Great Alpine Road
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| Great Alpine Road | |
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| Length | 307 kilometres |
| General direction: | Northwest-Southeast |
| From: | Wangaratta, Victoria |
| To: | Bairnsdale, Victoria |
| Towns along highway: | Myrtleford, Bright, Harrietville, Mt Hotham, Dinner Plain, Omeo, Swifts Creek, Ensay, Bruthen |
The Great Alpine Road (B500) is a country tourist road in Victoria, Australia, running from Wangaratta in the north to Bairnsdale in the east, and passing through the Australian Alps. The road was given its current name as being the mountain equivalent to Victoria's world famous Great Ocean Road in the south-west of the state.
The Great Alpine Road winds through mountains, valleys and forests, and past rivers, vineyards and farms. At a length of 308 kilometres, it is Australia’s highest year-round accessible sealed road. The section over Mt Hotham is blanketed with snow during winter months and must be cleared on a daily basis. Extreme weather conditions can sometimes still result in the road being closed between Harrietville and Omeo.
The Great Alpine Road links Victoria's North East with Gippsland. It was completed with the sealing of the section between Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain and was officially opened on the 4th of April, 1998. The road itself has existed since colonial times in some form, but was unsealed for much of its history, and was only given the Great Alpine Road designation after being fully sealed.
The current Great Alpine Road includes the former Ovens Highway from Wangaratta to Omeo, and the section of the Omeo Highway from Omeo to Bruthen, along with the section of the Princes Highway from Bruthen to Bairnsdale. Attractions include the Mount Buffalo National Park, popular tourist town Bright, the Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain alpine resorts, the historic gold rush township of Omeo, and stunning views and challenging driving along its length.
[edit] Towns and resorts
- Wangaratta
- Myrtleford
- Bright
- Harrietville
- Mt Hotham
- Dinner Plain
- Omeo
- Swifts Creek
- Ensay
- Bruthen
- Bairnsdale
[edit] See also
