Best be up early, I decided. Omeo was an unknown quantity. It could be all over in an hour or a mine of opportunities. As it turned out, it landed somewhere in the middle.
Anglers Rest is pretty close to the highest driving point on this run up to the high country and it was only a few minutes before the road first levelled out and then started to slide down towards the town. The forest ended abruptly like a line in the sand, replaced again by pasture and bovines. I could only imagine how beautiful it would be climbing these mountains during winter with roaring fires and snow covered peaks as my reward.
Omeo is, on first inspection, just another country town, and the by-pass could be tempting if you didn’t know what was here. However, a quick chat at the Information Centre revealed that Omeo is on the move. Nestled in a valley, but with plenty of sunshine, there is no shortage of cafes, bakers and take-aways. If nothing else this little town has always been a convenient half-way stop to the ski resorts just over the border.
This mountain bike craze isn’t limited to the northern side of the ranges. Omeo is developing a huge mountain bike park to expand on the small network of established runs that a have already drawn enthusiasts to the town.
Without a set of wheels however, my interest had to lay elsewhere. There was plenty of history to be discovered, but first things first…….where to park? And, the first big tick, a 24 hour overnight parking area within 100metres of the main street. Shaded, toilets and a natural swimming pool to boot, there was no reason to have a good look around.
The standout attraction in Omeo is supposed to be the Oriental Gold Claims site and is signposted from the RV area. However, trying to get to it from this point involves following a mountain bike trail up hill and down mogul for about 2.5 klms.
The sign at the start did nothing to dampen my scepticism . I got about half way and thought, “Stuff it!”. Now, had I got better information, I could have followed the Alpine Way and driven to the other side of Omeo and been on site in about five minutes. The Ah Fong Loop Track is what I needed directions for, but by the time I got back to the car, I was all walked out. Perhaps with less spare time, I would have moved on without much of a story to tell, however, as the song goes, Omeo was saving the best till last.
There was a tourist loop just to the north of town that took you out to a place called Benambra, around Lake Omeo, dirt road climb to Blowhard Lookout, a white knuckle ride down into the Omeo Valley and then swinging back to Omeo. The map provided was sufficiently vague to have me on the wrong side of Benambra by several k. Then, a “wait a minute” moment, before doubling back to track around Lake Omeo. The exotically named Hinnomunjie Connection became a steady climb through the hills and then emerging from a cutting onto the plateau that is Blowhard Lookout.
The Visitor Info Centre had promised the view was worth it, and this time, they got it right.
It’s not often that I find a spot that invites to just sit and soak it all in, and with 360 degree views, it was an invitation I couldn’t refuse. At over 1200 metres above sea level, mountains and ridges run away to the horizon at every turn. So big and yet so quiet, just a breeze and a few cows to break the silence. So, after a time, it was time to push on. While the ascent had been steady, the descent beyond the ridge below, while not perilous was definitely hair raising. Steep, but short lived, I found myself in the heart of the Omeo Valley.
The historic ‘suspension bridge’ touted as a feature of this loop, was to put it politely, oversold, but the adjoining Hinnomunje Bridge Camping Area was a real stunner. With almost a kilometre of frontage on the Mitta Mitta River, it was sooo bucolic -the whole meadows, rushing river and cows story. Nestled between hills and the mountain range, the campground was wide, flat and verdant.
It was mid afternoon by the time I had set up, and was looking forward to a camp fire. But before too long, this idyllic scene was rudely interrupted by a bovine intrusion, that had no regard for personal space, or the extra care required after they eventually left. Still, enough light left to enjoy the late afternoon and a BBQ.
I stayed an extra night and frankly could have stayed a week. I was now rueing that appointment back in Melbourne. As I left the valley the next morning, looking back from a distant ridge, I decided this was definitely worth a revisit, somehow, sometime, with someone.
