Heywood

Apex Park is located on the banks of the Fitzroy River in Heywood. The town also has an annual festival, a 50-metre swimming and leisure pool, and places of art and remembrance. This mix offers different reasons to get to know Heywood: time in the park, a stay centred around the festival, or an interest in local art and history.

Riverside park and swimming pool

Apex Park is on the Fitzroy River and brings several specific amenities together in one named location: there is a playground, as well as covered shelters with barbecue facilities. If you’re travelling with children, you can plan to stop at the playground for a play break. The covered shelters and barbecue facilities also make the park a place to share a meal outdoors. At Apex Park, playing and barbecuing are highlights alongside its riverside location.

Another leisure option is the Heywood Swimming Pool, with its 50-metre swimming and leisure pool. The pool’s length is a clear feature of this amenity; unlike the playground and barbecue facilities at Apex Park, this part of a stay in Heywood is all about swimming. If you like to include a range of activities in your holiday, the park and swimming pool can appeal to different interests, without implying that they are at the same location.

Wood Wine and Roses Festival in February

The Wood Wine and Roses Festival takes place every year on the last Saturday in February. This recurring date is a specific point of reference for planning your trip: if you’re timing your stay around the festival, the last Saturday in February is the date to keep in mind. The street parade officially opens the festival. Wine tastings are also part of the event, and a fireworks display brings it to a close.

Art, remembrance and local history

The Indigenous War Memorial mural in Heywood honours the sacrifices made by Gunditjmara soldiers. Artworks by Adnate can be seen on the local water tower. Both features bring art into the town, but have different emphases: the mural is explicitly a war memorial, while the water tower displays works by a named artist.

The Old School houses a miniature railway depicting the surrounding area. Here, the focus is on a scaled-down depiction of the area. The James Rogers VC Memorial, by contrast, commemorates one person: James Rogers served in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. These two places therefore offer different perspectives—one depicting the surrounding area, the other providing a personal military commemoration.

The Pioneer Wagon Shed and Museum displays furniture made at the mill. The furniture gives this exhibition venue its own focus: the emphasis is on objects connected with production at the mill. Together with the mural, the works on the water tower, the miniature railway and the James Rogers VC Memorial, it contributes to a varied picture of local art, remembrance and history.

Choosing Heywood as a holiday destination

If you’re planning your trip around the Wood Wine and Roses Festival, its annual date provides a specific anchor when searching for a holiday rental in Heywood.

More places to explore: Humevale, Mount Buller, Mccrae, Macarthur, Eaglehawk, Oakleigh South, Barnadown, Mornington.

See the broader travel overview: Victoria.