Urana 

A little settlement in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Urana is surrounded by lakes. To the west lies Lake Urana and the Lake Urana Nature Reserve. To the east lies a smaller lake, Lake Uranagang. The name Urana is thought to have derived from the Aboriginal word 'airana', meaning a temporary shelter.

The main attraction is the Urana Dam Aquatic and Recreation Centre which lies 5 km to the west of the township where leisure activities such as camping, fishing and water skiing can be persued.

The population of Urana is just under 1,400 people. Most of them are connected to the sheep raising or wheat growing industries that predominate the area.

Things to do

• Using the Urana Nature Reserve as a base, watch for Eastern grey kangaroos, the Red-rumped parrot, Brown treecreeper, Spiny-cheeked honeyeater, Striped honeyeater and the Grey-crowned babbler. When the lake is flooded, wood ducks, pacific black duck, australian grey teal, yellow-billed spoonbill, black-fronted dotterel and magpie-lark occur in moderate numbers
• Built in the 1890s, the Court House is an impressive building worth seeing
• Camp, fish or water ski at the Urana Dam Aquatic Centre
• Visit the nearby settlement of Oaklands which has an interesting Vintage Machinery Museum