Victoria’s dream coastal road trip: Melbourne to Lakes Entrance

Heading to Mallacoota? Take a road trip detour to discover these special spots along the way.

Golden sandy beaches that stretch forever, ferny forests, fabulous food, amazing wildlife and some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in the country are all par for the course on this epic coastal road trip between Melbourne and Mallacoota. As far as road trips go, they don’t get any better than this.

Wilsons Promontory (226km from Melbourne)

There are a hundred good reasons why Wilsons Promontory (aka The Prom) is Victoria’s favourite national park– family-friendly camping and cosy cabins, wild walks, granite peaks, secluded beaches, wildflowers, wombats and whales leap to mind– but for sheer wow factor, take the 5.5-hour Wilsons Promontory Ultimate Day Cruise with Wanderer Adventures .

Wilsons Promontory, Coastal Views, VIC, Australia — The Prom is Victoria’s favourite national park.

A highlight is a visit to Skull Rock (officially it’s called Cleft Island, but it’s spookily shaped like a 60-metre-high bird’s skull and looks like it’s come straight out of a James Bond movie). Wildly inaccessible, it’s been explored by fewer people (nine) than have walked on the moon (12). Oh, and expect to see plenty of birds and, if you’re lucky, a whale or two along the way.

Skull Rock, Wilsons Promontory, VIC, Australia — A highlight is a visit to the spookily shaped Skull Rock.

On the way:

Stop for a spot of shopping in the galleries and art studios of Fish Creek . The art deco pub does great lunches – you can’t miss it, there’s a giant mullet on the roof.

Stay:

Tidal River Wilderness Retreat

Wilsons Promontory, Gippsland, VIC, Australia — Exploring ‘The Prom’ is always a good idea.

Tinamba (200km from the Prom)

Tina-where? This tiny Central Gippsland dairy town of 500 or so is worth the detour because it’s home to one of Gippsland’s best dining destinations. Tinamba Hotel has won a swag of awards including Pub of the Year, Best Regional Restaurant and a coveted Chef Hat in the 2022 Australian Good Food Guide Awards. Almost everything on the menu is locally grown, caught or made, including the wine: think Gippsland jersey ricotta and beef, blue-eye trevalla, Snowy River black garlic and Windsong Farm honey. It’s open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through to Saturday, and Sunday lunch – book ahead.

Tinamba Hotel Exterior, VIC, Australia — The Tinamba Hotel has been recognized with multiple awards.

On the way:

Stretch your legs on the magical Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk though ferny glens and glades to Cyathea Falls in Tarra Bulga National Park.

Stay:

The Ret reat at Mewburn Park Homestead , Maffra

Tinamba Hotel Pink Lemonade Macaron, VIC, Australia — Foodies absolutely need to try the food at Tinamba Hotel.

Paynesville (80km from Tinamba)

Time to face the water. Perfectly positioned in the middle of one of the largest expanses of inland waterways in the country, pretty Paynesville is the type of place you’ll never want to leave, so think about spending an extra day or two. Hop aboard the free ferry to Raymond Island and wander through the koala colony – sightings are pretty much guaranteed. Take a long walk on Ninety Mile Beach (maybe not the whole way), then treat yourself to a long lunch at Sardine Dining, where Mark Briggs, the former head chef of Vue de monde, transforms the catch of the day into something truly memorable.

Captains Cove, Paynesville, Gippsland, VIC — You will never want to leave Paynesville.

On the way:

You’re on Gunaikurnai land, so visit Krowathunkoolong Keeping Place in Bairnsdale to uncover 30,000 years of culture.

Stay:

Captains Cove Waterfront Apartments , Paynesville

Sardine Dining, Paynesville, VIC, Australia — Treat yourself to a long lunch at Sardine Dining.

Metung (44km from Paynesville)

As the crow flies (or boat glides) it’s fewer than a dozen kilometres across the lake to Metung . By road it’s about 40 minutes, a lovely drive beside the Tambo River. Sleepy and laid-back, the good life here is all about strolling on boardwalks, maybe dropping a fishing line from a jetty, and definitely enjoying wraparound water views from one of the many restaurants in town – those at the Metung Hotel overlooking Bancroft Bay are hard to beat. It won’t be long before the opening of Metung Hot Springs will make getting wet in winter something to really look forward to.

Sunset View of Metung Jetties, Gippsland, VIC, Australia — Drop a fishing line from a jetty in Metung.

On the way:

Take the long way there and head up into the hills to Bruthen , where you’ll find a brewery, wineries, galleries, antique shops and a cracker of a rail trail.

Stay:

Lakeview Retreat , Metung

Soaking in tubs, Metung Hot Springs, Gippsland, VIC — Soak in the views at the Metung Hot Springs, Gippsland. (Image: Rikki-Jo Molinaro)

Lakes Entrance (20km from Metung)

If you’ve been doing this road trip right you’ll be well into the rhythm of things by now, and 20 kilometres in a day is more than enough when the scenery is this good. Lakes Entrance might be best known for its watery wonders – it’s the largest lake system in the southern hemisphere – but it’s even better in cooler weather, when you can curl up beside a roaring fireplace in a cosy retreat or restaurant with a glass of something local, admiring the water views from the inside out. Try a local craft beer at The Slipway before tucking into some very special seafood at Sodafish .

Octopus, Sodafish, Lakes Entrance, VIC — Fresh seafood on the balcony at Sodafish, Lakes Entrance.

On the way:

If you’re road tripping in winter, take a detour west along the Great Alpine Road . From surfing Gippsland to skiing Mt Hotham in a day, it doesn’t get much cooler than that.

Stay:

Lakes Entrance Waverley House Cottages

Aerial view, Lakes Entrance, Australia — See Lakes Entrance from above.

Marlo (72km from Lakes Entrance)

If you can find a place more relaxed than Marlo , where the famous Snowy River seeps into the sea, we’d really like to know about it. Follow the Snowy River Estuary Walk from the centre of town to Mots Beach; Brad Farmer, Tourism Australia’s beach ambassador, reckons it’s one of Australia’s top 20 beaches of 2022. Just make sure you’re back before dark, because the sunset view from the verandah of the Marlo Pub is a knockout. They’ve been serving cold drinks since 1886 and we can vouch for the Lakes Entrance flathead tacos.

Corringle Slips, Marlo Beach, Gippsland, VIC, Australia — Visit one of Australia’s best beaches.

On the way:

Take a side trip into the hills and down into an underground wonderland at Buchan Caves .

Stay:

Marlo Caravan Park & Motel

The Captain, Marlo, VIC, Australia — There’s no better place to relax than in Marlo.

Mallacoota (146km from Marlo)

It might be the end of the road on this epic coastal road trip, but as far as endings go it’s a happy one. Surrounded by Croajingolong National Park , Mallacoota really is a secluded paradise. What’s not to love about a place that combines wild beaches, expansive lakes, forested wilderness and fabulous seafood? And don’t leave town without sampling the dumplings and hand-made noodles from Lucy’s. Walk, kayak, cruise or pedal; there are so many ways to explore this beautiful place.

Rising canoes and kayaks, Mallacoota, Gippsland, Australia — There are so many ways to explore this beautiful place.

On the way:

Take a short side trip out to Cape Conran on the coast. You can marvel at wildflowers blooming in the banksia forests that have re-grown since the 2020 bushfires, and explore the rock pools and deserted beaches.

Stay:

Karbeethong Lodge , Mallacoota

Afternoon Jetty fishing, Mallacoota, Gippsland, VIC — Mallacoota, it doesn’t get much more idyllic.

Plan your dream coastal road trip at visitgippsland.com.au/do-and-see/drives.

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.

Geelong cellar door wine bar — Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.

Paddock Bakery andPatisserie — Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

At Paddock , one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand.

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

“A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.

And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.

As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.

The rise of a food and wine destination

Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915 . Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco.

The Woolstore , one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.

Woolstore menu — Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

Breathing new life into historic spaces

On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.

“We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.”

Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.

handcrafted pieces — Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”

A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”

Victoria’s dream coastal road trip: Melbourne to Lakes Entrance

Heading to Mallacoota? Take a road trip detour to discover these special spots along the way.

Wilsons Promontory (226km from Melbourne)

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Tinamba (200km from the Prom)

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Paynesville (80km from Tinamba)

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Metung (44km from Paynesville)

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Lakes Entrance (20km from Metung)

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Marlo (72km from Lakes Entrance)

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Mallacoota (146km from Marlo)

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Plan your dream coastal road trip at visitgippsland.com.au/do-and-see/drives.

From coast to bush: these are Gippsland’s best hikes

This geological wonder is hiding in the heart of Victoria

6 gourmet hotspots in Gippsland

The ultimate guide to Wilsons Promontory National Park

Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

The rise of a food and wine destination

Breathing new life into historic spaces