The farm at Mount Monument is a lovely landscape with a volcano at its heart which rises over a hundred metres above the surrounding plain

A weekend is never long enough in the Daylesford and Macedon Ranges region, so stay for a little longer, get off the beaten path and discover charming, lesser-known towns. There are stunning natural attractions, innovative winemakers, heritage streetscapes and plenty of fabulous food. Here’s your handy guide for a seven-night stay.

Feast your eyes on more than a meal, and discover an array of fine art, dressing the walls of the region’s restaurants. If you’re lucky, a piece of art could be going home with you;many local artists sell their works straight off the walls.

The Macedon Ranges come alive in autumn, as leaves change colour, and villages celebrate the arrival of the season…and we’re holding a festival to celebrate! Immerse yourself in nature, taste fresh autumn produce, enjoy world-class music and entertainment, and more, across nine charming and colourful villages.

The Central Highlands runs in a belt between Ballarat and Macedon and besides the area's rich scenery, it is endowed with good soils, lots of rain and a climate that is more European than Australian. In other words, it is cold and seasonal, and it's this climate that draws the painters, sculptors, designers and the memory makers.

There’s unrivalled beauty in the natural landscapes, architecture, forests and rural streetscapes of the Central Highlands that draw thousands of visitors to our picturesque part of the world year-round.

We could start this article with the obligatory description of Maldon being a notable town and a fine example of the gold rush era, but that would diminish the excitement of what’s happening behind the scenes.

As an avid collector of all things vintage, Melbourne stylist and boutique accommodation owner Lynda Gardener feels right at home amid the markets, op-shops, and antique stores in Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges.