Bright and Mt Beauty-ful - from the river to the mountain
To be perfectly honest with you, we consider the Great Alpine Road a great deal greater than the Great Ocean Road. They’re both great, mind you… and that is the last time we’ll use the word “great” to describe anything in this story, due to a recently expressed feeling by one of our contributors that “great” isn’t such a great word, err… sorry. This month’s map offers you four routes between Rutherglen and Omeo, all of different lengths and somewhat different character. Mind you, they inevitably double up a bit, but that’s all right – you can only ride one at a time. Unless you’re riding a quantum bike, I suppose, like the Schroedinger “Cat”… all right, just kidding. I haven’t bothered with indicating fuel availability, because there’s plenty along the way. I’ve also tried not to play favourites – these are all good roads. But – and there’s always a “but” - you would be well advised to plan for this ride in winter, instead of doing it. Some of the roads involved on each route may be closed by snow; the GAR is most likely to be ploughed free quickly, but you can’t necessarily count on that. Mind you, having said that I can also tell you that all of these roads are a lot of fun in winter, as long as you’re competent – and careful! One of them, indeed, is currently under consideration for the Fire & Ice rallies which we might be planning…
As the centre of a well-known wine region, Rutherglen necessarily focuses on matters vinous, but there are also three pubs which dispense a decent beer. We have long been fond of the Victoria Hotel (all the pubs are in the main street) but the last time we stopped there the room was not what we’d been used to, and neither was the food. Give the place a go and report back to us, will you? The Poachers Paradise, another pub, has motel-style rooms and is pleasant by all reports, though we have not stayed there – see www. poachersparadise.com.au. We also like Motel Woongarra, reservations 1800 022 063. Meals are available at the wineries or in cafés and restaurants in town, as well as the pubs.
There’s a little motor museum right in the main street of Chiltern. It’s almost hidden, behind the only service station in the town. It features vintage motorcycles, cars and petrol driven engines but the most unusual thing about it is the unique and extensive museum of petrol bowsers and pumps. Did you know that before 1910, petrol was sold in 2 gallon tins packed in wooden boxes? Lots of these tins and boxes are on display not only at the museum but also at the gadget shed at the Star Hotel Museum. And did you know where the word “bowser” for a petrol pump came from? It seems a company by the name of Bowser manufactured the first petrol pumps around 1910. They were so popular that the company name became the nickname for a petrol pump, and is still the same today. There you go, don’t say we never teach you anything!
Picturesque and all set up for the wave of tourists that flows through it on a regular basis, Beechworth still manages to retain much of its charm. We’re happy to recommend the Beechworth Bakery in Camp St, and there is a lot of touristy-type shopping which could provide something to take home to the unfortunate members of your family who aren’t along on this trip. Beechworth has a lot of history, mainly from the gold rushes.
A bit like Beechworth but smaller, Bright offers some good food at its various cafés and restaurants as well as a relaxing atmosphere. Try to be here when the leaves are turning; the town is a blaze of colour from its many deciduous trees.
Despite the fact that it feels almost American – I’ve seen a lot of places like it in resort areas in the US – Dinner Plain manages to be thoroughly Aussie, and that includes the modern but friendly pub which lies a bit off the road. Most of its other buildings are ski lodges, so don’t expect to find too much life there out of season. And be wary of road closures in season!
Another place with a lot of history, Omeo was a major gold town too and prospectors still scour the valleys around it looking for the precious metal. There isn’t a lot in town, although you’ll find somewhere to fuel up, fill your tummy and to sleep as well. The pub is a huge, impressive structure that’s passable inside.
Talking of pubs, the Blue Duck is everybody’s favourite – everybody who’s been there, anyway. Well, almost: I have had complaints that it takes forever to get your meal, but this is one place where I wouldn’t be surprised if they slaughtered a beast especially to fill your order. Steaks are huge, service is friendly and you can either stay in the well-appointed holiday fl at-type units up behind the pub, or camp across the road and the river.
This is a strange place, made that way by the fact that it was relocated when the Hume Dam was built and its original site was covered by the water. As a result it looks like a throwback to the ‘60s, and I suppose it is. The pub makes a point of being motorcycle friendly, and we recommend it highly.
Someone wrote to me recently and complained that there’s nothing at Falls Creek. This is a common misconception, I think – the road kind of passes the admittedly little township by, and if you don’t know it’s there – it’s gone before you notice it. In fact Falls Creek is much like any other ski village, with some businesses closed out of the season and others adapting to the summer rush that’s been brought by the relatively newly-sealed road across to Omeo. There are many scenic walks and stops along the road down to Mt Beauty, but don’t get too distracted – the road has teeth, too! Many of the corners are tight and blind, and some drivers coming the other way will quite likely be on your side of the road.
A pretty town, Mt Beauty also exists primarily to service the many skiers and other winter sports fans who flock to the area every year. From my point of view it benefits from being a little further from Melbourne than many of the other ski centres, which means it feels less temporary and more grounded. We can highly recommend the bakery, in the middle of town (not on the through road) and the pub is all right.
This is intended as a one-day run, but if you like to dawdle and maybe take photos, or have a siesta after lunch, you can easily turn it into a two-dayer. We have started it in Rutherglen, but you can actually begin anywhere you like along the way, on any of the routes.
ROUTE DESCRIPTION (YELLOW)
To make this ride even gr… better, we’ll start in Rutherglen, one of our favourite places. The road to Chiltern is one of those forgotten-looking back roads in country Victoria that make for terrific riding, no matter what bike you’re on. Part of it is through forest, and the rest is through relatively thinly-settled farm land. Lovely country. And Chiltern is a wonderful little town, like a throwback to a gentler and slower age. Another good and relatively empty road takes you to Beechworth, which has a lot of attractions including a brewery – but we’re riding today! Take a photo of yourself in front of the gaol where Ned Kelly was accommodated for a while, and push on. It’s a wonderful, relaxed run up through the vineyards and hop fields through Ovens and Porepunkah to Bright, where the road gets interesting and requires a bit more concentration. It requires even more of that past Harrietville, where the twisties start that will take you up to Mt Hotham and then Dinner Plain. The DP pub is a good stop. From here all the way to Omeo the road is pure pleasure, for the surface, corners and the view out over the mountains. Omeo is pretty quiet but it does have all the services you might need or want; if you haven’t eaten at Dinner Plain this is the best opportunity, unless you want to hang on for the Blue Duck. Total distance: about 210km.
Head north out of Omeo on the eponymous highway. After 25 km or so you will come to Anglers Rest, the one identifiable feature of which apart from a large campground is the pub – the Blue Duck. Every time we have eaten here we have been defeated by the sheer quantity of food, and the flavours aren’t bad either. A top place. A little further up the road you will come to the turnoff to Falls Creek, on your left. This is a sealed road, despite the many maps that still show it as dirt, and leads through some wonderful alpine scenery. After Falls Creek it turns into one of the very best bike roads in Australia as it winds its way down to Mt Beauty. Take the Kiewa Valley Highway north to the turnoff to Bright over Tawonga gap. Another classic bike road, this returns you to the route you travelled on the yellow ride. Total distance: 240km, say.
Instead of turning off to Tawonga Gap, continue along the highway to Redbank where there is a turnoff to the right. This leads to a terrifi c little back road that takes you down the Kiewa River to Tangambalanga, then back to Rutherglen by way of Wodonga and a short stretch on the Hume Freeway. Total distance: call it 240km.
Okay, back to the Omeo Highway. Don’t take the Falls Creek road but carry on straight ahead. There will probably still be a bit of gravel along here, but not too much and the quiet and wonderful alpine forest more than make up for it. Eventually you will reach the Murray Valley Highway just east of Tallangatta, which you can bypass or, if the motorcycle friendly Tallangatta Hotel calls, visit on its side road. After that it’s a pleasant but rather heavily patrolled road to Wodonga by way of Bandiana, where you join the green route. Total distance: some 260km.
