Inspired by a love of epic outdoor landscapes and adrenaline pumping action, Zac teamed up with Luke (@Albertos.Travels) and took the roads less travelled through The Murray. With five days to see as much as they could, the pair began the road trip in Holbrook and weaved through the region following the flow of the river itself until reaching their end point at Ulupna Island.
A misty and moody morning gloomed over Woomargama where Luke and I awoke. We packed up the van and drove to The Ten Mile Café in Holbrook where we had the most delicious breakfast.
Right before this trip, Luke finished university for the semester! We were both super stoked, so we ventured back into the Woomargama National Park where we took photos of Alberto driving along the rolling hills, similar to Kangaroo Island.
We drove through so much open land, rolling hills and diverse landscapes until we arrived at Flyfaire Wines. As soon as Luke and I walked through the doors we were welcomed by the beautiful owners Julianne and Leslie who made us feel like family. They showed us the history of the vineyard whilst providing us with a tasting experience that we will remember forever!
As the sun edged closer and closer to the horizon, we took Alberto along the side of the Murray River through all the farmlands and the canopies that rest above the road. We even got to cross the Murray River on the Wymah Ferry! What an experience!
We finished the day dining in at La Maison and I have to tell you that everything on the menu is so delicious!
Waking up on Lake Hume to Luke making banana pancakes was such a delight to the morning! After we had finished we drove into Albury to do some sight-seeing and cycling around the city!
Cycling around the city and along Lake Hume is a must if you’re in the area! We didn’t plan for a long ride but with a 20kg camera bag on your back and 30km of riding later, I think we did an 'oops!' We road along the High Country Rail Trial all the way down to Sandy Creek Bridge and gosh it was worth it!
By the time we got back, both Luke and I were shattered so we decided to catch sunset and embrace the last bit of warmth the sun had to give! We headed to our accommodation at the Astor to rest, recover and recharge our camera batteries (plus our actual batteries) for tomorrow!
Luke and I are avid sunrise seekers and today was no different! We drove up to Huon Hill Lookout whilst the low cloud covered Albury Wodonga and the Murray River area! We were stunned by how beautiful the landscapes and the snow-capped mountains peaking through behind the clouds were. The photos that we got here were out of this world! Almost like Alberto was floating on the clouds!
Speaking of floating on clouds, both of us were floating on cloud9 after having breakfast at The Bean Station Café! Such delicious food, and of course we had the big breakfast so we could fuel ourselves for the next stacked day of adventure!
The Murray Art Museum Albury was the first of our stops for the day where we were amazed at the beautiful and diverse artworks! We walked around the Albury Botanical Gardens and decided to head to our campsite near Corowa early.
However, along the way Luke spotted the road into All Saints Estate canopied by large Autumn leaves, which we both knew we had to drive Alberto through! It was such as magical moment to share and we got some amazing shots as well!
We pulled up at our campsite soaking up the last bit of light and we are so lucky we did! The views along the Murray River at our campsite were spectacular! We set up the fire to keep warm whilst eating a delicious home-cooked dinner made by Luke himself.
Early morning fog set upon our campsite at the crack of dawn, so we rolled off the sheets, got the camera out and captured Alberto parked up along the Murray River. Once we had our banana pancakes and packed Alberto, it was time to hit the road!
We ventured to a few vineyards along the way and made our way to The Big Wine Bottle in Rutherglen which we got some magical shots of Luke and Alberto parked up in front of the mammoth bottle! But the highlight of our day was easily Corowa Distilling Co.
Luke and I were super excited to be heading to the distillery, but we had no idea what was in store for us! We parked Alberto under the iconic sign and we were in awe of the magnitude of it. We were welcomed by Dean and Lauren who showed us around the distillery, discovering the inner workings from the bottom to the top. Luke and I were lucky enough to get told the $1 history of the distillery, whilst partaking in a whisky tasting and wow were we blown away!
We spent all day at the distillery because it was truly spectacular!
Luke and I awoke early to a cloudy morning where we thought the sunrise would 'pop'! We waited and waited and thought it was unlikely. However, to our surprise the whole sky went 'bang' with a partial gap in the clouds!
We quickly got the cameras out and captured the beautiful moment that only lasted two minutes!
Starting the day strong with an amazing sunrise and a delicious breakfast, we drove to Zanker’s Farm where Luke and I were welcomed with a full experience of the farmstay! Thousands of chickens, cows and pigs roamed the open fields, reminding me of home in Bellingen.
We arrived at Cactus Country, not expecting anything. But, what we were given was such a magical experience! Luke and I danced around the cactuses capturing photos and videos of us in total awe of the place. Unfortunately, Luke got tagged twice, one in the foot and one in his jacket, but we were still so happy to be there! Luckily, John, the owner, gave us 4 prickly pear Cactus Country ciders for the road and gosh are they delicious!
After all of that excitement, Luke and I drove to our accommodation, The Paddock at Ulupna, where kangaroos and koalas surrounded our cabins. To end the night and end our amazing trip we laid rest our devices, had another Alberto dinner and cheers’ed to an amazing adventure along The Murray.
Make @ZacFreuden's road trip your own with this itinerary or follow his socials for more adventures.
