East Gippsland, Victoria
Written in 2022 for Gourmet Traveller Wine
The devastating fires in Gippsland might have come and gone in fleeting headlines, but the scars are long lasting, on the landscape and the community. Each year, as summer dawns, the threat of a sequel never lies far on the horizon. This is the land of flood and fire after all. But it’s the resilience of the rural community that burns brightest when outsiders look in. It’s a reliance we can all learn something from by experiencing life through their lens.
Gippsland, named after George Gipps the Governor of NSW, is a remote and wild part of the country. Once rich in black gold and real gold today the region is awash with gastronomic gold. Farms, wineries, and breweries dot the map, and like other rural areas, it’s enjoying the benefits of the post pandemic regional renaissance so there’s a buzz in the air and whispers of change on the wind. The first nations Guna Kurnai people describe the region as the ‘middle of everywhere’, and so true that is. It’s nestled at the foothills of the alpine region, surrounded by national parks, awash with lakes lined with quaint country towns, and hemmed in by the Wilderness coast. It’s also indulgently far from anywhere; 320km from Melbourne and 700km from Sydney, it’s far enough to leave your worries and woes behind. There are a few towns in the area you can base yourself from and many watering holes in between. The following are just a few of the highlights that showcase the region at it’s best.
Bairnsdale is an unassuming country town that bustles with the throngs of rural life. There’s nature, food and folly for all. The town sits aside the Mitchell River which has a lovely 5km circuit walk to either whet the appetite or entice it back to life after one of the many feasts that awaits you. If it’s a feast you want, head straight to Northern Ground. You could go for breakfast, but don’t. Go for lunch. Bring empty tummies and open minds for owner and chef Rob Turner is dishing up unusual dishes inspired by the unique combination of his French training and his home of West Yorkshire. For a hint of Brit you can’t go past the Ploughman’s platter but it’s the French inspired dishes from the newly launched Courtyard Menu that really excite. There’s devilled duck heart lyonnaise with big chunks of local Luckes Smokehouse bacon, Jerusalem artichoke risotto – courtesy of donated veggies from neighbour’s gardens - topped with goats’ cheese and enormous mussels bathed in Gippsland Jersey butter broth. To finish you off there’s roasted bone marrow fit for kings, best washed down with a glass of local pinot noir from the well curated list.
Stay at the Grand Terminus Hotel; grand in name and authentic in character, it’s a true Aussie pub that stands stoic and tall on the corner of Macleod Street in Bairnsdale town centre. First opening its doors at the arrival of the railway in 1889, today it is still everything a country pub should be, and more. On a cold winter’s evening the front bar is full of locals, the footy is on the TV and the Ladies Lounge glows warm and golden enticing even the weariest of traveller to park up for a pint of local brew. The bistro offers up large portions, local produce, and genuine country hospitality. The wine list is a local affair giving you good options from wineries with and without cellar doors in the area. The upstairs accommodation is brand spanking new with huge rooms, tall ceilings, big bathrooms and all the amenities to match. All rooms lead out to the big wrap around veranda which confirms the grandeur of this historical treasure.
Though big geographically, the East Gippsland wine offering is still small and there’s a camaraderie that weaves the local producers together, ensuring a helping hand is never far away. The winery whose name you’ll see most frequently throughout the region on wine lists is Lightfoot & Sons. Their cellar door, 15 minutes outside of Bairnsdale, commands the best views and their wines are outstanding. The 78acre plot was originally bought by their parents in the nineties to run cattle, but when they discovered they had terra rossa soil over limestone they couldn’t resist planting vines. Today, sons Tom and Rob Lightfoot are in charge and the future looks bright. Over the years they’ve toyed with the question of scalability or sustainability. Opting for the latter, their efforts are visible in the resulting wines. In the line-up there’s pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot grigio and look out for the newly planted gamay in a couple of years. The tasting is a self-guided experience founded on the fun of sharing.
Some of the earlier pioneers in the region who are still in residence are Bill and Pam of Tambo winery. Growing up on a sugar cane farm in southeast Queensland, Bill set off to see the world and soon fell into the traveller’s groove, moving from job to job and country to country. In Europe, he was particularly enchanted by the prevalence and enjoyment of wine in everyday life. Growing up in the backwaters of Queensland, wine was only ever drunk by ladies with a dash of lemonade, whilst waiting on their husbands in the bar next door. His enchantment soon led to wonder then curiosity to action. In 1993 they toured Victoria looking for the perfect place for their dream to take root. On arriving at Upper Tambo they felt like they’d found the end of the earth, and couldn’t be happier for it. Their small cellar door is an extension of their home, leading onto a gravel sun terrace enclosed by citrus trees. It’s the perfect place to picnic with friends and enjoy their small but interesting line-up of wines. Most of the wines are estate grown with a few reds sourced from the Pyrenees.
To appreciate the vast beauty of the region, take the Great Alpine Road up into the foothills, following the road to Omeo. In forty minutes, you’ll find yourself in Swiss like valleys at the door of Ensay Winery, the life project of David and Jenny Coy. Originally running just sheep on the 19 acres of hilly farmland David planted vines in 1992 to optimise the land’s output. Today the vineyard is dry grown, the grapes are handpicked, and all wines are made in the rammed earth winery which David and his brother built by hand. David, once an apprentice of Paringa Estate in Mornington, crafts pure and fruit driven wines that are only lightly oaked. Their grill house is a source of pride, home to the newly installed pizza oven and an Argentinian asado grill; perfect for the seasonal lamb luncheons they host. Self-sufficient, they also grow pears, plums, peaches, quinces, cherries and after a bumper crop of apples this year they’re making their very own Ensay cider. It’s a little out the way, but just an hour from the ski fields it could be an alternative, scenic way home. Open most weekends, its best to give them a ring to let them know you’re coming,
A cleansing ale or a flight of five awaits you back at the bottom of the hill. Bullant Brewery, the region’s first boutique microbrewery, is in the small town of Bruthen, just 15 minutes outside of Bairnsdale. Welcome to the home of ‘beer with bite’, the passion project of Neil Triggs who brews beer for the sheer pleasure of brewing. With big windows and a terrace, it’s an unpretentious place to enjoy a flight of five beers from their range, a homemade burger or for something a little different, Neil’s seafood curry. Each beer is named after something local and to ensure each beer is appreciated in its entirety the menu comes with a 101 of how to sip, swill and savour the beer.
From there you’re well placed to head straight to Lakes Entrance; taking the scenic route through Colquhoun Regional Park, stopping in if you have the time at the pretty Wyanga Park winery. Wyanga Park, a small cellar door deep in the middle of the bush is a family affair offering up wines in a quaint cottage with a pretty sun terrace. They offer river cruises up the North Arm from Lakes Entrance so it’s a great place to steer for when the sun is shining, and your thirst is up.
Lakes Entrance is a small lake side town that hugs the highway. You’d be forgiven for driving right through and missing it in the blink of an eye. To appreciate the town in full, slow down, park up and take a stroll along the Esplanade for Lakes Entrance is a water lover’s dream all year round. Tourism has been a lifeblood of the town since the late 1800s, and it’s no wonder with the endless – 90 miles to be exact – beach and the tranquil lake offering fun for children, adults, the adventurous and the relaxed. The Cunninghame Arm footbridge takes you across the lake to the beach. From there, the Entrance walk is an easy 5km there-and-back path through native bush, with the sound of the waves lapping the beach in the background. At the Entrance look out for seals dancing in and out of the waves.
Fishing is also at the heart of the community and for the best feed in town, head for Sodafish. Located in what used to be the Raymond Island ferry terminal, this unassuming restaurant shares the wharf with the town’s fishing fleets. The menu changes in line with the daily catch. So fresh is the fish, your waiter can tell you not just where the fish is from, but which fleet caught it. The centrepiece in each dish is, of course, fish, accompanied by simple ingredients which combine to create elegant dishes full of flavour. Some dishes are garnished with the local edible plants that once attracted the first nations people to the region, each one offering a different taste, and a salty spritz, all of which are foraged by the team in their boat Little Soda. We finished up with the most perfectly poached pear, parsnip ice cream and a glass of Wyanga Park frozen Muscat.
For something a little lower key, the Servo on the Esplanade replaced cars with humans and petrol with beers; filling people up with live music and food trucks, their big lakeside terrace is a great spot to while away a summer afternoon. There’s plenty of accommodation along the Esplanade. The Bellevue on the Lake is clean and comfy and conveniently located above Albert & Co, a light, bright and nautical themed café which serves up big breakfasts and good coffee to set you up for the day ahead.
Like a beautiful pearl necklace, thread along the shores of Lake King and Bancroft Bay is the small town of Metung, where on a summer’s day the sea, city and countryside convene bringing all their folk with them to enjoy a cold beer or a hot spring. Sat atop 700m of lake front escarpment is Victoria’s newest wellness hotspot, the Metung Hot Springs. It’s the final frontier for any last worries that might still be clinging on. It’s an exclusive affair with just ten luxury safari tents in a secluded inlet, each adorned with their own geothermal barrel baths on a private deck overlooking the lake. In total there’s seven hot spring pools and two plunge pools set amongst the 25 acres of native scrub all connected by reflexology walks; what they are; I’ll let you discover on your arrival. If hot is not your thing, head for town either for an iced latte and a cake at Aroma or a refreshing frothy at the Metung Hotel. Better yet, do both and make a day of it, lounging by the boats and taking a walk along Metung’s waterfront walk.
In a world that moves faster than ever and headlines that worry more than never, it’s so important to take a break and disconnect. Whether you can spend a day or a week in the region, rural life offers an antidote to the chaos of modern life and an insight into the resilience of country communities. That’s why getting out into the middle of nowhere as often as possible is not only good for the soul, but also our perspective. And where better to explore than the middle of nowhere, but the middle of everywhere. See you out there.