Not surprised, I noticed a lot of California conifers when I was there. Monterey Cypress seemed like the most common.

Some scenes from Victoria

A typical farm outside Ballarat. NO particularly exotic plants, even the various AU native palms, were ever seen at these type of places, and in fact these Italian cypress must count as "putting on airs" LOL. Because I don't remember seeing any other plantings like them in rural farmsteads like this. I did spot a few in the smaller towns. And actually that house is more 'deluxe' seeming than the typical rural farm house there.

I drove past this pine plantation near Lake Hume. Probably hundreds of acres, but still seemed small fry compared to the sort of thing I remember seeing in the PNW of the US where you literally drive for miles past what are obviously managed plantings. (And in fact, on my first trip to PNW in early 1990s, w/my parents, I remember seeing huge billboards saying 'this Weyerhaeuser forest will be harvested in 2050' or whatnot. I'm guessing they don't dare do that sort of thing anymore!) So my guess in AU has only just enough of these softwood plantings to satisfy some local need for an other-than-Eucalyptus tree crop and no more, but I could be wrong. We'd need an AU forestry expert to be sure!

A pic taken from Hangin' Rock, which, if you're a fan of the weird 1970s film, is a must visit. You can see how Northern Hemisphere conifer plantings have an alien feel in the Aussie landscape.

Typical rural hedge of either Leyland or Monterrey cypress...someone like Gardengal will be able to ID for sure, hopefully.

Finally what I'm sure must be a 'Full Monty' LOL. Right on the coast where as I noted in my travelogue, is the only place hoop, cook, star, whatever "pines" (Araucariaceae) are commonly *planted* even though they clearly can grow just fine inland. I guess Victorians just think of it as a tree mainly for coastal landscaping, for whatever reason. Everyone knows what a pet peeve split leaders are for me! I wonder if the one on the right lost its main leader in a storm?

And btw for a split second I thought, "why the hell did I take this picture from the left lane" 🤣

David, thanks, the scenery there does look rather "different" than we're used to. Pretty cool that in coastal Australia, the Monterey cypresses (I assume they are) has the same windblown look as in coastal California (which they usually do not look planted well away from the coasts).