TRAVELS WITH KINGDEANO ADVENTURES
On the drive back, Mal pulled over beside a sandy ridge and explained the town’ s name. Rainbow was named after‘ Rainbow Rise’, a crescent-shaped hill once covered in vibrant native wildflowers. The name originated from an early pastoral run before the town was surveyed in the 1890s. Standing there, imagining the ridge awash with colour, the story felt fitting.
When we arrived back in town, we enjoyed a cold drink at the Middle Pub with Mal, settling into the sunny beer garden with our dog Twyla at our feet. Country hospitality, good weather and an easy pace – it was already winning us over.
Rainbow is also part of Victoria’ s silo art trail, with two striking silo murals. One stands near the train tracks where a lookout tower was being constructed during our visit – an excellent excuse to return. The other, just out of town, quickly became one of our favourites that we’ ve seen across the state.
After a full day of exploring, we checked in at Rainbow Holiday Park, with a powered site close to the amenities. That evening we enjoyed a barbecue with meat from the local butcher – simple, satisfying and perfectly country.
The following morning, with a coffee in hand, we wandered next door to the showgrounds, which was buzzing with the annual Rainbow Show. Like a good country show, they had tractor displays, sheep shearing and tables laden with baked goods. The whole town seemed to be there. We even ran into Mal again, who introduced us to some locals as though we’ d lived there for years.
What began as an unplanned town visit turned into one of the most memorable detours of our trip. Rainbow may be small, but it proves that sometimes the brightest discoveries are the ones you never planned to find.
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