5 ways to have some fun in the sun

With everything from live music in the gardens, animal encounters, nature fixes, mountain biking, markets and more, there’s plenty of reasons to head into the great outdoors!

1.

Summer Sundays is back! Grab your crew and head to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens for live music, food trucks and the refreshing pop-up Garden Bar. 

Every Sunday in January from 3-7pm.

2.

Get up close and personal with the inhabitants of the Ballarat Wildlife Park  including Kai the Sumatran-Siberian tiger (be sure to check out a Morning Tiger Talk), Manuka the rare golden wombat, plus hundreds of free roaming kangaroos you can feed by hand.

3.

Venture to the Pyrenees wine region – just a short drive from Ballarat – and soak up some tunes with Live Music Sundays at Taltarni Cellar Door and Saturdays at Sally’s Paddock.

4.

Make the most of the summer weather, grab some takeaway and head out for a picnic. Some of our favourite spots include Lake Wendouree and the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, MacKenzies Flat Picnic Area in the Lerderderg State Park and for a spectacular view, head to Mount Buninyong. For some action head to the recently opened Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails) before enjoying some snacks.

5.

Meander through a local farmers’ market and stock up on local produce, gifts, artisan wares and more. Options include The Bridge Market, Ballarat Farmers’ Market, Creswick Market, Smythesdale Country Market, Talbot Farmers’ Market and Avoca Riverside Market.

Main image: Ballarat Wildlife Park