Why this ride
A one-way ride of 131 km, Wangaratta to Hotham Heights - roughly 1 h 54 in the saddle. The highest point is about 1,850 m. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Great Alpine Road: Wangaratta to Mount Hotham
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 131 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 54
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Bright → Mount Hotham
This part of the ride is 53 km of Bright → Mount Hotham.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 53 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Wangaratta
Wangaratta stands where the Ovens and King rivers meet, on the flat plains at the foot of Victoria's north-eastern ranges, and it is the gate to the high country. The Great Alpine Road starts here, and for many riders, the day begins with a coffee on the main street before the long climb into the hills. The town has about eighteen thousand people, a wide central square, and a mix of old brick buildings and newer shops.
Read the complete Wangaratta write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Wangaratta is where the day begins. Next is Bright.
2. Bright
Bright is a town where autumn is a seasonal event. In the Ovens Valley, in northeast Victoria, rows of maples, poplars and oaks that settlers planted turn blazing orange and yellow in late April and May, and the whole valley fills with visitors with cameras. Out of season Bright is a peaceful country town of around two and a half thousand people, with cafes, a brewery, and the Ovens River running through the middle of a park.
Read the complete Bright write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Bright comes up about 78 km into the recorded legs. Next is Mount Hotham.
3. Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham stands 1,845 metres above sea level, and the Great Alpine Road crosses its shoulder, making this one of the highest sealed roads in Australia. The terrain is a rolling, wind-bent alpine plateau of snow gums, heath and rock, quite unlike the stereotype of the Australian outback. In winter it is a major ski resort, buried in snow from June to September, and in summer the high meadows burst into wildflowers in December and January.
Read the complete Mount Hotham write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 131 km. Nothing on this route is higher.
Leg by leg
Wangaratta to Bright
Wangaratta → Bright is 78 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Bright to Mount Hotham
Bright → Mount Hotham is 53 km. This is the part worth slowing down for - look through the bends and use the pull-offs.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Great Alpine Road · part 1 · 186 km
- Great Alpine Road: Wangaratta to Omeo · 187 km
- Murray to Mountains Loop · 173 km
- Great Alpine Road · 615 km from Wangaratta · 615 km