Porepunkah is a small town located on the Great Alpine Road, 6 km north-west of Bright
and is the gateway to Mount Buffalo and the surrounding national park.
The town's small commercial centre, featuring a general store, a hotel and a few speciality shops, overlooks
the picturesque Ovens River and is surrounded by forests and scenic mountain ranges. Apex Park is located on the banks of
the Ovens River, offering attractive picnic and BBQ spots. For visitors who want to want a bird's eye view of the beauty of
the surrounding area, scenic flights are available from the Porepunkah airfield.
Access to the Mount Buffalo summit is via Porepunkah from the town's main road junction where the Great Alpine
Road meets the Mount Buffalo Road and the road to the scenic Buckland Valley.
The historic Mount Buffalo Chalet is
located 14 km before the summit, offering accommodation as well as a cafe and gift shop for day visitors (Chalet currently
closed until new lease holder takes over). A number of scenic walking tracks and lookouts are easily accessible from near
the Chalet, and they lead to several natural attractions including the Crystal Brook Falls.
Porepunkah was one of the first gold-mining hamlets in the 1860s. The Temperence Hotel ,
1878 to 1940, stood on the banks of the Ovens - remains of its foundations and pathways survive, next to the Bridge.
An interesting signed walking track starts at the Bridge and follows the Ovens in a circuit.
The Monier
Bridge over the Buckland River was built in 1914 as the main access point to Mt Buffalo - it survives today and now leads
to private property.
