GETTING HERE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
BY TRAIN
Castlemaine Railway Station is centrally located, and train travel is an easy and pleasurable 1.5 hour journey from Melbourne. V/Line trains run between Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station along the Bendigo line to Castlemaine, or Bendigo departing regularly from 6am to 11:30pm. For more information visit vline.com.au or phone 1800 800 007.
BY BUS
There are local buses servicing Castlemaine, Chewton, Campbells Creek, Maldon and Bendigo. For service schedules visit pvt.vic.gov.au.
BY CAR
BY CAR
Castlemaine is approximately 120 kms north –west of Melbourne, or a 1.5 hour drive via the Tullamarine Freeway, following the signs to Bendigo and the Calder Freeway. Bendigo is approximately 155 kms from Melbourne or a 2-hour drive.
BY TAXI
Castlemaine Taxis service all areas in the region and can be contacted on 131 008.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
Castlemaine and surrounds serves up a smorgasbord of delights — artisan produce markets, gourmet eateries, craft breweries and boutique wineries — alongside great shopping, bars, live music, theatre and year-round festivals, all framed by rolling bushland, secret gorges and gold-rush heritage trails.
LOVE SHACK BREWERY
Bar, Bistro & Good Old Fashion Country Hospitality
Love Shack Public Bar & Brewery is a love letter to the regional Victorian pubs of yesterday. There’s just as much love, care and passion in the Public Bar as there is in our beers.
Love Shack tend to keep things cosy and laid back, with warmth and comfort being the key descriptors. But every now and then, it’s a bit of a party…
Joel Baylon is our head Chef, and he’s offering the best bistro food this side of the great dividing range. Look out for Joel’s incredible rotating Weekly Specials.
If you want to know what you’ll be in for on a night, the best thing is to check out their Instagram and see what’s goin’ on.
OPENING HOURS
Sunday to Thurs – 11am – 10pm
Friday & Saturday – 11am ’til Late
26 Hargraves Street Castlemaine
THE MILL PRECINCT
Castlemaine Creativity At Its Best
A vibrant tourist destination, The Mill Castlemaine is a melting pot of creative small businesses.
On site deliciousness includes Das Kaffeehaus roastery and opulent Viennese café, Shedshaker Brewery and Taproom, Oakwood Smallgoods Co., Boomtown Winemakers, Cabosse & Feve Chocolates, Long Paddock artisan cheese, Sprout sourdough bakery, Icecream Republic and Harvest Fruit & Veg.
Browse through the enormous Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar to find vintage, upcycled, hand-made, second-hand and antique goods. Meander around the artisan precinct and observe artists at work in quirky art spaces. All set in a reimagined 1870s woollen mill, with plenty of off-street parking for cars, buses and vans.
OPENING HOURS
Open 7 days a week. Individual businesses keep their own opening hours – see website for details.
1-9 Walker Street Castlemaine
THEATRE ROYAL
Pizza & Cocktails
Set in the heart of Castlemaine, the Theatre Royal is the longest continuously operating mainland theatre in Australia — and the perfect spot to unwind before or after a screening.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, its front bar welcomes you from 4 pm, pouring cocktails, local and international wines, beers and a full range of non-alcoholic beverages. Don’t miss the signature semi-sourdough pizzas — made with organic ingredients and a 72-hour fermentation, hand-stretched to order and baked at 500°C on a stone floor for a paper-thin base and perfectly puffy, leopard-spotted crust.
OPENING HOURS
Tuesday to Sunday: Front bar opens 4 pm – late
Saturday & Sunday: Garden bar opens 3 pm – late
30 Hargraves Street Castlemaine.