HOW TO GET TO BRIGHT
Surrounded by the rugged mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range, a trip to Bright will feel worlds away. But you won't need a SpaceX flight to get here. Here are a few ways to find us.
BY CAR
Bright is under an hour drive, or 75km, from Wangaratta along the Great Alpine Road, one of the most scenic drives in the country. The Great Alpine Road starts in Wangaratta and runs 300km to Bairnsdale, passing through the towns of Myrtleford, Bright, Harrietville, Dinner Plain and Omeo. You can approach Bright from either direction. The road reaches an elevation of 1,825 metres at The Cross at Mount Hotham, making it the highest sealed road in the country.
FROM MELBOURNE
The fastest way is to travel north-east along the M31 Hume Freeway and take the Snow Road east through Milawa to join the Great Alpine Road at Gapsted, following it south until you reach Bright. The average drive time from Melbourne along this route is 3.5 hours.
If approaching from Bairnsdale, pay close attention to the weather; the alpine peaks are covered in snow during winter and early spring, with snowfalls possible anytime of year. Snow chains must be carried during the snow season.
FROM SYDNEY
Leave Sydney via the M5 Mororway, joining the M31 Hume Motorway, which becomes the M31 Hume Highway past Berrima. Continue south, exiting at Wodonga on the B400 and turning south along the scenic Yackandanda-Wodonga Road.
Join the Great Alpine Road at Myrtleford and continue south to Bright.
The drive is roughly seven hours, although please allow more time for rest stops and meal breaks.
BY PUBLIC BUS
The public V/Line service runs daily buses between Bright and Wangaratta Railway Station, with most services quickly connecting with a train service to or from Melbourne. Wait times for services to and from Sydney may be longer. A public bus service during the school term runs from Myrtleford to Albury-Wodonga each morning and Albury-Wodonga to Myrtleford each afternoon.
The Alps Bus Link, operated by Dyson, runs three days a week and offers affordable services from Bright to Omeo via Harrietville, Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain. Please note: summer and winter timetables vary.
To find the right service for you, please use the Public Transport Victoria Journey Planner.
BY PRIVATE COACH
Alpine Spirit Coaches and Snowdog Transport run charter services all year throughout the region, including snow services in winter.
During winter, coach services operated by HothamBus and FallsBus run from Adelaide, Albury, Melbourne and Sydney to Mount Hotham and Falls Creek, including stops at Myrtleford, Bright and Harrietville.
BY PLANE
Albury Airport is a 1.5 hour drive from Bright and facilitates daily flights from commercial airliners Qantas and Regional Express (REX).
The airport is serviced by four vehicle hire companies – Avis, Budget, Thrifty and Hertz.
Taxis and transfer services are available, including transfers to Mount Hotham and Falls Creek during the ski season.
Please note: public buses do not stop at the airport.
BY PRIVATE FLIGHT
There are three small airfields in the region that cater to private planes, helicopters and charter flights.
These are:
Taxis are available to transport visitors to nearby townships. For Porepunkah, phone 0423 015 152 or for Mount Beauty, phone 0409 573 909.
WE'RE WAITING FOR YOU
WAYS TO GET AROUND THE SURROUNDS
Sure, you can drive your own car, but if you want to make the most of the award-winning wines, craft beer and gin that our region has to offer, or have someone drive you to the snow, you might prefer to take a taxi, bus or charter service. We've also got plenty of hire bikes for making the most of the shared paths throughout our region. Here are a few services to get you around Bright & Surrounds.
OTHER EXPERIENCES YOU'LL LOVE
New Years Eve Pack Horse Adventure
Welcome the New Year with an unforgettable experience. This Mount Bogong expedition features great landscapes, bush camps, spectacular riding terrain, great horses and local food and wine. Journey onto the High Country via East Kiewa and Timms Spur taking in the stunning views across to Mount Bogong before descending down Track 107 into the heritage…
Mount Buffalo Underground River Caving
For those who like a challenge and a dash of added adventure, Adventure Guides Australia’a Underground River Caving on stunning Mount Buffalo is for you. Crawl through holes, climb up waterfalls and squirm your way through the spectacular granite boulder infill cave. If you are very lucky, you will see the ceiling of the caverns…
South Wall Advanced Abseiling (Full-day)
Feel like a full day adventure to challenge you mentally and physically? Tackle our South Wall Abseil. This 250 metre abseil can be a big challenge as the first pitch is 90 metre long looking over the Ovens Valley and out to the Australian Alps. The abseil has another four pitches followed by a hike…
Group MTB Skills Session
Grab a group of mates and hit the trails with us! Take your riding to the next level with a MTB skills session just for you and your gang – these sessions cater for between 2-8 riders. You’ll have a highly-qualified coach all to yourself for these 3-hour sessions so you’ll get personalised feedback, and…
Rock Climb Mount Buffalo
Designed for the entry-level climber, those who have had some climbing experiences in the past or none. Fun for friends and family. Learn the figure 8 knot and how to belay!! This experience is provided by Adventure Guides Australia
Howling Husky Park
Howling Huskys offers thrilling dog sled tours, heartwarming husky meet-and-greets, snowmobile rides, dingo encounters, husky walks, live sled dog demonstrations and festive husky transport for Christmas events. They also host unique wildlife parties and so much more. There’s something for every animal lover, adventurer and snow seeker. Join them at Howling Husky Park for an…
RideCraft MTB Skills Coaching
Based in the beautiful mountain bike Mecca of Bright, Victoria, with majestic Mystic Mountain Bike Park right on their doorstep, RideCraft MTB is a local family-owned and operated business, offering private and group mountain bike coaching and guided rides for riders of all levels. Their coaches are highly qualified under the globally-recognised Professional Mountain Bike…
Mt Fainter Pack Horse Tour
Showcasing the West Kiewa, Pretty Valley and Mount Fainter, this expedition includes high plains, heritage huts, brumby country, wild rivers, stunning views and secluded camps, our renowned horses and campfire meals. The horses are a feature of this expedition, each of them our own bred and trained mountain horse, expertly matched to the rider. Each…
Mt Buffalo Cathedral Explorer
Over a few hours you will walk, squeeze through chimneys, scramble under, over and around boulders, climb some rope ladders and finally scramble right to the highest point on the Cathedral. After taking in some amazing views that not many people get to appreciate we have an exciting abseil right back to the ground. This…