Mallacoota: A complete travel guide to visiting East Gippsland

With its rugged wilderness easing in to the breathtaking ocean at the very tip of Victoria’s coast, you’d be hard pressed to find a more scenic spot to watch the sunset.

Welcome to Don’t Delay Your Stay, news.com.au’s campaign to support communities hard hit by this summer’s devastating bushfires. Many of these regions rely on tourism so one of the best ways to help is to visit and spend time in some of the most beautiful parts of our great country.

Mallacoota is one of Gippsland’s great escapes, surrounded by the wilderness of the Croajingolong National Park and set on the beautiful Mallacoota Inlet.

The town has been deeply impacted by the devastating bushfires – with residents and tourists being forced to huddle for hours on the beach for safety, before being evacuated by the navy and taken to Melbourne.

Croajingolong National Park. Picture: TripAdvisor

The road into Mallacoota is now open, and while the main part of town was unscathed, people are being urged to book now and visit later.

Set on Victoria’s far eastern border, it’s one of the last towns in the East Gippsland area before the New South Wales border.

Lucy's Croajingalong Cafe in Mallacoota. Picture: Phoebe Honey, Destination Gippsland

Once the town is back on its feet, for those driving the Melbourne to Sydney coastal drive it’s a fabulous place to stop along the route, explore the beaches, pitch a tent or use as a base for exploring the national parks and local hiking trails.

With its rugged wilderness dropping down to the breathtaking ocean at the very tip of Victoria’s coast, you’d be hard pressed to find a more scenic spot to watch the sunset than Mallacoota.

Mallacoota is the perfect spot to catch a stunning sunset.

Not a better spot to watch the sun go down.

As a commercial fishing town, Mallacoota attracts anglers, recreational fishers, boating enthusiasts and abalone divers for miles around.

Some of the town’s most-loved cafes – including Origami Coffee, Croajingolong Cafe and Lucy’s are open for business.

A dish served at Mallacoota institution Lucy's. Picture: Phoebe Honey

Origami Coffee is a dot of a shop, but boasts loads of seating in the garden where you can enjoy excellent coffee by skilled baristas. Croajingolong Cafe is the go-to breakfast joint, with a beautiful view of the lake, and Lucy’s is an institution, famed for its homemade rice noodles and Cantonese dumplings.

For those looking to book accommodation for the coming months, Silver Bream Motel and Units, The Mallacoota Hotel and Gipsy Point Lodge are unscathed and all taking bookings.