This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.
Known as a historic township in West Gippsland, Walhalla was the most gorgeous town which we had the pleasure to spend time at on Sunday. It took only a 15 minute drive from where we were staying at Rawson to arrive at Walhalla and I was instantly struck by its picturesque landscape and beautiful township.
I did not know much about Walhalla, prior to our visit, so did not really know what to expect. I can now see why it is listed in the RACV’s top 5 “Must Do” destinations for Victoria! It is really quite a special place, quietly tucked away in a mountain valley.
Walhalla Goldfields Railway
We arrived at Walhalla in time for the first scheduled train (11am) by the Walhalla Goldfield’s Railway. Having a three year old who is slightly obsessed with Thomas the Tank engine and all things train related, this was a huge hit with him. He decided that the engine looked the most like Diesel.
However it wasn’t only the three year old who enjoyed the train ride, all the children (and adults!) thought it was a lot of fun. The train journey follows Stringers Creek to where it joins the Thomson River. It travels over 6 high bridges and around the sharpest bends of any railway in Australia. It makes a stop at Thomson Station where we could hop off and explore the area. The kids took the opportunity to run and fossick for sticks and stones amongst the gloriously green vegetation.
If you get the chance to make it to Walhalla and take the train journey, be sure to make your way to the open carriage. As an adult I liked the comfy seats more on the enclosed carriage, but the kids loved being able to see so much more and be so close to the engine.
We then headed back to the township, me and the kids taking the 15 minute walk and dad driving the car and the baby to have lunch at the Greyhorse Cafe. We were lucky enough to have a beautifully sunny day, but it was nice to sit down and have a hot pie for lunch to warm us up.
Walhalla Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine
At 2pm we set off on a guided underground tour of one of Walhalla’s richest gold mines. This was a hit with the kids before we even started as we all had to put on hair nets and hard hats.
The Walhalla Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine tour took just under an hour. Rae-Ann was our guide and as we made our way through the mine, she kept us entertained with the history of the mine. The kids loved her anecdotes and thought she knew “everything about mines”.
Thinker was very pleased to have had the opportunity to hold the tap in a demonstration on how the miners would have originally began making the tunnel to reach the gold. Rae-Ann was super friendly and combined with her knowledge of mines, this encouraged the kids to ask questions, making the tour a very interactive experience for them.
Tips For Enjoying Walhalla:
- Although not at all as cold as the snow, warm clothes in layers are a great idea. This enables you to strip off a bit whilst enjoying the walks and then rug up for the train ride and mine tour.
- Along similar lines to above, but make sure that you have good walking shoes. There is a gorgeous walk from the town to the mine, that goes into the mountain side and a number of other trails to take advantage of.
- Allow yourself at least one full day to spend at Walhalla. There were still some things that I would love to have seen like the Chinese Garden and the Walhalla Cemetery.
The family and I travelled as guests of Destination Gippsland.