5 Gourmet Hotspots In Gippsland

South Gippsland, which stretches from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs all the way to Wilsons Promontory, is gorgeous, green and a gastronomic delight.

It’s early summer when I take a road trip to explore the gourmet offerings of Victoria’s South Gippsland region, and my adventure quickly proves fruitful. I’m seduced by signs urging me towards a rest area just minutes after I’ve turned onto the South Gippsland Highway.

There, I find a farmer selling cherries, boxes of almost-ripe mangoes, plump stone fruit and sweet strawberries. I load up my basket with snacks for the road and head for Inverloch.

1. Waratah Hills Vineyard

Aerial shot of Waratah Hills Vineyard — Waratah Hills Vineyard has a cellar door and restaurant.

We use Tarwin Lower as a base to explore South Gippsland. Our first stop is Waratah Hills Vineyard in Fish Creek, a 16-hectare property with a cellar door and restaurant.

This slice of Gippsland is ideal for growing pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, and the vines are planted dense and low in the French style. Renowned local Marcus Satchell is the winemaker and his light touch is evident in the Prom Road and Waratah Hills labels.

Here, guests are encouraged to play pétanque and have a pinot noir (or blanc de noir) with vineyard views. Kids can tumble on the grass while adults enjoy a pizza in the casual outdoor eatery or an indulgent cheese platter in the restaurant.

2. Gurneys Cider

Gurneys Cidery exterior in Gippsland — Gurneys Cidery is home to the world’s largest underground cider cellar door. (Credit: Tourism Australia)

Next, we visit Gurneys Cidery , home to the world’s largest underground cider cellar door. Named The Arches, the structure was purchased from the former Hazlewood coal mine and repurposed as a cellar. Inside, gentle music floats around the dimly lit room.

Our guide tells us about Dr Matsuro Emoto’s water experiment, which theorised that the molecular structure of water is shaped by its environment, particularly human thoughts, emotions and intentions.

Just like some people talk to plants to help them grow, music is played at Gurneys to help nurture the cider and improve its flavour. The tasting flight convinces me of the experiment’s validity.

The Gurnett family moved to Australia in 2001 from England and, missing their beloved cider, started foraging for apples and making cider with second-hand juicers. They purchased this property and planted over three hectares of heritage apple varieties, then built the restaurant and a home with views of rolling hills.

3. Mahob at Moo’s

Mahob at Moos restaurant exterior in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia — Mahob at Moo’s is bringing modern Cambodian-inspired cuisine to Meeniyan. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

Mahob at Moo’s is a standout addition to South Gippsland’s vibrant dining scene, set in the charming village of Meeniyan. By day, it’s a relaxed cafe serving modern Australian breakfasts, lunch and excellent coffee with Southeast Asian influences; by night (Friday and Saturday), it transforms into a restaurant showcasing modern Cambodian-inspired cuisine crafted by chef Woody Chet.

Diners can enjoy fresh, flavour-packed dishes in the welcoming weatherboard space with indoor and outdoor seating, often praised for its warm service and community spirit.

4. Fleet Wines

Group of friends having a wine tasting at Fleet Wines in Gippsland — Drop in for a tasting at Fleet Wines. (Credit: Cam Suttie, Know Studio)

Lisa and Justin Jenkins opened their Korumburra cellar door in November 2023. Designed as a place for their punters to enjoy wine, this long-term hospitality couple want their land to be in good shape for future generations.

They are regenerating the soil at Fleet Wines and putting their heart and soul into creating deep connections with their neighbours, the land and the wildlife that lives upon it. The couple are also busy planting native species to replenish the earth where their vines will grow. They’ve planted 8000 trees on their property since 2019.

“We like to make wines we’d like to drink, and we like to drink things that have energy and light and a sense of refreshment to them," Lisa says.

5. River Drive Motel

Exterior of room at River Drive Motel in Gippsland — The boutique motel has been renovated in modern shades of green and pink. (Credit: Albert Comper)

Our headlights illuminate a koala nonchalantly crossing the road on our drive back to River Drive Motel . We pull over, feeling both exhilarated and concerned, to ensure the koala’s safe passage and watch it disappear into the darkness. Each of the five rooms at the boutique motel has been renovated in modern shades of green and pink and are flush with luxe elements.

I’m in The Snug, a double with a bathroom (including a bath) and kitchenette. The minibar is filled with local artisanal goods such as the A.R.C. Baw Baw White wine, gin from Loch Brewery & Distillery and Chappy’s Chips . A garden shed has lawn games, deck chairs, beach towels and sunscreen. Guests can gather around the fire pit, seated on tree stumps, arranged for this purpose, or cook a barbecue in the tranquil, expansive garden.

I’ve ordered croissants and muesli from Acacia Edibles for breakfast in the morning. I eat by the water at a 35-metre-long picnic table that has been crafted and curved to represent the flow of the Tarwin River. I then wander, absorbing the serenity, bowl in hand, along the water’s edge, taking photos of the bottlebrushes, birds and intricate patterns on the bark of the eucalyptus trees.

There’s plenty to do and see on a gastronomic journey around South Gippsland. This weekend was like a tasting plate of what the region has to offer. If only I could pack the whole gorgeous place into a picnic basket to take home.

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley , the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.

Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur , is one of my favourite road trips.

The Black Spur

Location: Yarra Ranges
Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes

The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.

In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn , a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.

The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud , making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.

Metung to Mallacoota

Location: Gippsland
Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours

The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance , where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch.

Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea.

Great Ocean Road

Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.

Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast.

Bellarine Taste Trail

Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Bellarine Peninsula
Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours

The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.

You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate , sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours.

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling

Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail . The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.

The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular.

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling

The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.

As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.