Shopping
The Castlemaine and Maldon region is a rural haven, which features such things as award winning restaurants, a great choice of cafes, and vibrant retail centres which add a cosmopolitan flavour.
The area is home to around 400 practising artists, and features many art galleries, and other retail outlets with an ‘arts’ flavour, to tempt the shopper
Castlemaine and Maldon have many wonderful and unique shops within their central business districts. The area is steeped in history and displays the legacy of the wealth of the gold era in its magnificent architecture, and an overall appreciation of the finer things in life.
The range of retail outlets is exceptional. Serviced by supermarkets, clothing stores, appliance centres, and gift shops to name a few, the familiar strip shopping allows easy access by both foot and motor vehicle. The Restorer’s Barn in Mostyn St. is an Aladdin’s Cave of old treasures where the shopper can loose themselves for an hour or more. Another of the area’s strengths is the range of antique shops, especially in Castlemaine and Maldon.
Castlemaine has two supermarkets, one has its own bakery, while both feature substantial deli’s to make your one-stop shopping a breeze.
Maldon is a short 15 minute drive from Castlemaine and was declared Australia’s First Notable Town in 1966. Maldon also has a vibrant retail centre and features unique shops such as the Maldon Lolly Shop – a sweet eaters paradise.
Some of the smaller towns in the area also have much to offer. Newstead, among other things boasts a famous triumvirate of businesses – a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker. A recent addition to the streetscape at Newstead is Scott’s Store. A great old country store jammed full of old wares, toys, china, and much, much more!
The fertile soils of the Harcourt Valley produce high quality fruit which can be purchased from a number of roadside stalls in the Harcourt/Barkers Creek areas. The production of apples is being augmented by the growing of pears, stone fruit, berries, olives and grapes
The area also boasts many fine wineries, many of which have cellar-door sales to tempt the visitor and locals alike.