Explore Australia

History Centre: displays relating to local history housed in the old courthouse; Gipps St. Battery Hill: old fort and signal station at the river mouth; end of Griffith St. Port Fairy Wharf: sales of fish and crayfish when in season. Historic buildings: many are National Trust–classified, including the splendid timber home of Captain Mills, Gipps St; Mott's Cottage, Sackville St; Caledonian Inn, Bank St; Seacombe House, Cox St; St John's Church of England, Regent St; and the Gazette Office, Sackville St.

Griffiths Island Connected to town by a causeway, this island is home to a large colony of short-tailed shearwaters. Each year they travel across the Pacific Ocean from North America to nest in the same burrows (Sept–Apr). Also on the island is a much-photographed lighthouse.The Crags: rugged coastal rock formations; 12 km W.

Yambuk: a small township centred on an old inn with Yambuk Lake, a popular recreation area, nearby; 17 km W. Lady Julia Percy Island: home to a fur seal colony; charters can be arranged from Port Fairy Wharf; 22 km off coast. Codrington Wind Farm: Victoria's first wind-power station; 27 km W. Mahogany Walk to Warrnambool: a 6–7 hr walk (one way, can return by bus) taking in a magnificent stretch of coastline; details from visitor centre. Historic Shipwreck Trail: between Port Fairy and Moonlight Head with 25 wreck sites signposted along the way.

Port Fairy 1 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

---

Warrnambool 22 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

---

Portland 54 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

---

Peterborough 61 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

---

Lake Bullen Merri 78 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

---

Lake Purrumbete 88 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

---

Gellibrand River 88 km

A little further west from Aire River are Castle Cove and Johanna Beach; both produce fishing similar to the beach at Aire River. There is also good beach fishing at Princetown, at the mouth of the Gellibrand River. ... Find out more

---

Lake Bolac 91 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

---

Konong Wootong Reservoir 111 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

---

Nelson 113 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

---

Picnicking at Lake Pertobe Reserve 22 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

---

Mount Eccles National Park 42 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

---

Diving and snorkelling - Port Campbell, Peterborough and Warrnambool 72 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

---

Grampians National Park 125 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

---

Sea-kayaking in Marengo Marine Sanctuary 132 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

---

Canoeing on Lake Elizabeth 134 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

---

Indigenous tours, Grampians National Park 139 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

---

Picnicking around Mount Gambier 141 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

---

Golden Nugget Discovery Tours, Ballarat 170 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

---

Brisbane Ranges National Park 185 km

With a vibrant koala population, this relatively small national park only 80 kilometres west of Melbourne has picnic areas, walking tracks through rocky gorges and a basic camping area.... Find out more

---

Port Fairy Golf Club 5 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

---

The Sands, Torquay 185 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

---

Thirteenth Beach Golf Links (Beach Course) 195 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

---

Thirteenth Beach Golf Links (Creek Course) 195 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

---

Barwon Heads Golf Club 198 km

From the moment you pull up at the car park in front of the Barwon Heads clubhouse, it is as if you have travelled back in time to a more genteel era. The old-world charm is present not only in the architecture of the... Find out more

---

Eynesbury Golf Club 214 km

Some golf courses, Graham Marsh believes, are created not with strategy in mind, but simply with the aim of penalising bad shots. ‘We are pitching golf at a level that is just too difficult,’ he says.... Find out more

---

Portsea Golf Club 217 km

Portsea Golf Club has long been regarded one of the best-kept secrets on the Mornington Peninsula. Although it is a private club, the public is welcome at most times to experience this visually striking layout across... Find out more

---

The Dunes Golf Links 227 km

If you are looking for true links golf in the tradition of the great courses of Scotland and Ireland, you can satisfy your desires here. The Dunes has become one of the most popular courses on the golf-rich Mornington... Find out more

---

Sanctuary Lakes Resort 229 km

Greg Norman stood on the balcony of a second-storey building in the late 1990s and surveyed the vast plain of salty wasteland before him. Beside him was Bob Harrison, chief course architect of Greg Norman Golf Design.... Find out more

---

St Andrews Beach 229 km

When it comes to quality golf courses and how to design them, American Tom Doak is a learned man. His second and most recent Australian creation – St Andrews Beach, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula... Find out more

---

Merrijig Inn

New life has been breathed into the Merrijig Inn, with an acclaimed menu of imaginative and well-crafted food that changes every few weeks and attracts food lovers from far and wide. For starters, you might find... Find out more

---

Portofino on Bank

Transformed from an old 1868 bank building, Portofino on Bank is an elegant and popular restaurant serving fragrant and zesty dishes that display strong Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. Ingredients are... Find out more

---

Saltra Brasserie

Housed in former council offices, this space has undergone major renovations, including polished floorboards, a gorgeous oak bar, romantic lighting and comfy lounges. There is no pool table, TV, TAB or jukebox – it... Find out more

---

Time & Tide

This wonderful gallery-cum-cafe is a well-kept secret, located away from the tourist bustle of Port Fairy’s main streets. The town has so much to offer that you could easily miss this oceanside gem tucked away off... Find out more

---

Flying Horse Brewery 27 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

---

Purrumbete Brewing Company (Red Duck) 88 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

---

Otway Estate Brewery 117 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

---

Holgate Brewhouse 232 km

Paul and Natasha Holgate have travelled a decidedly different path to most other craft-brewery operators over the past decade or so. They started brewing ales from a shed adjacent to their family home in Woodend in the... Find out more

---

Red Hill Brewery 244 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

---

Port Fairy Gardens Caravan Park 1 km

This large caravan park is huddled around a sportsground off Griffiths St in the pretty town of Port Fairy, famous for its 19th-century cottages and the hugely popular folk festival it stages in Mar. Flowing along the... Find out more

---

Killarney Beach Camping Reserve 8 km

Killarney Beach has grassy, sheltered campsites. There’s safe swimming here, while the surrounding rural region is notable for its peacefulness. A short drive east is Tower Hill Reserve, a shallow crater of an... Find out more

---

Yambuk Lake Caravan Park 16 km

This campground is at the southern end of Lake Yambuk, which comprises reed-fringed wetlands, and is also close to the mouth of the Eumeralla River. Taking long, aimless strolls along the beach and fishing in the lake... Find out more

---

Surfside Holiday Park 22 km

Across the road from this campground is a huge family-friendly park, centred on a lake and festooned with playgrounds. Nearby is the Merri River, beyond which you’ll find the enticing sheltered waters of Stingray... Find out more

---

Warrnambool Holiday Park 25 km

Filled with amenities, this holiday park is situated 2 km east of the centre of Warrnambool, on the corner of Raglan Parade and Simpson Street. Within its confines you’ll find a reasonable number of sites shaded by... Find out more

---

Fitzroy River Public Purposes Reserve camping area 36 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

---

Lake Surprise camping area 45 km

Set in serene manna gum forest not far from an equally serene crater lake, this is a delightful place to stay. Walking tracks guide you along lava canals, around the rim of a crater and down to Lake Surprise itself.... Find out more

---

Narrawong Holiday Park 48 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

---

Sawpit picnic and camping area 50 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

---

Cubby’s Camp (walk-in camping) 57 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

---

BIG4 Port Fairy Anchorage Holiday Park 1 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

---

Port Fairy Gardens Caravan Park 1 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

---

Belfast Cove Caravan Park 1 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

---

Discovery Holiday Parks – Warrnambool 22 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

---

Surfside Holiday Park – Warrnambool 22 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

---

Fig Tree Holiday Village 23 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

---

Narrawong Holiday Park 48 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

---

Henty Bay Beachfront Van and Cabin Park 54 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

---

Portland Tourist Park 55 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

---

Great Ocean Road Tourist Park 62 km

Situated just off the Great Ocean Road at the mouth of the Curdies River, this park is popular with those keen on fishing. It is just a short walk from the centre of town and the beach and has good facilities. Bookings... Find out more

---

Hearn’s Beachside Villas

The waterfront location affords ocean views so proximate they could be considered furnishings. But all that blue, no matter how gloriously wild, is not the only feature. The polished wood floors, stainless-steel kitchen... Find out more

---

Merrijig Inn

Historically and architecturally, the Merrijig Inn is a very significant building; in fact, it is one of the oldest surviving hotels in the state. Originally constructed in 1845–47, it has survived fire, closure... Find out more

---

Moyne Mill Townhouse

This three-bedroom riverside accommodation was once a flour mill and the (part) bluestone facade right by the Moyne River has aged gracefully and spreads over four floors. The two main bedrooms have river views, though... Find out more

---

Oscars Waterfront 
Boutique Hotel

Guests could almost change a yacht’s spinnaker from the verandah of this hotel, as it is right by a marina on the Moyne River. There is a French Provincial style here, which comes in part from the courtyard and the... Find out more

---

Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology 123 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

---

Apollo Bay Youth Hostel 132 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

---

Grampians Eco YHA 141 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

---

Pomponderoo Bush Retreat, Dimboola 212 km

With solar power, rainwater tanks and tree planting to offset carbon emissions, these three self-contained timber cabins are a great accommodation option near the north-eastern edge of Little Desert National Park.... Find out more

---

Little Desert Nature Lodge, Nhill 220 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

---

MillDuck, Harcourt North 243 km

This strawbale house won a Most Energy Efficient Home award (North West Region) when it was built. More than 1000 trees have been planted on the property since it was purchased, and it is now an alpaca stud. The B&B,... Find out more

---

Alto Hotel on Bourke 247 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

---

Killarney Beach Camp Area 8 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

---

Fitzroy River Rest Area 45 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

---

Lake Surprise Camp Area 45 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

---

The Sawpit Camp Area 50 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

---

Penshurst Park Area 57 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

---

Mortlake Park Area 61 km

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

---

Peterborough Park Area 62 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

---

Branxholme Park Area 69 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

---

Annya Road Rest Area 70 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

---

Twelve Apostles Park Area 82 km

86 km W of Apollo Bay (R) or 10 km E of Port Campbell (L) Large parking area just off the highway area at the interpretive centre near the lookout. GPS: S38 39.41 E143 06.19... Find out more

---

Nigretta Falls Camp Area 85 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

---

Wannon Falls Camp Area 86 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

---

Nine Mile Creek Rest Area 86 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

---

Wickliffe Park Area 88 km

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

---

Picnic Point Camp Area 92 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

---

East Beach Camp Area 93 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

---

Lake Bolac Rest Area 94 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

---

Fishermans Point Camp Area 95 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

---

Cavendish Rest Area 97 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

---

Fort O'Hare Camp Area 97 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

---

Deep Lake Camp Area 97 km

T/O at Derrinallum Large grassed area around trees of the edge of the lake 4 kilometres north of the highway. GPS: S37 55.887 E143 10.611... Find out more

---

Glenelg River Park Area 98 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

---

Derrinallum Park Area 100 km

East end of town Parking area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S37 56.874 E143 13.442... Find out more

---

Lake Tooliorook Camp Area 103 km

T/O 98 km W of Geelong (L) or 51 km E of Mortlake (R) Large grassed area around trees on the edge of the lake 5 kilometres south of Lismore. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S37 58.653 E143 17.079... Find out more

---

Johanna Beach Camp Area 109 km

T/O 38 km W of Apollo Bay (L) or 57 km E of Port Campbell (R) Large open grassed area near the beach 5 kilometres south of the highway via Red Johanna Road in Otway National Park. GPS: S38 45.43 E143 22.45  ... Find out more

---

Lismore Park Area 109 km

Middle of town Parking area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S37 57.230 E143 20.596... Find out more

---

Casterton Park Area 114 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

---

Princess Margaret Rose Caves Camp Area 117 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

---

Aire River West Camp Area 118 km

T/O 24 km W of Apollo Bay (L) or 71 km E of Port Campbell (R) Open area located over the bridge 1 kilometre past Aire River East campground in Otway National Park. GPS: S38 48.06 E143 28.39 ... Find out more

---

Aire River East Camp Area 119 km

T/O 24 km W of Apollo Bay (L) or 71 km E of Port Campbell (R) Large area among trees 5.5 kilometres south of the highway via Hordern Vale Road in Otway National Park. Limited shade. GPS: S38 47.59 E143 28.56 ... Find out more

---