A road trip between Adelaide and Melbourne is easily achievable, especially if you factor in a few stops to take a break along the way. These rest stops will give you time to stretch the legs and also give you a little time to see some of the country along the way.

You pass through quite a few small towns as you make this trip, and it’s easy to breeze through without giving it much thought. But stop for a break and you’ll discover some pretty amazing communities and stories. Try these stopping points to break up the trip.

Coonalpyn is around 160 kilometres from Adelaide and a good place for your first stop while you take a look at the silo art. These silos were the first to be painted in South Australia in 2017, and they feature local school children painted by Guido van Helten and given the title ‘Hope for the Future’.

At the silos car park, a signpost points to the entrance to see ‘Tunnel Vision’, a series of artworks that decorate a tunnel that goes under the train line running behind the silos.

Artist Barbary O’Brien and various community members and groups, are behind the artworks which run the length of the tunnel and show the history, diversity, beauty, creativity, humour and working life of the people of the district.

Tintinara is only 30 kilometres further along the road, but it’s also worth a stop to see the arty murals and some great metal sculptures of a farmer, sheep and kelpie, all easily accessible on the edge of the highway.

Keith is another 40 kilometres south and if you take a detour off the highway to Dugan Street, you can find a bookshop with a terrific mural, running along one wall. The mural on Beyond Words Bookshop was painted by artist Julia Davis and depicts a shelf full of books, all with titles relevant to the town.

They include the towns football club the Keith Crows, a famous local, Andy Caldecott who was an off road motorcyclist who tragically died competing in the Dakar Rally, as well as titles that honour the local emergency services, aged care home, golf club and some of the local environment.

From here it’s about a 70 kilometre drive to the border and into Victoria where time shifts half an hour forward from Central Standard Time to Eastern Standard Time.

Kaniva is your first stop in Victoria, where there’s a good opportunity to stretch your legs by following the Sheep Art Trail which spans 900 metres. It takes in the painted silo, over 60 painted sheep, two sheep dogs and the wetlands and fauna park.

The wetlands and fauna park area also contains a nature play space, public toilets, and plenty of parking space for caravans. There are picnic tables and a BBQ to use and there’s one cheeky cockatoo that loves a chat.

While you’re following the sheep art trail, keep an eye out for a hidden windmill painted on each of the individually named sheep. QR codes on each one also give more information on the organisations behind them and there are a variety of digital interactive games to play on the trail too.

Pink Lake Dimboola around 70 kilometres further along the Western Highway, is the next location worth stopping in to see. Take the short walk from the car park down to the lake, and if conditions are just right, you can be lucky enough to see this natural phenomenon at its bubble gum coloured best.

The salt lake is one of many around the country that take on the pink colour from a pigment in microscopic algae found in the lake. When conditions are just right, with a bright sunny day, and water in the lake you can get some stunning pink lake photos.

Pimpinio Loop is the next thing to look for, where a train signal building sits, unmissable as a giant boom box painted by artist Makatron.

Horsham is next, a large regional city around 300 kilometres from Melbourne, and being located on the Wimmera River, there are good spaces to take another break. One such spot is Weir Park, a river frontage park that has a playground, BBQ facilities, public toilets, and a walking path along the river.

Ararat is around 100 kilometres further along the highway, and a town full of history with a Chinese Australian Museum and a notorious former mental institution to visit if you are staying a while in town. There are a number of accommodation options including motels and caravan parks and it’s also home to one of our favourite finds, a restaurant / café / wine bar called The Mess and Barracks.

The Ararat RSL owns this establishment that was once the Courthouse Hotel, and it is a beautiful, modern relaxing space to have an exceptional meal with an extensive wine list to order from.

Ballarat is the last detour worthy stop for a look at historic buildings, some impressive street art, and the pretty umbrella lane, (actually Hop Lane but this installation has earned it a new name).

Ballarat became a boomtown when gold was discovered in 1851 and a gold rush ensued. It was one of the world’s richest goldfields between 1852 and 1853 and some of the grand architecture in the town reflects it. Today it’s the fourth largest inland city in Australia and you’ll find a nice mix of the old and new as you take a walk around the wide streets.

Melbourne is just a mere 115 kilometres away and with these breaks along the way, you’ll arrive refreshed and ready to hit the streets of Australia’s most populous city.

**If you enjoyed this post, please hit the *LIKE button, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, leave a comment, and share the love on your socials. If you want to see more content between uploads, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates.