Victoria (Eastern Region)
The Northeast
The Hume Highway, the direct route between Melbourne and Sydney, cuts straight through Victoria’s northeast – an area that has become known as Ned Kelly country. Euroa, Benalla and Glenrowan (where the outlaw was finally seized after a bloody shoot-out) all have traces of the masked bushranger’s activities, with Glenrowan wholeheartedly cashing in on his fame. 

Seymour is the first major stop on the Hume Highway out of Melbourne; an important train interchange, it’s an uninspiring place for the visitor. The Goulburn Valley Highway begins here.

The area around the upper Murray is the first in the country to be irrigated and has been transformed into rich farm land producing citrus fruits and world-class wine.This is also a great place for a summer holiday with many water-sports to enjoy including;- fishing, sailing, waterskiing and swimming.

West of the Hume, Rutherglen, right up against the state border, is Victoria’s oldest established wine-producing region. There are also vineyards in the rich fruit-growing region of the Goulburn Valley, north along the Goulburn Valley Highway from Seymour.

The Goulburn River rises at Lake Eildon and flows through Seymour, Nagambie and Shepparton to join the Murray just east of Echuca. The rich plains of the Goulburn Valley yield much fruit, and there’s an important fruit-canning industry based at Shepparton, as well as several wineries.

Bushwalking in the Alpine region is most easily organized by going through an outdoor tour operator such as Bogong Jack Adventures (tel 08/8383 7198, fax 8383 7377).

Victorian Wineries along the Murray River
Victoria's north east has been producing world-renowned wines since the 19th century. When you visit the vineyards of Rutherglen and Wahgunyah, Milawa and Oxley you are face to face with some of the great names in wine making anywhere in the world. You will find wineries almost everywhere here, in fact more than 30 of them, on the plains and tucked into the valleys and hills. Some are large, some small, each with something a little special to offer the explorer.

There is an enormous range of varieties and styles, everything from robust the red variety known as Durif to elegant whites. And there are magnificent fortified wines here too, the Muscats and Tokays for which the district is world famous. Don't forget the sherries and madeiras.

In the upper reaches of the King River valley there are small wineries producing excellent cool climate wines and others as far afield as Bright. One of the great things about the winemakers here is their willingness to talk with you, to share their experience and delight in making wines. At some vineyards you can take a tour of the wineries themselves and get first hand knowledge of the process of winemaking. These are usually by appointment.

There are museums dedicated to the grape and to the agricultural wealth of these fertile Murray River pastures and their graceful country homes, some of which have been turned into wonderful places to stay.

Don't forget the food experience of the region. It is a celebration of fine produce, much of which is grown in the region. A visit to the north-east is a great way to indulge in one of the world's great pastimes - wining and dining in bucolic bliss.

Getting there and around
V/Line runs several train and bus routes through the northeast. The Melbourne–Albury train service goes via Seymour, Euroa, Benalla, Glenrowan, Wangaratta, Chiltern and Wodonga (at least 4 daily). There are also trains and buses from Melbourne to Shepparton, with connections to Cobram and Tocumwal in NSW (2–3 daily). Buses depart from Albury to Bendigo via Wangaratta and Benalla (1 daily). Bus services to Rutherglen are rather limited: from Albury (4 weekly in the morning). From Melbourne, there’s a train to Wangaratta and then a connecting bus (3 weekly in late afternoon).

Climate
The climate of this region may differ greatly from being hot in the summer months to falling below zero in the winter.

For more regional information on Northeast Victoria, go to:

Maps
wpe17F.jpg (271994 bytes) Victoria