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Griffith
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Citrus orchards line the way into
GRIFFITH
, with a range of low hills in the background. The major centre of the MIA, it's known for its large
Italian population
and their enduring cultural life, despite the fact that some of the families arrived here around the time of World War I. More came in the 1920s, having already tried mining in Broken Hill, and the area attracted post-World War II Italian immigrants as well. Needless to say, a string of excellent Italian cafAŠs and restaurants line the tree-filled main street of Banna Avenue, and the majority of
wineries
are run by Italian families. Designed by Walter Burley Griffin, the landscape architect from Chicago who was responsible for Canberra, the city has since grown beyond his plan.
For free maps and information, head for the Griffith Visitors Centre , on the corner of Jondaryan and Banna avenues (daily 9am-5pm; tel 02/6962 4145 or free call 1800 681 141, www.griffith.nsw.gov.au ). During the week, they can arrange for you to hop on a school bus-run (7-9am & 3.30-5pm) to see the surrounding district, its rice paddies, citrus and stonefruit orchards and vineyards, for around a dollar. An even better way to get an overview of the area is to head for Scenic Hill , the escarpment that forms the northern boundary of the city. The Sir Dudley de Chair's Lookout gives a panoramic view of the horticultural enterprises below. Immediately beneath this rocky outcrop, is the Hermit's Cave where Valerio Recetti, an Italian immigrant, lived alone and quite undetected for ten years, working only at night and early in the morning to create his home in the caves. One cave contained a small shrine where you can still see a painted cross. During World War II he was interned in Hay (around 150km to the west of Griffith) - as were most of the local Italians - and in 1952 he returned to Italy, where he died. Pioneer Park , in an extensive bushland setting 1.5km west of the lookout and 2km from the city centre (daily 9am-4.30pm; $6.60), has 36 buildings re-creating the era of the early MIA. The most interesting part is "Bagtown", a reconstruction of an early makeshift town built in 1910 to meet the needs of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area canal workers and pioneer farmers, and so-called because the homes were made of hessian cement bags with corrugated-iron roofs. There are sixteen wineries , many Italian-run, in the area surrounding Griffith. Eleven are open to the public (some by appointment only); all are detailed in the Griffith Visitors' Guide booklet available from the visitors centre. The very first winery, McWilliam's, was established in 1913 and holds tastings in a building resembling a wine barrel (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm); there are barbecues in the grounds. Several other wineries have been around for more than fifty years, dating from the post-World War I influx of Italian immigrants. One of these is Rossetto Wines on Rossetto Road, off Leeton Road (Mon-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm). Still run by the same family, it's a down-to-earth, friendly concern known for its muscats and ports. The Pioneer Park has bunkhouse accommodation for backpackers and fruit-pickers (tel 02/6962 4196; under $20, cheap weekly rates), but it's a long uphill walk out of town, with no public transport. There's also a very basic backpackers, Griffith International Hostel , at 112 Binya St (tel 02/6964 4236, www.griffithinternational.com.au ; under $20), but don't expect luxury. Most pickers camp or stay in caravans at the Griffith Tourist Caravan Park , 919 Willandra Ave, 2km south of the centre (tel 02/6964 2144, fax 6964 1126; on-site vans $20-35); the Griffith Caravan Park , on the Leeton Road, 3km east (tel 02/6962 3785; $20-35); or the cheap and basic campsite at the showground on the edge of town. For a bit more comfort, the popular Victoria Hotel , 384 Banna Ave (tel 02/6962 1299, fax 6962 1081; $35-50, cheap weekly rates), has basic rooms, but there's a TV lounge with tea and coffee provided, a cool, covered courtyard, counter lunches downstairs, live entertainment (Wed-Sat) and quality bistro meals from Tuesday to Saturday.
There's no shortage of good Italian places to
eat and drink
on Banna Avenue, with the pavement tables of the hugely popular
Bassano Cafe
being a good place to sample excellent coffee and delicious
focaccia
; you can also get pasta, home-made
gelati
, pastries and biscuits. The much cheaper bakery-style
Bertoldo's Pasticerria
has budget-priced and filling pasta dishes. For gourmet picnic supplies,
Riverina Grove
on Whybrow Street is a fantastic deli stocking a wide range of regional produce. Casual meals are served at the
Belvedere Restaurant and Pizza
, 494 Banna Ave, while
La Scala
, at no. 455 (tel 02/6962 4322; Tues-Sun dinner), is a more upmarket (licensed) and expensive choice.
Romeo & Giulietta Pizza Restaurant
, 40 Mackay Ave (Thurs-Sun dinner), uses a wood-fired oven for its delicious pizzas. For drinking, the town convenes at the
Gemini Hotel
on Banna Avenue, where you can sip a cocktail or down a schooner while listening to live music at the weekends. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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