Great Alpine Road

Leg 1: Wangaratta – Myrtleford

40 mins drive · 41 km

Located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers, Wangaratta is a relaxed commercial city that hosts the popular Wangaratta Jazz Festival each year. Oxley and Milawa are the centre of the Milawa Gourmet Region and home to Brown Brothers Vineyards, as well as the Milawa Cheese Company and Milawa Mustards. Follow the King River from Wangaratta into the heart of King Valley, which is famous for its Italian wine grape varieties. Take the snow road to meet up with the Great Alpine Road and visit the many local producers and wineries of the Ovens Valley including Gapsted and Michelini Wineries. Today the town has a thriving retail precinct catering to its population of 3,600. Other local industries include timber, walnuts, beef and grapes.

Leg 2: Myrtleford – Bright

30 mins drive · 30 km

The drive up the Ovens Valley to Porepunkah and Bright provides an abundance of local produce. Porepunkah is a pretty settlement on the junction of the Ovens and Buckland Rivers and is a relaxing stop on the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail. It is home to Boynton’s and Ringer Reef Wineries boasting magnificent views of Mt Buffalo which was proclaimed a national park in 1898. Mt Buffalo is renowned for its magnificent granite tors, waterfalls, rock climbing and hang-gliding. Explore the network of walking trails in the warmer months. Before heading to Bright take a detour to the beautiful Buckland Valley where you will find the Alpaca Farm and the Buckland Studios and Café. For something more adventurous the Porepunkah airfield has paragliding, microlighting and helicopter tours. Bright welcomes visitors all year round in a magnificent sub-Alpine setting. Good shopping and a range of cafes and restaurants showcase the region’s produce. Its famous avenues of deciduous trees are at their best during Spring and Autumn.

Leg 3: Bright – Dinner Plain

1 hr 30 mins drive · 63 km

Just out of Bright, get yourself lost in the hedge maze at Wandiligong. Continue to Freeburgh and Smoko, former gold townships that are today centres of farming on the valley floor. Harrietville nestles in the foothills of Mt Hotham. Its riverside park pays homage to the pioneers of the district and outlines the colourful history of this town from the discovery of gold in 1852. It is the starting point for walking tracks that lead to Mt Feathertop (1922m) and Mt Hotham (1862m). From Harrietville, the road winds its way up to Mt Hotham, the highest point on the Great Alpine Road. Mt Hotham is a mecca for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts during winter. The summer months offer a multitude of walking and cycling tracks with spectacular mountain views. Just down the road you’ll find Dinner Plain. This alpine village epitomises the beauty and tradition of Australia’s Alpine High Country. Featuring a unique alpine environment and architectural style which owes its roots to the stone, timber and iron of early cattlemen huts, Dinner Plain offers everything from restaurants to horseriding, skiing and bushwalking. The Onsen Retreat and Spa will soothe tired muscles after a day’s activity.

Here’s a preview of what your website’s text will look like by default. You can also adjust the typography of most elements separately. Note that the Font Size setting affects all the sizes defined in “rem” units, that is, almost all areas of your site.

Leg 4: Dinner Plain – Bairnsdale

2 hrs drive · 168 km

From Dinner Plain, head down the hill to Omeo. The history of this frontier town since the mid 1800s has been forged by gold seekers, mountain cattlemen and farming families. The Oriental Claims and Victoria Falls Historic Areas are well worth a visit. Anglers Rest is home to the famed Blue Duck Inn and is a great spot for fishing and high country horse riding. Further along the Great Alpine Road you’ll find Swifts Creek. The Great Alpine Gallery is a must do. The nearby towns of Cassilis and Ensay are worth the diversion for a taste of high country wine and honey mead. The Great Alpine Road ends at Bairnsdale, a major retail and commercial centre servicing central Gippsland and the Gippsland Lakes. In the mid 1800s Bairnsdale was a popular port for the transport of goods to the Omeo goldfields.