OUR WESTERN VICTORIA SILO TOUR

Whilst traversing the state of Victoria it is not surprising when you see a cylindrical structure appear on the horizon. And quite often it can be adorned with bright colors. And that is the excitement of finding an entrant in the Silo Trail. 

Armed with a map, we headed to Western Victoria to discover some silos in a region that we had not travelled to before.

One thing that I always hope for when we hitch the caravan up, is nice weather. Well the day we headed off, it blew a gale. There goes fuel economy right out the window. When the weather forecast is cold and windy but warming up with possible showers, then my mind becomes a jumble of what clothes do I pack. I do believe that I do pack too many clothes but if I get too cold then the bones ache and no one enjoys the trip away.

MOYSTON- Our first stop was at the rec reserve in Moyston. Its a nice quiet area with views to the Grampians and about 15 mins from Ararat. It was $10 per night for power and water. The public toilets were clean and close to where we set up.  The Pomonal store, about 15 mins away, is a great place for a coffee, and they do have a few general grocery supplies. Barneys Bistro in Pomonal serves a delicious meal and it is worth having a peruse at the few old bits and pieces decorating the interior. Moyston is a great base if you want to explore the Grampians region. 

Dimboola Hotel

Dimboola silo, which are a few kilometres out of town out at Arkona

DIMBOOLA- After one night at Moyston, we then headed along the Western Highway  to Dimboola. We had planned to stay at the free camp at the Showgrounds but on arrival we decided that the Caravan Park next door was more suited to our needs. Yes it was more expensive but it was a much shorter walk to the amenities. The powered sites were quite large and nicely mown and the amenities were spotless. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Our mistake with Dimboola was that we should have stayed for longer than two nights. We used it as a base to head to the Kaniva and Goroke silos. The town is decorated with quite a variety of art displays, which we enjoyed immensely. But I would have loved to have had time to wander the street and enjoy a coffee and cake at the bakery. We could have planned our trip by allowing extra days and stayed at Kaniva instead of spending an entire day travelling from Dimboola to see the silos at Kaniva and Goroke. That is food for thought if you are planning a silo trip.

KANIVA - what a pretty little town. Just so welcoming.  And after you have visited the silo you could follow the Sheep Art Trail. There are many and varied painted fibre glass sheep on display around the town. Very quirky and fun. My opinion is that Kaniva is definitely worth staying for a night or two.

GOROKE- a very small town in the middle of a large farming region. The silo is well sign posted and there is a small area to just sit and enjoy the artistry.  We basically did a big blocky as we made our way from Kaniva to Goroke then back to Nhill.

The Little Desert is an area that was decimated by fire early in 2025 and to see the blackened landscape is heartbreaking. The one thing that we noticed was that there was no sound - no birds singing. Nothing!! Some plants were starting to shoot back but there was mainly bare ground. If you are driving through this area just take some time to stand and take in the massive amount of destruction that our summer bushfires cause.

NHILL - is also a town worth investigating. I'm so impressed by the tidy streets and inviting town centre. Plan for more than just a drive through. 

After our two nights at Dimboola we just hitched up the caravan with no real plans, other than finding more silo art.

RAINBOW - another small town but a very interesting silo and when completed will be markedly different to other silo art. Initially we could not find the silo as there was no signage. But it is a work in progress and will definitely be worth revisiting. The surprise of Rainbow is the old homestead Yurunga. Such a wonderful display of our past. I take my hat off to those who have taken on the task of restoration. 

ALBACUTYA - this silo is well sign posted but requires a turn off from the main road. There is also a three part mural at this corner. The silo is on private property so respect the landowner. There is a large, fenced viewing area.  

YAAPEET- sadly a small town, that many years ago was probably thriving. But some nice paintings in the main street so get out and stretch your legs while you take some photos.

HOPETOUN- a lunch stop for us. The lake is an enjoyable place to pull over and take a break. Nice clean barbeque area and clean toilets. If you want to stay the night, then this is the place to set up. The lake is always home to many travellers. Just set up where a site is available and abide by the daily charge rate. Dump point is available.

MINYIP- another surprising little town of the Wimmera region. So many of these towns are so welcoming for those who travel in their RV's. There is an easy to find Dump Point and a small cost caravan park. The showers and toilets were spotless. There is a camp kitchen and power and water at some sites. And all this for $15 per night. Envelopes for your cash are available on the wall of the amenities block and just drop them in the slot. There are also a couple of cabins. Minyip is a town with quite a few historical buildings so a wander around town is quite worthwhile. It has a claim to fame as the town of "Coopers Crossing" in the television series The Flying Doctors.

RUPANYUP- another small town but a town with a few reasons to stop for a few nights. Decorating the garden which divides the road are some very clever carvings. There is also a museum and of course the painted silo

Rupanyup silo

Lovely carvings

We enjoyed our Silo trip, but we still have other silos to visit, and communities are constantly raising funds, so silos are constantly being added. And then you need to take into account water tanks and street art as well. There are so many of these small towns that are worthwhile spending a few days in, it just depends on your travel plans. But plan your driving. Many of these towns no longer have fuel stations or bakeries, both important stops as you traverse the countryside. The other thing to be very aware of, is large farm machinery moving on local roads. We met a large farm machine on a small road without a pilot vehicle. A bloody nuisance when you are towing a caravan and have to move off the bitumen. Our roads in country Victoria are in a bad way, with many edges chopped up and badly covered with degraded bitumen sheeting. 

But enjoy your travels and drive safely

Both of these paintings are in a lane way in Dimboola.
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