Griffith Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Griffith is a city in the southwestern Riverina region of New South Wales. Griffith is a city of immigration and irrigation. Developed by Italian immigrants after the Second World War, watered by the Murrumbidgee and the Snowy Mountains Scheme, Griffith is an agricultural centre for fruits, wines, and rice. Due to irrigation, the areas are more intensively farmed than much of New South Wales, with many small farms close to the town. Immigrants from other parts of the world have settled here, and there are now large Indian and Pacific Islander communities.

• -34.251667146.0666671 Griffith airport (GFF  ^IATA) (around 5 km from the city centre). A small airport. The terminal and surround have been renovated, and there are daily flights from Sydney.  

You can rent a car from the terminal. Hertz, Avis and Thrifty operate from the terminal - but make sure you have the car booked and confirmed in advance if you expect someone to be there to meet you. As with many of these country depots, it can pay to give them a call locally rather than just doing the normal website booking.

You can also get a taxi into town. Call the 131 800 national number.

• Regional Express flying from Sydney several times a day.

• NSW TrainLink run a direct train service linking Sydney to Griffith on Wednesdays and Saturdays, returning on Thursdays and Sundays. The train travels for most of the day, so it isn't practical to take a train trip from Sydney for the weekend. Other days there is a coach connection to meet with the Sydney and Melbourne XPT service at Wagga Wagga. The railway station is two blocks north of the town centre, within easy walking distance of the town centre. The coach connection stops in the town and at the station.
• V-Line run a daily coach service connecting with the train at Shepparton. It arrives in Griffith around midnight, before turning around and heading back towards Shepparton in the early hours of the morning.

• McCaffertys/Greyhound Coach Services

Travel Distances Adelaide 797 km Brisbane 1300 km Canberra 350 km Leeton 58 km Melbourne 450 km Narrandera 96 km Sydney 570 km Wagga Wagga 196 km

Car Hire Avis - +61 2 6964 2266 Budget - +61 2 6962 3868 Europcar - +61 2 6021 6463 Thrifty - +61 2 6962 9122 Hertz - +61 418 696 280

• By far the easiest method to get around in Griffith is by car, whether this be your own or a rental. (See table for numbers of local car rental companies)
• Griffith also has a local taxi service which can be contacted on: 131 008.

• ABEST. Have daily or longer term bicycle hire in Griffith 

• Griffith Bus Lines - Local services timetables. The bus generally runs several services a day to link Griffith's suburbs to the town centre and hospital. No services extend beyond the town, or link visitor areas.

• For shorter distances walking is also another recommended option for getting around.

• -34.27676146.05511 Griffith Pioneer Park Museum, 1 Remembrance Dr, ☏ +61 2 6962-4196, [email protected]. Learn about Griffith's wine-making and irrigation history. The Italian section houses artefacts from the earliest Italian immigrants to the region. (updated Sep 2018)

• Cocoparra National Park. Cocoparra National Park is a 30-40 minute drive from Griffith. It has small gorges and streams, a welcome relief from the seemingly endless riverine plains to the south west of Griffith. In Spring the Park is carpeted with purple Patterson Curse interspersed with yellow wattles, a magnificent sight. Kangaroos and emus are plentiful and there are some very big goannas. Turquoise parrots can be seen and birds of prey soar overhead. There are a number of short walks.
  Jacks Creek track is a 2-hour return walk through a small gorge and up to a great lookout. Falcon Falls walking track takes you to a Peregrine Falcon nesting place. Store Creek track is a 2-hour walk to a very impressive amphitheatre formed by a series of red sandstone ledges around a small waterfall, there is some scrambling in the last 100 metres but not too difficult.
  You can visit the main places of interest of the park in a single day but there is camping if you wish to stay longer. (updated Jun 2024)

Griffith is home to some of Australia's biggest wine companies including De Bortoli, Calabria Family Wines, McWilliams, Casella Wines and Nugan Estate. A tour of the area gives you an idea of the scale of the Griffith wine industry. 8 or 9 of the local vineyards have wine tastings and cellar door sales.

• De Bortoli Winery, De Bortoli Rd, Bilbul, ☏ +61 2 6966 0100. 
• Yarran Wines, Myall Park Yenda. M-Sa 10AM-4PM. Has a number of good wines including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Durif and Botrytis Semillon. Some under $20 per bottle. Wine tasting is free but you can buy a cheese platter if you wish. (updated Sep 2024)

Griffith has a great variety of eating places. There are Korean, Indian, Italian and many other cafes.

• Bagtown Inn Motel, 2 - 4 Blumer Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 7166. 
• Griffith Motor Inn, 96 Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 1800. 
• La Tavola, 188 Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 7777. 
• Bar One88, 188 Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6964 8855. 
• -34.28723146.05511 Belvedere, Top Block 494 Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 1488, [email protected]. An old and simple but authentic Italian restaurant that has been around for nearly 50 years. Pizzas, pasta and gelato. Much of the produce is locally sourced. (updated Sep 2018)
• La Piccola Grosseria, 444A Bana Ave. Old-fashioned Italian deli. Has generous sized sandwiches with anti pasta filling for $14. (updated Sep 2024)

• Area Hotel, Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 1322. 
• Griffith Motel (Hotel/Motel), Kooyoo St, ☏ +61 2 6964 0170. 
• Hotel Victoria, 232 Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 1299. 
• -34.2506146.19561 Yenda Hotel, 2 Yenda Place, Yenda, ☏ +61 2 6968 1014. Family-owned pub with a pleasant beer garden. Meals available Tuesday to Sunday. 

• Alberta Lodge, 87 Canal St, ☏ +61 2 69 646288. 
• Griffith International Hostel, 112 Binya St, ☏ +61 2 6964 4236. 
• Pioneer Park Shearer's Quarters, Darrell Collins Remembrance Dr, ☏ +61 2 6962 4196. 

• Corynnia Station, 1823 Carrathool Road, Carrathool, ☏ +61 2 6993 5807, +61 428 696 497. A pool, tennis court, croquet and pushbikes are all available. 
• Hidden Oasis B&B - Karen French & Ugo Fattore, 2590 Pilloni Road Yoogali, ☏ +61 2 6964 5913. 
• Laines Cottage B&B - Elaine Robinson, 36 Richards St, ☏ +61 2 6963 5317. 
• Pebbles B&B - Rick & Sue, 27 Gorton St, ☏ +61 2 6964 3958. (updated Sep 2020)
• Somerton Park B&B - Chantelle Krieg, 14 Maegraith Pl, ☏ +61 2 6964 9060. 

• Caravan Village - Keith Millard, Mackay Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 3785. 
• Showground Caravan Park - Griffith International Hostel, Walla Ave, ☏ +61 2 6964 4236. 
• Tourist Caravan Park - Robert & Isabelle Gilbert, Willandra Ave, ☏ +61 2 6964 2144. 

• Area Hotel, Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 1322. 
• Griffith Motel (Hotel/Motel), Kooyoo St, ☏ +61 2 6964 0170. 
• Hotel Victoria, 232 Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 1299. 
• Yenda Hotel, Yenda Pl, ☏ +61 2 6968 1014. 

• A-Line Motel, 187- 189 Wakaden St, ☏ +61 2 6962 1922. 
• Acacia Motel - James & Val Browne, Jondaryan Ave, toll-free: 1800 555 400. 
• -34.28904146.062991 Exies Bagtown Motel, 2 - 4 Blumer Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 7166, [email protected]. 
• Citrus Motel - John & Karen Fuller, 71 Jondaryan Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 6233. 
• Coro Club Motel - Shaun Mealing, 28 Harward Rd, ☏ +61 2 6962 9711. 
• Griffith Motel (Hotel/Motel), Kooyoo St, ☏ +61 2 6964 0170. 
• Griffith Motor Inn - Max & Antionetta O'Brien, 96 Banna Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 1800. 
• Kidman Wayside Inn, 54 Jondaryan Ave, ☏ +61 2 6964 5666. Contact Frank Violi or Dominic Restagno. From $130. 
• M.I.A. Motel - John & Margaret Dunnicliff, Mackay Ave, ☏ +61 2 6962 1866. 
• Yambil Inn Motel - Robin & Carole Hill, 155 Yambil St, ☏ +61 2 6964 1233, [email protected]. 

Routes through Griffith

Cobar ← Hillston ←

N  S

→ Coleambally → Darlington Point