Victorian Goldfields Railway - Castlemaine

While staying in Castlemaine we decided to take the trip to Maldon on the Victorian Goldfields Railway – an authentic steam railway linking Castlemaine and Maldon in Central Victoria. We purchased first class tickets for a unique experience in lounge chairs with coffee and bar service. We rode in the parlour car on the way to Maldon relaxing on cane chairs and returned in the salon carriage with a fully equipped bar – enjoyed champagne and cheese platter – very reasonable price. 

This steam train seemed to be mostly staffed by volunteers who are enthusiastic about rail travel and happy to chat about the history of this railway line - plus track sizes.  

You get to spend two hours in Maldon over lunch before getting back on the train for your return journey.  Maldon was declared by the National Trust as Australia’s first Notable Town. The historic shop fronts remain the same and there are many interesting outlets. 

We were advised to go to the Kangaroo Hotel for a great lunch – unfortunately it took too long for our lunch to be served and we missed walking up and down the street to look into the shops. A very interesting place and quite busy on weekends.