On the spectacular Murray River are nestled the twin cities of Albury and Wodonga. The beautiful city of Albury is located on the north side of New South Wales, while Wodonga is located on the south bank, in the state of Victoria. Albury is a major regional city of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway, between Melbourne (310 km/193 miles), Canberra (367 km/228 miles), and Sydney (552 km/343 miles).
There are a number of options for travelling to Albury and Wodonga, allowing you to choose your own path to this wonderful location on the Murray River. Qantas, Virgin Australia and Regional Express offer flights from most major cities in Australia to Albury Airport. Once you’ve landed, Albury city centre is only ten minutes from the airport and easily accessible by local public transport.
Today, Albury is a growing, vibrant and tranquil destination where locals and visitors can find time to stop, relax, unwind and explore. With the beautiful Murray River right next to the city, Albury offers parklands, walking trails, golf courses and cultural events. Everything is here and easily accessible. If you’re thinking of a relaxing outdoor holiday with your children, the city of Albury is the perfect family holiday destination with plenty of kid-friendly things to do.
1. A super children's playground at Noreuil Park
You’ll find places for swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, bike riding and just relaxing on the riverbank at Noreuil Park. It’s the perfect place to unwind for picnic lunches and dinners as the sun sets over the water. It has lots of amenities, a super playground for young children to run and let off steam, and for adults to stroll in a very relaxing atmosphere.
The highlight for the children is the play area and equipment at Oddies Creek Park, which is part of the complex, which is just amazing. There are places to swing, slide, hide, play percussion and generally let imagination go wild. This is one of the region’s favourite places to enjoy some quality time with family and friends, in the fresh air. With mature shade trees, picnic tables, and large expanses of grass there is plenty of space for everyone. Or, you can stop by at the newly rebuilt River Deck Café that serves delicious coffee.
When the sun starts to heat up in mid-afternoon, take a dip at the Albury Swim Centre and enjoy the gigantic water slide to cool down. For those more adventurous, you can hire a canoe or take your bicycle and just ride around the park.
River Deck Cafe
Address: 48 Noreuil Parade, South Albury NSW 2640, Australia
Price: From 14 AUD (10.70 USD)
Opening Hours: 8am - 4pm. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Access: River Deck Cafe is located inside the Noreuil Park
Contact: +61 2 6023 5980
Website: River Deck Cafe
2. Discover the special garden at Albury Botanic Gardens
Nestled in the heart of the city, Albury Botanic Gardens features over 1,000 native and exotic plant species. Hidden within the shade and beauty of the Albury Botanic Gardens, the Children’s Garden is a special garden, purpose built just for children. This is a place where children can enjoy learning about the environment in a safe, creative and fun way, stimulating their imagination and providing a sense of wonder.
Take the kids to meet life-sized dinosaurs with interactive speaking tubes, living cubbies, a fairy temple, a wetland and a troll cave to discover! The gardens offer a place to relax, enjoy a picnic, go for a casual stroll or simply the prefect location to sit and appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. There are other trails to explore and a wonderful array of items for children to discover.
Children's Garden - Albury Botanic Garden
Address: Smollett Street and Wodonga Place, Albury NSW 2640, Australia
Opening Hours: 8.30am - 6pm. Closed on Wednesday.
Access: Albury Botanic Garden is located within 1km from Albury
Contact: +61 2 6043 5699
Website: Children’s Garden at Albury
3. Picnic day at Mungabareena Reserve
Mungabareena Reserve is a popular swimming and picnic area just off Mungabareena Road. Largely located within the floodplain of the Murray River, it includes a number of wetlands, billabongs and small lagoons. A number of trails allow visitors to explore the significant array of flora and fauna. The reserve offers river edge access, picnic facilities, public toilets, a boat ramp and a fish cleaning station.
Mungabareena Reserve is an important cultural reserve that has significance to many Aboriginal clans in this region. It is home to an old Aboriginal tradition of the meeting of the seven Koori tribes of the district to discuss in a peaceful manner issues related to trade and to celebrate marriages. The tribes would then travel up the Kiewa Valley to the alpine areas to feast on the nutritious Bogong Moth for the summer months. The annual Mungabareena Ngan-Girra Festival, or gathering at Mungabareena, celebrates and commemorates this wonderful tradition, each November.
The Waterworks area is further along from Mungabareena, and is also a popular spot for recreation on the Murray at Albury. There are many other recreational areas along the banks of the Murray.
The best idea is to find your own pristine river beach to enjoy. You might encounter wildlife that takes life from this water resource, such as a platypus scrabbling for food in the shallows near the river bank. You can watch as wood ducks wade through the water or see a rainbow bee-eater perform aerial feats in the hunt for its insect dinner.
Throw down your blanket, and enjoy a relaxing picnic while swimming, canoeing, or fishing at Mungabareeena Reserve.
Mungabareena Reserve
Address: Mungabareena Rd, East Albury NSW 2640, Australia
Contact: +61 2 6023 8111
Website: Mungabareena Reserve
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4. Explore Lake Hume and the spectacular Hume Dam
Lake Hume is a special place for when locals want to get out of town. Only a 15-minute drive from the town centre, Lake Hume is perfect for boating, yachting, fishing, swimming, water-skiing, paddle boarding, and picnics, or just relaxing under a shady tree by the peaceful water.
You can learn to sail at the Lake Hume Yacht Club. You don’t need your own boat, just enthusiasm for the sport, as it is open to all skill levels. You can also hire a barbecue boat for sunset or enjoy an expert guided fishing tour from Lake Hume Hire and Fishing Charters. Anglers can throw a line in anywhere on Lake Hume, but you must have a current Victorian or NSW fishing license, regardless of where you go or for how long.
Another must-do when you are in Albury is to take a walk along the Hume Dam wall. The spectacular Hume Dam is a major dam across the Murray River. The dam wall is perfectly safe for walking along and is also suitable for children on bikes. You can get up close to the famous Lake Hume Dam wall from either the Hume Dam Wall Reserve to the north or the Mitta Junction Picnic Reserve to the south. Both locations offer viewing platforms with spectacular views for photography and general sightseeing, as well as visitor facilities.
South of the impressive dam wall, you’ll find scenic picnic spots such as Jackson Point and Kookaburra Point, both of which feature barbecues and gentle, sloped banks that are perfect for kids to cool off with a splash in the water. Enjoy the lake like locals with an ice cream from the local milk bar on a hot afternoon.
Lake Hume Hire & Guided Fishing Tours
Address: Ray Welsh drive. Lake Hume Village, NSW 2640 Australia
Opening Hours: From sunrise to sunset, all year round
Contact: +61 418 463 609
5. An introduction to art at MAMA - Murray Art Museum Albury
It’s never too early to introduce art to your children. And the Murray Art Museum Albury, or MAMA, is the best place to start. It’s a showcase of contemporary art with deep connections to the surrounding regional area and cultural identity. Every corner of MAMA is bold, vibrant, and alive, where children can learn how beauty speaks through arts and cultures. As the new Australian home for modern art, MAMA repositions Albury as a major cultural destination, revitalises the Albury arts precinct, and engages people from around the world with its art and ideas.
Murray Art Museum Albury - MAMA
Address: 546 Dean St, Albury NSW 2640, Australia
Opening Hours: 10am - 5pm. Closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day
Contact: +61 2 6043 5800
Website: Murray Art Museum Albury - MAMA
Children paradise at your doorstep
Albury is heaven for a children’s holiday. It’s a city where children can engage their senses through the contact with nature and art. Choose your favorite things to do out of this list and plan your visit to Albury. Do not miss the Wodonga’s (Albury twin sister) Annual Children Fair held October each year when you are visiting Albury.
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