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From hot springs to tasty treats: your wellness guide to Gippsland Lakes

Gemma Kaczerepa Gemma Kaczerepa
Rest and recuperate in the East Gippsland region, a haven of natural hot springs, seasonal festivals and really tasty things to eat.

It’s about this time of year that the buzz of the summer holidays is well and truly behind us, and the pressures of the day-to-day are starting to pile up. The solution? A proper weekend escape, ideally one with a focus on rest, relaxation and total reset.

East Gippsland delivers all three in spades. Here, you’ll find charming towns, natural scenery alive with wildlife and easygoing experiences – think steamy hot springs and idyllic lakefront stays that practically force you to unwind.

The Gippsland Lakes are one of the region’s highlights, a sprawling network of glassy waterways with a seriously calming atmosphere. Spend a few days here, and you’ll be well and truly recharged.

Here’s where to eat, stay, explore and unwind for a wellness-focused weekend in this gorgeous region.

Getting there

aerial of lakes entrance
Visit lakeside villages like Lakes Entrance.

East Gippsland is a patchwork of towns, each with its own personality: coastal gems like Marlo and Mallacoota, lakeside villages including Metung, Paynesville and Lakes Entrance and a smattering of inland communities.

From Melbourne, getting to each is easy. The region can be reached by car in around four hours, just a smooth drive along the Princes Highway.

If you’re driving to or from Sydney, many of the towns sit along the legendary Sydney to Melbourne coastal drive, which winds its way through Lakes Entrance, Orbost, Marlo and Mallacoota.

Having a car makes exploring the region a breeze, as you can pull over at farm gates, take scenic detours and go at your own relaxing pace.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

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Winter delights

Bruthen Medieval event at East Gippsland Winter Festival
Experience that East Gippsland Winter Festival. (Credit: Naomi Rahim)

Winter is a particularly good time to visit. The East Gippsland Winter Festival is a raucous celebration of wintery food, drink, music and experiences, taking place over an entire month and in different towns.

Expect re-enactments, games, roving performances and fiery displays at the Bruthen Medieval event. Feast your way through regional bites and watch live wood carving and a hotly contested dumpling-eating competition in the waterside town of Metung. Head to Lakes Entrance for one of the festival’s signature events, Lakes Lights: Gardens of the Galaxy – a slightly cosmic and totally mesmerising display of lights. Or book a seat at the Nicholson River Trestle Bridge Long Lunch. This long-table feast stretches across the entire bridge, with sweeping river views and top-tier local produce.

Where to stay

Metung Hot Springs
Rejuvinate at Metung Hot Springs.

Metung is also a much-loved destination for natural hot springs – warm mineral pools believed to restore and detoxify the system. Here, you’ll find a network of tranquil springs fed with water sourced 500m below the surface, all at varying temperatures but with a healthy mix of soothing minerals and trace elements. Each looks over the stunning surrounding lakes, only adding to the sense of serenity.

Extend the relaxation by booking into Metung Hot Springs. The property is home to a collection of glamping tents – either perched on the hillside or overlooking the lagoon – that deliver after-hours access to the springs. These are no ordinary tents; expect plush linens, beautifully curated furnishings, warm service and a complimentary gourmet breakfast delivered daily.

Alternatively, book a night or two at Idle Lake House – a gorgeously appointed hideaway in Lakes Entrance. The aesthetic is moody, modern and very cool, and the property is situated right on the water’s edge with floor-to-ceiling windows that immerse you in the surroundings.

Where to eat

table spread at Sodafish in east gippsland victoria
Sit down at the floating restaurant, Sodafish. (Credit: We Are Explorers)

Given its wealth of fresh seafood and exceptional produce, East Gippsland is home to a vast selection of eateries, with options to suit all tastes and budgets.

For something a little bit fancy, Sardine Dining in Paynesville is a must-visit. The hatted restaurant serves a seasonal seafood-focused menu made with premium local ingredients, while the adjoining wine bar is a top spot for a regional drop and a light snack.

If you’re after a relaxed bite, Sodafish in Lakes Entrance is your best bet. This floating restaurant sits right atop the water, with a vibrant and fresh menu centred on locally caught seafood. Anything off the menu is delicious, but the whole roasted snapper and locally sourced fish and chips are standouts.

Or luxuriate with a long afternoon at the nearby Slipway. This waterfront dining precinct hosts a mix of vendors serving casual food, craft drinks and regionally made goods.

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Exploring the great outdoors and local culture

wild koala in the tree
Keep an eye out for the locals. (Credit: Tyson Mayr)

No wellness weekend would be complete without immersing yourself in the beauty and tranquillity of East Gippsland’s outdoors.

Head to Raymond Island – a small island just off Paynesville – to spot local koalas along the Koala Trail. This two-kilometre stretch is one of the few places where you can see koalas doing their thing in their natural habitat, with more than 200 living on the island. Leave the car in Paynesville; the trail can only be accessed on foot.

Next, explore the Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail, which starts in Colquhoun and ends in Lakes Entrance. Across 23 kilometres, you’ll spot native flora and fauna (including lace goannas) and pass by remnants of the tramway that once serviced timber workers in the area.

Finish up your East Gippsland jaunt with a visit to Gunaikurnai Cultural Hub. The centre houses an Aboriginal Art Gallery displaying contemporary works by Aboriginal artists, and a Bush Cafe serving breakfast and lunch classics and excellent cakes. Pick up a slice and a coffee for your trip back to the city.

Start planning the ultimate wellness escape in Gippsland Lakes at visitgippsland.com.au.

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Gemma Kaczerepa
Gemma is a writer and editor who’s travelled and lived across the globe. After completing a journalism degree at UTS, she explored Europe and worked in various editorial and communications roles in her hometown of Sydney, before landing in Bangkok as the PR manager for a luxury hotel chain. Many years and cities later, including a brief stint in Canberra, she’s a full-time freelancer based in Melbourne. She loves writing about everything her new home – and the rest of Australia and the world – has to offer, but has a particular passion for food, architecture, events and culture.
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Good food, beautiful nature & history: your guide to a long weekend in West Gippsland

(Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.

    Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.

    Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.

    But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences.  Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.

    Getting there

    Messmates Dining west gippsland
    Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)

    Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.

    Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.

    Visit historic villages

    Walhalla historic township
    Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.

    European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.

    The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township, a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.

    Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.

    Alpine Trout Farm west gippsland
    Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.

    Back in Warragul, the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.

    In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.

    Walks, waterfalls and wild places

    Toorongo Falls in west gippsland
    Stroll Toorongo Falls Reserve. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.

    One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve. A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.

    Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.

    Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail, which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.

    Taste the best eats of West Gippsland

    Hogget Kitchen west gippsland
    Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.

    For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.

    Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.

    Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.

    For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter.  Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.

    Time your visit with the Truffle Festival

    Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival, running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.

    Start planning your long weekend in West Gippsland at visitgippsland.com.au.