by L Hurley

Created on: November 02, 2010

Nestled at the foot of the You Yangs in Victoria, Australia is the tiny township of Little River. Ideal for a quiet weekend stay in the country the locals are friendly and will happily point you in the right direction or have a beer with you at the pub. Primarily an agricultural area this small town has more than its fair share of claims to fame.

Little River is 50 kilometres south west of Melbourne. Driving via the Westgate and Princes Freeways will have you at your destination within about 40 minutes . Alternatively the town is serviced by trains from both Melbourne and Geelong or you can fly into Avalon Airport and take a short taxi ride.

The township had its beginnings around 1839 as a stopover point on the stony overland track from Melbourne to Geelong. The Rothwell Inn, built in 1853, stood for more than 100 years until it was destroyed by fire in 1958. You can still see the remains today silhouetted against the backdrop of the You Yangs. These granite hills rising out of the western plains are home to native wildlife and steeped in Aboriginal history.

Little River has a general store, a pub, a bed and breakfast and not much else and that is how the locals like it. This is a place to relax and enjoy the countryside and yet still be in easy reach of the two largest cities in Victoria. Your stay in Little River will be reminiscent of a time when life was less frantic.

You can see kids riding their ponies along the road and people walking their dogs and stopping to chat. A walk along the path beside the Little River with the sun setting behind the You Yangs is just the thing to remove the stress and tension modern life can bring.

If you’d like to experience native Australian flora and fauna you can visit Mount Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre. Previously known as Little River Earth Sanctuary it is a 400 hectare property, and the largest predator free ecosystem in Victoria. Entry is from Mt. Rothwell Road and guided tours are available. The guided night walks are a great way to see some of Victoria’s most endangered nocturnal species.

The You Yangs Regional Park is also a wonderful place to experience native flora and fauna in the wild. Kangaroos, koalas, sugar gliders, possums and over 200 species of birds, are commonly seen. Lizards and venomous snakes are also natives to the area and while most will move away at the sound of people you should wear sturdy boots, long pants and stay on the paths.

While Little River is a lovely example of a small Australian township its fame outstrips its size. The town’s name was made famous by the Little River Band who had a number of international hits in the 1970’s and 80’s. The band did not originate in the town but took their name from the signpost they saw on a trip from Melbourne to Geelong.

Much of the filming for Mad Max, starring a young Mel Gibson, was also done in and around Little River. Although the trees have grown not a lot else has changed so it is easy to identify landmarks from the film. You can even stay at the pub favoured by the Toecutter gang, it’s now a 4.5 star, self-rated B&B that welcomes well-behaved pets. Other Little River landmarks have starred alongside the late Heath Ledger in the movie Ned Kelly and Tom Hanks in the mini-series The Pacific.

Only 40 minutes from the Melbourne CBD lays a true piece of Australian countryside complete with native wildlife and small town hospitality. If you are looking for a weekend escape to relax and unwind this is the perfect location.

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