Albury-Wodonga

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Albury-Wodonga is a twin city straddling the Murray River border of the two south-eastern Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. Albury is the city on the New South Wales bank of the river, Wodonga the Victorian city on the southern bank. For all practical purposes related to travel, the two cities are one conurbation.

[edit] Understand

Whilst in many senses Albury-Wodonga operates as a single community, the twin cities possess parallel municipal governments and state government services. The greater proximity of Melbourne and the local predominance of Australian Rules Football perhaps give Albury a closer cultural affiliation with Victoria.

Albury-Wodonga was selected as the primary focus of the federal Whitlam government's scheme to arrest the uncontrolled growth of Australia's large coastal cities (Sydney and Melbourne in particular) by encouraging decentralisation. Grand plans were made to turn Albury-Wodonga into a major inland city. Some industries were enticed to move there, and a certain amount of population movement resulted, but the plans quickly faded away with the next change of government and the long-term result was little changed.

The Wiradjuri people were probably the tribe of indigenous Australians resident immediately before the advent of Europeans in the area in the 1820s-1830s. European settlement was first gazetted at this popular river crossing in 1839 and after a decade a small settlement was well established. 1851 saw the separation of Victoria from New South Wales as a separate colony with the Murray marking much of the border. Albury and Wodonga became the focus of steam-driven merchant shipping on the river and a permanent bridge was built in 1860.

The Albury Wodonga Visitor Information Centre is located on Lincoln Causeway (Hume Highway) between the two cities. It is open 9am-5pm daily.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Albury Airport (ABX) is served by:

• Regional Express flying from Sydney and Melbourne.
• Brindabella Airlines flying from Canberra.
• Qantas flying from Sydney.

[edit] By car

Albury-Wodonga is situated on the Hume Highway, the most direct main road between Sydney (6 hours) and Melbourne (3 hours).

[edit] By train

V/Line Run 3 times daily services to Albury from Southern Cross Station. 2 Services a Day Sat-Sun. The trip takes approximately three and a half hours. Timetable

Country Link Have 2 daily through services a day stopping at Both Albury and Wodonga. The trains Run from Melbourne to Sydney.

[edit] Get around

[edit] See

• Albury Regional Museum, Australia Park, Wodonga Place, Albury, [1]. 10:30am-4:30pm every day except 1 Jan, Good Friday, 25 Dec, 26 Dec. Free.
• Botanic Gardens, corner of Dean St and Wodonga Place, Albury, [2].

[edit] Do

• Nail Can Hill Walking Track, just west of central Albury.

[edit] Buy

[edit] Eat

• Electra Cafe, : Shop 3, 441 Dean Street, Albury, : +61-2-6021-7200. Electra Cafe rather daringly calls itself "halfway between Oxford Street ([[Sydney/Darlinghurst|Sydney]]) and Brunswick Street ([[Melbourne/Fitzroy|Melbourne]])". The coffee doesn't come close to living up to Sydney's standards, let alone Melbourne's, but it's a good place to eat if you want something a bit more novel than most of the country-town milkbar fare at many of the other cafes. The scrambled eggs with pesto on the breakfast menu is worthwhile.
• Gallery Cafe Dean Street, : Shop 6, 499 Dean Street, Albury, : +61-2-6041-1099. The Gallery Cafe is a fairly standard country-town cafe. It does freshly squeezed juices and tasty focaccias. The open grills are suited to people who like an enormous amount of cheese.

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

• Albury Motor Village, : 372 Wagga Road, Lavington (Wagga Road is the street name of the Hume Highway in north Albury), : +61-2-6040-2999, Website: http://www.alburymotorvillage.com.au. 8am-8pm. Doubles as the YHA hostel. Dorm beds from $19.50

• Albury Georgian Comfort Inn and Suites, : 599 Young Street, Albury (On the old Hume Highway close to Albury's centre, opposite the Bunnings warehouse), : +61-2-6021-8744 or 1300-135-744 (reservations), Website: http://www.alburygeorgian.com.au/. The Comfort Inn & Suites Georgian is a comfortable motel sleeping 2-3 adults in most rooms and up to 7 people in the larger Family rooms. Some luxury suites are available. The motel is situated along the old Hume Hwy. which was bypassed in March 2007. The motel is now located just off the Hume Hwy. via the main Albury city centre (Riverina hwy) exit, and is in a very quite and conveniant location.[[Image:photogalnight.jpg]] Double rooms from $96

• Lake Hume Resort, : Lake Hume Village, Website: http://www.lakehumeresort.com.au/. If you need a bit more space for the kids, this place offers larger cabin style rooms, a tennis court, swimming pool and mini-golf, just a short walk from the Hume Dam.

[edit] Get out

World66:australiaandpacific/australia/newsouthwales/albury