Bendigo Gold Rush — Unearth the Hidden Tunnels
Decipher the secrets buried beneath Bendigo's gold rush era. Uncover the truth hidden in tunnels, gaols, and forgotten mines that shaped a nation's fortune.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the 1850s, Bendigo exploded into one of the world's richest gold fields
Bendigo Gold Rush — Unearth the Hidden Tunnels
You are a young Chinese prospector, newly arrived in Ballarat in 1850, determined to unearth a fortune.
Your mission is to decipher coded messages left by your elders, uncovering the
Immerse yourself in Australia's Bendigo Gold Rush, where fortunes were made and lost deep within the earth.
« The gold of Ballarat has done more for Australia than all its wars and all its constitutions. »— Alfred Deakin, Prime Minister of Australia, speech of 1907
The story that haunts this land
Your adventure begins at the Chinese Gardens in Ballarat, at the corner of Bridge Street and Wendouree Parade. It was here, in this peaceful haven, that the first Chinese miners, arriving by thousands in Victoria from 1851, sought refuge and community. The site, established in 1857, served as a rallying point and support for those who came to try their luck in the gold mines. Here you will find the first puzzles, revealing the difficulties and hopes of these pioneers, far from their homeland and facing a hostile environment.
The Woah Hawp Canton Temple, also located in Ballarat, is your second stop. This temple, founded by the Chinese community, was an essential spiritual and social center for the miners. Prayers for good fortune and protection were common here, and it was within its walls that many secrets were exchanged. You will have to interpret ancestral symbols to progress in your quest, understanding how spirituality helped the miners endure the harsh realities of the gold rush that shaped the Victoria region.
Your journey then takes you to the Golden Point Chinese Camp in Ballarat, one of the most significant camps in the region. It was in these camps that the daily life of the miners was organized, amidst hard work, solidarity, and tensions. The remnants of this camp, even if they have evolved since the 1850s, tell you about the precarious living conditions and the ingenious solutions found to survive. Here you will discover hidden messages within the structures of the old camp, revealing the secret routes taken by the gold seekers.
By exploring the Ballarat Chinese Camp, you will understand the scale of organization required to support such a migrant population. This camp, though less documented than others, was a crossroads of exchanges and rumors about promising veins. The clues you find here will guide you to the essential water sources of the time, such as the Ballarat Water Supply, and you will learn how water supply was vital, not only for survival but also for mining operations in this part of Victoria. The stories of the nearby Eureka Lead Mine still resonate, recalling the intensity of the gold search.
Your final stop symbolically brings you back to the Woah Hawp Canton Temple, not to pray, but to assemble all the pieces of the puzzle. The information gathered at the Chinese Gardens and in the various Ballarat camps, combined with the secrets of the mines and water supply, converges here. You will have uncovered the mysteries of the hidden tunnels and discovered the resilience of a community that built a part of the history of Ballarat and the state of Victoria. This journey is not just a series of puzzles, but an immersion into the lives of these men and women who shaped an era of prosperity and challenges.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Underground Genius
Discover the secret engineering of Chinese survival tunnels
Lost Codes
Decipher architect Li Wei's hidden ideograms
Dragon's Labyrinth
Reconstruct the complete plan of the clandestine network
地下有龍
There is a dragon underground
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
Avis des aventuriers
Soyez le premier à partager votre expérience.
Did you play les tunnels de bendigo? Check the email you received after your game to leave a verified review.
Your turn to play
Immerse yourself in Australia's Bendigo Gold Rush, where fortunes were made and lost deep within the earth.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
Other escape games in Ballarat, Victoria
See all games in Ballarat, Victoria→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
Ballarat — Eureka Stockade Secrets
Uncover the hidden codes in the Eureka Flag and solve the mystery of the lost rebel manifesto that could rewrite the 1854 uprising. Track clues across the stockade site to expose the truth before it's buried forever.
Ballarat — Uncover the Hidden Gold Conspiracy
Decipher the untold story of Ballarat's gold rush: expose the conspiracy that silenced Chinese miners and buried their fortune beneath the city.
Other escape games in Australie
View Australie→More destinations, tours & urban treasure hunts across the country
Explore other cities in Australie
Melbourne
Cultural capital of hidden laneways and coffee
Canberra
Planned capital between lakes and hills
Adelaide
City of festivals and South Australian wines
Broken Hill
Mining city in the heart of the Australian Outback
Hobart
Wild capital between mountain and ocean
Bathurst
Birthplace of Australia's gold rush