TRAVEL: MILAWA & BRIGHT, VICTORIA WITH POPCAR
Question: how does an inner city folk like myself, sans car, get from A to B when public transport is not an option? Say, if B was slightly further afield in regional Victoria? Enter, Popcar car share, with an expanding fleet of vehicles available to members for flexible hire - by the hour, day… whatever your needs, and with all the perks of owning a car without actually owning a car. In this particular case, a Popcar vehicle sorted our transportation needs for our recent two day adventure around Milawa and Bright. The High Country region of Victoria has long been on our to-visit list, with plenty to see, eat and do no matter the time of year. It goes without saying that two days was nowhere near enough time to properly explore the region but did offer a nice preview of the area - read on to find out more.
Details for Popcar membership and how to go about booking a car can all be found on the Popcar website - from signing up for membership through to making a booking, it was all smooth sailing and hassle-free. The vehicles are located at designated bays within inner city suburbs (you can check out the locations/vehicle types on their website and mobile app) and once a booking is made, it’s as simple as picking up and dropping off the car at the same spot. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
STAY
Located a stone’s throw from Bright (or a 10-15 minute drive to be precise) is the 5 star-awarded Feathertop Winery, a beautiful lush green vineyard with sweeping views of Mount Buffalo to rival those on the ground. While wining and dining at the winery is currently unavailable after being dealt a double whammy of bushfires and COVID in 2020, members of the public are still able to stay on site at one of two luxury boutique suites. Luckily for us when we were finalising this trip in early December to take place later in December, the two-person Peggy Adelaide Suite that comes complete with a free standing slipper bath on the private secluded balcony was available. Très romantique, for the couples out there after a romantic getaway.
Also included with our booking was a complimentary bottle of Feathertop Wine along with items for a Continental breakfast and afternoon snack. Check out is at the late-ish time of 12.00pm - yet another perk of staying at Feathertop Winery.
King sized bedding.
The perfect setting for romance: the free standing slipper bath on the private secluded balcony.
So many tea options
Complimentary bottle of Feathertop Wine
The complimentary food spread
Feathertop Winery
6619 Great Alpine Rd,
Porepunkah, Victoria, 3740.
+61 3 5756 2356
EAT
The Alpine region probably wouldn’t be the first that comes to mind when asked about a regional foodie destination BUT there’s actually PLENTY on offer on the wining and dining front, and we made barely a dent during our two-day visit. Needless to say, a return visit or few is on the cards. Wineries are aplenty given the great climate for growing grapes, as are breweries and distilleries. The region is also rampant with tasty and renowned locally produced/grown goods - Milawa Cheese Company, Beechworth Honey, Mt Buffalo Olives to name a few.
During our visit, we dined at Brown Brothers Winery (Milawa), Tomahawks (Bright) and Milawa Providore (Milawa). Watch this space for future posts covering each of these eateries in more detail, but in the meantime you can feast your eyes on some tasty preview snaps from these dining experiences.
Brown Brothers Winery
239 Milawa-Bobinawarrah Rd,
Milawa, Victoria, 3678.
+61 3 5720 5500
https://www.brownbrothers.com.au/visit
Click here to see what we ate.
Milawa Providore
1597 Snow Rd,
Milawa, Victoria, 3678.
+61 3 5727 3904
DO
Thrill-seekers will be pleased to hear that there are a number of activities that will get the adrenaline pumping and heart rate racing in Bright and surrounding areas in the Alpine region. Snowboarding and skiing is an obvious one in the winter time but come summer, it’s time to spread those wings and soar or hit the water. Paragliding, hang gliding and white water rafting look to be popular options. We decided to take the plunge in a tandem paragliding session with Active Flight. Far from being a thrill-seeker, my pulse was already racing before we even lifted off! Worse yet, an all too familiar feeling of the queasiness I experienced when sky-diving reared its head almost as soon as my feet left the ground, but props to me for managing to land in a more dignified manner this time around and not on my rear… It seems my travel companion had a much more enjoyable time whilst in the air. But despite the queasiness, I did appreciate the stunning, breathtaking views of the lush green valleys around us. And I can now tick paragliding off my bucket list.
On the tamer side of adventure, there are several walking trails around Mount Buffalo National Park that will also get the heart/blood pumping, especially in those legs. And sans adrenaline surge. The walks vary from short and sweet through to the multi-day hikes. All come with a large dose of nature and beautiful sights to take in, no doubt. We started off day 2 with the Eurobin Falls Track, which covers both Ladies Bath Falls and Eurobin Falls. The mercury wasn’t quite high enough at the time of our visit and a dip would’ve sent our teeth into instant chatter mode, but it’s definitely worth bringing your bathers for a swim or splash on a warmer day. Just over an hour was spent on this track before we drove further up/into the national park to check out another popular walk - Gorge Heritage Walk. Note, this was a 40 minute drive from the first location/track, so be sure to allow ample time for driving up and down again if you’re doing any of the walks ‘up top’. Some highlights of the Gorge Heritage Walk included Crystal Brooks Falls and spectacular views of the cliff faces that overlook the gorge.
ACTIVE FLIGHT PARAGLIDING
LADIES BATH FALLS // EUROBIN FALLS
Ladies Bath Falls
Eurobin Falls
GORGE HERITAGE WALK
ITINERARY
Day 1
Pick up Popcar from designated bay in Carlton, drive 3-3.5 hours to Milawa
Lunch at Brown Brothers Winery, Milawa
Check into Feathertop Winery accommodation - Peggy Adelaide Suite
Late afternoon paragliding session with Active Flight
Walk around Bright
Dinner at Tomahawks
Day 2
Breakfast on private balcony, check out of Feathertop Winery
Explore Mount Buffalo National Park - Ladies Bath Falls, Eurobin Falls and Gorge Heritage Walk
Drive 1.5 hour to Milawa
Late lunch at Milawa Providore
Drive back to Melbourne, drop off car in Carlton
Disclosure: this post was partially sponsored by Popcar Car Share. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations.