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> Discover Victoria > Places to see > Bendigo
Experience a taste of the real Australia.
An easy two-hour train trip from Melbourne, Bendigo is a famous gold-mining
area that has the perfect combination of fun, interactive activities, arts
and heritage, and an enticing wine bar and café culture.
The
city is easy to navigate by foot, tram, bus and train, and you could spend
hours getting lost in the side streets that are home to local artisans, cafes
and boutiques.
A
great way to get around town is the Bendigo Talking Tram,
which visits most major destinations, and has a running commentary of sights
and sounds from the city.
For a
more action-packed experience, you can don a miner’s cap and delve into an
old gold mine, or enjoy the explosive fun of the popular Discovery Science and Technology Centre.
Both
adults and children can experience a tour below the surface of the Central Deborah Gold Mine,
which was the last operating mine at the end of the gold rush.
A
little further out of town, the tradition of the artists at the Bendigo Pottery is alive and
well, as Australia’s oldest working pottery.
Chinese
migration at the time of the goldfields is also celebrated at the Golden Dragon Museum,
which houses the world’s oldest Imperial Chinese dragon.
While
it has the modern conveniences of the city, and top-notch food and wine, Bendigo still retains that a friendly feel and a relaxed pace, and is a great destination
to get away from it all.
Watch V/Line’s TV commercial for Bendigo below.
How to
get there
Bendigo is approximately 113 minutes by
train from Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station.
Along
the way, you can take in the scenery of Melbourne’s outskirts, Victorian
towns and great country vistas.
There
is also a taxi rank and bus terminal at the station.
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View timetable information
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Use Plan your
Journey (help) on the top left hand side
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Find out where to buy tickets
Fares
Great value return train fares Melbourne <> Bendigo
Free
travel on trams, trains and buses
Your
V/Line ticket is also a Metcard.
This means you can use your ticket to travel on metropolitan Melbourne trams, trains and buses at no extra cost. You can also use the ticket to travel
on Bendigo town buses.
Please
note: since peak times are busy, we encourage
families to travel in off peak times if possible.
Transport
in Bendigo
Bendigo Station
The station is an easy 10 minute walk to the town centre, or 15 minutes
to the Visitor Information Centre on Pall Mall. The station includes disabled access, a public telephone, accessible toilets,
baby change area, and takeaway food outlets.
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View map of central Bendigo (PDF, 675KB) 
Local buses
Local bus services depart Bendigo station regularly.
Ø View bus timetable (PDF, 65KB)
For more information on local bus services, use the Viclink Journey Planner (new window) or call 131 638.
Regional coaches
V/Line
coach services link Bendigo with Adelaide, Mildura, Geelong, Echuca, Swan
Hill, Donald, Sea Lake, Ballarat, Wangaratta.
Suggested
weekend itinerary
Saturday
Pick
up a two-day pass for the Bendigo Talking Tram,
and head out to some of the attractions on the hour-long journey.
Spend a few hours at the Central Deborah Gold Mine,
learning about the mine, and even take home a chunk of quartz from
underground.
Visit the Bendigo Chinese Joss House,
and experience the tradition of ancestor worship. Take a stroll around Bath Lane, Alexandra Fountain and View St.
Grab some dinner at one of the top restaurants in Bendigo, or go café-style
for more family-friendly fare.
Sunday
Stop by the Golden Dragon Museum
for a Yum Cha brunch, before taking a tour through the dragon display and
Chinese gardens.
More information
To
find out more about Bendigo, visit these websites:
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Bendigo Tourism
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Visit Victoria
Call us on 136 196 (+61 3 8608 5011 from overseas) with any V/Line
enquiries.
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