It Was All a Dream

Having spent most of our lives driving past The House At Smoko either to snowboard, bike, hike, swim or camp in the mountains. We've only ever dreamed about having it all ourselves someday. We were completely surrounded by jaw-dropping mountain views and the house was built impeccably to compliment the stunning 28-acre property. So when the opportunity finally came up and stay for a week it really was a dream come true, exceeding all expectations.

The house has a massive open plan living space, sun-drenched reading nooks, open fireplaces, ensuites and an Olympic sized in-ground trampoline. Located a short 10-minute drive from picturesque mountain surrounded towns, Harrietville, Bright and Victorias MTB mecca Mystic Mountain, as well as being 20 minutes travel to the beautiful Mt Buffalo National Park and Porpunkah.

We spent the week swimming in waterholes, biking Mystic Mountain, flipping on the trampoline, hiking Buffalo National Park and lounging around this one-of-a-kind mountain home.

Things We Did

  • Bike
  • Hike
  • Restaurant
  • Swim
  • Café
  • Waterfall
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Mystic Park is a community-run bike park with some of the states best shred lines you can find regardless of how rad you're looking to get. Normally 3 hours drive from our home in Melbourne it was a real treat to have this park virtually in our backyard for a week. Unless you're looking to earn your turns by peddling the 6km climbing trail I highly recommend booking a shuttle pass with Blue Dirt Shuttle for the day to get those extra lines in.
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I've been exploring Mt Buffalo for more than 30 years and it still blows my mind every time. It doesn't matter what time of year you go either, it always delivers some of the most magical scenery in Australia. From the waterfalls to hiking trails, clifftops and high alpine lakes it's the perfect day trip to get out of the house.
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A trip to Tomahawks quickly became a staple on our holidays since it opened in 2016. Serving up some of the finest cocktails, burgers and share plates in the valley. Located in Bright, we ordered up a feast for dinner on the deck by the fire with the fam. Obviously, after a cheeky post-ride entree before heading back to the house with the banquet.
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Located in the heart of Bright along the banks of the Ovens River that flows through town. On any day the sun shines you'll find families swimming in the river and squealing up a storm in the Splashpark or speeding down the waterslide that recently opened back up after a 10-year hiatus.

There's also a pretty epic playground and large picnic grounds with BBQs and facilities dotted along the riverbank. Highly recommend it if you have tiny humans that want to (safely) explore some beautiful mountain water on a warm day.
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It didn't take long for the new cool kids and legendary bean roasters Sixpence to claim the 'king of the coffee' crown in town. Roasting their own unique blends on location in Bright. Located in the heart of town.
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The perfect place to take a dip on a hot summer's day. Ladies Bath is a spectacular waterfall located at the base of Mt Buffalo.
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We spent the week swimming in beautiful waterholes.

Our Adventure Map

Where we stayed
Things we did

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Riparide Stories are authentic experiences shared by real travellers (who are handy with a camera). It's like reading your best friend's travel journal - packed with photos, honest reviews and visual itineraries.