Great Driving Roads In Australia #2.

[ceejay]

Bogong High Plains Road - Victoria Australia.

The picturesque Alpine village of Bright is a fantastic place to use as a base
for a new driving adventure. Stay awhile & enjoy the sights and tastes of this
magnificent alpine tourist region, there's plenty of activities to indulge your
senses.

During the summer months, the early morning air is crisp and invigorating in
the Alps, so get up early and enjoy the fresh air and prep your self for the drive
ahead.

Previously we covered the The Great Alpine Road through the Mt Hotham -
Dinner plain Omeo sector in the last great drive story, so this time lets head
for the Tawonga Gap - to drive the loop known as the Bogong High Plains Road.

The gap road is quite steep with switch-backs and some hair pin turns to
keep you in the groove, watch out for the high number of push bike riders
ascending the Tawonga Gap, if it's early morning there will be dozens of
roadies out training... I know, cause I used to do this with a few of my
mates... it is good healthy fun, until some clod in a four wheel drive
reckons he has the right to use all of the road!!

Don?t forget to take in the awesome panoramic view from Tawonga Gap
lookout... it's worth the look, then enjoy the descent down into the Kiewa
valley and onto Mt Beauty, if you are craving for breakfast, or an early
morning coffee, there are two great coffee shops in the village, both are
open from about 6.00AM... yes, it's nice at that time of the day in the
Alpine country.

With coffee and scones out of the way, get yourself strapped back in the
lotus for the exciting climb to Falls Creek on one of the best road
surfaces in the alpine country, an incredibly exhilarating drive, and you don?t
have to drive hard to enjoy it, as you are passing Clover dam hydro power station,
you probably wont realize that you are passing over a huge underground tunnel
that brings water from higher up down to the hydro power station, a complex
engineering project completed by AGL a couple of years ago.

The short distance of 28ks to Falls Creek is covered in a short time, you will pass
the little village of Bogong, a former SEC accommodation village for the workers
and their families back in the fifties & sixties. At Falls Creek, you?ll pass Ski
Chalets and lodges that are chokers with people in the ski season.

Driving through Falls Creek you follow the road out over the Rocky Valley Reservoir
dam wall and begin the journey across the Bogong High Plains... don?t worry,
the road is all sealed, the road base was made from the shale rock gouged from
the 5KM underground tunnel we mentioned earlier.

The Bogong high plains are quite unique, there are fierce arguments going an about
allowing, or not allowing cattle grazing in the high country, there's as many pros, as
there are cons, but I must admit that back in my days of alpine trail riding
(Motorcycle) the sight of Hereford cattle grazing looked great in the high
country, if you know what I mean.

If you have a bit of spare time, watch for the sign to Wallace?s Hut, a well-known
cattleman?s hut on the Bogong High Plains. Park the car and take a short walk
to this historic hut. Be very aware that the weather in the Alps can change from
nice to very nasty in the blink of an eye... take some warm clothing, even in
the summer season.

The descent down to Glen Wills - Shannonvale will make you dizzy, it
is an incredibly steep road, use plenty of engine braking, your ears
will pop several times with the change of altitude, but then, you might not even
notice, simply because you are enjoying the drive so much.

Ah, at last, we reach the Omeo - Anglers Rest road, now you will understand
what a twisting & winding road is all about, your passenger will be flung from
side to side (Keep a travecarm tablet handy) as you punt the elan along this
demanding road, it is very narrow, so watch for other cars & motor bikes using
too much of your side of the road, and cumbersome four wheel drives, don't
get to upset if you cant find a short straight to pass the slow traffic, because
there are few of those.

The road is set very high above the Cobungra River, you get a glimpse of the
river through the gaps in the bush, the setting reminds me of the John Boorman
directed movie "Deliverence" where two buddies decide to take a weekend canoe
trip down the fictional Cahulawassee River in the remote Georgia wilderness of USA,
the movie was actually filmed on the Chattooga River, which divides the states
of Georgia and South Carolina... but you can rest easy during your drive, you
wont find any redneck toothless grinner asking the question;
"Where you goin' city boy?"

Make sure you stop at the quaint Blue Duck Inn at Anglers Rest, there's no power,
no Mobile phone service & barely any TV reception; it's a place to enjoy the bush,
tranquility, fishing, or just chatting to the friendly natives (Locals) over
a beer or a coffee.

Once you've rested your aching arms and shoulders, you can just cruise into
Omeo and decide if you want to do more site seeing, or choose to press on,
via the Great Alpine Road and enjoy the blast back up past Cobungra Station
to Dinner Plain, Mt Hotham, and back down to Harrietville & into Bright for a
well earned rest after a demanding drive on the highest road in Australia.

You've just covered a distance of 241 KM, they say it takes around 4hrs 5 mins
of normal driving to complete the loop, the lotus driving time of course, will
be much less.

Here's a summary of the route: View the map provided.
Start point: Bright - Mt Hotham - Dinner Plain - Omeo - Anglers Rest -
Shannonvale - Falls Creek - Mount Beauty - Tawonga gap - Germantown -
Return to Bright. The loop can be done in whichever direction takes
your fancy, but be careful, it is a very busy road on long weekends.

When you get the chance to drive this route - You'll really enjoy It.
Col.