Good food, beautiful lakes and bush hiking: Nine highlights of Mallacoota

This picturesque seaside village in regional Victoria lures food lovers for its annual Wild Harvest Seafood Festival and, year round, delights those looking for a stay that combines the bush, water and relaxation.

The cruise

Take a cruise on the historic M.V. Loch-Ard.

To really appreciate the beauty and size of the surrounding lakes get on board the MV Loch-Ard, which has been beetling around the Victorian waterways since it was first built, from Huon pine and kauri, in 1910. It is a snugly romantic vessel, and during a sunset cruise you can watch the changing colours of the skies, see white sea eagles dive for an evening meal and hear some great local stories from Captain Dale Winward. See mallacootacruises.com

The historic stay

Karbeethong Lodge was built in 1922 and offers a slice of nostalgia.

Karbeethong Lodge has the distinction of being favourably compared to heaven by A Sentimental Bloke author C.J. Dennis when he stayed here in 1932. It is hard to argue with him as you sit on the balcony of this 1920s-built seaside guesthouse with a local Gippsland drop in hand, looking across the grassy slope of a yard to the tranquil East Gippsland waters. Owners Graeme and Jenny Mitchell keep things warm and inviting with a retro collection of furnishings that populate the communal spaces of the huge living room and the help-yourself kitchen. Rooms are quirky and often have more beds than you need, but this is a very special place from which to explore the region. See karbeethonglodge.com.au

The local dinner

Lucy’s Cantonese fare is legendary in Mallacoota.

Lucy’s, on the main street of Mallacoota, is an order-at-the-counter, family-working-all-stations affair that is packed on a weekend with visitors and locals sharing tables full of simple but utterly delicious dishes in serves that often require a take-away container. The go-tos here are the fresh, handmade noodles teamed with locally caught abalone and homegrown herbs, generously stuffed prawn har gau and rolled-up newspaper-sized spring rolls.

The museum

Mallacoota’s Bunker Museum was once part of a group of World War II-era military installations.

The Bunker Museum was originally part of a chain of military installations that protected this exposed easterly part of the Australian coast during World War II. Now visitors descend the stairs into the rainbow-roofed bunker for a taste of military and local history with displays of “trench art” made from shell casings, the story of the sinking of British ship the SS Cumberland and a full-scale replica of home life in the 1940s complete with a mannequin looking like she has come off the set of Dad’s Army. See mallacootabunker.com.au

The market

Located near The Muddie, the mud brick pavilion at the centre of the Lions Park in town, this local market is full of the freshest local produce, local arts and crafts and community groups. It is a regularly changing roster of stallholders but keep an eye out for The Travelling Squid with its signature salt-and-pepper calamari and “prawn twists”. See mallacootamarkets.com

The festival

The Wild Harvest Seafood Festival was created to celebrate some of the less-loved creatures of the sea, such as the abalone and sea urchin that Mallacoota is known for. Started in 2022 (after some delays), the “whelk-om” dinner might have local oysters cooked over fire by Noel Butler from First Nations social enterprise Black Duck Foods, and pesce crudo using locally caught fish by guest chefs such as Stefano de Pieri. You might catch a live band, learn a sea shanty or enter a sandcastle-making competition. It is an intimate introduction to this special part of Victoria. See wildharvestseafoodfestival.com

The creative hub

The Mallacoota Art Space, inside the Croajingolong Centre, often hosts an artist-in-residence.

Tucked in behind the local radio station, inside the Croajingolong Centre, is the Mallacoota Art Space that is not only hung with works from local artists but, more often that not, will have an artist-in-residence producing works who is up for a chat about the local area and the wild coast that provides much of the inspiration for the local makers and creators. See visitmallacoota.com.au

The nature walk

Croajingalong National Park is great for bathing, walking or just taking in the view.

It is a short drive to Genoa Falls in the Croajingolong National Park, just outside of Mallacoota, where the water runs down a long, flat slope packed full of water dragons that dart away into the rocks as soon as they see you. It is a great spot for bathing or simply wandering through the walking trails. If you have extra time, the walk to Genoa Peak gives you a killer view of the surrounding bush and waterways. See visitmallacoota.com.au

One more thing …

Abalone is now being processed locally.

Mallacoota is the abalone capital of Victoria. The Australian Wild Abalone plant recently opened after the previous operation was devastated by the 2019 Gippsland bushfires. In the past, most of the popular aquatic meat was sent straight to Asia, but there is a renewed interest in using the fresh meat at home, so keep an eye out for it on local menus and at markets. See ex1191.com.au

Paul Chai was a guest of Wild Harvest Festival and Destination Gippsland.