Deep Creek Spring and Sailors Falls

Sailors ‘jumping ship’ at Port Phillip Bay presented an enormous problem for ship owners in the gold rush years. Thousands took off inland – often entire crews with their captain. The lure of the gold fields was infinitely more attractive than poor wages, harsh conditions and hazardous voyages. In his evidence to the Gold Reward hearings in 1864, the holder of the first gold diggers licence at Daylesford, F. Kawerau, told the board that “shortly after we arrived there, a party of sailors arrived and found in a creek, called after them afterwards Sailors Creek, very good payable gold.”

Deep Spring at Eganstown

Deep Spring is just outside Eganstown on the road from Daylesford to Ballarat. The creek flowing through the reserve marks the boundary between the shires of Creswick and Daylesford and Glenlyon. It also marks the western limit of the first John Egan’s Corinella Pre-emptive Right. John Egan was one of the first settlers in the Daylesford district. He obtained the lease for his run in 1848 and his family has lived there ever since.

The Pump House

As the area became more widely settled, the Deep Creek Spring Reserve was soon established as a popular picnic spot. There is an exceptionally good mineral spring issuing from the creek. This was commercially bottled locally from the 1920s and later by O.T. Limited, a Melbourne company who leased land from the Egan family to build the pump house which is still in use.

Corinella Mineral Spring

The Egan land includes another popular spring, the Corinella Mineral Spring. It is located alongside the old catholic cemetery where many early pioneers are buried. One of the more colourful parish priests at Eganstown insisted that this mineral water was the best in the district as it “always has plenty of body in the water”.

Pleasure parties at Sailors Falls

Land at Sailors Falls was initially set aside as a water reserve. It was a popular spot with “pleasure parties and other people from the colonies”. In the 1880s the local congregation of the Bible Christian Denomination requested permission to build a church on top of the falls between the two creeks. Permission was refused but the church was built anyway. It was finally pulled down in 1982. In 1983 the Mineral Springs Advisory Committee expanded the area of the reserve and built barbecue and picnic shelters.

Sailors Falls

These glorious falls of approx 30m in height break over the top in 2 separate locations. The falls are believed to be named after a group of sailors who jumped ship in the 1850s to seek their fortune in the gold rush.

Situated in an area that was once mined for gold, Sailor’s Falls lie about 8 km south on the Daylesford-Ballan Rd, via Daylesford-Ballan Road after taking the Daylesford exit from the freeway.

The falls cascade for 30 m down a steep gorge into a fern-lined creek. There are picnic facilities and electric barbecues. A short loop walk takes in the area’s mineral springs or you can follow the orange trail markers and signposts to Twin Bridges (6.5 km). There is car access, toilets and mineral springs.

Sailors Falls are in Hepburn Regional Park, which is nestled around the famous mineral springs townships of Daylesford, Hepburn and Hepburn Springs. Access is via The Tipperary Walking Track runs from picturesque Lake Daylesford to the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve, following Sailors Creek and Spring Creek through foothill forest for most of the way. 

Tipperary Walking Track

The Tipperary Walking Track explores Hepburn Regional Park. It is quite an easy and well-signposted course. 16.7 km in all, it can be broken into shorter sections. If you are keen for a challenge, walk along the length of the track which takes five hours one way!

From the outlet of Lake Daylesford it leads through Central Springs Reserve and along Wombat Creek. Cross the footbridge at the carpark to return to the lake or cross the highway to Twin Bridges picnic area.

Tracks then follow both banks of Sailor’s Creek north to Tipperary Springs (which can be accessed by car along Tipperary Rd which heads off the Midlands Highway). The spring itself is located near the footbridge. Panning for gold and garnets is popular here.

Cross the footbridge. You can loop back to Twin Bridges or ascend the steps and follow the signs along the west bank of the creek to Bryces Flat picnic area. You can loop back to Tipperary along the east bank or cross the footbridge and follow the signs north to The Blowhole and Breakneck Gorge veering east to Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve.

Tracing the route of the old water races cut by miners last century, the Tipperary Walking Track passes disused gold fields, mineral springs and stands of deciduous trees that blaze with colour in autumn. Look out for the Blowhole, a tunnel builtin the 1870′s to divert water along a creek bed to allow sluicing for gold. Reward yourself with a relaxing spa and massage at journey’s end in Hepburn Springs.

There are many wonderful walks and trails as well as the Tipperary Track forming a part of the Great Dividing Trail. Check the GDT website for the state of these trails and follow their advice carefully. Track users are warned to be very mindful of potential hazards from flash flooding, fallen trees, erosion and falling branches.

Secret Forest Walks

Beautiful and secluded, GPS guided bushwalking is available with Instructor, Brendan Murray and Secret Forest Walks, Daylesford. Secret Forest Walks has developed an innovative and fun Team Building activity located at Sailors Falls Reserve, 5km south of Daylesford.

 The Reserve features picturesque twin waterfalls (seasonal), tall forest, a mineral water spring, toilets and an information shelter. Secret Forest Walks has combined bush walking using hand held GPS units for navigation, with a GPS Treasure Hunt, to create a new and engaging activity for team building.

Designed for up to four groups, with a maximum of ten in each group, participants share the roles of navigator and ‘Treasure Hunters’ as they travel on specially selected tracks in the vicinity of the Falls.

Sailors Falls Estate – “Villas & Vines”

Sailors Falls Estate was established in 1999 by Robert & Margaret McDonald. Discover a boutique vineyard with high quality wines which are now featured on the wine lists of many fine dining restaurants in the Hepburn/Macedon area.

Sailors Falls Estate prides itself in the production of high quality hand crafted wines and the provision of luxury accommodation. Spacious self-contained Tuscan style villas are situated in an idyllic environment just 5 minutes from Daylesford.

Enjoy the magnificent natural bush setting and the cellar door sales specialising in cool climate wines like Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer. This is the perfect getaway for lovers of wine and relaxation.

Enjoy rural peace and tranquillity, hand cultured, cool climate wines such as pinot gris, pinot noir, gamay, rose and gewurtraminer. Fine wine at reasonable prices made by well credentialed wine maker Norman Latta (Eastern Peake) are served at the winery a few metres from your villa. Taste fine wine at the cellar door and enjoy fresh oven baked pizza.

Open: 11am to 5pm weekends and public holidays
Other times by appointment

Sault Restaurant Daylesford

Stirring memories of regional France, Sault is set against the backdrop of Wombat State Forest, overlooking our own lake amidst fields of lavender. Indulge yourself with exquisite modern cuisine prepared with the freshest of regional produce and washed down with the finest of local and international wines.

70 minutes from Melbourne, Sault provides the perfect launch for your gastronomic and indulgence weekend in the beautiful Spa Country.

Named after a lavender producing town north of Marseille, Sault is a fully functional Lavender farm producing sumptuous products to take home as a memento of your relaxing stop off.

Complement your meal with a walk around the lake or a casual game of Petanque on one of our 3 courses. Or merely sit back on our deck and let your thoughts wander amongst the Lavender allowing your recently consumed culinary delights to settle.

Sault is one of Daylesford’s most sought after wedding venues, set amongst picturesque Lavender fields, beautifully manicured acres of garden, and a stunning feature lake. With a fast growing reputation as a Restaurant & Function venue, to guests from all corners of the globe.

Hours of operation are dinner Wednesday from 6pm and brunch, lunch and dinner Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11am – late.

2349 Ballan Daylesford Rd Daylesford 3460
Phone:  (03) 5348 6555