The East Gippsland city of Bairnsdale is the western gateway to the
wonders of the Lakes and Wilderness region. Set in the commercial centre of the Princes and Omeo highways, the wool, dairying agricultural and timber industries. Venture into the outback to explore the aboriginal culture or take a quick peek in the Krowathunkoolong Keeping place, a cultural centre illustrating Aboriginal local heritage.
Bairnsdale provides easy access to the alpine region of Omeo, Dinner Plain and Mount Hotham via Bruthen and the Great Alpine Road [Look under East Victoria]. Experience the food, wine and culture.
18km from Bairnsdale is Paynesville, the boating capital of the Gippsland Lakes. McMillan Straits, Newlands Arm and canals provide sheltered moorings for many boats and pleasure craft.
A short ferry trip from Paynesville is Raymond Island, a great place to spot koalas. Raymond Island has a large koala population, as well as 160 bird species, ground orchids and wildflowers, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and lizards.
Sale’s location on the oldest road in Gippsland — Port
Albert Road — was fortuitous: water transport could navigate rivers
and lakes to within a few kilometres of town. In the 1860’s, Sale
served goldfields such as Walhalla and Donnelly’s Creek, with
thousand of diggers entering Victoria through busy Port Albert.
About three decades later Sale was the largest town in Gippsland.
British-colonial architecture typical of the 19th century
signalled the town’s prosperity. Most of these buildings — the
Court House circa 1863, Council chambers, Criterion Hotel, Bon
Accord homestead, Gippsland Ladies College and HM Prison Sale —
can be seen on a heritage tour of Sale.
The city of Sale is quite a modern town as little is left from its early
years. Take the heritage walk to view the Cobb and Co. Stables and
market place. The Wetlands Walk is a 4km walking-trail around Sale
common, including bird hides, an observatory and other walking
tracks.
In 1885 the Victorian government financed the construction of a
canal, bringing shipping to wharves on the town’s edge. Following
the canal’s opening, and that of the swing bridge across the Latrobe
and Thomson Rivers, Sale became a hub for shipping on the Gippsland
Lakes, including regular steamer services to Melbourne and Lakes
Entrance. The Melbourne–Sale road was completed in 1865. The first
train arrived from Melbourne 14-years later.
