Heywood

Portland 23 km

‘I reckon Portland is Victoria’s best kept angling secret,’ local angler Bob McPherson told me in 2004. At the time, I believed he was right. Within two years Portland was no longer a secret, becoming... Find out more

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Nelson 55 km

The Glenelg River is situated at Nelson near the border with SA. The long river is one of the state’s premier fisheries for bream to 1.8 kg, estuary perch and mulloway to about 20 kg. Victoria has some excellent... Find out more

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Port Fairy 61 km

Port Fairy is an unimposing historic seaport between Warrnambool and Portland. While it might come across as a sleepy, seaside resort, Port Fairy always seems to attract exciting piscatorial headlines. During the 1960s... Find out more

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Konong Wootong Reservoir 71 km

Coleraine in the Western District is in the heart of prime wool- growing country. The small town is famous for its chocolate factory, but less well known is the trout fishery in the picturesque 60 ha impoundment just out... Find out more

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Warrnambool 80 km

Warrnambool is a big, tidy city. It’s a great place to take the family for a holiday, particularly if you have fishing on your mind. All forms of angling are available, but the most popular water is the Hopkins... Find out more

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Lake Bolac 117 km

One of my favourite fishing activities after a hot summer day is to wander along the banks of the Barwon River in Geelong, casting lures for redfin. Redfin are feisty, competitive fish that bite readily and taste great.... Find out more

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Peterborough 120 km

Peterborough has beach and estuary fishing. The estuary system is Curdies River, a noted bream river with fish to 1.5 kg common. The best place to access the river is upstream at a place called Boggy Creek – a name... Find out more

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Lake Bullen Merri 130 km

Lake Bullen Merri at Camperdown is less than 20 mins drive from Lake Purrumbete. A deep, volcanic lake with saline water, it is stocked with brown and rainbow trout, Atlantic and Chinook salmon, and Australian bass.... Find out more

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Lake Wartook 138 km

Drought and changes to irrigation have left dry many of Victoria’s former favourite fishing lakes. Drive through the cropping plains of the Wimmera and you come across once-famous lakes, including Toolondo,... Find out more

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Lake Purrumbete 140 km

The bulk of the serious trout-fishing action in Victoria is in the Western District crater lakes. Of these, Lake Purrumbete near Camperdown ranks in the top half a dozen trout lakes in the state in terms quality,... Find out more

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Mount Eccles National Park 26 km

At Mount Eccles you can walk for 2 kilometres around the rim of a volcanic crater then descend for a swim in the lake at its heart. It is a great spot for a picnic, with koalas and kangaroos, and the camping facilities... Find out more

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Picnicking at Lake Pertobe Reserve 80 km

Lake Pertobe Reserve on Warrnambool’s foreshore is known as one of the best adventure playgrounds around, with plenty for kids of all ages. There are paddleboats and canoes, a maze and flying fox, free barbecues... Find out more

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Picnicking around Mount Gambier 82 km

Mount Gambier has some extraordinary picnic spots around collapsed caves that are now beautiful sinkhole gardens. Try Cave Gardens or the stunning Umpherston Sinkhole, which has free barbecues and good facilities.... Find out more

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Grampians National Park 117 km

There are many, many reasons to go to this remarkable 1680-square-kilometre national park: its spectacular spring wildflowers, its dramatic cliffs and sandstone features, its bushwalking, the stunning views from its... Find out more

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Diving and snorkelling - Port Campbell, Peterborough and Warrnambool 131 km

Best known in diving circles for its multitude of shipwrecks, most of which are reached by boat dives, this area also has some great snorkelling and shore dives. Recommended spots include the Port Campbell jetty, Wild... Find out more

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Indigenous tours, Grampians National Park 134 km

Brambuk, the Grampians National Park and Cultural Centre, houses an Aboriginal cultural centre explaining much of the history and stories associated with the area. There is also a bushfoods cafe, where you can try emu,... Find out more

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Little Desert National Park 174 km

This park contains one-fifth of all flowering plant species in Victoria. The elusive mallee fowl and rare scrub robin live amid the 600 kilometres of tracks that go out to remote sections of the park near the South... Find out more

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Canoeing on Lake Elizabeth 191 km

For a fantastic dawn or dusk paddle in which you have a 95 per cent chance of seeing a platypus, join Otway Eco Tours on Lake Elizabeth. Half-day trips to this remote lake in the ranges depart from the small hamlet of... Find out more

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Sea-kayaking in Marengo Marine Sanctuary 191 km

In an exciting two-hour guided paddle, head out from Apollo Bay to Marengo Marine Sanctuary to get a close-up view of an Australian fur-seal colony. The seals often come out to swim around the kayaks.... Find out more

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Golden Nugget Discovery Tours, Ballarat 207 km

This carbon-neutral business in Ballarat runs small, personalised tours of no more than six people in the Goldfields region, with three themes – wild nature, gold history and heritage, and food and wine.... Find out more

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Port Fairy Golf Club 62 km

An endearing quality of the great links layouts of Britain and Ireland is their natural setting. Wild, windswept holes rolling between sand dunes that have stood tall for centuries are the norm. The links of Port... Find out more

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The Sands, Torquay 239 km

Sands by name . . . Sands by nature. It doesn’t take long to figure out the overwhelming feature of a round at Torquay. Standing on the 1st tee of this Stuart Applebydesigned layout, a blanket of white is... Find out more

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Thirteenth Beach Golf Links (Beach Course) 248 km

After all the accolades Tony Cashmore received for his design work at The Dunes, on the Mornington Peninsula, he must have felt some pressure to produce an equally fine layout when it came time for his next project:... Find out more

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Thirteenth Beach Golf Links (Creek Course) 248 km

Sir Nick Faldo won six major titles, playing himself into winning positions on the back of strong shot-making, a trait that is highly prized on the courses he now designs. The Creek course at Thirteenth Beach, created... Find out more

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Flying Horse Brewery 84 km

Whales and ales are now the twin attractions for the pretty seaside Victorian city of Warrnambool, following the development of the sprawling Flying Horse Bar & Brewery complex by joint owners Matt Monk, Matt Stewart... Find out more

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Purrumbete Brewing Company (Red Duck) 141 km

Scott and Vanessa Wilson-Browne are another couple of ‘ale changers’ who swapped busy Melbourne careers to move to the country, bring up their young family, and brew and market craft ales. Along the way, they... Find out more

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Otway Estate Brewery 173 km

Located 12 kilometres from Colac, Otway Estate Winery was established in 1983, specialising in cool-climate wines; a microbrewery was added in 2007. Head brewer Luke Scott oversees the production of up to 15 different... Find out more

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Cubby’s Camp (walk-in camping) 12 km

Cubby’s Camp is a 20 km trek north-west of Portland. It's located in the eastern fringe of Cobboboonee Forest.... Find out more

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Surry Ridge camping area 12 km

The Great South West Walk passes straight through this serene picnic and camping area. To get here, follow the Portland–Nelson Rd for 22 km west of Portland and take the signposted turn-off north onto the T+W Rd.... Find out more

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Sawpit picnic and camping area 12 km

This old sawmill site attracts campers because of its access to ocean views. Take the easy track to Whalers Lookout and see if you can spot some passing cetaceans. To reach the site, follow the signposted Boyers Rd from... Find out more

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Cut-out Camp (walk-in camping) 13 km

The 15 km walk between Cubby Camp and Cut-out Camp leads you into Cobboboonee National Park.... Find out more

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Annya Camp camping area 13 km

This quiet spot is nestled in the forest just off the Portland–Casterton Rd, between Drumborg and Casterton. Plentiful shade is provided by the surrounding trees, while an abundance of sites on relatively level... Find out more

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Narrawong Holiday Park 15 km

This scenic place is 13 km east of Portland on the Princes Hwy. It has its own natural moat, the Surry River, which circles the campground before flowing out past the local beach. Many of the grassy campsites are... Find out more

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Cobboboonee Camp (walk-in camping) 17 km

Cobboboonee Camp is 9.4 km beyond Cut-out Camp, in the centre of the national park. Just south of the camp is the Heathland Nature Trail, an easy walk that reveals colourful wildflowers in springtime.... Find out more

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Fitzroy Camp (walk-in camping) 19 km

Situated on a bank of the Fitzroy River, this camp is a 12.5 km walk from Cobboboonee Camp.... Find out more

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Jackass Fern Gully camping area 19 km

Don’t take the name personally, as it’s actually a wise move to pitch a tent on this peaceful stretch of flat ground. From Portland, drive west for 22 km along the road to Nelson and take the signposted... Find out more

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Fitzroy River Public Purposes Reserve camping area 23 km

Surrounded by coastal scrub at the mouth of the Fitzroy River, this campground is only a short walk from lovely ocean beaches. You’ll find it 4 km down Thompsons Rd, which is 32 km east of Portland on the road to... Find out more

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Narrawong Holiday Park 15 km

This pretty park is in a fabulous, quiet beachside and riverfront position off the Princes Highway. Offering a range of accommodation, it is close to Portland and has good fishing and swimming, and a range of facilities... Find out more

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Henty Bay Beachfront Van and Cabin Park 18 km

This large, spacious park is located on the beachfront 6 km north-east of the centre of town. The park has a well-stocked shop with takeaway food and a good selection of fishing tackle and bait. Bookings are required at... Find out more

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Portland Tourist Park 22 km

Set in a residential area of town about 1.6 km from the town centre, this owneroperated park has good facilities and a corner store is conveniently located opposite the park. Bookings are required at Christmas, Easter... Find out more

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Kywong Caravan Park 55 km

Located on the northern side of town, this large budget-priced park has good facilities. It is about 1.5 km from the centre of the small township. There is good value here. Bookings are required at Christmas, Easter and... Find out more

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BIG4 Port Fairy Anchorage Holiday Park 59 km

This quality, owner-operated park has large shade trees and informal grassy sites, and is conveniently located alongside the Princes Highway just 1.5 km from the town centre. The park has very good amenities including... Find out more

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Belfast Cove Caravan Park 59 km

This is a lovely boutique park with magnificent gardens. It has very good facilities including a tennis court and a boat parking area. Bookings are required at Christmas, Easter and long weekends, with a minimum-stay... Find out more

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Port Fairy Gardens Caravan Park 60 km

This is a large council-owned park about 5 minutes’ walk from the town centre and just 200 metres from the beach, with level grassy sites, good amenities and a tennis court. Bookings are required at Christmas,... Find out more

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Discovery Holiday Parks – Warrnambool 79 km

Across the road from the beach, this wellkept park is ideal for a holiday or just a few days away. With its excellent facilities, including a popular undercover camp kitchen and a movie room, the park can be busy.... Find out more

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Surfside Holiday Park – Warrnambool 80 km

This is a large, very good-quality council-owned park right on the beachfront. Great for a family beachside holiday, the park has good facilities and is just 1 km from the city centre and close to Flagstaff Hill.... Find out more

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Fig Tree Holiday Village 80 km

Centrally located about 600 metres from main shopping precinct, this is a very good quality and good value park in a quiet off-highway position. It has a heated indoor pool and a tennis court but cannot fit big rigs.... Find out more

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Grampians Eco YHA 136 km

At this eco-hostel you sleep under roof tiles that are actually solar panels. Any extra power generated is fed back to the electricity grid. The passive solar building, featuring rammed earth walls, also has solar... Find out more

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Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology 182 km

There are not many better-thought-out ecotourism ventures than this superb multi-award-winning facility on Cape Otway. It has its own 66-hectare wildlife refuge and doubles as a shelter for injured and orphaned wildlife,... Find out more

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Little Desert Nature Lodge, Nhill 186 km

Set on 117 hectares of bushland beside Little Desert National Park, the lodge has 24 rooms with ensuite bathrooms, or 16 bunkrooms with shared facilities. By staying here, you are helping support projects such as the... Find out more

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Apollo Bay Youth Hostel 191 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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The Sawpit Camp Area 12 km

T/O at Narrawong Large secluded area located 3 kilometres north the highway in the forest among numerous large trees. Good shade and facilities. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S38 14.06 E141 41.14  ... Find out more

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Annya Road Rest Area 13 km

T/O km 81 km E of Mt Gambier (L) or 7 km W of Heywood (R) Large secluded area located 7.5 kilometres north of the highway among numerous trees in the forest. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S38 01.07 E141... Find out more

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Fitzroy River Rest Area 15 km

35 km SE of Heywood (R) or 48 km W of Port Fairy (L) Large area just off the highway near the river. Limited shade. GPS: S38 13.15 E141 45.48 ... Find out more

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Lake Surprise Camp Area 27 km

T/O at Port Fairy Large campground located 48 kilometres north of the highway (9 kilometres east of Macarthur) in a pleasant open forest setting near Lake Surprise in Mount Eccles National Park. Good facilities and... Find out more

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Branxholme Park Area 34 km

Middle of town Large area just off the highway adjacent to the recreation area. Limited shade. Good facilities. GPS: S37 51.29 E141 48.09  ... Find out more

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Fort O'Hare Camp Area 38 km

T/O at Dartmoor Large grassed area well off the highway among numerous large trees. Very good shade and facilities. GPS: S37 55.33 E141 17.06 ... Find out more

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Glenelg River Park Area 38 km

48 km SE of Mt Gambier (L) or 40 km NW of Heywood (R) Small area adjacent to the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S37 55.40 E141 16.37 ... Find out more

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Wannon Falls Camp Area 54 km

Henty Highway, Portland to Calder Highway - 16 km W of Hamilton via Glenelg Highway Glenelg Highway, Princes Highway to Ballarat - 46 km E of Casterton (R) or 17 km W of Hamilton (L) Large secluded area well off... Find out more

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Princess Margaret Rose Caves Camp Area 59 km

T/O 12 km SE of Mt Gambier (R) or 76 km NW of Heywood (L) Small area located in a pleasant natural bush setting near the river 19 kilometres south of the highway in Lower Glenelg National Park. Good facilities and... Find out more

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Nigretta Falls Camp Area 59 km

Henty Highway, Portland to Calder Highway - T/O 8 km N of Hamilton (L) or 124 km S of Horsham (R) Glenelg Highway, Princes Highway to Ballarat - T/O 46 km E of Casterton (L) or 17 km W of Hamilton (R) Large open... Find out more

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Casterton Park Area 64 km

East side of town Large grassed area under trees on the eastern bank of the Glenelg River. Good shade. GPS: S37 34.938 E141 24.600  ... Find out more

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Killarney Beach Camp Area 64 km

T/O at Killarney Small grassy campground located 2 kilometres east of the highway behind the dunes at the beach. GPS: S38 21.17 E142 18.27  ... Find out more

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Penshurst Park Area 65 km

Middle of town Parking area just off the highway adjacent to the caravan park. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S37 52.438 E142 17.509... Find out more

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South Australian-Victorian Border Rest Area 67 km

18 km SE of Mt Gambier (L) or 70 km NW of Heywood (R) Small area just off the highway among some large trees. Good shade. GPS: S37 50.29 E140 58.42 ... Find out more

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Cavendish Wayside Campground 77 km

North side of town Large area 300 metres off the highway among the trees adjacent to the recreation area. Good facilities and reasonable shade. Fees payable to caretaker for overnight stay. GPS: S37 31.22 E142 02.46... Find out more

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Mount Gambier Park Area 81 km

North-east side of town Parking area at the Lady Nelson Visitor Information Centre. GPS: S37 49.570 E140 47.267... Find out more

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Nine Mile Creek Rest Area 93 km

41 km E of Hamilton (R) or 33 km W of Lake Bolac (L) Small area just off the highway under some large trees. GPS: S37 38.141 E142 28.953... Find out more

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Forestry Info Rest Area 99 km

16 km S of Penola (L) or 35 km N of Mt Gambier (R) Large area just off the highway. Good shade. GPS: S37 30.652 E140 49.105  ... Find out more

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Penola South Rest Area 101 km

12 km S of Penola (R) or 39 km N of Mt Gambier (L) Large area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S37 28.586 E140 49.717... Find out more

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Mortlake Park Area 104 km

Middle of town Small parking area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S38 04.836 E142 48.541  ... Find out more

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Greenrise Lake Park Area 108 km

3 km S of Penola (R) or 48 km N of Mt Gambier (L) Large open grassed area around a few trees just off the highway on the shores of the lake. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S37 23.802 E140 50.194... Find out more

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Wickliffe Park Area 108 km

Middle of town Parking area adjacent to the highway. Good facilities. GPS: S37 41.446 E142 43.381... Find out more

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Hynes Reservoir Camp Area 109 km

T/O 68 km N of Hamilton (L) or 64 km S of Horsham (R) Large secluded campground located 9 kilometres west of the highway near the reservoir. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S37 13.29 E142 06.18  ... Find out more

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Buandik Camp Area 113 km

T/O 65 km N of Hamilton (L) or 67 km S of Horsham (R) Small secluded area located 9 kilometres east of the highway in a pleasant bush setting in Grampians National Park. Good facilities and shade. NOTE: Access road... Find out more

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Picnic Point Camp Area 117 km

T/O at Lake Bolac township Small campground on the shores of the lake 2 kilometres south-east of the highway. Good shade. GPS: S37 43.266 E142 51.081 ... Find out more

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Lake Bolac Rest Area 119 km

2 km E of Lake Bolac (R) or 49 km W of Skipton (L) Large area just off the highway under some tall trees on the shores of the lake. Limited shade. GPS: S37 41.977 E142 51.755... Find out more

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Coonawarra Rest Area 119 km

38 km S of Naracoorte (R) or 13 km N of Penola (L) Large area just off the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S37 16.128 E140 50.215  ... Find out more

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East Beach Camp Area 119 km

T/O 3 km E of Lake Bolac (R) or 48 km W of Skipton (L) Large camp area located 3 kilometres south of the highway on the shores of the lake. GPS: S37 43.275 E142 52.706... Find out more

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Fishermans Point Camp Area 119 km

T/O 3 km E of Lake Bolac (R) or 48 km W of Skipton (L) Large area 500 metres south of the highway on the shores of the lake. Limited shade. GPS: S37 42.127 E142 52.386... Find out more

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Peterborough Park Area 121 km

Middle of town Parking area on the foreshore just off the highway. Good facilities. GPS: S38 36.25 E142 52.45   ... Find out more

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