Emma Hawkins concept store, property prices, schools: 23 reasons country Victoria is place to be

Property values, jobs, farm-fresh food and Emma Hawkins’ new concept store – four of the top 23 reasons regional life beats metro.

Regional Victoria is definitely the place to be this year, and no one knows it better than Geelong entrepreneur Emma Hawkins.

Emma is one of six female boutique brand founders, who are coming together to launch a retail experience like no other in one of the state’s regional cities.

The brainchild of children’s clothing entrepreneur Emma and linen brand founder Georgie Cavanagh, a “fully immersive” Concept Store will be open in Geelong for two weeks in March and April, offering luxury homewares and clothing from six businesses that all have strong ties to country communities.

Emma Hawkins wears Iris & Wool and her son, Henry, in Homegrown Kids.

Emma Hawkins of Homegrown Kids is launching a new Concept Store for two weeks in Geelong, in partnership with five boutique homeware and fashion brands run by female entrepreneurs.

“As a whole group, we aim to achieve a sense of community after the two weeks,” said Emma, who launched her Homegrown Kids brand three years ago.

“We want people to be able to purchase our goods and leave with a sense of a bigger experience than usual retail. That is through workshops and meeting the actual makers.”

Hosted by The KO Creative Studio, the Concept Store will be much more than a shopping destination.

Customers will also be able to spend time relaxing in a homelike setting, supported by furniture and design company In Good Company, children’s brand Homegrown Kids, linen brand Carlotta + Gee, Merino fashion brand Iris & Wool, handcrafted hat brand Phylli Designs and soy candle business Nonna’s Grocer.

Visitors can meet the founders, feel the products (many of which are sold primarily online), take part in free workshops and buy new and exclusive releases.

Emma, who grew up in Deniliquin, in the NSW Riverina, and lives on a farm near Geelong with her husband Tom, of Geelong Cats fame, said the regional city was the perfect place to launch the concept.

“Geelong is an amazing regional city,” she said. “It has so much to offer. Our galleries, beaches, wineries, restaurants. We want to bring these brands and experiences to my local community.

“Also for people who don’t live in Geelong, they can experience what Geelong has to offer on a bigger scale.”

Carlotta + Gee founder Georgie Cavanagh, who went to school in Geelong and has a strong customer following in the Western District, said they hoped the two-week run in Geelong would lead to other events.

“If it goes well, it will be really exciting — maybe this is something we could take to Bendigo next. Almost a roadshow, and we could mix it up with different brands,” she said.

Iris & Wool founder and creative director Emily Riggs at home with her children Sam and Lucy. Picture: Matt Turner

Iris & Wool founder Emily Riggs, from a sheep farm at Burra in South Australia, went to university in Geelong, and said it was the perfect location to showcase her Australian Merino fashion.

“It is such a progressive city so the location really is perfect,” she said. “It is such a fabulous opportunity for my brand to collaborate with the other incredible like-minded Australian brands.”

Free workshops will be hosted by stylist Fleur Wood, sleep consultant Bianca Burge and home stylist Rebecca Janssma.

The Concept Store will be open March 20 to April 2, from 10am to 5pm daily, with workshops running 7pm to 8.30pm.

23 REASONS REGIONAL VICTORIA IS THE PLACE TO BE

It has been 12 months of highs and lows in regional Victoria.

Visitors have been returning, with accommodation providers and hospitality venues working hard to offer unforgettable tourism experiences.

But operators have also faced challenges, with flood damage and a labour shortage making it difficult for some to get back on their feet.

With a host of exciting events, infrastructure developments and expanding services on the cards this year, it is definitely the time to visit, work and consider living in the country.

These are the top 23 reasons regional Victoria is the place to be in 2023.

Ballarat. Picture: Supplied

PROPERTY PRICES

House values in the regions have cooled since the buying craze of 2021, but they are holding up better than the Melbourne market.

Decreases have been recorded in some regional postcodes, including Baw Baw, Hepburn and Golden Plains, while Moyne, Mansfield and Wodonga have held firm.

In Wangaratta, house values have gone up by 8.1 per cent in the 12 months to January, for a median price of $530,187 — still a relative bargain.

Over the past 12 months, dwelling values across regional Victoria dropped 3.5 per cent, compared to a decrease of 9.3 per cent in Melbourne.

Goldacres at Ballarat has increased staff over the past two years. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

JOBS

There is ample opportunity to earn an income in the regions. Job vacancies in regional Victoria remained steady at 12,924 in January, up on December’s figure of 12,876. This bucked the usual trend, as vacancies tend to dip in January, generally by as much as 5 per cent.

Macedon Ranges Double Oaks winery near Lancefield. Picture: Zoe Phillips

WINERIES

There is more than a drop on offer in the regions. Tastes of Rutherglen on March 11 and 12 includes wine tastings, masterclasses, dinners and feasts throughout the Rutherglen wine district.

Stanton and Killeen Wines will hold a Portuguese masterclass including sparkling, fortified and table wines and Cofield Wines, a blindfolded evening tasting.

All Saints Estate Special Event Sunday only Dinner in the Vines will see 200 guests dine under fairy lights between the vineyards and castle with a menu by All Saints’ new destination restaurant KIN.

Aerial view of Lakes Entrance and the Gippsland Lakes, which will host Opera by the Lakes on March 19.

RIVERS AND LAKES

Waterways are one of Victoria’s best natural playgrounds. The mighty Murray River is a quintessential Aussie adventure where visitors can hire their own watercraft or take a guided tour.

Another must-visit is the 75km-stretch of the Glenelg River from Dartmoor to Nelson, considered one of Australia’s best flat-water canoeing spots.

Ballarat Clarendon College has again achieved excellent NAPLAN results. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

EDUCATION

Long a top academic performer, independent school Ballarat Clarendon College shows the quality of education in the country is on-par with city options in many cases.

Ballarat Clarendon delivered outstanding NAPLAN results last year, with its year 5 students ranking 16th in the state, and year 9s seventh.

Beechworth on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail. Picture: Tourism North East

CYCLING

The High Country is known for its cycling tracks that meander along rivers, through wineries and up mountains.

But the North East is just one of many bicycle hot spots across the state.

From Tallarook to Mansfield is the Great Victorian rail trail, 134km of scenic delight passing through historic Cheviot Tunnel.

Great Southern rail trail is 109km from Nyora to Port Welshpool through South Gippsland’s hills and villages.

If competition is more your thing, there are plenty of events to get the wheels turning in autumn.

The Beechworth Granite Classic from April 28 to 30 is a weekend-long gravel cycling event, showcasing some of the High Country’s most picturesque back roads.

Mitta Mitta Brewing Company’s Tim Cabelka. Picture: Zoe Phillips

BEER

This month’s High Country Hop festival is a great starting point to take in the entire High Country Brewery Trail.

The trail includes Billson’s Brewery, Black Dog Brewery, Blizzard Brewing Company, Bridge Road Brewers, Bright Brewery, Crank Handle Brewery, King River Brewing, Mitta Mitta Brewing Co and Rutherglen Brewery.

Heading to Shepparton? Pop in to Wild Life Brewing Co. East Gippsland your destination? Try Sailors Grave Brewing.

Rayner's Orchard in Woori Yallock has some unusual fruit that people can pick for themselves. Picture: Rebecca Michael

FARM PRODUCE

Shop to your heart’s content at one of 17 regional accredited farmers’ markets, or pick up in-season produce directly from a charming farm gate.

Orchard at Montague has grown apples since 1950 and offers guided tours, which include 1kg of pick-your-own apples and pears.

Rayner’s Orchard at Woori Yallock also offers tours, which include tastings and a comfy tractor-pulled trailer ride.

Thorpdale Spud Festival organiser Carly Geisler Picture: Zoe Phillips

FESTIVALS

Celebrating everything from the humble spud to crisp apples, regional harvest festivals are in full swing.

Potatoes are the main event at Thorpdale in March, and Trentham in May. Rutherglen, the Pyrenees and Goulburn are also running their annual foodie fests.

Lee Kernaghan will be a headline act at the Gippsland Country Music Festival at Lardner Park, Warragul, this autumn.

MUSIC

Folk, country or blues. Whatever your genre of choice, there is a concert or festival to put on the calendar.

Four days of local and international acts are on stage at Port Fairy Folk Festival, March 10-13. An international line-up assembles at the foot of the majestic Grampians for Pitch Festival on March 10-14. And The Golden Plains Music Festival is on at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre on March 11-13.

Bendigo, meanwhile, hosts Groovin the Moo in April.

Craig's Hut in the Victorian high country. Picture: Zoe Phillips

HIKING

Victoria is home to some of the nation’s most majestic hiking trails.

Two to try in autumn include the Grampians Peaks Trail, which extends from Mt Zero to Dunkeld, and Craig’s Hut Discovery Hike in the high country near Mt Buller.

Kye Theobald with her children Maggie and Teddy. Picture: Zoe Phillips

COMMUNITY FEEL

As Trentham Spudfest organiser Kye Theobald has discovered, Victoria’s country towns are true community hubs.

“I am Melbourne born and bred, and have lived overseas and on the Mornington Peninsula,” she said. “I now realise that until I moved to Trentham, I didn’t know what community was. The community spirit is palpable.”

Emma Hawkins of Homegrown Kids is launching a new Concept Store for two weeks in Geelong, in partnership with five boutique homeware and fashion brands run by female entrepreneurs.

RETAIL TREASURE

There is no better way to shop for unique country homewares and fashion than in a beautiful bricks-and-mortar boutique.

Homegrown Kids founder Emma Hawkins has built a following for her children’s clothing designed for “kids to explore and get dirty in”.

“We use Australian cotton because it is really important to us to support Australian farmers,” she said.

She has collaborated with six boutique brands, all with country connections, to launch a two-week Concept Store in Geelong that shows why rural style is a must have.

Join Landcare to help with tree planting. Picture: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

CONSERVATION

Want to help the environment? Join one of the active Landcare chapters across regional Victoria to take part in activities from tree-planting to soil health workshops, which cater for all ages and experience levels.

Bedroom in the Tower at Mount Ophir, Rutherglen.

AFFORDABLE LUXE

Fancy a getaway, but can’t stomach the airfare? Dash down the road to a luxury retreat. Mount Ophir Estate at Rutherglen is famous for its shiraz wines and has six elegantly refurbished luxury accommodation options. Located on Lake Moodemere Estate with at least six wineries accessible by foot or bicycle, Moodemere Lake House is the ultimate winery getaway.

A concept image of a Commonwealth Games facility for the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games.

SPORT INVESTMENT

With three years until Victoria hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games, preparations are afoot in Geelong, Shepparton, Bendigo, Ballarat and across Gippsland, where venues will be built and investment will flow into sports from netball and hockey to shooting and cycling.

Peninsula Hot Springs will host Awaken in March.

HEALTH

Practise yoga with world-famous teachers and immerse yourself in thermal bathing, workshops and music at the Peninsula Hot Springs in March for Awaken.

Fairy performer amid fields of colourful flowers at KaBloom festival.

FLORA

Get your floral fix at Silvan’s Tesselaar KaBloom festival. Running March 25 to April 25, the flower festival will feature more than three million blooms and entertainment.

Nightingales Apple Orchards at Bright with autumn leaves. Picture: Visit Victoria

COLOUR

Autumn leaves are ablaze. The best places to enjoy the riot of colour are Walhalla, Jamieson, Beechworth, Macedon, Daylesford, Bendigo, Yarra Valley and Kyneton.

Lost Trades Fair co-founder and chair maker Glen Rundell. Picture: Zoe Phillips

CRAFT

Kicking off this weekend in Bendigo, the Lost Trades Fair will showcase some of the finest skilled craftspeople and artisans, from coopers and chairmakers to blacksmiths and bootmakers. Marvel at their skills during demonstrations, try your hand in workshops and indulge in food and drink from the region.

Get inspiration for working with seasonal produce at a cooking class in regional Victoria.

COOKING

Don’t just enjoy dining out on regional produce, learn to cook it like a pro yourself at a regional cooking school. Try Tamara’s Kitchen on the Mornington Peninsula, Green Olive at Red Hill or Pickled Sisters at Rutherglen.

History comes to life at Sovereign Hill. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

HISTORY

Put a regional museum on your autumn itinerary to learn about the rich past of country Victoria.

Rock climber Kerrin Gale scales the mighty 'Taipan Wall' on the "Dance of Life" climb in the Grampians. Picture: Simon Carter

ADRENALINE

From mountain biking to rock climbing, outdoor enthusiasts don’t have far to travel to get an adrenaline kick. Mt Arapiles-Tooan is one of the world’s best climbing and abseiling areas, and the Grampians has designated rock-climbing areas for all abilities.