Overview
Get back to nature and catch glimpses of quirky Australian wildlife while visiting natural mineral springs in reserves, parks and forests in Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges. Stumble upon shy echidnas and wombats crossing your walking trails, play golf with local kangaroos, and look skywards for colourful rosellas and other birdlife.
Nature reserves
Keep your eye out for native fauna when exploring Hanging Rock Reserve, or join a night tour and see gliders, koalas, wallabies and more while discovering the mystery of the famous rock.
Twitchers will rejoice at the more than 200 species of birds that call Macedon Regional Park home. So bring your binoculars and find a quiet spot to set up camp. The park also boasts a wide range of mammals including kangaroos, koalas, wombats, gliders, wallabies and possums.
Cruise out to Kyneton and enjoy exploring Black Hill Reserve's 260 acres of pristine native bushland. The park is home to a wide range of native wildlife, including kangaroos, ring and bushy tail possums, wallabies, echidnas, frogs, bats and lizards.
Mt Piper is another haven for local wildlife. Strap on your walking boots and make your way to the summit looking out for the endangered blue ant butterfly, the golden sun moth, and the majestic wedge tail eagles.
Quirky characters
Tee off in front of a mob of friendly kangaroos at the Hepburn Springs Golf Course, where they laze about on the greens, or traverse the fairways of Gisborne Golf Club in a golf buggy on a kangaroo viewing tour, complete with stops for photos. Alternatively, visit Jackson's Creek in Sunbury to see spiny echidnas and the duck-billed, semiaquatic platypus.
The 15-hectare koala park in Creswick Regional Park is a must if you're in the area, while a picnic on the banks of nearby St George Lake, might be rewarded with a sighting of the elusive platypus.
