The King Valley is a wonderful area which is easily reached from Wangaratta. The King Valley is famous for its excellent wineries and a variety of natural attractions. Whitfield is the hub of many of the King Valleys attractions with Paradise Falls, Lake William Hovell and Powers Lookout all within easy reach and each is certainly worth the drive.
The Warby Ranges is only a 10km drive from central Wangaratta and is officially known as the Warby-Ovens National Park. It offers a variety of spots for family picnics and natural experiences such as Ryan’s Lookout, Briens Gorge Falls, The Forest Camp and Pine Gully. Fishing, Camping, Walking, Bike Riding and Gem Prospecting is also available in some areas.
Wangaratta and the surrounding rural communities offer a year full of festivals, celebrations and events that attract people from across the country and in some cases from around the world. Events such as the annual Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Swap Meet are all centrally located, and across the region there are wine and food events which are hugely popular. Wangaratta also offers an excellent selection of accommodations from which to explore and enjoy some of the many events that are held in nearby communities such as Beechworth, Myrtleford, Bright, Rutherglen and Yarrawonga. Wangaratta is also host to regular markets, youth events, senior citizen events and sporting competitions including Australian Rules Football, netball, squash and swimming.
Paradise Falls is one of those places that is often overlooked by visitors to the King Valley but for those that make the effort they are well rewarded. The short walk from the car park leads you down a series of rocky steps into the ravine below that gets cooler and more welcoming as you approach the falls. Be sure to visit after recent rains as the water flow does dry up in the warmer months There are some very interesting conglomerate rock formations along the path and around the falls. If you are particularly lucky you may even see some of the resident Peregrine Falcons that nest in the cliff tops above the falls. Paradise Falls are a great destination for families but do pack a spare set of clothes as the temptation may be to get a bit wet.
If you are looking for something unique then one of the many regular Wangaratta and regional markets are a great place to begin your search. Each year residents and visitors alike can enjoy markets such as the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz Market, Oxley Bush Market, Wangaratta Swap Meet as well as those close to Wangaratta in Mansfield, Yarrawonga, Jamieson, Myrtleford, Beechworth, Peechelba, Rutherglen and Benalla. These markets include everything from clothes and popular foods through to unique handcrafts and gourmet local produce and wines. These markets are a great opportunity to stock up the pantry with all your favourites from one convenient location and in many cases by dealing with the producer direct.
There is a good selection of Wangaratta accommodation available to suit all budgets and needs. Offered within central Wangaratta as well as the surrounding communities travelers will find and excellent variety of motels, hotels, pubs, caravan parks, cottages and guest houses specifically catering for both short and longer stay temporary accommodation. There is plenty of accommodation in the heart of Wangaratta plus the nearby regions of the King Valley, Glenrowan, Milawa, Eldorado and many other also have some excellent accommodation choices. Furthermore, with the region hosting a large number of annual festivals, celebrations and events, accommodation can be scarce. For that reason if you require Wangaratta accommodation be sure to book early.
One of the great things about Wangaratta is its central location to a number of regional attractions. Whether you are planning on visiting the natural wonders around the Warby Ranges or wineries of the King Valley and Rutherglen Wangaratta is a convenient location. If you are travelling to the snowfields then Bright is a comfortable drive and for a taste of history Glenrowan and Beechworth are close by. Wangaratta’s own Performing Arts Centre hosts regular shows. There are also a number of annual, seasonal and special attractions across the region that attract large numbers of visitors to the region each year. If you are planning on visiting during the holiday season be sure to book your accommodation early as rooms do fill up.
Better known by his alias of Daniel Morgan this in famous Australian bushranger was most likely Jack Fuller who was born at Appin,New South Wales in 1830 to Mary Owen and George Fuller.
While suspected, but never convicted, of several crimes in his late teens his actual criminal record began under the assumed name of 'John Smith' when he was sentenced to twelve years hard labour for highway robbery at Castlemaine, Victoria, on 10 June 1854.
He was released from the hulk Success on a ticket-of-leave in June 1860 for good behaviour but he failed to report to the police in the Ovens police district. At this time he was known as 'Down-the-River Jack' and was working as a horse-breaker and station hand. In August of 1860 he is alleged to have stolen a valuable horse owned by the Evans family of Whitfield Run in the upper King River Valley.
Evan Evans and fellow squatter Edmond Bond tracked him to his camp where Jack was seriously wounded but managed to escape into the eastern Riverina area ofNew South Wales. He frequently crossed into north-easternVictoriabut made this part of NSW his base. After mid-1863 'Daniel Morgan’, also know as ‘Billy the Native', was involved in a number of incidents that involved armed robbery including the robbery of police magistrate Henry Baylis near Urana. Subsequently a reward of £200 was posted for his capture, dead or alive. His bushranger status was escalated to murdered during a raid on Round Hill Station on the 19 June 1864, when he mortally shot the overseer John McLean who died three days later.
On 24 June, Morgan also shot and killed Sergeant David Maginnity near Tumbarumba and the reward for his capture rose to £1000. Morgan was often seen as erratic and nervous during his exploits and his temperament could change quickly from an almost polite treatment of his robbery victims to threats, rage and violence and as a result he became known as 'Mad Dan'.
In April of 1865 Morgan travelled back intoVictoriato settle his old score with Evans and Bond. Arriving in Whitfield on 7 April, he bailed up the head of the station but Evan Evans was not there. He headed north and in the process held up traffic on theSydney Roadbetween Benalla and Glenrowan. During the evening of 8 April he robbed the Macpherson homestead located at Peechelba, north of Wangaratta. The station's co-owner George Rutherford lived barely a quarter of a mile away and Alice Keenan, the Macphersons' nurse, carried news to Rutherford, who selected and armed five trustworthy men and sent them to watch at Peechelba homestead.