FROM MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA
A tour of the Gippsland Region is sure to enchant and fascinate, with history, heritage and delicious food
WORDS BY FRED WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRED WRIGHT AND JOHN HABERFIELD
Inspiring, enchanting and stunning are words that readily come to mind when describing the Gippsland Region. Extending from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs to the New South Wales border and encompassing beaches, farmland, mountains and lakes, RVers love this region due to its peaceful and relaxing lifestyle. We chose to tour the heart of the Gippsland Region, home to Sale, the Tarra Bulga National Park, Maffra and Briagolong. What we love most about this tour is the history, heritage and freedom – from the mountains to the sea – all to be found here, but be warned, you’ll definitely have to make many returns visits to hope to see it all!
SALE
Sale, the heart of Gippsland, has roads that radiate in all directions to places RVers will love to explore, including 90 Mile Beach, located only 60km from Sale. Its here you’ll find the gorgeous Seaspray Caravan Park.
We began our journey by visiting the Sale Information Centre, beside the Sale Motor Village and were impressed by the staff who were determined to show visitors the best attractions in the Shire and who were passionate about where they lived. Our base was at the Sale Motor Village, because it was so close to the centre of the city and had everything we needed. We chose to take a low-cost guided tour, offered by the Sale Information Centre, and just loved it! Our guide was Val and she took us on a wonderful tour, starting at Raymond Street, with its giant clock tower, she told us all about the town’s history, showed us inside the old train signal box (and even let us pull some of the levers!), then on to the Sale Botanic Gardens and a lovely stroll along Lake Guthridge. We were so impressed with Val’s knowledge and passion for her town and also the excellent resources Sale offered for RVers, including banks, supermarkets, boutiques, pharmacies and a vast array of specialty shops – perfect for stocking up on supplies. We even found a wealth of excellent caravan parks and appealing low cost showground accommodation.
The standout feature of our tour with Val was that even though Sale is an important city and vital business hub, it still retains a warm, country feel. After getting the lay of the land with Val, it was time to take a tour by water. Beginning at the Port of Sale, we hopped on the ‘Rubeena’, a classic wooden boat first launched at Lakes Entrance in 1912. Aboard this classic vessel we travelled up the two and a half hour long Sale Canal and learnt all about the positive transformation of the Port of Sale, and the magnificent Gippsland Lakes System. We also passed under Sale’s historic Swing Bridge and were shocked to hear the entire bridge used to pivot on a series of cogs and wheels – all 130 tonnes of it.
Before you venture out of Sale, to do further exploring and there’s plenty to see and do, we’d recommend you drive about 10km along the Princes Hwy to the Gippsland Armed Forces Museum. Allow a few hours to visit the many rooms concerning wars from the Boer War to the present day that have been fought by Australian army, navy and air force. What we liked most was that it records and remembers those who participated from the Gippsland Region and the many who made the supreme sacrifice. We found this to be a most reflective and engaging museum and the volunteer members are to be congratulated on their considerable efforts.
MAFFRA
Heading north we made our way to the historic Maffra, where we discovered the main street was named after Maffra in Portugal, no doubt by settlers in Gippsland from Spain and Portugal searching for that elusive quartz gold.
It’s an attractive town with an appealing and beautifully kept Main Street, lined with trees and buildings dating back to the 19th Century. It’s here you will find the Gippsland Vehicle Collection, housed in a huge building that was once used as a vegetable dehydrating factory, now there are themed displays of vehicles. There’s something appealing seeing vehicles in their original condition, accompanied by tasteful mannequins to set the scene for clothing styles of the day. The displays are changed three times a year and they cover cars, utes, tractors, motorbikes and almost everything else. We found it to be one of the very best collections of its type anywhere and should not be missed.
The Sugar Beet Factory has displays and audio-visual presentations from the 1890s to the end of the Second World War. Just like us, you’ll be enthralled by the size of the beet processing factories and how sugar was extracted well before the introduction of sugar cane to Australia. Please note that this is only open the first Sunday of each month.
At the Old Court House you’ll find an important collection of minerals, gem stones and fossils definitely worth a look. Stratford is but a short drive away and it’s beside the Avon River. Take time to explore its Shakespeare Connections. In fact, a good plan would be to visit when Shakespeare Celebrations are in full swing, during April/May each year.
BRIAGOLONG TO YARRAM
Our next stop were two quaint little villages, Loch Sport and Briagolong. The town of Briagolong features a pub, great café, and Little Milligan with Colin Little and Deb Milligan. Featured on ABC Open, Little Milligan provides the town and its visitors with lovingly crafted and handmade practical artworks, from solid timber furniture, sculptural steel fences and covetable homewares.
If you’re in search of free camps, be sure to check out the Blue Pools Campground. By far one of the most popular free camps in Briagolong State Forest, a short walk from the campsite is Blue Pool, an excellent swimming pool at the bottom of a basalt gorge.
Travelling south west for approximately 70km, you’ll eventually reach Yarram, with its historic Courthouse that now houses the Yarram Information Centre. The main street has plenty of cafes and don’t overlook the beaut caravan parks, Yarram Holiday Park and Windmill Caravan Park.
This is a good point from which to explore Port Albert with its great wharf and the best fish and chips in Victoria. A must see is the Gippsland Maritime Museum, which also tells the story about its early history, as this is where Gippsland began. For those on a tight budget, you’ll find Port Albert Parking Area, just near the wharf, with a dump point and toilets.
TARRA VALLEY
Tarra Bulga National Park is majestic and simply must be explored! On your way to Tarra Bulga, you may choose to stay at either Tarra Valley Caravan Park or Best Friend Holiday Park – its dog friendly. This trip will provide you with not only a great destination, but one of the most scenic drives in all of Gippsland, with bubbling white water and ferns all along the way.
Tarra Bulga in the Strzelecki Ranges is where you’ll enjoy great Mountain Ash trees, ancient Myrtle Beeches and superb tree farms. Please note, the temperature here is much cooler than the coast. Don’t be surprised if you see or hear lyre birds, black cockatoos or crimson rosellas which add to the attraction of this beautiful place. We decided to venture along Tarra Valley Rainforest walk from the carpark and took our time before we reached the Cyathea Waterfall, but it was worth every step along the way and the park rangers here are wonderful.
Starting our trip home, we ended our adventures with Tom’s Cap Vineyard and its fine wines, cellar door and fantastic restaurant. You can stay here in cottages with your RV nearby to enjoy simple, beautiful surroundings.
We absolutely loved our trip through the Gippsland Region, not only for its wealth of biodiversity and stunning scenery, but also for the wonderful people we met along the way. It’s one of those Victorian gems that need to be savoured slowly and explored at leisure.
