Things to do in The High Country
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Mansfield Hotel
The flashiest of Mansfield’s pubs has a huge dining room and extensive, innovative bistro menu to go with it. Pull up a couch by the fireplace in winter or eat out in the sunny beer terrace in summer.
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Blue Duck Inn
Beside the Cobungra River, about 30km north of Omeo, you’ll find the legendary Blue Duck Inn Hotel, popular with fly-fishers, canoeists and bushwalkers. Comfy self-contained cabins sleep up to eight. The hotel serves superb country meals and there’s a good riverside barbecue area.
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Mansfield Regional Produce Store
The best spot in town for coffee or a light lunch, this rustic store stocks an array of local produce, wines and fresh-baked artisan breads.
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Active Flight
Introductory paragliding course (from $225) or tandem flights (from $130).
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Historic & Cultural Precinct
Visit the honey-coloured buildings on a tour of the fascinating Historic & Cultural Precinct. First is the Beechworth Courthouse, where the trials many key historical figures took place (including Ned Kelly and his mother). Ned was committed to trial for the murders of constables Scanlon and Lonigan here in August 1880. Ned’s cell is behind the Shire Hall; his mother’s is behind the courthouse. Send a telegram to anywhere in the world from the Telegraph Station on Ford St, the original Morse-code office. Just like old times!
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Milawa Cheese Company
The excellent Milawa Cheese Company is 2km north of Milawa. It offers cheese tastings and a bakery and cafe. It excels at soft and washed-rind cheeses. The restaurant here is fabulous – a must-stop on the ‘Gourmet Road’. For good measure, in the same building is Milawa Chocolates, offering handmade chocolates.
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Adventures With Altitude
Adventures with Altitude runs fabulous hiking, biking ($15/60/90 per hour/half-/full day) and horse riding ($80/150/200) jaunts. You won’t get lost, and you’ll see all the good bits: trout-filled rivers, historic huts, snowgum forests, gold mines, wildlife and views. And you get fed! Bike hire ($15/40/60) is also available.
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Mansfield Zoo
A surprisingly good wildlife park with lots of native fauna and some exotics like a pair of lions. You can sleep in the paddocks in a swag (adult/child $65/45, including zoo entry for two days) and wake to the dawn chorus of wildlife.
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Golden Horseshoes Monument
The Golden Horseshoes Monument is where, in 1855, a horse was shod with golden shoes and ridden into town by candidate Donald Cameron on the nomination day of Victoria’s first parliamentary elections. The Victorian-era PR stunt seemed to work – Cameron was duly elected to parliament.
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King River Cafe
In Oxley, it’s worth a stop for a coffee or light meal at the King River Café, an unassuming but inviting place in an old general store, serving scrumptious lunches bringing together much of the region’s famous produce. Ask about the attached self-contained accommodation.
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Simone's Restaurant
For 20 years owner-chef Patrizia Simone has been serving outstanding Italian food, with a focus on local ingredients and seasonal produce, in the rustic dining room of this heritage-listed house. Bookings essential.
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Australian Alpine Institute
Year-round staff at the Australian Alpine Institute run a variety of outdoor adventures, including rock climbing, abseiling and fly-fishing. Its sports hall (Level 2) and gym (Level 1) have fab indoor activities (casual visit $10) and massages (per 30 minutes $55).
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Bright Brewery
This small boutique brewery produces a quality range of beers (sample five for $10) and beer-friendly food like pizza, kransky and nachos. There's a guided tour and tasting on Friday at 3pm ($18), live music on Sunday, and you can learn to be a brewer for a day ($360).
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MB Historic Cellars
Old brewery paraphernalia is on display at MB Historic Cellars, a former brewery that now produces traditional cordials like ginger beer. In the same premises is the Carriage Museum, displaying gorgeous old horse-drawn carriages.
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Man
‘The Man’ hotel has been around forever, is open all year and is a top nightspot. In winter it becomes a club, cocktail bar and live-music venue featuring popular Aussie bands. Very good pub dinners and pizzas are available ($11 to $28).
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Altitude
In summer, mountain biking is big, big, big, with the Horse Hill chairlift operating on weekends lifting you and your bike up to the plateau (all-day lift and trails access $45). Bike hire is available from Altitude.
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Mountain Top Experience
Mountain Top Experience can provide food-parcel drop-offs and car shuttles (from $30) for walkers on the Australian Alps Walking Track (p310). It also has a range of 4WD tag-along tours (per day $100) and 4WD hire.
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Burke Museum
Burke Museum is named after the explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, who was the police superintendent at Beechworth from 1854 to 1858. It shows gold-rush relics and an arcade of shopfronts preserved as they were over 140 years ago.
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Loft Lounge & Signature Restaurant
At the Breathtaker All Suite Hotel, the Loft Lounge & Bar is open in summer and the fine-dining restaurant, Signature, is open in winter. Magnificent views, great atmosphere and a delicious fusion of Asian, European and Mod Oz cuisine.
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Huski Produce Store
Chic store and cafe with great casual dining, coffee and High Country produce.
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Breathtaker on High Spa Retreat
Breathtaker on High Spa Retreat offers the chance to soak and revive with a range of luxurious treatments, a 20m lap pool and a hydrotherapy ‘geisha tub’ ($45 per 15 minutes in aromatic bath milk).
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Onsen Retreat and Spa
When the agony ends, head to Onsen Retreat and Spa, a totally divine Japanese-influenced, indoor-outdoor experience where the body gets to feel beautiful. Ritual onsen bathing plus swim, sauna and gym is $40.
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Karrs Reef Goldmine
An exciting new attraction is the extraordinary tour of Karrs Reef Goldmine. For 1½ hours you’re guided through the hard-dug tunnel to see the way it all worked. Departs from the visitors centre.
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Adrenalin White Water Rafting
If the adrenalin is still flowing, let it rush with Adrenalin White Water Rafting, which will take you out on the King River. Try the indulgence package (raft, wine, dine) and stay the night for $295.
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