Can travelling with a toddler be relaxing? I visited Australia’s happiest town to test the theory

Planning a holiday that’s enjoyable for both adults and toddlers requires prodigious skill. The mental gymnastics of nap navigation, finding accommodation with ample (safe) outdoor space and close-ish proximity to family-friendly attractions alone requires careful consideration.

It goes without saying that for this season of parenting, my proclivity for uncomplicated logistics means long-haul flights are on hold and road trips of more than three hours are off the table. A long weekend in regional Victoria, though, meets all of these requirements. The boutique wineries, famous local produce and contemporary dining options promise some adult fun, too.

Skipping city traffic is a plus (we’ve chosen to fly into Avalon airport, rather than Melbourne’s Tullamarine, from Sydney), as is the offer by our hire car company to install the car seat – a skill my husband and I are yet to master (see also: tantrum-free placement of toddler in said car seat).

We’re headed for the tiny town of Scotsburn, population 244 according to the 2021 census. It’s just an hour’s drive from the airport but, more importantly, only 20 minutes south of Ballarat – a charming city in Victoria’s Central Highlands that was recently named Australia’s happiest city and our base for the long weekend.

Upon learning that “Ballarat” comes from the Wadawurrung words balla and arat, meaning “resting place” I ponder the advice more experienced parents steadfastly offer that “holidays are just parenting in a different location”. In other words, rest they are not.

Victoria’s 1851 gold rush attracted plenty of migrants – Chinese, Irish, Scottish, European and North American – who originally set up shanty towns. Today, Ballarat Central, the city’s commercial hub, is set out as a grid pattern on a bluestone plateau overlooking Ballarat East and the surrounding goldfields once home to those transient settlers.

We arrive at our accommodation, Mingara Park Cottage, to find a loaf of freshly baked bread and a herd of goats and gaggle of geese visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The combination forces me to catch my breath; almost instantly, I am enchanted by the rhythm of country life and its promise of rejuvenation.

Originally a log cabin, the four-bedroom homestead has been reimagined for city folk in search of fresh air and a morning alarm clock of laughing kookaburras. Owners Wayne and Robyn purchased the cottage derelict and kept only the stone fireplace. The new interior is farmhouse-cosy, with a palette of warm whites, caramels and natural wood that complements the theatre of the surrounding countryside.

Two gates must be opened and closed to enter the property. At home, this would be a nuisance. Here, it feels almost satisfying. I’m no longer on a treadmill and have the time to complete simple tasks. Life is easier. Slower. Sweeter. That layer of worry synonymous with a big city – where the search for free time is futile – begins to lift, allowing me the space to think thoughts beyond the childcare pick-up, next meal or work deadline.

The next morning, at Ballarat cafe Johnny Alloo, there is an unshowy conviviality as off-duty nurses and doctors from the neighbouring hospital await their takeaway coffees and unhurried parents with prams grab tables for brunch. I order the French toast – brioche, spiced chai maple syrup, mascarpone, salted pecans and rhubarb (the latter is usually grilled peach, “but we’re trying something new with the rhubarb” the waiter tells me with equal parts pride and passion). The scrambled eggs on sourdough with crispy soft-shell crab and lime and chilli jam is also tempting.

Fully caffeinated, we head to Lake Wendouree adventure playground, next to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. Its fenced play area is appreciated for affording us the unique experience of consuming lunch slowly. Pat’s Sandwiches lives up to the hype and I suggest ordering the chicken schnitzel with dill mayo for yourself, grilled cheese on thick sourdough for the kids, and finishing with their excellent coffee or matcha while the kids play or take a tram ride around the gardens.

The next day brings an unusually exotic promise: meeting Kai, the 10-year-old Sumatran-Siberian tiger at Ballarat Wildlife Park. The weather is crisp yet gloriously sunny and the 160-kilogram cat spends most of the afternoon sunbathing majestically on a high vantage point.

We also meet Pearl, the seven-year-old koala who, not unlike my toddler, refuses to sit still during the encounter, preferring to climb her handlers rather than munch on gum leaves, as instructed. But the most relaxed animals must be the free-roaming kangaroos who lie unbothered on the grass as visitors approach them.

A trip to Ballarat would not be complete without a visit to Sovereign Hill. In this “open-air museum”, an extra sense of nostalgia is added as I reminisce about coming here as a child with my parents. While the educational offerings are lost on little kids (a trip down one mine lasts roughly 45 minutes and sounds particularly hellish with a toddler), the candy shop, horse-carriage ride, bowling alley and gold panning provide low-effort fun. Finish at the cafe which overlooks a playground featuring a giant ship, a slide and plenty of photo opportunities at the “Bank of Australia”.

Our last stop is the Buninyong Hotel, a classic country pub that reopened last year after a major spruce-up by the former host of The Project, Gorgi Coghlan, and her husband Simon. We enjoy some of Buninyong’s best chardonnay and pinot noir in the sun-drenched beer garden and natter to locals gathered for a 70th birthday party.

“We love it here in Buninyong,” says the woman throwing the soirée, her friends nodding in unison. With the afternoon sun on my back and wine in hand, a gear shift has most certainly taken place. Rather than simply “parenting in a different location”, rest is upon us.

Don’t miss

Eat and drink: Go to Pancho in Ballarat for the South American-inspired decor and stay for the ceviche, tacos and margaritas.

A spot of history: Creswick Woollen Mills is Australia’s last remaining coloured woollen spinning mill. Check out its exhibition and pat the baby lambs and alpacas.

Stock up: Visit the Meredith Farm Store to see where its famous marinated goat’s cheese is made and stock up on goodies for the trip home.

Get the best of Sunday Life magazine delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up for our newsletter.