Discover

Discover

Benalla - Glenrowan - Winton

Benalla is known as the 'rose city on the lake' in honour of its beautiful and historic botanic and rose gardens.

The perfect setting for sunset picnics and play, Lake Benalla offers the chance to stroll along its banks before and afterwards.

The Botanic Gardens feature the signature rose gardens and the Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop Memorial.

Benalla has a diverse range of stores in their CBD as well as an art gallery and plenty of street art.

Boating, fishing or water skiing can be enjoyed at Lake Nillahcootie where there are also excellent picnic facilities and lawns.

Access to the Lake foreshore is restricted as most of the land is privately leased but boats can be launched from the main boat ramp.

Camping is not permitted around the foreshore of the lake but the picnic and boating areas are open to the public from 8.00am to sunset daily.

Gliding and aviation experiences are also available around Benalla and hiking opportunities in the nearby Warby-Ovens National Park, Reef Hills and Mount Samaria State parks.

The story of the Ned Kelly Gang and the shootout in Glenrowan is legendary and the town boasts museums, attractions, memorabilia, and a walking tour.

Explore the town on foot by picking up a Glenrowan Heritage Siege Precinct walking map from local businesses or the information stand.

The helpful flyer will guide you around key Ned Kelly Gang sites of significance such as the Ann Jones Glenrowan Inn, Police Shelter Site, Gravel Contractors Encampment, Ned Kelly Capture Site, McDonnell's Railway Tavern and many more.

Alongside historic tales and adventure kept alive by enthusiastic locals, you'll find new boutique stores stocking the finest local produce, clothing and food and drink items.

Bakery and café delights as well as pub meals will give you the strength to find your way to the Glenrowan wine region, which has been around for more than 130 years.

Well-known for their full-bodied reds, fragrant whites and renowned fortified wines, you're sure to find something that everyone can agree on.

After enjoying a tasting and more delicious food, seek out one of the many trails at Mt Glenrowan , The Alpine Views walk, Warby Falls Heritage Trail or Chick Hill walk surrounding Glenrowan where you'll find spectacular views from some of the highest points.

Throughout the year various growers in the Glenrowan region open their orchards to visitors so you can pick your own strawberries, cherries, nectarines and peaches and many have jam, ice cream, preserves and chutney available year-round.

After you've been to Glenrowan or Benalla, make your way to Winton - and the Winton Wetlands in particular.

There's a café with indoor and outdoor seating options and the opportunity to purchase local produce and items.

As you meander along the trails you'll find interpretive sign boards and art among the natural landscape, murals on water tanks and shipping containers and plenty of native flora and fauna.

The kids will enjoy a game of 'eye spy' as they search for the frogs they can hear and rare reptiles sunning themselves, there are also mobs of kangaroos on dusk and dawn.

Twitchers will enjoy seeing how many of the 190 species of birds that are known to frequent the wetlands they can spot.

There are nine walking tracks around the reserve and several designated picnic spots which make for ideal rest stops.

Winton offers cyclists beautiful scenery along excellent trails which connect to tracks to Wangaratta (21.7km) and Benalla (22.6km).

Mt Meg is close to the wetlands and when you reach the top (via walking tracks) you can look out across Winton, Chesney Vale and the Mt Meg Bushland Reserve.