WANGARATTA - RUTHERGLEN
(via Black Swamp and Lake Moodemere)
(www.northeastvictoria.online)
TRAVELLING TIME: About ninety minutes (depending on your interests).
DISTANCE COVERED: About 50km (depending on your interests).
OVERVIEW MAPS: touring map of Victoria.
DETAILED MAPS: Rooftop Maps, Beechworth - Albury - Wangaratta Adventure Map.
SHOPS and SERVICES: Wangaratta has a full range of shops and services, including several fuel outlets; Rutherglen has a good range of shops and services, as well as several fuel outlets.
ACCOMMODATION: Wangaratta has a wide range of accommodation options, including a nice riverside caravan park. Rutherglen has a wide range of accommodation options, including motels, hotels, B&Bs and a caravan park.
WHEN TO GO: Anytime.
ROADWAY DETAILS: Bitumen all the way.
OTHER INFO: This nice adventure notionally starts in Wangaratta, and finishes at Rutherglen; however the route can be picked up at several places along the way to suit your other travels. There are a number of different routes that can be taken to get to Rutherglen from the Wangaratta area, this is not the most direct, but it is one of the more interesting.
Distances quoted may vary by several kilometres from one vehicle to another.
See the Wineries listing for more details of the Wineries mentioned here.
From Wangaratta, the enjoyment kicks off by taking a short stretch of the old Hume Highway (Parfitt Road) north out of Wangaratta, crossing the Ovens River, and Reedy Creek, before turning left onto the signposted Boorhaman Road (take care at the railway crossing).
Just after leaving the old Highway, the roadway leads through the Docker Plains Memorial Avenue of Honour; planted to salute the many young people of this area who fought in World War I.
Continuing down the roadway, the tower of Bontharambo Homestead is just visible to the left (for passengers only - keep looking left between the MacDonald and Plum Road intersections).
The Bontharambo Run was taken up by the Reverend Joseph Docker in 1838, with the Homestead having been built in 1843, followed by various out-buildings in the 1850s. The property is still owned by the Docker family, and is a heritage listed building.
The main building is in the Italianate style, with an impressive tower (that can just be made out amongst the ornamental gardens), and encompasses many aspects of regional Italian architecture.
Boorhaman Brewery
The roadway then leads into Boorhaman, and the award winning Buffalo Brewery and Hotel. The Brewery specialises in brewing beer, and is a well-known venue for beer-buffs; the food is also good, and the Hotel has a popular dining area. The Brewery is the oldest continuously operating in Victoria, having started up operations in Wangaratta in 1902.
When the original brewery (in Wangaratta) burnt down, the owners moved their operations to Melbourne, where they brewed the first batch of VB. A large replica of the original VB label is hanging in the main room of the Hotel. The Hotel also has connections to the Kelly Gang; both Ned Kelly and Steve Hart are supposed to have downed a few whilst leaning up against the bar.
Black Swamp
Swing right just beyond the Brewery, and the route passes through Black Swamp Nature Conservation Reserve, with its excellent wetland scenery and bird watching opportunities.
The Swamp is created where Diddah Diddah Creek and Daddah Daddah Creek meet, and forms a very scenic wetland, with lots of impressive timber, much of it adorned with birdlife.
The roadway is now known as the Boorhaman East Road, and soon passes by Renaissance Chocolates (on the right, five kilometres before meeting up with the Murray Valley Highway. This a great place to stock up on some home-made wickedness, and to enjoy morning coffee at their nice cafe.
Lake Moodemere
Turn right at the Highway (take care as this is the main arterial road for trucks in this part of Victoria) and the next landmark is Lake Moodemere (signposted to the left). This is part of an old course of the Murray River, and is an important wetland habitat for many species of birds, and depending on the time of year offers rewarding bird watching. There is a network of gravel based tracks in the area, and these can be used for some enjoyable leg-stretching (on foot, or on a mountain bike), with easy access to the Murray River.
If you have a reasonably keen sense of direction you can make your way from the Lake to Pfeiffer’s Winery, and Wahgunyah township on the gravel. However, if you are not related to a homing pigeon, then you can pick up a copy of the Cycle and Walking Trail Guide of the area from the Rutherglen or Corowa VIC; see below.
Lake Moodemere was also home to many of the area’s original inhabitants, including noted aboriginal artist Tommy McCrae (see the Wahgunyah description for more details on Tommy’s work).
Lake Moodemere Vineyards, which has an excellent position overlooking Lake Moodemere, can be found a short east of the Lake, with access being via McDonalds Road.
Continuing towards Rutherglen, it is a short run to an off-set cross-roads at Federation Way, with Bullers Winery being off to the right at this intersection. This is a fourth generation family winery, with a comprehensive range of red, white and fortified wines. Like many other wineries in this area, Bullers (and its restaurant) is open for tastings, and wine sales, most days of the year, and is a popular venue.
Rutherglen
Getting even closer to town, places of interest on the way into Rutherglen include,
Campbells Winery is off to the right, just to the west of Rutherglen, and Stanton and Killeen Winery is almost opposite Campbells, to the left.
On the western side of town, Chambers Winery is in Barkly Street, with the ruins of the Vidal Winery being a short distance to the east (also in Barkly Street).
Also on the western side of town, Calico Town (Wicked Virgin Olive Oil) is on Carlyle-Hopetoun Road and has a great position on a small hill, with great views over a wide area. As well as olive oil, the winery produces several wines, and serves coffee and cake from Thursday to Monday. Calico is also home to Rutherglen’s last remaining poppet head from the gold mining era (a poppet is the structure that houses the winch mechanism, and was positioned directly over the main shaft).
Grahams Lane (directly west of town) is home to the ruins of Netherby Cellars, established by John Graham in 1859.
Rutherglen Estates is in Drummond Street, and forms part of the Tuileres Complex.
As you enter Rutherglen, there is a memorial obelisk at the junction of the Murray Valley Highway and the Wahgunyah Road commemorating the discovery of gold in the area in 1860. From here the commercial centre of Rutherglen is only a short distance away.
The area now occupied by the historic township of Rutherglen was originally a part of the Wahgunyah Run, and quickly became established as a town following the discovery of gold in the area. Agriculture endured longer than gold however, and present day Rutherglen is renowned for its wineries; see the township description for more details.
Things to see and do whilst in Rutherglen are covered in the township description, and this is a great town to set up base camp.
THE RETURN JOURNEY
Heading back home from Rutherglen, there are several options to choose from;
RUTHERGLEN (includes Lake King and Wahgunyah Rail Trail)
Rutherglen Visitor Information Centre
Intro Screen on a fresh browser page
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