Autumn Adventures
Explore your own Backyard this Autumn
Residents of Wangaratta are well positioned to explore some of the High Country’s best natural attractions and unique wonders. Within a short drive locals and visitors alike can spend the day discovering hidden waterfalls, sampling award-winning wines, exploring quaint historical villages dotted around Wangaratta, or simply relaxing and letting the day go by... must be nice!
Autumn is a fantastic time of year to get outdoors, embrace nature and venture beyond our mailboxes. Attending an event or festival is a great place to start with plenty of events to suit every taste and budget throughout the autumnal months:
+ dozens more to browse here.
If events aren’t your thing explore the possibilities of Wangaratta's natural wonders without being restricted to a particular date. Although the below activities are available 365 days of the year, we believe they are most magical when undertaken in the Autumn months.
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Try your luck hitting the jackpot with a gold panning adventure in the historic gold mining region of Eldorado and the Woolshed Valley, or if the simpler life is more your thing, cast a line and catch a delicious mountain stream fish for dinner. A miners right can be picked up from the Wangaratta Visitor Information Centre or online here.
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Ride a little or ride a lot with the iconic Murray to Mountains Rail Trail Weaving over 100 kms through the historic townships of Wangaratta, Beechworth and Bright, there are secrets to be discovered that you won't see from any car including hidden valleys, un-spoilt bushland and open farmland. Or take the route to Milawa via Oxley, lined with spectacular Ornamental Pear and Ginko trees bursting with autumn colours and vineyards buzzing in harvest.
Download the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail(PDF, 513KB) map here to help guide you.
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Wander along the Bullawah Cultural Trail which snakes 2.4 kilometres along the Ovens River discovering ancient Aboriginal stories, spirituality, culture, food, sculptures, interpretive signage, the Marmungun Rock and the Bush Tucker Garden. QR codes are available along the trail to provide more detail.
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Head off the beaten track without leaving the confines of Wangratta's CBD at Kaluna Park. A haven for wildlife including platypus, barking owls and many species of woodland and wetlands birds, this 5.2 hectare bushland reserve is bordered by the King River and Merriwa Park and features 1.2km of walking tracks.
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Bike or boots, take your pick and enjoy the sweeping views of the Warby Ovens National Park, just a 10 minute drive from Wangaratta, offers along the Friends Track. Allow 2 hours for this one, plus a little extra time following the walk for a coffee and bite to eat in the township of Glenrowan.
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Sip, sample, and savour the glorious food, wine and beer offering we have in the Rural City of Wangaratta. With markets, roadside produce stalls, restaurants, breweries, distilleries, wineries and gastro pubs, our regions offers culinary adventures at every turn. Start at Sam Miranda Winery to begin the journey along Prosecco Road.
Our Tracks & Trails Guide can help to explore the region on foot or two wheels. It covers over 50 walks, hikes and bike rides, ranging from gentle strolls to full day adventures.
As a bonus, by keeping your travel, spend and recreation local, you will be directly supporting the Rural City of Wangaratta’s tourism and hospitality industry, which like many parts of the country has been hard hit by COVID-19. Leaving a review at businesses you’ve enjoyed via Facebook, Google or TripAdvisor would make it easier for others to find that business or decide to visit in the future.
Be sure to keep us and others in the loop with your adventures by tagging #visitwangaratta - seeing your inspirational images may be the reason someone chooses to visit our wonderful region.
