Dartmoor Victoria
Something of a very small dying town on the highway between Mt Gambia and Warrnambool. Not really anywhere but between
places. It is not necessary to stop here for fuel, nor does it come at lunch time between destinations. There are not majestic dams of waterfalls near the town. It is cattle grazing country just like the thousands of square kilometres that make up this part of Victoria. It is a fly over place.
Unlike the hundreds of town that are similar to it around Australia,
Dartmoor is a must see place on the
Grey nomads travel guide. It is a town that has made itself unlike any other by being just a friendly and nice place to stay.
In September 1918, the towns people planted a tree to celebrate the sacrifice of it’s
young men in the Great War. Unfortunately many of the trees had to be cut down and rather than chip them, an artist carved scenes into the remaining trunks. Here a soldier on sentry duty, there a nurse in a hospital ward and further down the street a soldier remembering his dead comrade.
Spread between these monuments green neatly mowed grass covers the landscape. There appear few house fences and this combined, with the extremely wide grass pavements make for a beautiful street scape. In the centre of town are excellent
public toilets.
A kilometre away however is one of main reasons why it is on the
grey nomad must see list. Down by the river side, on the site where Major
Mitchell camped in 1865, is a huge
free camping site. Level ground and shady trees are just the beginning of what makes this such a nice place. In the trees are birds going about their lives. A few meters a river that unfortunately has seen it water level drop recently. There are
toilets but I prefer the ones in town.
An ideal stop over place. There is fuel at the General Store and great meals at the local pub. Not to mention lots of conversations to be had with like minded
grey nomad travellers. Friendly people with time to talk and ideas of other
places to see in our great country.
Image Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be Found