A Week’s Stay in Bright VIC
We arrived at Bright after an 8-hour drive from our home (about 680kms). We’re here for a week’s stay. Bright VIC is almost like a second home to us as we’ve been coming here almost annually, for the past 48 years. Bright is a town in the Victorian Alpine region and surrounded by Mt Buffalo, Mt Hotham, Mt Feathertop, Mystic Mountain (love this one😊) and further out to Mt Beauty, Mt Bogong and Falls Creek snowfields.
The appeal of Bright
This enchanting town (and district) has captured our hearts. The region has also bewitched our children and their partners and our grandchildren.
Bright has always appealed to our love of countryside, attracted us to its village atmosphere (a village which has grown), its encirclement by mountains, gentle hills and pine forests and its indescribable infusion of peace and tranquillity once we set foot in the district…. a feeling very similar to the one which is switched in our very souls when we enter our Villa Jomar😊.
The panoramic view of Bright from Huggins Lookout (as per photo) is glorious any time of the year but usually made more enjoyable by hiking for an hour to this lookout….
Every season in Bright and districts is alluring and each one holds us in awe of Mother Nature’s magic. The kaleidoscope of colours in Spring and Autumn are matched by the captivating snowy coldness of Winter and the wonderland of rushing streams and rivers of Summer.
Bright is a “deep tissue massage” to the mind and body, a refresher course to the soul and a “chill pill” to life’s stresses….for us, coming here is like regaining “time lost” or perhaps “stopping time” for a while….
In a final and “forever-fully-entrenched” accolade to the love of this place is that our grandchildren shriek in delight when they know we’re all coming here….and they “bombard” us in anticipation with what they’re going to do when they get here….
The chief industries of Bright are tourism and forestry although there’s a smattering of smaller industries including fruit orchards, vineyards, olive & nut farms, hops growing and livestock.
Bright was initially known as Morse Creek when first established in 1824 but was changed to Bright in honour of British politician John Bright in 1861.
Bright has a checkered past emanating from Victoria’s Gold Rush. Bright has a rich cultural heritage and many locations within the town as well as present day street names can be traced back to “Morse Creek residents of old”. The Bright Historical Society has extensive records of the region’s past.
Accommodation: “Next to Bliss
For the recent past, whenever its only Nanna and I coming to Bright, we stay at a house aptly named “Next to Bliss”. Cute name seeing its next a house named “Bliss” and further down the street, another house is named “Beyond Bliss”. Our little rented house is a perfect place😊. It’s in an elevated position, detached, has a sprawling verandah on one side overlooking Bright’s expansive walking track, spacious rooms inside, sprawling living area, bathroom with hugely generous space, high ceilings, air conditioned, very comfortable bedding, is within walking distance to the centre of town for shopping, dining, browsing around town, bars and picnicking along the Ovens River.…. and the list goes go. For Nanna and I and perhaps another couple, it’s ideal for a week (or longer) in Bright.
Power Walking in Bright & District
Power walking in Bright (and district) is amazingly invigorating besides being healthy for body and soul. Whilst Nanna sometimes accompanies me, all other times I’m “escorted” by surrounding greenery, majestic pine forests, challenging tracks, occasional local wildlife (abundance of kangaroos, echidna, birds galore, etc.) and incredible fresh air.
My power walks in this region invariably take me to other local towns and hamlets like Porepunkah and Wandiligong as well as local landmarks such as Huggins Lookout.
More often though our power walks are along the Rail Trail (and its many offshoots).
This sealed trail is a 95kms hiking and cycling path which in a previous life was the railway tracks from Bright to Wangaratta.
Kudos to authorities for building it and maintaining it. The “easy to walk on” trail meanders through the countryside and across (and adjacent to) creeks and rivers. At times the paths gave way to the surrounding hillsides many of which are planted with pine trees in various stages of growth and harvesting.
Wonderfully, irrespective of which time of the year we walk this trail, the colours of the surroundings are always “a-changing”.
My favourite times of the year for visiting Bright are Autumn and Spring.
Autumn in Bright is especially pronounced irrespective of whether you’re walking along the Great Alpine Road under its massive canopy of maple trees or along the Canyon Walk on either side of the Ovens River with the scattered poplars, elms, maples and others showing off their fiery “warm” colours. These deciduous trees are constantly “rewarding us”.
In Spring and Summer, their leaves turn into a shade of very rich green😊. I must confess that each time we’re in Bright during Autumn, we always find time to stand under the maple trees and be showered with falling leaves😊….“snowfall” only with leaves.
Wandiligong, VIC
The walk to the hamlet of Wandiligong is long-ish, lovely and mostly on flat and paved ground. Very little traffic. The scenery is familiar to us and making its acquaintance yet again puts an everlasting smile on our face.
Wandiligong is a little historic tranquil village (population same as San Lawrenz, Gozo) situated at the beginning of Morse Creek which itself feeds into the Ovens River. No visit to this hamlet would be complete without a slow drive along School Road…. a must!
This little village, part of Bright district, is nestled in the Alpine valleys and is a renowned for farming and agriculture and as a guide, its home to the largest apple orchard in the southern hemisphere!
The area is also well known for its range of nut cultivation and the annual Wandiligong Nut Festival (in concert with Bright Autumn Festival).
This festival is renowned Australia wide. In fact, a couple of years ago, Nanna and I brought some of our grandchildren to the festival and went “nut harvesting” for a few hours which was fantastic😊. Of course, the region around the village is majestic with the surrounding mountains, forests of pine trees, meandering little waterways, quaint bridges and buildings and very clean crisp air.
Of course one simply MUST stop at the renowned Wandi Pub and “partake, chill & enjoy”. Food is wholesome and plenty and the beer is crisp and fresh
Things to do in Bright, VIC
There is never any reason to be bored in Bright or the surrounding district. Besides power walking, we’ve found time during this week’s stay and other stays over the years to survey surrounding mountains, scout the many local wineries, explore the numerous shops, indulge in the many eateries, treat ourselves to craft beers, visit art galleries, chat with many locals, walk along river and creek paths and so much more.
With the grandchildren, we’ve enjoyed trout fishing (with yours truly baiting hooks and unhooking fish), we’ve “let them loose in sweet shops”😊 much to the chagrin of their “sugar conscious parents”, we’ve treated them to many a venison burger (with the works), we’ve gone ghost hunting, gold exploring and so many other memories created.
By far one of the most rewarding “things to do” in Bright is to simply relax whether we’re out on a blanket by the river or on the verandah or out driving and you simply want to doze off…. In any case, “nanny naps” come easy…. so energizing.
Yet there are other times when we simply enjoy a bottle of wine (+antipasto) and in company of warming sunshine, we reminisce (as seniors do😊) about our memories created.
The well-being of Bright composed of its softly moving streams and river, gently swaying trees, soothing colours of all foliage, the melodious songs of the abundant bird-life and the almost intoxicating natural fragrances are in my view a panacea for whatever ails a person….
Bright Brewery
One of our favourite spots for dinner is Bright Brewery (always wise to book). It’s a family-owned micro craft brewery which includes a bar and restaurant and wonderfully located on the banks of the Ovens River.
The crafted beer, local wines and food selections are impressive, atmosphere is unpretentious, relaxing and inviting and with its considerable open-air venue, allowing parents and grandparents to indulge themselves while minding their young ones out in the well-appointed and adjoining playground.
Yet another stay at Bright. Highly recommended for those needing to recharge for a week or alternatively, looking to spend some of their children’s inheritance😊….HIGHLY RECOMMEND
