Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk
On the Wagirra Trail
Family Gathering, Michael Quinn
We discovered this scenic walk on a recent trip to Victoria that took us though the border towns of Albury and Wodonga.
The Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk, is a beautiful meandering trail along the New South Wales side of the Murray River. It is part of the longer Wagirra Trail which runs from the Union Bridge to the West Albury Wetlands.
Along the way are fifteen sculptures by local Aboriginal artists as well as parks and picnic spots, and wetlands rich with birdlife.
The Trail
The Wagirra Trail from end to end is about 10km long, out and back. You can extend the walk to Wonga Wetlands or shorten it to a 5km loop by starting out from Kremer Street Boat Ramp.
The shared pathway is wide and mostly sealed making it pram and wheelchair friendly.
There are picnic tables, barbecues and playgrounds along the way as well as taps and toilets.
The Sculpture Walk
The Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk section of the trail features a series of stunning contemporary sculptures by Indigenous artists. First opened in early 2015, a few sculptures have been added since to make a total of fifteen installations.
The area is Wiradjuri Country and through these sculptures First Nations Stories of locals and others are told. Each piece is accompanied by an interpretive sign which reveals its story and significance. Themes of cultural heritage, sustainability and connection to the land predominate.
The pieces are designed to interact with the surrounding landscape. The Bigger Picture by artist Katrina Weston for example, is a large media screen-like frame that looks out over the river. The picture within the frame is a living landscape and one which represents viatlity, movement and change for Aboriginal people.
The Bigger Picture, Katrina Preston
The Wetlands
Horseshoe Lagoon and the surrounding wetlands are part of the extensive floodplains along the Murray River. This area has for many years, provided a home to birds, fish and and other animals and in turn a food source to locals. Yorta Yorta elders are said to have described the floodplains as their ‘supermarkets’ providing everything required to sustain them.
Little surprise then that this area is favoured by bird lovers. Native species such as Herons, iIbis, Spoonbills and Grebes are just some of the waterbirds you might find here. And in the surrounding trees and shrubs look out for Kingfishers, Fairy-Wrens, Spoonbills and Galahs, to name just a few.
The path around the Lagoon is peaceful and the recent addition of seating and a viewing platform make it a good spot to stop and take in the scenery before looping back to retrace your steps.
In the area
If you enjoyed the wetlands here and you’re looking to spot more wildlife, the Wonga Wetlands further along the trail are worth a visit.
For more art, try the Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) in Central Albury. The gallery features leading contemporary artists from Australia and around the world. It is housed in part in the old Albury Town Hall in the centre of town. Its impressive modern extension houses a light-filled cafe which looks out over QEII Square which is itself a sometimes art space, at other times a marketplace and public garden.
Further afield and about 40 minutes out of town is the old gold-mining town of Beechworth. The Historic and Cultural Precinct has several original buildings, including a post-office, court house and gaol. And if it’s more exercise you’re after, The Beechwoth Loop Walk takes in all this and more.