Blast from​ the pass – Sovereign​ ​Hill Victoria

A fantastic experience to travel back in time to the gold fields of Australia.

Last year I was in Melbourne, Victoria, for a conference. Every time I have to travel for work I try to add a day so I can take some photos or relax and get to know the town I’m in. It was also my first time vlogging about my trip, so if you missed that here is the video.

I have been to Melbourne, several times, since moving to Australia and heard so much of Sovereign Hill in Ballarat but never been there. At first, was the fear of being a tourist trap but decided to risk.

I read the literature and, with my Nikon D850, ventured my self on the train from Central Cross Station to Ballarat. Check the times the train synchronises with a bus that drops you at the door of Sovereign Hill. Tip: the bus driver has vouchers for free horse-drawn coach rides.

I gotta say it was more than I expected from the moment I walked in. I felt a bit underdressed, in my jeans and jacket while everyone one else in town was dressed in period clothes. Or maybe I was just jealous, I would love to tour around the hill dressed like a local, maybe next time.

Sovereign Hill has a school program, so you see lots of kids milling about with their friends, visiting the shops and leaving the 1800’s life.

At the bottom of the hill, my first stop was, of course, the photography shop. There, people can dress and take photos, but unfortunately, I was time restricted. One of the bad things about going by train!

As you walk around, there are lots of little shops to investigate and made me wish my suitcase was bigger. The woodworking shop was brilliant, and while I was there the woodmaster was doing some candle holders, I could have stayed for hours watching.

I took advantage of my free in the horse-drawn coach ride and would say it was worth it! I can’t imagine how people could travel that way, on the 10 min ride I was all shaken and stirred, and people complain of the comfort planes these days.

With the time I had left, I had a scone with jam and cream, saw the melting of gold, the making of candy and visited the gold panners near the river. As I was walking around, I talked to many of the “locals”, and they were always happy to give some information about how was life in those times.

I saw this poor man being arrested because he was dressed as a woman. “You see a woman doesn’t need a pay for the permit to pan, so when in a pinch blokes would borrow a dress to avoid having to spend the money”, as the police officer explained to me.

Unfortunately, my day at the hill was over too early, I had to get the bus and train back to the city.

Going to a great place is like eating cake, you always wanna come back for seconds. Sovereign Hill definitely left me wanting to go back and do more.