Holiday houses in Wagga Wagga

Sitting midway between Sydney and Melbourne in southern New South Wales, Wagga Wagga is Australia’s largest inland city. The undulating Murrumbidgee River frames the city’s northern edge, and Lake Albert sits to the south, where locals launch their boats for lazy afternoons on the water.

The rolling farmland surrounding Wagga Wagga is brimming with a bounty of produce and flora, from olive groves and strawberry patches to blooming lavender and iris farms; you can sample the goods for yourself at Markets by the Lake against the scenic backdrop of Lake Albert. With around half of the state’s vineyards, the wider Riverina region is famed for its shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, which are paired with innovative dishes at a wealth of local cellar doors.

In town, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery houses pieces by local artists and the National Art Glass Collection, while six laneway murals adorn Cadell Place. One of the last working Railway Roundhouses in the Southern Hemisphere draws visitors to the Roundhouse Railway Museum in Junee, around half an hour’s drive away.

Pet-friendly accommodations in Wagga Wagga are popular in the spring, when dog walks are accompanied by carpets of wildflowers in Livingstone National Park, a 40-minute drive away. At this time of year, visitors head to the open-air children’s festival in September and October’s cycling and craft beer festival. Hot, dry summers draw people to the river for swimming and boating, and the trees all over town turn crimson and amber during the autumn. Winter can bring foggy conditions. In March, the city comes alive with a colourful street parade down Baylis Street as part of Wagga Mardi Gras. A comedy festival takes over in June, and, later the same month, Lost Lanes centres on Cadell Place to showcase local art, eats, and beats.

Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens

Minutes from the main drag of Fitzmaurice Street, this tranquil green space boasts more than 20 acres, including a traditional Chinese pavilion and the Shakespearean Garden, which is home to plant species from the famous playwright’s work. The Native Floral Section highlights local plant varieties, while the Willans Hill Miniature Railway runs along three routes on the first and third Sunday of the month.

Lockhart Sculpture and Heritage Trail

A 45-minute drive west of town, the town of Lockhart’s streets are dotted with award-winning sculptures made with repurposed farm materials, from rusted metal to cogs and bolts. The cluster of pieces where Green Street meets Urana Street includes kangaroo silhouettes and an intricate horse adorned with patches of weathered copper.

Galore Hill Scenic Reserve

Located just off the main highway, Galore Hill Scenic Reserve covers more than 500 hectares and is packed with over 850 varieties of native flora and fauna, from flowering eucalyptus to echidnas and brown treecreepers. There are also a host of bushwalking tracks, the lookout tower provides breathtaking 360-degree views across the plains, and barbecue areas sit beneath the treetops for a well-earned rest in peaceful surroundings.