Day 13 (27 Dec 2017) : Sovereign Hill
Breakfast at La Trobe Dining Room is included with our stay. Buffet breakfast selection was not extensive, but was very well done. Different types of eggs were presented in small pans.
After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and drove to the main entrance of the park. As we have returned our room keys, we could not enter through the back entrance anymore. Our family of 5 set off first as DSis was not ready yet.
Sovereign Hill, Ballarat
There was a queue at the entrance of the park waiting for it to open. A few minutes before it was due to open, a service staff appeared and directed those with tickets to the right and those without tickets to the left. We had tickets and so when the park opened. We were directed into the park immediately. We headed immediately to the Gold Mine Tour at the back of the park. We exchanged our vouchers for the first tour of the day which was Journey Through the Labyrinth of Gold. It is about the everyday dangers of 19th century gold mining, how Ballarat’s miners lived and worked as they blasted and dug out the rich gold-bearing layers of quartz rocks and the various technologies and methods which they used in their work. The tour also included a ride on the mine train. It was an enjoyable and informative tour. All 3 kids enjoyed it.
There are 3 tours altogether. The other 2 are The Secret Chambers, which is a ghostly story of the adventures and mishaps of 2 Chinese miners and Trapped, which is about being trapped during a mining accident. Incidentally, DSis and gang went for trapped and were really disappointed. DSis said that DBIL and DN was expecting more excitement like a theme back ride but what they got was loud sounds and light effects, ie another Sound and Light show! Hahaha.
As there was time before our Gold Time Tour started, we went back to the Photographic studio to book for photo session. We were told that they can only take us in around 3pm. We were surprised and asked how could that be since we were the first few into the park. We were told that they take reservations over the phone. This was not told to us by the reception at the hotel when we checked in or when we made our package booking. We wanted to leave the park by 3 pm so such a late session definitely would not work. So in the end, they agreed to slot in a session for us for just after our Gold Mine Tour. So my advise is to prebook if you want your photos taken. But we probably would not have done this if it was not a freebie included in our package.
After our photographic session, we went to do some gold panning at the creek. DD was dying to do it and her bros agreed to humour her. The three of them with the assistance of one of the staff members searched really had for their gold. I think they found a speck! Hahaha
We wondered around the park, explored the shops and watched some performances. The whole place was well themed with actors and actresses acting as if they were of the mining era and going about their daily lives.
There was an enactment of an auction which was used to tell the story of how women had little say in their lives and could be sold by their husbands. There was also a gun salute display by actors acting as the cops of yesteryears.
As the weather was extremely hot that day, we went into New York Bakery for a sit down lunch to get away from the heat. I normally hav every little appetite when the weather is hot. So i went for the Miner’s Hot Flask which is their daily soup which happened to be a tomato’s based vegetable soup that day (A$14.50). The rest had 2 fish and chips (A$24.90), a grilled chicken (A$24.90) and a Colonial Pot Pie (A$24.90). All these we washed down with a glass of beer for DH (A$5/70) and a jug of coke (A$14) for us.
We wondered a little more after lunch, watch the gun salute display and decided to leave because the heat was getting unbearable.
After leaving the park, we went to the Gold Museum opposite since entry was included in our tickets. But nothing in the small museum interest us, so we decided to head for our hotel in Collin street in the city.
Treasury on Collins, Melbourne
It was a long drive into Melbourne City and traffic was very bad along the way. Our first encounter with a traffic jam on this trip. The trip which was suppose to take about 1.5hrs took about 2hrs instead.
Treasury on Collins is located in a heritage building within the heart of Melbourne’s City Centre. This apartment hotel does not have its own parking, but can arrange parking at Flinders Street carpark for a fee. At the entrance of the hotel, there is a few parking lots for temporary parking. DH dropped me and the 3 kids and our bags and waited for me while I picked up the parking code from the hotel. The car park was about 5 mins walk away. Then he went to park the car while I handled the check in.
A few days prior to arrival, I had received an email from the hotel asking if we wanted to upgrade to a King 2 Bedroom Apartment for an additional A$50 per day. We had booked the Queen 2 Bedroom. We didn’t think it was necessary and furthermore I was telling DH that perhaps they are overbooked in the Queen and will have to give us the King anyway. As it is my suspicion was right and they upgraded us to King 2 Bedroom Apartment for free! DSis was not so lucky and she had the Queen. We paid A$466 per night for a 2 BR apartment and an additional A$28 per day for the parking. This room rate included free daily breakfast and snacks and non-alcoholic drink at the mezzanine floor throughout the day.
Our apartment was spacious and beautiful. There were 2 bathrooms, one with a bath and the other with a shower. The provided Molton Brown toiletries which was sheer luxury! There was also a washer and dryer in the apartment. Our extra rollaway bed was set up in the living room. The kitchenette was functional and we could have done some simple cooking if we wanted. DSis’s Apartment was smaller in size, but had basically the same amenities as ours.
The location of Treasury on Collins is very convenient. It is within walking distance to the restaurants at along Hardware Lane and also within walking distance to shops. But we did not go out for dinner with DSis and family that night. Instead we met up with a friend who had migrated to Melbourne and had dinner at his home with his family.
Oh, and WiFi here was great! The best we had on this trip!
Next up: Day 14- Melbourne