Bright travel guide

Bright is a town in Victoria's High Country.

Understand

Autumn in Bright (Photo: bennovakovic, CC BY 2.0)

Europeans came to the area in the 1820s in search of pastures. They found them, and then in the 1850s found gold as well. This brought more Europeans who dug up and down the entire valley in search of nuggets of it, occasionally finding some. The gold also brought Chinese migrants who walked to Bright from Robe to avoid paying the tax to disembark in Victoria, who worked the alluvial plains. They sluiced and dredged and with methodical, backbreaking work found a steady stream of gold dust. All the miners lived poorly in squalid encampments, and the colonial government taxed them heavily. The European miners, jealous of the Chinese, instigated a race riot and forced the Chinese out of Bright.

The Ovens river was dredged clean of gold by the 1950s by which time tourism had already begun. Now, main industry in Bright is tourism, bringing families to the caravan parks, cyclists to the trails, motorcyclists to the Great Alpine Road, and everyone else for the general beauty and quaintness of the town and surrounding area. In spring and summer there is swimming and other water sports on the Ovens River, in autumn tourists come to view the changing colours of European trees planted in the area. It is also the gateway to majestic alpine scenery and, in winter, skiing.

Get in

Practically all comers to Bright come by road. The town is about 3.5 hours from Melbourne and 1.5 hours from Albury-Wodonga.

Bright is at the end of a decommissioned railway spur from Wangaratta. V/Line buses still service the town, three times daily on weekdays, but once a day on weekends. The buses connect with railway services at Seymour to Melbourne.

The old rail right-of-way is now a railtrail, and hiring a bike from Wangaratta and cycling to Bright is a good day's cycle.

There are other bus services to Omeo, by Omeo Bus.

Get around

Bright is small enough to walk around. There are also plenty of bike lanes and bike paths.

See

• Bright Art Gallery & Cultural Centre. 10AM–4PM.

Do

• Swim - albeit in very cold water. The centrally-located Bright Splash Park is great for kids and features a diving board, a 'pool' and even a little sandy beach!
• Bogong Horseback Adventures, 52 Fredas Lane, Tawonga, Vic, ☏ +61 3 5754 4849. By Appointment. Award winning horse tour operator offering rides from 2 hours to Multi-day packhorse expeditions into the Alpine National Park. Home of Spring Spur Australian Stock Horse stud, all expedition horses are bred and trained on the property. Clinics in Natural Horsemanship available. From $90.
• Tandem Hang Gliding. Take a scenic flight or a lesson in a powered hang glider.
• Cycle - there are numerous cycling paths in and around Bright. If you didn't bring your own, bicycles can be rented from various shops in town, starting at $50 per day.

Buy

The main streets, especially Gavan St, are thriving and lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. The Woolworths and IGA will provide your general grocery and alcohol needs.

Eat

• Il Centro Pizza House, 94 Gavan St, ☏ +61 3 5750 1228.
• Gum Tree Pies, 2 Anderson St, 08:00-16:00 daily.

Drink

• The Bright Brewery is open daily from noon until evening. Indoor and outdoor seating, dog friendly, great burgers, and a huge range of tap beer.
• Dr Mauve Bar And Lounge, 100 Gavan St, ☏ +61 3 5755 1525. Fri–Tue 4PM–1AM.

Sleep

There is an abundance of accommodation in and around Bright, including caravan parks, motels, and private residences. Walking around the back streets, you will notice most houses have signage indicated it can be booked through one holiday rental agency or other.

• John Bright Motor Inn, 10-12 Wood St, ☏ +61 3 5755 1400. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM.
• Alpine Hotel (The Alpine), 7-9 Anderson St, ☏ +61 3 5755 1366. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. A medium sized alpine hotel with a bar and a restaurant. from $113.
• Alpine Valley Getaways allow you to book a range of private residences.
• Bright Escapes have heaps of properties in town

Go next

• Beechworth, Mount Hotham

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