Australian Natural Treasures Touring Ashbourne Wine & Vineyard

Day 1.
We pick you up from your Melbourne hotel of from Federation Square (this will be pre-arranged) between 8 am and 830 am. You will be given your cool bag in which you can gather your goodies as we travel through this beautiful area famous for its lovingly produced food and beverages.
We travel north from Melbourne and visit a working organic farm in the foothills of the Macedon Ranges.
We then stop for a coffee in one of the picturesque townships before visiting the memorial cross on top of Mt Macedon for a birds eye view of the region. Leaving Mt Macedon we travel to Hanging Rock Winery to sample their award winning wines at their beautiful vineyard with its stunning views of Hanging Rock and Mt. Macedon.
Next we drive a few kilometres further west to the historic town of Kyneton to stroll through the famous Piper Street food precinct. This is a perfect place to start filling your cool bag with local produce fresh from the surrounding countryside. We have a beautiful lunch arranged for you at the only 'Chefs Hat' restaurant in Kyneton started by a famous local chef Annie Smithers.
After lunch we travel to the beautiful town of Daylesford famous for its mineral waters, artisan food producers, fine dining, boutique shops and gold rush architecture.

The next experience we have lined up for you is a visit to Herbal Lore, world renowned for its fine herbal liquors, herbal chocolates and liquor fruits. A generous sampling of the product range, along with an entertaining explanation of its creation and manufacture has been arranged for you.

Your stay in Daylesford this evening is at the 'Lake House', one of the acclaimed 'Luxury Lodges of Australia'. This stunning property has become an iconic destination for sublime dining experiences. The afternoon provides time to enjoy your surroundings, relax in style or pamper yourself with a spa or massage treatment. This memorable stay includes a stay in a beautiful 'waterfront' room, 3 course dinner in the 2 'Chefs Hat' awarded restaurant of Alla Wolf-Tasker and full country breakfast.

If the Lake House is not for you then we also use the fabulous 'Frangos and Frangos' Hotel in the main street of Daylesford. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the town or indulge in one of the many available spa treatments. With this option your evening is spent dining in the beautiful restaurant 'Mercato' with its first class service and menu that highlights the fresh local produce. Afterwards you can retire to your bedroom or stroll through the quiet streets, breathe in the clear country air and enjoy the canopy of stars you can’t see in the city.
Day 2.

After enjoying a leisurely breakfast we pick you up and take you to O’Tooles Honey to talk to local identity Des O’Toole and sample some of his delicious honey. Then we take a short drive to the nearby hamlet of Musk where we visit the acclaimed vineyard of Passing Clouds for a tasting of their wines followed by a visit to Istra, a family owned company producing cured meats and smallgoods renowned for their high quality and flavour.

Also in Musk, we visit the Daylesford Cidery. The cidery is the outcome of years of hard work by the owners who have planted over 1500 varieties of vintage apple trees. Here you will be shown around the vast orchard and be offered tastings of the cider by the owners.

Our lunch stop is Trentham, the hidden gem of the Central Highlands, where you’ll have time to stroll through the town filling your bag with delectable local produce before lunch and tour at the famous Red Beard Bakery. Red Beard is famous for its organic sourdough bread and its use of original scotch ovens.
After Trentham, we drive a short distance to Blackwood where we visit the 'Garden of St Erth' where you can wander through the secluded and peaceful gardens or ramble through the 'Diggers' shop. From here we drive through the beautiful Wombat State Forest to the township of Ballan where we join the Western Highway for our journey back into Melbourne arriving around 6pm.

Our 2 Day Daylesford & Macedon Ranges Food Trail departs at 0800 - 0830 from Melbourne. Pickups are available from all city hotels within Melbourne. Passengers will be dropped at any Melbourne CBD location at 1800 at the completion of the tour.
Tours include : Stay at the 'Lake House' 5 star with 3 course dinner Frangos and Frangos 4 star with 2 course dinner at Mercato Fully cooked breakfast Restaurant lunch on Piper street Lunch at Red Beard Bakery Small group touring (Max 8 passengers) 2 Winery visits Visit to Herbal Lore Visits to Daylesford Cidery, Istra Smallgoods, Red Beard Bakery, O'Tooles Honey and Garden of St Erth