Oh good, I’m lost again. Last week it was the streets of Evandale SA, this week it’s the Brookfield Maze VIC where you’ll probably find me buried under a nearby hedge soon enough. I should have ventured in with a flare or two. Maybe some more provisions. And at least a ball of string to help me find the exit again…I’ve been walking in this maze for a bit, it’s been a while since I tripped over the way out..
Welcome to the Brookfield Maze
It’s fair to say that it’s been quite some time since I last found myself lost in a maze (and not just lost – I was daydreaming a fantastic movie plot on the return trip from Dan Murphy’s last week and overshot my brothers address by at least four blocks..), my earliest recollection of this happening would have to be.. er.. Kryal Castle in Leigh Creek? And I think I was sub five years old, so that’s creeping up to almost four decades ago..
So why not recreate that feeling that I might be here forever by trying to find my way out of Brookfield Maze here and now?
Now credit is well and truly due to my lovely wife Donna who took us here as a family adventure although I must admit, there’s not much else out here in these parts aside from the occasional small town and smaller slightly inquisitive cow. Thankfully Brookfield Maze more than makes up for this lack of much to see with an incredible place to visit that’s been a solid 10 years in the making.
(At a guess, once designed this was probably waiting forever for the hedges to finally do their thing and grow higher than human height…)
There’s more than just the famous hedge maze here of course but more about that in a sec. Because I spent most of my time at Brookfield Maze, just trying to get out of it.
Because you can wander the hedge maze itself (possibly forever) and the gardens without a care in the world or even better, you can take on the place’s treasure hunt. That involves finding clues scattered all over the premises and unlocking the code word that scores you a little prize at the end.
Of course the first time we made it to the centre of Brookfield Maze to take in the sights from the centre platform..
…nobody thought to search for the first clue that was somewhere in the middle of things. And after finding a few clues elsewhere outside of the maze, I volunteered to venture back in to hopefully find what we missed the first time around.
And here’s the ‘welp, now I’m lost again’ moment.
I found the centre of the maze and the clue we missed easily enough. And then on my way out, I found it again. And again. In fact the longer I searched, the better I became at reaching the middle of the labyrinth and worse at finding the exit.
Seriously, if there were Minotaurs here I’d be bull beast droppings in no time flat.
I did find this guy if it’s any consolation but he couldn’t tell me the way out either.
After close to half an hour of confusing my steps, drenched in sweat and more than ready for a bathtub of beer, I even resorted to letting Tik Tok of all places know I might not be coming back. Just in case the four people who follow me there were wondering about the sudden radio silence.
Wouldn’t you know it though? Five minutes after recording the video, I stumbled out of the exit. Tired and a little overcooked by the sun, but alive and ready for a cold drink in the cafe. Who knew that all I needed to do to escape was to go social on things (and take a couple more left turns)?
Yes there’s a cafe too at Brookfield Maze
I can vouch for the coffee and the sourdough toastie, delicious. And after you eat you can wander into the gardens and appreciate everything there. Such as the giant chess board and bocce pit (on the right.)
Speaking of mazes, there’s a slightly easier one at the back of the gardens.
And plenty to see around the gorgeous gardens. I would suggest a nice hat and plenty of sunscreen though – we went on a day where it hit 32 degrees and if you’re doing the scavenger hunt, you’re going to be in the sun quite a bit.
(Also if you’re like me and you’re terrible with mazes it turns out, you’re also going to be in the sun quite a bit.)
It’s an incredible walk around though.
Seriously with so much to look at all around the place, Brookfield Maze almost feels like you’re in a Graeme Base book like The Eleventh Hour, only with far less animals. And no hidden mice on each page.
Even after getting horribly lost, we had a ball here and will definitely be back. Also a big shout out to the owner who explained to Donna that they had one of their busiest weeks ever last week with some record numbers. That’s a lot of tourists all trying to escape the never ending hedges..
More details on Brookfield Maze
Brookfield Maze is found in King Valley Victoria Australia less than 3 hours from Melbourne but as I pointed out earlier, there’s not much else out here:
Still, it does have it’s own cafe if you get peckish (you will) or need a cold drink after getting lost more than once (I did) plus there’s also a guesthouse here for a romantic getaway (unless one of you doesn’t make it out of the maze itself obviously.)
To get into the gardens it was $45 a family (check the website for individual prices) Given the size and the walking you’ll do, it’s more than worth it. And if your kids have too much energy, this will be perfect for them. I will suggest a good pair of walking boots are a must though – by the end of things my Wild Rhino’s were really starting to run hot from all the backtracking I did..
The official website is right here.
Thanks Brookfield Maze – I’ll be getting lost there again soon enough!