Kaniva

The small town of Kaniva is located in the far west of Victoria, between Nhill and the border with South Australia, on the main highway between Melbourne and Adelaide.

Kaniva's major thoroughfare is the Western Highway which is known as Commercial Street through the town centre and is lined with colourful bushes. Kaniva's shops and hotels can be found along this street, many with authentic shopfronts and wide verandahs. On the corner of Commercial Street and Madden Street North is the local visitor information centre and a large windmill which symbolises the town's use of its abundant underground water supply.

On the west side of town along the Western Highway, opposite Douglas Street, is Kaniva Wetlands and Fauna Park. Visitors can observe animals including an emu, deer and peacock, while the aviary section contains cockatoos, parrots and rosellas. The park also includes wetlands with waterbirds and native grasses, a BBQ shelter, picnic tables, playground, flying fox and walking tracks.

The Sheep Art Trail is an 800 metre walk which links Band Park, in Progress Street, with Kaniva's main street and Kaniva Wetlands and Fauna Park. It consists of brightly painted sheep sculptures, each with its own name and story that links it to a place or community group. Just behind Band Park, along the railway line, are grain silos with painted artwork that pays tribute to the flora and fauna of the Little Desert National Park.

The Kaniva Historical Museum displays a large range of household items, farming relics and other items from the district's colonial and Aboriginal past.

Surrounding Kaniva are vast wheat fields and sheep stations - industries that have flourished here since the late 1800s. Large plantations of canola can also be found in the district, creating a colourful display during the early springtime.

23 kilometres west of Kaniva on the Western Highway is the turn-off to the tiny settlement of Serviceton. This town, located close to the border with South Australia, became a major customs post for goods being transported interstate by rail, with a large station having being built in 1887. Now closed, this heritage station and customs house is classified by the National Trust.

Two kilometres west of the turn-off to Serviceton, the Western Highway reaches the state border between Victoria and South Australia. There is a rest area just off the highway at the border which includes picnic tables, shelters, toilets and information displays about Victoria and South Australia.