DAY TOURS

Go2000.com – Travel conduct short tours around Ballarat and much of Western Victoria.   Details on some of those short tours can be found from the following list –

• Short Ballarat Tours
  • Brochure – Heritage and History Sightseeing Tours.
  • 90 Minute Tours of Ballarat.

• Half Day Tours
  • Old Gold Towns
  • Lavender, Art, Hats & Hills
  • Winery Tours

• Whole Day Tours
  • The Grampians
  • The Great Ocean Road – 12 Apostles
  • The Great Ocean Road – Otway Forest to Geelong
  • Hanging Rock & Mount Macedon
  • Geelong
  • Wine Tasting Tours
  • Art, Pottery, Crystal Glass & Bone China Tours

• Special Tours
  • Melbourne Shopping
  • Melbourne AFL Football Trips
  • Art & Gallery Tours

• Prices

Other than special tours, prices are based on a rate of $10 per hour per person.  A town tour therefore costs $15 p.p., a half day tour $40 p.p. and a full day tour $80 p.p. – these rates cover transport, driver and commentary only – admissions or purchases such as souvenirs or wine are at guests own expense.

Ballarat Short Tours

                                    Heritage & History Sightseeing Tours

– Brochure

To see a copy of our Daytour Brochure, click on one of the thumbnails below  - a larger copy of the brochure will appear in a separate page.  To get a bigger, more readable copy, hover your mouse over the image until an orange box appears in the bottom corner.  Click on the orange box and an even larger, readible image will appear.

 90 Minute Tours of Ballarat

These tours are designed for individual travellers or small groups of people who have limited time available.   Guests can be picked up from the Motel or other nominated place and it is normal for such trips to commence at 9 a.m. on a daily basis.  If other tours are in progress or this timing does not suit, trips can commence at other times by arrangement.

The tours are designed to enable visitors to get an  insight into the layout and History of the city in a short period of time such that the guests can decide which of the venues they may wish to visit in their own time at a later date.  There are times when the tour bus stops to enable the stories to be properly related but it is normal that guests do not get out of the bus while the tour is in progress.

Where visitors have a family relationship with Ballarat, some other connection or come from regions with similar histories, attempts are made to explore those relationships or make historic comparisons.

The tours take in much of the rich history of Ballarat including the Mining History and the Eureka Rebellion.  It also takes in the Avenue of Honour, Arch of Victory, some specific buildings of interest, Lake Wendouree, the Botanic Gardens, the P.O.W. Memorial, the Old Ballarat Cemetery, a range of residential and other buildings, Bakery Hill, Ballarat East, the Eureka Stockade site, an explanation of the many monuments and statues in the median strip of Sturt Street, some of the old mansions including Nieder Weisel, Gardens both public and private and as much more as time will permit.

Walking tours of the Cemetery are also possible as a separate exercise.

Half Day Tours

The Old Gold Towns

This tour takes in Creswick, the Melbourne University Forestry School, Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, a stroll down Vincent Street and a visit to Tuki Trout Farm if time permits, Clunes and Talbot.  This tour compares a number of gold towns which all came into existence in the 1851 – 1852 period as a result of Gold rushes but it is interesting to see the direction taken by each town since the gold production ended.  Some towns have fared well where others are struggling.

                                    Lavender, Art, Hats & Hills

This is a varied tour catering for a number of tastes.  We visit James Egan's Art Studio where James is famous for a variety of art – some on exhibit in Spain, USA and other prominent Galleries.  The "Hat Shoppe" with a range of hats and berets with connections to the TV Vet – Dr Harry.  At Yuulong Lavender Estate, in season we witness 16 acres of colourful Laender, see it harvested and marvel at the incredible range of applications and products that this plant can be used for. Yuulong is the official custodian of the National lavender collection with more than 100 different varieties of Lavender. En route we pass some other venues including  Kryal Castle, Mt Warrenhiep,  Mt Buninyong, Buninyong Township, Ballarat University, Ballarat Wildlife Park, Ballarat Bird World, Soveregn Hill, Willabaa and the newly established Aboriginal Cultural Experience.

Whole Day Tours

The Grampians.

We head off with our guide to Halls Gap right in the heart of the Grampians - an impressive rock outcrop marking the beginning of the Great Dividing range.   We go to places to get magnificent views from Boroka Lookout,  Reid's Lookout, see strange rock formations, McKenzie's Waterfalls, varied wildlife and wildflowers for most of the year.  For the more energetic there may be time to walk to the famous Balconies Lookout for a photo session.

We visit the Tourist Information Centre, hear of the destruction caused by the 2006 bushfires and see evidence of the incredible fight-

back by mother nature.    If time permits we travel to the top of Mt William which was one of the worst hit areas of the bushfires.

We head to Great Western via Stawell (home of the famous Stawell Gift Foot Race) and Seppelt's Wine Cellars where, if time and inclination permits we have a quick wine tasting.

The Great Ocean Road – 12 Apostles

The Great Ocean Road – Otway Forest to Geelong.

Hanging Rock and Mount Macedon.

Geelong Day Tour

Wine Tasting Tours

Art, Pottery, Crystal Glass & Bone China Tours.

Special Tours

Special Tours are conducted from time to time to suit the needs and wants of a range of patrons.  Some of these tours such as the Melbourne AFL Football trips are standard and are conducted at regular intervals.  Other tours such as Art & Gallery Tours or some Winery Tours are individually designed to suits the needs of a particular group.

Melbourne Shopping Tours

These are full day tours which, for the serious shopper, can take in Queen Victoria Markets or South Melbourne Markets, Church Street / Swan Street Richmond, Chapel Street Prahran, a range of Warehouse shopping or the Melbourne CBD.   For the non- shoppers there can be some alternative drop-off points at the Zoo, Aquarium, St Kilda Beach etc..

Melbourne AFL Football Trips

These trips are specifically scheduled to coincide with days when the Adelaide Crows or Port Power are playing in Melbourne.   For daytime games there is time available at Queen Victoria Markets or the Casino before crossing to the game venue.  After the match there is time for a tea/ coffee and biscuit before returning to Ballarat.

Art & Gallery Tours