Take the scenic route

It's the journey, not the destination, that counts. So the saying goes. Of course, that doesn't apply when you're sitting on a tram that hasn't moved for ten minutes and you're late for work. In that case, it's the destination that matters, and the sooner you can get there the better.

It does apply, however, to country road trips. When travelling around regional Victoria by car, one of life's great pleasures is the country towns along the way. Heritage stopovers sprinkling the countryside give life to the dull monotony of a two-hour drive from Melbourne to Bendigo, and provide drivers with the enticing option of bright bakeries and hot coffee. And being a thoroughfare has its benefits for the townships too. So with the recent completion of the Calder Freeway Malmsbury bypass, I felt a little pang of loss. Gone was my opportunity to delude myself that I was making a pitstop to remain alert on the road, rather than face the truth, that I just couldn't resist the freshly roasted coffee of The Providore or the nostalgic bliss of the Malmsbury Bakery's famous lamingtons.

Without making the turn-off, I couldn't stroll down the street and soak in the colonial heritage of the architecture, wander into the Malmsbury Merchants and feast my eyes on the array of tin toys and collectibles, nor could I browse the handmade jewellery of Made in Malmsbury or the local art at Tin Shed Arts. A conundrum faced me: follow the freeway and save time, or take the turn-off and turn my usual fly-by stopover into a visit. I followed the freeway. And as I drove on, it occurred to me that so would most other people, in order to save a few minutes. What will this do to the town?

With the bypass, Malmsbury, a town of 500 residents, 93 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, is now a destination rather than a stopover. Residents can cross the street without fearing for their lives, and now come to the main street's cafes and shops, which they once left for passing travellers. The council has started to advertise the area as a tourist destination, and one can't help but wonder, is this essential to generate activity, or has it now become a destination, like its neighbour Daylesford?

Malmsbury certainly has its merits. It has Victoria's oldest botanic gardens, established in 1863, lined by paths that meander through terrain intricately landscaped with Californian redwoods, giant redwoods, West Himalayan spruce trees, the hybrid strawberry tree and other exotic plants provided by the German-born botanist Baron Ferdinand Von Mueller, then director of the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens. European styling is a hallmark of the gardens, and with the flair of lush greens in combination with autumnal flushes of colour and delicate foliage, these gardens have the elegant aspect of a watercolourists' dream.
 

Published in The Age

By Michelle Phillips-Schork