We’ve done the planning work for you so you can just come and have fun. Lets Go!
What’s your idea of a real break?
Having fun with your family in the great outdoors? Food, culture and shopping with your honey? A weekend with your mates fishing, riverside camping and playing golf?
Deniliquin’s ideal for a short real break - out by the Edward River - with more sunshine hours each year than Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Want to hang out with your kids in the sunshine?
...where you can stand on the footpath in the main street and see a platypus? Camping for a weekend on the banks of the picturesque Edward River is ideal.
The river’s unique in that downstream of the popular McLean Beach is a fantastic playground for motorised craft while upstream is perfect for being active with quieter rides like canoes and kayaks – where the river meanders through magnificent red gum forest abundant with native wildlife.
If you don’t own your own craft, you can always hire: choose from houseboats, canoes, kayaks and pontoon boats, and then discover your own secluded beach for a family picnic or BBQ.
You can also hire bicycles for the family and ride along great trails – the Visitor Information Centre has bike trail maps and you can pick up bikes there too.
There’s also the possibility to organise a tour with Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre staff who will show you the native flora and fauna as well as trees of historical importance to the local Wamba Wamba and Perrapa Perrapa people, or tour East Tolans Farm’s crops, tree plantations, cattle, sheep, and amazing water recycle system.
For so much activity, plenty of energy is important and Deni is not scarce on excellent coffee like at Bronte’s Gourmet, and the fresh superfood smoothies and delicious fusion meals at Sushi Bite will power up a family for a day on the water.
How about culture outside of the city?
In Deni you can wrap your tastebuds around regional flavours served with a side of friendly hospitality, and peruse local boutique shopping, the exciting arts scene, and the heritage of this rural town on the river.
Public art, museums, galleries, travelling exhibitions, and live music and theatre performances are regular features on the calendar. A popular venue is Waring Gardens, which hosts everything from opera to film festivals, and markets are twice a month on the second and fourth Saturdays. For details of events, the friendly staff at the Visitor Information Centre will help you out – take time while there to explore the art gallery and fascinating museum.
There are great walking trails through town exploring lagoons, town art and beaches. To explore a bit further, pick up a bike from the Visitor Information Centre to get out into the forest.
Or maybe you travel just to give your tummy new experiences?
For a delicious meal unlike anywhere else, visit Long Table Cafe where you’ll enjoy the freshest local and homegrown produce. In the quiet countryside between Deniliquin and Finley, they specialise in their award-winning homemade products such as salami, cheese and preserves. There’s even a farm tour so you can fully experience the authentic paddock to plate.
Or stop by Restdown Wines, where the owners set about creating an underground carbon neutral winery, after returning from London in 1993 with a backpack full of dirty clothes and two Turkish rugs. There’s also their environmentally-sustainable vineyard, a wetland walking trail, and a Hereford cattle herd to meet.
You can stay in town to linger over a long lunch in the shade of the broad umbrellas and trees at The Crossing Café on the banks of the river. Just don’t miss the excellent coffee and superfood smoothies at Sushi Bite!
Round out the weekend on the Backroads Trail, a new touring route between Echuca-Moama, Barham and Deniliquin profiling the very best of contemporary rural culture. The trail encompasses rolling plains country and features several farm gate enterprises with everything from olive producers to avocado growers to potters and cellar doors, as well as a selection of interpretive panels providing stories about local history and events, farming practices, indigenous heritage, and local flora and fauna.
An ideal weekend away with mates
…would start with setting up camp on the banks of the Edward River - famous Australia-wide as the home of the iconic Murray Cod and other native fish like Yellowbelly. Catching a Murray Cod is an exhilarating experience and has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime.
Day 1: a short boat ride takes you into quiet forest waters, or you can simply cast a line from the bank. Shrimps, worms, grubs, yabbies and cheese are the most popular baits, available together with licenses at local service stations and tackle shops.
Fresh fish on the barbie, and feet up with a beer or two is a fine way to end a day of fishing with mates.
Day 2: pit your skills against Deni’s 18 hole, par 72 course with manicured greens, picturesque fairways and just a few challenging water hazards to make life interesting. Right in nature, you’ll be sharing the course with kangaroos, kookaburras, Superb Parrots, echidna, goannas, lizards and pelicans. There’s no waiting on the greens, and there’s 'same day play', rare among the Murray courses.
The 19th hole is a safe haven, or wrap your tastebuds around a great traditional pub meal at the RSL or Sportsman’s Arms to wrap up a great weekend.
