Welcome to Clunes

An historic gold mining town located in the heart of Victoria's Central Goldfields region, just north of Ballarat and about an hour and 20 minutes drive west of Melbourne CBD. Blessed with history, vintage, environment and nature, Clunes is an idyllic destination for the weekend getaway, or just a country drive day trip.

Dotted with dusty antique and collectable stores, vineyards and wineries, rustic bed & breakfasts and scenic walks, the Victorian Goldfields area is a hidden treasure trove for the adventurous and curious. All this makes Clunes a popular weekend destination for bushwalkers, gold prospectors, treasure hunters, collectors, vintage car clubs, history buffs and families seeking to escape to the country.

Clunes is host to the annual Booktown event, held on the weekend of May 14th - 15th, which brings together thousands of booksellers, writers and speakers from all over the nation and overseas. Booktown is staged right across the town, inside heritage bluestone buildings, on the quartz streets, under charming old awnings, in the shade of majestic european trees planted by the first settlers and easily increases the town population by a factor of 20 over the weekend.

A short drive west of Clunes the intrepid explorer will discover magical Talbot, our nearest neighbour. On the third Sunday of each month, Talbot hosts the award winning farmers' market boasting hundreds of true blue farmers' market stalls. Organic produce, gourmet cheeses, ducks, geese, chickens, pigs, olive oils, wines, straw bales (good for the garden), arts & crafts, breads, coffee, delicious hot foods, home baked cakes, tools & hardware and everything country. For added effect bring your wellingtons and tweed coat, you'll fit right in.

There's so much going on in the Clunes area we can't say it all here. Instead, keep an eye on the blog roll below (or even subscribe) to stay informed of the vibrant, creative community that is Clunes.