Best of Kyneton walk

Best of Kyneton walk created by dburtt

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Summary

Botanic gardens, historic buildings, rural escape, a riverside stroll, great cafes, interesting shops... this walk offers a taste of everything in just 90 minutes (but you'll want more than that)

Description

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Can't decide what you want in a walk, or just want it all? This one's for you.

This walk takes in the highlights of Kyneton, including the botanic gardens, a great playground, the Campaspe River Walk and rural vistas. There are lots of interesting places to shop, eat and drink in lovely heritage buildings. Throughout the walk, history and beauty abound.

Kyneton is one of Australia's most historic towns. It was established in 1850 and grew rapidly as a gateway town to the goldfields. In the 1850s Piper Street was the main shopping area, but when the railway from Melbourne reached the town in 1861 commercial activity drifted to Mollison Street, closer to the railway station. You can read an outline of the history here or visit the Kyneton Museum (open Friday-Sunday). Many heritage buildings have survived through to the 21st Century (far too many to include photos of them all here - you'll have to come and check them out for yourself!)

This walk offers a plethora of great eating and drinking options. Piper Street is a tourist precinct, so there are some really interesting shops and good places to eat and drink, from casual to up-market. The area around Mollison and High Streets has a more typical range of town centre businesses, including more cafes. There are no places to get food or drink at the botanic gardens or along the river walk, but plenty of great spots for a picnic if you bring your own.

While this walk offers great eating, drinking, shopping and heritage appreciation for the adults, it's pretty good for the kids too, with plenty of variety and a top shelf adventure playground.

This walk is best appreciated in spring, summer, or (maybe best of all) autumn. Most of the trees are deciduous and lose their leaves in the winter.

Notes:
- Apart from a bit of a slope from the botanic gardens down to the river, the walk is generally flat and on good paths. With some minor adjustments to the route (you'll work it out on the ground) it would be suitable for prams.
- If you don't have a car or would rather not drive, this walk is easily accessed by public transport. It's only 5 minutes walk from the train station (which is itself a significant heritage building).
- There are public toilets at various points on this walk - at the playground in the botanic gardens; in the old market building on the corner of Ebden and Piper Streets; behind the town hall on Hutton Street.
- This walk is fine for dogs and there is an off-leash area at the western end of the botanic gardens (the second point of interest marked on the map).

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Points of Interest

1. Great playground

The playground in the Botanic Gardens is excellent, with a lot of natural elements as well as the usual swings and slides. There are also toilets, BBQ, picnic tables.

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2. Riverside avenue

At times the riverside path goes through an avenue of deciduous trees - beautiful in summer and spring (pictured here), even better in autumn. Note this part of the park is also a dog off-leash area.

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3. Historic weir

A series of weirs hold water in the river during the summer. This particular one dates to around 1910 and formed the towns first swimming pool.

4. Rural picnic

One of the unusual things about the walk is the rural views you get over the countryside, as the town is only on one side. This picnic table has a particularly good spot.

5. Waterhole

This looks like a swimming spot for the local kids, with a rope swing over the river and wooden steps to help you climb the tree.

6. Historic buildings

Piper Street has an impressive array of historic buildings. This one is not as old as some but is beautifully presented.

7. Pit stops

There are plenty of great places to stop for food or drink on Piper Street (and Mollison Street). This is the Animus Distillery. Photo credit: Visit Macedon Ranges

8. Kyneton museum

To get a better understanding of the history of Kyneton and the goldfields, check out the Kyneton Museum, housed in a National Trust building that was built in 1856 as a Bank of New South Wales.

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9. Farmers Market and St Paul's Park

St Pauls' park is a nice spot and it hosts the Farmers Market once a month. You can also sit in the restaurant/bars either side to enjoy the space. Photo credit: Visit Macedon Ranges

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10. Historic streetscape

Piper Street has a remarkably intact historic streetscape, from the commercial buildings through to details like the footpath and guttering. Photo credit: Visit Macedon Ranges

11. Kooky places

Piper Street has some unusual and artistic businesses and houses. This stonemason business has been operating on this site for more than a century.

12. Historic religious buildings

This part of Kyneton has a range of beautiful churches and other religious buildings. This one is a bit different to the others (which are even older) and is used as a parish administration centre.

13. Public art

There is some interesting public art in Kyneton. This Dromenon, a 'spiritual walk' was created by artist Karen Mahoney in memory of her husband.

14. Beautiful houses

When you walk the back streets keep an eye out for beautiful historic houses like this one.

15. War memorial and Mechanics Institute

The war memorial is next to the restored Kyneton Mechanics Institute building, with a stately but sombre tone.

16. Mollison Street heritage

Mollison Street is the main shopping and commercial strip in Kyneton and has its own set of lovely historic buildings. This is the Albion Hotel, built in 1861. Photo credit: Visit Macedon Ranges