Lush landscapes and a gourmet trail in Gippsland near Melbourne

GIPPSLAND, Australia – Lush green pastures dotted with cows and sheep. Roads fringed by native bush and towering gum trees.

Gippsland, a fertile region in Victoria, Australia, is best known for its beef and dairy, such as the Gippsland Dairy yogurt stacked in Singapore’s supermarket chillers. Beyond that lies a region brimming with stories, flavour and nature.

Besides its rural scenery, I am struck by the passionate, friendly folks and the palpable sense of community when I arrive in April. I meet local producers championing sustainability and regenerative farming. Many had left city jobs to start a new life here, drawn by the land and a desire to create something meaningful. 

Gippsland is the largest region in Victoria in both area and population. Stretching from outer Melbourne to the state’s easternmost edge near the New South Wales border, it is home to a wide range of landscapes, from Victorian snowfields and rainforest to rolling farmland to dramatic coastline.

Gippsland is located two to four hours by road from state capital Melbourne, depending on which part of the vast region you choose to explore.

The region still largely attracts a domestic market. Between 2020 and 2024, the average annual growth for total domestic visitors to Greater Gippsland was 8.1 per cent and to East Gippsland, 6.1 per cent.

Gippsland is also often visited by those who drive between Melbourne and Sydney. There has been some recent interest from Singapore-based visitors because of the remote nature, open space, good food and wine. However, it is still a hidden gem for travellers from Asia.

Wilsons Prom – including Skull Rock or Cleft Island – is the key infrastructure development for tourism. This was a game changer for the region along with the opening of Metung Hot Springs in November 2022.

Chef Michael Wilson of Singapore’s one-Michelin-starred restaurant Marguerite, who was born and raised in Gippsland, returned to his home town to collaborate with O.MY restaurant in Beaconsfield as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in March.

He says: “Regional restaurants, and even some in Melbourne, are proudly showcasing Gippsland produce, and it’s helping to shine a light on the incredible growers, makers and artisans behind it all.”

Foodies who visit restaurants in this area can expect everything from artisanal cheese to grass-fed beef to seasonal vegetables. Wine lists typically feature local labels from this cool-climate region, along with small-batch ciders and craft beers.

On a five-day trip, I discover some of the best produce the area has to offer.

Local sips

At Loch Brewery & Distillery (

lochbrewery.com.au

), enjoy a personalised tasting experience at the historic cellar door, housed in the village’s former bank, a 100-year-old red-brick building with a picket fence (Whisky Flight at A$40 or S$33.60, Cocktail Sampler at A$38, Gin Flight at A$28 and Beer Paddle at A$20).

The cellar door opens every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 11am to 4pm on a walk-in basis only. The British-style brewery is in the adjoining former butcher’s shop.

Founder Craig Johnson has been producing small-batch ales, gins infused with native botanicals, rum and single-malt whisky for about 10 years. He uses natural brewing methods, along with handcrafted Alembic copper stills custom-made in Portugal as well as European barrels for ageing.

“Loch was quiet and quaint years ago. After we opened, the change in the town was dramatic and it’s gone from strength to strength,” says the brewer and distiller, who started making whisky and beer and moved into gin production after six months.

“Overnight, our business doubled, largely because the gin ‘boom’ started around that time,” he adds.

Another cellar door worth visiting is Gurneys Cidery (

www.gurneyscider.com.au

), run by the Gurnett family – Bill and Lorraine, along with their sons Tom and James – who emigrated from Somerset, England, in 2001. 

Hankering for Britain’s traditional dry ciders, they found the perfect plot of land on 343 Fish Creek-Foster Road to grow heritage apple and pear varieties, and began crafting their own. 

Led by Mr Gurnett, a former park ranger, the family now produces small-batch ciders using a blend of traditional and modern techniques. Gurneys follows a winery-style approach, producing a single vintage of cider each year – bottles full of terroir and seasonal nuance.

He says: “We have the philosophy that if you treat cider as a wine – age it and treat it with the same respect – you can make very good cider. Cider has very much been forgotten, so we’re trying to elevate it to be on a par with wine.”

He shows my group of two around the production facility before we head into the underground cellar to taste some exclusive ciders, including a seven-year-old apple brandy.

Offered in the underground tasting are four exclusive ciders made in small batches and available only at the cellar door.

The bottled and canned ciders are sold predominantly at the cellar door. But the brand’s wholesale ciders – made in larger quantities – are available in restaurants, bars and liquor stores throughout Victoria.

Guests can join the Underground Cider Tour tour for A$38 a person or A$289 for a private tour of up to 10 people. The tours usually run for 50 minutes, followed by lunch (priced separately) on the deck overlooking the hills and Wilsons Promontory.

Small town big on flavour

We continue our culinary exploration in South Gippsland’s Meeniyan, a small town of 800 residents. Naturally, everyone seems to know everyone.

In the evening, we make our way to modern Cambodian restaurant Mahob at Moo’s (

www.mahob.com.au

), helmed by chef Woody Chet. He previously ran Amok Restaurant serving modern Cambodian cuisine in Melbourne’s Chapel Street. He relocated to Gippsland and opened Mahob at Moo’s in August 2024 with his family for a slower pace of life. 

The space is convivial, warm and vibrant. A procession of specialities emerges from the kitchen, including grilled local tiger prawn with sweet and sour yellow kroeung curry, Kampot peppercorn sauce and chargrilled pineapple, as well as slow-cooked Gippsland beef ribs with caramelised coconut.

We round off the meal with crispy, sweet, sticky red rice balls paired with coconut ice cream. Mains range from A$25 to A$38.

Just across the road is Trulli (

trulli.com.au

), run by brothers Francesco and Claudio Laera from Puglia, Italy. The joint is best known for its pizzas, but also offers a variety of southern Italian dishes such as mussels cooked in ’nduja, or spicy pork sausage, and tomato; lamb ragu pasta; and perfectly crisp cannoli. Mains range from A$22 to A$32.

Gourmands can do post-meal shopping at the adjacent pantry, stocked with a curated selection of Trulli’s lasagnas, cheeses, cold cuts, pastries and local groceries, and a selection of wines from Gippsland and Italy.

“People like the team at Mahob at Moo’s, and the Italian brothers at Trulli are bringing a rich mix of culture, heritage and innovation to the region,” says chef Wilson.

“The quality coming out of Gippsland now is exceptional, and that’s a direct result of the passion everyone we visited has for their craft. It’s inspiring to witness,” he adds.

Rural retreats

Satiated from our feasting, we drive to our accommodation at Ross Farm (

www.rossfarm.com.au

, from A$400 a night for the one-bedroom Cabin), which serves as our base for the next couple of nights. It is a restorative retreat – a place to disconnect and slow down. 

Dreamed up by interior designer Andrea Moore and built by her father Lindsay Moore, a retired vet, the former dairy farm has been transformed into three beautifully minimalist lodgings: the Cabin, Barn and Dairy.

About 20 years ago, Ms Moore’s parents bought this former working dairy farm. 

“The layout was determined by what was existing here. My dad’s philosophy was to design and build what we could. So, a lot of the furniture was made by him, while I designed the lighting,” she says.

We stay in the three-bedroom Dairy, which has a large modern kitchen complete with an induction cooker and a fridge stocked with essentials such as tea, coffee, milk, eggs, bread, butter and bacon.

Guests who want to cook can purchase seasonal vegetables from nearby farms like Flock Stock & Basil (

www.flockstockandbasil.com

), mushrooms from Wattle Bank Farm (

www.wattlebankfarm.com.au

), or olive oil and honey from the nearby family-run Grassy Spur Olive Grove (

www.grassyspurolives.com.au

).

More rural retreats are scattered throughout the region.

If relaxing in a hot spring and glamping sounds like your kind of getaway, visit Metung Hot Springs, Victoria’s new wellness destination. It is located in East Gippsland, about a three-hour drive from Meeniyan.

Set on an undulating site overlooking the Gippsland Lakes, Metung Hot Springs (

www.metunghotsprings.com

) offers a variety of bathing facilities. Guests can enjoy full access to the property’s range of hot pools, bathing barrels and sauna.

Each glamping tent features luxe furnishings, a king-size four-poster bed and an en-suite bathroom. On your private deck are bathing barrels filled with warm geothermal water. Included in the stay are thoughtful touches such as breakfast delivered to your accommodation, welcome sweet treats and a wellness gift hamper. Glamping tents start at A$680 a night.

Nature’s playground

To burn off some calories, we visit Wilsons Promontory National Park, about 30 minutes by road from Ross Farm. Known as “The Prom”, this is one of Victoria’s most beloved parks, with vast stretches of coastal wilderness.

We stroll along the famous white sands of Squeaky Beach, named for the squeaking sound made by its fine quartz sand, and gaze at turquoise waters.

For wildlife lovers, the Prom Wildlife Walk begins at the viewing area and winds through grasslands for 2.3km. You might spot kangaroos, wombats and wallabies.

Ultimately, Gippsland offers a different kind of travel experience. Those who are willing to trade the comfort of the familiar for the excitement of the unknown will not be disappointed. This region may be somewhat off-grid, but its bounty is waiting to be discovered.

Travel tips

Singapore Airlines flies non-stop from Singapore to Melbourne. Economy fares start at $788. Passengers who have KrisFlyer membership can enjoy free unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi across all cabin classes.

The best way to get around Gippsland’s attractions is via car. Rental companies are located at Melbourne Airport and Melbourne city centre. Car rental from Hertz, for example, starts at A$95 a day with basic insurance, based on rates for a Toyota Camry or an equivalent vehicle.

There are private day tours or extended tours to Gippsland, such as food and wine tours (

str.sg/JaGGY

) and experiences from Explore Australia Tours (

str.sg/cujV

).

Since Gippsland is huge, plan for three to five days in the region to explore it at a leisurely pace.

The time to visit depends on what you want to do. For warm weather and beach activities, visit in summer (December to February, the temperature is about 21 to 25 deg C). If you prefer milder temperatures and enjoy hiking, autumn (March to May, 14 to 22 deg C) and spring (September to November, 11 to 23 deg C) are great.

For whale watching, late autumn and early winter (May to July) is a good time as they migrate through the region.