Located in the northeast of Victoria, Wodonga is one of a pair of cities on the Murray River. It faces its sibling Albury on the New South Wales side. Near Wodonga, you can visit the largest military museum in the country. Here, you can learn how the bases for modern Australia were placed at the site of the former Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre. Around 1 in 20 Australians are dropped from immigrants who passed through this centre in the aftermath of the Second World War. There is also fabulous scenery all around Wodonga. You can find it along the Murray River, at the Lake Hume reservoir and in the peaks of the Alpine Region. Below are the 10 things to do in Wodonga, Australia in 2021 with your loved ones!

High street in Wodonga — **Credits – Wikimedia**

10 things to do in Wodonga

Listing down the top 10 things to do in Wodonga –

High Country Rail Trail
The Army Museum Bandiana
Huon Hill Parklands
Lake Hume
Bonegilla Migrant Experience
Butter Factory Theatre
Belvoir Park
Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk
Murray River Canoeing
Wonga Wetlands

Also read: These top 7 attractions in Port Douglas will make you visit this town repeatedly!

1. High Country Rail Trail

High Country Rail Trail tops the list of 10 things to do in Wodonga. Between Wodonga and Tallangatta, there is a multiuse path carrying you through an awesome variety of nature. The route is on the direction of the old Cudgewa railway line, linking Wodonga with Cudgewa. Now you can hike or cycle as it bends around the south shore of Lake Hume. Furthermore, the route will take you along the Murray River floodplain, through the red gum woodland by the Kiewa River. Maybe, the most remarkable stretch is on the 600-metre bridge that crosses the Sandy Creek inlet.

2. The Army Museum Bandiana

The largest and widest-ranging military museum in the country is located in Wodonga. Located at the Gaza Ridge Barracks, it has grown many times in size since it opened in 1972. The collections are brought from numerous Australian Army units and chart every conflict. There are more than 150 vehicles to look into, among them tanks, cars, motorbikes, APCs, Land Rovers and half-tracks. You can also browse artillery, uniforms, machine guns, heavy equipment, poignant artefacts retrieved from battlefields and many more. History lovers need to include this in their itinerary of 10 things to do in Wodonga without fail.

3. Huon Hill Parklands

Directly east of Wodonga is the grassy top of Huon Hill, which climbs to 263 metres over the Kiewa and Murray Rivers. You can visit this place for breathtaking panoramas. On a clear shiny day, you can see as far as the 2,000-metre Mount Bogong. Bring a camera as the views can be captured from spectacular lookouts. There is also plenty of facilities to keep you on the hill for longer. You can also walk trails up to three kilometres long, as well as take advantage of picnic shelters.

Also read: Top-Rated Hikes in Australia – Scale the best of the hiking regions

4. Lake Hume

In the 20th century’s interwar period, the Murray River was taken a short way upriver from Albury-Wodonga, giving rise to the sweeping Lake Hume. The Hume Dam was a massive project, at 52 metres in height and with a length of 1.6 kilometres. You can walk along the head, for sparkling views of the reservoir against the outline of the Alpine Region’s summits. Furthermore, you can see people flocking to the lush shores of Lake Hume to camp, swim, go waterskiing or boating. The fishing is fabulous too if you have a Victoria state fishing licence. You can find Murray cod, perch, rainbow trout, carp, brown trout and redfin here.

5. Bonegilla Migrant Experience

On the shore of Lake Hume is the site of the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre. This was set up on to take in and train new arrivals to Australia during the post-war immigration boom. In fact, it is thought that one in 20 Australians have links to the centre. This makes the museum attraction on the site all the more moving. You will get an understanding of the hopes and dreams of the country’s post-war immigrants and the foundations of 21st-century Australia as a multicultural society.

6. Butter Factory Theatre

On the Wodonga bank of the Murray River, you will come to a theatre housed in a transformed dairy building dating back to 1928. This was transformed into a serious theatre venue in 1997. This place holds as the main stage for the Hothouse Theatre Company, which puts on a season of fresh, independently-produced plays each year. The theatre occupies 162, while there is a studio for smaller performances, workshops and classes.

7. Belvoir Park

This park is a few steps from the heart of Wodonga featuring mature trees and a sizeable lake ringed with a multiuse path. You could while away one of those timeless summer days with a picnic, barbecue or baking your own pizza. Belvoir Park also wins a lot of appreciation for its labyrinthine children’s playground, which comes with climbing nets, slides, a climbing wall, liberty swing and raised platforms and decks. This is also a park for dog-enthusiasts, with biodegradable waste bags provided for free at the entrance, and two agility runs donated by Mars Petcare.

8. Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk

The Wagirra Trail runs along the north bank of the Murray River between the South Albury Trail and the Wonga Wetlands in the west. This is a beautiful way to get out in the open air without walking too far from Wodonga or Albury. Two metres wide and paved, the trail winds through bushland and landscaped parkland. But things get especially delightful from Kremur Street on the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk. For five kilometres the route is enhanced with pieces by local Aboriginal artists, explained by interpretive boards. It also details the local indigenous history and the importance of the Murray River in Aboriginal culture.

Also read: 10 things to do in Albury, Australia in 2024 with your loved ones!

9. Murray River Canoeing

The Murray River flows by at a sluggish pace, which makes it a safe, not to mention relaxing, option for a day out in Wodonga and Albury. There are two companies based on the opposite bank at Noreuil Park which offers a variety of kayaks and canoes for hire, with equipment, maps and pick-up and drop-off included in the price. These are Murray River Canoe Hire and Canoe the Murray River, both accommodating anything from 90-minute excursions to multiday experiences. If you have your own means of transport, you could also pick up a kayak or canoe here and take it to Lake Hume for a few hours with your loved ones. Are you an adventure seeker? Do not forget to visit this place.

Also read: Outdoor Adventures in Australia – Top 10 Outdoor Adventures in Australia

10. Wonga Wetlands

Not far up the Murray River on the Albury side, there is an area of lagoons and billabongs taking over what used to be feeding land. You can get there in approximately 15 minutes from the centre of Wodonga, to walk the trails and see what you can spot from the six bird hides. The Wiradjuri campsite opens a window on domestic life and culture down the centuries, while the wetlands’ visitor centre is in an old house dating back to the 1890s. The best time to visit is probably winter, when the lagoons and billabongs are full and bustling with pelicans and swans. Also in spring, as the waters subside, wading birds come to peck at the muddy shorelines.

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