Winton Wetlands is a large restored wetland reserve about 15 minutes from Benalla. The landscape is open and slightly eerie: water, grassland, dead tree trunks, birds, and big Victorian sky.
Public art has become part of the draw, especially Guido van Helten's water-tank portraits of local Country Fire Authority volunteers. Go with a car, allow time for slow roads, and bring binoculars if birds interest you.