ROADS are being charted for a  Loddon Valley Arts Trail weekend off the main route often taken by tourists.
“The Calder Highway connecting Bridgewater, Inglewood and Wedderburn is the obvious route through the middle of the shire,” organiser of next month’s trail Rosemary Sorensen says.
“But our slogan this yeare is ‘out there – in every way’, so we’ve created a different map.
“How about the Loddon Valley Highway that takes you out of Bendigo up through Serpentine?
“Then there’s the Wimmera Highway, a road less travelled that takes you through Newbridge, Tarnagulla then on to Logan, where you can loop back to Wedderburn or Kingower and Inglewood. “We’ve been able to create a network of exhibitions and events that will take locals and visitors to many different places in the shire. 
“Linking history and heritage, the landscape and all kinds of art and craft, the program is a wonderful way to experience the Loddon Valley.”
Ms Sorensen says the program is expected to encourage visitors from all around the region, including Bendigo, Ballarat, St Arnaud Maryborough and Echuca.
“These roads are not exactly well-kept secrets because campers and hikers know they lead to places like Kooyoora and Terrick Terrick,” she said.
“Loddon Valley Arts is a perfect opportunity for many others to discover destinations such as Dingee and Calivil in the north-east of the shire, and Kingower in the south-west.
“It’s the art of discovery!”
The festival’s website has four suggested itineraries, to link up exhibition venues each day.
One itinerary, which is nicknamed “Raise a Glass”, links Inglewood, Kingower and the Pub in the Scrub on the Wimmera Highway on the outskirts of Loddon shire.
“This is a unique place, run by Keith and Rosie, well-known to locals and travellers, especially car enthusiasts,” Ms Sorensen says. “We very much wanted to include it on the program because it’s definitely not your usual art venue.”