A vegan cafe in a Victorian country town is a rare treat and we'd been thinking about visiting Milo in the Goldfields city of Maryborough for a while. A free week at the very start of Spring seemed as good a time as any to head up there for a few days and eat ourselves silly in this popular vegan cafe!
We loaded up after breakfast on Monday 1st September and hit the road after the morning peak at just before 9.30am. It was a straightforward drive (via Ballarat) to Maryborough, seeing us parked up just off the main street by noon. We headed straight to Milo Cafe and Store for lunch, securing a spot in the pleasant sunshine in their courtyard garden. We were in need of liquid refreshment first and enjoyed our drinks while deciding on which of the yummy dishes to choose from. Our lunch meals were excellent and we couldn't resist another round of hot drinks with some of their sweet treats too! On our way out, we stocked up on some takeaway meals and more cakes to enjoy later in the day. A quick shop at Coles secured basic supplies before we drove out the short distance to our home for the next three nights, Golden Country Motel & Caravan Park. Checking in just before 2.30pm, we were pleased with our cabin, a modern two-bedroom affair tucked away at the back of the park, with all the mod cons we needed for a short stay. Lola soon found herself at home and we tried out our new portable dog fence on the front deck for the first time (and it worked a treat). After unpacking, we drove out to Goldfields Reservoir where Lee & Lola enjoyed three laps on the fold-up bike while Ky walked, then we all walked a lap together before sampling our Milo cakes as afternoon tea overlooking the reservoir. Returning to the cabin, we enjoyed our meals from Milo before settling in to watch the documentary, Christspiracy.
It turned out that a railway track was just behind the cabin, which only seemed to be used by overnight freight trains! Their loud horns and rumbling shook the cabin each time one passed through. As a result of a very disturbed night's sleep, we made a leisurely start on Tuesday, driving into town to explore on foot. Many historic buildings have been kept in good condition here, including the Court House, Post Office, Town Hall, Fire Station (now converted into the Central Goldfields Art Gallery with an amazing Indigenous interpretative garden) and Railway Station. It was a good walk to cover all of the buildings and the weather just about stayed dry for our wander - we'd well and truly earned morning tea back at Milo! From there, we walked to Princes Park and enjoyed a walk around Lake Victoria as well as a couple of laps with Lola on the fold-up bike. It was back to Milo for a big lunch and a much-needed rest. After lunch, we returned to Goldfields Reservoir for a couple of laps on the bike and also a walk, before heading back to town via Bristol Hill lookout. The lookout provided fine views across Maryborough and the surrounding countryside, even if the wind was strong and cold at the top of it! Back at the cabin, we enjoyed afternoon tea thanks to Milo cakes and pastries and later feasted on more Milo takeaway meals for dinner. We rounded out the day with the documentary, From Food To Freedom.
We headed into town on Wednesday for morning tea at Milo again. From there, Lee rode with Lola out to Carisbrook, another small goldfields town about 7km from Maryborough. It was a pleasant ride alongside ironbark forests and open paddocks as part of the Carisbrook Settlers Trail, meeting Ky there after her short drive. We enjoyed a lovely walk along Tullaroop Creek and even spotted a couple of kookaburras! Lee and Lola rode back to Maryborough (against a very strong headwind!), meeting Ky back in town before heading to Milo yet again for lunch. We grabbed more takeaway meals and cakes to last us the day too. A return trip to Goldfields Reservoir saw us walking together for just one lap (with Lola in her backpack), before heading back to our cabin for afternoon tea thanks to our latest Milo haul. Dinner was more Milo fare, before we wrapped up our day by watching the documentary, A Sacred Duty.
It was time for us to leave Maryborough on Thursday, so we packed up and checked-out of the caravan park around 9.30am. We made one last stop at Milo to pick up takeaway food and cakes, before driving to Castlemaine. This pleasant Goldfields town is always worth a stop and we stocked up on fantastic fruit and veg (and other supplies) from the excellent Green Goes The Grocer organic shop. Lee also enjoyed a good quality coffee from a new "hole in the wall" coffee shop nearby, Nira. Driving on through heavy rain, we were relieved that the weather cleared by the time we reached Daylesford so we could enjoy our Milo food for lunch next to Lake Daylesford. We had a short walk with Lola, not risking a full lap of the lake as the clouds were heavy and the wind freezing! It was then an easy drive home from Daylesford, unloading the Honda before 3pm.
It was good to visit somewhere new and Maryborough was a well-kept and pleasant small city in the Goldfields. We loved Milo - their food and service were great, we only wish we had someone like this more locally!