Colourful wildflowers are typical of the parks in spring

Turriff
Tiny Mallee wheatbelt town
Turriff is a tiny Mallee wheatbelt town on the Sunraysia Highway. It is located 425 km north-west of Melbourne and 144 km south of Mildura.

Like the nearby towns of Speed and Tempy it developed when the Melbourne to Mildura railway line went through in 1902.

Things to see:  

Museum
The Swamp Tank Museum has displays relating to local and colonial history which are housed in an old church. Items include a bottle collection, domestic items and furniture. The Turriff school was moved to the site after its closure. Outside there is a collection of old farm machinery, a blacksmith's shop and an old-style farm shed, tel: (03) 5082 4200.

Wathe Reserve
North of town is Wathe Flora and Fauna Reserve, a breeding ground for the Mallee fowl where wildflowers bloom all year round. The bird builds a mound up to five metres in diameter and one metre high. The eggs are laid inside the mound which is adjusted daily to maintain its temperature at 33 degrees celsius. The chicks emerge self-sufficient. For further information on the reserve ring (03) 5083 3411. Head due west from Gama, a locality 10 km south of Turriff on the highway.