal Castle on the outskirts of town. there is a big billboard marking the turn-off so you can't miss it if you are paying any attention at all. This is not a true Medieval castle, the guy who built it had dreamed of owning such a castle since his childhood. He went off and made his fortune with import-exports and came back to build Kryal Castle in the early 1970s. Apparently the townsfolk of Ballarat fought against this 3-million dollar project, but he went on with it anyway. Today Kryal Castle is a bustling tourist attraction complete with rooms full of Medieval weaponry, armor, models of ships, a great gift shop, costumed shows, and even a huge statue of Sir George and his dragon. Entry is about 20au.

Inside the town of Ballarat you will find their main claim to fame: Sovereign Hill. At this tourist attraction the whole family can pan for gold, take a tour through an actual gold mine, have a game of old fashioned bowling, watch wonderful street musicians & other performers, watch the copper smith make pans and stuff... it is just a full day of oohing and awing. Ballarat is the site of Australia's gold rush in the 1850s, and Sovereign Hill is dedicated to recreating that exciting time in Australian history. If you get hungry, there are several places to eat within the complex from cheap touristy junk to fine restaurants, and they even have a hotel inside the property if you want to stay for the really cool shows they have at night. I'm not sure how much the hotel runs per night, but entrance to Sovereign Hill is $33.50au ($16au for kids.)

The birth of democracy in Australia began on the 3rd of December in 1854. What lead up to this was the discovery of gold in Ballarat in 1850, and the subsequent oppression of the diggers by the country's administration. These men reached the breaking point that day, and at dawn began a rebellion. Thirty men died, but the result was the overthrow of tyranny. The Eureka Center stands at the site of this bloodbath. This is a very educational spot for young and old alike, with frequent re-enactments out behind the building. This is a free attraction, but you can leave donations at several spots if you like. the gift shop is a tad pricey, but they have some cool stuff. There is also a Visitor's Center on premises to pick up brochures and advice on what else to do in Ballarat and various other nearby Australian attractions.

The Ballarat Wildlife Park will be one of the hi-lights of your trip to Australia. The park may be smaller than other attractions, but petting and feeding free-running kangaroos & Wallabies is an experience worth 2 or 3 times the 19au price of adult admittance. Here you can see a Tasmanian Devil, koalas, wombats, alligators, echidnas, eagles... and of course oodles of those wonderfully friendly wallabies and kangaroos. A bag of feed is an additional 2au each, but go ahead and splurge on several of them. Otherwise, you will find yourself running back to the gift shop later for more as yet another cute little wallaby points his irresistible eyes at you.

If you like flying feathered beasts, then a visit to Ballarat's Bird World might just be your cup of tea. Set into a cul-de-sac within a residential neighborhood, Bird World is a bit of a chore to get too, but the way is well signed Just pay close attention and you will get there eventually. Bird World is open 7 days per week, only closing on Christmas day. I believe we paid about $8au each to get in. The entry fee included a bag of food to toss to the fish and magpies. This is a self-guided tour of both free-flying and caged birds. The path is wood and built to be wheelchair accessible, although some of the paths are a bit steep. It is not a huge place, but you can plan to spend about an hour here... perhaps longer on a nice, sunny day.

Having all these wonderful places to see, Ballarat has a great selection of hotels and places to eat. It is not a super huge town so it is fairly easy to navigate. If you do get stumped, just look for the many signs pointing to a visitor's center. They'll be very happy to help you out with just about anything.

Australia is an amazing place in general, and making your way to Ballarat in particular is a must-do for family travel. Just remember: The seasons are opposite the United States here, so summer is in December. Pack accordingly and you will have one of the best vacations of your life.