Wonderful Warracknabeal

Did you know? The word ‘Warracknabeal’, is said to come from the Aboriginal description of the gum trees that surround the river. It is a picturesque spot.

Fast Facts

• Population 2016 Census: 2,438
• Males 49.8%, Females: 50.2%
• Country of Birth:
• Aust 83.2%, England: 1.9%. India: 0.8%, NZ: 0.7%, Netherlands: 0.5%, China 0.5%
• Mean Max Temperature: January: 35.6C
• Mean Lowest Temperature: June: 14.6C

It was a warm sunny Autumn morning when we stopped in Warracknabeal for a coffee. We were travelling along the ‘Silo Art Trail’ (well worth a visit).

It had a good feel to the town – clean streets, welcoming shopkeepers, a community garden in the main street, people chatting in the street.

I heard one jolly man ask man, who came out of the supermarket pushing a loaded shopping trolley, if the groceries would last the day.

The newsagent was a surprise.

The locals must love reading, I thought, when I looked around the well stocked shop.

Wendy is a local and said that ‘it’s not really a day trip here and back!’. Warracknabeal is about 360 kilometres north west of Melbourne. What would it be like as a retirement destination? Wendy mentioned that there is well priced housing. She added the following: ‘flat terrain, friendly, safe, quiet streets, good medical services, a new hospital with award winning aged care and dementia facilities, lots of sporting options- golf, bowls, tennis, swimming, walking, gym, fishing etc’.

And……. there are over 30 clubs and organisations.

And did you know that Warracknabeal has the biggest shopping centre between Mildura and Horsham?

Wheatlands Warehouse– A second hand dealer shop in town, staffed by volunteers,

Perhaps you are not thinking of a tree change or retiring just yet. Wendy recommends a visit to Wheatlands Warehouse as ‘it could have you lost for hours as you wander through room after room of second hand goods’.

• There is also the Wheatlands Museum museum of agricultural machinery and practices over 150 years.
• The Creekside Hotel is on the banks of the Yarriambiack Creek- the only waterside eatery in the Wimmera region.
• The Easter Y Fest Festival. Check out the website.
• Golf course. Free camping with a round a golf is being trialled.
• Picturesque 5km walk/ride around the Yarriambiack Creek.
• Biggest shopping centre between Mildura and Horsham.

Wonderful Warracknabeal….well worth a visit!