Gippsland

Wilsons Promontory, Gippsland, Vic. Photo credit: Roberto Seba/Tourism Victoria

Gippsland

The pleasant towns sprinkled across Gippsland are welcome punctuation marks in a land of farms, mines and energy production. But the real draw here, between the Great Dividing Range and the Bass Strait, are the trails worth taking on foot, by car or by rail.

Things to do in Gippsland

Bairnsdale
Bairnsdale is the full stop at the southern end of the Great Alpine Road that stretches over 300km to Wangaratta in High Country.

It’s the largest town in East Gippsland, not known for its tourist-pull, but the parks that line the Mitchell River are nice (and BBQ facilities are always good).

If you have a few dollars burning a hole in your pocket, take a scenic flight from the Bairnsdale Aerodrome over the Gippsland Lakes and Ninety-Mile Beach.

Cabbage Tree Creek
Relaxing, tranquil, and serene. If you’re passing through, the 13km detour to Mt Raymond makes for a (literally) diverting thing to do in Gippsland. The views are stunning and if you’re a keen bird-watcher you’ll be in seventh heaven.

Murrungower Forest Drive
Just to the north of Cabbage Tree Creek, and a stirring drive through the scenic bushland and rainforest.

Inverloch
The 12km Bunurong Coastal Drive from Inverloch to Cape Paterson is viewed by some as a mini Great Ocean Road. Whatever label you care to give it, it’s a spectacular drive which takes you past the Bunurong Marine National Park (named after the local aboriginal people). It’s worth stopping at this five mile stretch of sea for the best snorkelling and diving in Gippsland.

Leongatha
The start of the Great Southern Rail Trail and a treat for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The scenic trail winds its way to Foster, passing small towns, wineries and museums along the way.

Wilsons Promontory National Park
Several thousand years ago you could have walked from here over the land bridge to Tasmania. The bridge is long gone, but there’s still plenty to explore in ‘The Prom’, the most popular national park in Victoria, which sits at the most southerly point of the Australian mainland.

Trails: Explore some of the 80km of walking trails that take you through rainforest, over beaches and past some wonderful wildlife. Walks vary in length. If you have the time, some of the trails here can take days to complete but do check difficulty levels before you set out. Some trails are for experienced bushwalkers only. Make sure you get a permit for camping and remember no open fires are allowed in the park. Take plenty of fresh water with you as it’s unavailable as you get to the park’s more remote areas.

Mt Oberon: Take a trip to the summit for magnificent views of the sea and Tidal River.

Squeaky Beach: Was ever a beach more appropriately named? The white quartz sand really does squeak underfoot, turning it into the oddest musical instrument on the planet. See what tunes you can make.

Dive or snorkel: More great Gippsland diving in the protected waters off the coast.

The Gippsland Lakes
Australia’s largest inland waterway system comprises a series of lagoons separated from the sea by Ninety Mile Beach. You can only fully appreciate the area by boat – and there’s an awful lot to appreciate:

Lakes: The main ones are Lake King, Lake Wellington and Lake Victoria

Ninety Mile Beach: As the name suggests, this is one of the world’s longest uninterrupted beaches, a fact that goes hand-in-hand with it being one of the world’s most unspoilt beaches too. The beach separates the Gippsland Lakes from the Bass Strait and stretches from Seaspray (where swimming is patrolled and safe) to Lakes Entrance. The fishing and walking is good too.

Lakes Entrance: The town caters to tourists and can get very busy in the summer months. It’s full of souvenir shops and caravan parks, but the location is beautiful. If you’d prefer somewhere considerably more peaceful, try Metung, a much quieter town, free from the crowds.

Mount Baw Baw
You might come across this during your explorations of High Country as there is a slight crossover of the regions, but Mt Baw Baw lies within Gippsland. Plenty of winter sports are available in when the snows fall, and it’s great for bushwalking and cycling in summer.

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Victoria

Welcome to Scotland?

Well, almost. When Angus McMillan led the first expedition to chart the area in 1839/40 he named it ‘Caledonia Australis’ (Australian Scotland).

Unfortunately for McMillan, someone else was also leading an expedition through the area.

Unaware anyone had got there first, Polish explorer Pawel Strzelecki renamed much of the landscape already christened by McMillan. He chose to call the area Gippsland after NSW Governor George Gipps and (perhaps unsurprisingly) that was the name that won out.