Explore Australia

Port Welshpool This popular coastal town has all the natural attractions that a seaside village could want. It is frequented by families who enjoy the safe beaches and fabulous coastal walks, and has fantastic views across to Wilsons Promontory. Fishing enthusiasts should drop a line from the historic jetty, or try from a boat. The port's long link with the sea is detailed in the Port Welshpool and District Maritime Museum, which exhibits shipping relics and local history displays as well. 2 km S.Franklin River Reserve: great bushwalking with well-marked tracks; near Toora; 11 km W. Agnes Falls: the highest single-span falls in the state, spectacular after heavy rain; 19 km NW. Scenic drive: head west to see magnificent views from Mt Fatigue; off South Gippsland Hwy. Fishing and boating: excellent along the coast.

Corner Inlet 17 km

The sheltered waters of Corner Inlet yield snapper, salmon, whiting and trevally, and the area is popular with game fishermen because it offers the safest ocean entrance between Westernport Bay and Eden in NSW. Port... Find out more

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Port Albert 23 km

Port Albert in South Gippsland has become increasingly popular with anglers looking for size and variety.  The huge snapper that arrive every spring remain a major attraction, but they are just one  part of the... Find out more

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Shallow Inlet 31 km

Shallow Inlet is one of few places in Victoria where you can launch your boat off the beach. You can reach the inlet via Sandy Point or from the Wilsons Promontory side, turning from the Fish Creek–Yanakie road. ... Find out more

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Tarwin River 42 km

Estuary perch are the saltwater equivalent of Australian bass, and are highly regarded as sport fish. The Tarwin River is among the more exalted of Victoria’s estuary systems with a solid reputation for producing... Find out more

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Venus Bay 56 km

Victoria’s annual run of Australian salmon hits the surf beaches in autumn and runs through the winter. South Gippsland beaches are traditionally among the hottest for salmon action. Winter sees beaches from... Find out more

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Anderson Inlet 57 km

Some would argue that Anderson Inlet, near Inverloch, isn’t an estuary but a bay. It has three creeks, Screw, Pound and Cherry Tree, plus the Tarwin River flowing in to it, and is situated about 140 km south-east... Find out more

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Mosquito Channel 99 km

Corinella is about 115 km south- east of Melbourne on the eastern side of Western Port. There is a jetty, slipway and a 24-hour all-tide boat ramp. Anglers who launch their boats here regard these waters as something... Find out more

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Elephant Triangle 101 km

Fishing for elephant fish in Western Port has become an institution. Anglers hang out for the first signs that the fish are starting to migrate into the bay. In general terms, the Elephant Triangle (GPS: S38.26.826,... Find out more

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Middle Spit 109 km

One of the most popular destinations for boating anglers is the Middle Spit, located along the western shore of French Island. Regarded as a whiting hotspot, it’s just a matter of knowing where to go and the tide... Find out more

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Snapper Spots 110 km

Many snapper anglers prefer to concentrate along the edges of the main shipping channels. The deep water running along the western shore of Phillip Island from the Nobbies to Cowes (Buoys 1–13) is a proven snapper... Find out more

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Birdwatching around Gippsland 17 km

This stretch of Victorian coast offers some of the best birdwatching in the country. Two locations, both Ramsar-listed, are worth a visit. Protected by the northern arm of Wilsons Promontory, the wetlands of Corner... Find out more

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Baw Baw National Park 92 km

This 13 300-hectare national park cradles the low-key ski resort at Mount Baw Baw, the closest downhill ski resort to Melbourne. Near the resort are 10 kilometres of groomed cross-country trails (and you can hire gear at... Find out more

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Wildlife-watching - Phillip Island 106 km

Phillip Island is best known for the little penguins that come ashore every night (bookings essential). But spend time exploring the area and you will find Seal Rocks, with Australia’s largest colony of fur-seals,... Find out more

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Kayaking on Phillip Island 107 km

For a great way to start the day, join a kayaking breakfast tour at Phillip Island Holiday Hire, which starts with a 45-minute paddle from Cowes and includes a civilised breakfast at a cafe. There is also a Devonshire... Find out more

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Dandenong Ranges National Park 130 km

About an hour’s drive out of Melbourne, some 35 kilometres east of the city, this park has forests of towering mountain ash and lush, damp fern gullies. Around 300 kilometres of walking tracks crisscross the park,... Find out more

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Bicentennial National Trail - Healesville starting point 138 km

Acclaimed as the longest-marked, nonmotorised, multi-use trekking route in the world, this track traverses an incredible 5330 kilometres from Healesville to Cooktown in north Queensland, passing through 18 national... Find out more

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Mitchell River National Park 138 km

Although only 11 900 hectares in size, this rugged national park contains some of the best forest country in Gippsland. Great for experienced rafters, kayakers and canoeists, it also has some superb bushwalks. With a... Find out more

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Swim with dolphins, Sorrento 152 km

In the warmer six months of the year, the eco-accredited Moonraker Charters will help you get in the water, swimming alongside Australian fur-seals and bottlenose dolphins. Of course, swimming is not compulsory on the... Find out more

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Cycling around Melbourne 157 km

Melbourne has an active cycling community that has helped develop and establish some great routes and a network of cycle paths. One of the best sources of information is Bicycle Victoria. One option is to hop on the Main... Find out more

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Indigenous tours - Melbourne 159 km

To grasp what Melbourne was like before the skyscrapers arrived you can take a two-hour Koori Heritage Trust walking tour. You will gain an insight into Indigenous history and the natural and cultural landscape of the... Find out more

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Settlers Run Golf & Country Club 119 km

Throughout his playing days Greg Norman drew huge crowds eager to witness his incredible ball-striking. Confidently striding the fairways, his mere presence made him one of the game’s biggest ever drawcards. He... Find out more

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Amstel Golf Club (Ranfurlie course) 120 km

Like a good single-malt Scotch whisky, some golf courses are appreciated more once they have aged. When Amstel Golf Club was looking to expand beyond its 18-hole Park course, it commissioned Mike Clayton to design a ... Find out more

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The Sandhurst Club (Champions Course) 125 km

The Champions course at Sandhurst is the latest addition to the Melbourne sandbelt portfolio. Officially opened for play in 2008, it was designed by Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett, the same duo who created the... Find out more

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The Sandhurst Club (North Course) 126 km

Five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson has strong ties to Scotland, the home of golf. Not only was it the scene of some of his greatest triumphs but he spends several months a year living there. So it should... Find out more

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Peninsula Country Golf Club (South Course) 127 km

A round at either of Peninsula’s two courses is always an enjoyable mental and physical challenge. Upon finishing his remodelling of the North course, Mike Clayton turned his attention to the South,... Find out more

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Peninsula Country Golf Club (North Course) 127 km

Although the Peninsula Country Golf Club boasts a history dating back to the 1920s, the two courses that now lie across its sandy landscape did not come into being until decades later. Both the North (opened in 1967)... Find out more

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Long Island Country Club 128 km

Long Island, arguably the most underrated course on the Melbourne sandbelt, deserves higher and wider acclaim. The sandy, undulating land where the course now lies began last century as Frankston Racecourse. And what ... Find out more

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Southern Golf Club 136 km

Southern is one of the Melbourne sandbelt’s least-known courses, but in recent years its star has been on the rise. The original layout was created by Sam Berriman, a British expat who began his working life in... Find out more

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RACV Cape Schanck Resort 136 km

Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has boomed as a golfing destination during the past 15 years, with some of the finest course designers lining up for a crack at creating a masterpiece on this premium piece of... Find out more

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The National Golf Club (Old course) 137 km

Australia’s largest golf club, The National boasts three 18-hole courses – the Old, Ocean and Moonah layouts – all spread across exceptional ocean-side terrain on the Mornington Peninsula, at Cape... Find out more

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Grand Ridge Brewery 38 km

One of the country’s longest-running craft breweries began life as the Strzelecki Brewery in 1988, but operated for only a brief period before being re-branded as Grand Ridge under new ownership. Over the ensuing... Find out more

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Red Hill Brewery 127 km

Becoming hop farmers wasn’t part of their business plan when David and Karen Golding first applied to develop a microbrewery and cafe from their Mornington Peninsula property. Ultimately, though, they were advised... Find out more

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Matilda Bay Garage Brewery 129 km

Previously operating as the Stockade Brewery, this South Dandenong-based microbrewery was acquired by the Foster’s-owned Matilda Bay Brewing in 2004 and re-badged as their ‘garage’ brewery. Then head... Find out more

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2 Brothers Brewery 144 km

A microbrewery is not exactly what you might expect to find tucked away among panel-beaters and sheet-metal fabricators in the industrial estates of Moorabbin, 20 minutes south-east of Melbourne. While the location may... Find out more

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Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company 145 km

Craft brewers come from all sorts of different backgrounds but classical pianist Simon Walkenhorst and his opera singer wife Beth Williams are among the more exotic. Together, they started Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company... Find out more

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Jamieson Brewery 156 km

Looking for a drawcard to attract tourists to their Victorian High Country pub, owners Jeff and Jeanette Whyte installed a microbrewery into the Jamieson Hotel and started knocking out house beers in 2001. The equipment... Find out more

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Mountain Goat Brewery 156 km

Kicking off in 1997, home-brewer Dave Bonighton and music industry booking agent Cam Hines proved that two good mates can start a successful microbrewery with no money, but with unlimited enthusiasm, dogged perseverance... Find out more

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Foster's Group (Abbotsford Brewery) 157 km

Re-branded as the Foster’s Group in the 21st century, Carlton & United Breweries was formed in 1907 through an amalgamation of the city’s six largest beer-makers: McCrackens City Brewery, Victoria... Find out more

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3 Ravens Brewing Company 159 km

This microbrewery began operating from the basement of the successful Thornbury-based engineering company Zetkin and has proved to be an interesting diversion or sideline for the principal business. Some of the company... Find out more

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Bright Brewery 220 km

The original Bright Brewery shut down in 1916 and this modern incarnation was started by a quartet of ‘ale changers’ – couples David and Julie Cocks, and Scott Brandon and Fiona Reddaway – some 90... Find out more

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Little Snake Island camping areas (boat- based camping) 7 km

Little Snake Island is closer to the Gippsland coast than its larger neighbour; it’s just offshore from Port Welshpool. As with Snake Island, the only access is by boat, and a permit is needed to camp here. The... Find out more

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Snake Island camping areas (boat-based camping) 12 km

The largest sand island in Victoria has 3 official places for campers: Swashway, Gulf and Huts. None have facilities, so you need to be self-sufficient. Surf fishing and walking to the remote reaches of the island,... Find out more

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Tin Mine Cove camping area (walk-in camping) 16 km

Tin Mine Cove is at the north-eastern tip of Wilson Promontory, west of Mt Hunter. It requires 11 km of very difficult walking to get here from Lower Barry Creek. Have a swim in Corner Inlet or at the nearby Chinaman... Find out more

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Turtons Creek camping area 22 km

You can camp sans facilities beside Turtons Creek about 18 km north of Foster. Near the campsite, reached via Turtons Creek Road, which branches off the Boolarra–Foster Road, you’ll find a lovely little... Find out more

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Lower Barry Creek camping area (walk-in camping) 24 km

From the Five Mile Rd carpark, you’ll need to walk for 9.7 km to reach Lower Barry Creek – the route leads east down Five Mile Rd before branching north on a separate trail that starts just to the west of... Find out more

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Barry Creek camping area (walk-in camping) 28 km

As with the other campsites around the national park, you can’t stay at the Barry Creek camping area for more than 2 nights. From the carpark on Five Mile Rd, which leads east off Wilsons Promontory Rd, it’s... Find out more

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Shallow Inlet camping ground 28 km

This campground is 4 km west of Yanakie at the end of Lester Rd, just outside the boundary of the marvellous Shallow Inlet Marine and Coastal Park. The sheltered waters of the park are ideal for swimming, canoeing and... Find out more

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Five Mile Beach camping area (walk-in camping) 29 km

Five Mile Beach arrows along the eastern coast of Wilsons Promontory between Monkey Point and the headland that hides gorgeous Sealers Cove. This generous sweep of sand is a great place to go beachcombing, swimming or... Find out more

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Morwell River camping areas 29 km

Blackfish, trout and crayfish are the prime targets for anglers when they set themselves up along the banks of the Morwell River. If you’re a like-minded soul, head for one of the campsites strung out along Morwell... Find out more

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Middle Creek camping area (bush camping) 30 km

From the small town of Yinnar, south of the Strzelecki Hwy, get onto Middle Creek Rd and follow it for 10 km to the south-east. Here, at a secluded spot beside Middle Creek, you’ll find a small bush camping area... Find out more

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Park Lane Tourist Park 50 km

This is a very good quality park with gleaming amenities and excellent facilities. The park is about 2 km east of town, on the highway. It is a great base from which to explore the Latrobe Valley and surrounding areas.... Find out more

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Warragul Gardens Holiday Park 71 km

This owner-operated park has spacious grassy sites, good facilities and great amenities. However, the focal point is the magnificent gardens; these alone make the park worth a visit. Bookings are required in peak... Find out more

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Rawson Caravan Park 79 km

Close to Walhalla, Thomson Dam, the forests and the mountains, this little-known park is an excellent base for exploring the local area. It has good facilities, including a bistro. Bookings are required in peak periods... Find out more

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Glen Cromie Caravan Park 81 km

In a large, park-like setting on the banks of a stream, this is a popular caravan park during weekends and holiday periods. It is a great place for a family break and just a short drive from the greater Melbourne area.... Find out more

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Sale Motor Village 82 km

This caravan park is alongside the highway, just 1 km west of the town centre. It is a good base for exploring the area or a convenient overnight stop. Bookings are required during peak periods and a minimum-length stay... Find out more

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Stratford On The River Tourist Park 95 km

This is a good quality park with a range of accommodation, just a short 600-metre walk from the centre of the small town. There are good facilities and it is ideally located for overnight stops or longer stays. Bookings... Find out more

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90 Mile Beach Holiday Retreat 112 km

This camping park on a private farming property is just a stroll away, over the sand dunes, from the fabulous Ninety Mile Beach. The owner-operated park is reached via some 5 km of unsealed access road but the journey is... Find out more

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BIG4 Frankston Holiday Park 126 km

This is a good quality park in the far outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It is a great base for those exploring the Mornington Peninsula or those connecting with the Sorrento to Queenscliff ferry. Bookings are... Find out more

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BIG4 Dandenong Tourist Park 128 km

Just 6 km south of Dandenong, this is a good quality park, ideal for those wanting to stay on the eastern side of Melbourne. It is very close to the Jayco factory. Bookings are required in peak times and a minimum-stay... Find out more

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Lake King Waterfront Caravan Park 139 km

With absolute lake frontage, this neat park has its own jetties and boat ramp and there are waterfront van sites available. This is good value. Bookings are required in peak periods and a minimum-length stay applies to... Find out more

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Alto Hotel on Bourke 160 km

Although it is not doing anything radical, this plush hotel on Bourke Street is one of the most ecologically aware in Melbourne, and should be commended for its power-saving measures, garbage sorting, supply of... Find out more

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The Buckland, Bright 216 km

With the same architect as The Odd Frog, The Buckland’s four luxury studio retreats have similar eco-design principles, and thousands of trees have been planted on the site. They are also powered by green energy.... Find out more

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The Odd Frog, Bright 219 km

This place comprises five funky new luxury studios on a 4-hectare Land for Wildlife property. The studios have been architecturally designed to have minimal impact on the environment, with thought even given to their... Find out more

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Apollo Bay Youth Hostel 241 km

This relatively new hostel was built with an eco-friendly design, including thermal storage banks and other passive solar heating and cooling. It also has solar hot water, rainwater tanks, a worm farm, drought-tolerant... Find out more

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Jacarri Eco-Cottage, Goongerah 247 km

This rustic little cottage in East Gippsland sleeps four, and has solar power and a dry composting toilet. It has been built with sustainable timbers and uses a water wheel to fill the water tank. Organic fruit,... Find out more

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Traralgon Park Area 51 km

32 km E of Trafalgar (L) or 7 km W of Traralgon (R) Large area adjacent to the highway. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S38 12.670 E146 29.230 ... Find out more

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Trafalgar Park Area 56 km

Middle of town Parking adjacent to the highway. Good facilities. GPS S38 12.481 E146 09.272... Find out more

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Blind Joe Creek Park Area 63 km

21 km E of Traralgon (R) or 2 km W of Rosedale (L) Large grassy area just off the highway. GPS: S38 09.306 E146 45.890... Find out more

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Willows Rest Area 66 km

1 km NE of Rosedale (L) or 25 km SW of Sale (R) Large grassed area just off the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S38 08.504 E146 47.481... Find out more

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Bunyip Rest Area 84 km

29 km W of Yarragon (L) westbound only Large area just off the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S38 05.446 E145 48.423... Find out more

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Gumbuya Rest Area 94 km

77 km E of Melbourne (L) or 40 km W of Yarragon (R) Small secluded area well off the highway. Good shade and facilities. GPS: S38 04.274 E145 39.807... Find out more

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Providence Ponds Rest Area 110 km

17 km E of Stratford (R) or 35 km W of Bairnsdale (L) Small area adjacent to the highway. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S37 55.267 E147 16.401  ... Find out more

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Nicholson Park Area 148 km

East side of town Small parking area overlooking the river. Good facilities. GPS: S37 49.031 E147 44.409... Find out more

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