Avoca accommodation from AU$120

Explorer Thomas Mitchell was the first European to travel through the Pyrenees in 1836. Struck by its resemblance to the mountain range between France and Italy, he named it after these wild and rocky hills. Pyrenees was a gold mining district in the late 19th century and a sheep-grazing one in the early 20th, but since the 1970s the region has been all about the wine, with Shiraz and Cab Sav two of its star attractions. You can take your pick from the 44 wineries, which grow about 25 varieties of grape between them. The wineries range from cellar doors in town to farmland estates on the Sunraysia Highway.

Avoca is a former gold mining town at the base of the Pyrenees. High Street is its centre of activity, where the historic colonial buildings now house restaurants and shops. Parks and war memorials occupy the middle of the street, and you can wander the walking tracks of the Avoca River nearby. On Sundays, the Avoca Riverside Market sets up on the shore of the river and sells some of the region’s great local produce, along with local art and collectibles. If you aren’t hungry yet, you will be when that sausage sizzle smell wafts through the air. If you’re looking for a place to dine out in the Pyrenees, there are heaps of options from pub food to vineyard cafes to pie shops with crocodile pastries!

The Pyrenees is just over two hours’ drive from Melbourne, so book your flight to Melbourne and Pyrenees accommodation with us now. Enjoy great wine and pretty scenery without forking out for a flight to Europe.