Albury to Echuca Road Trip

Albury to Echuca Road Trip ~ NSW / Victoria

During our recent Albury to Echuca Road Trip in our Motorhome, we explored Albury, Rutherglen, Corowa, Yarrawonga, Cobram, Tocumwal, Numurkah and Echuca.

We started our road trip from Albury in NSW, which is approximately 550 kilometres from Sydney and 320 kilometres from Melbourne. 

Albury

Albury is a vibrant regional city on the banks of the Murray River in southern New South Wales. It is located approximately 550 kilometres southwest of Sydney and about 330 kilometres northeast of Melbourne.

This vibrant regional city has beautiful parks and gardens, heritage architecture and a thriving arts scene.

When we were in Albury, we visited Monument Hill, it has stunning views over Albury and is home to the city's iconic War Memorial. The War Memorial was unveiled on Anzac Day in 1925 in dedication to the men and women who served in World War I.

We also drove 16 kilometres east of Albury to see the stunning Hume Dam.

When it was completed in 1936, the Hume Dam was the biggest in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. It holds around six times the amount of water as Sydney Harbour.

We also wandered around the city centre, admiring the colourful street art.

Then we visited the Albury Botanic Gardens on the corner of Dean and Smollett Streets, which are open every day from 6.30 am to sunset. The gardens were established in 1877, and you can wander along the lovely paths surrounded by flowering plants, lush rainforest plants and heritage trees.

The next morning, we left Albury and drove to Rutherglen, which was approximately 50 kilometres away.

Rutherglen

Rutherglen is one of the oldest wine-growing areas in Australia and is known for its fortified wines, especially Muscat.

In Rutherglen, we enjoyed morning tea at Caffeine Machine and had a look around their free motorcycle museum. 

We also saw the Silo Art, four silos have been painted by Ronan Holdsworth, and they are titled ‘Birds of Seasons’.  Each silo represents a specific season, with colourful local birds.

Next, we visited Stanton and Killeen Winery, about 4 kilometres from the Rutherglen town Centre. Stanton & Killeen is a historic, family-owned winery in Rutherglen that was established in 1875. It blends tradition with innovation and has a great range of wines, including Muscat, Topaque, and Vintage Fortifieds. The Cellar Door is open every day from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

We then drove 8 kilometres to All Saints Estate Winery.

All Saints Estate is one of the landmark wineries in the Rutherglen region. It was established in 1864, and the cellar door is located in the stunning heritage-listed castle, which is surrounded by lovely gardens.

Their wines are a mix of table and fortified styles, and they are especially famed for their rare Muscat, Muscadelle, and vintage fortifieds. The Cellar Door is open every day from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

After a wine tasting and wandering around the beautiful gardens, we drove 5 kilometres to The Willows Reserve at Wahgunyah.

Willow Reserve

The Willows Reserve is a lovely camping spot along the Murray River near Wahgungah in Victoria. It is located at the end of Short Street and is only 600 metres from Wahgunyah. It is a popular destination for camping, swimming, fishing, and just relaxing by the river.

We got a lovely flat spot by the river and stayed here overnight. This is a donation campground; there is water available and one toilet near the entrance.

In the morning, we packed up and drove over the river to Corowa in New South Wales.

Corowa

Corowa is a charming historic town, known as the “Birthplace of Federation” on the banks of the Murray River in New South Wales.

It has a relaxed country atmosphere, historic buildings, great local food and plenty of outdoor activities along the Murray River.

Corowa’s town centre has wide streets lined with lovely heritage buildings. 

There is a great selection of cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, and a variety of boutique shops to browse in. There is also some lovely street art down a laneway off Sanger Street.

Corowa Federation Museum

We visited the Corowa Federation Museum to learn more about how this town played a part in shaping Australia’s history. 

Corowa was the site of the influential 1893 conference that laid the groundwork for the creation of the Australian Commonwealth. The museum brings this moment to life with engaging displays, historical documents, and artifacts from the late 19th century, along with exhibits celebrating local heritage, industry, and community life.

Next, we headed to the Corowa Distillery.

Corowa Distilling Co

Corowa Distilling Co. is housed in the old Corowa Flour Mill, a four-story brick building that was built in the 1920s on Steel Street.

After buying the building for $1.00 from the local council and extensive renovations, it is now a fantastic distillery, cafe and chocolate factory.

We enjoyed a lovely morning tea and wandered around the distillery and grounds. It is open daily from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm for whiskey tastings, breakfast, coffee and cakes, and lunches.

We then drove from Corowa to Yarrawonga, a distance of about 45 kilometres.

Yarrawonga

Yarrawonga is a vibrant holiday town on the banks of Lake Mulwala known for its sunshine, water sports, and relaxed country atmosphere. It also has interesting heritage buildings, great cafes and outdoor recreational areas.

In Yarrawonga, we wandered around the town centre which has lovely heritage buildings, cafes, restaurants and specialty shops to browse in.

The Yarrawonga foreshore has walking tracks, playgrounds, a splash park and a 50 metre swimming pool on the edge of the lake. You can also take a paddlesteamer cruise on the PS Cumberoona.

Then we visited the Yarrawonga Weir and learnt how it was constructed and its importance to the Murray River Irrigation Scheme.

We stayed at Kyffin's Reserve on the New South Wales side of Lake Mulwala, approximately 12 kilometres from Yarrawonga.

Kyffins Reserve is a lovely free bush camping area with lakeside camping spots and walking tracks, on the banks of Lake Mulwala.

The road is sealed into and around the camping grounds. It has lovely flat, shady and sunny spots, rubbish bins and good phone reception. There are no other facilities, so you need to be self-contained to stay.

In the evening, we drove to the Mulwala Water Ski Club to see a free laser light and sound show. The Light show is on every Wednesday and Saturday night on dark in Autumn, Winter & Spring, and in Summer it is also on Friday nights.

The next morning, we left Yarrawonga and drove 60 kilometres to Cobram.

Cobram

Cobram is a lovely town on the banks of the Murray River in northern Victoria. It is surrounded by stone fruit orchards and dairy farms, and is actually the largest stone fruit-producing region in Australia.

In Cobram, we stayed at the RACV Cobram Resort. This lovely caravan park has large powered sites, nice amenities, a camp kitchen, a recreation room and an on-site cafe. 

It also has two pools, including an indoor heated pool and spa, playgrounds, and tennis courts.

In Cobram, we wandered around the town centre, admiring the street art and heritage buildings.

We visited Thompsons Beach on the Murray River. This lovely sandy beach is the largest inland beach in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the evening, we went to Barooga Sporties on the courtesy bus to the Bullaginya Dreaming Light Show.

The light show is on every Friday and Saturday evening, and you need to pre-book. We were taken to the start of the trail in a bus with a small group of other people.

Bullaginya Dreaming is an immersive experience that features a laser light show that blends Bangerang Indigenous insights with the elemental forces of light, water, and fire, creating a captivating spectacle that transcends time.

We wandered along the 1.8-kilometre trail through the bushland that borders the Bullanginya Lagoon and experienced 12 unique activations that included towering lighting sculptures, vibrant light displays, and an immersive soundscape that enhances the experience.

The next day, we drove 23 kilometres from Cobram to Tocumwal via Koonoomoo.

The Big Strawberry

The Big Strawberry is a strawberry farm and cafe, 7 kilometres from Cobram at Koonoomoo. It is open daily from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm and has a large cafe.

There is a huge range of strawberry and other products, including homemade jams, relishes, chutneys, wines and liquers. You can also pick your own strawberries when they are in season. 

Tocumwal

Tocumwal is a lovely little town on the banks of the Murray River, in New South Wales. It has a big cod, lovely cafes, heritage buildings and fascinating museums.

We stayed at the Tocumwal Town Beach campground. This is a great camping spot on the Murray River, 800 metres from Tocumwal.

There are 65 unpowered camping sites available, and you just choose a vacant spot when you arrive. Not all of the sites have riverfrontage.

The riverfront sites have access to town water and a sullage point, and there are rustic toilets, cold showers, rubbish bins and a dump point available.

It is $7.50 per adult per night, and children are free. You can book and pay online or put your money in an envelope in the slot at the amenities building.

In Tocumwal, we wandered around town, which has lovely historic building facades and saw the Big Murray Cod, a big fish sculpture that was built in 1967 to celebrate the town’s connection to the river and its fishing heritage.

We visited the Tocumwal Aviation Museum, where we learnt that in 1942, one of the largest RAAF bases in the Southern Hemisphere was built at Tocumwal.  This huge wartime aerodrome played a key role in training and operations during World War II.

The Museum is located on the outskirts of town and is open daily from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

We wandered through the exhibition gallery that has a chronological history of aviation at Tocumwal.

Then we explored the display hangar that contains a selection of historic and vintage aircraft that have relevance to Tocumwal’s aviation past or present.

Then we drove from Tocumwal to Numurkah via Strathmerton, a total distance of approximately 45 kilometres. At Strathmerton, we stopped to explore Cactus Country.

Cactus Country

Cactus Country is Australia’s largest cactus garden, and they are open Wednesday to Sunday from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

The gardens cover 12 acres and feature thousands of cacti and succulents from places like Mexico, the Sahara, Patagonia, and South Africa.

There are eight different colour-coded trails to wander around and admire the cactus, and lots of fun photo opportunities. There is also an on-site cafe and gift shop.

Numurkah

Numurkah is a small country town on Broken Creek. It has lovely parks and gardens, heritage buildings, and great cafes.

In Numurkah, we stayed at the Numurkah Community Lions Park. This is a lovely free camp on the banks of Broken Creek. You need to be fully self-contained to stay here, and there are toilets, rubbish bins and water available.

In Numurkah, we wandered around town admiring the heritage buildings and enjoyed a lovely morning tea while admiring the colourful street art.

We left Numurkah and drove approximately 150 kilometres to Echuca.

Echuca

Echuca is a lovely historic town on the banks of the Murray River, in Victoria. It is located 216 kilometres from Melbourne and has heritage paddlesteamer cruises, fascinating history, and a lovely, relaxed atmosphere.

In Echuca, we stayed at the NRMA Echuca Holiday Park. This lovely caravan park is near the Murray River and a short walk into town.

The NRMA Echuca Holiday Park has reasonably sized powered and unpowered sites, nice new amenities, a camp kitchen and a recreation room. It also has a heated swimming pool, BBQ’s and a fun splash park.

While we were in Echuca, we went on a 1-hour Paddlesteamer Cruise on the PS Pevensey. Paddlesteamer cruises are available several times a day, every day.

We explored the Port of Echuca, saw the horse-drawn carriage rides and tasted some wine at St Anne’s Winery.

We drove out to The Great Aussie Beer Shed, which is approximately 3 kilometres from Echuca and is open Saturday and Sunday, Public and School Holidays from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm.

This fascinating, jam-packed museum opened in 2003 and has an impressive collection of more than 20,000 beer cans from around the world. It also features a huge selection of beer-related memorabilia and historic Australiana memorabilia.

For more information and things to do in Echuca, Victoria ~ Click Here.