5 Reasons To Visit Bright In Autumn & Things to Do
5 Reasons to Visit Bright in the Autumn
The Autumn colours of Bright, and the surrounding region in north east Victoria, are a reminder of the beauty of nature. The colours are astounding. A co-ordinated sympathy of foliage colour lights up the Alpine valley and is a stunning visual cue that nature is still alive and well in this part of the world.
Bright is considered the centrepiece of the show. A 3 1/2 hour driver north east of Melbourne and at the foot of the Victoria alps. A popular tourist town in its' own right, but it's not all about busy Bright.
Reason #1. Autumn colours
The colours that signal autumn has arrived sweep up the Alpine Valley all the way from Wangaratta and up the big hill to Beechworth and to Bright. The colours start changing in April and continue through May in the lead up to winter.
Reason #2. Fewer crowds
As the cooler weather arrives, and the Easter holidays are done, the holiday crowds slowly head off. May is still a very busy time in the region but doesn't seem to have that manic feel of the warmer March and April months.
Reason #3. Perfect Temperature
The north east of Victoria can be very hot in summer. Weather wise autumn is almost perfect. Whilst it can be variable with the slowly encroaching cooler weather, brisk sunny days are sublime.
Reason #4. Accommodation
In the peak seasons of summer, the best accommodation venues are booked out often 12 months in advance. It can be difficult to find the right place to stay in what is essentially a small town. Pushing your visit back to the autumn season will mean more options for places to stay.
Reason #5. Events
Bright and the surrounding region traditionally has a full calendar of events.
Myrtleford has the La Fiera Italian Festival in May each year.
The Bright Autumn Festival is of course held in autumn each year. This festival is held when Bright is at the height of its vibrant autumn colours. It features open gardens, farm tours, art & craft exhibitions, a street procession and music.
The Feast High Country Festival is also held in autumn each year (normally!). A two-week celebration of the region's food and drink offering with over 40 events included (look out for 2021 dates soon).
What to do in Bright in Autumn
1. Go Cycling!
The ideal way to experience all the full autumn colours of Bright is by bike of course! Bright is blessed with some of the best cycling options in Australia. From mountain bike parks, the road climbs of My Buffalo and Hotham or the safety and serenity of the off road Murray to Mountains Rail Trail (our favourite ride in Australia!!). The rail trail starts in Beechworth and rolls all the way to Bright and is lined with the incredible autumn foliage. You can cycle the entire length of the trail on our 6 night North East Lux guided tour or go self guided on a mini 3 night escape finishing in Bright.
2. Go Hiking
Funnily enough, Bright is also surrounded by some of the best hiking available in Victoria. The famous Razorback hike across the roof of My Hotham is but one example.
The best place to find out more about the incredible hiking in north east Victoria is at the Walk High Country website.
3. Taste the Food and Wine
The north east Victoria region, or the High Country, has become rightly famous as a gourmet hub. There is growing list of Chef Hated restaurants (think Provenance in Beechworth and All Saints in Rutherglen), award winning breweries (Bridge Road or Bright Brewery), food producers (Milawa Cheese Factory, Australia Pumpkin Seeds) innovative gin distilleries and of course vineyards and wine makers (Brown Brothers, Giaconda, Fighting Gully, Billy Button to name a few). Any visit to the region must include a sampling of the food and wine now so intrinsic to the area.
[…] end of May, the brilliant colours of autumn are in full display (see images from our blog post the Colours of Autumn around Bright). The rail trail heads all the way in to the centre of Bright, finishing at the main roundabout […]
[…] end of May, the brilliant colours of autumn are in full display (see images from our blog post the Colours of Autumn around Bright). The rail trail heads all the way in to the centre of Bright, finishing at the main roundabout […]