Great Alpine Highway

Photo: iStock

The first time I arrived in Darfield, I drove straight on through. I think I muttered “Hicksville” under my breath and my partner showed no signs of wanting to stop and explore.

Eighteen months later we bought a property 10km from Darfield and it’s now my local town – and I love it!

It has so much more depth than first meets the eye. While it’s a small, Canterbury Plains township it serves a large rural community. It has all the usual facilities you’d expect, including a renowned high school, basic supermarket, butcher, pharmacy, vet, hairdressers, medical centre and library. Darfield also hosts a lively art gallery, crafts store, café and a dangerously tasty bakery.

For a population of around 2,000 it has its fair share of eateries, not all good. Espress Yourself is on the main thoroughfare and is the best of the bunch (imho), serving delicious home-made meals, but it isn’t open in the evenings.

The Terrace, a bar and café serving main meals, is very average but has a menu that a family looking for an evening meal will find easy to navigate.

Considering fish and chips is the nation’s favourite feed the Darfield fish and chip shop, at the time of writing, is terrible.

Accommodation in Darfield is sparse with the main venue being the Darfield Motel where a basic but comfortable set of rooms is available for around $80 - $100 a night.

If you fancy something more up-market, The Oaks Historic Homestay may be what you’re looking for. At around $150 a night, per room, you can stay in a beautifully restored 1850’s homestead.