About Victoria's High Country

Victoria's High Country - Adventures Happen

Welcome to the High Country, where you can experience a nature-based adventure in the alpine landscapes of North East Victoria. History and gold rush towns, snowfields, waterways, and gourmet food and wine, offer a rich touring experience.

The stunning mountains, valleys, lakes and waterways and rich heritage of this region provide an inspiring setting for a host of exciting outdoor activities.

In winter, snow brings skiers to the downhill runs and cross-country trails of the region's resorts. In summer, these areas are transformed into a favourite destination for bushwalkers, horse riders, cyclists, fishermen, campers and 4WD enthusiasts.

ADVENTURE

The camping grounds found in this region range from well-maintained sites with full facilities to secluded clearings. Tackle the rivers of High Country by canoe, kayak or raft. Head off the highway and explore some of the best 4WD areas in Australia. Join a tour and explore the magnificent alpine landscapes on horseback. Experience the thrill of powered hang-gliding or a scenic micro-light flight. Take an early morning hot air balloon ride. Captain your own houseboat from departure points around Lake Eildon. Jump on a mountain bike and explore beyond the alpine villages. Enjoy a picnic against a backdrop of breathtaking alpine views. For the adventurous, Mt Buffalo provides a spectacular platform for rock climbing. Skiers and snowboarders can discover some of the most beautiful and accessible alpine resorts in Australia. Hike the high plains and enjoy breathtaking views and stunning wildflower displays. Hook up with the largest trout in Victoria – fish High Country rivers and alpine lakes.

FOOD & WINE

Sampling local food and wine is an important part of a visit to Victoria's High Country. Choose from a wide range of award-winning country bakeries, wineries, gourmet food producers, and eateries, fresh produce and fine food outlets.

Visit award-winning country bakeries, cafés specialising in local produce, winery restaurants, fine dining establishments and laid-back country pubs. Traditional pub meals are a requisite part of any journey through the Australian countryside, and you will not be disappointed in the High Country, where the servings are hearty and the hospitality warm. The region is also earning a reputation for fine dining, with restaurants serving traditional and international cuisine complemented by superb local wines in scenic surrounds. Try Simone’s of Bright or The Bank Restaurant or Green Shed Bistro in Beechworth. For something a little bit different, stop off at one of the wineries or specialist food outlets in the region. Enjoy a cheese platter at the renowned Milawa Cheese Factory or a total food and wine experience at the Epicurean Centre at Brown Brothers Vineyard. Sample local cheeses, mustards, berries and olives. Visit a trout farm and don't miss the many award-winning regional bakeries in the region. Call in at cellar doors to sample a diverse range of wines, from fortifieds to Italian varietals at any of the eight distinct wine regions. Hire a bike and follow The Muscat Trail through the Rutherglen wine region or let someone else do the driving and join a guided tour of the region.

SCENERY

High Country is home to the Victorian Alps, the spectacular alpine section of Australia's iconic Great Dividing Range. Discover towering winter-snowed mountains, tree-covered ranges, tranquil alpine lakes and rivers and rural farmlands.

Enjoy spectacular mountain scenery with snow-capped hills and high plains in winter and carpets of alpine wildflowers in Spring. Enjoy a relaxing stroll through the attractive botanical gardens of Benalla or visit the beautiful heritage gardens in and around Beechworth. Explore the region's national parks including Victoria's oldest park, Mount Buffalo National Park and the largest of them all, Alpine National Park. High Country is the perfect place to view diverse and beautiful wildlife in their natural habitats. See wallabies, wombats, echidnas and more.

WILDLIFE

High Country is a great place to see wildlife in its natural habitat. In summer you may encounter swamp wallabies, wombats, echidnas and possums. Wombats can even be found in the middle of winter ambling across the snow looking for a patch of grass to feed on. Rare or threatened wildlife including the mountain Pygmy-possum, the world’s only exclusively alpine marsupial, also inhabit the region. The noisy birdlife includes Gang-gang cockatoos, Pied Currawongs and sleek ravens.

NATIONAL PARKS

The Alpine National Park is the largest national park in Victoria. Containing 10 of the 11 highest mountains in the state the park boasts stunningly beautiful alpine topography with dramatic mountain landscapes, wild rivers, impressive escarpments, snow gum forests and open grasslands known as 'high plains'.

There are many diverse vegetation types, the most significant being alpine and subalpine communities. Snow gums and alpine ash trees heavily forest the mountains. Wildflowers, heathlands, alpine herbfields and snowplains, mossbeds and snowpatch communities grow in the higher exposed areas too harsh for trees to survive.

The Great Alpine Road Touring Route, which winds through the heart of the Victorian Alps on the highest altitude road in Victoria, provides a great way to see this magnificent landscape. Alpine National Park offers some of Australia's most outstanding alpine landscapes, rocky escarpments, snow gum woodlands, alpine plains and Victoria's highest and best-known peaks, including Mount Feathertop and Mount Bogong. Lake Eildon National Park is situated on the shores of Lake Eildon and comprises of 27,750 hectares of rugged hills with open woodlands through to dense forest. The Howqua Hills Historic area is renowned for its natural beauty coupled with relics of gold mining and early European settlement in the area, including Fry's Hut.

Enjoy eucalyptus and native cypress pine forests, winding creeks, steep gullies and rugged granite outcrops as well as a number of significant goldmining sites in the Beechworth Historic Park.  Enjoy eucalyptus and native cypress pine forests, winding creeks, steep gullies and rugged granite outcrops as well as a number of significant goldmining sites in the Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park.

From exquisite flowers to quirky displays, the beautiful parks and gardens of this region are worth a visit. Enjoy a relaxing stroll through the attractive botanical gardens of Benalla or visit the beautiful heritage gardens in and around Beechworth. Several festivals and special events are also held throughout the year.