GOING TO Gippsland

In Victoria’s SE Coast/ 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.

Whether you want to hike, fish, sail, horse ride or tour in the car, Gippsland and Phillip Island have 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 provide exceptional opportunities for sailing, boating, fishing and many other water-based activities, as well as enjoying the towns and villages on the water’s edge, including Metung, Lakes Entrance and Paynesville.


Luxury accommodation & cottages in SE Coast/ Gippsland Area VIC

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 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.

The South Gippsland region has the Strzelecki Ranges as a northern border, as well as Australia’s most southerly point, Wilsons Promontory. Take a walk in this national park to admire its fabulous coastal wilderness with granite headlands, forests, beaches and fern gullies. Another must-see is UNESCO-listed Croajingolong National Park, a World Biosphere Reserve across more than 100 kilometres of coastline and wilderness hinterland. Go surfing or bushwalking to see the rich diversity of bird and plant life.

Gippsland has its own gold-rush history, which you will discover in towns like Port Albert and Walhalla, the site of the two-mile long Cohen’s Reef, one of the richest gold reefs ever found in Australia. Now with a population of just 20, Walhalla was once home to 3,500 people after gold was discovered in the 1860s. The dance halls, hotels, churches and many shops flourished, but then Walhalla became a ghost town, happily now restored with places to eat, accommodation and the chance to find out more about this special gold-mining town, where you can ride on the Walhalla Goldfields Railway. The Australian Alps Walking Track also begins here if you have eight to 10 weeks to spare for the walk to Canberra!

Phillip Island is best known for its wildlife, including Little Penguins, koalas and fur seals. It also boasts excellent swimming, surfing, diving and snorkelling. The fishing port of San Remo is the gateway to Phillip Island, which has many delightful fishing towns and villages, including Rhyll to the south-east, where you can see many birds at the wetlands of Rhyll Inlet.

Cowes is the main centre, with many cafes and restaurants and, wherever you stay, you will find both local island produce and that sourced from the Gippsland area.

You can’t see all of Gippsland in one visit, but our advice is to discover it in bite-sized pieces, finding a great place to stay and discovering more about things to see and do in the immediate area. You will certainly be spoiled for choice, whether you feel like boating, fishing, wining, dining, horse riding, surfing, walking or just enjoying the very simple pleasure of a picnic beside a lake or river.