Victoria

East Gippsland

Aerial view, Lakes Entrance © Tourism Victoria Lakes Entrance, an attractive and popular local holiday centre at the eastern end of the Gippsland Lakes where the lakes open out to the ocean, is the main centre. Lakes Entrance has lots of accommodation with a selection of motels, smarter hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts plus self catering.

The nearby small town of Metung has a large marina and here you can hire craft on the lakes for a few days. The lakes stretch almost 100 km and make a tranquil place to explore, safe from ocean waves and currents. Metung also has good quality accommodation and an attractive ‘yachtie’ atmosphere, and a few days in this area contrast well with a stay in the High Country.

The north of this area merges into the High Country and one tiny town well worth a visit in this area is Walhalla, not far from the Baw Baw National Park www.parkweb.vic.gov.au(Baw Baw). (Strictly speaking Walhalla is in West Gippsland.) It was once one of the richest gold mining centres and still has several original buildings set on the side of a steep valley. Much of the rest of the town has been beautifully reconstructed/restored and you can visit the Long Tunnel Extended Goldmine. The faithfully reconstructed Star Hotel, opposite the picturesque bandstand, is the striking centre of the town and makes conveniently situated accommodation for cross country skiing in the winter. Walhalla was the last town in Victoria to get mains electricity and only achieved this around the turn of the 21st century thanks to the sterling efforts of the local community!

The far eastern Gippsland coast between Lakes Entrance and the border with New South Wales is an unspoiled, wild area for connoisseurs of great beaches and beautiful countryside. The main Princes Highway (Melbourne to Sydney) is some distance away from the coast at this point, preserving the coastline in its natural state. From just beyond Marlo, the Croajingolong National Park www.parkweb.vic.gov.au(Croajingolong) runs along the coast all the way to the border, where it merges into the Nadgee Nature Reserve www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au(Nadgee) in NSW. Check out the tiny, idiosyncratic local cinema in Marlo.

Specialised tour operators do organise small group wildlife spotting excursions to this area from central Melbourne.

The area can be explored if you are driving between Melbourne and Sydney.

Back to Victoria Regions ...

Langham Hotel Melbourne This 5 star deluxe sister hotel to Langhams in London has an enviable location on the banks of the Yarra River and is one Australia's finest hotels	Waves Surf School+Oz Snow Adventures One and two day surf tours to get you standing and riding a wave, plus fun skiing tours that are excellent value for money
Phillip Island Nature Parks Providing unique wildlife experiences, from interacting with a koala from treetop boardwalks, to the magic of the sunset march of tiny penguins at the Penguin Parade	Australian Pacific Inns A chain of motels, apartments and restaurants in Victoria - near Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, Great Ocean Road. Provide award winning service and great value for money
Echidna Walkabout Reasonably priced small group tours to see wildlife and wild places with a minimum of only 2 persons to guarantee a deoarture. Run by people with a passion for Australia	The Hotel Charsfield A unique boutique 4 star hotel offering character and elegance in a central location on beautiful, leafy St Kilda Road only a short distance from Melbourne city centre
Auswalk Superb accommodated walking holidays, in every type of Australian environment. Can be guided or self-guided walks guaranteed to depart with as few as 2 persons	Australian 4WD Hire A modern range of four wheel drive rental vehicles available from Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Perth, Broome and the Fraser Coast in QLD, enabling access to unique locations
Oz Experience The original hop on, hop off small group touring network for active and independent travellers. It's not an express bus, it's more than a tour, it's the ultimate ride!	Spirit Australia Cruises Cruise the Coorong or the Murray River - a day cruise in the Coorong National Park or the Great Murray River Run from Wellington in SA to the Victorian border

Select topic
Select state

Cruise Australia - by river, sea or air

Shipwreck Creek, Croajingolong National Park, East Gippsland © Tourism Victoria
Point Hicks Lighthouse, near Genoa © Tourism Victoria
Picnic spot at Marlo © Tourism Victoria

Boasts moored at Metung, Gippsland Lakes © Tourism Victoria

Pelicans, Mallacoota Inlet © Tourism Victoria

DID YOU KNOW ... In the late 1800s Andrew Barton (Banjo) Patterson wrote two of Australia’s best loved poems – ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘The Man from Snowy River’.