Hidden Lanes - Slow Travel Guides

20/02/2025

This looks exciting - can't wait!

one of the world’s oldest bellringing societies is coming to Ballarat? 🔔

On 25 February 2025 (11am–2pm), expert bellringers from the Ancient Society of College Youths will perform a three-hour ringing display at St. Peter’s Anglican Church and Ballarat Town Hall.

Be sure to experience the unique sounds of our history along Sturt Street!

📸: Laura E. Goodin

14/02/2025

School groups are on! A different style and format to our usual tours, the Hidden Lanes school tours encourage curiosity, interaction and fun discovering secrets of the Ballarat Goldfields. This is a great experience combined with a Sovereign Hill experience, just like this school did! Everyone had an absolute blast, even the teachers. 😍

09/02/2025

28/01/2025

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝘆 & 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀!

We're thrilled to announce our partnership with , offering exclusive discounts on their slow travel walking tours when you stay with us!

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀: Specialising in immersive tours, Hidden Lanes takes you through Ballarat's secret laneways, quirky local shops, and captivating historical tales. Experience the city like never before with their guided and self-guided tours.

𝙀𝙭𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙂𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨:

• Stay 2 nights at any of our tiny houses and enjoy 𝟮𝟬% 𝗢𝗙𝗙
- Ballarat City Tales Guided Walking Tour + Coffee – Now $77 AUD
- Ballarat Vintage Fashion Tour + Coffee + Mocktail – Now $98 AUD
- Secret Ballarat Walking Tour + Cocktail/Mocktail – Now $69 AUD

• Stay 1 night and receive a 10% discount on any tour.

Experience the charm of Ballarat's hidden stories and vintage treasures while enjoying a cozy stay in our tiny houses.

Book your stay now and uncover the secrets of Ballarat with Hidden Lanes! ✨

Book Now
Visit: https://tinyaway.com/

27/01/2025

New art day! Completed about a week ago. We took this new design for its first outing on the weekend to the farmers market at Lake Wendouree and now, I’d like to unveil it here on social media - the Powerful Owl. 🦉
I chose this particular bird because … I just bloody love them. I first saw one when I was about 14. I was mucking around on a sandy riverbank in the Wimmera with my friend when I saw something out of the corner of my eye that instantly grabbed my attention - at first it looked like a man with huge yellow eyes sitting on a low branch of a gumtree staring at me. It gave me the fright of a lifetime but it didn’t take long for us to realise it was a bird; a juvenile powerful owl as it turned out. We thought it was a man because it was that big, and its unnerving eyes were the size of saucers. Not the kind of thing you forget.
A fun fact about the powerful owl: they love to eat possums and apparently, they tend to swallow every part of the possum including the head. Because they are unable to digest the skull, they regurgitate it and leave on the ground under their tree. 💀 Creepy but cool! 😎
Back to the topic: I drew it on my iPad, but don’t worry, despite being digital it was all drawn by hand, every single stroke, absolutely no AI. I tried to lean into the Art Nouveau style a bit more with this design: more curves, more dreaminess, and less symmetry. I hope you like it. 😊
Drop by the website (link in bio) and take a look, we’ve got postcards and prints available - tea towels will be up in a couple of weeks. Don’t hesitate to comment or drop us an email if you feel the urge: I love to hear feedback or ideas for products or designs, it’s just lovely to know there are people out there enjoying the artwork!

24/01/2025

We're at the today (Saturday) until 1pm. Drop by, we have a special new Powerful Owl design!

15/01/2025

It's ! 🌞

We've come across a postcard from c1905 of Sturt St looking East from about Doveton St with Shoppee Square, Snows store and the Town Hall in the view.

📸: Ballarat Tramway Museum | Victorian Collections

15/12/2024

15/12/2024

Ballarat has really outdone itself with 🩷🎄

If you haven't already, check out the gorgeous Christmas decorations, fun Christmas murals in laneways - and last but not least, don't miss the festive performances!! 🤗 On Sturt Street every Friday-Sunday afternoon as well as Christmas Eve, plus little performances every weekday at The Bridge.
These pics are only some of the shows that have been on so far! 🤩🥳

Schedule for Sturt St/The Bridge Christmas concerts/performances:

⭐️ Sunday 15th December - 2-5pm
Concerts @ Sturt St between Titanic Memorial Bandstand & Doveton St
⭐️ Monday 16th December - 12-1:30pm
Free furals craft workshop @ The Bridge Mall
⭐️ Tuesday 17th December - 12-1pm
Christmas songs @ The Bridge Mall
⭐️ Wednesday 18th December - 4-5pm BCMA Christmas elves @ The Bridge Mall
⭐️ Thursday 19th December - 4-5pm BCMA Christmas elves @ The Bridge Mall
⭐️ Friday 20th December - 4-8pm Christmas Concert & events @ Sturt St between Titanic Memorial Bandstand & Doveton St
+ 4-5pm BCMA Christmas elves & dance @ The Bridge Mall
⭐️Saturday 21st December - 11am-6pm Christmas Concerts @ Sturt St between Titanic Memorial Bandstand & Doveton St
+ Vintage Christmas Festival @ Ballaarat Mechanics Institute 10am-4pm
⭐️Sunday 22nd December 12-4pm Christmas events @ Sturt St between Titanic Memorial Bandstand & Doveton St
⭐️Monday 23rd December
12-2pm Ballarat Memorial Concert Band @ The Bridge Mall
+ 5-7pm Christmas events @ Sturt St between Titanic Memorial Bandstand & Doveton St
⭐️Tuesday 24th December
12-1pm Handz On Drumming @ The Bridge Mall
+ 5-8pm Christmas concert & events @ Sturt St between Titanic Memorial Bandstand & Doveton St

And you can check out all the other amazing Christmas markets and carols on in other spots here: https://www.christmasinballarat.com.au/

13/12/2024

10/12/2024

Bit stuck for Christmas present ideas? Come along to the Made Of: Ballarat Shopping Night for a great locally made gift shopping night on Thursday night!
Details: 12 December Thursday the 12th from 4pm to 8pm in the Ballarat Town Hall Visitor Centre.
There will be complimentary hamper creation, a wrapping station and some small stalls including Eastern Peake & LATTA wines, Mrs Baker’s Gin & La Miette Patisserie – a great opportunity to shop local this Christmas. You might spot our Ballarat Hidden Lanes guidebooks, black cockatoo tea towels and prints! 🧐😘

08/12/2024

Thanks to everyone for coming along and supporting our 1st Hidden Lanes market stall - it was great to meet so many people and some long-time supporters. We're going to be at the next Shop The Bridge market on January 4th, pop it in your calendar! We have special products and deals on tour vouchers. ❤️🦢

04/12/2024

New blog post about our favourite adventure from our trip to Vietnam earlier this year!

Greetings, fellow wanderers! If you’re anything like us—a bit obsessed with hidden gems and ancient history, and always looking for a good excuse to escape the chaos of the modern world—you’re going to love My Son Sanctuary.

04/12/2024

We've been delighted to put together some Christmas in Ballarat events for the City of Ballarat with Emma organizing performances and Jarrod managing the craft workshops.
Included is the fabulous 12 Days of Christmas at The Bridge, Ballarat! There will be free & fun performances, craft workshop, dance party and a magician. Performances will run each weekday from Monday the 9th December until Christmas Eve. Check each listing for details and times.
Follow along each day via www.hiddenlanes.com/christmas-in-ballarat 🎄🩷

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

Monday 9th Dec, 12PM - Christmas Disco Party
Tuesday 10th Dec 12PM - Roving Magician
Wednesday 11th Dec 12PM - Piano Acordian
Thursday 12th Dec 12PM - Christmas Carols
Friday 13th Dec 12PM - Silk Scarves
Monday 16th Dec 12PM - Craft Workshop
Tuesday 17th Dec 12PM - Christmas Carols
Wednesday 18th Dec 4PM - Christmas Elves Songs & Dance
Thursday 19th Dec 4PM - Christmas Elves Songs & Dance
Friday 20th Dec 4PM - Christmas Elves Songs & Dance
Monday 23rd Dec 12PM - Wind Instruments
Tuesday 24th Dec 12PM - Drumming Show

29/11/2024

So stoked to have the stickers of these moth drawings a made and up for sale. They’ll make great little extras for Christmas, they’re super-hip and quirky! They’re available now on our website and at . Descriptions below ⬇️

1. Ghost moths are common all over Australia and mysteriously appear before thunderstorms in summer. They’re huge - with wingspans ranging from 10 to 18 centimeters - making them one of the largest moths in Australia. Despite their ghostly appearance, they are important pollinators, helping to maintain the health of the forest ecosystem. With this matte sticker, you can take a beautiful and otherwordly ghost moth with you wherever you go.

2. Old lady moths are found throughout Australia, and are known to enjoy hanging out in garden sheds. Their voluptuous velvety wings span from 4 to 10 centimetres, and they’re easily recognized by their mottled brown and grey colour that shimmers with blue and green. Despite their weird name, old lady moths are beautiful and crucial to the environment, as their larvae help to control vegetation growth and provide food for other wildlife. With this matte sticker, you can take a gorgeous old lady moth with you wherever you go.

3. Currawongs are common throughout Australia and are known for their intelligence and their mesmerising and beautiful call, “Cuddler-cuddler-kwoo-kwoo!” Their glossy black feathers are highlighted by white patches on their wings and tail, and a distinctive yellow eye that adds to their striking appearance. With this matte sticker, you can carry an intelligent and lovely currawong with you wherever you go.

01/11/2024

We had a fantastic time with the Villa Maria regional carers group last weekend. ☺️ Book your group tour before November 15th and get a 10% discount!
P.S. Our walking tours are great end-of-year get-together a for work colleagues. 😉

31/10/2024

Take a walk down memory lane with the launch of Ballarat's newest guided walking tour.

Uncover the city's best secondhand clothing boutiques and antique stores on Hidden Lanes' Ballarat Vintage Fashion Tour.

And just wait until you hear the captivating tales about our fascinating fashion history!

Read all about the tour at bit.ly/4dwSC8Y

📸 and for Hidden Lanes - Slow Travel Guides

[Image description: Two people looking at objects in a shop]