Thirty kilometres southeast of Leeton, at the junction of the Sturt and Newell highways, NARRANDERA is a popular overnight stop en route from Adelaide to Sydney, or Melbourne to Brisbane. It's actually a very pleasant place to take a break, set on the Murrumbidgee River with streets lined with tall native and deciduous trees owing to the foresight of the pioneer settlers; its white cedars, which blossom in November, are particularly beautiful.

A good place to cool down is Lake Talbot , a willow-surrounded expanse of water flowing from the Murrumbidgee River. Right next to the lake, with just a grassy bank between them, is the splendidly sited Lake Talbot Pool (Nov-April Mon-Fri 6am-9pm daily; adults $2.40, children $1.30). The complex is very family-friendly, with picnic areas and barbecues, various watery slides at 30-90¢ a go, children's pools and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Nearby, a reserve along the river has been declared a koala regeneration area for a disease-free colony of koalas; to get there, follow the Bundidgerry Walking Track around Lake Talbot and the Murrumbidgee River. Free maps of the track are available at the friendly Narrandera Tourist Information Centre , in Narrandera Park on the Newell Highway (daily 9am-5pm; tel 02/6959 1766 or free call 1800 672 392, tourist.centre@narranderra.nsw.gov.au ). Fishing fanatics could try out the lake or river for some Murray cod, yellowbelly or silverbeam; fish abound in the river, and 5km east of Narrandera, off the Sturt Highway, the John Lake Centre at the Inland Fisheries Research Station (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; guided tours 10.30am; tel 02/6959 9021), carries out research into the species of the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Darling rivers.

The best place to stay in Narrandera is the Historic Star Lodge , on the corner of Whitton and Arthur streets (tel 02/6959 1768, fax 6959 4164, www.ozemail.com.au/~historic ; $90-115), a fine B&B with an award-winning restaurant.Classified by the National Trust, the building retains many of its original 1916 features and is run by a friendly couple. If that's a little beyond your budget, East Street is the main street for hotels and motels, with several classic country hotels, complete with iron-lace balconies, all offering very reasonably priced accommodation. The most appealing of these is the Murrumbidgee Hotel at the corner of Audley Street (tel 02/6959 2011; $20-35), or try the Mid Town Motor Inn , situated off the highway on the corner of East and Larmer streets (tel 02/6959 2122, fax 6959 3271; $50-70), which has a swimming pool. Another good spot is the shady Lake Talbot Caravan Park , well positioned above the lake and pool (tel 02/6959 1302, ltcp@webfront.net.au ; cabins and on-site vans $35-50). Aside from the Historic Star Lodge (lunch Thurs-Sat, dinner Tues-Sat), the best place for a good meal is the reliable Ex-Servicemen's Club opposite the information centre on Bolton Street.