Victoria’s hidden gems: Little-known hot spots in Gippsland

WE’VE searched high and low to find the best hidden gems across each region of our great state so you don’t have to. From swimming in the Blue Pool to live crayfish, here’s the best of Gippsland.

Nola De Lorenzo runs a restaurant at Toooradin airport that serves the freshest crayfish. Picture: Andrew Tauber

WE’VE searched high and low to find the best hidden gems across each region of our great state.

Here’s the list of the best hidden gems Gippsland has to offer.

Check back tomorrow for more hidden gems from a different region.

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LIVE CRAYFISH

3260 South Gippsland Hwy, Tooradin.wingsandfins.com.au

Tooradin Airport has a joy flight like no other — delivery of live crayfish from Flinders Island. Nola de Lorenzo, who runs the airport’s Wings and Fins bistro, says: “Soon as those crays hit the tarmac, we’re loading them on to forklifts and getting them into tanks.’’ Locals have long known about Tooradin’s crayfish sales but as word spreads — thanks to an appearance on Channel 9 show The Hotplate — de Lorenzo is cooking and serving more cold-water crustaceans than ever.

CROAJINGOLONG NATIONAL PARK

parkweb.vic.gov.au

Pristine and untamed, Croajingolong National Park is perfect for beachcombing, birdwatching and boating. But between river and ocean, near Cann River, there is a network of sandy trails that visitors to this corner of Gippsland often overlook. The Thurra River sand dunes soar 30m high in places, offering spectacular views of Croajingolong’s wilderness coastline. And while camping options close by are plentiful, you can also stay in a clifftop keeper cottage at Point Hicks lighthouse. Whale sightings are common.

PORT ALBERT CAFE AND WINE BAR

71 Tarraville Rd, Port Albert.

A sleepy seaside village it might be, but Port Albert, Gippsland’s oldest port (c. 1841), has a gem of an eatery in its midst. To bypass the Port Albert Cafe and Wine Bar is to miss some of the best fish and chips in all of South Gippsland, not to mention the display of humungous cakes that proprietor Kim Wherrett makes almost daily. Then there’s the cellar. Wherrett — just as likely to be in the kitchen as serving dishes — has sourced almost every wine from Gippsland

and sells them by the glass.

NEERIM BOWER

Neerim South.neerimbower.com.auvisitvictoria.com

Deep in the rolling green hills of West Gippsland, Neerim South is your typical country town. Or is it? There’s nothing typical about the bright blue sculpture that frames the town as you drive in. The Neerim Bower was inspired by birds and conceived by local artists. But its creation in 2014, as part of Victoria’s Small Town Transformations program, has encouraged other artistic projects in the district.

Jacob Lawless, 15 from Hazlewood jumps in the water at Blue Pool, Gippsland. Picture: Tim Carrafa

BLUE POOL

Freestone Creek Rd, Briagolong.

It’s an open secret down Briagolong way that Blue Pool is one of Victoria’s best places for cooling down ... and jumping into. But out-of-towners are still discovering this Gippsland waterhole north of Maffra and falling for its aquatic charms. The emerald-green colour of the water comes from Freestone Creek winding its way through rain-soaked forest.

FOUNDRY

75A Nicholson St, Bairnsdale. ifoundthefoundry.com

Foundry hides its light under a considerable bushel. To find this unusual retail store, you go down a lane beside a supermarket, then look for the back of a bakery. But the artist collective representing 35 East Gippsland artists is worth seeking out for its handmade ceramics, jewellery and design objects. “Everything we put on the shelves is made in the district,’’ says co-founder Jes John. Ranging in price from $2 to $400, you’re sure to find something that suits.

RAFTING, MITTA MITTA RIVER

Mitta Mitta River, Omeo. raftingaustralia.com

The Mitta Mitta River is well known for its whitewater thrills. Rafting Australia has been negotiating its rapids for years. But owners Linton and Tracey Smith, who know the river like the back of their oars, are still discovering new things about Granite River Gorge. Sign up for a one-day Mitta Mitta journey to see this wonder while riding 18km of crystal-clear mountain water. Led by experienced guides out of Omeo, the tour ($220 a person) suits novices (children from 12) and includes river equipment, river transfers and lunch.

Neerim Bower.

MINERS VIEW LOOKOUT

Traralgon Creek Rd, Loy Yang.visitlatrobecity.com

Plumes of steam curling into the sky signal the presence of Loy Yang power station. But it’s only when you get off the South Gippsland Highway and drive up to Miners View lookout that the epic scale of this site comes into focus. The lookout, equipped with telescopes, takes in Loy Yang’s huge cooling towers and the open-cut mine next door, a great gouge in the ground where electric-powered bucket wheel dredgers can be seen toiling in the distance.

MAFFRA EXHIBITION SPACE

150 Johnson St, Maffra. wellington.vic.gov.au

It’s tucked in a library but when it comes to art, Maffra Exhibition Space can punch above its weight. This “access gallery’’ (closed Sunday and Tuesday) focuses on Gippsland artists. In coming months, look out for landscapes by Graeme Myrteza. Around the corner, in Foster St, Maffra Bakery bakes the best pies in town.

CHURCHILL ISLAND

246 Samuel Amess Dr, Churchill Island.visitphillipisland.com

Perused the penguins? Spotted the seals? It’s time you crossed the bridge from Phillip Island to Churchill Island Heritage Farm. This 57ha oasis has been farmed since the 1850s and was once owned by the mayor of Melbourne. Today, it’s active once more with restored farmhouses, cottages and gardens giving visitors a glimpse into the lives of early settlers.