Sydney’s inner city is getting a green fix, thanks to a brand-new walking and cycling trail that links the Cooks River in Earlwood with Iron Cove in Balmain.
The Inner West is Sydney’s creative hub, known for its converted warehouses, vibrant street art and community spirit. Now, a new six-kilometre ‘GreenWay corridor’ is injecting the area with a fresh dose of greenery. Designed to make the region more accessible for walkers and cyclists, the long-awaited project is set to change how locals and visitors move through the vibrant region.
Originally conceived over 20 years ago, the GreenWay has been a grassroots project, with the community campaigning for funding for more than a decade. Now, the corridor is nearing completion, promising to deliver better connectivity, recreation and some much-needed green space.
An artist’s impression of the GreenWay, which is designed to encourage walking and cycling around the Inner West. (Image: Inner West Council)
What is the GreenWay corridor?
The GreenWay stretches from the Cooks River in Earlwood to the Iron Cove foreshore walk in Balmain, linking two major waterways and existing trails in the Inner West. It follows the path of the 130-year-old rail line, transforming it into an exclusive pedestrian and cycling thoroughfare. The Inner West is already home to a surprising amount of natural habitat. The Cooks River in particular consists of expansive mangrove ecosystems, where lizards, snakes and more wildlife are regularly spotted.
The GreenWay corridor runs from the Cooks River to Parramatta River, connecting two of the Inner West’s major foreshore walks. (Image: Inner West Council)
The GreenWay will be lined with new green spaces, including dog parks and conservation zones supporting wetland habitats. Once complete, the corridor will offer a scenic, car-free route through some of the city’s most beloved suburbs and change the way locals and visitors interact with it.
According to NSW Premier Chris Minns, “The GreenWay won’t just link two of Sydney’s most popular walks, it’ll become one in its own right, complete with a shared walking and cycling path, public art, playgrounds and cafes for everyone to enjoy."
The GreenWay will connect different precincts in the Inner West to create a six-kilometre continuous pedestrian trail. (Image: Inner West Council)
Jo Haylen, member for Summer Hill, adds: “The shared pathway has a strong connection to the community and the environment… [and] provides a great space for enjoying the outdoors and travelling across our community."
When will the GreenWay corridor open?
The GreenWay links the Cooks River (pictured) with Iron Cove. (Image: Flickr/Martin7d2)
The project is currently 80 per cent complete. The remaining works focus on linking all six precincts of the trail together, and is set to be completed later this year.
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Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
Switch the hustle and bustle for a weekend of birdsong and greenery on the border.
Straddling the Murray River where New South Wales meets Victoria, Albury Wodonga is just hours by car or train (or even a quick flight) from many major cities, but it feels a million miles away from the everyday.
Here, you’ll find a blend of relaxed country lifestyle and modern city amenities, where a booming culinary scene and vibrant arts offerings meet a rich Indigenous history and stunning natural vistas. Spend time amongst river red gums, wildlife-filled wetlands and winding waterways.
Ready to roll on the river? Here’s where to begin.
1. Birdwatch in Wonga Wetlands
Walk along Wonga Wetlands, looking for local birdlife. (Credit: Destination NSW)
It might be close to Albury’s CBD, but Wonga Wetlands feels a watery world away. This former grazing land has been restored to 80 hectares of lagoons, billabongs and river red gums, and you can now wander three kilometres of walking trails as you spot cormorants, spoonbills, egrets and sacred kingfishers. More than 170 bird species call the wetlands home, thanks to the Murray’s cycle of flooding and drying, so pack a picnic, settle in at a bird hide, and pull out those binoculars.
2. Explore the Murray River
Take a picnic to enjoy in Noreuil Park. (Credit: Destination NSW)
The Murray River runs between Albury and Wodonga, where locals swap desks and deadlines for shaded riverbanks. Less than a kilometre from Albury’s CBD sits Noreuil Park, the city’s favourite stretch of riverfront. Cool off on the famous loop float, hire a kayak, launch a stand-up paddleboard or cast a line.
Afterwards, chuck a rug on the lawn under a plane tree, fire up one of the free barbecues and watch the water as you munch on some Murray cod.
3. Take a sculpture walk
See the art along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk.
Albury Wodonga’s three sculpture trails showcase the Murray through First Nations tales on foot or by bike. Along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk, 15 contemporary Aboriginal artworks celebrate kinship and Country. The Crossing Place Trail passes the Wodonga Scar Tree, where local Indigenous people once harvested bark to craft canoes, and the Gateway Island trail tells you how the Murray sustained First Nations people for millennia.
4. Get moving on local tracks and trails
Take your bike to Hunchback Mountain Bike Park.
More than 100 kilometres of trails cross Albury Wodonga’s hills, reserves and riverbanks. Mountain bikers can tackle the championship-calibre descents of Nail Can Hill, weaving through eucalyptus forest where the rare crimson spider orchid blooms, or hone their skills at Hunchback Mountain Bike Park‘s 29 graded trails.
Keen to explore on foot? Huon Hill makes the sore legs worth it, with lookouts across Lake Hume and the Kiewa Valley, while McFarlanes Hill meanders through stringybark woodland and rocky outcrops.
For a slower pace, the 44-kilometre High Country Rail Trail hugs the shores of Lake Hume, crossing the red-pillared Sandy Creek Bridge before rolling into Tallangatta.
5. Check into restorative stays
Check into one of Albury Wodonga’s over 60 accommodation options. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Some moments call for a boutique hotel. Others call for backing the caravan up beside the lake. Whether you’ve spent the day splashing in the Murray, furiously clocking kilometres on the bike trails or entertaining kids in playgrounds at the water’s edge, there’s somewhere to lay your head.
From motels shaded by river red gums to lakeside holiday parks and boutique hotels, Albury Wodonga’s 60-plus accommodation options mean you’re never far from a morning walk along the Murray or dinner on Dean Street. But be warned: book ahead. You might not be the only one craving a weekend by the Murray, especially in the school holidays.
6. Enjoy delicious dining options
Enjoy incredible meals in Albury Wodonga.
Every paddle, bushwalk and bike trail deserves a proper meal afterwards. Once you’ve swapped out your damp swimmers or your dusty trainers and start to sniff out a feed, you’ll quickly discover you’re surrounded by one of Australia’s richest agricultural regions.
Unsurprisingly, Albury Wodonga’s dining scene is all about that Riverina produce. We’re talking Murray cod (of course) but also premium local beef from the valleys, olive oil from nearby groves, cool-climate wines and European-style cheeses.
The restaurants, wine bars and breweries around Dean Street and Junction Square are all within easy reach, serving everything from modern Australian and Mediterranean to Thai, Vietnamese, Italian and classic wood-fired steakhouse fare. Looking for a riverside brunch? A comforting bowl of dumplings on a winter evening? Or up the ante with the vibrant flavours of Europe? Whatever the craving, there’s a table waiting.
7. Get out on Lake Hume
Be sure to stay for a Lake Hume sunset.
When you’re ready to dial up the solitude, trade the river for a veritable inland sea: Lake Hume. Just 15 minutes from Albury and Wodonga, it’s one of Australia’s largest water storage reservoirs. In other words, there’s plenty of space to swim, paddle and stake out a patch of shoreline all to yourself.
Take the long way through Riverina farmland, stopping at the dam wall to appreciate just how enormous Lake Hume is. Cast a line for Murray cod, rainbow trout, golden perch or redfin and unpack a bag of bakery treats beneath the trees before launching a kayak into the vastness.
Afterwards, stop by the Bonegilla Migrant Experience, where the remaining accommodation blocks tell the stories of more than 320,000 post-war migrants who passed through between 1947 and 1971. Give yourself time to walk through the preserved camp, stopping to digest the photographs, personal stories and artworks that reveal what it meant for residents to begin a new life at the edge of the world.
Even if you’re exhausted, stay until twilight. The sunset is about to put on a hell of a leaving show for you.
