A Day in The Country: Great Country Towns Just a Short Drive Away (Part III)

There’s nothing like a day in the country. Wandering the main street of a charming rural town on a sunny day is truly one of life’s simple pleasures.

Unfortunately, we don’t always have time to experience all that rural Australia has to offer. That’s why we’ve put together a series about the best country towns to visit just a stone’s throw from major Australian cities. In parts one and two we looked at rustic gems within a short drive of Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth and Wollongong.

This week’s points of departure are Melbourne, Canberra and Newcastle.

If you missed last week’s article, read A Day in The Country: Great Country Towns Just a Short Drive Away (Part II)

To catch up on the whole series, read A Day in The Country: Great Country Towns Just a Short Drive Away (Part I) as well.


Daylesford, Djadja Wurrung Country ‐ 90 minutes from Melbourne

High in the Macedon Ranges, modern Daylesford is known largely as a spa town. The famous mineral springs of Daylesford are said to offer healing qualities. But the town has a history long beyond the spas, massage parlours and yoga studios that are found there today.

The Macedon Ranges are located in the heart of Victorian goldfields. As with many towns and cities in the area, the architectural heritage is defined by the goldrush era and there is plenty of history to take in. If you’re lucky enough to have a whole weekend, combine a day of wellness in Daylesford with a trip to Ballarat to see the original Eureka flag and take in the city’s stunning architecture.

While in Daylesford itself, make sure to go for a stroll by the lake or walk to the top of Wombat Hill for beautiful views of the town and surrounds.

A picture containing tree, water, outdoor, nature


Braidwood, Walbanga Country – 70 minutes from Canberra

Walking the main street of Braidwood, it feels like you have stepped back into the colonial frontier. The entire main street of Braidwood is listed on the NSW heritage register and is considered one of the most intact and authentic stretches of colonial architecture in New South Wales.

Braidwood is also a gateway to heaps of natural beauty! Situated near the headwaters of the Shoalhaven river, approximately halfway between Canberra and the Coast, Braidwood is the main centre of a region that is often underappreciated and under explored. If you are heading from Canberra to the coast, Braidwood is the perfect stop over point. We highly recommend the drive from Braidwood, through Araluen to Moruya for vistas of rolling dairy land and dramatic sandstone cliffs.

A church with a large lawn in front of it


Wollombi, Darkinjung Country – 75 minutes from Newcastle

Wollombi is to the north as Berrima (see part 1) is to the south. Long before the modern Pacific Highway and decades before the railway came, some of Australia’s oldest towns lined the original roads and bullock tracks that weaved across New South Wales. Wollombi is one such town, first settled in the late 1820s during the construction of the original Great North Road.

But as new modes of transport came and more direct roads were built, Wollombi was bypassed and remains a time capsule of Australia’s early European exploration. What was once practically a ghost town, is now a popular destination for day trippers from Newcastle, the Central Coast and beyond.

Grab a meal at Wollombi Pub or come to town on a long weekend when the Wollombi markets offer up a wide array of local products and handicrafts.

A picture containing grass, sky, outdoor, graveyard
Let’s Connect!

Follow us on Instagram for the latest news, travel updates and some sensational pics. Get involved in the TT Community Conversation.

3 people posing at beach, 2 in wheelchairs2 people posing on fence in front of oceanPerson posing in front of train



Terms and Conditions

Orders

Please read these Terms carefully before placing an order for any products.

By placing an order for Products you agree to these Terms.

We will be deemed to have formally accepted your offer of purchase when the merchandise order form has been received.

Each order accepted by us will be a separate and binding agreement between you and Trusted Travel for the supply of the relevant Products in accordance with these Terms. You must provide accurate and current information when ordering your Products. You are responsible for checking the size, options, colours, materials and other relevant information that you submit with your order. By submitting an order, you represent that all Products, sizes, quantities and component variables listed in the order are correct.

Your legal rights

Your purchase of Products will be subject to certain laws including, without limitation, the Australian Consumer Law contained in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (ACL).

Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the ACL. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and for compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.

Nothing in these Terms is to be read or applied so as to exclude, restrict or modify any guarantee or other right or remedy in the ACL or other law which cannot by law be excluded, restricted or modified.

Pricing and taxes

Prices are as shown on this website.

Trusted Travel reserves the right to change the prices of Products at any time without notice to you. The price displayed at the time that you place your order will continue to apply to you even if the price changes before your order is accepted by us.

Prices will be displayed in Australian dollars.

Cancellation

If you change your mind on your order, you should let Trusted Travel know as soon as possible. If not, you may be liable to pay for the order. Trusted Travel will assess each order cancellation individually and will contact you with a decision.

Except to the extent required by the ACL or other applicable law, we will not be liable to you, or any other person, for any loss, damage, cost or expense suffered or incurred due to order information being incomplete or inaccurate.

Payment methods and terms

The Disability Trust will use the information you supply in the Trusted Travel merchandise order form to create a debtor ID. The Disability Trust accepts the following payment methods: BPAY, EFT. Cheque, money order, credit card, cash and direct debit. All invoices are payable as per the terms stated on the invoice received. Please contact the accounts department on 02 4255 8000 or email ar@disabilitytrust.org.au for invoice or statement enquiries.

As part of agreeing to these terms and conditions, you agree to have understood the application process for a credit account to be opened with The Disability Trust. You also confirm that the information provided in the Trusted Travel Booking Form is true and correct.

You understand that if there is any default by the Participant and/or Organisation in making payment to The Disability Trust, the information collected in this Agreement together with the information as to the amounts claimed by The Disability Trust to be owing and any related information may be accessed by The Disability Trust and their employees.

You acknowledge that full payment of any debt must be made within the terms as set out above.

You understand that the supply of goods and/or service/s to the Participant may be refused if any particulars requested by The Disability Trust are not provided by the Participant and/or Organisation or if these terms are not agreed to by the Participant and/or Organisation.

You acknowledge that The Disability Trust has requested the Participant and/or Organisation to let The Disability Trust know immediately in writing of any change to the account information. The Participant and/or Organisation acknowledges having been advised by The Disability Trust that Participant and/or Organisation is entitled to access the account information from time to time and require The Disability Trust to take all reasonable steps to ensure that all such information is accurate, complete and up to date.

Gift cards can be used to pay toward your Disability Trust account, Trusted Travel holiday or Trusted Travel merchandise. Gift card only valid for payment to Disability Trust if paid in full by purchaser. If gift card is unpaid, value attached to gift card will not be honoured.

Returns and refunds

You should check your Products as soon as you receive them and ensure that the order has been filled correctly and the Products are not damaged or faulty.

If Products supplied to you are damaged or faulty or are not the Products you ordered, you must contact and inform us as soon as possible. Gift cards cannot be refunded. The amount purchased on the gift card will be applied to your account with The Disability Trust and cannot be exchanged for cash.

We will refund Products that were damaged or faulty at the time of supply to you.

Please return the product/s to us in the original condition within 10 days of receipt, and we will assess your return request, and if appropriate, replace or refund your purchase.

All returns should be sent with supporting documentation in original or appropriate packaging to:

Trusted Travel
Level 1, 5 Edney Lane
Coniston, NSW 2500, Australia

General

We reserve the right to amend these Terms at any time. Any amendment will take effect from the time that it appears on this website.

Skip to content