G’day and welcome to another Australian countryside instalment of Kaptain Kenny.
Albury Wodonga is made up of two inland towns separated by state borders. Albury is on the NSW side and Wodonga on the VIC side of Australia. I also have something to share…. back in the good old days of 1988, I was born in Albury! My family and I actually moved north to Queensland in search of sun when I was around two, so I wouldn’t exactly call Albury my home but I still returned this New Year’s Eve to check it out. On New Year’s Eve, we were right next to the Murray River and then we migrated inside for a fine dining experience at The River Deck Cafe.

Down by the shores of the Murray River, watching the sun set.

Albury itself is a cute little town, with many wide oak tree laden streets.
Albury and Wodonga actually line the shores of the Murray River, one of Australia’s famous rivers. The pictures I’d like to show you throughout this article reflect the scenery you’ll take in when you’re down by the river at sunset. I found it to be particularly beautiful.

My uncle’s ‘backyard’.

There’s something so peaceful about this spot.
“The Murray river is the epicentre of sporting and leisure activities in the Albury Wodonga region. Hire a houseboat for a few days and explore the nooks and crannies of Australia’s longest river. Throw a line overboard and try your luck catching a Murray Cod, which can grow to up to 1.8m in length and weigh a whopping 115kg. Kayaks and canoes are available to hire at different points along the river, and offer a unique way to explore the Murray and view the red earth cliffs that have been carved into the landscape by the flowing water.”
http://blog.choicehotels.com.au/what-to-do-in-albury-wodonga/

This picture reminds me that I’m in Australia.
Albury Wodonga is very conveniently located being a mere four hour drive from Melbourne and a six hour drive from Sydney. If you’re looking to do the drive from SYD–>MEL, you may want to consider a few country town stopovers.

Look at that remarkable afternoon light on the left and the right side of the photo!

Skipping rocks on the river.
While in town, don’t forget the city’s Botanic Gardens. They were so well tended! If the weather is warm, it’d be the perfect place for another picnic.
“Albury’s beautiful Botanic Gardens have been established for over 130 years and give residents and tourists alike the opportunity to see and admire the historical and horticultural significance of the gardens.”

Do you love the countryside as much as me?

This is a quintessential Australian photo.
Stay tuned for more updates and posts on our Australian countryside road trip. I’d highly recommend getting away from the usual Australian tourist sites and seeing more of the countryside. Additionally, I have to urge you…. when you’re doing a road trip in Australia, stay AWAY from the highways and motorways. The scenery will be bland, uninspiring and flat.

Afternoon sunlight on the Murray River.

Perfect evening light for portraits.

The smell of the countryside.
Sure, by driving on the busy highways you may save an hour or two here or there but ideally, you should take the back roads and the smaller main roads. Let your car drive through the rolling hills, around the bushy bends. Have your windows down and take in the smells of the Australian countryside. We did this for 2000 KM (21 hours in total) and I had the constant feeling that I was driving through an oil painting. We never had any traffic to drive behind. We had the roads to ourselves.

Reflection perfection.

B&W in the bush.

Great spot to bring some drinks and a picnic.
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A big old gum tree towers over the Murray River.
The River Deck Cafe:
On New Year’s Eve, we were right next to the Murray River and then we migrated inside for a fine dining experience at The River Deck Cafe. The service was brilliant and the food was very good quality but very expensive.
The meals were $35-$40 each and although very good quality, the portion sizes were pretty small! Luckily no one left hungry on NYE.

Pork Belly on NYE at The River Deck Cafe

Affogato desert on NYE.
5 Comments
fumblingthroughitaly
January 15, 2017 at 2:01 pmThe pictures of the sky at sunset are so dramatic and beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
kaptainkennytravel
January 16, 2017 at 12:04 amSo glad you liked the photos! I was surprised at how beautiful the place was 🙂 Last time I’d been there was nearly 15 years ago!
Paul Garde
January 29, 2017 at 7:28 amYou didn’t mention the superb local wine areas of Rutherglen & Beechworth. Am an Aussie & also love visiting this area. Yes the restaurants can be very overpriced.
kaptainkennytravel
February 2, 2017 at 2:20 pmSadly I didn’t make it over there …. ALTHOUGH my uncle was speaking very highly of it and said “next time!” 😀 Lovely part of Aus
kaptainkennytravel
February 2, 2017 at 3:24 pmForgot to ask, how did you come across my website? 🙂 Always curious to find that out!
Phoebe