Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

No matter which way you stare from the Convent (www.theconvent.com.au), the vista is impressive. The former home of the Presentation Sisters, this 19th-century mansion at the top of Wombat Hill boasts views of the town and surrounding countryside. These days, it’s also a gallery, showing travelling exhibitions and local art. Soak up some culture, lounge in the gardens, then indulge at the Med-style Bad Habits Café before absolving your sins at the Altar Bar.

Arts and culture

There’s a strong creative presence here, with boho types attracted for many years by the inspiring geography, proximity to Melbourne and, until recently, inexpensive property. Now, many of the artists and writers have moved further out – to towns such as Creswick and Castlemaine – but a number of galleries still show almost exclusively local work. Take a look at Clayfire Gallery (http://clayfiregallery.com.au) and Pantechnicon Gallery (www.daylesfordartgallery.com.au), both on Vincent Street.

Something for nothing

Stroll around the shores of super-pretty Lake Daylesford, on the town’s outskirts, where there are serene spots to enjoy a picnic or throw in a fishing line. Bring some stale bread to feed the resident ducks and swans and you’ll have a flock of new friends before you know it.

Shopping

The best retail therapy is to be had on a Sunday, when one of Victoria’s largest outdoor markets sets up shop near the Daylesford railway station (a vintage train runs to nearby Bullarto the same day). We recommend the locally cultivated arts and crafts and fresh produce. For more tasty regional fare, check out the Daylesford Farmers’ Market, held on the first Saturday morning of each month at the town's primary school.

Daytripper

Just 40 kilometres from Daylesford is the village of Kyneton, where you'll discover historic Piper Street (www.piperstreet.com.au). If you looked up ‘charming’ in the dictionary, there should be a picture of this thoroughfare, where many of the quaint buildings date back to the gold-rush days. Now, a new breed of independent retailers has opened stores selling art, antiques and eco homewares, plus there’s a tummy-expanding range of gourmet experiences. Stop for lunch at café and organic food store Slow Living (www.slowliving.com.au), in the old ice works, or spoil yourself at Annie Smithers Bistrot (www.anniesmithers.com.au), then stock up on home-baked organic cookies from Inner Biscuit (www.innerbiscuit.com).

Perfect picnic

Overlooking the town from on high is the Wombat Hill Botanical Garden, established in the 1860s and still retaining the gracious charm of that bygone era. Many of the enormous, and often rare, trees are now listed as significant by the National Trust, adding to their arboreal cool. Stock your basket at Cliffy’s Emporium (30 Raglan Street; +61 (0)3 5438 3279; www.cliffys.com.au) before finding a spot to spread your blanket.

Walks

The Great Dividing Trail (www.gdt.org.au) is a series of walking tracks stretching 280 kilometres, linking some of the area's gold-rush towns. Daylesford is the starting point for three of the ‘spokes’ of the trail, which travel through diverse bushland and can be sampled as short or day walks if you fancy a more chilled-out ramble.

Children

Can you remember the last time you caught your own lunch? If you take the kids to Tuki Trout Farm (www.tuki.com.au), owner Robert Jones will help them bait a hook with corn kernels and snag one of the fish in his pond. Robert then does all the dirty work before popping your plump trout on the open fire in the restaurant and serving it up.

Activities

Surprisingly, the Macedon Ranges, about 70 kilometres from Daylesford, have similar terroir and climate to the Champagne region in France. In the past 20 years or so, a group of dedicated vignerons has been creating a series of exceptional Aussie sparklings. In fact, just as the bubbles produced in Champagne are known as Champagne, the sparkling wines made in this region have been labelled Macedon since the 1990s. Keen to try some? Hanging Rock Winery (88 Jim Road, Newham; +61 (0)3 5427 0542; www.hangingrock.com.au) makes a NV Brut Cuvée, Late Disgorged Extended Lees aged Brut Cuvée and a Brut Rosé. Also worth a detour are Cope Williams (www.copewilliams.com.au) and Granite Hills Winery (www.granitehills.com.au).

And

For mind-blowing massage action, book into Daylesford Day Spa (www.daylesforddayspa.com.au), Endota Spa (www.endota.com.au) or Shizuka Ryokan Japanese Country Spa & Wellness Retreat (www.shizuka.com.au). To kill time while your partner gets pampered, tee off at Hepburn Springs Golf Club (www.hepburngolf.com.au).