CHALETS ARARAT

Supported accommodation for people requiring assistance with every day needs but at the same time staying independent as possible. Fees include Personal Care, meals, washing, assistance with medications, cleaning of room, all utility bills and help with community access.

Montara Wines is captivating with its panorama of plains, mountains, vines and old-world charm of the Ararat gold rush days. Situated 200 kilometres west of Melbourne with a dramatic backdrop of the rugged sandstone Grampians mountain ranges, it is a feast for the eyes and the spirit. Established in 1970, Montara Wines is today owned by the Stapleton family. This dynamic group of six siblings has given Montara a youthful exuberance, where tradition meets a new era of winemaking. Montara's wines are 100 per cent estate grown and truly express the elegant, intense fruit characteristics reflective of the cool climate Grampians region. Wines include Chardonnay, Chardonnay/Pinot Noir sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. They are available for purchase in cellar door or online. The Montara Cellar Door offers a range of local produce, as well as coffee and tea....

Aradale Ghost Tour takes you to Australia's largest abandoned lunatic asylum. Opened in 1867 as Ararat Lunatic Asylum, this building housed tens of thousands of people described as lunatics, idiots and imbeciles, some of them described as the worst lunatics in the British Empire. Around 13,000 people passed away here in it's 130 years. As a result, Aradale is considered one of the most haunted locations in Australia. And now, for the first time, Aradale's doors have opened for evening explorations. Do you have what it takes to explore one of Australia's eeriest buildings after dark? The tour travels through the most intact cell blocks in Australia, administration, chapel, kitchen, infirmaries, surgery theatres and morgue. Tours last up to two hours, please contact for more information or view the website....

Only two and a half hours from Melbourne, J Ward is a museum that explains the early history of the goldfield times and later, the incarceration of the criminally insane. J Ward was a gaol from 1861 to 1886. It was built to serve the district during the Gold Rush period. In 1887, the old gaol was handed over to the Lunacy Department and housed the ?criminally insane? from the Victorian Prison System until 1991 when it was closed. J Ward is the premier tourist venue in the Victorian town of Ararat, visited by more than 10,000 people annually (greater than Ararat's population). Relive its past by taking a guided tour conducted by the Friends of J Ward volunteers. These people are passionate about J Ward's heritage. J Ward is not just dry history. The volunteers tell its story of people who lived, who broke the law, who could not help themselves, who feared and who died. Tours of the J Ward Museum run for times daily, with extra times on Sundays and public holidays. Ghost tours run on Saturday evenings and special group tours can be arranged. Please visit the website or contact the number provided for specific times....

Located in the foothills of the Grampians and surrounded by vineyards and stunning natural attractions, Ararat is the only Australian town to have been founded by the Chinese who flocked to Victoria during the gold rush. The town retains the impressive architecture of the era, as well as beautiful orchids and the fine wines of local vineyards. Take a stroll on one of the many walking trails in the Grampians National Park, Mount Langi Ghiran and Mount Cole. Explore Ararat's gold heritage with a walk through the town, past impressive gold rush era buildings, some of which have been recognised by the National Trust. You can find out more about Ararat's unique past with a visit to the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre and the Langi Morgala Museum. Wander through beautiful Alexandra Gardens, which features the famous orchid glasshouse, or view unusual exhibits of fibre and textile art at the Ararat Regional Art Gallery. For something unusual, inspect J Ward, formerly Victoria's asylum for the criminally insane. Visit Ararat for the annual Jailhouse Rock Festival then venture further afield to explore the Grampians National Park or nearby Mount Langi Ghiran, Mt Cole and Mt Buangor. Take a tour of the pioneering Challicum Hills wind farm, meet the winemaker at one of the region's wineries, or play a round of golf at the Chalambar Golf Club. Ararat is approximately 2.5 hours from Melbourne via the Western or Pyrenees highways....

The Ararat Railway Museum is managed by the Ararat Railway Heritage Association, who formed in 1995 to preserve some of the history of the railways from the region. The Museum contains two historically significant signal boxes. Signal Box 'A' was one of two signal boxes at the Ararat Station which were commissioned on 26 October 1891. The Box was located at the Melbourne end of the Ararat Yard (east end). The other 'B' Box stood at the Stawell end of the Yard (west end). 'B' Box remained until 10 November 1984 when alterations in the Ararat Yard forced its closure and demolition. 'B' Box was originally built with 65 levers in February 1921, a further seven levers were added, bringing the total to its present number of 72. Ararat Signal Box 'A' was decommissioned May 1995. The Historic Buildings Council has determined Signal Box 'A' and signal posts Ararat Railway Complex are of special significance to the State of Victoria. They were included on the Historic Buildings Council Register on 14 day of September 1995. New members to the Ararat Railway Heritage Association are welcomed....