This amazing National Park, on the Victorian side of the Murray River between Cobram Barooga and Echuca Moama, is an area of wetlands and River Red Gum forests. Home to hundreds of native animal species, it also hosts ancient Aboriginal cultural heritage sites.
Barmah National Park is jointly managed by Parks Victoria and Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation (YYNAC). For the Yorta Yorta people, physical health of Country is directly connected to physical, emotional and spiritual health. The forest, river, plants and animals are all part of Country and the cultural identity of the traditional owners.
From Melbourne, Barmah National Park is a straight line due north: take the Hume and the Goulburn Valley Highways through Murchison and Tatura towards the town of Barmah. It’s also an easy drive west from Cobram and less than an hour south of Deniliquin.
Enter the National Park from Moira Lakes Road, just north of Barmah (collect last-minute supplies on the way through).
Roads in the park are usually accessible to 2WD vehicles and caravans, but things can get sticky after rain, especially in winter and spring, so check conditions before you visit.
There are a series of walks close by the Indigenous education-focused Dharnya Centre, not far from the entrance to the park on Sandridge Track. The walks are flat and easy, but bring drinking water. Walks include:
Several tour operators conduct tours in the park, including bird watching, bushwalking, kayaking, boat tours, four-wheel driving and more. A tour on the Kingfisher is a great way to see the area from the river, and experience the famed ‘Barmah Choke’ – the narrowest section of the epic Murray River.
There are plenty of places to camp in the national park, with campgrounds and riverside camping being popular with fans of nature, bushwalking, birdwatching and fishing.
Not far from the entrance is the Barmah Lakes Day Visitor Area and Campground, a spacious area that also serves as a departure point for many of the organised tours of the region.
Another quiet and lovely spot, deeper in the park, is the Thistle Bend Camping Area. It’s a smaller campground with limited sites and is based on a first-in first-served basis (no bookings). Park tracks provide access to 112 kilometres of river frontage, so there’s no shortage of riverbank spots to pitch a tent.
Hit refresh and take a day trip to Barmah National Park - the world’s largest river red gum forest and an adventurer’s paradise. The drive will take you 30 minutes from Echuca Moama, one hour from Tocumwal, or just under an hour from Cobram and Deniliquin.
Be sure to check the Parks Victoria website for the latest information before visiting this National Park.