Six reasons to visit the King Valley

High Country Festival.Credit: Richard Cornish

1. HIGH COUNTRY FESTIVAL

Nonna Josie Politini rolls sheets of pastry around stainless steel tubes that her husband has made. She drops these into bubbling oil to make golden cannoli, which she fills with chocolate and vanilla creme. You can learn to make cannoli next weekend as part of the High Country Harvest in north-east Victoria. Josie and her husband, Salvatore, were born in Sicily and grow Sicilian varieties of grapes such as nero d'avola on their vineyard in Cheshunt in the King Valley. Later in the season they will hold salami-making workshops at their winery. Also next weekend is a stunning nebbiolo dinner at Pizzini Wines in which winemaker Joel Pizzini showcases wines made with this Italian grape variety from both the King Valley and its home in Piedmont, Italy.
High Country Harvest, until May 25, highcountryharvest.com.au

2. THE GOLDEN KNUCKLE

Prosecco Road.

It weighs more than a kilo, is covered in crisp golden crackling and contains more rich, succulent buttery pork than one human could eat. Chef Ben Bergmann from the Mountain View Hotel at Whitfield was born in Germany and has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants around Europe. He is the brainchild behind the schweinshaxe, or pickled and roasted pork knuckle. Served with sauerkraut, potato and mustard, it is a serious dish best washed down with a Munich-brewed Arcobrau wheat beer. The more elegant menu in the dining room sees dishes such as delicate trout on squid ink pasta giving Victoria a new country fine-dining destination.
Mountain View Hotel, 4 King Valley Rd, Whitfield, Wed-Sat 11am-late, Sun 11am-6pm, 5729 8270, mvhotel.com.au

3. PROSECCO ROAD

In 1999 Whitfield tobacco grower turned winemaker Otto Dal Zotto was thrilled to discover that a gardener in Adelaide had imported the Italian grape variety prosecco into Australia. Prosecco is made into a casual, everyday sparkling wine of the same name. The Dal Zottos released their first vintage in 2004; 10 years on and the King Valley is known as the Australian home of prosecco. At Dal Zotto you'll find a cellar door overlooking the vineyard, the King River and the mountains beyond. Come for the salumi plate and pizzas.
winesofthekingvalley.com.au

Power's look out.

4. THE RIVER DRIVE

Driving along the King River Valley is one of the great pleasures of visiting the High Country. In its lower reaches the King River meanders around the broad flat valley floor, home to some coveted cattle grazing country. Past the village of Oxley the valley narrows and vines appear on the banks of the river. At the village of Cheshunt the valley narrows again, the countryside dotted with old tobacco kilns with a mountainous backdrop. In summer a bend in the river at McCormick's Hole becomes a popular swimming hole. Further upstream the King River is dammed to form the spectacular Lake William Hovell.
Take the C521 (Wangaratta-Whitfield Rd), then the King Valley Rd at Whitfield.

5. FALLS

Lake Cobbler is a small man-made lake on the headwaters of the Dandongadale River, which rises in the mountains behind Whitfield in the King Valley. From Lake Cobbler the river plunges 225m over the Cobbler Plateau, making the Dandongadale Falls the highest in Victoria. This area is popular for fishing, camping and walking and is reached via a four-wheel-drive track.
Go to parkweb.vic.gov.au and search for Cobbler Lake

6. POWER'S LOOKOUT

Harry Power was a bushranger who mentored a young Ned Kelly. Power hid in the hills overlooking the King Valley where he could watch out for Her Majesty's troopers. The lookout is open to the public and is 20km from Whitfield on the Mansfield-Whitfield Road. Two lookout points provide sweeping views of the surrounding mountain and valley landscape. Power was captured in 1870 after being grassed on by a member of the Kelly family. He ended his days as a tour guide on a former prison hulk moored on the Yarra.

Next week: Williamstown

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