# Great Alpine Road
B500 · Wangaratta to Bairnsdale, Victoria. Australia (Oceania).
Source: https://porschetrails.com/trails/great-alpine-road/

- Length: 339 km (211 miles)
- High point: 1,840 m (6,037 ft)
- Driving time: 5 hours
- Season: November to April (snow chains required June to October)
- Toll: Free (resort entry fee applies in snow season)
- Coordinates: -36.976, 147.133
- Character: Mountain, Touring, Fast sweepers

The Great Alpine Road runs 339 km from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale across the Victorian Alps. Between Harrietville and Dinner Plain it climbs over Mount Hotham at 1,840 m, the highest sealed road in Australia that stays open all year.

## The drive
The climb from Harrietville is 30 km of tight, steep bends through tall forest, emerging above the tree line onto an exposed ridge with drops on both sides. From Hotham the road runs through snow gums to Omeo, then follows the Tambo River south through a long, twisting valley.

The neighbouring roads are just as good: the Tawonga Gap between Bright and Mount Beauty, the climb to Falls Creek and the Bogong High Plains Road across the top make a loop that club tours and tarmac rallies have used for years.

## In your Porsche
The High Country is where Victoria's sports car clubs go for weekend runs, and the Mount Buffalo and Tawonga Gap roads in particular suit a Cayman or a 911. Bright is the base, with plenty of accommodation and a friendly attitude to car groups. Fallen bark and gravel are the main risk to paint and low front splitters.

## Watch out for
- Fallen bark, branches and gravel on the forest sections.
- Wombats, wallabies and deer at dusk.
- Cyclists in large numbers on the climbs in summer.