Destinations: A diverse day trip out of Barham with stops at the River Country towns of Caldwell, Womboota and Perricoota before a late-afternoon arrival at Echuca Moama.
Suggested time: 8 hours
Distance: 110km
Driving time: 90 mins
Start your day of grazing and the good life with a lovely bit of community history. The Border Flywheeler’s Club collects and restores old farming equipment, including tractors, machinery and engines, as well as vintage kitchen, laundry and hospital equipment. Morning tea is available.
Jump in the car and visit a few of the local producers. Just a minute or two separates Bundarra Berkshires (free-range pork, small goods and charcuterie), Red Gum Grove (olives, garlic and salts) and Barham Vines (specialising in rich red wines). Suddenly, you’re all set for a day of discovery.
Head out of Barham for 30 mins through the town of Caldwell to Restdown Wines, a unique organic winery that also features a beef farm and wetlands area, complete with walking trails featuring Indigenous heritage sites. Tastings (with nibbles) and tours of the wetlands are available for a small fee.
Yes, mead! It’s not just for knights and monks – this ancient honey wine is given the full artisanal treatment at the Old School Winery and Meadery, situated in the heart of the historic village of Womboota. You can also sample and purchase wines, which are also produced using traditional processes dating back 800 years. Handcrafted stoneware pottery is created on site and is available for purchase. If you’re looking for a medieval mead beaker, your search is finally over!
Journey south then east on Perricoota Road towards Echuca Moama. In just 20 mins you can turn off to the right at the Five Mile picnic area, near the boat ramp on the Murray River. Break open some of the supplies you’ve picked up along with way (go easy on the mead!) and enjoy an impromptu afternoon picnic by the river.
If you’ve got bikes, go for a ride at the nearby Five Mile mountain bike trail in the Murray Valley Regional Park. There are 7km of purpose-built trails suitable for all skill levels.
You’re only six or seven minutes from Moama, but – if you’re not all wined out – it’s worth a small diversion for tastings at St Anne’s Vineyard (look for signs on the left) and Morrison’s Winery (on the right) as you near Moama. Fans of the best of British (think pork pies, streaky bacon, black pudding, pork sausages and even haggis) must stop at Pacdon Park; a roadside factory shop for their locally farmed produce.
And finally you’re in the twin towns.
Take a short drive down through Old Moama, on Chanter Street, to see the Old Telegraph Station building and historic Captains Cottage. Both are open to the public on the second Sunday of every month, but even if they’re closed, it’s an interesting place to explore. Old Moama was the site of Maiden’s Punt, a service that carried people and goods across the Murray. Near here, Maiden’s Junction Inn was the busiest stock market in Australia in the middle of the 19th century.
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to dinner options in Echuca Moama, with pubs and clubs serving hearty meals every night of the week. Many venues also feature live music.
If you’re planning to set off from Echuca, our River Forest Trail up to Mathoura and Picnic point is a great way to start exploring more of River Country. And if you followed this trail in reverse and have arrived in Barham Koondrook, try our Murray Meander Trail, following the mighty river up to Swan Hill.
