The beauty of visiting Melbourne is that there are an incredible amount of day trips which can take you into wonderful countryside all within an easy hour and a half drive from the city.
One of our favourite excursions was to Daylesford (northwest of the city) in Victoria's Spa Country. Originally settled in the 19th century to take advantage of the natural hot springs, Daylesford now has a great mix of permanent residents and weekenders who provide the town with a vibrant atmosphere. Grand 19th century architecture houses antique and book shops and interesting boutiques with clothes and giftware. There are excellent eating options too including Cafe KouKla which is open all day with fantastic breakfasts, woodfire pizza and coffee.
If you just want to relax in the warm waters there are a range of excellent hotels and spas providing bathing and beauty treatments. We loved staying at Peppers Hotel Hepburn Springs which was the originally the 1930s place to stay. It still retains a sense of grandeur and history and has the bonus of an onsite spa with private mineral baths.
A must visit is the The Convent, perched high up on the hill above Daylesford. What was once a convent is now an artspace with a number of ever changing exhibitions, artists in residence and charming cafe plus stunning views of the surrounding countryside.
