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Day 1 :

As we left the hustle and bustle of the city behind us, the landscape started opening up to views of the vast expanses that the whole Gippsland area offers.

About 2 hours later we took a rest stop in the beautiful town of Yarragon.  Visiting the quircky Fozigobble Cafe we tucked into some wonderful homemade treats and great coffee.  The cafe has an excellent outdoor area and is perfect for a pitstop, welcoming your furry friends as well.

We continued our journey towards East Gippsland arriving at the Log Crossing picnic area, located in the Colquhoun Regional Park.  A satisfying picnic lunch set us up for our first walk of the trip.  Following the Limestone Box forest walk we enjoyed a gentle paced walk to the Forestech Tafe and return which was approximately 5 kms in total.

Later that afternoon we vistied the Stoney Creek Trestle Bridge.  The bridge was built in 1916 and was part of the 97 km extension to the rail line from Bairnsdale or Orbost.  The bridge remained in service for over 60 years until a bushfire damaged it in 1980.  The last train crossed the bridge in 1988 and is the largest standing bridge of it’s kind in the state at 20 meters high and 247 meters long.

After a group dinner that evening at the local RSL in Lakes Entrance we settled in for a comfortable nights sleep at our accommodation, The Esplanade Resort & Spa.

 

 

Click here for day 1 video

 

 

 

 

Day 2 :

After breakfast we headed back to the Colquhoun Regional Park and embarked on part of the Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail.  The weather had been wet overnight, and this bought out the wonderful smells of the forest.  As we made along the trail towards the granite quarry there were remnants of the 3’6″ guage light railway that was used from 1910 until the mid 1930s.  The quarry was opened in 1904 as rock was needed to renew and reinforce the man made entrance to the Gippsland Lakes which was orginally constructed in 1889.  The pink granite also polished beautifully and was used in the construction of buildings in Melbourne, including the Masonic Club Building at 164 Flinders Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our morning walk of approximately 10 kms was rewarded by heading to Jemmys Point Lookout for our picnic lunch.  This is definately a great spot to stop for some wonderful views of the Gippsland Lakes.

The afternoon saw us emabarking on a 5.5 km return walk starting on Lakes Entrance Beach.  Walking down the beach from the footbridge we reached the man made entrance to the Gippsland Lakes at the half way point of our walk.  The return leg saw us heading back to town on the the opposite side of the narrow peninsula of land.  This combined beach and bush lined with banskia trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A well deserved break at the end of the afternoon was in order, and the facilities at the Esplanade Resort & Spa were perfect.  Heading to the heated indoor pool and spa, this was a real treat for the fatigued legs.

That evening we visited the Kalimna Hotel for our final group dinner of the trip.

Click here for day 2 video

Day 3 :

Our final day of the trip started with a visit to Nyerimilang Heritage Park.  Here you have the opportunity to explore several short walks and also visit the historic homestead and it’s beautifully manicured gardens.

We were lucky enough to able to experience a guided tour of the homestead, and wondered around the old farm buildings.  Learning about the history of this property was fascinating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last picnic lunch was enjoyed in the grounds of the Homestead before we started our journey home.  We stopped along the way for a quick break in the small city of Sale, which gave us one last chance to stretch our legs along banks of the water.

The last thing to do was to say our goodbyes to the new friends made on this wonderful short break to East Gippsland.

Click here for day 3 video

 

This trip was organised through the team at Wandering the World and Park Trek Walking Holidays.  Glenyce & Dawn were wonderful hosts for the trip.

If you are interested in joining one of our guided walking holidays please contact me now on 0409 818372 or [email protected]