Kate Nancarrow tucks into local smallgoods,wine and olives during a stay in the country.
Brigid Delaney enjoys clear days and cold nights during a sojourn most pleasant.
The King Valley is about to showcase its food and wine with a weekend festival,writes Sue Wallace.
<b>Wangaratta (including Tarrawingee)</b><br><b>Large city on the Ovens and King Rivers</b><br>Wangaratta is a regional capital of some 17 500 people located 233 km north-east of Melbourne via the Hume Freeway and 150 m above sea-level. It is also the northern starting point of the Great Alpine Road. The plentiful water supply must have been a major attraction to early settlers. The Ovens and King Rivers,which wind tortuously through the eastern section of town,meet at Wangaratta,leaving a number of lagoons and billabongs in their wake. Furthermore,Three Mile Creek runs along the western edge of town and One Mile Creek through the centre. Plenty of parkland has been preserved.