Halfway mark at Nhill

Posted on by Miriam

Believe that you can and you’re half way there. Theodore Roosevelt.

A good road trip, like life, sometimes means meeting half way.

Nhill (near Horsham) is exactly half way between Adelaide and Melbourne on the Western Highway, halfway between where I live and where fellow freelance Aussie writer and blogger Glenys Gelzinis lives.

melbourne-to-adelaide-driving-route

I started following her travel blog Caravan Correspondent when she did a lap of Australia last year and we connected both on our posts and on Instagram.  She’s an adventurer at heart, like me, in fact we share many similar interests.

Kindred spiritsSo when Glenys told me she and her hubby Harry were coming to Melbourne how could I resist an opportunity to meet. We enjoyed an afternoon of catching up, amongst a backdrop of live music and red wine at the St Andrews pub. You can read her account of it here.

In her latest post Glenys writes about a pub night at Kaniva, a fun quiz night they enjoyed whilst on their road trip to Victoria. She mentioned how one of the teams came from nearby Nhill. It jogged memories of our stopover at Nhill, on the way to the Little Desert National Park, a few years ago.

More recently we stopped there at the bakery, after our 4WD tagalong trip along the Border Track in March.

It’s a good place to recharge and refuel before you head further out. If you have kids on board, check out the big slide in the middle of town. Hell, it’s great fun even if you haven’t got kids!

Little Desert National Park April 2011 110

Beyond the play equipment of the Jaypex Park, the swamp boardwalk is worth the amble to soak up the eerie atmosphere amongst the gums. When we visited the reflections of the twisted trees snaking up from the swamp waters were extraordinary.

Little Desert National Park April 2011 123

If you’re not driving a strict Melbourne- Adelaide route, head into the Little Desert National Park, just southwest of Nhill. It’s the second largest National Park in Victoria. However, don’t expect Sahara type landscapes. In Spring the wildlife is prolific and the flora and fauna is abundant.

This is a landscape of 4WD adventure, wildlife and tranquil camping.

We camped a few nights at the Little Desert Nature Park  years ago and the nights were spectacular, the days peaceful and there were plenty of great four wheel drive tracks.

There are supposedly 220 bird species here, including the mallee fowl which is indigenous to this part of Victoria, and yes, we spotted one, which was super exciting.

Mallee fowl
The elusive mallee fowl

Its presence is signified by a mound up to five metres in diameter and one metre high.It lays its eggs inside the mound which is adjusted daily to maintain its temperature at 33 degrees Celsius. The chicks emerge already self-sufficient.

You’re also on the doorstep of Mount Arapiles, one of the best rock climbing locations in Australia. If you prefer your feet on the ground, it’s just as much fun to watch others climbing.

Scale new heights at Mt Arapiles
George the emu at Little Desert

So, if you’re driving from Adelaide and Melbourne and you want a half way break, consider a stopover in Nhill. The night life might be little more than a game of trivia at the local pub, but hey, when you’re in the country, embrace the country.

Enjoy the journey, where ever you’re heading and keep an eye out for those little towns along the way. They might seem ordinary on the surface but scratch a little deeper and you might uncover some extraordinary quirks.

You might even meet like-minded people who may turn out to be kindred spirits, fellow adventurers who love life as much as you do.

How far we travel in life matters far less than those we meet along the way. Mark Twain

Have a great week everyone.

Here’s to all of the wonderful friends we meet along the way.

Want to connect with me on Facebook.

Come join my group for like minded travelers
Outanabout YOLO “You only live once”

64 thoughts on “Halfway mark at Nhill”

  4. Agree it’s great how you seem to catch up with so many bloggers Miriam and that tree reflection is stupendous! Have many memories of refuelling, sleeping in my car, etc at Nhill. Nice little town 🙂

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  6. Wonderful trip Miriam and if the pictures are anything to go by you are enjoying it.
    I do love the quote you gave us by Mark Twain. I couldn’t agree more. The people we meet
    matter so much and will stay as a warmth in the heart.
    Spectacular nature can to some extent also be friends I guess.😊 .

    Miriam

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  10. Wonderful you got to meet your friend half way and what a trip.. Such lovely scenes along the way, and what a sky, loved the photo of you on the bridge.. 🙂 Have a wonderful journey.. 🙂 Much love and sending Blessings xox

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  13. I like everything in that post. The road trip, the pics, the meeting with fellow bloggers, the quotes… And you wrap everything so well with your beautiful writing. Great read.

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  16. Isn’t it great to meet up with other bloggers IRL, Miriam? We can form special friendships through blogging which is one of the best by-products. As always, I enjoyed discovering another place in Australia through your photographs and story. Have a great week! xxx

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    1. I agree Sue, making new friendships is absolutely one of the best parts of blogging. My world has expanded so much since I’ve begun this journey. Have a wonderful week yourself. xx

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  21. I enjoyed this! Wonderful pictures and stories, and couldn’t agree more about stopping in the smaller, off the main track, towns – they usually end up being the most interesting places and people to visit.
    Thanks, Miriam!

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  27. Soooo cool that you and Glenys met up, Miriam!! This blogging world really does bring the most remarkable people into our lives, and I am so deeply grateful for it. My friend Brooke is one of the best friends I have ever had in my life, and don’t know what I would do with out her. And I got to visit Boulder, Colorado! All because of our blogs. One day that will be you and me sipping on some wine!! Oh, and that slide – FUN!!!! Your posts always leave me happier than when I began reading. Thanks for that. Lots of love to you and enjoy the hell out of your weekend! xoxo​

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    1. Aww Tanya, that’s so awesome. So happy to hear that you’ve made such a great friend in Brooke. You’re right, this blogging we do is such a life changer, it’s changed my world so much. Yep, one day it’ll be us meeting. Look forward to that day and that vino. Have a great weekend yourself gorgeous xx 💕

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  29. Enjoyed your stopover Miriam!! Favorites were the beautiful bridge photos. Love traveling– we’re in Wisconsin (middle of the country) with our kids this week– so green and refreshing! Fun to hear from you!! xox

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