MELBOURNE TO WANGARATTA

Welcome to our tour through the beautiful Victorian High Country in Autumn. With chauffeured pickup from home, we are transferred to meet our O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours coach and crew.  Our tour will feature all the stunning colours and glorious sights of Victoria’s Alpine country! This morning, we travel to Mansfield on the eastern shores of Lake Eildon for our lunch stop. From here we make our way to Wangaratta, our base for the next four nights.

OVERNIGHT:  Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway, WANGARATTA 

BRIGHT AND MOUNT BUFFALO

This morning, we head to Bright, said to be located in one of the most beautiful valleys in the world - the Ovens Valley – surrounded by the towering Australian Alps.  Bright has managed to retain its character and charm, thanks partly to its old-fashioned guest houses and historical buildings.  We meet up with a local expert and learn all the local secrets whilst enjoying one of the most beautiful drives in this area - through the Wandiligong Valley. The whole Wandiligong Valley has been registered with the National Trust. To the south of the town we can see the noted Wandi Poplars, at their best in the autumn, and one of the largest apple orchards in the Southern hemisphere. Tobacco and nuts are also grown in this rural setting. This afternoon, we make our way into the beautiful Mount Buffalo National Park. Apart from Mount Buffalo itself, the park is noted for its many pleasant streams and fine walks.  It’s surrounded by huge granite tors - great blocks of granite broken off from the massif by the expansion and contraction of ice in winter and other weathering effects.  There is abundant plant and animal life around the park…so keep a look out!  We return to our accommodation with time to freshen up before dinner at the motel. 

OVERNIGHT:  Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway, WANGARATTA 

MILAWA AND GOURMET DELIGHTS

After a look around Wangaratta, our touring takes us into the Milawa gourmet region, where we stop at Milawa Cheese Co which specialises in soft and washed rind cheeses.  We experience a Seated Tasting and Talk in a dedicated indoor seated space to enjoy an individual box per person with 8 x Milawa sample cheeses, grapes and walnuts, detailed tasting notes and biscuits to help cleanse the palate.  A staff member will also do a short presentation on the history of Milawa Cheese and the cheese you will be sampling. Keeping with the fabulous food theme of the region next up is Milawa Mustards located in the Old Emu Inn building before travelling a short distance to visit the Olive Shop.  At the tasting counter there are local olives, olive oils and olive oil based dressings to sample. The same theme applies to cosmetics and soaps.  After lunch in nearby Whorouly, we make our way to Brown Brothers Winery for a guided wine tasting. Since 1889, Brown Brothers have been growing grapes and making wine at Milawa in rich country nestled on the western side of the Australian Alps.  After a lovely day, we return to our hotel with time to freshen up before dinner.

OVERNIGHT: Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway, WANGARATTA 

BEECHWORTH

Today’s touring takes us to Beechworth. On arrival we will be joined on the coach by a local expert who will show us around the town, one of Victoria’s best preserved gold rush towns. The discovery of gold in the 1850’s brought with it a flurry of activity and growth. The magnificent buildings, 32 of which are listed by the National Trust and the beautiful gardens are a legacy of the gold rush days.  We now have some free time to wander around the Beechworth Historic and Cultural Precinct – namely The Telegraph Station, Town Hall, and Powder Magazine are all part of the collection of nationally significant buildings. We’ll enjoy lunch at the famous Beechworth Bakery today. This afternoon we continue our gardens exploration with a visit to the Out Of Town Nursery and Humming Garden. Nestled in the foothills of the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, this 4 acre garden is comprised of many rooms each with its own character and style, crammed with an extensive collection of native and exotic plants.

OVERNIGHT: Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway, WANGARATTA 

HOMEWARD BOUND

After breakfast, we farewell our hosts to begin our journey home. Silos are drawing crowds to small country towns in Victoria, so we’re off to do a little silo spotting of our own. We head to Tungamah to see dancing brolgas and a kookaburra. Continuing on our way, in St James, we view a large mural of Sir George Coles, the founder of Coles Supermarkets. Then in Devenish, we’ll be amazed at Cam Scale’s artwork of a First World War nurse, a modern-day combat medic and a Lighthorseman and his Steed. Not far away is Goorambat. Here we can see the stunning depiction of "Sophia", the female aspect of the Holy Spirit. We’ll also make a stop at the critically endangered Barking Owl,  a farming scene and a tribute to three Clydesdale horses. After lunch in Benalla we head home to Melbourne with some fantastic memories of our autumn tour.  As always, our chauffeurs will be on hand to transport us to our very door – all part of the O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours superior service!