DESTINATION + Gippsland
Going to
Gippsland Along the Victorian South East Coast the Gippsland Area’s coastal wilderness offers visitors beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, extensive lake systems, rainforests and mountains, with gourmet produce at its rich farming heart.
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hether you want to hike, fish, sail, horse ride or tour in the car, Gippsland has some of Australia’s finest scenery, as well as all the creature comforts in and around the many towns. The extensive network of the Gippsland Lakes is fed by no less than five rivers, with glorious Ninety Mile Beach on the long coastal fringe. The Lakes are Australia’s largest waterway, a paradise for boaters and fishermen. There are exceptional opportunities for many other water-based activities, as well as enjoying the towns and villages on the water’s edge, including Metung, Lakes Entrance and Paynesville. Most of the lakeside towns such as Metung, Paynesville, Hollands Landing and even the smaller ones such as Nicholson or Johnsonville have boats for hire. Exploring the various waterways is great fun – navigate your way around Lake King, Lake Victoria or Lake Wellington, just to name a few. Lake Tyers, the most eastern lake in the system is bordered by ocean and state forests and meandering along it as it moves inland to Nowa Nowa is a real adventure. 68
UNIQUE PLACES TO STAY
For those with land legs, there is plenty to do in the cosmopolitan towns of Metung or Lakes Entrance that are full of cafes, shops and craft. Take a 2-hour cruise around Bancroft Bay and Shaving Point, enjoy the scenic drives, bushwalks, and have a fish. There are many walks around Lake King, Tambo Bluff and Chinaman’s Creek. Immediately fronting the coast beyond the Gippsland Lakes is Ninety Mile Beach with its deep, golden sands that stretch from north of Yarram to Lakes Entrance. It’s perfect for swimming, fishing and sand dune sliding. Wherever you stay, find a lakeside pub or restaurant, where the food reflects the gourmet specialities from Central Gippsland’s rich dairy-farming country, where cheese makers, vineyards and berry farms flourish. Gippsland is a well-established food destination, known for its fine meat and delicious fresh seafood, organic fruits and vegetables like local asparagus, and specialities including hazelnuts. Touring Central Gippsland, you will discover more about the local produce in and around villages such as Yarragon, Jindivick, Noojee and Warragul. The city
Image courtesy Tourism Victoria.
Croajingolong National Park. Image courtesy Tourism Victoria.
of Sale is the capital of Central Gippsland on the Latrobe River, home of the Howitt Bicycle and the overnight Marley Point Yacht Race, starting near Sale and finishing at Paynesville. Cool-climate wines are also flourishing in the area, with a full fruit style to sample at more than 20 cellar doors, such as Wild Dog, Narkoojee (place of flowers) and Paradise Enough. To the north-east lies the Buchan Caves
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