Finally managed to find some time to get out and shoot the canola fields that are so prevalent in rural Victoria during early Spring. I’ve seen numerous large canola fields along the Hume Highway on my way back from spring skiing, but never really had the time to stop. This time I thought I would dedicate a day out specifically to photographing the canola fields and was not disappointed.
The name for this post was inspired by the ‘Lavender Route’ in Provence which I was recently lucky enough to explore. The seemingly endless fields of canola in rural Victoria during spring are probably the closest thing we have to Provencal lavender fields. However they don’t seem to get anywhere near the publicity as lavender in Provence which is a shame because they are a sight to behold.
There are numerous areas in Victoria which grow canola – this post focuses on the areas around Ballarat. All the photos in this post were taken in the triangle formed by Lexton (top left), Ballarat (bottom right and just out of screen) and Beaufort (bottom left) in the map below. I understand there are also canola fields further out west leading towards the Grampians but unfortunately I did not have the chance to visit them on this particular trip.
If you’re coming up from Melbourne you will need to pass through Ballarat to get to the canola fields referred to in this article. When passing through, make sure to stop by the picturesque Lake Wendouree. There is a nice walking track along its circumference and in spring, the picnic areas next to the lake are carpeted by wildflowers and there are heaps of baby swans about. The lake itself is about 8 km in circumference and has numerous cafes dotted along its shoreline.
Out past Ballarat on the Western Highway you will come to Windermere and some canola fields. Most of these are plain old canola fields, but some, like the one below are a bit more interesting.
This was shot by the side of the road and I particularly like it because the bluestone house provides some much needed visual interest in what would otherwise be a field of yellow. I will have to try and track down the owner of the field in due course and see if I can get permission to enter and capture the house from some different perspectives.
Near Lexton you will see probably the largest canola field in the area. Amazing doesn’t begin to describe it – it is just an endless sea of yellow . In this case, it is the wind turbines on the hill in the background that provide a point of interest.
The field in the wind turbine photo is bisected by a road. On the other side of the road are rolling hills of canola. This particular photo was taken around sunset and trust me when I say it looked a lot better in person.
The best time to see the canola is probably around September. Ballarat is around 1.5 hours from the Melbourne CBD and is a nice regional city with a very well preserved historical centre. It is a good place to base yourself from if you intend on exploring the area.
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