The Victorian High Country with Elise’s Travel Diary

Your Victorian High Country adventure begins with a Melbourne CBD pick-up. Get to know your host and trip-mates on a short drive before entering the breathtaking Black Spur drive, a road flanked by towering mountain ash trees. We’ll stop here for photos before continuing on to Marysville, where we’ll have a bite to eat and check out the amazing Bruno’s Art and Sculpture Garden, as well as Steavenson Falls – one of Victoria’s tallest waterfalls.

We’ll then head towards Mansfield, with a stop at Acheron Cutting Lookout offering stunning vistas across the hills towards the High Country. You’ll have a bit of time to relax before we enjoy a delicious welcome dinner at Ranges Mansfield, “the true taste of the high country” featuring a range of fresh locally sourced produce.

Included Meals: Welcome Dinner at Ranges Mansfield
Accommodation: High Country Holiday Park, Mansfield

There is literally no better way to truly introduce you to the beauty and magic of the Victorian High Country landscape than with a sunrise hot air balloon flight. You will soar peacefully above the rolling hills, witnessing the world below bathed in the golden hues of dawn. Presented by the highly experienced crew at Global Ballooning, this is a morning you will never ever forget.

After the morning’s flight, we’ll wind our way into the King Valley, where we will stop at Powers Lookout in Cheshunt. Next up is a Specials & Rare wine tasting experience at the renowned Pizzini Wines, followed by lunch at the multi award-winning Mountain View Hotel in Whitfield.

Following lunch, we’ll head to one of the Victorian High Country’s most picturesque and well known towns, Bright, which will be our base for the next few days. Our accommodation is at the beautiful and recently refurbished Bright Velo.

Included Meals: Lunch at Mountain View Hotel Whitfield
Accommodation: Bright Velo, Bright

Today is a day for exploring the beauty of the alpine region, which during winter is covered in snow, and during summer offers stunning views and swimming holes nestled amongst the snow gums.

We’ll stop for coffee and breakfast or a quick snack before kicking the day’s activities off with a refreshing morning walk and swim (for those who would like to) at Mount Beauty Gorge. If you aren’t keen for a swim, this location still offers plenty for the explorers and photographers.

We’ll grab some lunch at Mount Beauty before heading up the mountain towards Falls Creek to chase some more waterfalls and high country swimming spots, including Fainter Falls and the crystal-clear waters of Pretty Valley Creek Pools. Again, for the non-swimmers, these are still beautiful locations to explore, or relax and enjoy the clean mountain air.

We’ll be back in Bright for dinner, where we can either dine as a group or you are free to choose from a range of fantastic dinner options.

Accommodation: Bright Velo, Bright

Today we’ll explore the spectacular natural beauty of Mount Buffalo National Park, often referred to as the ‘island in the sky’ and home to sheer cliffs, granite tors, waterfalls and huge views.

This is a playground for the waterfall lovers, and we’ll visit Rollasons Falls, Ladies Bath Falls, and Eurobin Falls. If the weather is warm, feel free to take a dip in the clear and cool waters – or just admire the tranquil surroundings.

Mount Buffalo has vistas aplenty, offering absolutely stunning views over the sprawling landscapes below. We’ll check out the Chalwell Galleries Walk, The Horn lookout, and a bunch of other great vantage points as time permits.

Lunch today will be on the mountain, with a beautiful platter featuring a selection of local produce created and prepared by Bright’s very own Lime Wedge Platters.

We’ll return to Bright in the afternoon, where you are free to relax or explore the town at your leisure. If the skies are looking good, we may well see who is keen to head back up Mount Buffalo to one of the stunning sunset viewpoints!

Included Meals: Local Produce Lunch Platter from Lime Wedge Platters
Accommodation: Bright Velo, Bright

Our final day of the tour will not be in the slightest bit wasted!

We’ll depart Bright and head towards historic Beechworth, and our first stop will be at Woolshed Falls. This is a great place for a relaxing walk to the different viewpoints, and if it’s a warm day you can cool off by dipping your toes in the rock pools above the falls.

In Beechworth, we’ve organised a tour of the famous Billson’s Brewery – one of Australia’s oldest breweries. Billson’s has an amazing backstory from its birth, through refurbishment, and most recently its growth to be one of Australia’s largest producer of beverages featuring flavours that would even impress the likes of Willy Wonka.

Following the tour, we’ll jump right into the new and brilliantly fun Billson’s Flavours with Friends (BFF) tasting experience. Guided by our own Billson’s taste master, we’ll work our way through a fizzy flight of new releases, classics and a few hidden flavours. The Champion Taster gets to take home an exclusive prize!

We’ll have lunch in Beechworth, and then you can relax in air conditioned comfort for the 3hr journey back to Melbourne. On the drive back you can chat with your new travel buddies, share your photos, add each other on Instagram, or maybe you can use the time to ask Elise about her next hosted adventure… shhhh!