The Ultimate Passport to… Picnics

There are so many wonderful picnic spots in Bright & Surrounds. Luckily, we also have some wonderful picnic purveyors.

No need for soggy salad sandwiches on paper plates when you can pick up a beautifully prepared spread of fabulous local produce in a fully-equipped hamper from one of our local provedores or delis. We’ll even share some of our favourite picnic spots with you…

The Loaded Basket – really, the name says it all when it comes to picnics. Let the Loaded Basket deli & provedore prepare your picnic – either choose from their extensive selection or let the resident caterer surprise you – then take your vintage picnic hamper to Lake Catani or the Horn at Mount Buffalo, or one of the secret swimming holes on the Buckland River, sit back & enjoy.

Let Food Wine Friends create a gourmet picnic experience for you to share at home (or in the park….by the river….up the snow etc). Food Wine Friends is a café & gourmet foodstore serving modern comfort food with a strong regional focus. Gourmet picnic baskets are made with love and the finest local ingredients and might include a loaf of Milawa ciabatta, homemade broadbean dip, Lochelian cheese, North-east lamb & roast pumpkin salad with chevre, zesty lemon tart or our signature chocolate brownie. The menu is seasonal and ever-changing and they work with you to create your perfect picnic. Picnic baskets, thermos & picnic rugs are available to complete the experience.

Snow Road Produce – Placing the North East region on a pedestal. Let Snow Road Produce put together the finest selection of local & regional produce for you, in a fabulous picnic hamper for 2. Featured produce includes local cheeses, butter, olives, oils, breads, dips and more. Once you’ve enjoyed your feast of local produce, return to SRP for coffee and one of their yummy house-made sweet treats. Snow Road Produce is situated in the heart of the Milawa Gourmet Region. They stock an extensive range of regional produce, including Milawa Cheese, Myrtleford Butter, local olives, oils, breads, dips, jams, nuts, berries and so much more. They also carry local wines and boutique beer. Whether you’re on your way to the snow or touring our beautiful region, SRP has the selection for you.

Pick up a lunch special from Rok Salt Fish & Chippery and enjoy your fish ‘n’ chips in the fresh air, the way they’re meant to be enjoyed, down by the Ovens River in Bright.

Another way to picnic is with River Tribe Adventures. Their Pedal to Picnic package includes full-day cycle hire, one-way transfer from Wangaratta to Beechworth, and gourmet picnic with a selection of local produce, Prosecco and a sweet treat. Explore Beechworth then leisurely pedal (mostly downhill) back to Wangaratta on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail – a cycling route that boasts spectacular scenery and is dotted with wineries and beautiful picnic spots.

Here are some fabulous spots for a lazy summer picnic:

By the water: There’s the ever-popular choice of Centenary Park and Howitt Park in Bright, with the nearby playground, splash park and swimming hole with water slide & diving board. But there are many other magical spots along the Ovens & its tributary creeks. Riverside Park in Porepunkah and Tavare Park in Harrietville are two excellent choices, or head to secluded and shady Alpine Park in Wandiligong, right on the burbling waters of Morses Creek and easily reached on a short drive or 20-minute bike ride from Bright. There are also a number of swimming holes with space to spread a picnic blanket along the Canyon Walk and Cherry Walk, or on the Buckland River in Porepunkah and Buckland. Head to Mount Buffalo National Park to laze by the cooling waters of Lake Catani (go for a hike, a swim or perhaps hire a canoe or kayak to build up your appetite). Relax near tumbling waterfalls at Rollasons Falls and Eurobin Falls. Or lay out your picnic mat at Lake Sambell in Beechworth. Lake William Hovell in the upper King Valley has a number of scenic spots for a leisurely picnic and a swim. Paradise Falls, on the Wabonga Plateau outside of Cheshunt, has picnic tables just before the short walk to the spectacular 31-metre waterfall.

Views & Lookouts: Mount Buffalo National Park is just brimming with perfect picnic spots. Take in majestic views from the picnic area at the Horn, Mount Buffalo’s tallest point, or the Gorge, near the Mt Buffalo Chalet. Tawonga Gap, just 8km from Bright on the winding Tawonga Gap Road, offers magnificent views of Mount Buffalo, Mount Bogong and the Kiewa Valley. Murmungee Lookout, in the Stanley State Forest, is a spectacular spot for a picnic, with an expansive panorama of Mount Buffalo and the floodplains of the Ovens and King Valleys. Or head up into the Alpine National Park along the Great Alpine Road – there are many spots to stop and admire the view and breathe the fresh mountain air. Dargo Lookout is a short walk from Wire Plain on the road to Dinner Plain, with lovely views over the Dargo High Plains. Powers Lookout, on the Whitfield-Mansfield Road, was reputed to be a vantage point for notorious bushranger Harry Power (supposedly Ned Kelly was his apprentice in outlawry). Today you can enjoy a picnic with views over the King Valley; there’s a second lookout point if you’re up for a short steep walk.

High Country Huts: History and natural beauty meet at the many huts of the High Country. Some are were built by cattlemen, others to shelter skiers during the brunt of winter, still others are replica huts built specially for film & television – but they’re all great spots for a picnic. Build up an appetite with a walk to Silver Brumby Hut at Mount Hotham, standing on the Plains of Heaven near Swindler’s Creek, just past the base of Blue Ribbon chairlift. Wallace’s Hut is a true cattlemen’s hut built in 1889, reached by a picturesque walk through snowgums from the Bogong High Plains Road at Falls Creek.

Wineries: A few of our local wineries are perfectly happy for self-caterers to bring a gourmet picnic. Ringer Reef in Porepunkah and Brown Brothers in Milawa both have expansive lawns perfect for a picnic with a glass or two of wine.

Fine print: Please check the exclusions & conditions of each offer. All offers are subject to availability and some may require advance booking. Some picnic spots require a walk or a drive on gravel roads and some may be accessible by 4WD only. Check conditions locally.