Shepparton calls itself the Food Capital of Australia, and the claim is not entirely tongue-in-cheek. This Goulburn Valley city, about two and a half hours north of Melbourne, is the centre of a major food-processing region. SPC and other manufacturers have long been the backbone of the local economy, drawing migrants from across the world — including a notable Albanian Muslim community — to work in the orchards and canneries.
The city itself is flat as a pancake. The golfers at the local course call the 8th hole "coronary hill" and they are only half joking. But Shepparton is a sporty place with good facilities for tennis, golf, water sports, and cycling. The Shepparton Art Museum is a genuine surprise for a regional city — a striking contemporary building housing one of Australia's best regional collections. Victoria Park Lake and the Goulburn River wetlands offer the natural counterbalance.