Panning for Gold at Sovereign Hills in Ballarat, Australia

Sovereign Hill in Ballarat is the site of Australia’s gold rush in the 1850s. They have done a wonderful recreation of the times complete with being able to pan for gold in the stream coming out of the mountain. Yes, there is real gold to find there, which can then be sold to the bank within the town.

After paying your $33.50au ($16au for kids) you step through the door into a room full of giant posters, a scale model of the town, and a movie, all centering on the gold rush. Step outside from there and you find yourself totally immersed in a 19th century Australian gold mining town.

Folks wander about Sovereign Hill dressed in the garb of the day and doing their daily chores. There are horses turning big ol’ wheels and wonderful shops hawking their wares. The work is done on-premises and it is very fun to watch them ply their trades. You can make your own candles in the wax shop, or gawk at the metal smith as he fashions you a wonderful souvenir of your Sovereign Hill visit.

Wander up the hill to the Bowling Tavern for a break from the heat with a nice chilled bottle of ginger beer while you try your hand at old time bowling. They have about 4 lanes set up with pins. Be warned that if you manage to knock those pins down with the small wooden ball, you must set them up again for the next person. Very fun, that.

Sovereign Hill also offers tours of two gold mines. The steps leading down deep into the mines are treacherous though, so be warned if you are handicapped or have heart problems you might want to skip those tours. If you can handle the exertion, it is worth it. I have Lupus and managed it without too much trouble. They have a copy of the huge gold nugget down there, the largest nugget ever taken in one piece in Australia. It is quite a sight.

If you get hungry while oohing, ahhhing, and panning for your own gold, there are numerous places to fill your belly. The choices range from fancy restaurants to cheap tourist fare so there is pretty much food to satisfy everyone in every price range at Sovereign Hill.