March 26th, 2025Block Watch…
The Scotty Camburger is the latest offering from the Daylesford Seafood Bar. It’s named after Scott Cam, one of the two faces of The Block, which is now filming at Raglan Street at the eastern entrance to the town.
Meanwhile Shelley Craft, the other on-air talent on the show, is loving Daylesford where she now heads every week from her home in Byron Bay.
“I just love the actual feeling of a small town. You go into every store and everyone knows everybody else who comes in. They might not know us particularly, but they say hi to all the other customers, like their friends.
“And I really appreciate that, being from a small town myself. But just that idea, I think, of being able to get off site, and for the intensity that happens here every day, for our crews and for the contestants themselves, and all the production, to actually take a step back and just slow down a little bit on those few hours a week they have off, is a really lovely thing.
“It’s a bit like Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree – every season we pop up and land somewhere else and go, what on earth does this world have to offer us?”
Scotty, who is still looking for a favourite pie, said the welcome from the town and community had been terrific.
“I’ve rented a really nice, lovely, quaint cottage. And that’s the beauty of our job, that we get to experience the town for three months. It’s not just like a fly-in business. We live here, we immerse ourselves. I rent a house, I live in it, so I live in a different household every year. So that’s really fun. And my wife comes and visits. She’s coming next weekend for a week.
“And then we love going out for tea, and all the great restaurants and pubs. We went to the Lake House last night, and it was incredible.”
Shelley said the news about Daylesford being the latest home for The Block had got out ahead of time and she hoped the contestants had done their research into the region.
“They should have been looking at what houses they can design here that are really going to suit the market. And that’s where Scotty and I come in on Fridays, where we say, hey, you might have missed the mark here. Have you seen the eclectic lifestyle, the amount of colour that’s in town? Bring in the natural environment.
“Don’t just build a house that you can build anywhere. Build something specific for Daylesford that’s really going to appeal to the audience that A, already lives here and might be looking for an upgrade, or B, is really going to attract new locals to the area. So, yeah, we’re trying to every week go, Daylesford, Daylesford.
“And we are hoping that they have enough time in their week to get out and actually explore the area a little bit so they get those tiny details right. Yeah, see who comes here. See who wants to live here. Is it a family? Is it single people?
“Who’s buying in the town and what style are they looking for? That’s the key. If you build a house that people aren’t looking for, they just go next door.”
Scotty said the show would leave a few legacy projects around the region.
“We do (this) every year. We do a community centre, something to that effect. We did a surf club last year and we get our sponsors on board so we can generally tip in quite a few bucks, like a lot, and do a reno that they would never do. And we try and do that.”
Hepburn Shire councillors and council staff, including Mayor Cr Don Henderson and CEO Bradley Thomas, took the opportunity to take a tour around the site of The Block last Thursday. The Local tagged along.
They met with Scott Cam and Shelley Craft along with other members of the television show crew. Scotty told the councillors and staff the welcome from the town had been amazing with everyone friendly and happy.
“(And) there’s 200 of us here roughly and we don’t provide catering for our team. So 200 people have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in town somehow, whether they cook it or buy it, or go to a restaurant.
“So from our point of view, it’s great for the town. We always try and do a community service as well, somewhere along the line.
“We’ve also rented probably, I don’t know, 50 houses. And when we come to a town, an original town like Daylesford, we go boots and all. We come in and we really get involved and we love it.”
Scotty said taking part in the ChillOut parade had also been amazing and would be the first episode when The Block aired later this year.
Shelley said she lived in a regional town, Byron Bay, and loved the lifestyle that is on offer.
“So I feel responsibility to introduce the rest of Australia to what regional living is like. To somehow, through the show, show that little window of how wonderful regional living can be. And perhaps encourage other city slickers to get out a little bit more, even if it’s just on the weekends.
“We’re not sure what audience these homes are going to bring as far as buyers. We hope that they end up being huge contributors to the town as well and integrate into the community.”
Image: Kyle Barnes Words: Donna Kelly
