Transport
The Check-In Desk is open from 3:00pm on Thursday 26th October 2023 at St Patrick’s Cathedral Ballarat -3 Lyons St S, Ballarat Central.
You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements to and from the Pilgrimage.
The easiest option for travelling to the Pilgrimage is usually to drive to Bendigo Cathedral, park in a nearby street and leave your vehicle there for the duration of the Pilgrimage. The Christus Rex Society conducts two coach services on Thursday afternoon and evening:
- Departing Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo at 3:00pm
- Departing Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo at 8:30pm
The coach will take you to the Check-In Desk and evening accommodation in Ballarat. Bookings for coach is essential and is not included in the registration.
Personal vehicles are not permitted on the Pilgrimage, in convoy or parked at any day time stops for safety reasons.
DRIVING
If you are driving to the Pilgrimage, make sure you park your vehicle at Bendigo and catch the coach to Ballarat. Do not leave your vehicle at Ballarat, as there will be no convenient way to get back to your vehicle at the conclusion of the Pilgrimage.
There are limited opportunities for vehicles to be offered as a Pilgrimage support vehicle. Preferences are given to automatic vehicles and those with capacity to tow a trailer. If your vehicle is accepted as a support vehicle, one of the Christus Rex volunteers will drive your car for the duration of the Pilgrimage and hand it back to you on Sunday after the final mass.
You will not have access to your vehicle until Sunday afternoon.
FLYING TO MELBOURNE
If you are flying into Melbourne, there is an airport shuttle bus which runs directly from Tullamarine Airport to Ballarat station.
V/Line trains also from Melbourne CBD (Southern Cross Station) to Ballarat and can be booked online.
ARRIVING BY TRAIN
The Christus Rex Society provides a courtesy shuttle from Ballarat Train Station to the overnight Thursday accommodation and Check-In Desk.
Please complete the booking form so that we know when you will be arriving and our courtesy shuttle will collect you from Ballarat Station at the arranged time.
GETTING HOME
If you parked your car at Bendigo or volunteered your vehicle, you will be free to collect your car after the final Mass. Please keep parking spaces out the front of Bendigo Cathedral clear for the Pilgrimage Support Vehicles.
If you are travelling back to Melbourne the most convenient option will be to take a V/Line train to Melbourne CBD. Please check the timetable as there are limited service on Sunday evenings.
The Christus Rex Society provides a courtesy shuttle from Bendigo Cathedral to Bendigo railway station after the final Mass.
Arriving part-way through the pilgrimage
If you are joining after the Pilgrims have departed Ballarat Cathedral on Friday at 8:00am, then you should aim to arrive at one of the following times and locations –
- Friday evening, or Saturday before 7:00 am: Smeaton Bowling Club, 3514 Creswick-Newstead Road, Smeaton
- Saturday between 11:00am-1:45pm: Campbelltown Community Hall, 15 Williams St, Campbelltown
- Saturday evening, or Sunday morning before 6:30am: Newstead Community Centre, 9 Lyons St, Newstead
- Sunday between 9:00am-10:00am: Lockwood South Recreation Reserve, Pearse Drive, Lockwood South
- Sunday between 11:30am-1:00pm: Rotary Gateway Park, 22A High St, Kangaroo Flat
You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements to these locations. It is usually best to have a friend or relative drop you off, rather than leaving your car there. There are also no convenient public transport options servicing these locations. The Christus Rex Society cannot pick-up your car from these locations and drive it to Bendigo for you, or drop you back after the Pilgrimage to pick up your car.