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
Hedonistic Hiking’s Sunset Dinners on Mount Buffalo
Hedonistic Hiking offers a series of Sunset Dinners on Mount Buffalo, on selected evenings during the summer months. Close to Bright in north east Victoria, this beautiful granite mountain is home to a number of unique plants and wildlife and gives shelter to lyrebirds, wombats and possums amongst many other species. The highest point on…
Bright White Water Kayaking
Enjoy the scenery of Bright by paddling down the Ovens River. This white water adventure is a good introduction into white water kayaking, using sit-on-top kayaks or two seat inflatable kayaks to paddle down the grade one and two stretch. These adventures can be run from upper Bright and through to lower Bright or to…
Abseil Beechworth
Hanging around or simply passing through Beechworth and after an activity to do? Abseiling in the Beechworth Gorge is a great way to spend the morning or afternoon. Being close to town allows for easy access with minimal walking required to get to the abseil sites from the road. The access allows for either driving…
Adventure Enduro
The Adventure Enduro is a one-day adventure fest with a host of exciting activities crammed together into one epic outing. This is the ultimate day of fun and challenge for both body and mind. Under the watchful eye of former Special Forces operators, you will push yourself through a series of adventure activities in a…
Junior MTB Skills Session
Help your Junior Shredder take their riding to the next level with a private, 1:1 skills session. They’ll have a coach all to themselves for these two-hour sessions so they can set the agenda, get personalised feedback, and get the most out of their time on the trails. These sessions are fully-customisable to their specific…
The Hurt Locker
For the serious athlete, this ultra-tough adventure course has been inspired by the gruelling SAS Selection and is designed to test your mettle. The Hurt Locker has been specially designed to reflect the conditions faced by SAS candidates. Whilst under the watchful eye of former Special Forces operators, you can expect to be cold, wet,…
Beginners-Burstons Crevasse Dry Canyon Half-day (3-4hrs)
An adventure that can include an abseil, rock climbing, rock scrambling and more. The views which are seen while moving through the crevasse can be breathtaking, especially coming out from under boulders and rock shelters. This experience is provided by Adventure Guides Australia
Villages Traverse Snowshoeing Expedition
An unforgettable experience walking on top of the snow, on top of the world snowshoeing from Hotham to Dinner Plain across diverse and beautiful backcountry. Includes morning tea, hearty gourmet lunch, return transport and snowshoes hire. The Villages Traverse will take you away from the crowds into the heart of Alpine National Park – meander…
Australian Cycle Tours – Victoria
Australian Cycle Tours specialise in high quality self guided and guided cycling experiences in a selection of the most beautiful regions in Australia, including the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail and the Great Victorian Rail Trail. They are the people within Australia’s first ever adventure travel company, World Expeditions, who were voted the Adventure Travel…