We’ve been wandering through the northern parts of Victoria, and honestly, the scale of the landscape out here never fails to surprise me. It’s early June, so the air has that crisp, clean bite to it that makes you want to keep moving just to stay warm. We pulled into Rochester, a town that’s clearly proud of its roots, and we spent the morning just staring up at the local silos.
You think you’ve seen big art until you’re standing at the base of these things. On the first towering concrete bin, there is a massive platypus diving through deep blue water. The detail is incredible; you can see the air bubbles trapped in its fur and the light reflecting off its bill. It’s a strange feeling, looking up at a creature that’s usually so small and seeing it rendered larger than a house.
Right next to it, the artwork continues with a sugar glider clinging to a branch on the skinnier silo, and a magnificent Azure Kingfisher perched on the larger one. The colours are so vibrant against the Victorian sky. Lisa was particularly taken with the sugar glider; she reckoned it had a bit of a cheeky look in its eye, like it was about to leap right off the wall and over our heads.
Once we managed to neck-stretch ourselves enough at the silos, we took a wander into the heart of the town. There’s a real sense of permanence in these old country towns that I’ve always admired. We walked past the Commercial Hotel, which is a grand old double-storey building. It has those deep, shaded balconies and intricate ironwork that you just don't see on modern builds. I could easily imagine the locals gathered there on a Friday evening, escaping the heat in the summer or the wind in the winter.
A bit further down, we came across the Rochester Post Office. It’s another solid red-brick beauty. There’s something comforting about these buildings; they’ve stood through everything the outback could throw at them and haven't budged an inch. It was quiet while we were there, just the occasional car passing through, giving us plenty of space to just soak in the atmosphere of the place.
One of the most interesting things we found, though, was a long mural dedicated to Ron Iddles. For those who don't know the name, he’s often called Australia’s greatest detective, and he’s a Rochester local. The mural is a series of panels that tell the story of his life and career, including his book "The Good Cop." It’s a very moving tribute to a man who clearly meant a lot to this community. His face is painted in these earthy, sepia tones that give it a real sense of history and weight.
By the time we’d finished our loop of the town, the afternoon light was starting to soften. It’s been a grand day of just looking and learning. Victoria really does know how to turn a grain silo into a masterpiece.
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