The Grainlander - Diesels to Sea Lake and the Mallee Silo Art Trail

Weekend of 11-13 November

Travel onboard the The Grainlander as it travels to Sea Lake and the famous Mallee Silo Art Trail - a spectacular weekend Slow Rail Journey offering a unique way to tour one Victoria's most acclaimed attractions featuring heritage diesel locomotives

Fares range from $750-$1,195 per person

Step back in time onboard The Grainlander to enjoy a weekend of slow rail travel to some of the Victorian Mallee country's most beautiful townships and famous attractions.

itinerary

Entering Melbourne's busy Southern Cross Station, you will immediately notice our historic carriages juxtaposing the modernity and hustle surrounding. From the moment you board, you'll immediately relax and enter the elegance of a bygone era.

A 8:13 pm The Grainlander will wake up the station as the whistle is sounded announcing our departure. Join your fellow travellers and tour organisers in one of two Club Carriages for a welcome aboard drink and evening supper as the train picks up speed and the lights of central Melbourne fade behind us behind.

After skirting the northern suburbs of Geelong The Grainlander farewells the passenger network and ventures northwest along the freight only line through Meredith to Ballarat where we make a will stop in the city's historic station to resupply the train.

While our guests rest in their private sleeping compartments, The Grainlander continues its journey into the night passing Maryborough, crossing the Redwood forests of the Victorian Goldfields and venturing into golden plains of the west.

Awake to a different world as the sun rises over the flat plains of the Mallee.

Shortly after 7:30am The Grainlander will arrive Sea Lake - the end of the line! Once home to the Mallee Rally and a substantial salt mining operation, the town today is reinventing itself as the gateway to Lake Tyrrell and as one of the main gateways to the famous Mallee Silo Art Trail.

After breakfast on-board, the train guests will have an opportunity to explore the town before boarding a shuttle to visit the famous Lake Tyrrell. Lake Tyrell is an inland sea in the heart of the dry Mallee country. This shallow, salt-crusted depression just a few kilometres North of the township of Sea Lake has recently become a tourist mecca with photographers and social media users visiting to take photographs of the lake's mirror-like surface during winter. During dry periods, visitors can walk out onto the lake area by using places where salt has formed a solid surface.

During our time in Sea Lake our train will be stationary adjacent to the spectacularly painted Sea Lake Silo. The GrainCorp Silos at Sea Lake were painted by Joel Fergie, aka The Zookeeper and Travis Vinson, aka Drapl in October 2019. The artwork depicts a young girl swinging from a Mallee eucalyptus tree and gazing out over the endless vista that is Lake Tyrrell. A powerful Wedge Tail Eagle saws above the girl, and emus run off into the night.

At 10:00am the Grainlander's whistle will signal its departure south to one of the highlights of the weekend - the ornately painted silo at Nullawil. In Nullawil the renowned street artist Smug has depicted a frontier Kelpie Jimmy who often makes a cameo appearance. You'll have the opportunity to leave the train at Nullawil to photograph it as it sits beneath the silo.

After ample time to view the silo in Nullawil guests join coaches to tour the southern portion of the famous Mallee Silo Art Trail.

Enjoy a scenic drive to Lascelles where renowned Melbourne Street Artist “Rone” has painted the images of a local couple Geoff and Merrilyn Horman on the silos at Lascelles in the Wimmera-Mallee Victoria.

Our next stop will be in Rosebery where Melbourne artist Kaff-eine, after spending some time in the region, has depicted themes that she says embody the region’s past, present and future. The silo on the left captures the grit, tenacity and character of the region’s young female farmers, who regularly face drought, fires and other hardships living and working in the Mallee. In her work shirt, jeans and turned-down cowboy boots, the strong young female sheep farmer symbolises the future.

The silo on the right portrays a quiet moment between dear friends. The contemporary horseman appears in Akubra hat, Bogs boots and oilskin vest – common attire for Mallee farmers. Both man and horse are relaxed and facing downward, indicating their mutual trust, love and genuine connection.

A further short drive takes us to Brim, the first silo to be painted and the inspiration for the trail we are exploring today. Completed in early 2016 with limited financial resources, Melbourne artist Guido van Helten’s mural depicts an anonymous, multi-generational quartet of female and male farmers. Rendered across these four 1939-built GrainCorp silos, van Helten’s subjects bear expressions that exemplify the strength and resilience of the local farming community.

Our final silo visit will be in Sheep Hills where we will enjoy a sparkling wine reception with Adnate’s depiction of Wergaia Elder, Uncle Ron Marks, and Wotjobaluk Elder, Aunty Regina Hood, alongside two young children, Savannah Marks and Curtly McDonald i as a spectacular backdrop.

After a sparkling wine reception with the silo as a backdrop, enjoy a relaxing drive as the sun sets over the wheat and canola fields to Wycheproof, where dinner is served in the iconic Terminus Hotel before a restful and motionless sleep onboard in Wycheproof.

Juxtaposing the busy day exploring the Mallee Silo Art Trail on Saturday, Sunday offers the opportunity for guests to relax and enjoy a day of slow rail travel.

Departing Wycheproof at 9am, our train crosses the plains of the Mallee and Loddon regions passing through Charlton, Korong Vale (where the once busy historic station can be seen from the train) and Inglewood.

After Inglewood a vast change in the vegetation and topography out of the window signals our departure from the Mallee and arrival in the Goldfields.

Enjoy lunch onboard as we traverse the dense Redwood Forrests and hills toward Dunolly and Maryborough.

In Maryborough, The Grainlander makes a brief stop where guests can explore the ornate historic railway station - one of the most impressive in Victoria, before continuing through Clunes to Ballarat.

After departing Ballarat, we make a spirited run through Bacchus Marsh. After crossing the Melton Weir, we enter the outer suburbs of Melbourne. Farms give way to housing, commuter stations buzz past the windows and too soon, around 5:45 pm we arrive back at Melbourne's Southern Cross Station.

fares

timetable

route map

sleeping carriages

Enjoy overnight travel aboard our fleet of heritage sleeping cars.

on-train facilities

The train will feature a fully stocked bar/club car, a luxurious lounge car and Cafe Hudson offering light snacks, espresso coffee and other refreshments along with a number of additional carriages.