I am planning a 2-4 day ride around Victoria's more mountanous parts and into the Snowy Mtns, either using Bright as a return-to-point for an overnight stay or two, or Bright one night and somewhere like Jindabyne another (depends if I end up returning via Monaro, Cann River, A1). Can anyone offer tips on avoiding the M31 Melbourne to Bright, plus some experience-based preferences on travel-directions for the mountain passes? Planning to go late April or early May. Specifically, I have three questions:
1) I know I can go avoid the M31 by going from Melbourne out through Yea, Mansfield, and on to Whitfield. But if I want to head over to Bright from Whitfield, can I cut across Eastward rather than go north through Oxley? That is, what is the condition of the roads from Whitfield over to Myrtelford via either: a) Lake Buffalo-Whitfield Rd, to Buffalo River Rd (C526), and onto the B500 to Bright; b) Rose River Rd to Dandongadale and the C526 up to B500?
2) If doing the Alpine/Bogong "loop" FROM Bright, is it best done anti-clockwise or clock-wise? Anti-clockwise would be: Bright along Alpine Rd to Hotham Heights and Omeo, and back along Omeo Hwy and Bogong Rd through Falls Creek, Mt Beauty, over Towonga Gap Rd to Bright). Clockwise obviously the reverse (Bright, over to Mt Beauty, Bogong Rd to Omeo, and back along Alpine Rd through Harrietville etc to Bright). Obviously the 'best' direction is preference based, so I will add that I prefer uphill climbs (on the throttle) to downhill descents (on the brake). But obviously it is tough to maximize uphill all the time (what goes up must come down!). Also, I've ridden the Omeo Hwy from Omeo to Mitta Mitta before, so I am considering the Alpine/Bogong anti-clockwise direction, so that I can head on north and then east from Mt Beauty (avoiding Towonga Gap Rd twice in a day) over toward Jindabyne (thus allowing a return to Melbourne via Cann River and A1). Also, any suggestions on reasonable time on those sections (sensible hog riding; not dithering, but not sport bike either; and I am a very experienced rider).
3) What are the roads like from Running Creek (27km north of Mt Beauty on the C531) eastward to Eskdale (18km north of Mitta Mitta on the Omeo Hwy)? I was considering ways of getting from Mt Beauty over to the B400 to head on to Jindabyne. I know I can take something like the Kiewa Valley Rd (C531) up to Tallangatta and head east along the B400. But google maps says there are a bunch of connected little roads, about 32 km and suggested time one hour, between Running Creek and Eskdale? Are those roads doable? Doable meaning paved, not dirt or gravel or littered with debris.
Apologies for the detail, but I was hoping some local Victorians could wade in (or others, with experience on those roads).
Thanks mate, good to know! No goat tracks for my old FXR. We need a designation for non-paved roads, like G for goat track, or something.
