VICTORIA'S
GREATEST DRIVING TOURS AND HERITAGE TOWNS
Historic...
METUNG
Visit Metung on the beautiful Gippsland Lakes on
any summer weekend, and the attraction of this compact village
is obvious: a picturesque maritime location on the tranquil waters
of the lakes surrounded by gentle green hills and sandy beaches.
It seems only natural that it should be home to one of Victoria’s
largest pleasure-boat flotillas - with over 400 square kilometres
of water to explore the region is a haven for anyone seeking aquatic
leisure.
Down by the waterfront, where jetties and marinas are crammed
with yachts and cruising boats of all shapes and sizes, boating
devotees relax with a latte. The talk in cafes and shops is invariably
about the weather, the fishing, and the temptations of a multitude
of cruising locations. Metung has the good fortune to be warmer
than Melbourne in winter, and generally cooler in summer thanks
to the water’s influence.
Metung’s neat, gregarious meeting place centres on a few
essential shops, restaurants, the pub, and craft stores radiating
from a neat village green. All along the waterfront, a multitude
of classy resort accommodation and million-dollar holiday homes
share expansive water views.
When explorer Angus McMillan battled his way east of Melbourne
to discover Gippsland in 1841, he had pastoral pursuits on his
mind. Settlers followed in the Scotsman’s footsteps, and
the fertile land named after NSW governor Gipps prospered. Until
the 1920s, paddlesteamers could enter the lakes from the ocean
at Lakes Entrance, steaming inland past Paynesville, Bairnsdale
and other lakeside settlements prior to the arrival of rail and
road transport.
The Gippsland Lakes region, which today includes numerous designated
parks, is an intricate maze of vast freshwater lakes, rivers,
saltwater lagoons, canals and marshes that are a haven for huge
numbers of water birds. To make the most of a visit to Metung
you should take to the waters, whether it be on a chartered boat
for a few days or just a short afternoon cruise. The Lakes only
reveal their compelling qualities from the deck of a boat - and
it’s incredibly relaxing.
A day on the water might take you to nearby Lakes Entrance with
its impressive fishing fleet, the Lakes National Park and Sperm
Whale Head, the ocean dunes of the Coastal Park, or the remarkable
silt jetties of Lake King. Even a two-hour cruise around nearby
coves, Bancroft Bay and Shaving Point is sure to wet the appetite
Fortunately, a love of aquatic pursuits isn’t essential
around Metung, because there are delightful bushwalks, scenic
drives, and excellent shore-based fishing in the area. One delightful
walk takes in the shores of Lake King to Tambo Bluff, and Chinaman’s
Creek. The town’s hot sulphur springs were once a revitalizing
dip - they were discovered in the 1920s when an exploratory oil
well was drilled, but are currently closed.
In peak holiday times Metung is a busy maritime community. But
the rest of the year you’ll have the lakes, the boats, a
few shops, a couple of local restaurants and a pub to share with
a score-or-so residents.
Metung, near Lakes Entrance, is off the Prince’s Highway
past Bairnsdale, about 320km east of Melbourne. Allow four hours
to drive there.
STAY THE WEEKEND AT:
Anchorage B&B. Two excellent ensuite rooms, cooked brekky, views.
Moorings at Metung. Resort style apartments right on lake - get a front one!
