I love anywhere in Australia where a day behind the wheel can take you from a proper country pub, through towering mountain ash, across a river and eventually have you sitting beside a campfire overlooking some of the best views in the nation.
That's the Victorian High Country.
And after winter, we're coming into what I reckon is one of the best times of the year to experience it.
Spring is one of the best times to explore the Victorian High Country because seasonal road closures begin to lift, temperatures become more comfortable and many iconic tracks reopen after winter. It's the ideal season for combining four-wheel driving, camping, river crossings and mountain scenery without the peak summer crowds.
Spring marks the beginning of the return to the mountains. The days are getting longer, the weather is starting to improve and, as seasonal road closures begin to lift, more and more of the Victorian High Country becomes accessible again.
If you've been waiting for an excuse to load the four-wheel drive, this is it.
From the Moreton to the High Country
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Where do you Start?
The beauty of the Victorian High Country is that you don't need to build a full-blown 4X4 and disappear for two weeks to enjoy it.
Places like Mansfield, Bright, Dargo, Licola and Omeo all make excellent starting points, and from there you can make the trip as easy or as difficult as you like.
For newcomers, there are plenty of relatively straightforward gravel roads and easier tracks that'll still take you into spectacular country. You can spend a day exploring, find a campsite beside a river and be back in town for a pub feed the following afternoon.
a map of the Vic High Country
For those looking for something more challenging, the High Country can certainly provide it.
Tracks like Billy Goats Bluff, Blue Rag Range and the surrounding mountain network have become legendary in the four-wheel-drive community for good reason. Steep climbs, rocky descents and huge elevation changes are simply part of travelling through this country.
But don't fall into the trap of thinking the hardest track is always the best one.
Some of my favourite High Country driving has simply been cruising along a ridgeline, dropping into an old cattleman's hut or following a river until finding somewhere worth pulling up for the night.
a 4X4 pictured in the Vic High Country
The Camps are as Good as the Tracks
Four-wheel driving might be what gets you there, but camping is arguably what makes the Victorian High Country truly special.
There are beautiful campsites scattered throughout the mountains, from riverside clearings to remote bush camps where your biggest decision for the evening is where to put the chair. And if you're new to the area, there are a few spots I'd put pretty high on the list.
King Hut is a cracker. Sitting on the King River, it's a great destination in its own right and gives you plenty of options for exploring the surrounding tracks. Access is 4WD only and involves a few river crossings, so conditions can change considerably after rain. Nearby Pineapple Flat is another great option if King Hut is busy.
a 4X4 performing a river crossing in the Vic High Country
If you want to get properly into the High Country, Wonnangatta Valley is hard to beat. It's remote, spectacular and surrounded by some epic camps. You can make Wonnangatta part of a multi-day trip through the mountains rather than simply driving in and out the same way, with the 222km Wonnangatta Drive linking some of the region's best tracks, camps and historic areas.
On the Dargo side, Talbotville is another favourite. The old township site sits on grassy flats beside the Crooked River, making it a brilliant base for exploring the tracks and river crossings around the area. There are toilets, fireplaces and picnic tables, and nearby Grant is worth exploring for a bit of the region's gold-mining history.
Try not to make the mistake of racing past the huts just because you're chasing the next difficult track. Bluff Hut is one of my favourites, while places like Howitt, Bindaree and the other historic huts scattered through the mountains are half the reason to explore this place in the first place. Just remember they're there to be preserved and, importantly, shouldn't be treated as accommodation.
Wherever you end up, set up camp, get the fire going where and when it's permitted, cook a massive steak and watch the sun disappear behind the mountains.
That's a pretty bloody good way to spend a weekend.
A kettle over a campfire
Get Up There
After well over a decade of wheeling and multiple laps of the nation, The Victorian High Country is still one of those places that somehow manages to feel different every time you visit. Tracks change, rivers flood and fall, campsites look completely different from one season to the next and, no matter how many times you've been, there always seems to be another track on the map worth exploring.
That's why the start of High Country season gets me excited every year.
Over the coming weeks, more seasonal closures will lift and more of our favourite mountains will become accessible again. Just remember that spring conditions can still be unpredictable, so check current track closures and conditions before you leave, carry proper recovery gear and don't assume a track will look the same as it did last summer.
Beyond that, my advice is pretty simple.
Pick a town, pick a track, throw the camping gear in the 4X4 and go.
From the Moreton to the High Country
We cover anywhere you can legally go in Australia
