Partners Programme

Coming to Ballarat to join the awesome of linux.conf.au? Need to bring your spouse and/or children? Great! We're putting together a great array of activities in our Partners Programme.

The bus will be departing at 9:30am daily, and will return at approximately 4:30pm each day with the exception of Friday where it will return after lunch.

Monday

Enjoy Victoria's #1 interactive wildlife experience. Featuring exhibits on snakes, koalas, wombats and many other forms of wildlife, Ballarat Wildlife Park is an educational and engaging experience suitable for the whole family.

Tuesday

Morning - Ballarat Bird World - A must see destination for all visitors to Ballarat, Bird World provides the opportunity to see over 200 Australian and overseas birds, many of which are rarely seen in the wild.

Afternoon - Mill Markets - The Ballarat Mill Markets opened in October 2009. The site formerly known as the Ballarat Woolshed and Exhibition Centres was opened in 1996 and has some 2,000 metres of floor space now filled with the goods of 80 Mill Markets stallholders. Gold Rush Mini Golf is conveniently located in the same complex.

Wednesday

Morning - Founded in 1884, the Art Gallery of Ballarat is the oldest regional art gallery in Australia and was the first to be built outside a capital city in the overseas dominions of the British Empire. The Gallery is the oldest and largest regional gallery in the country, housed in a heritage-listed building which is one of the oldest purpose-built galleries in the country.

The Gallery offers a wide range of education programs, including activities that are designed for kindergarten, primary, and secondary students. The Schools program, based on both the Gallery's permanent collection and the changing exhibitions, addresses current government curriculum initiatives and can be tailored to suit the requirements of schools groups. A highlight is the 4 Elements In Art education program which includes a trail, tours and workshops based on environmental sustainability.

Afternoon - History Lives in Ballarat and in Wendouree Parade with the Ballarat Tramways Museum. Take a ride on one of the trams which are 90 or more years old and provided Ballarat's main form of passenger service until 1971. The vintage tram ride covers 1.3km of original line through the beautiful Botanical Gardens by the western side of tranquil Lake Wendouree. The Botanical Gardens are also a highlight of the afternoon, offering hectares of splendid flora.

Thursday

Australia’s foremost outdoor museum, Sovereign Hill re-creates Ballarat’s first ten years after the discovery of gold in 1851 when thousands of international adventurers rushed to the Australian goldfields in search of fortune. By day, Sovereign Hill is where Australia’s history comes to life! It’s just like stepping back in time - from the hustle and bustle of Main Street where costumed ladies and gents parade their new-found wealth, to the excitement of the Red Hill Gully Diggings where you can pan for real gold!

Friday

Morning - Come for a fun day in one of the largest and most unusual mazes you've ever seen! The Tangled Maze is constructed from hundreds of flowering plants, grown on trellises to provide the traditional puzzle......where the trick is to find your way through, and to answer the questions of the mystery trail. (We will return after lunch)