The Wimmera River in Little Desert National Park

Goroke
Small rural service centre.
Goroke is a small pastoral and agricultural centre of some 200 people located 366 km north-west of Melbourne and 67 km west of Horsham.

The town was laid out in 1882 and named after the Aboriginal term for the district which apparently meant 'magpie'. In 1884 the population was recorded as about 50. It served as a supply centre for local selectors. By 1887 there was a flour mill, two stores, a school, a mechanics' hall, an hotel and a blacksmith's. The only linkage to Nhill and Kaniva was by a desert track. By 1891 the population had increased to 91. A railway line to Natimuk was completed in 1894.

Poet John Shaw Nielson (aged 8) and his family settled at Lake Minimay, 30 km north-west of Goroke, in 1880. He briefly attended school there and worked as a farm labourer. It was here that he began writing poetry, his work inspired by local landscapes. The family left for Nhill owing to drought in 1885.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
Edenhope Visitors' Centre, tel: (03) 5585 1509.

Lake Charlegrark
22 km west of Goroke, along the road to Bordertown, there is an intersection with the Edenhope to Kaniva Rd which runs north-south. Just by this intersection is Lake Charlegrark where there are boating and picnicking facilities. This is a good spot for fishing with Murray cod, redfin and yabbies to be had. On the rim of the lake (turn left into the Edenhope Rd) are Lake Charlegrark Cottages for overnight accommodation, tel: (03) 5386 6281. The Lake Charlegrark Country Music Marathon is held every year on the third weekend in February.

Tom Mulraney's
Lake Charlegrark Cottages can arrange for you to visit Tom Mulraney who takes pride in showing people his lovely Clydesdale horses and he also has a collection of local artefacts. He is just around the corner from the cottages but you need to make an appointment in advance so ring the cottages before passing through.

Minimay Swamp
Minimay Swamp is a pretty spot for a wintertime visit (it is dry in summer). There is plenty of birdlife about but there no facilities. Starting from the intersection mentioned in the last two entries, continue west along the Bordertown Rd for about 4 or 5 km and take the turnoff on the right, heading north for about the same distance.

Lake Bringalbert
Water skiing is popular at Lake Bringalbert although there are, again, no facilities. Continue west along the Bordertown Rd. 3 or 4 km beyond the Minimay turnoff, turn left and it is another 8 km to the lagoon.

Lake Ratzcastle
Lake Ratzcastle is a noted fishing spot, particularly for yellowbelly, and it has a pleasant campground. To get there head south from Goroke along the road to Harrow. It is about 10 km out of town to the right.

Lake Karnak
Just further south along the same road is a turnoff on the left which leads a short distance to Lake Karnak.

Little Desert National Park
To the north of Goroke is Little Desert, the second-largest national park in Victoria. This area was ignored during the European settlement of the Wimmera. The first reserve was created in 1955 to protect the mallee fowl and the park was declared in 1968.

Despite its name, the dry hot summers and sandy soil, this is not a true desert so don't expect Sahara-like landscapes. The park receives 400 mm of rainfall per annum (mostly in winter) and supports a range of fauna and 670 plant species. With its scrubby woodland it represents a remnant of the Wimmera's pre-colonial vegetation.

Wildlife includes possums, the black-faced kangaroo, the silky desert mouse, reptiles such as the bearded dragon and the short-tailed snake, and 220 bird species, including the mallee fowl which is indigenous to this semi-arid portion of Victoria. Its presence is signified by a mound up to five metres in diameter and one metre high.It lays its eggs inside the mound which is adjusted daily to maintain its temperature at 33 degrees celsius. The chicks emerge already self-sufficient.

The park is essentially divided into three sections. 11 km east, towards Horsham, a bitumen road heads north towards Nhill (47 km), dividing the middle and eastern sections of the park. Not far south of Winiam, to the right, is the start of the short Stringybark Walk which is an excellent spot to see wildflowers, particularly in spring and early summer.

The park has numerous 4WD tracks. Contact a ranger for advice on routes and camping areas as some tracks are closed at certain times of the year, tel: (03) 5389 1204.

Little Desert Tours and Lodge
Little Desert Tours offer guided and educational 4WD tours into the park from the private accommodation centre known as Little Desert Lodge located 16 km south of Nhill on the Harrow Rd. They also have a Mallee fowl aviary and an environmental study centre. The Little Desert Wildflower Exhibition is held here each year in September-October, tel: (03) 5391 1714.

Jane Duff Reserve
The Jane Duff Reserve (about 20 km east on the Horsham Rd) is a 26-ha roadside reserve with remnant native vegetation. It represents the southernmost occurrence of the mallee. There are picnic facilities and a monument to Jane Duff, one of the three Duff children who got lost in the bush for nine days in 1864. When they were located by an Aboriginal tracker only Frank Duff (aged four) was conscious but all three were carefully nursed back to health. Their story was immortalised in a popular tale of the era called 'Babes in the Woods'.

Nearby are Duffholme Cabins and a museum display relating to the children's story, tel: (03) 5387 4246.

	Hotels
	Goroke Hotel Main St Goroke VIC 3412 Telephone: (03) 5386 1040
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Staffa Farm Holidays Natimuk Rd P.O. Box 48 Goroke VIC 3412 Telephone: (03) 5386 1035 Rating: ***