The entire 164km trail is walkable again for the first time since the 2024–25 season.
The Grampians Peaks Trail has fully reopened to hikers, marking the most significant milestone yet in the recovery of Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park following the devastating 2024–25 bushfire season.
Five hike-in campgrounds – Barri Yalug, Duwul, Durd Durd, Yarram and Wannon – reopened this month, joining the previously restored Bugiga campground to complete the Grampians Peaks Trail (GPT)’s full 164-kilometre route from Mount Zero (Mura Mura) in the north to Dunkeld in the south. It’s the first time the entire trail has been accessible since the fires swept through more than 135,000 hectares of the national park.
The full trail takes 13 days to complete. (Credit: Tourism Australia/Visit Victoria)
Most of the trail had reopened by July last year, but the remoteness and scale of damage to the central and southern sections meant overnight hiking remained off-limits while extensive repair works were underway. In total, six hike-in campgrounds were damaged, and large sections of track required rebuilding.
Recovery efforts have been supported by $36 million in funding from the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments.
Large sections of track required rebuilding. (Credit: Tourism Australia/Visit Victoria)
Around 100 stone steps were installed to manage steeper gradients. (Credit: Tourism Australia/Visit Victoria)
Parks Victoria recovery project officer, Kyle Hewitt, described arriving at a trail that had effectively vanished. “The post-fire inspections of the track quickly identified large sections which no longer had the cut-vegetation corridors which once guided people on their journey – it was like the track had disappeared," he said.
Works included stabilising and redefining approximately 20 kilometres of track, and around 100 stone steps were also installed to manage steeper gradients in what Hewitt describes as a now “fragile environment."
Mt Sturgeon (Wurgarri) is the final mountain of the journey. (Credit: Parks Victoria)
Of the affected campgrounds that reopened, Barri Yalug and Duwul sustained the most damage, though Hewitt noted that none were completely destroyed. Works included new timber tent pads, replacement water tanks and tank-landings, new windows at the Yarram shelter, and repairs to solar power systems. The remoteness of some sites required two helicopter sling-load operations to transport materials in and remove debris, while the Yarram shelter’s window height demanded professionally erected scaffolding reaching seven metres.
Nature, too, has been doing its own repairs. “There are lots of epicormic shoots coming back, and some of the ground cover has returned," Hewitt said – though shade remains scarce in the hardest-hit areas around Barri Yalug and Duwul.
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Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
Switch the hustle and bustle for a weekend of birdsong and greenery on the border.
Straddling the Murray River where New South Wales meets Victoria, Albury Wodonga is just hours by car or train (or even a quick flight) from many major cities, but it feels a million miles away from the everyday.
Here, you’ll find a blend of relaxed country lifestyle and modern city amenities, where a booming culinary scene and vibrant arts offerings meet a rich Indigenous history and stunning natural vistas. Spend time amongst river red gums, wildlife-filled wetlands and winding waterways.
Ready to roll on the river? Here’s where to begin.
1. Birdwatch in Wonga Wetlands
Walk along Wonga Wetlands, looking for local birdlife. (Credit: Destination NSW)
It might be close to Albury’s CBD, but Wonga Wetlands feels a watery world away. This former grazing land has been restored to 80 hectares of lagoons, billabongs and river red gums, and you can now wander three kilometres of walking trails as you spot cormorants, spoonbills, egrets and sacred kingfishers. More than 170 bird species call the wetlands home, thanks to the Murray’s cycle of flooding and drying, so pack a picnic, settle in at a bird hide, and pull out those binoculars.
2. Explore the Murray River
Take a picnic to enjoy in Noreuil Park. (Credit: Destination NSW)
The Murray River runs between Albury and Wodonga, where locals swap desks and deadlines for shaded riverbanks. Less than a kilometre from Albury’s CBD sits Noreuil Park, the city’s favourite stretch of riverfront. Cool off on the famous loop float, hire a kayak, launch a stand-up paddleboard or cast a line.
Afterwards, chuck a rug on the lawn under a plane tree, fire up one of the free barbecues and watch the water as you munch on some Murray cod.
3. Take a sculpture walk
See the art along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk.
Albury Wodonga’s three sculpture trails showcase the Murray through First Nations tales on foot or by bike. Along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk, 15 contemporary Aboriginal artworks celebrate kinship and Country. The Crossing Place Trail passes the Wodonga Scar Tree, where local Indigenous people once harvested bark to craft canoes, and the Gateway Island trail tells you how the Murray sustained First Nations people for millennia.
4. Get moving on local tracks and trails
Take your bike to Hunchback Mountain Bike Park.
More than 100 kilometres of trails cross Albury Wodonga’s hills, reserves and riverbanks. Mountain bikers can tackle the championship-calibre descents of Nail Can Hill, weaving through eucalyptus forest where the rare crimson spider orchid blooms, or hone their skills at Hunchback Mountain Bike Park‘s 29 graded trails.
Keen to explore on foot? Huon Hill makes the sore legs worth it, with lookouts across Lake Hume and the Kiewa Valley, while McFarlanes Hill meanders through stringybark woodland and rocky outcrops.
For a slower pace, the 44-kilometre High Country Rail Trail hugs the shores of Lake Hume, crossing the red-pillared Sandy Creek Bridge before rolling into Tallangatta.
5. Check into restorative stays
Check into one of Albury Wodonga’s over 60 accommodation options. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Some moments call for a boutique hotel. Others call for backing the caravan up beside the lake. Whether you’ve spent the day splashing in the Murray, furiously clocking kilometres on the bike trails or entertaining kids in playgrounds at the water’s edge, there’s somewhere to lay your head.
From motels shaded by river red gums to lakeside holiday parks and boutique hotels, Albury Wodonga’s 60-plus accommodation options mean you’re never far from a morning walk along the Murray or dinner on Dean Street. But be warned: book ahead. You might not be the only one craving a weekend by the Murray, especially in the school holidays.
6. Enjoy delicious dining options
Enjoy incredible meals in Albury Wodonga.
Every paddle, bushwalk and bike trail deserves a proper meal afterwards. Once you’ve swapped out your damp swimmers or your dusty trainers and start to sniff out a feed, you’ll quickly discover you’re surrounded by one of Australia’s richest agricultural regions.
Unsurprisingly, Albury Wodonga’s dining scene is all about that Riverina produce. We’re talking Murray cod (of course) but also premium local beef from the valleys, olive oil from nearby groves, cool-climate wines and European-style cheeses.
The restaurants, wine bars and breweries around Dean Street and Junction Square are all within easy reach, serving everything from modern Australian and Mediterranean to Thai, Vietnamese, Italian and classic wood-fired steakhouse fare. Looking for a riverside brunch? A comforting bowl of dumplings on a winter evening? Or up the ante with the vibrant flavours of Europe? Whatever the craving, there’s a table waiting.
7. Get out on Lake Hume
Be sure to stay for a Lake Hume sunset.
When you’re ready to dial up the solitude, trade the river for a veritable inland sea: Lake Hume. Just 15 minutes from Albury and Wodonga, it’s one of Australia’s largest water storage reservoirs. In other words, there’s plenty of space to swim, paddle and stake out a patch of shoreline all to yourself.
Take the long way through Riverina farmland, stopping at the dam wall to appreciate just how enormous Lake Hume is. Cast a line for Murray cod, rainbow trout, golden perch or redfin and unpack a bag of bakery treats beneath the trees before launching a kayak into the vastness.
Afterwards, stop by the Bonegilla Migrant Experience, where the remaining accommodation blocks tell the stories of more than 320,000 post-war migrants who passed through between 1947 and 1971. Give yourself time to walk through the preserved camp, stopping to digest the photographs, personal stories and artworks that reveal what it meant for residents to begin a new life at the edge of the world.
Even if you’re exhausted, stay until twilight. The sunset is about to put on a hell of a leaving show for you.
