Accomodation in Wickliffe - is there any?

Wickliffe is just a tiny town, and accommodation is kind of limited. However, there are plenty of accommodation options in and around town. We've put together a list to help you out.

Wickliffe
There's no real accommodation in Wickliffe, other than the pub or camping. You can camp at the farm or at the footy ground (as soon as we get the nod from the Rec Committee). We're also planning to host the morning-after breakfast at the footy shed.

Lake Bolac
Lake Bolac is just down the road from Wickliffe. There is a lake there where you can fish, ski and swim (if there's enough water!) and this is the town where Ayesha went to high school. It's a bit bigger than Wickliffe, so you can find accommodation here. Try the Lake Bolac Motel, the pub, or the caravan park. Oddly, there are no websites for the pub or caravan park, so here are their details:

Lake Bolac Hotel
Glenelg Hwy
Lake Bolac VIC 3351
Telephone: (03) 5350 2303

Lake Bolac Caravan Park
Frontage Rd P.O. Box 73
Lake Bolac VIC 3351
Telephone: (03) 5350 2329
Rating: **

Other pubs in small towns close by
There is a pub in Willaura where you can find some cheap rooms.

Mac's Hotel in Glenthompson (03 5577 4301) or the Maroona Hotel (03 5354 7580) may have rooms, but they'll be basic. Give them a call if you want to check it out.

Dunkeld
Dunkeld is probably the best option for accommodation, although it is a bit further to drive than Bolac or Willaura. The Royal Mail Hotel has high-quality rooms, and there are several more options in and around Dunkeld. Dunkeld is a jumping-off point to get into the Grampians, so this may be a good place to stay before heading off on the next leg of your journey.

Ararat
Ararat is a major town with a highway passing through it, so there are lots of hotels and motels. We're not going to list them all on the blog - you can look at them here and here. Wickliffe is south of Ararat, so it may be wise to avoid those ones on the far north of town.

Also, it's about a 35-40 minute drive to Wickliffe from Ararat (if Mum's behind the wheel). If there are lots of people staying in Ararat, we can organise a shuttle bus so that there will be no hassles about designated drivers and avoiding roos late at night. Please let us know if you're planning to stay in Ararat so that we have an idea how many people may opt for the shuttle bus.

Ballarat
It takes just over an hour to drive to Ballarat, but it's closer to Melbourne so it may be a good option for accommodation and vacationing plans.

Ballarat is even bigger than Ararat, and has even more hotels and motels. [I think it has the highest density of pubs in any town in Victoria, thanks to the goldminers.] Again, it's not worthwhile listing them all on this blog, but go and look here and here. Try to choose a motel on the west-ish side of town. Feel free to check with us if you're not sure.

Hanging out in Victoria

If you're coming from the US (or NZ, or interstate), then you're probably going to stay for a little while and have a look around. We've put together a few suggestions for things to do while you're visiting.

[If you're looking for places to stay, we have some details listed elsewhere.]

Of course, there is a billion things to do in Melbourne! When we visited last Christmas, we had some wonderful tour guides (you know who you are) who showed us some graffiti, some secret bars, some bilbies, some empty space down at Docklands and lots of people at Southgate. It's the beginning of the footy season, so you may get the chance to check out an AFL game at the MCG (or maybe a local game at Wicky!). If you're less interested in sport and more interested in culture, you could visit any number of galleries - including the National Gallery of Victoria, and Heide. There are also stacks of places to see performing arts - Kristin may have some more suggestions!

Ballarat can be a fun place to visit. You can visit Sovereign Hill (an 'authentic' goldmining village) or Eureka Stockade, site of the Eureka Rebellion, or the fine art gallery and it's also kind of nice to lay around in the gardens (it's so green!).

Hamilton is not such a great tourist destination. You can see the Big Wool Bales, but apparently they're not all that fantastic.

South-ish of Wickliffe is the Great Ocean Road. It's a wonderful drive with beaches or cliffs on one side and the Otway Ranges on the other. We stayed in the very charismatic Princetown Caravan Park and enjoyed exploring lots of hikes, waterfalls, beaches, fish-and-chip shops...

North-ish of Wickliffe is the Grampians (Gariwerd). There's lots of good bush-walking, little towns to visit, wineries to sample, and cute B & B's where you can stay. Find out more information here. The Gateway to the Grampians from our end is Dunkeld, resting in the shadows of Mt Sturgeon. We had a wonderful meal at the pub last year - read some reviews here and here.

To get ahead before arriving in Victoria, you can read The Age to keep up with local news, or an Australian bent on world news.

Victorians - we would love to hear about your favourite places! Give us some more suggestions!!

whoops!

We made a little blooper on the invitations. Our address is wrong - but don't panic, the RSVPs are rolling in, so that address works as well. For your future information, the street address should be 826 Headingly Ave NW (not NE). Please update your address books!

Thanks to Trevor for pointing this out to us...