Bendigo is only two hours drive from Melbourne, the town is visitor friendly with cafes, galleries and events year round to welcome visitors both local and international. Yet Ballarat is much closer to Melbourne, Ballarat has the fabulous Sovereign Hill with its stagecoaches, 19th century main street and gold panning. Yet Bendigo has a gold mine, with a tour that is definitely ‘real’, a vintage talking tram and a personality that is Bendigo. Bendigo is authentic, it is heritage Victorian goldfields and is a place that should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Bendigo is not better than Ballarat. The two towns offer different experiences.