The renovation of the house can't be faulted,but it's the quality of the 2000-plus square metres of gardens that really puts the Old Rectory on another plane.
Kyneton,just over an hour up the Calder Freeway from Melbourne,has reinvigorated itself as one of Victoria's best country towns for food.
The Melbourne designer returns to her Kyneton roots for a weekend spent rediscovering the local gems on the region.
Marie McNamara enjoys the provincial style of a derelict farmhouse transformed into a grand country home.
Those who remember Michael Flouch's terrific classic food at his earlier eponymous restaurants in Mount Martha,Mount Eliza and Armadale will be pleased to know he has opened Flouch's"Mark 5"in country Kyneton.
Pizza Verde,on Kyneton's foodie strip,Piper Street,is a welcoming destination on a cool but sunny Sunday.
Sheriden Rhodes finds galleries,collectables and fine food made with passion in a town shopping strip.
JUST reading the menu at Mr Carsisi can transport you to exotic lands around the Levant.
Cafes and galleries open at a rate of knots,yet there's still a tractor shop in Kyneton's hip main drag. Belinda Jackson asks,how groovy can one town get?
Sick of the city and the suburbs? Craig Mathieson suggests 10 day trips from Melbourne to put the spring back in your step.