Ballarat is a major regional city of over 80,000 people with all the facilities of schools, hospitals, universities and tourist attractions, and it is only an hour and a half from Melbourne by road or train. The major attractions of Ballarat are the Sovereign Hill Historical Gold Village and Gold Museum, the Ballarat Wildlife Park where you can see Kangaroos and other Australian Wildlife, the Eureka Centre, Lake Wendouree, and the Botanical Gardens.