Sofala Village, Sofala
Sofala has that old gold-rush bones feel, dusty streets, leaning timber buildings, worn paintwork, the sense that the town never quite moved on from 1850. It's a slow, slightly eccentric energy that doesn't perform for anyone. Grab a coffee at Crossroads Café, attached to the General Store (souvenirs, bread, fresh produce, and all the small goods you'd need), and take in the Royal Hotel's old-pub character while you're at it. It's a town built for wandering, not ticking off a list.
Why we love it
It's warm, a little eccentric, and the kind of place where you stop looking for things to do and just let it happen.
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Slowly Sofala
We rolled in on a Sunday with no real plan, which turned out to be exactly the right way to do Sofala. Met up with a few friends at Crossroads Café for a bite to eat first, then, coffees in hand, started a slow lap of the town on foot. Past the Royal Hotel, down the little side streets, cameras out the whole time – there's always another lean-to, another faded shopfront, another bit of peeling paint that stops you mid-step. A couple of hours disappeared without us noticing.
What I liked most was how little effort it took. No itinerary, no must-sees ticked off a list – just wandering, looking, and letting the town's odd little details do the work. It's the kind of place that rewards curiosity over planning, and a proper reset after a busy week.
