Armed with very little, read absolutely no knowledge of what Yackandandah actually had to offer, we boldly chose it as our base for exploring Victoria’s Alpine High Country. The decision was driven almost entirely by dangerously cute photos of the Yack Rail Trail Cottage and its resident Suffolk sheep – and honestly, no regrets. It turned out to be a blissful retreat, complete with a crackling log fire, the perfect place to unwind after long days of sightseeing and hiking.
Yackandandah is a charming historic gold-mining town in north-east Victoria, nestled in the foothills of the Stanley State Forest. At its heart lies High Street, the village’s vibrant main strip, lined with graceful deciduous trees and framed by beautifully preserved buildings. Anchoring either end are two local landmarks: The Yack Hotel and The Star Hotel, affectionately known as the “Top Pub.”
Dating back to the 1860s, The Star Hotel absolutely oozes history – think uneven floors, long, slightly spooky corridors (it started life as a private home), and gloriously questionable carpets that felt very on-brand for my thrifting aesthetic. Add a generous sprawl of street tables for top-tier people watching, house-smoked meats, and Two Pot Brewing Co beers on tap, and it’s a no-brainer.
The original drawcard for the trip was Bright in autumn – famed for its oak, elm and maple trees erupting in fiery reds, oranges and golds. We missed the mark by a couple of weeks, arriving early April, while the grand finale doesn’t really hit until late April, early May. Still, a handful of trees got the memo, putting on a teaser for us, more of a sneak preview than the full Monty.
What Bright did deliver, however, was a lung-expanding hit of crisp alpine air, postcard-perfect tree-lined streets, a show-off mountain backdrop and a generous dose of Easter tourist chaos! After a quick cup of java and some delightful baked goods, we hightailed it to Harrietville – no grand plan, just liked the name and wanted a tourist free hike.
At the foot of Mount Hotham and essentially a gateway village to the Alpine National Park, Harrietville is a scenic high-country hamlet and ideal base for exploring the surrounding ranges. Trails range from gentle riverside strolls to serious alpine ascents, including the 22km return Bungalow Spur Track to Mount Feathertop (that’s a hard pass).
With no maps and no idea (situation normal), we set out in search of a gentle, sub-6km bushwalk. We started at Pioneer Park, home to a fascinating display of the area’s gold-mining history, including an operational water wheel once used to power rock-crushing machinery. After initially hugging the Ovens River, we diverted to follow a series of trail signs before eventually surrendering to instinct, and a fair bit of winging it, which did not sit well with Gen Z.
The reward was a beautiful wander through riparian and native bushland, where towering eucalypts and fern-filled gullies serendipitously guided us to the Tronoh Dredge swimming hole. Once the Southern Hemisphere’s largest bucket-dredge gold mine, it has since been dramatically reclaimed by nature and now rests as a still, glassy lake amidst tranquil native bush. The water is brisk, fed by snowmelt trickling down from Mount Feathertop, and an almost surreal emerald green thanks to a blue-green algal bloom. Not ideal for swimming, but a breathtaking photo op.
We comfortably exceeded our 6km goal and rewarded ourselves with a well-earned recovery at the Harrietville Hotel Motel, just a stone’s throw from the Ovens River. An outdoor fire and a couple of thirst-quenching draught beers made for an excellent finish. Cheers!
