Bendigo!

Just a short train ride from Melbourne is Bendigo, an old mining town in the Goldfields region of Victoria.  The area today is known for its wine and countryside, but this quiet town used to be the center of the gold-mining world.  The underbelly of this town was once laden with gold, equipment, and miners, but all that is left today is just a large system of tunnels and shafts.  The town has classic architecture brought over with the Europeans upon settlement.

The Central Deborah Gold Mine was one of the largest mines in Bendigo.  It has since stopped mining operations but still has much of its original touch.  We went down about 60 meters to see life as it would have been for a miner in Bendigo.  Miners lived a tough life and worked in some of the most dangerous conditions at that time.  Drill and equipment demonstrations were included!  Wish I could have tried it out!  After visiting the mine I have learned it is good to be studying, or I may have ended up mining for gold!