A peak at the high country

Lauretta Stace
2 days ago
5 min read

A special anniversary event and a desire to breathe in some crisp, mountain air took us across Victoria to the high country town of Whorouly. This was our base for exploring the King and Ovens River valleys, enjoying gourmet food and wine experiences, following the Kelly gang trail and touring through the magnificent Mount Buffalo National Park.

King Valley

The King River Valley is a reknown wine-producing and agricultural region situated between Wangaratta and the Alpine National Park in north-eastern Victoria. We stayed in a little country town called Whorouly, near Milawa - the gourmet capital of this region. We took a scenic drive through the valley visiting lots of small towns and enjoying the country vistas and magnificent, lush vineyards. Our journey took us along the King River to Lake Hovell where we managed to spot a flock of gorgeous Gang-Gang Cockatoos, which was a rare treat.

Vineyards

An important feature of both the King and Ovens River Valleys are the vineyards and wine production. Often described as a little piece of Italy, the King valley teems with wineries, festivals and cooking classes. Boasting some of the highest altitude vineyards in Australia, the King Valley is renowned for its cool-climate and European style wine varietals. They're also very photogenic!

Gourmet delights

You cannot visit the high country without partaking of a few gourmet delights. Our journey started with lunch at the Stanley Pub, just outside Myrtleford, which has a contemporary asian kitchen. It was a wonderful experience, matched with a local, cool climate wine. Our next stop was Milawa to pick up some gourmet goodies for snacks at the famous Milawa Cheese - yummy!

The highlight of the occasion was the Slow Lunch at Brown Brothers Winery in Milawa. A leisurely five-course degustation, The Slow Lunch is a showcase of the chef's finest seasonal dishes paired with premium wines. Most of the food is sourced locally. This was an unforgettable way to celebrate our wedding anniversary whilst enjoying the very best of Australian produce, cooking skills and hospitality. The gardens and grounds around the cellar door and restaurant were also very beautiful and serene.

Mount Buffalo National Park

This park is so impressive with its sheer cliffs, sweeping views, granite tors and waterfalls that it captivates you from the moment you enter the park and start the slow, inexorable drive to the top, reaching 1,723 metres. It, along with many of the Victorian alps, is a mecca for cyclists who test their endurance skills on the climb to the coffee cart near the Chalet at the top of the mountain. Chatting to one cyclist 'at the top' it took their group about 1.5 hours to cycle up the mountain, and they did Mt Hotham the day before! The descent is much quicker.

As you rise, the plains below fall away and waterfalls are evident along many of the cliff faces. The vegetation changes from fern gully and dense eucalypt through to stunted Snow Gum forests and button grass.

Eurobin Falls

Eurobin Falls was our first stop on the ascent, where Crystal Creek spills spectacularly over a formidable granite escarpment.

The Gorge and Mt Buffalo Chalet

The Gorge is perched on 200m sheer cliffs and commands fantastic panoramic views over the Australian Alps. You can see the peaks of Mt Kosciuszko and other notable mountains in the distance. The Chalet was built in 1910 as Australia's first ski resort, and is a large, timber building designed in the style of a northern european chalet. It was fascinating to see it and imagine how it was used in a bygone era.

Lake Catani

Further along, we travelled through the true alpine landscape with twisted and gnarled mountain and snow gum woodlands before arriving at Lake Catani. Although it's an artificial lake created to supply water storage to the construction workers building the Chalet, it now sits serenely in the landscape and is easily accessed via a gentle walking track around the perimeter. The campsite on one edge of the lake is managed by the National Parks service and is a very popular spot in the summer months.

Ovens Valley & Bright

After visiting the alpine peaks, we made our way to the bustling town of Bright for a look around and some lunch. Bright is a vibrant town at any time of year and on the day we visited, it was playing host to the "Tour de Bright" cycling event. Amidst lots of people dressed in lycra, we spent some time on the beautiful Ovens River before having a delicious pizza at the Bright Brewery accompanied by a local ale. Further along the river, near Porepunkah, the river is less busy, showcasing its natural beauty as it continues its journey towards the Murray River Valley.

Whorouly

On this trip, we decided to stay on a working dairy farm property at Whorouly. The little village is well-located for touring around the region and enjoying the many activities, experiences and vistas that it offers. The farmstay came with two, highly entertaining fox terriers, Diesel and Lola. We had a lot of fun together. Whilst we were there, a grass fire ignited only 5km from the farm, so there was lots of action from fire-fighters and volunteer SES personnel. They did a great job in getting the fire under control very quickly. We also witnessed a very large moon event in the clear night sky, which was magical.

Kelly gang trail

Ned Kelly and the Kelly gang are notorious in this area, and their story and legend are so familiar that visiting the sites where Ned grew up is intriguing. These are the places where he rode on horseback rustling cattle, camped, eluded the police, robbed banks, wrote letters to the authorities, and famously made his 'last stand' donned in armour. Ned and his family are buried in unmarked graves at Greta Cemetery. As part of this history, we visited the Wombat and Strathbogie Ranges, including the site of Stringybark Creek, where the gang ambushed and killed three police officers.

Powers Lookout

Powers Lookout in the ranges is a truly magnificent place to get a panoramic view of the King Valley and the Victorian Alps in the distance. Harry Powers, another infamous bushranger, and mentor to the young Ned Kelly, used this site as a lookout for police who were trying to track him down for various crimes and misdemeanours. It's rugged country and the survival of the bushrangers in this environment is a testament to their bush skills, toughness and resilience, along with their desire to remain at large!

Stringybark Creek

Now a State Forest Reserve, located between Benalla and Mansfield, this quiet and secluded place is a historically significant site in the high country. It is famous as the location of the 1878 fatal shootout where the Ned Kelly gang killed three police officers, making the gang Australia's most wanted outlaws. The site is sensitively managed with interpretive signs that honour the men who were killed whilst providing historically factual information about what unfolded on that eventful day. Ned Kelly was ultimately arrested at Glenrowan and hanged in Melbourne Gaol in 1880. His ancestors moved his remains to Greta Cemetery some time later.

At a nearby campsite, we ran into some fellow travellers who recommended the Tatong Tavern for lunch. It was a beauty! Situated on a back road on the way to Benalla, this hidden gem is an English style pub built in 1884 that provides a fantastic community service for the locals. That is what I love about Aussie travellers! You always get the best tips on where to go and what to do when talking with others on the road.