Get Away with Dre – Autumn activities to fall in love with
The bad news is the days are shorter, but the good news is that it’s cool but not that cold yet so you can really enjoy the outdoors till late. Think camping around a toasty firepit you can light earlier.
We’ll look at a few places that really showcases what autumn has to offer and different activities so you can fall in love with autumn in Australia
Orange, NSW
Not only is it the colour of autumn, but autumn is where Orange shines because the region has high quality produce, so good food & wine is not hard to find.
For the active people, you can hike Mount Canobolas, adormant volcano last erupted 11 million years ago. It’s part of the Brigooda-Oberon chain that stretches 800 kms from southeast Queensland to near Oberon in NSW. A popular walk is the Federal Falls walk, which is popular for a reason.
Just at the foot of mountain there’s a fruit picking farm – the Hillside Harvest – where you can do some apple picking and learn about the farmers, orchard and understand and appreciate the journey your fruit goes through to get to you.
Canberra, ACT
Canberra looks beautiful in autumn with the combination of new buildings and beautifully curated gardens – you wouldn’t expect anything less from the capital. Autumn is a perfect time to go on a Hot Air Balloon flight. You’ll get the changing colours in autumn all around you.
Walk, cycle or segway Lake Burley Griffin and Queen Elizabeth II island. A visit to the National Arboretum should definately be on the top of your to-do list.
Just north of the border, in Sutton, the Alpaca Magic Farm is one of the largest llama breeders in Australia with an animal encounter experience like no other. Autumn is a perfect time to visit for it’s crisp mornings and perfect weather throughout the day for you and the animals. They have 100 llamas, 100 alpacas, miniature and small English Donkeys, and miniature Galloway Cows, which you can get up-close-and-personal with. It’s a book-only place with a range of events over the weekend, such as a Llama Experience, Conversation with Cows, and Donkey Delights making it a great choice for the kids and adults alike.
In Majura, Majura Pines is a stunning area for horse riding, hikes and mountain biking. It’s one of Canberra’s oldest mtb trails with over 25 kms of trails for different experience levels. The trail builders have just opened a new section – Wombat Trail.
You can also visit Stromlo Forest Park for it’s 1.2km criterium cycling circuit, a 2.5km grass cross country running track, a network of equestrian trails, pump track and over 50 kms of mountain bike trails suitable for riders of all abilities. Both the Centenary Trail and Bicentennial National Trail pass through the Park, and there are kilometres of shared trails for those wanting to explore on foot as well.
Tumut, NSW
Head a wee bit inland from Canberra, this place is worth a stop. There’s excellent camping available by the Tumut River, some of which are by donation only. It’s so amazing people want to share the beautiful land they own with others by donation.
Nothing says autumn like a festival called the Falling Leaves Festival. Held from 26th April and over the weekend, the festival turns 70 this year so it’s a special one. There will be workshops, market stalls, food and drinks, a street parade, free live music, live theatre performances, and the colour run.
On May 18, Tumut is also home to the Batlow Cider Festival where you can sample some of best boutique ciders from across the country.
Bright, VIC
Beechworth
Victoria hosts some beautiful autumn towns north of Melbourne. A drive to the town of Bright is definately a place you should not miss! Not only is it so beautiful during autumn, it also boasts amazing food, it’s home to one of Victoria’s most popular mountain bike park – Mystic Park – and it’s such a fun, cool town to just wander around and explore.
Travel further north to Myrtleford, Beechworth and Yackandah for more cute towns. All these towns also connect via the Murray to Mountain Rail Trail.
