Have breakfast in Queanbeyan, or if it’s a Sunday, at Canberra’s Old Bus Depot Markets. Then head down the Barton Highway to Hall, known for its scenic countryside and relaxed pace. Visit any of the three award-winning wineries. Then explore the galleries and gift shops of nearby Gold Creek Village before driving on to the vibrant village of Murrumbateman.  Stop in at cool-climate wineries to sample blends from sangiovese to riesling, chardonnay and shiraz. The Murrumbateman Moving Feast is held on the first weekend in October, and participating wineries will match your grape to a scrumptious plate.  Otherwise eat at a vineyard restaurant, country pub or on the verandah of your bed and breakfast, cottage or homestead. You can team your cellar door wine with views of rolling hills and resident kangaroos. 

Day 2 – Murrumbateman to Yass

Shop for antiques and country-style homewares before driving on to historic Yass, home to explorer Hamilton Hume and superfine merino wool. Visit Hume’s home of Cooma Cottage, now a National Trust museum. Then see his grave in the Anglican section of the Yass cemetery. You can even retrace part of his 1824 expedition to Port Phillip with William Hovell. You’ll need your stamina to do the whole thing - it stretches over 440 kilometres to Albury! Explore the charming villages, art galleries and cool climate wineries of the Yass Valley. Visit glass-blowing factories in Binalong, where Australian poet Banjo Paterson once lived, and the eclectic galleries of Bowning. Tour Carey’s Caves in the Wee Jasper Valley beneath the Brindabella Ranges or drive to Burrinjuck Dam for a picnic. Swim, fish, canoe and boat on Lake Burrinjuck and Goodradigbee River or camp and bushwalk around them.

From Yass, follow the Hume Highway to Gunning in the heart of one of the world’s richest wool-growing regions. Drive the Old South Road loop past 1820s blue stone buildings and walk or cycle over the Lachlan River. See the town’s old water pump for steam engines and the Court House built in 1879. On your way back to Canberra, drive through the tiny town of Collector and pretty Sutton on the upper reaches of the Swan River. Stop for a bite in the quaint 19th century village of Gundaroo, where villagers still graze cattle on the town common. Visit the 1830s police lock-up and browse the town’s treasure trove of art, antiques and collectables. Have a relaxed picnic lunch by the Yass River or at the award-winning restaurant in town. Soak up the romantic rural settings as you roll back into Canberra.