Things to do in Ballarat for self travelers

Visit the popular, family-run Ballarat Wildlife Park in Victoria and get up close to a wide variety of native Aussie wildlife and exotic animals! There are few friendlier wildlife attractions in Australia than this facility, where you can see a wide assortment of incredible creatures including kangaroos, koalas, wombats, crocodiles, and more, all located in pleasant, green surroundings. It's a wonderful place to visit for families or for first-time visitors to Australia. With tickets to Ballarat Wildlife Park, you'll get a true Aussie adventure that incorporates a range of live shows where you'll gain further insight into various species.

Sovereign Hill is a living museum presenting the story of Ballarat as a gold rush boomtown – complete with rare trades, working machinery, and costumed interpreters. Gold was discovered here in 1851, triggering the greatest alluvial gold rush the world has ever known. The sleepy pastoral settlement of Ballarat grew rapidly into a fine provincial city built on the wealth derived from its gold. Covering 15 hectares of a former gold mining site, Sovereign Hill's Outdoor Museum brings the gold rush to life through a living township with over 18 scheduled activities happening throughout the day, you can find yourself panning for real gold, witness musket firing, see boiled lollies, wheels, and candles being made all before your very eyes.