It's official! Wagga Beach has been named one of the top 10 best beaches in Australia.
The city's sandy strip by the Murrumbidgee River has taken out the number nine position in the Top 20 beaches of 2020 as complied by Tourism Australia's beach ambassador Brad Farmer AM.
By making the honour roll, Wagga Beach is the first inland beach to ever feature in Mr Farmer's lists.
In Wagga Wagga on Thursday morning to officially launch the top 20 list, Mr Farmer said the Wagga Beach achievement was likely to turn the tide on the nation's definition of 'a beach'.
"It's time we extend the meaning of a beach given there are so many aquatic environments across Australia's interior," Mr Farmer said.
"These recreational settings are deserving of inclusion because of the value Aussies place on water, both socially and as a precious resource.
"Wagga Beach ticks all the boxes for inclusion in the top 20 list – golden sand, sunshine, water for a dip, shade to cool off."
For thousands of years the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga has long been a place for celebration and exchange for the traditional owners of the Wiradjuri nation. This tradition continues today with Wagga Beach one of our city's top attractions for locals and visitors.
"Wagga Beach on a sunny, summer's day rarely has a patch of sand free as visitors and locals enjoy a splash in the Murrumbidgee River, play beach cricket or rest under the shade of the river red gums," Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga, Councillor Greg Conkey OAM said.
"For Wagga Wagga, almost 400 kilometres from the nearest coastline, to be at the centre of a national conversation about beaches, is certainly worth celebrating.
"We have long known that Wagga Beach is an inland paradise, and now we welcome the rest of the country, and the world, to come see our #9 Australian beach.
"Our inclusion shows visitors that if you take the road less travelled and head into regional areas you can uncover some of our country's hidden gems."
Wagga Beach will also continue to improve, as the city further invests in the precinct, with Stage 2 of the Riverside upgrade to start in the new year.
In 2018/2019 tourism contributed $378M to the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area.
