IT IS the time of year where people’s social media news feeds start to fill with photos of their summer holiday escapes.
However, for many MIA residents while heading to the beach might sound like a great way to spend a week or two with their family, the simple fact is for many of them money is a bit tight after all that Christmas spending.
For others they may also need to be actually working this summer – unfortunately we can’t all be off work at the same time.
However, one need not despair as there are many fun activities for people of all ages in the MIA to take part in this summer.
Destination Riverina Murray has come up with a great list of things to do that will not only entertain the kids these school holidays, but escape the ordinary with day trip adventures to Narrandera, Leeton and Darlington Point.
1 “The coolest place to be this summer is Narrandera”
It’s got all the water fun that anyone could ask for.
First up is Lake Talbot, only 1.5 kilometres from the centre of town and home to a huge outdoor swimming complex and also the perfect lake for water skiing, canoeing or boating.
Lake Talbot Aquatic Park boasts four swimming pools, terraced lawns, shady trees, a kiosk, barbecues and two exhilarating water slides.
It is open every day from November through to Easter.
The Rocky Waterholes area, just off the Old Wagga Road, is another great place to stay cool in the shade of river red gums.
The reinstated Rocky Waterholes Bridge links public reserve areas north and south of the Bundidgerry Creek and these spots are great for picnics, fishing and canoeing.
Narrandera also has some of the best access points to the Murrumbidgee River, including Brewery Flat, which is just off the Newell Highway and Town Beach on August Street.
2 Get in touch with nature at Leeton’s Fivebough Wetlands
In Leeton, just a half hour drive from Narrandera, your day trip can turn to wildlife at Fivebough Wetlands.
Just two kilometres from the centre of town, Fivebough is 350 hectares of internationally recognised and protected wetlands.
Summer is a great time to explore the five kilometres of walkways across Fivebough and, after all the recent rain, the wetlands are full and brimming with birdlife.
You can walk, ride a bike or push a pram, getting in amongst the wetlands and stopping at the viewing platforms to spot some of the 86 species of waterbird that have been recorded visiting the site.
On your way home, don’t forget to check out Leeton’s majestic Art Deco Roxy Theatre and get a coffee in the main street, do a spt of shopping and enjoy a lovely lunch at one of the many yummy cafes.
3 Make your adventure roar to life at Altina Wildlife Park
IF YOU’RE after a big day out and a big adventure into the wild, you can get a taste of Africa on the banks of the Murrumbidgee, at Altina Wildlife Park.
Located on the Sturt Highway 10 kilometres east of Darlington Point, Altina is a “zoo-fari” like no other where you have the chance to get up close and personal with lions, zebras, white rhinoceroses, giraffes, meerkats, alligators and many more animals.
Personalised guided tours are the only way to see Altina’s animals and over the course of 2.5 hours you are taken to meet all the animals during their feeding times.
While you’re in the area, finish off your day trip with a visit to Darlington Point and have a picnic at one of the many tranquil spots along the river.
Overnight accommodation is also available in Darlington Point or in nearby Coleambally, Leeton and Griffith.
