Awaken your senses in the Riverina Murray, where savouring abundant fresh produce, exploring historic villages and breathing in the fresh country air is just the entree. Here are just a few memorable attractions and activities in and around the charming country villages dotting the river plains to add to your itinerary.

Connect with the region’s producers

Unleash your appetite in the food bowl of Australia, where the union of rich soil and plentiful water produce exceptional citrus fruits, peaches, plums, figs, almonds, lamb, beef, wheat, rice and more. Nibble on the bounty of the land at weekend farmers markets, including the Riverina Producers Market in Wagga Wagga, a five-hour drive southwest of Sydney, where orange juice is squeezed from locally grown navel and Valencia oranges and stalls are run by family producers. Feel empowered to cook up local produce like a pro after taking a cooking class with Food I Am, on the southern edge of Wagga Wagga, and sample fine oils and table olives at Wollundry Grove Olives, 10 minutes north of town.

Follow the tantalising aroma of oven-fresh bread to Griffith’s famous family bakery, Bertoldo’s, a two-hour drive northwest of Wagga Wagga, and hop aboard a farm bus to travel through the fragrant groves at Catania Fruit Salad Farm, topped off with a tasting of fruits, preserves, wines and nuts.

Meet more producers around the Riverina at specialty stores such as Coolamon Cheese Co., an artisan cheesemaker in Coolamon, a 30-minute drive northwest of Wagga Wagga; and the Junee Licorice & Chocolate Factory, which sells its certified organic goodies from the restored Junee Flour Mill, half an hour northeast of Wagga Wagga in Junee. Or get a kick out of crafting your own artisan chocolate bar at Tocumwal Chocolate School, recently opened in Tocumwal, an idyllic town on the Murray River.

Linger at gourmet cafes and restaurants

Taste the freshness of the region’s produce in every local meal. Embrace Griffith’s Italian roots at Limone, where much of the produce is plucked from the family farm, and at Zecca, which specialises in cucina regionale (regional Italian dishes). Indulge in French-inspired flavours at Pages on Pine in Leeton, 50 minutes to the southeast, and feast on premium local ingredients at The Charles Dining Room or The Oakroom in Wagga Wagga.

On the Murray River, step into the stylish Junction Moama, 3.5 hours southwest of Wagga Wagga, to tuck into locally sourced dishes and sip an impressive range of wines, craft beers and cocktails. Then take your tastebuds on a trip along the Murray to Albury, where newcomer Glenbosch on Dean invites you to experience local produce in deliciously unexpected new ways.

Get to know Riverina wine

Expand your Australian wine knowledge in the state’s largest wine-producing region. Be regaled by the storied history of Calabria Family Wines in Griffith as you sip fine wines in its Tuscan-style cellar door. Then continue your local wine adventure at nearby Bilbul, where the De Bortoli family has been producing wines since 1928. Compare vintages in Yenda, just 10 minutes further down the road, where you can visit Yarran Wines and Berton Vineyards. Or sample an enticing selection of Griffith’s finest food and wine on a bespoke outing with Bella Vita Riverina Tours.

Discover a cellar door with a difference at Whitton Malt House, outside of Whitton, which showcases goods produced by distilleries, breweries, bakers and other producers and makers around the state. Sample whisky, vodka and gin made with Whitton grain by the likes of Sydney’s Archie Rose Distilling Co before setting in for a meal at the restaurant, then enjoy the convenience of checking into one of Whitton Malt House’s one- and two-bedroom villas overlooking Lake Hulong.

Taste the passion in the barrel-aged whiskies at the Corowa Distilling Co, housed in the atmospheric old Corowa Flour Mill in Corowa, on the banks of the Murray, 90 minutes southwest of Wagga Wagga. Or enjoy a casual pizza and a craft brew at family-owned Thirsty Crow Brewing Co brewpub in Wagga Wagga.

Immerse yourself in the natural landscape

Feel a sense of calm ripple through your body as you breathe in the distinctive scent of the Australian bush on a walk in Cocoparra National Park, half an hour northeast of Griffith, where bright yellow wattles, orchids and blue-tinged cypress pines contrast against rich red rocks. Then unleash your inner birdwatcher in Oolambeyan National Park, 90 minutes southwest of Griffith, which is home to threatened birds such as the plains-wanderer.

See the bush around Wagga Wagga through Indigenous eyes on a fascinating tour with Wiradjuri man Mark Saddler from Bundyi Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge. Or feel the burn on a hike to the top of The Rock lookout, 45 minutes southwest of Wagga Wagga, and bask in the spectacular views out over the plains of the Riverina towards the snow-capped peak of Mount Kosciuszko. Then cool off with a refreshing dip at Wagga Beach on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, right in the centre of town.

Go with the flow on a paddle steamer cruise

Relish the relaxed ambience of the mighty Murray aboard a paddle-steamer cruise from the twin border towns of Echuca Moama. Step back into the region’s pioneering history on a fun day out on the PS Alexander Arbuthnot with Echuca Paddlesteamers, or delve deeper into the heritage and landscapes of the Murray on a multi-day river adventure aboard the MV Emmylou with Murray River Paddlesteamers.

Check into a memorable stay

Rest your head in historic luxury in one of nine stylish rooms at Flash Jacks, a boutique hotel occupying an 1888-built former convent and school in historic Gundagai, an hour east of Wagga Wagga. Or revel in off-grid luxury at Kimo Estate, a working farm just out of town offering stylish accommodation in eco-huts with outdoor hot tubs, quaint cottages and a shearers’ quarters.

Lap up the history and homely atmosphere at The Houston in Wagga Wagga, a luxury boutique hotel set in the beautifully restored neo-gothic Belmore House, built in 1868. Soak up more heritage at Sweet Briar Bed and Breakfast and Cottages in Coolamon, where a 1907 bank now houses cosy, country-style rooms alongside two charming cottages, each sleeping two.

Head an hour’s west of Griffith to get a taste of outback life at Corynnia Station, where you can stay at The Barracks, a characterful two-bedroom cottage with a queen and a twin room, or Maxie’s Retreat, a six-bedroom lodge, on a 7,000-hectare working rice, cotton and wool farm. And enjoy a giggle meeting the alpacas at Gryphon Lodge, a cosy B&B just outside Junee, with two bedrooms, a lounge with an open fireplace and farm-fresh eggs to elevate your breakfast.