Mount Macedon: Gardens, Peaks and Memorials

Mount Macedon offers unusual contrasts: historic gardens, a striking memorial and opportunities to walk in the Macedon Ranges landscape. You may be interested in a trip to gardens and art, or prefer to focus on trails, forest and peaks. The area also has picnic spots and a small playground.

Gardens, History and Art

Forest Glade Gardens is a historic private garden on the southern slopes of Mount Macedon and is almost 100 years old. Duneira Estate combines gardens with its history as an original colonial hill station. The property covers 38 acres and includes extensive gardens, chestnut groves, an apple orchard, original outbuildings and a gatekeeper’s lodge. Guided garden and house tours are offered at Duneira Estate and must be booked by phone.

Viewfield is also a private garden, set on a ten-acre property in the centre of Mount Macedon. If you are interested in gardens, there are several different places to choose from. Dicksonia Rare Plants is a nursery in the centre of the Mount Macedon township, with more than 2,000 different rare plants to choose from.

The Gallery at Mt Macedon is run by a collective of local artists. Its offerings include paintings, woodwork, textiles, glasswork, ceramics, jewellery, photography, origami and mosaics. This variety makes the gallery a cultural highlight in its own right: you can include different art forms in your travel interests rather than focusing your stay solely on gardens and nature.

Walking Trails, Forest and Peaks

There are self-guided walking and horse-riding trails at Sanatorium Lake. The lakeside trail connects to the 29-kilometre Macedon Ranges Walking Trail. The audio-guided Murmuring Walk is about 2.5 kilometres long and passes through tall eucalyptus forests and a damp fern gully. This gives you a choice of an audio-guided walk, other self-guided walking trails and horse-riding trails.

A striking peak to visit is Camel’s Hump. At 1,011 metres, it is the highest peak in the Macedon Ranges and offers views of the surrounding landscape. The climb to the summit gains 500 metres in elevation and leads to an ancient rock outcrop. These details give you a clear idea of what to expect if you would like to include a peak in your trip.

Stanley Park has a hidden, medium-sized natural waterfall. Several picnic spots and a small playground add to the park’s facilities. These spots offer a different setting for an outdoor break with others than a longer walk or a climb to a peak.

Memorial and Choosing a Holiday Rental

The Mount Macedon Memorial Cross stands 21 metres high and commemorates everyone who has served in wars and conflicts. You can also go walking in the Memorial Cross Reserve. The sealed path to the cross is suitable for visitors with limited mobility, but there are steps at the base of the cross. Keep this difference in mind when planning a visit to the cross.

When looking for a holiday rental in Mount Macedon, you could first consider which experiences you want to shape your stay: gardens and culture, walking trails at Sanatorium Lake, Camel’s Hump or a trip to the Memorial Cross.

More local pages: Yarram, Mirboo North, Swanpool, Redesdale, Grovedale, Navarre, Eaglehawk and Jindivick.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.