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North East Victoria
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Stretching from the high alpine country
in the east to the Goulburn River in the west and north to the Murray
River and New
South Wales border... This is the home of the Man From Snowy River...
the high country horsemen and bushrangers of Australian folklore, as
well as aboriginal dreamtime legends.
Rugged countryside, winter snows and white water streams in the spring,
preserved heritage towns, reminders of the gold rush era and the Chinese
workers. Beautiful country with plenty of water activities in the summer.
Ski resorts, trout fishing, bushwalking and cross-country treks, eco-tours,
riding trails, alpine wildflowers, white water activities, |
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hot air balloons, rock climbing, abseiling,
caving, hand-gliding, skydiving, para-sailing and world renowned gliding
sites.
Down from the high country, the waterways level out and
head west into the popular Murray and Goulburn River and lake systems.
Water based activities command most attention and the region is one
of the best known fruit growing regions in Australia. Landmarks from
the gold rush era in the towns and a fleet of paddlewheel steamers
on the Murray.
Water skiing, houseboats, cruisers, canoeing, fishing,
golfing, bowling greens, horse riding, eco tours, bushwalking, trout
farms, annual festivals and home to many craftspeople, art galleries
and antique dealers. |
Victoria's alpine resorts
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With short distances to travel from Melbourne, a wide
variety of accommodation options, and affordable package deals, it's
never been easier to visit Victoria's alpine resorts.
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- Mt Buller
- Mt Buller at 1600 metres is within three hours of Melbourne and
is a very popular resort with a good mix of slopes for all ski levels.
More dependant on snow making equipment in low snow conditions.
Stay at quaint lodges, luxury hotels or budget accommodation and
ski straight from the slopes to your front door at Mount Buller,
a resort offering easy access, a great terrain mix and exciting non-ski
activities.
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- Falls Creek
- Experience Victoria's largest ski and boarding resort, renowned
for its reliable snow cover and beautiful European-style village
set amongst snow gums.
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- Mt Hotham
- At 1750 metres Mt Hotham offers good skiing and caters for beginners,
intermediate and advanced. Cross country over the Bogong Plains to
Falls Creek at 1780 metres. Considered to be the best ski resort
in Victoria with skiing direst from lodge to lift and back from the
slopes to lodge. Majority of runs are classed intermediate. 30km
of trails and good cross country skiing.
Known as the 'powder capital' of Australia, Mt Hotham holds the record
for the highest annual snowfall of any Victorian resort over the
past decade, and offers spectacular scenery and a range of terrains.
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- Dinner Plain
- Nestled between the snow gums on the highest freehold land in Australia,
Dinner Plain is an eye-catching and relaxed alpine village only 10
kilometres from Mount Hotham. The slopes and trails are well utilised
by skiers in winter, while in summer visitors can enjoy bush walking,
horse riding and fly-fishing in a tranquil setting.
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- Mt Buffalo
- At 1750 metres, Mt Buffalo is further north. An excellent National
Park with a small resort for the beginner and intermediate with some
testing cross-country. Season is usually shorter than the other fields.
Known as the 'boutique mountain', with a reputation for being the
fun, affordable and friendly resort, Mt Buffalo hosts cross-country
trails
and snow play activities.
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- Mt Baw Baw
- Mt Baw Baw at 1480 metres is the most southerly of the resorts
and is popular with novices and family groups. Generally a relaxed
resort without the crowds of the other more
popular resorts.
The closest downhill ski area to Melbourne, Mt Baw Baw is a popular
destination for day-trippers and with two lifts dedicated to beginner
and intermediate skiers, Baw Baw is the ideal place to learn to ski.
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- Lake Mountain
- Renowned as Australia's premier cross-country ski resort, Lake
Mountain is the third most visited cross-country alpine resort in
the world, and also offers great toboggan slopes.
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- Mt Stirling
- Mt Stirling is a cross-country ski area offering inexpensive and
accessible snow fields for the whole family, including a range of
tracks for all ability levels, and toboggan areas.
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- Mt Beauty
- Living up to its name, Mt Beauty has many scenic highlights and
enjoyable attractions both in and around the township. Spend time
soaking up the lively local art and culture, as well as taking advantage
of the town's fine eating venues and nearby wineries.
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- Mt St Gwinear
- Cross country ski to the summit of Mt St Gwinear standing at 1509
metres, through beautiful Australian alpine scenery on the Baw Baw
Plateau. The summit is approximately 2.5 kilometres from the St.
Gwinear carpark, it's a bit of a steep climb but well worth the view
from the top. Keep an eye out for wombats and other native animals
along the way.
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Winter sports aside, the High Country is probable best
visited from spring to autumn unless the attraction is skiing. The
winter scenery
can be bleak, the weather cold and often wet, making driving unpleasant
and sightseeing more so.
Autumn is a beautiful time, particularly around Bright and Myrtleford,
when the leaves on the trees turn to red and gold, and the hop fields
and walnut groves look their prettiest.
The Great Alpine Road runs from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale (allow 5 hours),
taking you through the Alps past Mt Hotham and through rugged gorge
country.
Even non-wine drinkers will enjoy a sojourn at Rutherglen. The scenery
and well-preserved 19th century buildings make it a lovely spot,
and the wineries are inviting and rewarding. Some of the world's best
fortified wines come from here (tokays and muscats) and the reds are
big with some little-known varieties (Blue Imperial). To combine a
tipple with classic architecture, head to the castle-like All Saints.
At the foothills of the Alps, Beechworth has to be one of the prettiest
and most interesting towns in Australia. It's been wonderfully preserved
and the National Trust has classified the whole town as historically
important... During the gold rush there was a population of 42,000
and there were 61 hotels.
Some of Australia's most endearing and notorious legends have come
from Victoria's High Country... Australian bush poet A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson
wrote his famous work The Man From Snowy River here, and bushranger
Ned Kelly and his gang roamed the high country foothills. The Kelly
legend lives on in fascinating attractions and displays in historic
townships like Beechworth and Glenrowan. |
Bushwalking
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Bushwalking is a very popular activity world
wide and North East Victoria has many walks and tracks as well as old
cattle
men's huts to be enjoyed. From the top of Mt. Bogong to the valleys
below this area is a bushwalkers delight with beautiful views, great
camping areas and towns to get back to civilisation.
One of the biggest
walks in Australia is the Australian Alps Walking Track a 650 Km
track from Whalhalla in Victoria to Tharwa in the Australian Capital
Territory. As well as this monster of a walk there are many short walks ranging
from small day walks to extended walks of various length to accommodate
the more adventurous.
At all times while walking in this region some simple guidelines
can make your trip all that more enjoyable and safe... One of these
simple guidelines is minimal impact... This means you follow some
simple rules and the environment will not be damaged and will be
there for next time.
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Simple things like staying on tracks...
washing dishes away from streams and rivers, not leaving rubbish...
using fuel stoves instead of lighting fires, all help to keep the
beautifull bush as it is today. Another simple rule that can
make your trip
one to remember
not one
to forget is to let someone know where you are going and when you
expect to return, this speeds up any search or rescue that may have
to look for you if you did get lost.
With the continual expansion of the Mobile Phone network, mobile
phone access is now worth mentioning. On various walking tracks mobile
phones work very well and should be considered when working out what
to take with you... UHF C.B. access is also very good on many
walking tracks and this should also be considered... many UHF
repeaters in the area can be an important link to get you help should
something go wrong... If you do need to get help try
to get onto a ridge or peak as the higher you can get above trees,
the better signal you can expect. |
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Some of the wonderful areas for bushwalking are:
- Bogong High Plains with Mt Bogong and Falls Creek
- Mt Hotham
area including Mt Feathrtop with its many tracks including The
Razorback which takes walkers off to Mt Hotham.
- Alpine National Park including Mt Howitt, The Twinds and the
Viking.
- Mt Buffalo with its many day walks and spectacular views. Beechworth's
historic walking tracks and places of interest.
- The Warby Ranges near Wangaratta.
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