Where We Be
Then we went for a walk along the main street on a crisp autumn day
|
In the afternoon we drove to the town of Harrietville some 20 minutes away
|
"Down Under," it's autumn in April-May. The town
of Bright with its multitude of colors didn't disappoint.
|
Mountain Towns -- Victoria, Australia
|
In our continuing quest to see as many sides of
Australia as possible in seven weeks, we left
Wilsons Promontory and the coast behind and
ventured up into the mountains northeast of
Melbourne. We followed the Great Alpine Road
all the way up to Hotham Alpine Resort (not for
the faint of heart!) and down the other side to
the town of Bright. Our goal in coming here was
to see autumn colors, explore some historic
gold mining towns, and, if lucky, see Australia's
tallest peak, Mt. Kosciuszko, from a distance.
We could hardly miss seeing autumn colors as
we were surrounded by them as soon as we hit
the higher elevations. The small town of Bright
where we based ourselves for three nights is
actually famous for its Autumn Festival.
We liked getting to see the historic gold mining
towns of Omeo, Beechworth, and Glenrowan.
The legend of the bushranger Ned Kelly and
his gang is a big deal in these parts, akin to our
Billy the Kid. Their history is palpable here.
We even managed to see Mt. Kosciuszko on a
clear day -- albeit from a great distance. It's only
7,310 ft (2,228 m) high but it was still fun to say
we saw Australia's tallest mountain.
Glenrowan is the site of Ned Kelly's last stand. We visited the
bigger-than-life statue of Big Ned Kelly with his armour on.
|
This armor is what he wore during his final showdown with police. It has become
famous -- and you can actually see it in the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne.
|
Everyone gets in on the Ned Kelly act here -- even the local bakery
|
A painting on the bakery wall depicts Kelly's last stand
|
We visited the actual site of his last stand on the outskirts of town
|
Our first (no, second) rest stop on our way to Bright was in the historic town of Omeo
|
After gold was struck in 1845 the town of Omeo boomed,
peaking at a population of 9,400. (Now it's just 406!)
|
Winding roads eventually brought us to a lookout point with a sign
showing where to look for Mt. Kosciuszko (Australia's highest peak)
|
Well...I think it's that one. What do you think? (More or less the conversation we had.)
|
In time we arrived on the outskirts of Bright. More than one car pulled over
to take pictures of the changing leaves on the tree-lined thoroughfare.
|
Most Americans don't know Ned Kelly's name but he's as famous in Australia as Billy the Kid is in America.
He’s an outlaw / folklore hero of sorts because he represents the anti-establishment common man
|
It contains the original vault where all the gold was stored
|
Paintings and old photos inside the Bank of Victoria help bring the history alive
|
The notorious outlaw Ned Kelly served time in Beechworth Gaol and
the Ned Kelly Gang had their photos taken in Marlo Cottage (right)
|
We enjoyed Beechworth's old “Western” buildings and its gold rush folklore
|
Beechworth is the quintessential Australian gold mining town.
The Bank of Victoria (now a jewelry store) is especially interesting.
|
Mostly it was an excuse for a scenic drive in autumn
|
But it did have a bakery, fruit stands, and a pretty stream with a swing
|
We felt right at home here with the pace of life and the
mining history -- like a little taste of Colorado in Australia
|
Next morning we took another scenic drive along winding
roads to two more towns -- Mount Beauty and Bogong
|
We spotted a rare kow-ala along the way!
|
Bright felt like a typical small town in America's heartland --
family friendly, kids eating ice cream, tree-lined streets
|
Next morning the sun mixed with dark clouds, cool air,
and falling leaves to make it feel very much like autumn
|
Kids were still using the splash park -- but it was last call before the season ended
|
This park near the center of town was just a short walk from our inn
|
On the way to Melbourne Airport we stopped at two historic
mountain towns -- Beechworth (above) and Glenrowan
|
The Great Alpine Road is especially winding and steep near Hotham Alpine Resort,
with sheer dropoffs in places -- we wouldn't want to drive this stretch of road in winter
|
We found a few new corners of town to explore then enjoyed
a colorful nachos plate at "What You Eat," a vegetarian cafe
|
Harrietville was even smaller than Bright
|
We checked into Bright Motor Inn for three whole nights
|
Gold horseshoes -- a sure sign there was a lot of gold in these here parts!
|
There's even an animatronic exhibition here!
|
It's six long hours from Wilsons Prom to Bright, with much of the route following the Great Alpine Road.
After three days in Bright we drove four more hours to Melbourne Airport via Beechworth and Glenrowan.
|
