Travelling between Adelaide and Melbourne ‘the back way’: Part one - Caravan World Australia
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Travelling between Adelaide and Melbourne ‘the back way’: Part one

Written by: Robert Crack; Photography: Robert Crack and supplied

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Sunrise at Lake Tyrrell (Robert Crack)


What is the most scenic caravanning route between Melbourne and Adelaide?


Doubtless that would be the Great Ocean Road in Victoria and the Princes Highway in Victoria and South Australia, with a diversion along the Southern Ports Highway (to ensure that you don’t miss Beachport and Robe in between Millicent and Kingston SE) and the B45 Langhorne Creek Road / B33 Strathalbyn Road combo for the vines and Adelaide Hills scenery. 


OK. So, what is the shortest route between Melbourne and Adelaide?


That would be via the Western Highway and Dukes Highway for sure.


Right.


Now then, what is the least travelled highway route between Melbourne and Adelaide in either direction?


That would be via the Sunraysia Highway, Calder Highway and Mallee Highway.


It’s my favourite route, in no small part because it’s the highway route least travelled.


Give me a choice between a winding road crowded with tourists, a major ‘A’ route highway chockers with B-doubles or a series of quieter ‘B’ roads dotted with charming small towns, and I’ll take the latter every time. The mix of local architecture, art installations, backroads, bakeries and caravan parks makes this trip feel less like a point-to-point slog and more like an adventure to be savoured.


To make it easier to explore, we’re presenting the towns in alphabetical order rather than strictly following the route. Even so, the variety along this highway is huge — Wimmera-Mallee sized, in fact — so we’re breaking the feature into three parts. Part one covers towns from ‘A’ to ‘N’, with part two taking in ‘O’ to ‘W’ (there are no stops starting with X, Y or Z) and part three focusing on the desert parks.


So, let’s kick off with ‘A’ for Avoca …



Avoca, Vic


Tucked into Central Victoria, at the southern edge of the Pyrenees Ranges, Avoca is the kind of country town that quietly wins you over. It is small, welcoming and rich with stories etched into its wide streets and heritage buildings.


Once a booming gold rush hub, Avoca now moves at an easier pace. Grand 19th-century architecture still frames the main street, while the surrounding hills deliver big skies, sweeping views and a strong connection to the land. The Avoca River winds through town, its shady banks hosting monthly markets and relaxed riverside camping that puts you within strolling distance of cafes, bakeries and pubs, including Coopers Bakery, Home Made Cafe Avoca, Pyrenees Pies, Sam’s Place Duck In, The O & L Coffee House and The Avoca Hotel.


Today, Avoca is best known as the doorway to the Pyrenees wine region, with cellar doors showcasing cool-climate reds and regional produce. Creative energy runs deep here too, from the converted railway station gallery to the glow-in-the-dark silo artwork that stops travellers in their tracks.


And on that latter note: Rising beside Avoca’s historic railway precinct, the Avoca Silo Art puts a bold new spin on Australia’s Silo Art Trail. Painted by Warrnambool artist Jimmi Buscombe, the mural features a barking owl and a brush-tailed phascogale — celebrating the region’s fragile native wildlife.


Avoca Silo Art by Jimmi Buscombe (Robert Crack)


What truly sets this silo apart happens after dark. With the press of a button, floodlights charge special glow paint, revealing a star-filled sky, glowing eyes and an interactive wall where visitors can draw with light. Part artwork, part night-time spectacle, Avoca’s silo transforms a simple grain tower into a living, luminous experience.


With nearby state forest walks, waterfalls and peaceful campgrounds, Avoca blends history, nature and community spirit into an easy-stop worth slowing down for.


Where to stay


Lake Tyrrell, Vic


If there is one place in Victoria that genuinely feels otherworldly, Lake Tyrrell is it. Sitting just north of Sea Lake in the heart of the Mallee, this vast saltpan stretches to the horizon and delivers an experience that feels equal parts landscape, sky and silence.


Sunset at Lake Tyrrell (Robert Crack)


Lake Tyrrell (Robert Crack)


At more than 20,000 hectares, Lake Tyrrell is Victoria’s largest salt lake, formed over thousands of years as shifting sands and underground saline flows created a shallow inland basin. Most of the year the lake lies dry beneath a crust of salt, but after winter rain a thin veil of water spreads across the surface. When the air is still, the transformation is extraordinary. The lake becomes a flawless mirror, reflecting clouds, colour and light so perfectly it feels as though you are walking through the sky.


Sunrise and sunset are showstoppers. And that’s exactly what I found.


Sunrise at Lake Tyrrell (Instagram @vicgetaways)


My mate and I were there to photograph both. However, at times the views were so sublime that I momentarily forgot that I had my Canon EOS 500D with me.


Perhaps that’s not such a bad thing, since it resulted in my mind’s eye being turned into a camera obscura, ensuring that I shall never forget the soft pinks, purples and fiery oranges that spilt across the horizon, while the salt beneath my feet glowed gently in response.


Lake Tyrrell sunrise (Robert Crack)


After dark, the real magic begins. With almost no light pollution, Lake Tyrrell is one of Australia’s premier places for stargazing. On a clear night, the Milky Way arches overhead, reflected back at you in the shallow water (if present), creating a sense of infinite space.


For the Boorong people, Traditional Custodians of this Country, the lake has always been a place of deep cultural and astronomical significance. Known as ‘Direl’, meaning ‘sky’, it served as a natural observatory where stars marked seasons, stories and time itself. That connection still lingers, encouraging visitors to move slowly and respectfully.


A viewing platform, boardwalk and sky lounge make it easy to experience the lake without disturbing its fragile surface. Driving on the lake is not permitted, but stepping carefully into shallow water is allowed when conditions are right. The nearby town of Sea Lake offers accommodation, food and local insight, just minutes away.


Lake Tyrrell is never the same twice. Sometimes pink, sometimes silver, sometimes bone-dry and vast, it rewards patience, curiosity and a willingness to simply stand still and look up.


Lake Tyrrell (Robert Crack)


Where to stay



Sea Lake Recreation Reserve Caravan Park (Robert Crack)


Coin-operated barbecues and picnic shelter at Green Lake Regional Caravan Park (Robert Crack)


Lakeside caravan camping at Green Lake Regional Caravan Park (Robert Crack)



 

Lameroo, SA


About 200km east of Adelaide, Lameroo is a Mallee town that rewards travellers who take the time to stop. Born as a farming service centre in the late 19th century and boosted by the arrival of the railway in 1906, it has grown into a tidy, resilient community shaped by grain and sheep country. Today, green verges, shady trees and well-kept rest areas soften the dry surrounds and make the main street an inviting pause on the Mallee Highway.


Lameroo’s agricultural story now towers over the town in the form of its striking twin silo murals by renowned street artist Sam Bates (a.k.a. Smug). The eastern silo art depicts a male Mallee region farmer and a windmill, while the western silo art depicts a woman and child and celebrates the vital role women play in this farming community.


Beyond town, Ngarkat Conservation Park and Billiatt Conservation Reserve offer bushwalking, birdwatching and 4WD adventures, while in Lameroo itself Lake Roberts provides a relaxed base with picnic spots and a modern caravan park. Quiet, grounded and welcoming, Lameroo is far more than a waypoint — it’s a small town with a big story.


Where to stay


  1. Lameroo Lakeside Caravan Park
    Mallee Highway
    Lameroo SA 5302
    P: 08 8576 3006
    E: bookings@lameroohotelmotel.com.au Owned by Southern Mallee District Council but operated by the Lameroo Hotel Motel, Lameroo Lakeside Caravan Park has powered sites and unpowered sites. It is possible to take potluck and just turn up at the Lameroo Hotel to make your booking and payment, however as there are only 16 powered sites, advance bookings are recommended. The park is adjacent to Lake Roberts, a delightful area with walking trails, barbecue facilities, picnic shelter, accessible toilets and outdoor exercise equipment.


Murrayville, Vic


One might be forgiven for thinking that a town named ‘Murrayville’ in the Mallee region of Victoria would doubtless recline along the banks of the Murray River.


It does not.


Murrayville (named not after the Murray River, but after John Murray, Victorian Premier from 1909–1912) sits where the bitumen meets big sky country, on Victoria’s far north-west fringe. Framed by Murray Sunset National Park to the north and Big Desert Wilderness Park to the south, it’s a natural launch pad for Mallee exploration. The town took shape in the early 1900s, growing with the railway and the grit of settlers who proved that farming was possible thanks to reliable underground water. Grain and sheep still dominate, joined by olives, goats and other niche ventures.


Nature is Murrayville’s real calling card. From winter through spring, wildflowers light up roadsides and reserves, with banksias, grevilleas and delicate star blooms often visible without leaving town. Wildlife is part of the backdrop too, from emus and kangaroos to malleefowl (if you are lucky enough to spot one of these shy and endangered birds).


Well set up for travellers, Murrayville offers a caravan park, hotel, pool and several walking tracks, plus easy access to remote parks, glowing sunsets and vast night skies.


Just beyond the wheat silos and railway line you might see a scatter of rusted steel that looks somewhat out of place — the remains of about half a dozen World War II tanks which seem to be acting as silent sentinels guarding the Liberty Murrayville self-service fuel station.


M3 Grant tanks and a Matilda tank, still recognisable though badly cut up, are readily identifiable to some people (such as the writer, who served in Leopard tanks in the Australian Army), with most of the turrets removed and tracks piled like scrap firewood. It feels surreal seeing armoured vehicles marooned so far from any battlefield, however we confess to not knowing the ‘unexpected back story’ about these forgotten tanks so we shall defer to others who know more about them than we do. Whomever they may be.


M3 Lee/Grant tank, Murrayville. (Robert Crack — photo taken 2020)


Where to stay



Nullawil, Vic


Nullawil is a small Wimmera–Mallee town that has gained national attention through its striking silo art. In July 2019, acclaimed artist Sam Bates (a.k.a. Smug) transformed the town’s silos in just two weeks, creating a highly realistic portrait of a farmer and his loyal kelpie, Jimmy.



Nullawil Silo Art by Sam Bates (a.k.a. Smug) (Robert Crack)


Part of Australia’s iconic Silo Art Trail, the artwork has become a reason to stop, reflect and connect. With quiet camping, community pride and creative attractions such as Trickbots Metal Art and Sculpture Garden, Nullawil proves that small towns can make a big impression.


Be sure to check out the Iron Man Sculpture across the road at O’Brien Park, where you’ll also find barbecue facilities and a picnic shelter. Trickbots Metal Art and Sculpture Garden is located at 23 North Road and is well worth a visit to appreciate the phenomenal talent of Dan and Mazz, who have created amazing sculptures by upcycling discarded tools, vehicle parts and whatnot.


Where to stay


  • Nullawil St Joseph’s Church Campground
    17–21 North Road
    Nullawil Vic 3529
    Self-contained caravan camping (donation). Fires are prohibited, and there are no rubbish bins. There are accessible public toilets just a stone’s throw away at Hall Corner Park, as well as at the Nullawil Rest Area (less than 100m from Nullawil Silo Art). 
  • Kaneira Hotel
    24 Main Street
    Culgoa Vic 3530
    P: 03 5077 330
    E: kaneirahotelculgoa@gmail.com
    Fewer than 20km northwest of Nullawil is the town of Culgoa, where you’ll find Kaneira Hotel which has free caravan camping next door. If you do park up here and free camp for the night (or three), do the right thing, yeah? Put a couple of your pineapples and lobsters across the counter in the pub when you’re hungry and/or thirsty. With country pub fare such as pizzas, bangers and mash, lamb shank, porterhouse, chicken parma or schnitty, it’s a small ‘courtesy price’ to pay for your freebie stay. And your taste buds will thank you for it, too.

Free caravan camping at Kaneira Hotel, Culgoa (Robert Crack)


Return for part two


We’re not finished with travelling between Adelaide and Melbourne ‘the back way’. In part two, we’ll continue our alphabetical journey, covering towns from Ouyen to Wycheproof — including Pinnaroo, Sea Lake, Saint Arnaud and Tailem Bend.





THE NEXT STEP 


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