Discover Heathcote: Trails, Pink Cliffs and Wine

Heathcote offers a range of ways to explore the surrounding area on foot, from a short loop past trees and a picnic area to longer trails leading to notable local landmarks. There is also McIvor Creek, the Pink Cliffs and a strong wine tradition. When choosing a holiday rental or holiday home for your stay, these different interests can help you decide: would you like to focus on walking routes, observe nature, or also discover local food and wine?

Trails with different route types

The McIvor Creek Trail runs through Heathcote and is about 2 km one way. The one-way distance is important when planning your route. Another option is the Pink Cliffs Loop Trail: this 8 km trail passes the historic cemetery and climbs up to the Pink Cliffs. If you’re looking for a loop to a lookout, the Viewing Rock Loop Trail is another option. This roughly 2.6 km, somewhat more challenging circuit leads to a large rock above Heathcote, which offers impressive views.

The Liquid Amber Trail is shorter and has a different layout. This 1 km loop starts at the Visitor Centre and leads to the liquid amber trees and a picnic area by McIvor Creek. The trails therefore differ not only in length, but also in their destination and route: a loop, a one-way trail, or a path climbing up to the Pink Cliffs. When planning a trip together, you can then decide which of these route types best suits your planned activities.

McIvor Creek and the Pink Cliffs

McIvor Creek runs parallel to Heathcote’s main street. Fishing and birdwatching are popular activities there. If you’re interested in nature observation, you can take these options into account when choosing what to do. The Pink Cliffs Reserve on the outskirts of Heathcote is also a great place for bushwalking and photography.

The landscape is therefore a focus in several ways: as a walking destination, as a setting for bushwalking and photography, or as a place to go birdwatching and fishing by the creek. If you’re travelling with children, you can factor the different trail lengths and routes into your daily plans when choosing activities to do together, without planning everything around a single route.

Wine, local food and town history

Heathcote is known for Shiraz and has more than 30 cellar doors. Heathcote Winery offers wine tastings and wine sales. If you’d like to make wine part of your trip as well as walking, this gives you another way to enjoy your stay. The Bush Market adds to the local offerings, with regional food available on the first Saturday of each month. This regular monthly date may be useful for planning your trip if you’d like to time your visit to coincide with the market.

Heathcote’s Old Gaol adds a piece of local history. The Old Gaol is a historic building in the town’s Victorian architectural style. The combination of wine heritage, regional food, nature trails and a historic building makes Heathcote interesting for travellers who want to enjoy a range of experiences. When choosing accommodation, you can therefore consider whether you’d like your trip to focus mainly on trails and nature activities, or whether you’d also like to include wine and local food culture.

Discover more places

More places: Ivanhoe, Bellbrae, Rowville, Beaconsfield Upper, Rushworth, Glenrowan, Red Hill South and Seaspray.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.