Bright, Victoria, Australia
As promised, here is the low down on our stay in Bright, Victoria. This was the second part of our trip down south. Our visit was to explore this lovely little town and the area surrounding it after spending 4 days on the snow at Falls Creek.
So about Bright… Bright is located three and a half hours from Melbourne and is often used as a base to explore the local region and enjoy ski resort Mt Hotham.
Bright is a very unique place in that you can visit and enjoy all times of the year. Our visit was during late Winter, the first flowers of Spring were showing their glowing faces and yet the morning frost was a harsh reminder that the surrounding snow fields were having a cracking season. The tree-lined streets had my imagination wandering as to how incredible this place would be in Autumn and then we stumbled across the water park and water slides into the river which was evidence that Summer would be pretty awesome too.
Spring was well on the way in Bright
There is plenty of accommodation to go around in Bright but you can’t go past a warm, cosy cottage that suits the whole family and by whole family I mean kids, parents and grandparents. We stayed in Abalina on Rotary Cottage which is a three bedroom, two bathroom cottage within walking distance to the town and main street. Upon our arrival we were welcomed with a personalised welcome letter and a block of local Bright chocolate. The cottage also had a large kitchen, fireplace, garage and laundry. All of which came very much in handy! The rooms were also warm with plenty of heating.
Abalina Cottage – Master Bedroom
The kids loved the DVD collection and the assortment of board games. The kitchen had kids tableware and I found a high chair and portable cot in the cupboard should you need it. The kids bedroom had two single beds and apparently they were very comfy. A very family friendly cottage indeed!
Abalina Cottage – Lounge Room
We booked our stay at Abalina Cottage direct with the owners, Cameron and Bernadette, who were fantastic to deal with. To find out more information, rates and availability for Abalina Cottage then visit their website.
Our first morning in Bright started off with a wander into town in search for coffee and bakery treats. As we wandered through the town we discovered the water park (still turned off until the warmer months), the water slides and the giant playground perfect for all ages. The kids had a blast running around while we sat in the warm Winter sun sipping our coffee.
Water Park in Bright
After our morning wander we jumped into the car and headed up to Mount Buffalo. Although Mt Buffalo isn’t that far from Bright it is still an hour drive from the town. The roads are windy so be aware in case you have any car sickness sufferers. After the countless ‘are we there yet’ moans from the back seat we had finally arrived at Mt Buffalo Chalet and lookout. The Chalet is an amazing building and has a lot of history. While you can’t enter the Chalet you can peer through the windows and read about its history on the outside walls. I look forward to the day that this magnificent building is able to be used again but for now it has just had a facelift and been made watertight again.
Mt Buffalo Chalet, Victoria
The views from the Mt Buffalo lookout sure are breathtaking. Snow capped mountains surrounding the valley and green as far as the eye can see. There was still snow dotted around the place so you need to be careful that you don’t take a tumble on the icy rocks.
View from Mt Buffalo Lookout
We continued our drive up the mountain and reached The Horn and cross-country skiing fields. It was fascinating to see the old chair lift and ski fields that used to be a part of the resort. Now they sit dormant and sway in the wind leaving only your imagination to create the picture of what it used to be like.
That night Matt and I snuck away to check out Bright Brewery. Don’t panic, we didn’t leave the kids alone, we had grandparents travelling with us! We could have easily taken the kids with us though as the back deck of the Brewery overlooks that amazing big playground that the kids loved playing in earlier. However, we enjoyed a quiet drink together while the kids enjoyed those DVDs at the cottage that I mentioned earlier.
Bright Brewery
The next morning we had breakfast and coffee at What You Eat Cafe on the main street and I highly recommend it. We then started our drive toward Melbourne with one more stop along the way.
What You Eat Cafe
Red Stag Deer Farm is a great place to stop with the kids as they get the chance to see a bunch of farm animals and European deer plus they get to feed them. A tip is to get one bucket of feed and split it between two kids as that was plenty for them and the animals.
Red Stag Deer Farm
The deer are truly majestic creatures and the snow capped mountain backdrop has you feeling like you are in Europe! There is a restaurant also but we didn’t try it out this time, although I hear it is good. Seeing the animals was a great way to farewell this part of our trip and the kids think everyone should stop in there if they are driving past.
Red Stag Deer Farm
So that was Bright. A stunning town that has me wanting to come back in the Summer and Autumn!
Red Stag Deer Farm
Stay tuned for our next travels or have a read of some of our previous adventures.
Don’t forget that if you are too busy to plan your own family holiday then I can do it for you! My Family Travel Planning Service is not just for long trips but short weekend getaways too. So why not surprise your family with an adventurous escape and let me plan it for you.
Safe travels,
Jen
Disclaimer: We received a media discount from Abalina Cottages for our 2 night stay. All opinions are always my own.
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