Trentham is a picturesque small town approximately 1 hour 30 minutes from Melbourne CBD. I think of it as an undiscovered gem. Thankfully Trentham isn't yet over commercialised and this adds to Trentham's charm. Just enough cool and trendy places without the burden of overcrowding and losing its character. With its big brother around the corner (Daylesford), Trentham loses out to lots of the holiday crowd. A loss to the less adventurous.
Depending on your chosen route to Trentham you may also pass through Blackwood. This is home to two great walks and the Garden of St Erth that includes a plant nursery and cafe. It's worth taking a quick pit-stop to the high street of Blackwood if you've never been before. It isn't amazing but there is a pub, cafe, camping ground and worth the short diversion if you don't think you'll be passing this direction anytime soon.
Trentham also offers a bit of a hiking opportunity. While nothing is particularly daunting it's great for generally easy distanced and terrained walks. There aren't too many hills or inclines on most of the walks and generally they are all family friendly. The pick of the bunch is the Whipstick Loop Walk with its lush scenery and great canopy cover. It's also only 5km which is either a good thing or a disappointment. I'd prefer the Whipstick Loop walk to be longer as it's such a great walk but I know some will enjoy its short distance.
Walks
Trentham and Blackwood have a few mainstream walks for daytrippers and real hiking tracks for the more adventurous:
- Domino Rail Trail (Trentham)
- Wombat Trail (Trentham)
- Trentham Falls
- Whipstick Loop Walk (Blackwood) (Trentham)
- Lerderderg Heritage River Walk (Blackwood)
Location
Trentham is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes from Melbourne CBD with a distance of approximately 100km depending on the route you choose.
Other things to do
- Lunch at the Greendale Pub
- Lunch at the Radio Springs Hotel
- Visit Garden of St Erth
