The Avon River is your go-to for water, swimming, fishing and canoeing.
The sounds of the gently flowing Avon River and persistent bird song provides an inspiring backdrop. If you are a creative type, drink the tonic of this area, for this lush river is flowing with creative juices, housing the artsy town of Stratford.
Highlights of Avon River
- Take the kids and your four legged friends for a splash in the shallow, slow-flowing water near Apex Park in Stratford
- Head north of Stratford, along the pebbly banks, for a spot of fishing and try your luck with trout, grayling, eel, carp, redfin and Australian bass
- Intrepid explorers should chase the river through the remote Avon Wilderness Area for world class four wheel driving along alpine ridges and down thrilling descents, and hiking through deeply rugged terrain
- Take the 1km Stratford All Abilities Pathway for an amble along the tranquil river, beginning at Apex Park on McMillan St, and ending at a lookout overlooking the Avon River
Indigenous Heritage
On the bluff, high above the bend of the Avon River is Knob Reserve, an important Aboriginal meeting place. See the scar trees where sheets of bark have been removed for canoes, food bowls, shelters and shields. Look out for the grinding stones, etched with deep grooves where axe heads were sharpened over many centuries.
A short drive out of Stratford is another site along the river, the Ramahyuck Cemetery, the final remains of the Ramahyuck Mission Station, where “half-caste” Aboriginal people were forcibly located in the late 1800s.
