Gippsland (pronounced with a hard G) is the south-eastern region of Victoria, Australia. It includes the southernmost point of the Australian mainland at Wilsons Promontory. It is bordered to the west by Western Port Bay, to the south by Bass Strait, to the north by the Great Dividing Range and to the east by the New South Wales border.

Cities

• 1 Bairnsdale in East Gippsland
• 2 Buchan in East Gippsland
• 3 Cann River in East Gippsland
• 4 Fish Creek in South Gippsland
• 5 Grantville in the Bass Coast
• 6 Lakes Entrance in East Gippsland
• 7 Nar Nar Goon in West Gippsland
• 8 Orbost in East Gippsland
• 9 Paynesville in East Gippsland
• 10 Traralgon in Central Gippsland
• 11 Sale in Central Gippsland
• 12 Warragul in West Gippsland
• 13 Wonthaggi in the Bass Coast

Other destinations

• 1 Croajingolong National Park
• 2 French Island - hiking, riding, camping, water birds, koalas
• 3 Phillip Island – Penguins south of Melbourne
• 4 Wilsons Promontory – hiking, bush camping, diving

Understand

The region stretches far from outside Melbourne to the border of New South Wales.

Get in

• V/Lines regional train service runs 18 trains weekdays (less at weekends) between Melbourne and Traralgon. Between Traralgon and Bairnsdale there are three trains daily. V/Line also runs an extensive network of buses to towns not served by rail.

Get around

Cars can be hired in major towns.

See

• Walhalla This old gold mining township in the mountains has history, good bushwalks, a good tour through the Long Tunnel Extended Mine and several nice funky cafes. The Walhalla Goldfields Railway operates on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, over a 4km route through the wild and atmospheric Stringers Creek gorge. Once one of Australia’s richest towns, Walhalla historic township was home to over 3,500 people following the discovery of gold in 1863.
• Mt Tassie, Traralgon Balook Road. 360 degree panoramic views from the highest peak in the Strzelecki Ranges. You can see the mountains of the Great Dividing Range to the north, and Wilsons Prom to the south, as well as the Latrobe Valley Coal Fields. 
• Tyers Park (is accessible from Yallourn North via Quarry Road, the Tyers-Walhalla Road and the Moe-Erica Road.). See the wildflowers, birds and native animals at Tyers Park. Its outcrops of limestone and conglomerate are of considerable geological interest. The limestone contains both plant and animal fossils. 
• Morwell National Park (The park is 16 km south of Morwell. Access is via Churchill or Yinnar.). The one-hour Fosters Gully walk (access via Jumbuk Road) is dominated by mature manna gums and scrubby rainforest. It is a loop track which returns via a dry ridge of stringy bark trees. Expect to see koalas, wallabies and possibly lyrebirds. Wombats may make an appearance at dusk. Free electric barbecue facilities are available. 

Itineraries

• The Princes Highway, National Route 1, cuts through the region and its major towns. Most of the sights of the area are accessible from the highway, or with short diversions from it.
• The East Gippsland Rail Trail

Do

• Mirboo North Rail Trail. A 13km bike/walking trail between Mirboo North and Boolarra. (updated Aug 2019)
• Blacksmithing course, Main St, Yinnar, ☏ +61 3 51 631310. Offered several weekends per year, the basic blacksmithing course is an introduction to the theory and practice of making tools, different types of steel and their heat treatment. Several projects are completed including a centre punch, cold chisel, scriber and utility knife. $95 includes materials, notes, morning and afternoon tea. 
• The Grand Strzelecki Track. 85km bushwalking and hiking track (3 or 4 day hike) joining Morwell National Park to Tarra-Bulga National Park. 
• The Grand Strzelecki Track. 85km track (3-4 day hike) joining Morwell National Park and Tarra-Bulga National Park. 

Drink

There are a good number of vineyards in the region.

• Bass Phillip wines, Tosch's Road, Leongatha South, ☏ +61 3 5664 3341, fax: +61 3 5664 3209. Varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay. 
• Tuckers Vineyard, Stratford Road, Maffra, ☏ +61 3 5141 1464. Varieties: chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc & shiraz 

Stay safe

There is always a potential fire hazard during the summer months, so watch out for fire warning signs on the roads.

The coast is long and mostly not patrolled, so be careful of swimming.

Go next

• Melbourne
• The South Coast or the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales