Landsborough

The Goldfields Tourist Route town of Landsborough is in the northern foothills of the Pyrenees Range. This is a popular haunt of bushwalkers who share the environment with resident kangaroos, wallabies and koalas.

Landsborough is also the starting point for the annual Pyrenees Endurance ride held in September when horsemen from across the land gather in the town for the gruelling traverse of the mountains.

A 20 minute drive west toward Stawell takes you to the National Trust-listed Tottington woolshed which is one of the state's few remaining 19th century shearing sheds.

It is a comfortable, one hour drive to Avoca at the junction of the Sunraysia and Pyrenees highways. Avoca hosts a Wool and Wine Festival in October and is graced by some heritage bluestone buildings.

Stawell, the major regional centre and home to the famous Stawell Gift - the world"s richest foot race - rode to prosperity on the backs of 20,000 diggers who swarmed into the area when gold was discovered at nearby Pleasant Creek in 1857.