An Unwinding
Let’s face it. Uni is stressful and sucks the soul out of you. How does one get that back?
The answer: A weekend getaway. Where? The quaint little city of Ballarat.
An hour’s drive away from Melbourne, Ballarat is just far enough from the pollution of the city to be able to enjoy stargazing and close enough that you don’t feel as if you’re in the middle of nowhere.
the logistics.
We stayed for 3 days and 3 nights at the Sebel Creswick Forest Resort. It’s about 15 minutes by car from Ballarat and the perfect place to just chill and relax. We booked a two-bedroom apartment, complete with a fully-stocked kitchen and a strange bathtub in our bedrooms.
the attractions.
Here’s the truth: when you put introverts together on a trip, what ends up happening is a hibernation period where you sleep, shower, eat, watch movies/dramas, repeat. Lucky for us, we brought enough food to feed an entire army and the heaters and TVs around the two-bedroom around the apartment aided us in our hibernation. The gloomy weather contributed to our nice stay-in, too.
But, of course, we would be such bad bloggers if we didn’t at least venture out into the city. Ballarat is a well-known historic town with plenty of old buildings and gold mines. Sadly though, out of all the recommendations for Ballarat attractions, the only thing that was able to attract us foodies was the Beechworth Bakery - a bakery that people drove to Ballarat for; hence, its slogan “Worth the drive”. The verdict: it was worth the drive. We visited for lunch on our first day and breakfast on our last day.
Their signature Ned Kelly pie was heavenly and full of flavour, perfectly seasoned and juicy with a sturdy pie crust - highly recommended. We also tried the Beechworth Steak Pie, Bushmans Pastie, Cheese Toastie and all were delicious. Also, what’s a meal without dessert? Try their chocolate éclairs and their donuts, or anything else that looks appealing to you. The desserts were just right on our taste buds; not too sweet, yet not bland either.
A tip for all university students out there: always, always, always remember to bring your student ID. Student discounts are amazing especially on attractions such as the zoo and wildlife parks, which is where we went after a delicious breakfast at Beechworth Bakery. Ballarat offers an amazing wildlife park with kangaroos and emus roaming about. You can buy kangaroo feed at the counter for $4 and feed the cute (bulky and muscular) kangaroos. They also have a reptile section which scared the bejeezus out of Nethmi and meerkats which Nethmi claims are her spirit animal. A lot of wombats, a cute Tasmanian devil that strangely runs around in circles around its pen, some alligators and crocs, and a pack of dingos. Overall, it was a really fun experience and definitely the highlight of our trip (since we didn’t do anything, really).
That concludes our little weekend getaway in Ballarat. Remember to unwind once in a while and don’t feel guilty about it. Life’s not supposed to be about setting fire to your own butt and running around like a headless chicken. It’s supposed to be about finding a balance mentally, physically and emotionally. Know your limits and enjoy life to the fullest.
Hugs and kisses,
Metta
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