Clunes Booktown: The Booklover's Festival

The one festival that needs to be on every bookworm’s to-do list.

There are few things more pleasurable than falling headfirst into a good book – except, perhaps, falling headfirst into a town full of them. It’s exactly what you’ll find in Clunes. The quaint hamlet in the heart of Victoria’s goldfields, which, since 2007, has been host to the Booktown Festival, an annual two-day event that brings together more than 60 booksellers across Victoria.

What’s a Booktown?

According to the International Organisation of Book Towns (and there are 17 official Book Towns across the world), a Book Town is “a small rural town or village in which second-hand and antiquarian bookshops are concentrated."

Mostly, the organisation says, they develop in villages “of historic interest or of scenic beauty". Clunes is both of those in spades.

Clunes Booktown Festival, Victoria — Festival-goers search through piles of books.

Arriving at the Festival

When you lay your eyes on the surrounding environs, it’s not hard to see why what started as a humble day-long event has turned into a two-day festival. Burnt orange leaves adorn the drooping trees that mark the town’s entrance, while many of the buildings lining its busiest street remain unchanged from the gold rush days of the 19th-century. Despite being relatively close to Melbourne (90 minutes north-west of the CBD), it retains the nostalgic feeling of a town where time stands fantastically still.

Festival-goers can discover the largest collection of rare, out-of-print and collectable books in Australia, whilst exploring heritage buildings, listening to live music, watching street performers, enjoying local wines and produce with fellow literature lovers.

Purchases

Barely 30 minutes pass before I make my first purchase. Run by the affectionately monikered ‘Bookie’, Melbourne institution The Book Grocer has been bringing its collection of new fiction, essays, art books and even military texts to the festival at its standard price of $10 a book for the past six years. Bookie tells me it’s one of his favourite times of the year (perhaps because it guarantees delicious nosh at the nearby Farmer’s Arms in Daylesford, where we spy him later that night).

And even though $10 a book might be on the steeper side of prices here (other stalls are selling second-hand books for what appears to be a handful of beans), I still lumber to the car with The Best Australian Essays 2010, Jamie Oliver’s America and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nocturnes before returning for more.

The Experience

There’s something a little bit magical about the place, with wonderfully costumed characters strolling the streets as if they materialised just for this occasion. The theme was Alice in Wonderland, so it wasn’t uncommon to pass by the odd White Rabbit or Cheshire Cat browsing the stacks. In the background, sounds of a big brass band tinkle through the streets, melding with the distinct scent of a proper country sausage sizzle.

Squint your eyes hard enough and you could almost imagine yourself thrust into the middle of a picture book or a painting – as if you’d been spirited away by one of Roald Dahl’s witches, or transported through a colourful chalk drawing by the magical Mary Poppins.

Of course, half the fun of being in an open-air festival is the people watching. Under the crisp winter sky, I watch with delight as children run wild in a straw maze or gather for a tea party with the Mad Hatter. I eavesdrop surreptitiously as a passionate autodidact discusses Japanese military history at a stall devoted to such things.

There is a particular kind of joy that comes from observing hobbyists stumble upon obscure additions to their collection. I feel it myself when I later find an old pregnancy manual complete with illustrations and the retro advice of a pre-feminist era. It seems Booktown really has something for everyone.

According to Bookie, rumour has it Clunes established Booktown because it wanted to avoid being lumbered with the tag of ‘sewerage town’, after a 10-year battle to prevent a stand-alone system looked set to fail. The town decided it was better to be known for books than waste. And who can blame them? Outside of festival time, Clunes boasts eight bookstores and two online traders. The festival not only has a huge selection of books (new and used), but roving buskers, performances, and a series of talks with authors – all for the grand entry fee of $5.

Surrounds

Of course, one can’t mention Clunes without also acknowledging how close it is to Victorian spa country which, naturally, calls for one to make a weekend of it. We retreat that evening to our little rental on the lake at Daylesford and, by the warm light of our gas log fire, peruse our newfound purchases with all the enthusiasm that only good books can bring.

The Details

The annual Booktown festiva l happens at the beginning of May.

And if you’re around the area any other time of the year, Clunes has got you covered with Booktown on Sunday. Happening on the third Sunday of every month, writers come around and hold a series of talks, absolutely free. Whether you’re a budding author yourself or just a book-worm, this town is the hub of ideas and the arts.

Check out Dayget for great accommodation in Daylesford.

See photographer Jesse Booher’s ‘Fly on the wall in Booktown’ photo essay.

From cabins to canvas, craft distillers to destination dining, Heathcote locals reveal their eco-savvy passions in ways that resonate with those seeking to travel lightly.

Heathcote , on traditional Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, is synonymous with its garnet-hued shiraz, but wine isn’t the only string to its bow. The town itself is sprinkled with heritage buildings from the gold rush era, and beyond that a growing collection of sustainable gastronomy and eco-friendly escapes. Nearby Bendigo, one of only 65 cities in the world recognised as a UNESCO Creative City and Region of Gastronomy, plates up an astonishing calibre of produce, wine and food for its size. Increasingly the entire region is taking up the challenge, though Heathcote in particular shines with its focus on sustainability.

Pink Cliffs GeologicalReserve — The dramatic landscape of Heathcote’s Pink Cliffs Geological Reserve. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Goodfrey)

The eco-stays bringing sustainability to Heathcote

Yellow BoxWood’s safari-style tents — Yellow Box Wood’s safari-style tents are nestled on 40 hectares of bushland. (Image: Emily Goodfrey)

Andee and Lisa Davidson spent years working in southern Africa before settling in Heathcote. “We had a vision of how this could be,” explains Andee. “We wanted a retreat, but one that was off-grid and environmentally sustainable.” Now, at Yellow Box Wood , two luxury safari-style tents are at the heart of 40 hectares of rolling hills and native bush, with kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, goanna and birdlife aplenty. It’s all solar-powered, wood for the fire is mainly fallen timber, and water is collected on the carport roof. No lack of creature comforts though – en suite with rain shower, espresso coffee maker, comfy seating, wood-burning fire all set to go. There’s also a solar-heated, mineral salt pool in a bush setting, walking tracks, and even a mini bush golf course. On my visit, I put the vision to the test. Cocooned in the plush four-poster bed I can glimpse the stars, while the heater casts a golden glow on the canvas. In the morning, I wake to a blush-pink sunrise, kangaroos feeding and a soundtrack of magpies.

If a tent is not your style, Stephen and Cally Trompp’s carbon-neutral Mt Ida Eco Cabin might entice with its generous deck and farmland views. Inside the cabin, corrugated iron walls as rusty as a shearing shed, gleaming (recycled) floorboards, timber truss ceiling (crafted by Stephen), wood-fired heater and an old-school turntable with a pile of vinyls to spin. It’s fun, and a little boho. “Everything is recycled. The cabin takes maximum advantage of the sun in winter. It’s all solar-powered. Don’t panic, though,” says Stephen, “you can still charge your phone and get 4G reception!” Settle into an Adirondack chair on the deck or pedal off on a mountain bike to suss out the wineries.

A taste of Spain in Central Victoria

Another person with a vision is Evan Pritchard at his Three Dams Estate where the wines reflect his deep love of Spain and of Spanish-style grapes, such as tempranillo. Afternoons in the ‘wine shed’ or cantina are matched with music (flamenco is a favourite), Spanish bites from tapas to paella (with Evan on the pans!) and views to Mount Alexander. Sustainability is also a passion. “You don’t need to buy anything. We decided to be off-grid from the start, but it is a lifestyle change,” he says. “You need to think about it and be careful.” Everything here is recycled, reassembled, refurbished. Evan has an electric car (with solar-powered charger), solar-power for the winery, and even a jaunty little electric tractor/forklift. “I love the idea of all the things you can do using the sun.” Sipping a crisp rosado (a Spanish rosé) with Evan in the sunshine, I couldn’t agree more.

The vineyard redefining sustainable winemaking

Silver Spoon winery — The Silverspoon Estate winery is completely off-grid. (Image: Graham Hosking)

On the other side of Heathcote, Silver Spoon Estate demonstrates sustainability on a more extensive scale. Tracie and Peter Young’s winery, cellar door, award-winning restaurant and their own house are all solar-powered and off the grid. Sustainability is intrinsic to everything they do. The property sprawls across 100 hectares, with 20 hectares under vine – shiraz, viognier, grenache, tempranillo. As the climate has changed, so too has the approach. These are dry-grown vineyards. “We prune for drought. That means lower yields but more intense flavours,” says Peter. The fine-dining restaurant offers sweeping views, a wood-burning fire and a deck for languid lunches. Head chef Ben Hong sources regional, sustainable ingredients and weaves estate wines into the menu – think crispy wild mushroom arancini, viognier-infused chicken breast.

Silver Spoon’s award-winning restaurant.

Heathcote’s other hidden gems

Not all local wineries have a cellar door, but I find local treasures at the Heathcote Wine Hub , a petite 1855 timber church in the main street, lovingly returned to life by Karen Robertson and Carey Moncrieff. “Carey is a scrounger,” says Karen. “He doesn’t throw a single thing away.” He does, however, craft things into something quite special. Heritage floors, light-filtering lancet windows and shelves of regional wines create the perfect ambience for wine tasting. Or order a glass and linger over a cheese platter.

Heathcote is not all wine, of course. Nathan Wheat and partner Vanessa Curtis run Envy Distilling with a committed sustainable ethic – and a serious love of gin. Their small-batch distillery produces grape-based gin, and soon brandy. Distilled water is reused in an ingenious cooling system. All waste is treated on site. They buy excess wine from winemakers to distil and buy recycled barrels. “Distilling with the sun,” as Nathan says. Each Envy gin has its own story. Spicy, award-winning The Dry, is designed to capture the region’s dry, rugged nature. Pull up a stool at the bar (reclaimed timbers and tiles, of course), order a Gin Flight, or kick back with a cocktail and let Nathan share his eco journey.

Envy gins — Sample gins at small-batch distillery Envy.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s less than two hours’ drive from Melbourne. The scenic route we take goes past Sunbury, then along a splendid country road through Romsey and the magic, boulder-strewn landscape of Lancefield. Watch for kangaroos on the road!

Staying there

Go off-grid in style at Yellow Box Wood for glamping or try Mt Ida Eco Cabin for a couple’s weekend hideaway.

Eating there

French dishes at Chauncy — Award-winning French restaurant Chauncy.

At award-winning Chauncy , French chef Louis Naepels and sommelier wife Tess Murray have created a tiny, elegant pocket of rural France. Meticulously restored 1850s sandstone building, sun-drenched dining room, impeccable service, a menu suffused with local flavours and thoughtful wine pairings.

Fodder is both cafe and social hub. Chef Mo Pun and sister Lalita serve classic Aussie breakfast-to-lunch fare, though their Nepalese heritage sneaks through.

Playing there

Sanguine Estate ’s cellar door and terrace overlook bucolic vineyards. Its award-winning, dry-grown wines include the distinctive D’Orsa Blanc dessert wine, reflecting the family’s Swiss-Italian heritage. Order a charcuterie board and stay a while. Keep it carbon neutral by cycling some (or all) of the 50-kilometre O’Keefe Rail Trail to Bendigo.

At Bridgeward Grove , learn about the property’s Old Mission Grove heritage olive trees, do a sommelier olive oil tasting, and stock up on sustainably grown olives and oil. Explore the unique landscape, wildflowers and wildlife of pink cliffs geological reserve.

Clunes Booktown is the 2-day festival every bookworm needs to get to