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Region:

Alpine Region 

Length:

96 km 

Duration:

1 hr 

Submitted By:

MC Rider 

Ride Summary

This 97 kilometre section of the Great Alpine Road features a corner ratio of 80% and corner speeds of fair, medium, or fast. There are no bumps and the bitumen grip is good. Cars are seen at a rate of one every 10 minutes.

Ride Description

The Omeo Highway is a magical ride for motorcyclists, combining mountain scenery that is nearly as splendid as the coastal beauties of the Great Ocean Road, excellently-surfaced and maintained roads, a refreshing lack of traffic, and a lack of towns to make the ride smoother. The quality of the road surface makes it possible to make the most of the mix of large sweeping curves (south of Omeo) and medium-radius and tight corners that make up much of the road’s length.

The scenery adds to the pleasure of this ride, thanks to its routing along a fast river valley. The vigorous Tambo River is to be seen at one side, while sweeping prospects of grand mountains and the ferny rainforest closer in add to the beauty of the scene as well.

There are three alternative routes on the Omeo to Bruthen Road which you might want to experience, either on your first ride or on return trips. Driving from Bruthen to Omeo, you can turn off on the Doctors Flat road at Ensay South, which is about halfway through the trip. There is a 16 kilometre section of road here which eventually brings you back to the main road.

Turning left at Swift Creek while coming from Bruthen will put you on a road that is of somewhat lesser quality, but offers different scenery and a slower speed, and leads back, after 29 kilometres, to the Hotham road 3 kilometres west of Omeo.

The third alternate route takes you from Omeo to Anglers Rest, a distance of 29 kilometres. The road is serpentine, and is both highly technical and extremely demanding, so you should only take this route if you are an experienced rider. The first 9 kilometres are somewhat easier, but the last 20 kilometres are tougher than the famous Reefton Spur. The road is cut into mountainsides so there is no run off, and the surface is a somewhat dubious brown pebble mix.

There is no petrol at Anglers Rest, but there is an excellent pub, although you may have wait for several hours for a meal because of the establishment’s popularity and the long lines resulting.

A dirt road – still labeled the Omeo Highway – continues from Anglers Rest to Mitta Mitta, and the adventurous may want to try it for its outstanding views. Alternatively, you can take the (also dirt) 47 kilometre road from Anglers Rest to Falls Creek if you can handle driving on the dirt and can endure the 4WDs and clouds of dust.

Directions

Bruthen, 250 kilometres east of Melbourne, is reached by taking the Princes Highway to Bairnesdale, after which you should take the Great Alpine Road, also known as the Omeo Highway, to Bruthen. Following the signs that direct you to Omeo will place you on the ride.


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Best Thing About This Ride

The entire ride is fantastic and is there is no one part that is better than the others, because all are excellent.

What Else To Look Out For

The wide, sweeping curves outside Omeo have been worn to a shiny surface, and can be alarmingly slippery when it is raining or even just wet, though the lane centers are less worn and more grippy. This is the road’s only unique hazard, however.