I recently had a few relaxing days in Lakes Entrance and surrounding areas. The town is located on the East coast of the state of Victoria in Australia. The area of Victoria is called Gippsland and is home to some of the best Dairy country in Australia. The coastal region near Lakes Entrance has an extensive area of Lakes that is a fantastic area for fishing and pleasure boats. The most special aspect of Australia is the ability to get out of populated areas and enjoy pristine wilderness areas. Lakes Entrance is actually a very popular tourist location for holidays from Melbourne, however it is very easy to head to Ninety mile Beach and head to your very own “private” section of beautiful beach.
The Ninety Mile Beach is amazing, but keep in mind it is a surf beach and swimming is best kept between the flags of the Lakes Entrance Life Saving Club. The Gippsland Lakes are an option for swimming and I had a great time riding the tide along the Lake foreshore at a wonderful spot where you can play in the Gippsland Lake on one side of a spit of land and then enjoy the surf within a five minute walk over the sand dunes.
Don’t leave the area before taking a pleasure cruise on the Lakes. There are many options to enjoy the Lakes including large skippered cruisers, large lake boat tours and self skippered boats of various sizes. I decided to charter a small Poly Craft from ‘The Director Boat Charters’ and explore the lakes from the charming small town called Metung. The town is a mini Port Douglas (see Great Barrier Reef article) and has several superb options for a meal including the famous Metung Pub and the Bancroft Bites restaurant. I especially enjoyed the Seafood Chowder for lunch.
Ensure you hire the boat for at least four hours to give yourself time to hug the Lakes northern edge on your way to the beach adjacent to Rigby Island. Small creeks and inlets can be found along the Lake shore and are worth exploring to have a closer look at some of the fine homes situated near the Lake system and the collection of private boats. While the houses and boats are all very interesting to view, the definite highlight of this region is the natural environment. The area supports a fishing and tourism industry however people are yet to spoil the area with over development or pollution.
The morning light on the still lake water provided a delightful backdrop to the local bird life. Later in the day the wind increased and a slight chop built up on the lake surface. You need to book a few days in advance during the summer peak months and I recommend checking the weather forecasts and picking up your boat early in the morning.
Keen Golfers will be interested to know that there is very nice Golf Course situated on the Lakes just north of Lakes Entrance. The Lakes Entrance Golf Club takes great advantage of its position to offer water views on many of the holes. The course is one of many great courses in regional areas of Victoria. The state is best known for the concentrated collection of great courses in the Sandbelt region of the capital city Melbourne, but there are many great courses in the state outside of Melbourne. The Golf Australia website has more information about Golf in Australia and AusGolf has updated lists of the best Golf Courses to visit in Gippsland and around Australia.
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