Wycheproof

The halfway town between Melbourne and Mildura, Wycheproof is a great place to stop for a breather mid-roadtrip.

We arrived  late morning, drove up and down the Main St, Broadway, to get our bearings, then headed straight for the first thing on our itinerary - climbing a mountain.

Not just any old mountain, Mt Wycheproof is the smallest registered mountain in the world. Less than 1km from the town centre, it's an easy walk (or ride/drive) to its 43m summit.

Put that on your bucket list!

The surrounding plains below are a patchwork of colours; brown earth, golden grasses and fields of bright green signalling the new growth of the local crops, barley and wheat.

Large boulders sit atop the mountain, providing a great place to sit and soak up the views of the town and countryside below, as well as park benches, a sheltered picnic area and a BBQ-with-a-view. I could spend all day up here.

The adjoining Flora and Fauna Reserve was fun to explore. We clambered over rocks and traipsed across a thick carpet of knee deep clover.

A few wildflowers were dotted here and there, but the only wildlife we spotted was the very rare Prickly Pear Bunny (Cactus Wabbitus), peeking up through the clover leaves.

Having worked up the World's Biggest Appetite, we headed for Bakery On Broadway for not only a hearty lunch of baked goods and a great coffee, but this certificate to show our conquest.

That's going straight to the pool room!

Next door is the quirky and creative Wycheproof Coin Art Gallery, where Jimmy Johnson has used scrap metal to assemble wonderful sculptures for display and for sale. Old pennies were used to recreate huge portraits of Aussie icons like Sir Donald Bradman (6,996 coins) Ned Kelly (16,100) and Phar Lap (a whopping 23,000 coins).

My favourite piece was this map of Victoria. I just need to find somewhere to put it...

 

Historical buildings sit along both sides of Broadway, like the former Commonwealth Bank...

...and the beautiful Art Deco style of the Council offices, pictured behind these cool old petrol bowsers.

The railway track runs down the middle of Broadway and although we didn't see a grain train during our visit, at peak harvest times they  often run twice a day. Up to 60 carriages long, chugging along the centre of town - it must be a fantastic sight.

On the edge of town, the Million Bushel Silos stand tall and proud, an integral part of the huge grain industry in the area. An old steam train and turntable sit alongside the tracks where the modern trains now reign. 

Our final stop on the way out of town was Centenary Park. We stretched our legs, exploring the park with its 4 bird aviaries, historic log cabins, shady trees and water refill station, before hitting the road.

Thanks for a fun day, Wycheproof!

What: Wycheproof
Where: Calder Hwy
When: Daily
Why: scenery, agriculture
How Much: FREE to walk around and explore
Grab a coffee at: Bakery on Broadway