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Hard Hill Tourist Reserve Hard Hill is a fascinating former mining district with original gold diggings and Government Battery. There is a good walking track through the site, where old mining machinery can be seen. Hard Hill is in a pleasant bushland setting, and picnic facilities are provided. Nearby is a fully operational eucalyptus distillery offering tours and selling eucalyptus products. Northern outskirts of town.Coach House Cafe and Museum: a 1910 building restored to its original appearance, with authentic, old-fashioned stock and coach-builders quarters; High St. Bakehouse Pottery: old bakery now used as a pottery, also home to gold pistachio nuts; High St. Nardoo Creek Walk: takes in the key historic buildings around town; map from visitor centre.

Mt Korong: bushwalking; 16 km SE. Wychitella Forest Reserve: wildlife sanctuary set in mallee forest, home to mallee fowl; 16 km N. Kooyoora State Park: see Inglewood for details. Fossickers Drive: takes in goldmining sites, places of Aboriginal significance, local wineries and the Melville Caves; details from visitor centre. Dunolly: the Goldfields Historical and Arts Society, with replicas of impressive gold finds; 75 Broadway St. St Arnaud: boasts the beautiful Queen Mary Gardens and a number of old pubs and verandah-fronted shops.

Swan Hill 115 km

From Mulwala to Swan Hill there are excellent fishing opportunities. Some of the top spots along this stretch include Barmah, Echuca and the famous Torrumbarry Weir. The huge Murray cod mounted near the park in Swan... Find out more

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Lake Wartook 127 km

Drought and changes to irrigation have left dry many of Victoria’s former favourite fishing lakes. Drive through the cropping plains of the Wimmera and you come across once-famous lakes, including Toolondo,... Find out more

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Dimboola 142 km

At first sight the Wimmera River didn’t look special. Barely flowing, it consisted of sandbars and fallen trees interspersed with shallows and a few deeper holes below the timber. I was fishing with local anglers... Find out more

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Lake Bolac 161 km

One of my favourite fishing activities after a hot summer day is to wander along the banks of the Barwon River in Geelong, casting lures for redfin. Redfin are feisty, competitive fish that bite readily and taste great.... Find out more

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Maribyrnong River 192 km

The age-old adage about the grass supposedly being greener somewhere else applies to fishing around Melbourne. Many anglers who head out of town do so because they don’t believe any serious fishing is possible... Find out more

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Yarra River 194 km

Mulloway are one of the most sought and least caught Victorian species. Anglers often put in hundreds of hours in unsuccessful quests for a trophy of this enigmatic species. During autumn, reports tell of mulloway being... Find out more

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Altona to Williamstown 196 km

The skyline stretching around the shore from Altona to Williamstown provides an unlikely backdrop for top fishing. Industry dominates, in particular refineries, with flames burning off gases. However, anglers who fish... Find out more

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Werribee 197 km

The Werribee River is popular, both as an access point to the bay and the estuary itself. Excellent catches of whiting and flathead are made inshore near the weed beds. Further offshore, the deeper reefs have a big... Find out more

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Inner Harbour 197 km

Following the inner harbour around from Bird Rock you pass Avalon Beach, which is little more than a collection of old huts. There is a boat ramp at the west end of Avalon Beach and the seagrass beds between the old... Find out more

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Bird Rock 200 km

An area on the north side of the outer harbour, opposite Point Henry, from Bird Rock east to an area known as the ‘Quarries’ (due to the large quarry on the shore), produces snapper most of the year. Anglers... Find out more

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Indigenous tours, Grampians National Park 127 km

Brambuk, the Grampians National Park and Cultural Centre, houses an Aboriginal cultural centre explaining much of the history and stories associated with the area. There is also a bushfoods cafe, where you can try emu,... Find out more

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Golden Nugget Discovery Tours, Ballarat 129 km

This carbon-neutral business in Ballarat runs small, personalised tours of no more than six people in the Goldfields region, with three themes – wild nature, gold history and heritage, and food and wine.... Find out more

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Grampians National Park 145 km

There are many, many reasons to go to this remarkable 1680-square-kilometre national park: its spectacular spring wildflowers, its dramatic cliffs and sandstone features, its bushwalking, the stunning views from its... Find out more

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Indigenous tour - Shepparton 160 km

A free, short, bush-tucker tour is available from the Bangerang Cultural Centre in Shepparton. You will need to book, but you can visit the centre on weekdays to see the wide range of artefacts from the area, and from... Find out more

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Brisbane Ranges National Park 168 km

With a vibrant koala population, this relatively small national park only 80 kilometres west of Melbourne has picnic areas, walking tracks through rocky gorges and a basic camping area.... Find out more

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Little Desert National Park 185 km

This park contains one-fifth of all flowering plant species in Victoria. The elusive mallee fowl and rare scrub robin live amid the 600 kilometres of tracks that go out to remote sections of the park near the South... Find out more

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Melbourne Zoo 193 km

Melbourne has a choice of two excellent zoos: Melbourne Zoo, with more than 320 species on display; and the 225-hectare open range zoo at Werribee, about 30 minutes drive from the city centre (access from the Princes... Find out more

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Mountain-biking around Melbourne 196 km

With 20 kilometres of tracks developed by the Mountain Bike Association of Australia, Lysterfield Lake Park has something for all standard of mountain-biker, including family-friendly loops and exciting single-track... Find out more

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Indigenous tours - Melbourne 197 km

To grasp what Melbourne was like before the skyscrapers arrived you can take a two-hour Koori Heritage Trust walking tour. You will gain an insight into Indigenous history and the natural and cultural landscape of the... Find out more

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Cycling around Melbourne 198 km

Melbourne has an active cycling community that has helped develop and establish some great routes and a network of cycle paths. One of the best sources of information is Bicycle Victoria. One option is to hop on the Main... Find out more

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Murray Downs Golf & Country Club Resort 118 km

What follows is one of the success stories of golf along the Murray River. Set in the heart of Kidman Reid’s historic Murray Downs sheep station, the Murray Downs Golf & Country Club Resort was constructed... Find out more

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Eynesbury Golf Club 173 km

Some golf courses, Graham Marsh believes, are created not with strategy in mind, but simply with the aim of penalising bad shots. ‘We are pitching golf at a level that is just too difficult,’ he says.... Find out more

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Sanctuary Lakes Resort 193 km

Greg Norman stood on the balcony of a second-storey building in the late 1990s and surveyed the vast plain of salty wasteland before him. Beside him was Bob Harrison, chief course architect of Greg Norman Golf Design.... Find out more

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The Heritage Golf & Country Club (St John course) 208 km

Jack Nicklaus, the golfer, was the most powerful player of his generation and also its finest strategist, a man who could win a tournament based on smart play and at other times on pure heroics. Jack Nicklaus, the... Find out more

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Riversdale Golf Club 209 km

Victoria’s second oldest club, formed 18 months after Royal Melbourne, began life in humble circumstances as the Surrey Hills Golf Club. After a brief stint at Camberwell the club moved to its present location... Find out more

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Metropolitan Golf Club 211 km

Metropolitan has changed dramatically over the past century but has never been short of plaudits. The club, the second oldest on the Melbourne sandbelt, was established in 1908. J. B. Mackenzie was one of the founding... Find out more

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Yarra Yarra Golf Club 212 km

First-time visitors to Yarra Yarra Golf Club, expecting the river with the similar name to play a pivotal role, might be surprised. The closest the Yarra gets to this acclaimed sandbelt course is the spot where it... Find out more

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Huntingdale Golf Club 212 km

Huntingdale – Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath aside – is arguably the most famous of Melbourne’s sandbelt courses, home to the Australian Masters for 30 years. A parade of the game’s best... Find out more

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Commonwealth Golf Club 213 km

It is nearly 90 years since the first rounds were played where the Commonwealth Golf Club now lies. The club was constituted in 1920 and land – regarded as scrub country, and comprising only 89 acres – was... Find out more

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Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course) 213 km

Golf is unique in that it allows its devoted followers – no matter how good or bad their swing – the opportunity to emulate the champions of their sport on the finest arenas the game has to offer. The... Find out more

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Holgate Brewhouse 132 km

Paul and Natasha Holgate have travelled a decidedly different path to most other craft-brewery operators over the past decade or so. They started brewing ales from a shed adjacent to their family home in Woodend in the... Find out more

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3 Ravens Brewing Company 194 km

This microbrewery began operating from the basement of the successful Thornbury-based engineering company Zetkin and has proved to be an interesting diversion or sideline for the principal business. Some of the company... Find out more

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Foster's Group (Abbotsford Brewery) 198 km

Re-branded as the Foster’s Group in the 21st century, Carlton & United Breweries was formed in 1907 through an amalgamation of the city’s six largest beer-makers: McCrackens City Brewery, Victoria... Find out more

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Mountain Goat Brewery 199 km

Kicking off in 1997, home-brewer Dave Bonighton and music industry booking agent Cam Hines proved that two good mates can start a successful microbrewery with no money, but with unlimited enthusiasm, dogged perseverance... Find out more

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Purrumbete Brewing Company (Red Duck) 208 km

Scott and Vanessa Wilson-Browne are another couple of ‘ale changers’ who swapped busy Melbourne careers to move to the country, bring up their young family, and brew and market craft ales. Along the way, they... Find out more

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Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company 208 km

Craft brewers come from all sorts of different backgrounds but classical pianist Simon Walkenhorst and his opera singer wife Beth Williams are among the more exotic. Together, they started Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company... Find out more

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2 Brothers Brewery 213 km

A microbrewery is not exactly what you might expect to find tucked away among panel-beaters and sheet-metal fabricators in the industrial estates of Moorabbin, 20 minutes south-east of Melbourne. While the location may... Find out more

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Otway Estate Brewery 225 km

Located 12 kilometres from Colac, Otway Estate Winery was established in 1983, specialising in cool-climate wines; a microbrewery was added in 2007. Head brewer Luke Scott oversees the production of up to 15 different... Find out more

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Matilda Bay Garage Brewery 228 km

Previously operating as the Stockade Brewery, this South Dandenong-based microbrewery was acquired by the Foster’s-owned Matilda Bay Brewing in 2004 and re-badged as their ‘garage’ brewery. Then head... Find out more

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Flying Horse Brewery 238 km

Whales and ales are now the twin attractions for the pretty seaside Victorian city of Warrnambool, following the development of the sprawling Flying Horse Bar & Brewery complex by joint owners Matt Monk, Matt Stewart... Find out more

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Melville Caves camping area 22 km

This campground is off Melville Caves Rd, signposted off the Wedderburn–Dunolly Rd; the caves were once used as a hideout by bushranger Captain Melville. From the picnic area there’s a short walk to the... Find out more

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Newbridge River Reserve camping area 44 km

You’ll find the compact Newbridge River Reserve camping area next to the township’s main street, the Bendigo–St Arnaud Rd. Anglers set themselves up on the riverbank, while canoeists occasionally push... Find out more

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Waanyarra Recreation Area 47 km

This recreation area is sited between the original Waanyarra town site, where gold-rush miners set up their tents, and the cemetery. Over spring and summer, wildflowers will burst into colour here. To take a close look... Find out more

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Teddington camping area 57 km

You can camp beside the Upper Teddington Reservoir as long as you set up your tent no closer than 40 m to the water. Fishing and canoing are popular pursuits here, but note that swimming is not allowed in the reservoir.... Find out more

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Lake Meran picnic and camping area 61 km

The only camping area in Leaghur State Park is at the southern end of Lake Meran, at the northern edge of the park. You get here by following the Chamberlain and Lake Meran tracks from the park entrance, and then turning... Find out more

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Terrick Terrick camping and picnic area 63 km

This is the only place in the national park where you are allowed to camp. Nearby is a granite outcrop known as Mt Terrick Terrick, the summit of which affords some wonderful views – the walk up here is short but... Find out more

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Notley picnic and camping area 63 km

Notley is the only overnight option in Greater Bendigo National Park that has pull-through sites suitable for caravans. You’ll find this camping area off Nuggety Rd, which branches off the... Find out more

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Ibis Caravan Park 78 km

This park is 3 km south of Kerang, with nice shady spots and a tennis court. It is an excellent overnight stop at a budget price. Bookings are required in peak periods and a minimum-length stay applies in all holidays.... Find out more

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Lake Boga Caravan Park 106 km

Squeezed between the Murray Valley Highway and the shores of Lake Boga, this is ideal for an overnight stop or a restful few days; sailing, water-skiing and swimming are popular activities. The park has good basic... Find out more

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Echuca Holiday Park 107 km

This is a popular, quality riverside park just a short walk from Echuca’s historic port precinct on the Murray River. The spacious park has a range of accommodation and great facilities. With its excellent... Find out more

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Lake Fyans Holiday Park 119 km

This is a spacious waterfront park on the shores of Lake Fyans, a popular watersports area to the south-west of Stawell. The park has a cafe and also canoes for hire. It is just a short drive to nearby Halls Gap and is... Find out more

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Swan Hill Riverside Caravan Park 120 km

Within walking distance to the centre of town, and with large expanses of green lawn and a long frontage to the Murray River, this place boasts a heated pool, undercover barbecues and a well-stocked shop. Bookings are... Find out more

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BIG4 Swan Hill 122 km

On the northern edge of town, this is a very good quality park that will satisfy the most fastidious traveller. The owner-operated establishment has a range of accommodation and good facilities including a six-hole golf... Find out more

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Parkgate Resort 125 km

This is a very good quality tourist park less than 1.5 km from Halls Gap. With great recreational facilities including a tennis court, this is a popular holiday destination and a great base from which to explore the... Find out more

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BIG4 Ballarat Windmill Holiday Park 125 km

This well-established, quality park is in a quiet rural area 6 km west of the city on the old Western Highway. It has a great range of facilities including a spa, sauna and tennis court. Bookings are required at Easter... Find out more

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Halls Gap Caravan and Tourist Park 126 km

We find this large park ideal for a holiday at any time of the year and regularly stay here. Located in the centre of town, it is within easy reach of most of the area’s attractions and makes a good base for... Find out more

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A Welcome Stranger Holiday Park 129 km

Located 2.5 km east of Ballarat, this is a good quality park in a quiet, easily accessible area. The park has a large number of sites, a heated pool, a spa, minigolf, an adventure playground and a tennis court. We... Find out more

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MillDuck, Harcourt North 81 km

This strawbale house won a Most Energy Efficient Home award (North West Region) when it was built. More than 1000 trees have been planted on the property since it was purchased, and it is now an alpaca stud. The B&B,... Find out more

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Grampians Eco YHA 126 km

At this eco-hostel you sleep under roof tiles that are actually solar panels. Any extra power generated is fed back to the electricity grid. The passive solar building, featuring rammed earth walls, also has solar... Find out more

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Pomponderoo Bush Retreat, Dimboola 143 km

With solar power, rainwater tanks and tree planting to offset carbon emissions, these three self-contained timber cabins are a great accommodation option near the north-eastern edge of Little Desert National Park.... Find out more

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Little Desert Nature Lodge, Nhill 174 km

Set on 117 hectares of bushland beside Little Desert National Park, the lodge has 24 rooms with ensuite bathrooms, or 16 bunkrooms with shared facilities. By staying here, you are helping support projects such as the... Find out more

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Alto Hotel on Bourke 196 km

Although it is not doing anything radical, this plush hotel on Bourke Street is one of the most ecologically aware in Melbourne, and should be commended for its power-saving measures, garbage sorting, supply of... Find out more

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Wedderburn Park Area

Opposite the bowls club Small town park just off the highway. Good facilities. GPS: S36 25.04 E143 36.48... Find out more

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Skinners Flat Rest Area 6 km

26 km SE of Charlton (L) or 4 km NW of Wedderburn (R) Small secluded area located 1 kilometre north of the highway in the scrub on the shores of the reservoir. Good shade. NOTE: Access road unsealed. GPS: S36 21.55... Find out more

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Ryans Creek Rest Area 12 km

12 km SE Wedderburn (R) or 24 km NW of Bridgewater (L) Small area just off the highway among a few large trees. Good shade. GPS: S36 29.11 E143 42.57... Find out more

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Melville Caves Camp Area 22 km

T/O 29 km SE of Wedderburn (R) or 7 km NW of Bridgewater (L) Large area among the trees in Kooyoora State Park, located 21 kilometres west of Inglewood via Kingpower Road. Good facilities. GPS: S36 36.03 E143... Find out more

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Teddywaddy Rest Area 32 km

23 km SE of Wycheproof (L) or 9 km N of Charlton (R) Small area just off the highway among some trees. Good shade. GPS: S36 12.48 E143 21.35 ... Find out more

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Bridgewater Park Area 35 km

North west side of town via Dunolly Road and Brewery Lane   Large area on the banks of the Loddon River. Good shade. GPS: S36 36.04 E143 56.18   ... Find out more

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Wooroonook Lake Camp Area 41 km

T/O at Charlton via Borung Highway Large camp area on shores of the lake 14 kilometres west of Charlton. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S36 15.37 E143 11.44 ... Find out more

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Wycheproof Park Area 51 km

Middle of town Parking area just off the highway. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S36 04.44 E143 13.33 ... Find out more

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Stuart Mill South Rest Area 54 km

28 km S of St Arnaud (R) or 34 km N of Avoca (L) Large area just off the highway behind bushes and trees. Good shade. GPS: S36 50.23 E143 19.10 ... Find out more

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Teddington Reservoir Camp Area 57 km

T/O 24 km S of St Arnaud (R) or 38 km S of Avoca (L) Large secluded camp area in the forest 6 kilometres south- west of Stuart Mill via Teddington Road. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S36 50.36 E143 15.46... Find out more

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Donald Park Area 57 km

North side of town Parking area at Richardson River. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S36 22.03 E142 58.44... Find out more

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Happy Jacks Rest Area 67 km

At Lockwood on Alt Calder Hwy (A790) Large grassed area around a few trees just off the highway. Good facilities located 100 metres south. GPS: S36 50.29 E144 09.20  ... Find out more

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Huntly Rest Area 70 km

35 km S of Elmore (R) or 11 km N of Bendigo (L) Small parking area just off the highway among some large trees. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S36 40.203 E144 19.635... Find out more

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Bendigo South Park Area 70 km

South side of town Parking adjacent to the highway. Good facilities. GPS: S36 47.308 E144 14.721... Find out more

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Bendigo North Park Area 71 km

North side of town Parking area adjacent to the highway near the lake. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S36 44.820 E144 17.575... Find out more

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No.2 Creek Rest Area 73 km

59 km S of St Arnaud (L) or 3 km N of Avoca (R) Large area just off the highway among the trees. Good shade. GPS: S37 03.39 E143 27.39  ... Find out more

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Lake Watchem Camp Area 75 km

T/O 20 km S of Birchip (R) or 34 km N of Donald (L) Large area around a few trees on the edge of the lake 1 kilometre west of Watchem. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S36 08.51 E142 50.52 ... Find out more

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Jock Comini Rest Area 76 km

18 km S of Bendigo (L) southbound only Large area just off the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S36 53.57 E144 13.07... Find out more

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Ravenswood Rest Area 77 km

20 km S of Bendigo (R) or 130 km N of Melbourne (L) Large open area just off the motorway. Good facilities. GPS: S36 54.589 E144 13.296... Find out more

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Birchip Park Area 79 km

South side of town Small area adjacent to the highway. Limited shade. Good facilities. GPS: S35 59.23 E142 54.53... Find out more

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Kerang Park Area 81 km

West side of town Parking area adjacent to the highway on the west side of town. Good facilities. GPS: S35 44.115 E143 54.914... Find out more

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Goornong Park Area 83 km

Middle of town Small area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S36 36.923 E144 30.273... Find out more

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Apex Park Area 85 km

36 km SE of Lake Boga (L) or 8 km NW of Kerang (R) Large grassed area well off the highway around a few trees on the shores of the lake. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S35 41.162 E143 53.188... Find out more

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Gunbower Park Area 85 km

Middle of town Small town park just off the highway on the banks of the creek. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S35 57.329 E144 22.222... Find out more

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Ibis Rookery Park Area 86 km

32 km SE of Lake Boga (L) or 10 km NW of Kerang (R) Large area well off the highway near the bird observatory. GPS: S35 40.261 E143 52.393... Find out more

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Cohuna Park Area 87 km

Middle of town Parking area adjacent to the highway on the west side of town. Good facilities. GPS: S35 48.510 E144 13.266... Find out more

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Jessie Kennedy Rest Area 92 km

6 km S of Castlemaine (R) or 30 km N of Daylesford (L) Large area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S37 06.621 E144 11.057... Find out more

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Lake Charm Rest Area 92 km

22 km SE of Lake Boga (R) or 20 km NW of Kerang (L) Large area just off the highway on the shores of the lake. GPS: S35 36.104 E143 47.749... Find out more

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Aysons Reserve Camp Area 95 km

T/O 31 km W of Stanhope (R) or 5 km E of Elmore (L) Large camp area 3 kilometres north-east of the highway on the banks of the river. Good shade. GPS: S36 27.621 E144 40.116 ... Find out more

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Lexton South Rest Area 97 km

27 km S of Avoca (L) or 43 km N of Ballarat (R) Large area just off the highway. Only limited shade. GPS: S37 17.21 E143 32.50 ... Find out more

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