Barmah State Forest
Tourism Victoria

Highlights

Echuca

The historic port of Echuca, with its impressive red-gum wharf, recalls the late 19th century, when the Murray carried wool and other goods from farms and stations. A number of beautifully restored paddlesteamers are moored here, including some offering cruises up the river.

Cobram

This lovely fruit-growing town is surrounded by peach, nectarine, pear and orange orchards. It also offers access to a number of wide, sandy beaches on the Murray, perfect for swimming, fishing, picnicking and watersports. Camping facilities are available, and across the river in New South Wales is the renowned 36-hole Cobram Barooga golf course.

Barmah State Park and State Forest

These neighbouring areas form the state’s biggest river red gum forest. This is a popular area for bushwalking, canoeing and camping. Walking trails take in various Aboriginal sites, and the Dharnya Centre interprets the culture of the local Yorta Yorta people.

Tahbilk winery

Tahbilk was established in 1860 on the sandy loam of the Goulburn River south of Nagambie. One
of Australia’s most beautiful wine properties, it has a National Trust–classified cellar, which – along with other buildings – is a timepiece of the early Australian wine industry. Tahbilk wines have won over 1000 awards.

Seymour’s Royal Hotel

Dating from 1848, this classic old pub on Emily Street in Seymour is a great spot to stop for a beer and counter meal. If the hotel looks at all vaguely familiar, it’s because you might have seen it before in the famous, haunting painting The Cricketers (1948), by one of Australia’s most notable artists, Russell Drysdale.

Focus On: Food and wine

Irrigation has transformed the once-dusty Goulburn Valley into the fruit bowl of Victoria. Orchards, market gardens and farms supply the canneries in Shepparton, which are among the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The valley is dotted with outlets for venison, poultry, smoked trout, berries, organic vegetables, honey, jams, preserves, fruit juices, mustards, pickles, vinegar and liquored truffles. The region’s nine wineries make reliable reds and distinctive whites. Near Nagambie, Mitchelton Wines is known for shiraz and rieslings grown on sandy, riverine soils. At nearby Avenel, Plunkett Fowles Wines makes long-finishing chardonnay from grapes grown high in the Strathbogie Ranges.