Gippsland

Understand

Gippsland is a rural region of Victoria, which stretches from the Bass Coast to the border with New South Wales. The temperature in Gippsland is generally temperate, though it does vary by region — East Gippsland may be hit with snowfall in the winter months, while Central Gippsland is more prone to rain. In early Australian history, gold rushes struck across Gippsland, however there wasn't much to be found, although some of these gold rush settlements are still there today. What Gippsland is rich in, however, is brown coal, having the world's largest brown coal deposits. The Latrobe Valley is the centre of Victoria's energy industry, however, as the fossil fuel industry becomes less profitable, power stations such as Hazelwood have closed down. Gippsland is also very fire prone. A particular 2014 fire which started in the Hazelwood mine was particularly devastating to the Latrobe Valley, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and leading to deaths. The mine operators were ultimately fined for occupational health and safety breaches leading to the fire. More internationally famous are the Black Summer bushfires, which hit East Gippsland hard and lead to the evacuation of over 1000 people from Mallacoota.

Getting there

By train

V/Line regional train services operate across Gippsland. Trains are available from Melbourne's Southern Cross station along the Bairnsdale line. For any trains that go past Traralgon, you will need to purchase a paper ticket either online or at a staffed train station. Otherwise, you will use a Myki card. The V-Line train stops at, among others-

Warragul Yarragon Moe Traralgon Sale (paper ticket required) Stratford (paper ticket required) Bairnsdale (paper ticket required) Timetables for services to Traralgon are available here. Timetables for services past Traralgon are available here.

By coach Coach/bus services are operated by V/Line. Paper tickets are required on coach services, and can be purchased online or at a staffed train station. Coaches operate to a variety of destinations across Gippsland, including to Phillip Island, Wonthaggi, Fish Creek, Leongatha, Lakes Entrance, Paynesville, Orbost and Cann River. A full list of timetables is available here.

By car Melbourne is the best jumping-off point for exploring Gippsland via car. The M1/A1 route will take you into Gippsland, and car hire is very easy.

Getting around

Cars can be hired in major towns. The M1/A1 route takes you through many of Gippsland's largest towns, including Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale. The M420 highway, which forks off from the M1 at Dandenong, is the route to take to see South Gippsland. The larger A440 highway forks off from the M420 outside Lang Lang, and passes through Leongatha, Foster and Yarram. The A440 meets the A1 highway in Sale. Detours can easily be taken from the A440 to see the Ninety Mile Beach. Meanwhile, at the end of the M420, you can take the B420 to see Phillip Island.

See

Gippsland has a variety of natural destinations to see. The Ninety Mile Beach, on the Central Gippsland coast, is a long stretch of untamed coastline dotted with small coastal towns. Wilsons Promontory is a national park and the southernmost point of Australia, and a good destination for hiking enthusiasts. Mount Baw Baw, located in the famous Great Dividing Range, is home to a ski resort which has a number of beginner to intermediate ski runs, as well as cross country trails across the Baw Baw plateau. In summer, it's a popular walking destination. Tarra-Bulga is a national park consisting of thousands of acres of indigenous eucalypt forest, with diverse flora and fauna and walking tracks. Morwell National Park is smaller, but still contains rainforest remnants. Expect to see koalas, wallabies and possibly lyrebirds. Wombats may make an appearance at dusk. Mount Tassie is the highest peak in the Strzelecki Ranges, and boasts 360 degree panoramic views. The old gold mining township of Walhalla in the mountains has history, good bushwalks, a good tour through the Long Tunnel Extended Mine, and several nice funky cafes. The Walhalla Goldfields Railway operates on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, over a 4 km (2.5 mi) route through the wild and atmospheric Stringers Creek gorge.

Itineraries The East Gippsland Rail Trail is a bike and walking path starting in Bairnsdale down the path of the former Orbost railway line. The Gippsland Plains Rail Trail is a bike and walking path starting in Traralgon and ending in Stratford down the former Maffra railway line. It's mainly on flat gravel through the heart of Gippsland.

Do

The Gippsland Lakes are a network of lakes, fed by various rivers across Gippsland such as the Avon, Latrobe and Tambo rivers. The largest lake town is Lakes Entrance, and it's easy to discover the water by renting a boat or going on a cruise from one of the maritime towns. Fishing is also an option, as most of the towns have jetties. Companies such as Farout Charters, which is based in Lakes Entrance, offer boats and equipment for fishing. There are a number of former rail lines in Gippsland that have now been converted into "rail trails" for cycling. These range from shorter journeys, such as the 13 km (8.1 mi) Grand Ridge Rail Trail from Mirboo North to Boolarra, to longer journeys that could make a trip by themselves, such as the East Gippsland Rail Trail, which is 96 km (60 mi) long, and only accessible by mountain bikes in some sections. Hiking is a popular activity in Gippsland. The Grand Strzelecki Track connects Morwell and Tarra-Bulga national parks for 85 km (53 mi), taking approximately 3 to 4 days through Gippsland's Strzelecki Ranges. Camping stops are available across the track. Hikes are also available through national parks in Gippsland, such as the 36 km (22 mi) Wilsons Promontory Southern Circuit Walk, which is a walk through remote rainforest and coastal beaches that takes 3 days. Gippsland's natural beauty and untouched wilderness also offers plenty of options for four wheel driving. Tracks such as the Wonnagatta Drive near Dargo go through hamlets and small towns, and take days to complete. Shorter tracks like the Coopracambra Link drive near Cann River only take a day, taking you through the wilderness and waterfalls.

Eat

Gippsland's cuisine is largely similar to that of Australia as a whole. A frequent feature of small towns in Gippsland is the pub or hotel. These are establishments that are usually split into bar and bistro sections, although sometimes there might just be one area where the two are mixed. The bar section is for drinking, and beers such as Carlton and VB will probably be available, as well as some local specialties. The bistro is a dining area, and serves what's known as "pub food", which can include steak, burgers, parmigiana, potato wedges, and other similar foods. Don't expect anything too special, though every pub is different. In many towns, they may be the only option for dining out. Cafes are also common, though not as much so as the pu