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 If I were given but one word to sum up the Victorian High Country, I would choose colour. A born and bred Gold Coaster, my local surrounds overwhelmingly consist of green, gold and blue in any given season. Never have I witnessed anything quite so breathtaking as the High Country in autumn.
I can hear each of my travel companions thoughts; “If she says, ‘Oh, oh, look at the trees, look at the trees!’ one more time, I will personally throw her off this bus.” But as we make our way from Wangaratta airport to Dinners Plain through Milawa, Myrtleford, Porepunkah and Bright, I am truly awestruck by autumn’s rich palette. The citrus yellow, lime green, tangy orange and flame red foliage appears luminescent against a backdrop of deep grape, rich burgundy, mellow honey and warm copper.
Of course the region has much more to offer than a kaleidoscope of colour. Well known for its distinct wines, the High Country is also a gourmand’s delight.
At the historic Milawa Butter Co-op you will find the Milawa Cheese Factory along with a bakery, cheese shop, handmade chocolate shop and cafe. A small but highly regarded specialty cheese producer, all Milawa cheeses are handmade on premises using traditional methods, non-animal rennet and without preservatives.
We are treated to a cheese tasting including the multi-award winning Milawa Brie, the washed rind King River Gold and the Aged Milawa Blue, a mature, complex cheese reminiscent of Stilton. It is the fig salami and goat’s milk cheeses that really steal the show, however. The Marinated Chèvre is a soft white goat curd marinated in grape seed oil with garlic, chilli and herbs, while the Milawa Ashed Chèvre, protected by a fine coating of grapevine ash, is beautifully enhanced by the sweet fig salami.
Were it not for the fact that our dairy indulgence is to be followed by a wine tasting and lunch at Brown Brothers winery, I would have followed our ‘entree’ with another house specialty – a Milawa Cheese Pizza from the daily-changing menu. On this day, pizza number four particularly takes my fancy; Milawa Blue with potato, pumpkin, pine nuts and anchovies!
But lunch calls and it is worth the wait. The Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard is the fruit source for renowned wines such as Patricia Noble Riesling, Shiraz Mondeuse & Cabernet and Dolcetto. It is also home to Brown Brothers’ grape retrieval and winemaking facilities. Noted for its innovative varietals, our pre-lunch tasting proves disastrous to my luggage weight limit. Won over by the rich and fruity Durif (available only at the Cellar Door), a number of bottles manage to squeeze their way into my rapidly-expanding cabin bag.
Next door at the Epicurean Centre, the seasonal menu is created to balance and blend with the flavours and textures of the wines. Our chicken and Milawa Mustard pot pies are warmly enhanced by a flavoursome Viognier and yes, after a stop at Milawa Mustards Condiment Centre, a few jars settle in snugly next to the Durif.
Housed in the historic Old Emu Inn in the centre of town, all Milawa Mustards are handmade on premises by Anna and David Bienvenu using ingredients grown on their farm, one kilometre out of Milawa. If you are travelling through Milawa in the spring time, the mustard fields can usually be seen from Snow Road just out of town.
With my Epicurean Club membership safely tucked between the mustard and the wine, we move on to the next point in the demise of my suitcase and possibly my favourite High Country destination.
Built on the splendour of the early gold-rush days, Beechworth is recognised as Australia’s finest historic gold-mining town. The buildings are Australia’s best preserved living collection and have been registered by Heritage Victoria, the National Estate and the National Trust.
If my catch-cry up to this point had been ‘Oh, oh, look at the trees, look at the trees!’ it now sounds something like ‘Oh, oh, look at the buildings, look at the buildings!’ Walking down the wide, tree-lined streets, with their deep granite gutters and century-old verandahs, really is like stepping back through time. It’s possible to stand in the dock and cell where Ned Kelly stood during his committal hearing at the Beechworth Courthouse, unearth the Kelly story at one of Victoria’s oldest regional museums and send a telegram (yes, literally) from the Beechworth Telegraph Station.
And then (oh dear, here we go again) there’s the food!
The Beechworth Ice Creamery is one of life’s smaller ‘must-do’ experiences. There are over 40 flavours all handmade on premises, but I say an ice creamery is only ever as good as its vanilla. Speckled with tiny flecks of vanilla bean, the creamy white dome surpasses all my icy benchmarks.
Strolling on to the next shop, contentedly licking away, the pavement almost claims my prized cone as I stumble upon what is surely the Pearly Gates of confectionary Heaven. Established in 1992, The Beechworth Sweet Co is Australia’s answer to the Wonka Chocolate Factory and is widely regarded as Australia’s best sweet shop. Walls and walls and walls of shelves display glass jars of every conceivable candy in every conceivable shape and every conceivable flavour and then you turn a corner and there are more walls and more shelves and more colours and on and on it goes until ... I stop dead in my tracks with the realisation that there is no more room in my suitcase. Panic sets in for a brief moment as I look down at my candy-laden arms and then I giggled with sheer relief ... my suitcase has a zip section that expands!
I could go on for pages about the butcher, the baker (another Beechworth icon) and the honey maker, but I think you catch my drift. Suffice to say that I am so impressed with this delicious destination that I have booked return flights for myself and my son. I can hear the dentist’s drill already!
We continue on through Bright (have I mentioned the trees?) and up the Australian Alps to Dinner Plain as we listen to stories of the region and its characters told by our passionate and infinitely knowledgeable driver, Bob.
He points out the irreversible environmental damage caused by the gold dredges, explains how the hops plantations were once tobacco fields planted to entice Chinese prospectors off opium and tells how he knew a living link to the Kelly family – a friend of his was once given a dog by Jim Kelly.
The drive is slow and winding, but as we climb ever higher, the residue haze from recent back burning provides a spectacular sunset.
We arrive at High Plains Lodge in time for pre-dinner drinks in front of an open fire, before feasting on King Island beef (which I rate among the top three steaks I have eaten to date) and Sam Miranda wines from the King Valley, then happily retired in anticipation of our flight south in the morning.
Providing they let me and my bag on the plane that is!
Travel Notes
Getting there: Located 2,000 metres above sea level, the Victorian High country is a scenic two-hour drive from Melbourne. The region is easily accessible from both Melbourne and Sydney on the Hume Highway, which passes the towns of Benalla, Glenrowan, Wangaratta and Albury Wodonga. From the Hume Freeway at Wangaratta, the all-weather sealed Great Alpine Road heads through the Ovens Valley, past Mount Buffalo and across the Great Dividing Range before winding down to Bairnsdale on the Gippsland Lakes. Stay on the Great Alpine Road to get to Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain. Don't forget snow chains when going up the mountains during snow season and take a 4WD if you're planning to head off the main roads. There are also several train lines into the region and numerous bus services. For detailed information on timetables and costs contact V/Line on 136 196 or visit their official website www.vline.com.au . There are also flights direct to Mount Hotham Airport from all capital cities and major regional centres via QantasLink .
When to visit: This is a true cool climate region. In autumn the air turns crisp and the leaves shimmer with brilliant gold and copper. The temperature averages around 20˚C. In winter the snow turns the Alps into a magical winter playground, with average valley temperature of12˚C. In spring, as the valley temperatures rise to around 19˚C, the mountain rivers swell creating the perfect environment for white water rafters, canoeists and kayakers, while in summer, a carpet of alpine wildflowers fill the hills with valley temperatures averaging 28˚C (expect 5-10 degrees cooler in alpine areas).
Further Information:
Tourism Victoria - www.visitvictoria.com
Milawa Gourmet Region - www.milawagourmet.com
Milawa Cheese Company - www.milawacheese.com.au
Brown Brothers Winery - www.brownbrothers.com.au
Beechworth - www.beechworth.com
Mt Hotham - www.mthotham.com.au
High Plains Lodge - www.highplainslodge.com.au
Photos: Tourism Victoria
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