never tire of visiting this stately 60-room Italianate mansion, just a 30-minute drive along the Princes Freeway from Melbourne. Dubbed “the palace in the paddock,” it was built in 1877 and is surrounded by 132 hectares (326 acres) of magnificent formal gardens and bushland. You can wander around the house alone, hire an audio tour, or take a guided tour. Guided tours run at 11:30am, 1:30pm, and 2:30pm weekdays or 11:30am and 2pm on weekends. It also has an interesting and extensive contemporary sculpture garden to wander in, which you shouldn’t miss, and a cafe.