Omeo to Metung
120 km/75 miles, about 1 hour and 40 minutes
Depart Omeo, and follow the Great Alpine Road south past Bairnsdale, East Gippsland's only city, and on to Metung, starting point for exploring the spectacular Gippsland Lakes.
Travel temptations
First stops: Swifts Creek and Ensay, small towns with a long history of mining, grazing and timber milling and a modern-day passion for freshly baked goods, just-picked fruit, and local wines. Next is Bruthen, a rustic village overlooking the Tambo River with its very own brewery. Be tempted by a pot of refreshing ale before you explore the township's many heritage buildings.
Bustling Bairnsdale
Your last stop before Metung and the seemingly endless expanses of the Gippsland Lakes is Bairnsdale, on the banks of the Mitchell River and originally settled as an inland port. Bairnsdale is now a major gateway to Victoria's east, with everything you need and all the cafes and restaurants to sustain you for some time.
Pay a visit to St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, the interior of which was painted in the 1930s by Francesco Floreani. Attend an annual musical and sporting event or explore the Mitchell River silt jetties that extend 8 kilometres into nearby Lake King. Whet your appetite at local cafes and restaurants, to ready yourself for exploration of the Gippsland Lakes.
Life on the Lakes
With five main lakes, fed by the waters of four major rivers, and fringed by the Ninety Mile Beach, the Gippsland Lakes system is the biggest expanse of inland waterways in the southern hemisphere. Over 400 square kilometres of lakes, rivers and lagoons make this region an ideal location for all forms of water-based fun, sport and exceptional fishing.
Carry on to Metung, where the Great Alpine Road touring route ends. Life assumes a relaxed pace in this picture-book village, on the shores of Bancroft Bay and Lake King. Follow your nose to the harbourside restaurants to indulge in quality local seafood and wine, spend a day floating around in a boat and stroll along the water's edge at sunset, cooking up your next adventure.