Day 8: Omeo – Bright – Glenrowan – Swan Hill (425km, 5300km total)

It’s bloody cold when I leave Omeo – 8C. Heading towards Bright on the Great Alpine Road, it’s 85km of twisting mountain ascent and descent to Harrietville. Climb up to 1800m at Mt Hotham (and 6C). I stopped before reaching the top to take a couple of photos and it was a good job too, as the summit was completely in cloud – could see the road but not much else. The road to the top required all my attention even though it was a bit wider and better surfaced than the roads yesterday. 

Just before Mt Hotham

6C at 1650m - yikes

After Mt Hotham the road descends back down to about 400m (and 14C!). It crosses some ridges between peaks with drop-offs (and presumably views!) on both sides and with a gale howling right across.

There’s hardly any traffic, but any I meet is inevitably on a corner and takes me a bit by surprise.

From Omeo to Harrietville the bike is hardly ever upright, just rolling from one side to the next. From Harrietville to Bright the bends are much gentler as the road follows the river valley.

I’m glad that I (inadvertently) stopped over at Omeo for the night: to ride that road from the Princes Highway in one hit would have been exhausting and I think I’d not have as much fun riding it.

I hit the first Freeway since leaving Perth near Wangaratta and swiftly duck off it to swing by Glenrowan – Ned Kelly town. I pass the big statue surrounded by tourists taking selfies but don’t bother to stop.

The rest of the ride to Swan Hill is pretty unremarkable compared to the morning’s spectacular countryside.

Swan Hill doesn’t seem to have much in the way of character to it, at least not on the main street. My motel was a 70’s construction, everything beige, brown or just generally dark. It was right next door to anther motel which is why I assume the owner gave me a 10% discount when I asked if that was the best he could do for the room rate!

Dinner was at a place called Quo Vadis that declared it produces ‘real pizzas’ – presumably a reference to the Dominoes outlet just the other side of the street. Well, it was real, real bad, enough said.