Discover Mt Beauty

Mt Beauty offers a range of reasons to spend the day outdoors or learning about the region’s history. The Kiewa River, several walking and mountain bike trails, and a museum give your trip a variety of possible focuses. For families planning together, this selection is a good starting point: you can consider whether you’d rather focus on exercise, time by the river or a cultural visit.

Regional history at the museum

The Kiewa Valley Historical Society Museum is located in the Mount Beauty Visitor Information Centre. Its permanent and changing exhibitions cover the region’s history from the First Peoples to the present day. A visit to the museum therefore offers both a long-term historical perspective and changing exhibition themes. If you’d like to learn more about the region, you can include this cultural focus in your trip plans alongside outdoor activities. Children may find it interesting to explore history not only as an abstract subject but also through the exhibitions on site.

Trails along the Kiewa River

The Kiewa River Trail leads to Pebble Beach, a quieter section of the Kiewa River where swimming is possible. This makes the river a special part of the outing: the destination offers not only the trail but also the chance to spend time by the water. Whether you’d like to include this stop in your day depends on whether an outing by the river appeals to you. This information is also useful for families who like to weigh up walking and spending time by the water when choosing activities.

The Survey Track is another way to explore Mt Beauty on foot or by mountain bike. The combined walking and mountain bike trail starts opposite the Mount Beauty Golf Course clubhouse on Tawonga Crescent. Along the way, it offers views of the eastern arm of the Kiewa River. It’s a good option for travellers who want to combine time outdoors with views of the river. When planning activities for your trip, you can choose between walking and mountain biking here, without needing to assume a particular pace or duration.

Gorge Walk and seasonal conditions

On the Mount Beauty Gorge Walk, the Aqueduct Track leads to a suspension bridge over the West Kiewa River. In summer, when the riverbed is dry, visitors can also walk 400 metres upstream to a gorge, where they can wade and swim. This condition is important for planning: the riverbed experience is specifically dependent on it being summer and the riverbed being dry. The suspension bridge and the section upstream offer different points of interest on the outing; the described opportunity to wade and swim applies to the walk to the gorge under the stated conditions. Families can use these interests to decide what kind of nature experience they’re looking for, while keeping the seasonal requirement in mind.

Planning your outings

The Mount Beauty Visitor Information Centre offers information and advice about things to do in and around Mount Beauty. It has a Cycle Guide, a Walks & Trails Guide, and walking guides for the Alpine National Park. These guides can help you explore the different options for cycling and walking. You can plan your stay around the activities you’re interested in, such as a cultural visit, a trip along the Survey Track or an outing by the river. These interests may also play a part when you look for a suitable holiday rental, without implying that any particular trail or experience requires specific accommodation features.

Other destinations: Flowerdale, Loch Sport, Heath Hill, Nichols Point, Prahran, Cape Bridgewater, Cranbourne South and Staghorn Flat.

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