A sea of vibrant yellow canola flowers is drawing thousands of visitors to central Victoria, turning a working farm near Heathcote into a major agritourism attraction.

The Canola Walk at Shiraz Republic in Cornella welcomed around 20,000 visitors last season — four times more than expected.

Now in its fifth year, the attraction began with just 700 visitors in 2022, but has grown rapidly as social media users flock to the fields for colourful photographs and videos.

Visitors are travelling from Melbourne and regional Victoria, with some even coming from overseas, to experience the countryside and capture the stunning landscape.

The attraction is also providing a boost to the wider region, bringing visitors to local cafes, wineries, accommodation and other businesses.

Agritourism is becoming an increasingly important part of Australia’s tourism industry, with visitors spending an estimated 20.3 billion dollars in 2024.

But the popular canola attraction is also facing a challenge this year, with the crop flowering about a month earlier than usual due to changing weather conditions.

Farm operators say they must remain flexible as the flowering season could end earlier than expected.