Did you know that the Queen’s Birthday weekend is the last long weekend until… uh…late September? How depressing is that??

The great news about long weekends is that they give you time to get out of town and explore sites you might not have seen. If you haven’t taken the three-hour drive to Rutherglen, you’re missing out on one of the best wine growing regions of Australia one with rich history and delicious food to match the rolling vineyards.

And then there’s the Winery Walkabout!

Over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, 18 wineries will throw open their doors and welcome registered guests with a huge couple of days of events especially designed to celebrate the season and showcase the great products of Rutherglen.

This is what Rutherglen does best: crisp table wines, warming reds, and world-class, luscious muscat. They are perfect for cool winter nights in North-east Victoria, so be sure to book your accommodation to taste the best of the latest vintages across the region.

The great news is that there are activities happening all day. To kick off your weekend, why not enjoy one of the warming breakfasts on offer over Saturday June 6 and Sunday June 7, such as the Cofield Wines Sparkling Burgundy Breakfasts provided by The Pickled Sisters Cafe, or the John Gehrig Family Breakfasts.

Jones Winery Cafe will also run a ‘pop-up’ Curry House in the art deco-style Fire Station on Main Street. For two nights only over Winery Walkabout weekend from 6.00pm, this is an experience not to be missed!

There’s even a local shuttle service that makes its way throughout the region to ensure everyone enjoys their days in safety. For only $27.00 per person, it will circulate around all 18 wineries so you can hop-on and hop-off as you like. Perfect!

There’s also a regional bus that brings guests in from surrounding towns including Wahgunyah, Corowa, Yarrawonga, Mulwala, Bundalong, Wangaratta, Chiltern, Howlong, Albury and Wodonga. Both this and the local shuttle sell out very quickly, so grab your tickets as soon as you can.

There’s so much more going on. Don’t waste your last long weekend until spring treats us to another Monday off. Make the most of a few days away from Canberra with the Winery Walkabout. It will make your friends jealous all winter long.

For more information and to purchase tickets, check out the Winery Walkabout website.