Are you a tourist in your own backyard?
We love exploring our region and have found so many hidden treasures…places that offer so much, but that you may not have considered travelling to. The Cactus Country in Strathmerton Victoria is one of those places…
We live 15 minutes away and have driven past so many times, always wondering what it is like. You can’t see it from the Hwy, although you can’t miss the bright coloured signage pointing the way. A few months ago our daughter went on a school excursion there and has not stopped talking about all the cacti. The sun was shining, the family were here visiting, the perfect day to venture out to check out what Ashlee had been raving about.
Cactus Country has been around for 25 years and occupies a 10 acre site at Strathmerton, 30 minutes north of Shepparton. It is Australia’s largest Cactus Garden! On arrival we were transported to another world, maybe Mexico…(“this is like where the Road Runner lives Mum!) Bright colours, sombrero hates and friendly staff. Julie welcomed us with a big smile and patiently got our kids and their cousins organised with their very own Cactus Country Spotto game. They were off in a shot, super excited to go searching for the cacti listed on the spotto sheet. Wowzers…An awesome display of cacti gardens as far as the eye can see…We were all blown away. What a lovely way to spend the morning, admiring the impressive gardens, marvelling at all the different cactus plants and watching the kids explore and discover.
We then headed to the Cactus outdoor shop and all picked up a few plants to take home. Time for a cuppa and some delicious nachos in the spacious cafe. If you are in the area, travelling along the Murray or just looking for something a little different to experience with the kids then this is the place to go. A family run attraction filled with love…atmosphere…and prickles!
A family admission was $33 which included maps and Spotto Game for the kids…
TIP: Shoes – we highly recommend enclosed shoes, runners or boots…we made sure the kids had walking shoes on, however I wore thongs and copped a few bindi’s…ouch!
Check out CACTUS COUNTRY on Facebook and Instagram too….
Another ripper entry in our Travel Journals:
