Located halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne, Nhill is a charming country town surrounded by sheep grazing pastures and wheat fields. It served as an RAAF base during World War II, with around 10,000 men and women training here. Today, it lies on the doorstep of Little Desert National Park.
Things to do in Nhill
Nhill’s proud history of aviation is on display at the Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre, which occupies an aerodrome on the northern edge of town. Highlights of the collection include a rare Avro Anson aircraft and a Wirraway aeroplane, as well as a Link Trainer flight simulator. Learn about the RAAF trainees who were based in Nhill during World War II and get up close to a de Havilland Tiger Moth.
On the eastern edge of Nhill is the Australian Pinball Museum where you’ll find the largest collection of pinball machines in the country. It is positioned adjacent to a Route 66-inspired motel and houses an impressive array of pinball advertising posters and promotional products. You can get hands-on while playing machines dating from the 1930s to the modern-day, including original KISS and AC/DC Back in Black models.
In Jaypex Park, you’ll find a children’s playground, barbecues and picnic facilities, all on the doorstep of the Nhill Swamp Wildlife Reserve. This scenic green space is traversed by trails that include the Birdhide Walk and the Lake Loop. You can stroll beneath the beautiful red gums that lead to Nhill Lake, which is a popular setting for trout fishing.
Getting around Nhill
Nhill is around four hours’ drive from Adelaide and 4.5 hours from Melbourne. Melbourne Airport is four hours away. Regular trains connect from Melbourne to the Nhill railway station and the town is compact enough to explore on foot.