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Put yourself behind the wheel of an expedition-equipped Land Rover Defender. Ahead of you is a four-day driving adventure through rugged alpine wilderness … Victoria's High Country!
But you're not "roughing it".
Each night you will be treated to some of the best hospitality (albeit in some of the most remote locations), that Gippsland has to offer.
Day 1
Pick up your rental vehicle from Mountain-Top Experience in Morwell (160 km east of Melbourne, we meet you at the railway station). After vehicle/equipment familiarisation, and supply of route descriptions and maps, you're off. Through ghost towns, mines, mountains and river crossings you follow the early prospectors' trail to Walhalla Historic Township (population 11). Overnight at Walhalla's Star Hotel (4 star accommodation B&B).
Day 2
On the southerly ascent of the Great Dividing Range you travel along old coach roads, exploring abandoned gold era relics, and also viewing the vast Thomson Reservoir (Melbourne's main water storage and the highest rock-fill dam in the southern hemisphere). Deeper into the mountains, the sense of isolation is broken only by your welcoming arrival at Glencairn Mountain Hideaway, a pioneer homestead first settled in 1865. This is your B&B accommodation for the night.
Day 3
Passing through towering alpine ash forests, stands of gnarled snow gums and open snow grass plains, today is the high country at its spectacular best. The view from the Eagles Crest is breathtaking … only exceeded by the precipitous 4WD descent to the valley below. Beyond the sleepy, hill-billy country of Dargo there are more mountains and rivers to cross before arriving at Waterholes Guest House. From the balcony of your luxury apartment kangaroos can be seen grazing on the river flats.
Day 4
After a relaxing morning you descend from the mountains for the highway run back to Morwell, and thence your return to Melbourne and other trappings of 21st century life. But you reflect on the timelessness of the alpine high country, the quality of relationships wrought through a wilderness experience, and the enduring memories of your adventure in luxury.
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