Cherry Walk - Ovens River - Bright

Cliffs on Ovens River

These pix were taken on July 14 2012.

They show the scenery and environment along the 5 km Cherry Walk, at Bright, 320 km NE of Melbourne, which I undertook with mate Mick.

Cherry Bridge

This is situated upstream from the centre of Bright and is an excellent circuit hike. The initial (north) portion of the route passes rugged cliffs and huge banks with vistas of the Ovens River.

The Walk - North side

The walk crosses the River on the historical Cherry suspension bridge. The walk is named after the Cherry family who owned about 50 hectares of land in the area during the 1880s, on the Back Germanstown Rd. A track leads from the Bridge to the site of the former cottage

The Walk - South side

A mill operated about 800 metres east of the Bridge towards Germanstown, of which no trace remains. The Bridge was built to allow access for mill workers.

At the southerly area there are several present-day features such as the Memorial Arboretum, coupled with the well-liked childrens' play equipment and swimming water-slide area. The trail also leads through extensive pine plantations and additional locations where gold-mining and dredging were carried out in the years 1900 to 1950.

Ovens River and mountains

In the early 1900s, there were over 50 floating gold-mining dredges along the Ovens in this area. The biggest were the Enterprise 1904-1914, Racecourse 1909-1916, and the Bright Valley Gold Estates 1937-1938.

The Bright Racecourse operated in the years 1900 to 1939, with races held over the New Year and Easter weekends each year. In the early 1950s the site was used for midget car racing. A legacy of the racecourse is Racecourse Rd, now a small residential street, which was original track to the course.

Information boards along the track describe the history, fauna and flora of the area.

See all of the Photos of our hike!