So, here’s a few good Wimmera-Mallee place-names for you:

• Pimpinio
• Norhadjuha
• Patchewollock
• Wonwondah
• Bungalally
• Dimboola
• Polkemmet
• Warracknabeal (birth place of Nick Cave)
• Walpeup
• Underbool
• Chinkapook
• Manangatang
• Bangerang 
• Wooroonook

West Australians think they have weird town names but I can tell you they have nothing on regional Victoria. The weirdest WA place would have to be Meekatharra, but everything else seems positively pedestrian by comparison. I mean, Exmouth? Port Hedland? COME ON! They’re hardly a challenge in pronunciation, clearly failing to represent in phonetic terms the challenge one has to actually visit them.

All these places are within an hour or so of Horsham and I only listed the ones with three syllables or more. This means the likes of Beulah, Quontong and Kalkee didn’t make the list. It’s like we Wimmera-Mallee kids have our own secret language.

“You goin’ ta Dimmie?”

“Nah, heading up ta Zummies for the weekend…”
Here’s some stuff you can see around these amazing tongue-twister locations:

These silos are at Brim, just near the end of Goad’s Lane where the very excellent Joan lives with her kittens and painting. Joan was a bridesmaid at my mother’s wedding in 1976 at Daswell Bridge (Location of the Big Koala, there’s just no escaping our local god) and now leases her farming lands and does excellent artwork. She’s also looking for homes for some very, very adorable kittens.

Joan joined us (mum, dad and I – Zeus tapped out for this one) for a tour through the Yarriambiack Sire silo trail, which fortuitously starts quite near her front doorstep. (By quite near, I mean within 10km which is near in regional Australian terms.)

 From the above, you may not the bike enthusiasts continue to haunt my holiday.

Next stop was this place:

This is probably my favourite place sign of all time. Patchie – as it is known to we locals – is home to another silo and also some giant corrugated-iron chickens. 

With this amazing public art, I cannot really explain why it as the deserted railway station which caught my attention so. It was just cool.

Patchie is on the edge of Wyperfeld National Park. 

Some call it Whipper-Field, some call it Wiper-Feld.

I call it unexpectedly awesome. There is also a homestead out here with great accommodation AND A PRIVATE OBSERVATORY. I have a new goal in life: to have a private observatory. 

Heading back home it was all about the hay bales.

Dad observed with any luck, there is sufficient stock to eat the amount of hay brought about by the incredible wet weather.

Even Hopetoun, not a spot known for its beauty, was flirting with us. Hopetoun is also home to a store called “Wheat, Milk and Sugar” which makes home-mate gelato and pasta.

It is possibly my favourite shop idea ever. Bummer if you are a glutard or lactose intolerant I guess… ping Helene and Aari… 😛

I must say, while touring through regional Victoria with mum, dad and Joan was awesome, I really miss the Jeep.

Particularly out on the rough tracks of Wyperfeld, I knew my lil’ Buzti Laroo would have had a ball. 

Anyway, that was another tour day of the Wimmera-Mallee… next edition: The Grampians.

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