Head For The Border

The Age

Saturday July 12, 2008

Sue Wallace

Sue Wallace crosses the Murray for fine food, water sports, wine and a thriving arts culture.

Take a walk though the colourful Hume Murray Farmers' Market in Wodonga and you'll find a smorgasbord of fresh produce, from juicy apples to shiraz-filled chocolates, local Murray cod, smoked and fresh trout, quail, rabbit and beef.

As you fill your basket with tender Rutherglen lamb, locally grown olives, fruit and nuts, rich Milawa cheeses and breads, quince pastes, delicious Gundowring ice-cream and tasty Tabletop figs, it won't take you long to discover the passion of producers in the area.

The market, held at Gateway Island near the Victorian and NSW border, has just celebrated its seventh anniversary and attracts regulars and visitors alike, who find it hard to say no to the famous egg and bacon rolls for $5, cooked by volunteers every second Saturday from 8.30am to noon (see hmfb.org).

Food has played a big part in shaping Wodonga into the cosmopolitan city it is today, based on the legacy of more than 320,000 refugees from 31 countries, who passed through the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre after World War II, between 1947 and 1971.

Many introduced local palates to the pleasures of European cuisine and established restaurants and cafes, bakeries, delicatessens and smokehouses, some of which remain today.

History

Wodonga is an Aboriginal name for bulrushes. The first settlers, the Wiradjuri people, remain strongly linked with the area today.

Wodonga Shire was created in 1876 and in 1973 was granted rural city status and was officially named the Rural City of Wodonga, to be changed later to Wodonga.

The city

Separated from its sister city Albury by the Murray River, which also defines the NSW and Victorian border, it is home to 35,000 people.

Known as the twin cities, both have their own strong identities and facilities.

For snow enthusiasts Wodonga is about a 11/2-hour drive to the ski-fields of Falls Creek, Mount Buffalo and Mount Hotham; a short drive to the Rutherglen, Milawa and King Valley wineries and close to the former goldmining towns of Beechworth and Yackandandah.

Attractions

Bonegilla, which last year celebrated its 60th anniversary, has an interesting commemorative centre, Block 19, called the Beginning Place, which pays tribute to the bravery of migrants and explains the challenges they faced. It is 10 kilometres north-east of Wodonga, open 9.30am-4.30pm daily (see bonegilla.org.au).

The city is a great place for enjoying the outdoors, with more than 45 kilometres of bike and walking paths providing the perfect opportunity to meander by the river or enjoy one of the scenic routes that link the city.

Parks and gardens are dotted throughout Wodonga and the hillsides and parkland reserves provide bushwalking, birdwatching and hiking tracks.

Close by, Lake Hume is great for swimming and fishing and a dip in the Murray River will soon cool you off in summer.

Gateway Village at Gateway Island, between Wodonga and Albury, has a pretty picnic area and rotunda, where you can watch birds in Byrne Lagoon or visit the arts precinct.

Sumsion Gardens, one of Wodonga's best-kept secrets, is another picturesque recreation area, surrounded by a walking and cycling track.

Arts and culture

Wodonga has a vibrant arts culture with the border's well known HotHouse Theatre, a resident professional theatre company, staging an annual program of innovative shows.

Community art spaces, such as the Creators' Gallery, Gateway Island and Arts Space Wodonga, at the corner of Lawrence and Hovell streets, showcase the outstanding talents of local artists who create works of fine art, sculpture, ceramics and photography.

The city is also home to the world-renowned Flying Fruit Fly Circus school, where ordinary kids manage to do extraordinary things. If you are lucky you may catch a show and you'll be amazed at what these youngsters can do (see fruitflycircus.com.au).

Make for the hills

For some of the best views head to Huon Hill, east of Wodonga. Rising 263 metres above the Murray and Kiewa flood plains, Huon Hill offers spectacular views of Lake Hume, the Kiewa Valley, alpine region, Murray and Kiewa rivers and Albury-Wodonga. It is great for birdwatching and has a variety of walking trails.

Quirky

If you are in to all things big, check out Henri's Bakery, 9 Elgin Boulevard, which has reputedly the world's biggest rolling pin on its roof.

Events

Todos Arte (February-March): Spanish for Total Art or arts for everybody, Todos Arte brings together a broad cross-section of the community to share their stories and celebrate while making a large 3-D ephemeral sculpture in Wodonga's central business district.

Carnivale (March): This is a melting pot of entertainment, music, a sea of colour and sensuous movements, combined with hospitality, pageantry and great fun.

Where to eat

Zilch Food Store, 1/8 Stanley Street, Wodonga (phone 02 6056 2400), has tasty sandwiches, delicious cakes and good coffee. It also serves breakfast and lunch.

If you love Indian, try Wodonga's newest restaurant, Indian Tandoori, 13 Stanley Street, Wodonga (phone 02 6024 3995). A former office building has been transformed into a vibrant eatery serving traditional North Indian and Goan cuisines. Owner Manraj Singh already has established restaurants in Albury and Wangaratta.

For great coffee and treats try the new Delibean, 237 Beechworth Road, Wodonga (phone 02 6061 2005).

The Steak Pit, Elgin Boulevard, Wodonga (phone 02 6024 1262), has a well-earned reputation for great steak. For pizzas try Hollywoods Pizza, Shop 8/9 Thomas Mitchell Dr, Wodonga (phone 02 6024 1788).

Getting there

By plane: Regional Express (Rex) flies daily from Melbourne with fares from $106 one way (rex.com.au).

By train: V/Line (vline.com.au) links Albury-Wodonga with Melbourne daily.

By road: Wodonga is 300 kilometres from Melbourne, about a 31/2-hour drive on the Hume Freeway.

Where to stay

In town: Comfort Inn and Suites Blazing Stump, 4327 Anzac Parade, Wodonga (phone 02 6056 3433 or see blazingstump.com.au).

Variety of accommodation including motel, cabins and suites with kitchenettes.

Out of town: Koendidda Country House in Barnawartha, 15 minutes from Wodonga, is a renovated stately manor with heaps of charm. It has five rooms, with king and queen suites available, set on four hectares of manicured grounds.

The fine-dining menu offers venison, duck, eye fillet steak and fish (phone 02 6026 7340 or see koendidda.com.au).

More information

Visitor Information Centre, Gateway Island, Lincoln Causeway (phone 1300 796 222), see destinationalburywodonga.com.au, or see www.wodonga.vic.gov.au.)

LOCAL'S VIEW

Jean Whitla, who is in her 80s, has lived in Wodonga for the past 40 years and loves it.

The former ABC radio correspondent was given a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the Wodonga community and the historical society.

"History is a passion of mine, particularly local. I can't see how anybody ever thinks that history is boring," she says.

She enjoys life in the provincial city halfway between Melbourne and Sydney with easy road, rail and air transport to the bigger cities and the world beyond.

"Wodonga can be a place of hustle and bustle but that doesn't mean you can't find a lonesome spot on a river bank and sit with the sun on your back and a baited fishing rod tempting a Murray cod or redfin to join you for dinner," she says.

"It's been a good place to raise a family with scores of educational, leisure, sports, youth and hobby groups.

"The Hume Weir is my inland sea and nearby are the mountains with their winter snow and summer wildflowers.

"The Murray River and its flood plain are a paradise where I enjoy walking and birdwatching.

"The city comes to us with visiting groups and there is a talented local theatrical group.

"What I also like about Wodonga is at night I can see the stars, which is almost impossible in a big city, and by day I can see the hills - 10 minutes' drive in any direction takes me to the countryside."

© 2008 The Age

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