Australia · Mountain · Touring · Fast sweepers
Great Alpine Road
B500 · Wangaratta to Bairnsdale, Victoria
- Length
- 339 km211 miles
- High point
- 1,840 m6,037 ft
- Driving time
- 5 hours
- Season
- November to April (snow chains required June to October)
- Toll
- Free (resort entry fee applies in snow season)
- Country
- Australia
The Great Alpine Road runs 339 km from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale across the Victorian Alps. Between Harrietville and Dinner Plain it climbs over Mount Hotham at 1,840 m, the highest sealed road in Australia that stays open all year.
The drive
The climb from Harrietville is 30 km of tight, steep bends through tall forest, emerging above the tree line onto an exposed ridge with drops on both sides. From Hotham the road runs through snow gums to Omeo, then follows the Tambo River south through a long, twisting valley.
The neighbouring roads are just as good: the Tawonga Gap between Bright and Mount Beauty, the climb to Falls Creek and the Bogong High Plains Road across the top make a loop that club tours and tarmac rallies have used for years.
In your Lotus
The High Country is where Victoria's Lotus clubs go for weekend runs, and the Mount Buffalo and Tawonga Gap roads in particular feel made for a light car. Bright is the base, with plenty of accommodation and a friendly attitude to car groups.
Watch out for
- Fallen bark, branches and gravel on the forest sections.
- Wombats, wallabies and deer at dusk.
- Cyclists in large numbers on the climbs in summer.
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