Autumn leaf-peeping adventure along the Great Alpine Road
Linking Wangaratta and Bairnsdale, Australia’s highest year-round accessible sealed road is best experienced in autumn, where there’s no need for snow chains and the landscapes could be mistaken for a watercolour painting.
Travelling along the Great Alpine Road from Wangaratta, you’ll reach Bright in an hour. During autumn, Bright’s many deciduous trees turn warm orange, golden yellow and deep vermillion hues. Unsurprisingly, this region excels at all things autumn. From a mountaincrafted chocolatey stout at Bright Brewery, to a glass of Rutherglen red by the Wandi Pub fireplace, there’s no better place to dedicate yourself to autumnal pursuits.
The next morning, drive to Bents Lookout at Mt Buffalo National Park to take in blockbuster views and get punch-drunk on alpine air. Afterwards, drive towards Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain, where the mountainous terrain makes for intense driving. Go slow as there are feral deer, super-steep inclines and hairpin turns to negotiate.
Towards Omeo, you’ll notice splashes of autumn foliage and, if the striking Art Deco facade of the Golden Age Hotel Motel doesn’t win you over, the hearty pub meals will. Overnight in Omeo, then start your final leg. Swifts Creek Bakery is the perfect pit stop for old-school bakery classics. From there, it takes 80 minutes to reach Bairnsdale, the end of the Great Alpine Road where you can enjoy life in the slow lane at the Gippsland Lakes.
303 kilometres. Retreat to the Kilnhouses, located on a working cattle stud DISTANCE: STAY: in the blissfully bucolic Ovens Valley.