Great area. I live in Gisbourne, so we would be neighbours!!!!!

Yes - the train is great, and you do get a chair most mornings. For big shops, watergardens is really not that far, and there is also Sunbury, and the other direction is Castlemaine or Bendigo.

They have also just opened an awesome childrens playground there.

If you want that little closer to melbourne, but still with the rural feel, you could go gisbourne where we are. It's not bad, but not that cute little town look like Woodend.

Also woodend is not a defendable town, so in a bushfire, you basically have to get out, as there is no real safe evacuation point. (read that in my local paper)

Oh - and don't forget the hanging rock races. They are great!