Experience the Macedon Ranges in summer
If getting covered in sand at the beach is not your cup of tea, head to the ranges for your summer country fix.
Located an easy 45 minutes north west of Melbourne, our villages are abuzz with festivals, farmers’ markets, ferments and flowers.
Meet the artists. Taste the produce. Learn something new. Appreciate the old. Drink something cool. It’s time to find your happy space in the Macedon Ranges.
Plan a gin blending and gastronomy weekend
If you love gin, wine and good food, make sure to pay a visit to three artisan gin distilleries. You might want to make a weekend of it!
- Visit Kyneton’s Animus Distillery and enjoy all the restaurants along historic Piper Street.
- Gin tasting in the countryside at the rustic Big Tree Distillery
- Experience a Mountain Gin tasting and vineyard lunch at Mount Towrong Vineyard’s cellar door on Mount Macedon.
Summer picnic spots in the Macedon Ranges
Everyone loves a good summer picnic with family and friends. The Macedon Ranges offers everything from bush reserves to grand old gardens with ancient oak trees to curl under with a cuppa.
Check out our tips for Macedon Ranges picnic spots.
Wine tasting (and cheese boards)
Pick up a Macedon Ranges Wine Trail Map from the Kyneton or Woodend Visitor Information Centres open 7 days a week. Or use the Twenty Five Doors app to design your own wine tasting trail. Many cellar doors offer antipasta and cheese boards to go with tastings too.
Speaking of cheese, drop by Azzurri Cheese 7 days a week between 10-5pm to buy the most delicious handmade cheese direct from the farm. It’s also a beautiful drive through forest and farmland to get there.
Art in the Vines
If you love art and wine, Hanging Rock Winery‘s annual ‘Sculpture in Motion’ exhibition should be on your bucket list. Discover works by 15 world-class artists, enjoy a picnic and taste their extensive selection of wine. It’s a dog friendly winery too, so bring your pooch on a lead for a fun day out.
Keep an eye on the What’s On page for Summer-Autumn 21/22 dates.
Fishing and kayaking
Enjoy a barbecue, kayaking and fishing in the Macedon Ranges. Lauriston, Upper Coliban and Malmsbury Reservoirs are the three most popular spots for angling.
Malmsbury and Lauriston recreation areas also offer sheltered seating to enjoy a picnic over the summer months.
You’ll find the reservoirs are well-stocked with the likes of redfin, brown trout and Macquarie perch. Shoreline fishing, kayaks, canoes and small portable craft (car toppers) with electric motors are permitted.
Tip: You can purchase a fishing licence at Woodend Information Centre on High Street or Collins Kyneton Newsagent on Mollison Street Kyneton.
Reservoir info including entry points for kayaks and crafts.
Hanging Rock events
Don’t miss the annual Classic Car Display and ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ Film Night held in February. A classic movie under the stars with an amazing backdrop makes for a romantic Valentine’s weekend escape too.
Keep an eye on our What’s On page for 2022 dates.
How to get to the Macedon Ranges
The Macedon Ranges is an easy 45 minute drive north west from Melbourne or accessible via the V-Line train line that runs between Melbourne and Bendigo.
The Kyneton and Woodend Visitor Information Centres are both open 7 days a week from 9-5pm. Questions? Give our visitor centres a call on 1800 244 711.
