Bright Victoria is an amazing place. I have many fond memories of visiting this area going back to when I was only a little tiger. Recently, I have been visiting this area, most notably Harrietville, with my partner. She is a city girl, but she loves the area. And I have much to tell her about the area, and the origins of my family being rooted firmly in Harrietville amongst the Wraiths and the Ellinghams.
One of my more notable times spent in this area started with a multi day hike starting from Mt Beauty, just on the other side of Tawonga Gap, and finishing at the base of Bungalow Spur in Harrietville. You see, as cheesy as this will sound, I had a distant memory of how damn good the hamburgers were at the local store in Harrietville (if you haven’t had one, a trip is worth it just for this!), so I set off on my trek, and over the next 7 days, I stood on top of the three highest peaks in Victoria, and shared campsites with some very cosy characters including a cattleman at the base of Mt Feathertop who even offered to cook a large meal for the 10 or so of us that were camped at Blairs Hut.
On my final day, packing up my gear at Federation Hut and having a chat to a fellow hiker who I happened to share a great and more interesting route back to Mt Hotham with, I had a fairly average day in front of me, and made the long downhill run into Harrietville. With the fairly lengthy days that I had behind me, this was fairy easy, and with the idea of this memorable hamburger looming only a few short hours away, the day seemed to go on forever.
As I finally reached Harrietville and crossed the ‘School Bridge’, I dropped my pack out the front of the general store, ordered my hamburger, and life was pure bliss. As any hiker or ‘peak bagger’ could agree with me, the idea of take away food after a long hike, as unhealthy as this is, is without a doubt one of the best ways to cap off a multi day hike.
As I sat out the front of the general store, utterly devouring the worlds best hamburger (affectionately called the “Mountain Burger”), a familiar face approached and started telling me of how great the route was that I advised him to take from Federation Hut to Mt Hotham. It was the other hiker who I spoke with at Federation Hut. He loved the route I suggested, and he offered me a ride to Bright, which is where I spent the next night.
You see, no matter what way you spend your time in this district, there is truly something for everyone. And not just something to enjoy, but something to experience. The people in the Bright Victoria district are approachable, and they love getting to know people. The kind of people that are attracted to this place, and the people that reside here along with the businesses and the level of service here truly makes Bright Victoria the place to visit.
Maybe you should plan a trip sometime soon!
I have been coming to Bright Victoria since I was only very young, I have been hiking in bright, and have had the privilege of staying in some of the best accommodation in Bright as well. This is where I share my stories, in the hope that you also come and see Bright in Victoria some day. Remember to download our free e-book, Top Five Hikes In Bright, if you want to see some of the more remote and beautiful areas near Bright.
