Leave the main highways and explore the small towns

We jump in our car and head off ,sometimes we are lucky enough to be towing our van , but  often it is just for a Sunday drive.

And around our home state of Victoria there are many interesting small towns that are away from the main highways. So it is always worthwhile to travel the small country roads as you may be surprised by the towns that you come across.

Today we meandered across to Rushworth. The stunning yellow of the flowering canola crops throwing a bright contrast to the dark green of the gum trees.

There are many interesting regional locales very close to Rushworth which are worth a visit. Moora, an area on the Bendigo side of Rushworth is one , particularly at Easter. If you are interested in seeing displays from all those years ago  mainly with large working horses then put Moora / Rushworth on your Easter calendar. Rushworth has a wonderful Heritage festival so it is worth spending some time in this lovely historical town.
                                  https://www.facebook.com/REHFInc/

The streets of Rushworth still have some lovely old red brick buildings abutting the footpath and history is around every corner. Rushworth is a quiet relaxed town and is full of friendly and welcoming people. The lawn in the median strip is well maintained and entices you to have a sit and relax in the spring sunshine. The public toilets are easy to find and have been clean every time we have stopped to make use of them.

We had lunch at the Moto Finish café. Amazing home cooked meals. Place this eatery on your list of cafés to visit where you can  fill your empty stomach or enjoy a  nice coffee. They offer take away and sit down meals, all served with a smile. The local bakery  is also full of many tempting treats or some nice fresh bread to take home.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rushworth-Moto-finish-cafe/211404955548511
https://www.campaspe.vic.gov.au/discover/campaspe-communities/rushworth/
http://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/rushworth

After lunch we headed across to Tatura. Along the tarred country road with the cemetery and golf course on the edge of the town and travelling  past  the tall black barked iron bark trees. The road is not very wide and you do have to cross the Waranga Mallee channel which  has a reduced speed limit of 30 k's as it is only a single lane bridge. You have glimpses of the Waranga basin , a great place to stop off with the boat for a spot of fishing or a day water skiing. There is also  a caravan park if you want to stay  longer and enjoy the water.

Tatura is a bustling small town with plenty around the town  precinct to keep tourists entertained.
It is situated just off the Midland Highway if you are heading east to Shepparton.

This town also boasts a very busy bakery with a delectable range of cakes and breads, which you can either take away or sit in and devour. 

The Victoria Hotel, or The Vic, as I believe the locals call it, is a good place to go to if you are after a bigger meal. The Tony's tower burger is very popular. As yet I have not managed to completely empty my plate , and I have attempted to quite a few times.

There seems to be quite a variety of events held around the town. We have been lucky enough to be there to watch some horse events held at the large Event centre. They have a large indoor arena so you can sit and enjoy the action whilst protected from  the weather.

Tatura also has a popular Art show on the Queens Birthday weekend , held at  Victory Hall.

A must see is  the German War cemetery , just on the outskirts of town  To see all these resting places so impeccably maintained is a credit to the groundskeeper . Just walking around and wondering what their story was, is such a sobering time . Such a variation of ages ! Such sadness!
But if you visit Tatura, it is a worthwhile stop.

There seems to be some nice walking paths around and a few parks to wander around in. You may be lucky enough to see the odd pelican fishing  for his lunch
Tatura is a nice town to use as a regional base to allow you to explore other closeby areas.
I believe there are two caravan parks in town for those travellers who are lucky enough to be travelling around our country. 

Mooroopna and Shepparton are only a few kilometres away if you want to check out the larger towns. Or perhaps go shopping at SPC in Shepparton.
So often we bypass the turnoffs to small towns yet they are full of untouched treasures and give you umpteen stories to pass on to others.
Word of mouth is a great way to spread information about places to visit and tourist spots to stop at and enjoy. And many little  shops in these small towns are often  overflowing  with specially made treasures crafted  by long gone techniques.


http://greatershepparton.com.au/region/towns/tatura