Riverina Guides Attractions Events in New South Wales

Barellan is located 55 kilometres from Narrandera. This little community boasts some excellent attractions such as the Barellan Museum, which has numerous historical items that relate to Barellan's rich history. Home of Wimbledon Champion (1971 and 1980) Evonne Goolagong and a large replica of her tennis racquet is located in the centre of town. This town is well worth a stop to embrace the real spirit of a country village. Barellan is close to the Newell Highway and Burley Griffin Way.

Bilbul is a village in the central part of the Riverina and situated about six kilometres north-east from Griffith and six kilometres south-west from Yenda. It is a large farming area of rice, grapes and oranges.

Bilbul is home to family owned winery - De Bortoli Wines and Wilga Park Cottage Bed and Breakfast.

Coolac, originally home to the Wirradjuri People, first settled by Europeans in the 1830s. A number of buildings, created between 1850 to 1880 from local stone still stand in the village, including the three original hotels known as the Beehive, Coolac and Junction Hotels, the police station, and two churches, St Judes Anglican and St Peters Catholic.

Situated some "nine miles from Gundagai", it is arguable that the bank of the Muttama Creek at Coolac was the original site of the 'legendary' Dog on the Tuckerbox tale, as opposed to those who argue for the "five mile" theory. The school was established in 1872 of local stone, it is now the venue for the annual Coolac Festival Of Fun which offers a program of outdoor concerts by some of Australia's leading performers, along with the well-known Bald Archy Prize, and a dinner celebrating the regions best wine and food.

The name "Coolamon'' comes from an aboriginal word meaning "dish or vessel for holding food or water". It is a delightful small town, which was founded in 1881. Coolamon is well known for its antiques and museums. There are many historical buildings throughout the district including churches, banks, hotels, schools and halls.

The name 'Coolamon' comes from an Aboriginal word meaning 'dish or vessel for holding food or water' referring to the Coolamon Holes which can be found in the district. Coolamon, a delightful small town founded in 1881, is well known for its antiques and museums. There are many historical buildings throughout the district including churches, banks, hotels, schools and halls.

Cootamundra has an elevation of 318 metres and is located on the south west slopes of New South Wales - between Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. It is less than two hours drive from Canberra.

Cootamundra is a corruption of the Aboriginal word "Gooramundra" meaning turtles, swamp or low-lying. Cootamundra is home of the Cootamundra Wattle Acacia Baileyana which is probably the best known of all cultivated acacias.

The Wattle Time Festival is held during the month of August each year. "Wattle Valley" on the Berthong Road is a natural area where the wattles grow.

Cootamundra was first settled in the 1830's. The town was built on what was originally a stock station called "Cootamondra". Since it's earliest days, the Cootamundra district has enjoyed prosperity from its natural environment. The railway came through in 1877 encouraging the further growth of pastoral and related industries.

Griffith is the heart of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) and is one of the largest wine and vegetable production areas in Australia. On your way into the city of Griffith you'll be surrounded by the glorious fragrance of citrus orchards, cushioned in the low hills that stretch all around.

The town was originally designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a landscape architect from Chicago (also responsible for the urban development of Canberra). Griffith is renowned for its fine wineries, and there are few more delectable ways to spend a lazy weekend than touring this area and sampling the local fruity fare - in every shade of red and white.

Grong Grong, a small farming village in the southern region of New South Wales, is typical of most Australian towns with friendly townsfolk and a vibrant busy community. It is situated on the Newell Highway, within the Narrandera Shire, and is midway between the major cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

This small community spirit and proximity to major centres makes Grong Grong a perfect place to raise a family or to enjoy retirement at a pace that suits.

Gundagai will be forever associated with the Australian folklore of 'The Dog on the Tuckerbox' and the characters immortalised in the stories of 'Dad and Dave' at Snake Gully by Steele Rudd. Visit the many historic buildings listed on the National Trust Register. Situated on the Murrumbidgee River, Gundagai is located just off the Hume Highway between Yass and Holbrook. There is much more to see, take the Two-Foot Tour and discover the diverse history and friendly atmosphere of a unique country town.

Australia's busiest highway - the Hume - takes you to historic Gundagai. A town immortalised for over a century by classic nationalistic songs. The lines we all know well, 'There's a Track Winding Back... Where the Murrumbidgee's Flowing...and the dog Sits on the Tuckerbox Five Miles from Gundagai'. This legendary monument is probably the best-known slice of Australian folklore - mateship between man and his dog. After all these years, the dog still holds pride of place at the multi-attraction tourist rest just eight kilometres north of Gundagai on the western side of the Hume Highway.

There are many things to see in Gundagai. A unique experience is Rusconi's Marble Masterpiece. A cathedral in miniature containing 21,000 pieces of marble mined in New South Wales. It was created by former Gundagai monumental mason Frank Rusconi in his spare time over 28 years.

Hanwood is a small rural village surrounded by citrus and grape farms. The town is located five kilometres south of Griffith.

The village is serviced by a primary school, general store, post office and butchery.

Hanwood is known for its wineries with McWilliam's and Two Italian Boy's winery (formerly Piromit Wines) open for tastings.
McWilliam's Winery was established in 1913 and has a barrel-shaped tasting room.

Catania Fruit Salad Farm is located in Hanwood and is open for tours from Monday to Saturday at 1.30pm during March through to November. Bookings are essential December to February.

Hay is located on the banks of the picturesque Murrumbidgee River and is surrounded by the vast open Hay Plains. The town is situated at the junction of the Sturt, Cobb and Mid-Western Highways.

Hay's history is rich with characters and tales of boom and bust, of isolation and innovation. It is in the centre of some of the flattest country on earth. With a population of 3,500, Hay is home to five museums including Shear Outback: The Australian Shearers' Hall of Fame.

Hay is a popular destination for visitors who wish to experience the warmth of true country hospitality and a rich cultural heritage.

Junee is surrounded by the towns of Coolamon, Temora, Cootamundra, Gundagai, and the City of Wagga Wagga and is ideally located midway between Sydney and Melbourne. Its south eastern edge is framed by the banks of the Murrumbidgee River while the remaining undulating, fertile pastoral and cultivated country is broken only by the small villages of Illabo, Bethungra, Wantabadgery and Old Junee.

Lake Albert is an artificial lake in the suburb of Lake Albert in Wagga Wagga. The 125 hectare lake is an ideal spot to while away a few enjoyable hours watching or participating in sailing, sailboarding, water-skiing, fishing or just a stroll along the foreshore.

Surrounded by parkland, the lake is a venue for water sports, fishing, walking and bird watching. The lake is home to the Boat Club and one of the town's two golf courses, Wagga Wagga Country Club, is situated on the western shore of the lake.

Lake Wyangan is a leisurely 10 minute drive north-west of Griffith. The lake was formed in 1957 using the remains of a gypsum mine and a natural swamp area. All manner of water sports are available. Bring a boat and fish, ski or simply enjoy sailing. Around the lake there are also picnic and barbecue areas which offer a delightful setting for a relaxing break. Wildlife enclosures featuring native animals and bird life are found throughout the picnic area. There is also a children's playground which will provide hours of entertainment.

Leeton is a thriving irrigation based town in the heart of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA). Like Griffith and Canberra, the town was designed by Walter Burley Griffin.

Leeton's well-preserved Art Deco buildings and heritage, tree-lined streets, beautifully kept public and private gardens and over 100 hectares of recreation parks and reserves make for a wonderful walking town. Stop and have a taste at one of the boutique wineries.

This historical town is known as the verandah town because of the beautifully restored facades and verandahs in the main street. These have been classified by the National Trust as a fine example of turn of the century architecture. In the 1860s the area around Lockhart was a favourite haunt of bushrangers. Mad Dog Morgan used the caves on Galore Hill and Blue Cap' Robert Cotteril was active in the region.

The Murrumbidgee Shire Council invites you to explore the two towns in its area:

The historic town of Darlington Point is situated 3 kilometres north of the Kidman Way-Sturt Highway intersection and 30 kilometres south of Griffith. The Murrumbidgee River at Darlington Point has much to offer the tourist, with abundant bird and animal life and road access both upstream and downstream. Fishing, canoeing and bush walking are all activities that can be enjoyed at Darlington Point, along with golf, bowls and tennis.

The town of Coleambally, was established in a State Pine Forest in 1968, to service the Coleambally Irrigation Area, a major rice and cereal growing area in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. The Bucyrus Erie Dragline excavator on display at the entrance to town is still in working order and is started at the Riverina Machinery Club Vintage Rally held biennially. The area is home to an extensive array of flora and fauna and is home to the threatened species, the Superb Parrot and the Southern Bell Frog.

The Narrandera Shire area was originally inhabited by the Wiradjuri Aborigines and the town's name is thought to have been derived from a word meaning 'place of the goanna or lizard', paying homage to the famous local fauna.

Enjoy a walk along the banks of the Murrumbidgee River and the picturesque Lake Talbot. An historic walking tour will take you through the town's main attractions, including the Tiger Moth Museum, Royal Mail Hotel and the original courthouse and police station sites.

Located on the junction of the Newell and Sturt Highways, and the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, Narrandera is the ideal stop when travelling from either Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane or Sydney. It’s located in the heart of the food bowl of the Riverina.

Narrandera is a large Shire in the geographical centre of the Riverina, with over 1,000 kilometres of roads within its boundaries. The shire incorporates the town of Narrandera and the villages of Grong Grong, Binya and Barellan.

The township of Narrandera is at the centre of a diversely productive agricultural region. Narrandera marks the transition between an extensive dry-land area devoted to cereal crops and sheep and wool production to the east, and, to the west, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area fed by water from the Burrinjuck Dam. The MIA is a region where irrigation has opened the way to a diversity of enterprise, from the growing of rice and other cereals under irrigation to the production of citrus, wine grapes and potatoes.

Lavender, aquaculture, deer farming and olive plantations are relatively recent additions to the range of farming pursuits in the area.

From some of the nation's best food and wine, to the widest, most breathtaking horizons filled with wonderment, just waiting for your discovery, the Riverina truly has it all.

There are National Parks, picnic grounds, unique wildlife, heritage buildings, festivals, art galleries, historic trains and planes, walking trails, country music, haunted houses, botanical gardens, agricultural shows, museums, producer's markets, rivers and ancient aboriginal culture.

The Riverina's playground offers golf courses, swimming pools, horse-riding, ballooning, fishing, tennis courts, boating, sky-diving, bowling greens, picnic race meetings, vintage car rallies and cricket, football and netball facilities - entertainment for all ages.

Spend the night in a grand colonial hotel, a village pub, a modern motel, a bed and breakfast, genuine farmstay or the simplest caravan park and choose from a range of restaurants, cafes and clubs offering the best produce the Riverina has to offer.

Stockinbingal is a small village with a population of 250 people, situated on the Burley Griffin Way, 410 kilometres south of Sydney.

Stockinbingal is primarily a farming community producing wheat, canola, cereal crops, sheep, wool, fat lambs and cattle. There are also small orchards of olives, almonds and cherries.

Stockinbingal has maintained its architectural integrity and remains virtually untouched since Federation. Its former commercial buildings remain intact as prime examples of the Australian vernacular style. Designed in 1881 in lieu of the village of Yeo Yeo which was designed in 1860 but never built, Stockinbingal was proclaimed a village on March 20th, 1886.

Wagga Wagga is one of Australia's leading regional cities. Located on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, it is home to Charles Sturt University, RAAF Base Forest Hill and the Australian Army Base Kapooka.

Wagga Wagga is famous for the many sports stars that have originated from there. Visit the Wagga Wagga Sporting Hall of Fame website or pop into the Museum of the Riverina in the historic Council Chambers.

Garden lovers should visit the Victory Memorial Gardens, designed by Sir Thomas Kerr (designer of Sydney's Botanic Gardens) as a tribute to those who fought and died during the WW1.

Wagga Wagga is accessible via regular flights from Sydney and Melbourne, a two hour drive from Canberra, or via the Countrylink train. There are a variety of accommodation options. Wagga Wagga has dozens of restaurants and cafes, and many national food chains.

Wagga Wagga is one of Australia's leading regional cities, offering contemporary facilities with a relaxed country atmosphere. Magnificent parks and gardens combined with culture and the performing arts, ensure that a stop over in Wagga Wagga is of value to the visitor.

Wagga Wagga, is an Aboriginal word from the early inhabitants of the area, the Wiradjuri tribe and means 'place of many crows'. The Wiradjuri walking track is an absorbing jaunt through bushland and gardens. At 30 kilometres in length, it can be broken down into smaller sections for a more relaxing stroll.

Surrounding Wallendbeen is some of the richest and most picturesque farming country in Australia. This pint sized village has long been a centre of enterprise, tradition and leadership.

The village oval, one of the finest you'll find in any village anywhere, is home to a cricket club which has fielded a local team since 1887. Just to the north of Wallendbeen is Yandilla Mustard seed oil processing plant and tea house.

Being able to step back in time and enjoy a different pace of life is proving to be a magnetic drawcard to both visitors and new residents. A sense of 'community' is central to life in Wallendbeen, with the historic Wallendbeen Hotel acting as the social hub of the village. A beautifully maintained sporting oval and newly upgraded tennis facilities enable Wallendbeen to host a variety of local and regional sporting events.

Yenda is a small township 17 kilometres from Griffith. Yenda is a large farming area.

Berton Vineyards is open for wine tastings. Casella Wines, home of the famous Yellow Tail wines is also in Yenda.

Yenda is on the way to the Cocoparra National Park. It has two primary schools - one private and one public, two clubs, a pub with on site accommodation, and a catholic church.