Summer in Australia - Days 10, 11, and 12: The Gold Country

About a decade after the California Gold Rush, gold fever hit Australia. Gold was found in the hills north of Melbourne and, almost overnight, the fortunes of Victoria State changed dramatically. All of a sudden this state could compete with New South Wales and Sydney as an economic center. One of the largest veins of gold anywhere in the world was found near the town of Ballarat which, a few years later, became the wealthiest city on the planet. Today, Victoria's gold country is dotted with picturesque towns with impressive town centers that seem built for grand cities that never were. A good break in the middle of this loop, for us, was a stop at Hepburn Springs where four camper van sleeping and shower-less vagabonds could enjoy their first warm water since leaving Singapore. All in all, we drove through the following historic towns: Ballarat, Daylesford, Newstead, Maryborough, Maldon, Bendigo, and Castlemaine.