organised tours/adventures
abalina cottages - Bright accommodation for singles, couples and families

 


SPECIALS: third week night a flat $100 and third weekend night 50% off in most off-peak times, Stay 5/Pay 4 arriving on any Sunday (except July) and Stay 7/Pay 6 at any time including long weekends.

 

ORGANISED TOURS & ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES

Read comprehensive tour and general information below (with links) to help you plan your stay in beautiful Bright and surrounds. Bright activities, kayaking, horse riding, para gliding, tandem, trout fishing, caving, abseiling, rock climbing, bush walks, guided walks, Mt Buffalo, winery tours, 4WD tours, helecopter flights, scenic flights, cycling

 

 

Winery Tours

"Driven Indulgence Tours" design your own private tour

Option 1 - Sandy drives your car (she has a taxi license}

Hire Sandy and have her come to you and drive your car. $200 for the first 4 hours then $25ph thereafter or $300 for a full day. Sandy has great ideas to share on what should be a very entertaining tour.

 

Option 2 full day tour in hire vehicle with freedom to plan your day with Sandy

Sandy can hire a late model sedan and pick you up for a full day tour [you buy your own lunch) 4 guests $620 and 6 guests $720. These prices take into account extra kilometres etc and Sandy not keeping her eye on the clock.

 

"It doesn't matter which wine region we travel, sharing the best each region has to offer in wine, food and experiences is so much fun and educational... I am your guide, photographer, driver and host. Come and meet the dynamic people who make these regions so unique and share what they have to offer. " - Sandy Bogusis

 

Name: Sandy Bogusis
Email Address: sandy@drivenindulgence.com.au
Website: www.drivenindulgence.com.au

Phone Number: 0408244531
,

 

Winery Tours - Stretch Limo $200 for limo maximum of 6 for half a day

This tour can be organised with your booking at abalina cottages

 

Guided Walks including Winery Tours


The guided day hikes in the Victorian High Country and the Alpine valleys are guaranteed to take you off the beaten track and provide an unforgettable and relaxing day out. Visit the gourmet regions of Bright, the Kiewa and King Valleys in Northeast Victoria and experience the Alpine and Mount Buffalo National Parks and beautiful Alpine Valleys on one of the day walks. The tour guides collect you from your accommodation and transport you to the start and end of the hike. Enjoy the expertise, friendliness and professionalism of enthusiastic local guides who provide a quality personal service.

All the walks include a delicious picnic lunch with a selection of fine local wines.

Guided hikes and winery visits are available daily for groups of 2 or more people from November to Easter.

Cost: $135 per person (minimum 2 people). Discounts available for groups of 5 or more.

 

This tour can be organised with your booking at abalina cottages

 


Scenic Flights

"Come for a Scenic Joy Flight around the Victorian Alps in a high wing Cessna Hawk XP with headsets and intercom. The fabulous views are something to behold. You gain a truly special perspective of the mountains. See the townships of Bright, Ovens, Wandiligong, Harrietville, Falls Creek, Hotham Heights, and Mount Beauty. The lush valleys, colourful countryside and majestic hills, mountains and Bogong High Plains in the north east of Victoria are spectacular when viewed from our scenic flight. We are fully insured and approved by CASA .

 

maximum of 3 people at a time

 

Scenic Flight One - MOUNT BUFFALO MAGIC
Ovens, Mt Buffalo- Gorge, Chalet, Horn, Hump, Cathedral, Catani, Buckland Valley, Wandiligong, Bright (Distant sighting of Mt Buller, Howitt)

Duration - Approximately 25 minutes
3 passengers $ 60.00 per person* ($180)
2 passengers $ 80.00 per person* ($160)

 

Scenic Flight Two - THE MAJOR MOUNTAIN SPECTACULAR
Flight one plus Hotham, Falls Creek, Mt Feathertop, Mt Bogong, Mt Beauty, Bright

Duration - Approximately 50 minutes
3 passengers $ 110.00 per person* ($330)
2 passengers $ 140.00 per person* ($280)

 

Scenic Flight Three - BRIGHT TOWNSHIP FROM ABOVE

Duration - Approximately 15 minutes
3 passengers $ 45.00 per person* ($135)
2 passengers $ 65.00 per person* ($130)

 

These flights can be organised with your booking at abalina cottages

 

Paragliding from $125pp

“Our professional instructors are led by six times Australian Champion, Fred Gungl placed 2nd on the WRPS 2005 (World Pilot Rating System) and over 10 years instructional experience. Meet your professional, qualified tandem pilot less

than five minutes' drive from the centre of Bright. After a four wheel drive up the scenic road to Mystic Hill. Overlooking the township of Bright, you are briefed by your pilot.Enjoy the views while your pilot sets up the paragliding and straps you in for the most breathtaking experience you will ever encounter. A gentle gust up the face of the hill, a few steps forward, and suddenly you are soaring like a bird.

 

This adventure can be organised with your booking at abalina cottages

Guided Tours

These activities can be organised with your booking at abalina cottages

Abseiling, rock climbing, caving and history tours


“Abseiling is a user friendly activity that is suitable for most ages and levels of fitness. It is simply a method of descending a cliff by using ropes, harnesses and various devices. Our organisation has been running Recreational Educational and Corporate Abseiling at Mt Buffalo for over 10 Years. The Recreational Abseiling conducted by our organisation has safeguards built in (called Belaying) where our staff can take over control of the descent if the participant has any problems. We also have a coaching rope on all of our smaller abseils (up to 100 metres) and the dispatcher (the person who hooks you on) can even abseil over the edge with you (if necessary) to provide the level of coaching needed.”

Mt Buffalo, a huge granite plateau with almost endless views to the Victorian and NSW Alps, rises above the pretty and peaceful Ovens Valley. It’s about 3.5 hours from Melbourne and 1.5 hours from Albury/Wodonga, and the road from Bright (the nearest tourist village) is sealed. En route are forests rich with wildlife, including wallabies and lyrebirds, and beautiful views of countryside dotted with farms, vineyards and orchards.

 

ADVENTURE 1. Adventure Abseiling at Mt Buffalo to 45 metre freefalls

full day experience $205pp min of 2 people

The rate does not include transport, accommodation, meals (except lunch) or entry fee to Mt Buffalo National Park ($9.90 per vehicle).
An exhilarating but achievable adventure

Our full day adventure abseiling is a memorable experience that’s suitable for beginners and those with previous experience. First we practice abseiling techniques on the 10 to 35-metre beginner’s abseil sites on the South Wall and at Echo Point. Then we move to the adventure 45 metre abseil ‘The Dragon’ where we descend to the point where you can no longer touch the cliff. From there, it’s down the rope in mid-air to the landing point far below.
A small ‘top belayed’ rock climb returns us to the track at the top of the cliff, then it’s back to the dispatch point to do the descent again, taking note of the lessons learnt on the first descent. This experience takes 5 to 6 hours and is regarded as one of the best full-day adventures in Victoria.

 

ADVENTURE 2 Multi-pitch abseiling at Mt Buffalo to 250 metres

full day experience $250pp min of 2 people

The rate does not include transport, accommodation, meals (except lunch) or entry fee to Mt Buffalo National Park ($9.90 per vehicle).

Our abseil site is located right at the edge of the 300 metre Mt Buffalo Gorge, and has a sealed car park and toilets. This is an achievable activity for a wide range of ages and fitness levels, with the adventure commencing on our beginner’s 25-metre abseil site. From there, we work through a range of single pitch abseils to the awesome 45-metre free-fall abseil ‘The Dragon’. After a gourmet lunch, we complete these abseils then travel to the bottom of the gorge on our 250 metre multi-pitch alpine abseil. Three pitches are involved, the longest more than 90 metres.
We walk back to the top of the gorge through granite boulders, cliffs and ledges, stopping to appreciate the awesome scenery and views.

 

ADVENTURE 3 Mt Buffalo 300 metre abseil

full day experience $355pp min of 1 person

 

The rate does not include transport, accommodation, meals (except lunch) or entry fee to Mt Buffalo National Park ($9.90 per vehicle).

An amazing world class challenging adventure experience


At 300 metres high, the North Wall of Mt Buffalo Gorge is a major granite feature that’s internationally regarded as an abseiling challenge.
The usual descent is by first abseiling 160 metres on a single rope in an area normally only accessible to skilled rock climbers, down to a large ledge. We then use double rope ‘pull down’ systems to descend a further 3 x 50 metre pitches to the gorge floor, stopping on small ledges. The descent can take up to 3.5 hours dependent on group size, experience and weather. From the bottom of the cliff, we walk to the crystal brook for lunch.
The route back is via a creek crossing, then a climb directly up a steep crevasse to the top of the gorge. Some areas need to be top roped as there is rock climbing involved. In wet weather there is an alternative route back.

 

ADVENTURE 4 Rock Climbing Mt Buffalo

full day experience $205pp min of 2 people

The rate does not include transport, accommodation, meals (except lunch) or entry fee to Mt Buffalo National Park ($9.90 per vehicle).

Introductory Rock Climbing at Mt Buffalo A thrilling full day adventure


Our full day climbing adventure is a memorable experience that’s suitable for beginners and those with some previous experience. First we practice techniques on some small climbs. Then we move to other locations as the day progresses and our skills improve.
We will finish our day by ascending the magnificent Cathedral pinnacle where we climb three pitches to reach the top and then abseil back down to the bottom again.

 

ADVENTURE 5 Day walk to Mt Feathertop Summit (Victoria’s second highest mountain)

full day experience $155pp min of 2 people


A challenging but achievable full day adventure walk

Mt Feather Top, a magnificent alpine peak (Snow covered in winter and early spring) with almost endless views to the Victorian and NSW Alps, rises above the pretty and peaceful Ovens Valley. It’s about 4 hours from Melbourne and 1.5 hours from Albury/Wodonga, and the road from Bright (the nearest tourist village) is sealed. En route are forests rich with wildlife, including wallabies and lyrebirds, and beautiful views of countryside dotted with farms, vineyards and orchards.

Our full day adventure walk commences either at Harrietville a small gold fields town nestled at the headwaters of the Ovens river or from the alpine spurs near Mt Hotham a further 40 minute drive from Harrietville. The Mt Hotham option has the less steep walking option and all the walks are “there and back again” although for an extra fee we can have a vehicle pick us up at one of the other start points so that we can ascend the mountain via one route and descend on another.
A small ‘top belayed’ rock climb returns us to the track at the top of the cliff, then it’s back to the dispatch point to do the descent again, taking note of the lessons learnt on the first descent. This experience takes 5 to 6 hours and is regarded as one of the best full-day adventures in Victoria.

OTHER WALKS
Other walks include the Big walk to the top of Mt Buffalo, the walk to the summit of Mt Bogong (Victoria tallest peak) Walks from Mt Hotham, Falls Creek and around Beechworth and Bright. Specific needs such as history, wildlife etc. can be catered for.

 

ADVENTURE 6 History and Heritage Tours in North East Victoria

full day experience $155pp min of 2 people

Includes gourmet lunch and all museum entry fees


Human Occupation of North East Victoria over the Millennia
Stepping back in time


We meet at the town hall gardens in Beechworth and after a short discussion on the day commence a town tour to look at the historical street scapes and how the various cultures have influenced the town’s development.
We will also visit the Burke Museum and Chinese heritage displays
During the day we will drive to view points and also the Mt Pilot Aboriginal Art sites and Woolshed Valley Gold field where we will pan for gold.(This is near the spot where members of the Kelly Gang killed Aaron Sheritt just prior to the siege at Glenrowan in 1880)

 

Caving

½ day from $99 pp


“The Cave is a Granite Boulder Infill Cave some 400 metres long with about 100 to 150 metres easily navigable (for a normal group, this can take up to 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours). During Nov to Jan there is often swift running water in the Cave and this adds to the adventure. The expedition is always partly in water and you will get wet and cold, see clothing requirements in "you need". There are glow worms in the cave and although they are sometimes elusive, they can often be seen from early January to the end of Summer. There are also cave dwelling spiders, cave crickets and other insects. In Early autumn there are unusual Fungi in the cave as well.”

 

 

Microlighting from $70pp

from $70 pp 10 mins to $175 pp 35 mins)

 

This can be organised with your booking at abalina cottages


“Microlights, powered hang gliders, are factory made to aircraft safety standards, and approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. This is the perfect way to explore the beautiful Ovens Valley and the spectacular Mount Buffalo plateau from the air - an unforgettable experience! 10 minute to 30 minute flights.

During all flights you will be shown how the glider is controlled, and will then be given the opportunity to control the glider under instruction. At the highest point of your flight, (either 3000 or 6000 feet), the engine will be switched off for a silent glide back to the airstrip. At this point you will experience what un-powered flight feels like…this is the closest you get to flying like an eagle.

Fly up to a height of 3000 feet above the ground. Take the time to absorb the grandeur of the wooded high country and the patchwork river valleys surrounding the picturesque resort town of Bright. In winter, see the majesty of Australia's snow-capped ski mountains, stretching from Mt.Buller to Mt.Bogong and beyond. 10 minute to 30 minute flights.

We have wing-mounted 5 mega pixel digital cameras to capture your whole flight which is burnt onto a CD for you to view after your flight. From this vantage point with our wide-angle lens we capture you in the foreground as well as the beautiful scenery below. These top quality digital photos are memories that will last forever. Participants in all of our flights receive a certificate of merit for their achievement, which counts towards further training in Microlighting.”

 

Fly Fishing from $90pp

Fly Fishing

3 hours From $205 pp (1 ) $110 pp (2) $90 pp (3) & $70pp (4 people) Also ½ day and full day

“ Come and join us on a great adventure, fly fishing for wild trout in sparkling mountain streams. You won‘t regret it, not ever!
No previous experience is necessary, we will teach you everything. Join fishing guide Geoff Lacey and develop new skills and a greater sensitivity for nature while enjoying the unique beauty of the Australian bush. We provide everything; fishing gear, waders, lunch, the lot. You just bring your camera and perhaps a change of clothes in case you fall in! Choose from a part day, half day, whole day or multi day trip, each tailored to suit your situation and pocket. Different trips are designed to meet the needs of first-timers, occasional anglers and die-hard enthusiasts.

Horse Riding from $70pp

Horse Riding award-winning company

from $70 pp


“The mountain valleys of North East Victoria abound with colourful bird life, majestic views, lush pastures and a delightful climate. Mountain Creek Trail Rides offer day rides in the heart of the High Country. Experience riding the beautiful tracks of the Alpine National Park through tall mountain forests, fern gullies and river crossings.

Many more activities on during the autumn and spring festivals.

This can be organised with your booking at abalina cottages

 

 

Bright accommodation for singles, couples and families

www.luxuryaccommodationbright.com.au