Around Castlemaine

I started the day with a visit to Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park.  I visited a few old mining sites, then spent about an hour lost in plantation tracks – anyone who played the game Pyramid and can recognise the phrase “you are in a maze of twisting passages, all alike” will understand the experience.  Apparently a sign saying “Harcourt 13km” does not mean the road goes to Harcourt.

I eventually made my way back to Castlemaine, where I visited Buda Historic Homestead, then walked around the town to see the historic buildings.

If you would like to know what it is like to be a book hoarder, visit Soldiers and Scholars book store – there was an amazing variety of second hand books, but they are crowded together in piles along walkways and stacked to the rafters.  They were very well organised though, and if you have a specific area you are looking for I am sure the owner can find anything she has straight away.   Just not great for browsing.

I also visited XXXXantiques, which had some amazing antiques – if you are looking for real antiques, not just second hand, I highly recommend this place.