Top Towns for 2022: Local tips to seeing the best of Daylesford

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Discover the delights of Daylesford with local Jodi Flockhart, of Sault Restaurant.  Have a look at the wonderful sights to see in Daylesford, which landed it at no.16 on your list of Top 50 Aussie towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

“I often describe Daylesford as the Byron Bay of Melbourne. It’s a gorgeous melting pot of artisans, delicious wholefood, coffee, restaurants and wineries," says Jodi Flockhart, actor, presenter and co-owner of Sault Restaurant , a destination diner on a scenic estate carpeted by lavender and sunflower fields.  

meal at Sault Restaurant
An ethical ethos underpins the menu at Sault. (Image: Sault Restaurant)

You’ll find Sault on the outskirts of this Victorian spa town famous for its epicurean delights, linger-worthy galleries and shops, all-seasons appeal and iconic Lake House hotel .

vibrant interior at the Sault Restaurant
The light-filled restaurant is set on a scenic estate. (Image: Sault Restaurant)

“My husband and I decided on a tree change 16 years ago and have never looked back," she says. “We actually got married at Sault and then a chance meeting with the owners one night led to a conversation that would literally change the course of our lives for the better."  

The story behind Sault

The couple bought the restaurant with a vision of making Sault a bucket-list spot that would also house their ever-expanding kitchen garden, rotating flower fields and showcase the work of local artists such as Tahlia Stanton and James Robertson along with bespoke ceramics by Bridget Bodenham.  

A family business with a sustainable ethos underpinning everything, even the kids – Max and Lilly, 10 and 12 – get involved, helping out with the flower fields in their summer holidays and creating projects to engage the littlest of customers.  

“Our kids package up seeds from our kitchen garden and gift them to the kids who dine at Sault to share the importance of children knowing where their food comes from and the importance of nurturing the Earth," says Jodi.  

Sault’s Jodi Flockhart (left)
Sault’s Jodi Flockhart (left) harvests some of their local produce.

It’s a philosophy that percolates through town. On living in Daylesford, Jodi says, “I love the fresh clean air, the kindness of the people who live here, the gentle energy that is our town. I love forest walks with my children at sunset and seeing them catch yabbies in the rivers.  It’s the most wonderful place to slow down in such a busy age that we live in. There is a feeling of calm and beauty that is the heartbeat of Daylesford."

Where to eat and drink in Daylesford

coffee and brunch at Cliffy’s Emporium
Drop by Cliffy’s Emporium for a tasty brunch.

Aside from a visit to Sault, Jodi recommends visitors stop for coffee at Cliffy’s Emporium , pick up wholefood goodies from Daylesford Health Foods for a picnic at Twin Bridges, take a walk by Lake Daylesford at sunset before sampling local drops at Winespeake Cellar + Deli .  

boutique shop at eCasa
Shop for gifts at eCasa.

Take home flowers or plants from Wombat Hill Nursery and Florist and check out eCasa for gorgeous gifts. Jodi’s top local’s tip? “Tipperary Springs is gorgeous and Mt Franklin for Insta moments and peaceful walks." Follow @flockhartjodi and @sault_daylesford for more inspiration.

Explore more of Daylesford in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
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    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.