Great Alpine Road - High Country and Gippsland

Drive Australia's highest year-round accessible sealed road. Discover alpine landscapes, great local food and wine and welcoming historic towns along the length of this 308 kilometre route.

Starting in Wangaratta in North-eastern Victoria, the Great Alpine Road peaks at 1,825 metres before descending through spectacular natural scenery, arriving at Bairnsdale in the heart of Gippsland.

Valley towns

Wangaratta is an historic town renowned for its hospitality, popular annual jazz festival, fine food and wine, and its arts precinct featuring the Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre. Gourmet cheeses are on offer at nearby Milawa, and the famed Brown Brothers winery sells signature Italian variety red wines.

Consider taking a side trip to Beechworth, a village built on the wealth of the 1850s gold rush. Explore the historic honey granite buildings, including the courthouse where bushranger Ned Kelly's final trial commenced. Bright is a beautiful town on the Ovens River, filled with deciduous trees that are breathtaking in autumn.

The high country

Perhaps the most compelling reason to take this journey is the high country. In winter, snow brings skiers to the downhill runs and cross-country trails of Hotham and Dinner Plain. In summer these areas become a favourite destination for bushwalkers, horse riders, cyclists, fishermen, campers and 4WD enthusiasts. Cyclists tackle the ascent up Mt Buffalo, which is also a popular rock climbing and abseiling site.

Gippsland

Heading south, the Great Alpine Road travels towards Bairnsdale on the banks of the Mitchell River. Bairnsdale is the gateway to Ninety Mile Beach and the Gippsland Lakes, a popular destination for boating, fishing and windswept ocean beaches, as well as fresh seafood and local produce. Visit the picturesque lakeside village of Metung, explore rainforests and coastal wilderness.

Take in the scenery on a tour of the coast road to Melbourne, and call in at Wilsons Promontory National Park for unspoiled beaches and eucalypt rainforests. Or, for a different view of Victoria, head north along the coast to Croajingolong National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

Go to Visit Victoria (High Country) for further information.