From Wikitravel

Bendigo [1] is a large regional city in Victoria, Australia, population 100,000 (making it the 3rd largest settlement in the state). Bendigo is located some 140 km (105 miles, 1.5 hrs drive) north-north-west of Melbourne.

It is beautiful city with grand Victorian architecture, not generally seen in country Australia, as a result of the Gold Rush.

[edit] Understand

Bendigo grew to a bustling town during the Gold Rush Era of the 1850s. The wealth created during this period resulted many fine Victorian era buildings in the down town and surrounding areas. This type of architecture is not common to most country towns in Australia.

An influx of people from the city has brought the population of Bendigo to just over 100,000. Even so it still retains a friendly country atmosphere.

The town has more sunny days per year than Queensland. Being north of the Great Dividing Range, it has also far less rain than Melbourne. Summers are hot and dry, up to 40 degrees Celsius or more on some days. Winters tend to be mild; with lowest temperatures around -5 degrees Celsius overnight and around 15 during the day.

Sheep, cattle, fruit, wine and cereal crops are the most common products of the area. Gold is being discovered again in large quantities at deeper levels in the old mines with new technology.

A large Chinese community established itself during the early days of the gold rush and still play a large role in local ceremonies.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Best to fly to Melbourne Airport. Hire a car and take the M79 (Calder Freeway) which starts just by the airport. Or take the Skybus into Southern Cross Station and get the train to Bendigo. Or take the shuttle [2] direct to Bendigo from the airport.

[edit] By train

Bendigo is served by frequent trains which run from Melbourne's Southern Cross Station into the south of Bendigo, a short bus trip from downtown. The journey takes approximately two hours from Melbourne.

Vline also operates a coach twice daily from Adelaide direct to Bendigo.

[edit] By car

Bendigo is just over one and half hours drive north of Melbourne on the Calder Freeway (Highway). It is all dual carriageway, with the final stretch of the Calder duplication project opened to traffic on 20th April 2009. From Sydney take the Shepparton exit from the Hume Freeway, and then follow the signs from Shepparton to Bendigo.

[edit] Get around

Bendigo has a local bus service. It has a tourist hop-on/hop-off tram running up and down the main street.

Parking is metered in most parts of downtown. Expect to pay about $1 per hour for parking, and to have parking limits of 1-2 hours in the city centre. Because of these restrictions parking is generally easy in the city centre.

[edit][add listing] See

• The tourist information centre is housed in the old post office building on Pall Mall (the main through road) - opposite the Shamrock Hotel. It has a exhibition of Bendigo Heritage.
• There is a Chinese Arch, Chinese Garden, and Chinese Museum which has tours and one of the original Joss houses is open to the public. You can get to this by taking the Tourist Talking Tram Tour from the Central Deborah Gold Mine, which is close to the city centre, or it is just a short walk east along Pall Mall from the town centre and the visitor information centre. Access to the arch is free. Access to the museum, garden and shrine has a small charge. The museum has many old Chinese exhibits. The garden has goldfish, is Chinese styled, but has a fair bit of concrete to detract from the effect.
• Rosalind Park is just behind the visitors centre. It has the potential for a river to flow through it, should enough water ever be around. This does not happen often. Otherwise a basic garden with a fountain and a memorial.
• Bendigo Mosaic and Poppet Head Lookout. At the high point of Rosalind Gardens, you can climb a structure which resembles a mine shaft head. Extensive views over the region. A mosaic of tiles explaining the heritage of Bendigo is at the base.
• Sacred Heart Cathedral. Quite a spectacular cathedral for a town the size of Bendigo. Set on the high point of the town, a short walking distance from the town centre
• Art Gallery is on the edge of Rosalind Park, between the Poppet Head Lookout and the Cathedral.
• The Easter fair procession, is the oldest continual festival in Victoria. The imperial dragon called Sun Loong takes pride of place each year at the festival needing over 50 strong members of the public to carry it.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Visit the wineries [3]. Bendigo is the centre of a thriving wine area - a number of nearby wineries are well worth the visit. Bendigo Shiraz is generally very full flavoured and big.
• Central Deborah Mine, (2 minutes drive towards Melbourne from the town centre). There are three variations on the mine tour. There is the surface tour where you can look around the mine workings, which have been reconfigured a little for tourism. There is gold panning available, and you can climb the poppet head and follow the overhead link to the battery crusher. THe standard underground tour goes underground into the old minue workings. There are various types of drilling rigs, and other demonstrations making for a very interesting tour. This tour also includes the self-guided surface tour. The third adventure tour does all that the first two tours do, but also includes about 30 minutes on level 3 of the mine. This involves going down ladders, and seeing a section of the mine that hasn't been extensively modified for tourism use. It also includes a lunch or cornish pasties back in a function room that has been built back on the main level of the mine.  edit
• Browse the antique shops and second hand shops of View Street, opposite the Bendigo Art Gallery.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Pottery from The Bendigo Pottery.

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Clogs - a famous local restaurant on Pall Mall in Bendigo. It has a wide selection of Pizza / Pasta and other dishes (modern Australian)

• Bull St - There are many casual restaurants in this small street of Bendigo.

• Malayan Orchid - an excellent restaurant specialising in Asian cuisine.

• GPO - modern Australian cuisine impressively presented in the historic General Post Office Building.

• Typhoon - Thai cuisine in a casual and friendly atmosphere.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Bendigo Shiraz - some good Bendigo wineries are: Chateau Leamon, Waterwheel, Balgownie, Mandurang Valley, Harcourt, Blackjack, Connor Park. Many other small wineries are in the district.

• The Rifle Brigade Brewery - located on picturesque View St Bendigo. This local micro brewery pumps out some very nice beers and meals too.

• Wine Bank - in View Street. A great selection of wines, both local, Australian and imported, in the relaxed atmosphere of an old bank building from the Gold Rush period - ornate ceilings and architectural detail are just part of the experience.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Get out

Bendigo is an ideal place to explore the Goldfields region of Victoria. Visit neighbouring Castlemaine and Heathcote.

Routes through Bendigo

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→ Castlemaine → Melbourne

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