Highs and lows

A road trip from the Victorian Alps to the Murray River and back again covers 2 of Victoria’s most diverse regions.

Story + Photos Don Fuchs

The vertical west face of Mt Buller in the Victorian Alps is usually forbidden terrain. And yet, people venture into this dangerous alpine environment. Fixed to a steel cable, they traverse and scale the steep escarpment via Australia’s first and so far only via ferrata. “A via ferrata is a type of climbing that follows a set route where fixed equipment is installed into the rock to assist the participant in ascension,” explains James Webb, whose brainchild this is. “These via ferratas originated in the towering world of the Italian Dolomites. During World War I they were installed to get soldiers and equipment safely into strategic positions.”

The via ferrata on Mt Buller is a new summer activity for the traditionally winter destination. With accommodation on the mountain now available outside the ski season, it is the perfect starting point for a diverse road trip that connects the spectacular Victorian High Country with the mighty Murray River.

The road down from the mountain descends via switchbacks into tall, cool forests then out to hills towards Mansfield, a lively country town and the gateway to the ski resort. Mansfield resident and B&B owner Susannah Scott Barber is enamoured with the place she chose to live in 12 years ago. “Mansfield has got a really eclectic group of people that live here,” she says. “There is always a buzz.”

After Mansfield, it is back into the hills. The winding road towards Whitfield heads up into tall forest again and into the north-western extremity of the Alpine National Park.