10 Best Places To Visit In Albury Wodonga, Australia 2023
The Albury Wodonga region is located on the magnificent and expansive banks of River Murray, and on the border of the two states of New South Wales and Victoria. Albury is the city on the New South Wales side on the northern bank of the river and Wodonga, the Victorian city, on the southern bank. Albury Wodonga provides for many exploration and adventure activities for tourists, but in a very compact area that you can cover on foot also. Albury Wodonga offers numerous cultural events, well organized and beautiful parks, and magnificent heritage buildings on the banks of the Murray River. The area surrounding Albury Wodonga also provides a wide variety of tourist attractions, including the Hume Lake, boating and fishing on the many rivers and lakes, all within driving distance. With that as the backdrop, let’s check out 10 best places to visit in Albury Wodonga, Australia in 2023.
1. Murray River
Explorers Hume discovered Murray River in 1824 and named it the Hume River. In 1829, explorer Captain Charles Sturt not realising it was the Hume River, renamed it the Murray River. Situated just off the Hume Highway, Murray River is Albury’s greatest asset offering a fun and exciting backyard for exploration, adventure, sightseeing and relaxation. You can spend a day relaxing on the banks of the mighty Murray River, home to parklands, walking trails and water-sports. You can take a bike from Cycle Station, and cycle along the River. The view is exotic on a winter’s morning as there is a reflection of the historic trees from the water’s surface while the ground is carpeted with the fallen autumn leaves. With the advent of summer, you can take a float with the locals and glide through the surface of the river in a refreshing journey to remember. The scenic beauty all around the river will spell a cast on you. This is nature at its best!
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2. Lake Hume
Lake Hume is located on the Murray River, about 10 kilometres upstream of the city of Albury. You can thrill yourself with numerous outdoor activities that Lake Hume has to offer. You can take part in a variety of water activities and sports on Lake Hume, which is five times the size of Sydney Harbour. You can hire canoes and kick-start your adventurous journey. Lake Hume offers great opportunities for boating, which is very popular with visitors. In case you are in a laid-back mood you could also join a guided tour. Lake Hume is home to several historic sites, including the Bonegilla Migrant Centre. But if you do not want a rigorous routine, then head for Albury Swim Center, This is a great place to spend a summer’s day with three pools and a water slide. Kid’s pool is big and under shade. The slide is 3- storied high and rather fast. Good coffee and decent pool-food are available at the on-site cafe.
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3. Noreuil Park
Noreuil Park is a gathering area for locals who love to take big floats to flow down the River Murray, get their faces painted and listen to the entertaining strains of music and other delightful shows, all for free. At Noreuil Park you’ll find arrangements for swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, bike riding and simply relaxing. The mature River Red Gums and magnificent London Plane Trees provide a welcome canopy in the summer months to those enjoying the water or taking in the views from a food-laden picnic rug. For refreshments, you can rely on The River Deck Cafe which showcases regional food and drinks. They also hold special events for their specialized food. You can experience sumptuous regional food and beverages while relaxing and taking in the grandeur of Red Gums and London Plane trees. The ambience of Noreuil Park allows you to experience time as it stands still.
4. Albury Botanic Gardens
Better known as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Albury, this Botanic Gardens has maintained its beauty for more than130 years, Albury Botanic Gardens with an exotic and elaborate display of plant life has delighted everyone for decades. With free entry, this Botanic Garden hosts a deluge of visitors per year. Sprawling over 4 hectares Albury Botanic Gardens showcases Australian rainforest specimens. It is a Garden famous for its varies species of trees, all laid out along meandering pathways and colourful undergrowth.
From the collection of rainforest trees like 45 metres tall Queensland Kauri and spectacular Gingko, these gardens provide immense pleasure to one and all. There is a wonderful Children’s Garden where children can do any amount of exploration while learning and gaining immensely from the experience. The fully fenced Children’s space includes a life-sized dinosaur and many interactive gizmos. It is also one of the city’s most popular venues for weddings since the gardens provide the perfect backdrop for this special day.
5. Murray Art Museum Albury
Murray Art Museum Albury is among the best regional galleries in Australia. It was earlier known as Albury Regional Art Gallery. The native arts thrive with the Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA). It has the latest artwork experience that weighs worldwide touring exhibitions with profound connections to the encircling regional house and cultural identification. Catch visiting exhibitions by famed artists on the Murray Art Museum Albury. MAMA conducts interactive workshops and intricate cultural experiences in a stunning 24-hour indulgence. It offers one the largest and most technically sound exhibition spaces of the state, with most modern facilities. It conducts many innovative programs like the Art courses, Conservation projects and School Programs. You’ll be supercharged and awed by MAMA’s superb collections. Be sure to be present at MAMA on Mondays, if you want to avail of the facility of a free guided tour. There will be wonderful lessons learnt from such a guided tour.
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6. Army Museum Bandiana
Army Museum Bandiana is a must-see destination for any tourist. Situated in Gaza Ridge Barracks Wodonga, this is an up-close and personal experience not to be missed. This Army Museum is the most extensive and elaborate display of Army equipment and accessories under one roof in Australia. Its display is a thing to behold and admire for historians and commoners alike.
Numerous uniforms and artefacts are on display including those from WWI, WWII and present day. There is a display of military vehicles and weapons, including those of historic significance, which you can examine from close quarters. The Army Museum Bandiana is a museum that will surprise you by the sheer size of the collection. There is an array of items of interest for you, which you can buy from the Museum Shop. You may also enjoy free electric barbecues in the Memorial Park Gardens, which is located adjacent to the Museum.
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7. Albury Railway Station
Built-in 1881 in the Victorian Italian style, this railway station serves the Sydney-Melbourne route. Initially, from New South Wales and Victoria, tracks were of different gauges. This meant that at Albury, passengers had to disembark and change trains. To facilitate this, a 450-metre long platform was constructed which was all covered. It is by far the longest platform in Australia. After World War II, to overcome the problem in gauges, bogie exchange device was used to lift the wagon. This allowed workers to refit rolling stock with different gauges of wheels. During both World Wars, this proved to be a major impediment since all items and supplies, including weaponry along with soldiers, had to change from one gauge to another. This anomaly has now been corrected by converting the entire railway tracks to standard gauge. It is sheer pleasure to witness this important and artistic piece of history functioning on ground.
8. Wonga Wetlands
Wonga Wetlands is located next to the River Murray, at a very short distance from the city of Albury. It is a marvellous and ingenious work of the city’s use of extensively treated wastewater. The Wetlands consists of a glorious series of lagoons. After the construction of the Wetlands, there has been restoration of natural water flow in the area to pre- European era. This restoration of the natural flow of water, along with no farming, has surprised all with the return of flora and fauna to the area. Now it is a happy breeding ground for birds of many species. You can take a short 10-minute drive from Albury and reach Wonga Wetlands which is a birdwatcher’s paradise with six bird hides and more than 155 identified resident species. You may marvel at a scaled-down replica of an indigenous campsite, enjoy picnic and barbecue facilities, and could make use of a site available for wedding up to 150 guests.
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9. Albury Entertainment Centre
The Albury Entertainment Centre is a prestigious venture of the Albury City administration. The Centre caters for performing arts, events and conferences. Whether you are planning to host a business event or thirsting for a night out of pure enjoyment, this Centre has it all to cater to your entertainment and business needs. Facilities available in this venue are of world standard wherein you will find Conference Centre, Performing Art Centre, Banquet Hall, Space for Business, Exhibitions, Main Auditorium, Boardroom, Theatre and Live Performances. The main auditorium can accommodate more than 800 people over two levels. Of significance, apart from their varied entertainment menu, is their pride of being wonderful hosts. It is said that the staff and technical members at the Entertainment Centre take great care to help you. The city administration prides over their Entertainment Centre, which is reason enough to make a trip to the Centre in the evening.
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10. Wodonga Caravan and Cabin Park
Wodonga Caravan and Cabin Park have easy access on and off the Hume Highway. The park is a two-minute drive from the Wodonga town centre and 10 minutes to Albury. You could use it as a base to explore the many tourist attractions of the Albury-Wodonga region. From this base, suggested areas of a visit are indicated in the succeeding paragraph.
You should visit Nail Can Hill, an area of elaborate bush-land, west of Albury city. There is a network of trails used for bushwalking, mountain bike riding, as also walking. Nail Can Hill has some of the area’s rare flora and fauna with breath-taking panoramic views. You should also make a trip to Barunduda Parklands for a unique experience of nature, witnessing many species of native flora, animals and birds, while walking through the beautiful tracks. Do not forget to take your camera along to capture the full glory of nature along these tracks for records.
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Conclusion
The Murray River was the lifeblood of Indigenous people throughout South East Australia for thousands of years, providing a bounty of food and resources which maintained large numbers of people in numerous groups. Albury-Wodonga is at present a fabulous tourist destination where visitors can explore, participate in adventure sports, get entertained, relax and rejuvenate. Here is the list of places to visit in Albury Wodonga which should cater to the taste of every shade of tourist; so pick your choice.
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