You don’t have to ski to love winter in the Victorian alps

Two minutes’ walking in shade and my breath has turned to fog. My partner and I stop to compare the effect until we’re laughing and panting like pugs. Only a few metres further on the Huggins Lookout trail, and we’re back in the sun, so it’s off with the toasty jackets and scarves and on with the sunglasses. This is winter in the Victorian alps: threatening snow one moment and gloriously sunny the next.

I’ve been coming to Bright and its neighbouring towns in spring and summer for decades to camp and hike. We plan to do a lot of the latter, but in winter, camping is not very appealing. Instead, we’re spending two nights in a cabin at the BIG4 Tasman Holiday Park on the Ovens River, just a short walk from Bright’s town centre.

Caravan parks have come a long way since my childhood when all they offered was a place to park your van, unpowered sites and a basic amenities block. The BIG4 in Bright has a range of cabins from small to family-sized – a few with decks overlooking the river – and powered sites for caravans.

We’re in one of the new one-bedroom alpine villas, offering hotel-style luxuries including linen, fancy toiletries, a well-stocked kitchen with a pod coffee machine, and a small but cosy lounge area with a flat-screen TV (and another in the bedroom). The interior is classic alpine chic – dark, moody colours, timber floors and joinery, and a fireplace (electric).

We arrived at 4pm so we still have an hour or so of daylight to enjoy. I never forgo the opportunity to ask a local for suggestions, and the park’s receptionist, Margie, has loads of ideas. She recommends we tackle the Canyon Walk along the Ovens River, so we head out along paths thickly carpeted with the last of the autumn leaves to catch the remaining daylight. Half an hour in and all we can hear is rushing water and kookaburras. By the time we reach the canyon itself, a pale line of pink tints the horizon.

We have plans for eating out in Bright, but on our first night, it’s all about staying in. We’ve vowed to eat local so we’ve stocked up on Milawa cheeses, spicy pasta sauce (made by JimJam foods in nearby Stanley) and Ringer Reef Sangiovese, all from the local supermarket. Earlier, we made a detour to Wandiligong for pink lady apples and a home-made apple and boysenberry pie from Nightingale Orchards.

The next morning, we’re focused on walking and nature. It’s icy cold, but there’s a hint of blue sky and no wind. At Huggins Lookout, the clouds come and go, playing peekaboo with the peaks. Water sparkles in the sun from a recent rain shower and our boots are satisfyingly encrusted with leaves and mud.

After surveying the town from on high, we hike down to the centre to spend an hour browsing boutiques and bookshops. At Winding Road Design Studio, the Bright surrounds are beautifully interpreted by artist Alicia Marshall. “Each one is inspired by this environment,” she tells me as I admire the limited edition prints on display.

Bright is well supplied with great places to eat. We choose Food Wine Friends for baguettes stuffed with corned beef, mustard and cheese. Later, we pick up two coffees from the cute vintage onsite coffee van at Tasman Park then head out for another long walk, this time to admire Wandiligong’s protected historic landscape, before achieving our real goal – a local Mountain Monk Brewers beer in front of the fire at the Wandi Pub.

A few hours later, we find another welcoming fire at Bright newcomer Basils Bar and Eatery. Over steamed mussels and fried calamari, we discuss our itinerary so far. From the outside looking in, it might not add up to much, but the combination of walking, mountain air and good food is exactly what this region does so well. We haven’t missed out.

The next morning, we take in a final view of the mountains from a Porepunkah paddock where local mobile wood-fired sauna business Haut Hutt has set up for the winter. The cedar-lined sauna is positioned to take in views of Mt Buffalo. Sadly, the clouds obscure the view, but we take the warmth of the region with us all the way back to Melbourne.

The details

Stay
BIG4 Tasman Holiday Park Bright is on the banks of the Ovens River, a short stroll to town. One-bedroom luxury alpine villas from $249, including free Wi-Fi. See big4.com.au

Fly + drive
Qantas and Rex fly from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to Albury, where you can rent a car or book a transfer for the 80-minute drive to Bright. Bright is a 3½-hour drive from Melbourne or just over four hours by train and bus via Wangaratta.

More
visitbright.com.au

The writer was a guest of BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks.