Sovereign Hill

Sunday the 26^th Of March 2017

Today we decided to go to Sovereign Hill. Allie had never been and Dave wanted an excuse to go so he could buy the handmade lollies.

We debated whether we should spend the extra money and do the VIP pass or just purchase the normal tickets. We ended up opting for normal tickets as we didn’t feel the VIP pass suited our needs. VIP offers a return ticket valid for the next 12 months, the Labyrinth Gold Mine Tour, unlimited carriage rides, Touch of Gold Experience and the photo experience (note: this is only a portrait pic and doesn’t show the whole outfit, you need to purchase as optional extra to obtain this).

We were advised by the ticket seller to go and sign up for the photos straight away as this is likely to sell out. We arrived an hour after opening and managed to get a 2pm slot.

We then proceeded to the Gold Mine Tour building to purchase our tickets. There were 3 tours to choose from and all go for approx. 40 minutes. The tour options are Labyrinth of Gold, Trapped and Secret Chamber. Allie didn’t have a particular preference but knew Dave would lean towards Trapped (as it seemed like the scarier option), he did. Trapped tells the story of the 1882 Creswick Mine Disaster where 27 miners were trapped by an underground flood. Creswick is about a 30 minute drive from Sovereign Hill.

We then went on the coach ride which is a nice relaxing journey past the buildings and a quaint way to travel like they did in the olden days. Note: if you are willing to wait for next ride and are first in line you can opt to ride up front next to the driver.

Dave and Allie tried to play an old table game "Bagatelle". As with most games Dave won after 1 round as Allie forfeited.

Dave also purchased Allie a candle for candle dipping, where she made a 5 colour candle from dipping into 3 different pots. You can choose either a rough candle (as shown) or smooth.

We ended up stopping at the United States Bar prior to our scheduled photo shoot. Dave got a Ginger Beer and Allie got a cocktail that was named Bullet to the Head.

The photo shoot was nice and quick. Our photo shoot package was for 2 people and came with 2x 8x10” shots. You also have costume options to choose from. We believe there were 4 options to choose from but we can only remember 3. The female options are: Lady, Bar Girl, Gypsy and ??. The male options are: Minister, Gentleman, Soldier and ?? . Allie chose bar girl and Dave went for gentlemen. After your photos are taken you are given the option of having photos printed in Sepia or Black and White. We opted for sepia. We then got told we can come back in 90 minutes and our photo would be ready to collect.

At this point Dave was getting hungry so we went to the Sovereign Hill Café to eat. This place is a modern restaurant and does take you out of the theming but with Dave’s allergies it was our quick and safest bet. We each got a bucket of fries that we quickly devoured.

We then went into the shops and browsed. We ended up each purchasing Wanted posters (different options available) and the separately sold hangers to attach them to. The Lollies come in all different sizes starting from around $4.00 for a small jar upwards. We spent around $10 here but could have easily spent more.

Sovereign Hill offers numerous demonstrations throughout the day, including Black Smith, Confectionery Making and the Gold Pour. Out of all of these, the Gold Pour was the most entertaining to watch. Our demonstrator was personable, friendly and hilarious to the audience.

Following the Gold Pour, Dave decided he wanted to discover gold of his own so off to the gold panning area. Dave panned for gold but only discovered Fool's Gold in the end. No Eureka!! Moment to be had by us. Dave purchased a vial to keep his Fool's Gold in and to have a cheap little memory.

Allie also did some shopping and brought a Cameo Locket necklace for $34.99 (that she plans to put our vintage portrait above in) and a Ladies etiquette book for $24.99 (separate blog entry will be created with a few of the gems listed).

We then headed over to the Gold Museum, this was a letdown after all the fun we had at Sovereign Hill. It was nice seeing some gold nuggets and the old machinery but again a letdown in comparison to the interactive Sovereign Hill.

We also didn’t go see the Blood on the Southern Cross sound and light show as an additional charge and with work the next day and still needing to drive home, it didn’t seem feasible.

All in all, we spent roughly 6 hours at Sovereign Hill and less than an hour at the Gold Museum.

PRICING

Adult Ticket                 $54.00
Concession Ticket     $43.20
Photos Shoot              $68.00
Gold Mine Tour          $15.00
Carriage Ride             $11.00
Candle Dipping            $3.00
Bagatelle                     $1.00 for 3 games
United States Bar      $15.00
Lunch                          $10.00
Wanted Posters          $30.00
Lollies                          $10.00 varies
Gold Panning Vial       $1.00
Allie's Purchases       $60.00
TOTAL                      $321.20

www.sovereignhill.com.au