Between her restaurants Ca Com, Anchovy and the temporarily closed Jeow, plus a cookbook due for release this year, Thi Le keeps herself busy. But when she’s not cooking or writing, her favourite thing to do is hop in the car with partner Jia-Yen Lee and escape to Victoria’s High Country.
When their schedules allow, they’ll make the three- to four-hour drive as often as once a fortnight, hiking and cycling their way across the region for a few days at a time. A typical weekend away involves loading up the car with camping gear, fixing their electric bikes onto the back, and following the winding mountain roads wherever their hearts lead. The All-New Lexus GX Overtrail makes a reliable companion, with cargo space for equipment and multi-terrain driving capabilities.
For those new to the area, Le recommends setting up a base in Bright, thanks to its proximity to nearby attractions and the calibre of its shops and eateries.
“It’s quite urban for a country town,” she says. “You can still get your soy lattes.” And that’s not all – you’ll also find breweries and distilleries, bakeries and restaurants, and a wealth of small-scale food producers scattered around the area.
Whenever Le’s in Bright, a visit to Alpine Gourmet Meats is always high on the agenda.
“[Butcher Luke Savage] makes the most amazing Italian fennel-and-pork sausages,” she says. “We always buy a kilo, hang out in the park and make sandwiches.”
She also frequents Bright Ice Creamery, an old-school shop that serves flavours like hazelnut, strawberry and blackberry, made with locally grown fruit and nuts.
One of her favourite things to do is hiking up Mount Feathertop, Victoria’s second-highest mountain.
“If you’re not into hiking, it’ll change you,” she says. “You’ll love it after this.”
The trek can be done in a day, but Le prefers to hike halfway, camp at Federation Hut for the night, then climb to the summit at dawn to take in the views across the alps. It’s easy to load outdoor gear like tents and camping equipment into the Lexus GX, with its fold-down seats. On the way down, she likes to stay at Smoko, a free campground on the banks of the Ovens River, or head west to Beechworth – either by car or by cycling along the Great Victorian Rail Trail.
“You can actually ride from Beechworth all the way to the other end [of the High Country] over three or four days and visit a whole bunch of wineries,” Le says.
Because Jia-Yen writes the wine lists for Le’s venues, the couple often spend their days tasting drops to take back to Melbourne. Pennyweight Winery, known for its natural wine and sherry, is a favourite. They also love wine label and cafe Project 49, and Beechworth Honey a few doors down.
“I love eating crumpets and honey and ricotta,” Le says. “We always go there and buy a tub, and it should last us a solid year.”
For casual meals in the area, Le recommends Project 49’s produce-driven lunch fare, like kale-and-parmesan soup. For special occasions, she suggests Provenance, a Japanese kaiseki restaurant serving 18 dishes over four courses in a 19th-century bank building.
And if you’d like to walk off your meal, her tip is to visit the Beechworth Chinese Gardens, which honours the town’s early Chinese settlers who moved to the area during the gold rush.
But while Le has plenty of suggestions for things to do in the High Country, her most important tip is not to plan too much. From national parks and rivers to farms and vineyards, there’s something to see at every turn, no matter where you end up – especially when you’ve got a reliable ride like the Lexus GX.
“It’s one of those things where you just drive up and see where it takes you.”
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Lexus. GX550 Overtrail model shown in photography. Driver assist feature only operates under certain conditions. Check your owner’s manual for explanation of limitations. Please drive safely.
