Itinerary: Small Town Charm of Mitchell

Follow the drive up from Melbourne along the Hume Highway and you see the subtle transition from Melbourne’s bustling outer suburbs, to sleepy country towns on the outskirts as you edge your way into Mitchell. Wildlife and wilderness galore, you could do this trip as a daytrip, but we would recommend slowing down and taking a long weekend to explore.

Start your visit alongside the rolling countryside in Trawool. Recently renovated, the eye-catching Trawool Estate makes for the perfect stay. With gourmet organic cuisine being served up next to views to die for, you would likely want to spend a lazy afternoon here and bring in the evening with bottles of wine supplied from local wineries. Keep a tab on their events and you’ll be in for a sweet night.

Start easy the next morning and slowly make your way to the Tallarook Farmer’s Market. We recommend going hungry! Full of seasonal produce, hand-made goodies and quirky artefacts, this monthly market is held in the Tallarook Mechanics Institute.

After packing up your boots with the bounties of Mitchell, make your way up to the Tallarook hotel for a lazy beer or three. If you’re driving, the hotel is perfect to take it easy and stretch your legs. Keep an eye on the watch and start making your way across to Tooborac by early evening.

Head towards Seymour and take the Seymour-Tooborac road across to Tooborac. Turn onto the Tooborac-Lancefield road for one of the most spectacular drives in Mitchell. Dramatic fields of green studded with granite boulders, set up against the backdrop of the McIvor Ranges welcome you into Tooborac. It is one of the best spots for sunset in the Shire. This photo by one of our local photographers says it all!

As the day closes, you might want to head up to the Tooborac brewery, the state’s oldest National Trust-listed country pub. Sit down for a country-style meal or get takeaway pies for the road. If your visiting on a weekend be sure to visit one of the local cellar doors, McIvor Estate is one of our favourites. Us in Mitchell, we’d like to be best remembered by our food and drinks!

To find out more about what Mitchell Shire has to offer, visit our Discover Mitchell page and make sure to follow our social accounts.