Great Alpine Road · part 3

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Omeo

   Omeo sits at the end of a long, empty road in the high country of Victoria, and for a long time it was a place people passed through on their way to somewhere else. In the 1850s, that somewhere else was gold. Prospectors poured in, and for a while Omeo was a rough, bustling frontier town, with a reputation for lawlessness that earned it the nickname of the Wild West of Victoria. Then the gold ran out, and the town settled into a quieter life as a service centre for cattle farmers and, later, for skiers heading for the mountains.

   Read the complete Omeo write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Omeo is where the day begins. Next is Bairnsdale.

2. 2. Bairnsdale

   Bairnsdale is the gateway to East Gippsland, a handy market town of about eight thousand people on the Mitchell River flats, and it marks one end of the Great Alpine Road. That road climbs about three hundred kilometres from here to Wangaratta, crossing the Victorian Alps by way of Omeo and Mount Hotham, and in places it is spectacular. At Bairnsdale itself, the scenery is flat and the pace relaxed, so it makes sense as a place to refuel and rest before or after the mountains.

   Read the complete Bairnsdale write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Bairnsdale comes up about 121 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Omeo.

3. 3. back through Omeo

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Omeo write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   At least about 242 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Omeo. Next is back through Mount Hotham.

4. 4. back through 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

   back through Mount Hotham, about halfway. Next is back through Bright.

5. 5. back through 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

   back through Bright sits at 292 km, late in the day. Next is Wangaratta.

6. 6. 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

   The route ends here after 429 km.