Melbourne’s hidden gems in the west

WE’VE scoured Melbourne’s west to find it’s best-kept secrets. From a pirate tavern to high tea, these are the places to eat and explore you may never have heard of.

The Dingo Discovery Centre in Toolern Vale’s four-week old tropical dingo pups. Picture: David Caird

• Hidden gems in Melbourne’s CBD
• Little-known spots in Gippsland for food, fun
• Melbourne’s hidden hotspots of the South, Southeast
• Northern suburbs delights you may not have heard of
• Discover the best of Geelong, the Otways and Bellarine

WE’VE scoured Melbourne’s west to find it’s best-kept secrets: the places to eat and explore you may never have heard of.

PIRATES TAVERN

82 Nelson Pl, Williamstown.wma.org.au/contact-location

The Pirates Tavern in Williamstown.

Ahoy, me hearties, Melbourne has its very own pirate hangout and it’s closer than you think. Peg-leg pirates, buxom wenches, pint-size buccaneers and regular folks can meet at Pirates Tavern for an ale (or other beverage) and a meal while watching the ever-changing scenery of ships coming and going from the Port of Melbourne.

Pirates Tavern is actually the clubroom of the Williamstown Maritime Association, but it’s open to the public.

Patrons are encouraged to dress up in pirate costumes — but it’s not compulsory.

The tavern sits on the waterside at Williamstown, near Seaworks, with one of the best views of Melbourne across the top of Port Phillip.

HIDDEN GEMS OF VICTORIA’S HIGH COUNTRY

SPOTSWOOD INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE TOUR

museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/museum-victoria-apps/walking-tour/

In the shadows of the Westgate Bridge are the birthplaces of some iconic facets of Australian history.

Take a walking tour through the back blocks of the industrial suburb and you’ll find the origin of Ned Kelly’s armour, the birthplace of the stubbie and Melbourne’s first sewage system.

You’ll find out about these and 34 other Spotswood secrets on Museum Victoria’s Spotswood Industrial Heritage mobile-device walking tour, which uses audio, video and hundreds of historical photos to tell the story of the evolution of Spotswood.

The tour is available on Apple and Android devices, and takes about two hours.

Take a walking tour near the Westgate Bridge at Spotswood.

CANOEING ALONG THE WERRIBEE RIVER UNDER THE K ROAD CLIFFS

K Rd, Werribee South

The deep red K Road cliffs high above the Werribee River look like they’re straight out of the Northern Territory, or even Africa.

But they’re actually on the edge of market gardens and adjoining the Werribee Golf Club.

The best views are from a canoe or kayak on the river.

If you’re lucky enough to have one, launch it from the boat ramp at Werribee South and enjoy
a leisurely paddle up the river.

If not, take in the view from the top from K Road, Werribee South, and pick a walking track down toward the bottom (watch out for snakes in summer) or admire the cliffs from across the river after walking south along the paths of the new Werribee River Park.

ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL PARK

Calder Hwy, Keilor North.parkweb.vic.gov.au

Under the flight path of Melbourne Airport is one of our most unusual and under-appreciated natural attractions.

The Organ Pipes that lend their name to Organ Pipes National Park are a towering formation of basalt columns created by the cooling and cracking of molten lava formed more than a million years ago when active volcanoes dotted the Victorian landscape.

The spectacular formation is reached via a sealed but very steep walking track that takes you past sandstones and mudstones containing fossils that were laid down under the sea about 400 million years ago, and a tessellated pavement consisting of the tops of basalt columns eroded over the millennia by Jacksons Creek.

A member of the Latrobe University Abseiling club at the Organ Pipes National Park.

QUANG MINH BUDDHIST TEMPLE LUNCH

18 Burke St, Braybrook. quangminh.org.au

Every Sunday, the volunteers at Quang Minh Buddhist temple make enough food to feed the thousands of people who turn up to enjoy a free vegetarian lunch at noon.

Everyone is invited, not just those who worship at the temple.
From 10am-2pm the temple surrounds transform into a marketplace that would rival any in Vietnam.
Get your feed then browse the market stalls for ingredients and items you won’t find at regular Sunday markets.

EYNESBURY HOMESTEAD

487 Eynesbury Rd, Eynesbury. eynesbury.com.au

Eynesbury Station was originally part of a 28,000ha pastoral run in Melbourne’s outer west. Its magnificent bluestone homestead and a slew of outbuildings were built in the 1870s and are now the heart of the modern family town of Eynesbury.

During development of the new estate, the homestead was restored to house a restaurant, wedding and function venue and cafe.

One of the most popular functions is the Dinner and Ghost Tour. Less spooky are the high teas hosted in the heritage-listed homestead or on the veranda on the fourth Sunday of each month, and the Eynesbury farmers’ market held every Sunday in the grounds.
If you want to explore Eynesbury independently, there is a 2km heritage walking trail and a 3km remnant forest trail.

Eynesbury’s original homestead.

LITTLE SAIGON MARKET

Byron St, Footscray

Pause, take a breath, forget you’re a few kilometres west of the CBD and feel yourself transported to the bustling markets of Vietnam.

Little Saigon Market in Footscray has all the chaos, sights, sounds, flavours and smells of an Asian market.

Take your tastebuds on a holiday and indulge in fresh sugarcane juice, some bubble tea or the unusual sweet treats on offer.

And while you’re there, stock up on all the Asian ingredients you need to recreate your favourite takeaway dishes at home.

Advice from those in the know is to go late in the afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays to grab some bargains, but you’ll be competing with the pushing and shoving of other eager shoppers.

Daniel Bartalotta at Daniel's Bakery in Hoppers Crossing often has people lining up out the door for his doughnuts. Picture: Kris Reichl

DANIEL’S BAKERY

150 Hogans Rd, Hoppers Crossing

On the outside, Daniel’s Bakery in the Hogans Corner shopping centre seems to be a run-of-the-mill corner store bakehouse, but inside it’s anything but.

Daniel’s was one of the pioneers of the Nutella doughnut craze and there’s always a new flavour to try when the store opens at 4am.

Flavours change daily but recent offerings include Tim Tam custard, lamington, white
choc Oreo custard, double shot Ferrero Rocher, double shot strawberry cream cheese, green
tea custard, black forest, mandarin custard, pineapple coconut custard, banana caramel and more.