Little Cobbler and King Valley
Tourism Victoria

Highlights

Historic Beechworth

The National Trust has classified over 30 buildings in what is now one of Australia’s best-preserved gold-rush towns. Many of these are built in a distinctive, honey-coloured granite. Dine in a stately former bank, visit the powder magazine, wander through an evocative cemetery for Chinese goldminers, and sample the delectable cakes, pastries and bread of the famous Beechworth Bakery.

Kelly country

A giant effigy of Ned Kelly greets visitors to Glenrowan. After killing three local policemen in 1878, the Kelly Gang hid for two years in the Warby Range, raiding nearby towns. Ned was captured in 1880 after a shoot-out in Siege Street and was later hanged. Visit the Ned Kelly Memorial Museum and Homestead in Gladstone Street.

Wines of Rutherglen

The vines on the alluvial flats in a shallow loop of the Murray produce some of the world’s great fortified wines. The region is known for tokays and muscats, big reds and – more recently – lighter reds such as gamay. There are over a dozen wineries near Rutherglen; look out for All Saints, with its
historic building, and Pfeiffer, Chambers, Gehrig Estate and Campbells.

Mount Buffalo National Park

This 31 000 ha national park is the state’s oldest, declared in 1898. A plateau of boulders and tors includes The Horn, the park’s highest point and a great place for views at sunrise. Walking tracks are set among streams, waterfalls, stunning wildflowers, and snow gum and mountain ash forest. There is summer camping, swimming and canoeing at Lake Catani. In winter, the Mt Buffalo ski area is popular with families.

Lake Eildon

Created by damming the Goulburn River in the 1950s, this lake, when full has six times the capacity of Sydney Harbour, and is popular with watersports enthusiasts, anglers and houseboat holiday-makers. The surrounding Lake Eildon National Park offers bushwalking, camping, and four-wheel-drive tracks through the foothills of the Victorian Alps.

Horseback riding

Jack Riley, believed to be the original Man from Snowy River, is buried in Corryong’s pretty hillside cemetery. Each year, at an annual festival honouring his memory, horseriding competitions are held to find his modern-day equivalent. While your mustering skills may not be up to scratch, a gentle trail ride through this stunning countryside is a great way to appreciate this High Country legend.

Focus On: Ski country

Victoria’s ski resorts are within easy reach of Melbourne. They include, in order of their distance from the city: Mt Buller (via Mansfield), Mt Buffalo (via Myrtleford), Mt Hotham (via Bright) and Falls Creek (via Mount Beauty). The ski season starts officially on the Queen’s Birthday weekend, early in June, and ends on the first weekend in October. Snowsport conditions, however, depend on the weather. All resorts offer a range of skiing, from protected runs for beginners to cross-country ski trails. Mt Hotham, known as the ‘powder snow capital’ of Australia, has the most challenging runs for experienced downhill skiers and snowboarders. After the snow melts a range of summer activities come in to play. The adventurous can try mountain-bike riding, tandem paragliding, abseiling or caving. Mountain lakes and streams offer trout fishing, swimming, sailing and canoeing. Trails across the mountains, ablaze with wildflowers in summer, can be explored on horseback or on foot. The less energetic can just breathe the crystalline air and gaze across the hazy blue ridges.