Victoria - via The Western Highway

Kaniva   (3041 kms) With a population of approximately 900 people, Kaniva announces itself as "Victoria's Premier Smaller Town". It functions as the service centre for the surrounding wheat and wool growing region.

Nhill   (3083 kms) Larger than Kaniva, but stil considered a small town with a population of approximately 2000. Nhill has been built around an attractive main street which boasts a huge median strip. Within this median strip is Goldsworthy Park, which provides very pleasant surroundings for picnicking, playing or just resting a while.

Dimboola   (3123 kms) Yet another small town in the Wimmera wheatbelt. Dimboola is situated on an attractive stretch of the Wimmera River close to the area called Little Desert. There is a pleasant walking track which follows the river all the way (7kms) to the Horseshoe Bend camping ground within the Little Desert National Park.

Horsham   (3159 kms) The Wimmera River flows through this town. which is a major service centre for the region and has a current population of approximately 14,000. Mark Twain, who visited Horsham in the 1890s, described it then as "a country town, peaceful, reposeful, inviting, full of snug homes with garden plots, and plenty of shrubbery and flowers". He also described the landscape as "remarkably flat,....grey, bare, sombre....in the tedious long droughts, but a horizonless ocean of vivid green grass the day after a rain".

Stawell   (3225 kms) A former gold mining town, Stawell is the centre for a region which supports a number of diverse industries. Australia's best known professional foot race, The Stawell Gift is run here on Easter Monday and attracts a crowd of around 20,000.

Ararat   (3255 kms) Located in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains, Ararat is an attractive old gold mining town. It is now the commercial centre of a predominantly agricultural district.

Beaufort   (3300 kms) Another town which was heavily populated during the goldrush era, Beaufort is now a modest centre for the surrounding district whose wealth comes mainly from primary production. One note of interest to all Australians: it is alleged that Vegemite was invented at Beaufort in 1923 by Dr Cyril Percy Callister.

Ballarat   (3348 kms)    Is another city which grew as a result of the discovery of gold in 1851. Ballarat is famous for the Eureka Rebellion and Stockade in 1854, which was a result of the antagonism towards the Government over miners' license fees. Sovereign Hill Historic Village shows life as it was during the gold rush days and it is possible for visitors to the village to pan for gold at the mine. Ballarat today is Victoria's third largest city. The northern entrance to the city is notable for the Arch of Victory and the Avenue of Honour which is a living memorial to those from the area who have lost their lives in wars.

Geelong   (3435 kms)    This is our usual destination after our long drive from Perth. Geelong is the place where I grew up. It is Victoria's second city with a population of approximately 200,000 people and is 80km south-west of Melbourne. The city is situated on the shores of Corio Bay and in my opinion is very beautiful, and a great place to live. Being an industrialised centre it received an large influx of post-war European immigrants, including my family. There are many tourist attractions in Geelong, including Eastern Beach which is the largest enclosed swimming area in the world. The people of Geelong are very sport-minded, the city being the home of the AFL team, The Geelong Cats. Check my sports page for further details.

Melbourne  This will probably be the destination for most people travelling to Victoria. Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria with a population of approximately 3.2 million people (a bit bigger than Geelong!) There is much to see and do here, and whether you are a fan of shopping, sightseeing, or nightlife, Melbourne has it all.
Another good link to find out all about Melbourne is The Sydney Morning Herald's Walkabout Travel Guide.