Explore Australia

Regent Theatre: built in 1930, this theatre has been wonderfully restored. Cinemas operate on weekends and school holidays; Commercial Rd.

Tarra–Bulga National Park Tarra–Bulga is a tranquil park with spectacular river and mountain views. Fern Gully Walk, starting from the Bulga picnic ground, takes in the dense temperate rainforests of mountain ash, myrtle and sassafras. The walk leads across a suspension bridge high among the treetops. A walk to Cyathea or Tarra falls, surrounded by lush fern gullies, completes the rainforest experience. Keep an eye out for rosellas, lyrebirds and the occasional koala. The Tarra–Bulga Visitor Centre is on Grand Ridge Rd near Balook; from Yarram, access the park from Tarra Valley Rd; 20 km NW.Won Wron Forest: great for walks, with wildflowers in spring; Hyland Hwy; 16 km N. Beaches: there are many attractive beaches in the region, including Manns, for fishing, 16 km SE; McLoughlins, 23 km E; and Woodside Beach, which is patrolled in summer; 29 km E. Tarra Valley: there are many great gardens, including Eilean Donan Gardens and Riverbank Nursery; located just north-west of Yarram. Scenic drive: a 46 km circuit goes from Yarram through Hiawatha and takes in Minnie Ha Ha Falls on Albert River, where picnic and camping facilities are provided.

Port Albert 12 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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Corner Inlet 41 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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Shallow Inlet 54 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 64 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 78 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 78 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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Lake Victoria 105 km

This lake joins Lake King at the popular boating and fishing town Paynesville, opposite Raymond Island. The piers on both sides of McMillan Strait here are popular with anglers, especially lure fishers who have found the... Find out more

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Mitchell River 116 km

The estuary section of the Mitchell River begins at the rock barrier, about 5 km upstream from Bairnsdale. Bream are caught all the way through to where the silt jetties enter Lake King. The jetties look like two long... Find out more

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Mosquito Channel 117 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 120 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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Birdwatching around Gippsland 41 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 86 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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Mitchell River National Park 117 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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Wildlife-watching - Phillip Island 125 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 126 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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Cruises - around Lakes Entrance 138 km

More than just a cruise, a one- or two-hour Sea- Safari out of Lakes Entrance is an opportunity to add to research about the area. You will help document seabirds, marine life – including seahorses with an... Find out more

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Dandenong Ranges National Park 139 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 143 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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Cycling around Melbourne 169 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 171 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 133 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) 134 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) 139 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) 139 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 (North Course) 141 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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Peninsula Country Golf Club (South Course) 141 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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Long Island Country Club 143 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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RACV Healesville Country Club 145 km

Of the 120 golf courses featured throughout these pages, the new layout at Healesville is the odd one out. It could, in fact, be considered a minnow among giants, for this par-68 measures only 4872 metres from the... Find out more

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Southern Golf Club 149 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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Spring Valley Golf Club 151 km

The story of Spring Valley Golf Club’s early days is not dissimilar to that of many clubs which now call Melbourne’s sandbelt home. Spring Valley began its existence outside the sandbelt, as Forest Hills... Find out more

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Grand Ridge Brewery 48 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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Matilda Bay Garage Brewery 142 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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Red Hill Brewery 146 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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Jamieson Brewery 150 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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Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company 152 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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2 Brothers Brewery 157 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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Mountain Goat Brewery 168 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) 169 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 170 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 206 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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White Womans Waterhole picnic and camping area 13 km

This is a large, shady area and the only place in the forest where you can camp. Several walks radiate out from this site: the White Womans Walk highlights the diverse vegetation, while the Old Railway Walk retraces what... Find out more

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Snake Island camping areas (boat-based camping) 22 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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Reeves Beach camping area 24 km

From this scenic camping area, you can walk into the sunrise along Ninety Mile Beach, the sand barrier that stops the Gippsland Lakes from becoming part of Bass Strait. At Reeves you might spot dolphins or whales... Find out more

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Little Snake Island camping areas (boat- based camping) 25 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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Jack Smith camping area (bush camping) 32 km

Camping in the exposed bushland around shallow Jack Smith Lake allows you to observe cormorants, swans, pelicans, teals, egrets and many other waterbirds as they pursue insects and other food around the lake; sea eagles... Find out more

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Middle Creek camping area (bush camping) 33 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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Tin Mine Cove camping area (walk-in camping) 35 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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Morwell River camping areas 36 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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Turtons Creek camping area 37 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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McGaurans Beach camping area 39 km

McGaurans Beach is 21 km north-east of Woodside. North of the township, take Giffard Rd off the South Gippsland Hwy, and after 9 km take the signposted turning onto McGaurans Beach Rd. Note that while you can enjoy... Find out more

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Park Lane Tourist Park 42 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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Sale Motor Village 60 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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Rawson Caravan Park 72 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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Stratford On The River Tourist Park 75 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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Warragul Gardens Holiday Park 79 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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Glen Cromie Caravan Park 87 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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90 Mile Beach Holiday Retreat 89 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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Lake King Waterfront Caravan Park 116 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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Mitchell Gardens Caravan Park 118 km

This park is at the river end of the main street (Princes Highway), just 500 metres from the centre of town. With beautifully maintained surrounds, the park is located on the banks of the Mitchell River. Bookings are... Find out more

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Bairnsdale Holiday Park 119 km

There are many caravan parks in Bairnsdale but this is one of the few with a large number of tourist sites. Located on the Princes Highway, it is well suited to a family holiday or just a couple of nights. Bookings are... Find out more

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Alto Hotel on Bourke 172 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 202 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 204 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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Jacarri Eco-Cottage, Goongerah 224 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 43 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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Blind Joe Creek Park Area 46 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 48 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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Trafalgar Park Area 60 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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Providence Ponds Rest Area 89 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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Bunyip Rest Area 92 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 104 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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Nicholson Park Area 125 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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Lakes Entrance Park Area 137 km

East side of town Large area just off the highway overlooking the river near the information centre. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S37 52.892 E147 58.394... Find out more

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Log Crossing Rest Area 138 km

T/O 26 km E of Bairnsdale (L) or 9 km W of Lakes Entrance (R) Small secluded area 2 kilometres north of the highway in the forest. NOTE: Access road unsealed. GPS: S37 49.555 E147 56.337... Find out more

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Lake Tyers Rest Area 145 km

10 km NE of Lakes Entrance (R) or 49 km SW of Orbost (L) Secluded area well off the highway in the forest. Good shade. GPS: S37 48.933 E148 01.824... Find out more

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