Join Trip in a Van as they embark on an awesome 4WD adventure through the Victorian alpine region.
With stunning valleys, mountains, rivers and lakes, the Victorian High Country is ideal for a family 4WD adventure. Trip in a Van blogger bec lorrimer takes her family of five into some seriously epic terrain.
It may be well known for its snowfall throughout winter, but Victoria’s High Country also has fantastic Australian history, challenging 4WD tracks and picturesque bush camps that make for a fun off-road holiday. And we can’t wait to see it all.
Snowy River memories
With our tent, sleeping bags and our three kids loaded into our Mazda BT-50, we leave the gorgeous town of Mansfield, with its tree-lined boulevard and great coffee shops, and head for our first camp at Craig’s Hut, atop Mt Stirling. It’s an easy drive on bitumen to the base of the mountains, at which point the road turns to dirt and we let down our tyres. The scenery along the way – rolling hills and deep valleys – blows our minds. Having grown up watching the iconic Man from Snowy River, it’s surreal seeing famous Craig’s Hut, built as part of the set for the 1982 film. The hut is now synonymous with the Australian Alps.
Hut history
On our second day, we’re met with a crisp morning as the sun flickers through the trees. We all enjoy a campfire breakfast before setting off on a scenic ascent – up to 1,750 metres’ altitude – of Mt Stirling.
The track up to the summit is steep and rocky and could be challenging in wet periods.
Once we reach the top, we park the car and take a short walk further up the mountain for spectacular views toward Mt Buller (a popular ski resort in winter) and right across the High Country.
One of the most unique features and what we love most about the Victorian High Country are the huts we come across. A lot of them have been rebuilt, but they are a great reminder of how Australia’s pioneering cattlemen used to live. You can camp in some of the huts and many have fire pits and are cosy. We spend our second evening in the beautiful Lovicks Hut, which turns out to be our favourite spot on our trip. It’s large enough for a few families to camp out in and has an indoor fireplace, and outside there is plenty of grass for the kids to run around on.
Mountain reminders
The next day sees us following King Billy
Track, and it’s a bumpy one. There are plenty of slow, low-range sections and we make sure we stop and stretch our legs at beautiful Bindaree Falls. Trekking on to our next camp at Wonnangatta Station, we soon agree this is another must-see attraction. Located beside a creek, the homestead has a heartbreaking history. This former cattle station became the site of an unsolved murder more than a century ago and was later burnt down by bushwalkers. Its story is a solemn reminder of how remote it would have been in this region in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Simple pleasures
A trip to the High Country isn’t complete without a visit to the iconic Dargo Hotel and on our way, we tackle the Herne Spur Track. It is seriously fun, with a steep, relentless low-range climb that’s not advisable on a wet day. We arrive at Dargo Hotel for a lunch of huge and delicious parmigiana before heading to our campsite for our final night in the mountains.
Talbotville is yet another fantastic campground and we explore the Blue Rag Range Track from here. The route to get here is incredible and offers spectacular 360-degree views of beautiful alpine scenery and rolling plains as far as the eye can see. Driving over a ridge with steep drop-offs, we need to use the winch up a hill as we get some serious wheel spin.
The Victorian High Country is a diverse landscape and the mountains really do have their own weather system. We experience warm days, cold nights and even a spot of snow in autumn, yet we absolutely love our family 4WDing trip.
The tracks, campgrounds, scenery and overall experience is a must for any adventure-loving family.