Towns
Wellington's towns have that warm welcoming feeling as soon as you enter.
We have remote high country towns to coastal seaside villages, major industry centres and rural locations with just one shop. Whatever you are looking for in Wellington, you are sure to find it in one of our towns and villages.
Stop and browse a while, breathe in the fresh, clean air and feel the landscape.
Refuel your senses, body and soul with a browse, a good coffee and a stroll around our many towns....stop and talk to the "locals"..........you will find them friendly, helpful and ready to make your journey a memorable experience.
ALBERTON
Home to Victoria's number one primary school, Alberton is a small town established en route to the goldfields. Alberton Primary School was the first government school in alphabetical order when Victoria began numbering government schools in the 1860s and has been designated as the “Number One” school since that time.
BALOOK
The tiny town of Balook is the start of the Balook Pioneer Trail, which takes in several historic sites of the early settlers to the district. The Tarra Bulga Centre is also located on Grand Ridge Road.
Accommodation: Guest House, Two caravan parks & B&B's nearby
Things to do: Tarra Bulga National Park.
BOISDALE
Once home to Angus McMillan, a pioneer of Gippsland, Boisdale is located on Briagolong Road, approximately 9 km north of Maffra, in the heart of Gippsland's dairying distinct. Boisdale includes not only the town itself, but the area surrounding the town, comprising mostly dairy and vegetable farms.
Boisdale was the run of pioneer grazier Lachlan Macalister and was named after the village on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Boisdale Post Office opened on 24 September 1889.
Boisdale has a primary school, Boisdale Consolidated School, a local post office/ general store, mechanic, sporting facilities and The Boisdale Hall, dating back over a century in age.
BRIAGOLONG
Nestled at the base of the Great Divide, Briagolong is a town of 509 people. It offers small town charm with diverse attractions including a guided walk of historic sites and buildings in the town with signs indicating buildings of interest such as the 1874 Mechanics Institute, the 1880 Briagolong Hotel and 1873 Primary School.
Briagolong hosts nine main retail businesses plus a service station, looking after the basic needs of the community and the increasing tourist trade.
Briagolong provides easy access to the Gippsland High Country, Freestone Creek Gorge and the Blue Pool.
Accommodation: Cottages, camping
Things to do: Briagolong to Cobbannah Scenic Road, Freestone Creek Gorge, Galleries, Blue Pool and Quarry Reserve
COWWARR
Situated in rich dairying country, 191km east of Melbourne and 27km northwest of Traralgon, Cowwarr had its hay day in the Gold Rush. Several historic buildings still remain, the largest being the Old Butter Factory (1918), which has been transformed into a gallery for contemporary visual arts.
Accommodation: Hotel
Things to do: Art Gallery, Cowwarr Weir Picnic area
DARGO
Located in the foothills of the Dargo High Plains, 348km east of Melbourne and 92km from Sale, is one of Victoria’s most remote communities. Four Wheel Driving, Canoeing, Fishing, Horse Riding, Walking and Gold Panning are all popular activities in and around Dargo. While Dargo was primarily a supply town during the gold rush, it did experience a minor rush and quartz gold mining continued until 1950. Dargo is also known for its century old walnut groves that line the valley floor.
Accommodation: Hotel, Motel, B&B, caravan park, 5 cottages
Things to do: winery, Dargo High Plains (road closed during winter months), Historic Grant and Talbotville goldfields, 100 year old pub, gold museum and gold tours
Major Events: Annual opening of the National and State Park tracks – Melbourne Cup weekend
GLENMAGGIE/COONGULLA
The townships of Glenmaggie and Coongulla are situated 12km north of Heyfield. The remains of the original township of Glenmaggie remain under water at the bottom of the Glenmaggie Weir. The weir was built primarily for irrigation but today remains very popular for water sports such as skiing, speed boat racing etc. The Weir Wall area provides a pleasant picnic area and information centre and gives the visitor an opportunity to walk across the spillway area. A nearby winery offers cellar door sales and a caravan park is located on the lake shoreline.
Accommodation: Caravan parks, B&B
Things to do: swimming, fishing, boating, water skiing, bushwalking, winery, weir wall, historic machinery display
GOLDEN/PARADISE BEACH
Located on the Ninety Mile Beach, Golden & Paradise Beach are renowned for their excellent fishing. Surrounded by the Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park the area is home to a great variety of birdlife. The wreck of the Trinculo is located 6km south of Golden Beach.
Residents can easily walk to the beach and enjoy its many wonders while campers at Golden Beach have 21 sites to choose from along the foreshore.
Accommodation: camping, cottages, holiday apartments
Thing to do: bushwalking, fishing, Trinculo Wreck
GORMANDALE
Nestled in the fertile Merrimans Creek Valley, the rural community of Gormandale is approximately two and a half hours east of Melbourne (183 kms). Surrounded by abundant native flora and fauna, visitors have many opportunities to explore and discover Gormandale’s natural beauty.
Unwind and tour the local wineries, experiencing the best Gippsland has to offer. You can talk to the winemakers at the cellar door as you explore the vineyards and wineries of the Gormandale region.
Accommodation: B&Bs, cottages
Thing to do: bushwalking, birdwatching, wineries, cycling
HEYFIELD
Situated 32km northwest of Sale, Heyfield was established as a resting point for diggers on their way to the goldfields and is known today for its agriculture and timber production. The town is home to the largest hardwood sawmill in the southern hemisphere. It is also acknowledged as the gateway to the High Country. Nearby Glenmaggie Weir is a summer water sports playground.
The Heyfield Information Centre is the starting point for your choice of four Wetlands' Walks. The walks provide an opportunity to view the graceful water birds and the unique water plants which rely on the rich moist beds of minerals available in the wetlands mud.
Accommodation: motel, hotel & B&B
Things to do: Wetlands/Timber Interpretation Centre, Heyfield flora reserve (2km north of the town), Wetlands' Walks, Lake Glenmaggie, market held the first Sunday of the month, Waterwheel monument – Denison, Robotic Dairy – Winnindoo
Major Events: Australia Day Celebrations, Annual Vintage Machinery Rally in August
HOLLANDS LANDING
Hollands Landing is a fishing village located at the eastern end of the McLennan Straits. Two caravan parks and a general store service the town.
Accommodation: caravan parks
Things to do: boating, fishing, camping Boating Boat
LICOLA
Licola was formally a timber town where early cattlemen drove their cattle to graze in the High Country for summer. Located 51km north of Heyfield it is now a good base for adventures such a bushwalking the Alpine area, 4 wheel driving and fishing trips.
Accommodation: caravan park, cottages, backpackers
Things to do: Tali Karng overnight bushwalk, Bryce Gorge bushwalk, trout fishing, Cattlemen’s huts, four wheel driving
LOCH SPORT
Loch Sport, 272km east of Melbourne, is located in the middle of the Gippsland Lakes System and has Lake Victoria on one side and the surf of Ninety Mile Beach on the other.
Surrounded by National parkland, the wildlife is abundant. All forms of water sports and leisure activities are available at Loch Sport.
Accommodation: motel, caravan park, cottage
Things to do: Outboard Motor Museum, Rotomah Island Bird Observatory, Lake Victoria foreshore walk, Lake Reeve lookout, galleries, surf and lake fishing, boating
Major Events: Loch Sport Easter Festival, Fireworks carnival New Years Eve
LONGFORD
Longford was named after the town and county of Longford in Ireland and is situated at the junction of the South Gippsland Highway and the Longford-Rosedale Road, next to the Latrobe River. It is home to the Sale Golf Club, one of the most challenging and picturesque courses in Victoria, providing magnificent views over the internationally accredited Ramser Wetlands.
Victoria's largest oil and gas producing plant is located near Longford. To the town's north is the National Trust Classified historic Swing Bridge. It is the oldest surviving swing bridge in Australia and is regarded as one of the foremost engineering wonders in Gippsland. The bridge is still in operation, opening each Saturday and Sunday at 3pm and closing at 4pm.
Accommodation: Cottages, house (short term rental)
Things to do: bushwalking, birdwatching, wetlands exploration, golfing
MAFFRA
Situated 228km east of Melbourne, what is now the location of the Maffra township was in the 1840s the site of the Green Hill Native Police Station. Following its closure a small settlement developed at this spot on the Macalister River in the 1860s when a punt was built to enable travellers to get to the gold fields to the north. By the 1880s, with the development of grazing all around, the town grew and became home to the largest beef cattle sale yards in rural Victoria.
A sugar beet industry was started in 1896 and operated until after the Second World War, by which time dairying had become far more mechanized and was thus more economically viable.
Maffra today is the hub of the rich Macalister dairying, agricultural, pastoral and irrigation district. While home to one of the most modern milk processing plants in Australia, Maffra still retains its main street charm and throughout the town a visual attractiveness reminiscent of earlier times. Maffra has a proud sporting tradition with a wide range of excellent facilities catering for many popular pursuits.
Accommodation: motel, 3 hotels, caravan park with onsite vans, 2 B&Bs, backpacker hostel
Things to do: Gem and Mineral display – old court house, Sugar Beet Museum, Macalister River Park, Macalister Swamp reserve – bird hides, wide range of sports, gateway to the Alpine National Park and Avon Wilderness, four wheel driving, Gippsland Vehicle Collection
Major Events: Maffra Mardi Gras – March, Hill Climb Car Racing – Boisdale, Tennis Tournament – Easter, National Moto X – Newry
MUNRO
A small town located on the A1 and home to the Australian Wildlife Art Gallery and Sculpture Park where you can see Australia’s wildlife depicted in paint and sculptured in clay.
NEWRY
A small village first established in 1868 and gateway to the channels, a narrow rocky gorge on the Avon River with easy walking access, parking and picnic facilities.
Things to do: Motorcross track nearby, golf, four wheel driving, bushwalking , bush
PORT ALBERT
Port Albert was the original gateway to Gippsland and was the supply port for Gippsland’s pioneers until the completion of the rail line from Melbourne to the docks. It is located 200km southeast of Melbourne, 15km south of Yarram. Port Albert’s 1860’s former Bank of Victoria building houses the Gippsland Regional Maritime Museum showcasing such treasures as artifacts from the wreck of the ‘Clonmel’, working models, navigational aids and charts, archival material, a shell collection and the fisherman’s room together with displays showing Port Albert’s role in Gippsland Gold.
Accommodation: Motel, hotel, cottages, caravan park, B&B's
Things to do: Gippsland Regional Maritime Museum, Old Port Walk Trail, Gallery, Scenic Boat Tours, Bird Watching, Fishing, Sailing, Fishing Charters, Award Winning Fish and Chippery, Historic Church - Tarraville.
Major Events: Port Albert Regatta – March, Snapperfest - November
ROSEDALE
Originally known as "Blind Joes Hut" after a Chinese man who was blind in one eye built his hut there, the name changed to Rosedale in 1855.
Located 185km east of Melbourne and with a growing population of approximately 1,500 people, Rosedale was once an administrative centre for the Rosedale Shire. Now with a major manufacturing base and acting as a residential alternate to Traralgon and Sale, Rosedale services the busy Princes Highway and is an ideal place to spend an afternoon browsing the antique and bric-a-brac shops.
Rosedale is known as a pastoral and agricultural district and acts as an alternate entry into the Gippsland Plains Country Road. It is also close in proximity to the Holey Plains State Park.
Accommodation: 2 motels, caravan park, B&B
Things to do: The Holey Plain State Park – 5km southeast, Antique and bric-a-brac, Rosedale speedway, Tarra Bulga National Park – 23km south, Market 2nd Sunday of each Month
SALE
Located approximately 200km east of Melbourne and first established as a busy port for steamers, Sale is a historic town located in the heart of Gippsland. During the 1880’s the swing bridge operated up to 20 times a day to allow larger vessels to dock in the heart of Sale. The bridge can be viewed in operation each Saturday and Sunday, opening at 3pm and closing at 4pm.
Home of the RAAF Officer Training school and international renowned artist Annemieke Mein, Sale has a population of just over 13,000 people and is the administrative capital of Wellington Shire.
Known as the western entrance to the Gippsland Lakes and for its natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere, Sale has close proximity to many well known geographical areas. Internationally accredited Ramser Wetlands are a major attraction for overseas visitors.
Sale possesses a large number of diverse industries and major employers which are situated in the township and surrounding area. Attributing much of its prosperity to the offshore oil and gas fields in the Bass Strait, Sale is seen as the engine of the local economy, providing work and attracting skilled people to the region.
Accommodation: 8 motels, 3 hotels, motel/hotel, 4 B&Bs, 2 caravan parks and 1 motorhome park
Things to do: Gippsland Regional Art Gallery, Historical Museum- Foster Street, St Pauls Cathedral and rectory built in 1885, Historic homestead and gardens, Bataluk Cultural Trail, Sale Powder Magazine, RAAF Roulettes Display, Wetlands boardwalk, Lake Guthridge/Guyatt environmental playground, Antiques and Bric-a-brac, Greyhound racing, Greenwattle racecourse, Botanic Gardens and Fauna park, National Trust classified Swing Bridge, Sale Heritage walk/drive, Historic Cobb & Co Stables
Major Events: Sale Cup – October, Water Water Festival – November, Agriculture Show – November, Gippsland International Showjumping Championships – December
SEASPRAY
Seaspray is a small coastal town situated towards the southern end of the pristine Ninety Mile Beach, 32 kilometres south of Sale.
The general store located at the junction of Foreshore Road and Lyons Street, provides postal services, takeaway food and fishing gear. The town's caravan park is located opposite, stretching along the entire length of Foreshore Road and nestled beside sand dunes with grassy sites lined by Norfolk Pine trees. A recreation reserve with a hall, tennis courts and oval can be found in Futcher Street. Memorial Park, bordered by Buckley Street and Bearup Street, features lawns, BBQ and picnic shelters, a playground and war memorial.
The Ninety Mile Beach is Seaspray's main attraction, offering what appears to be a never ending stretch of blue ocean and vast white sands. Access to the beach is provided at several points along Foreshore Road including at the Seaspray Surf Life Saving Club which is perched on top of the sand dunes with a large viewing deck and ramps leading down to the beach.
Seaspray is known mainly for its great fishing and swimming beach. Surf Life Saving patrols during the summer peak periods provide the perfect environment for the family activities at the beach.
Accommodation: Caravan and camping
Things to do: swimming, surfing and surf fishing
STRATFORD
One of Gippsland's gems, Stratford is located along the Avon River 18km from Sale on the eastern entry to the Gippsland Country Road and is a vibrant trendy town that offers a range of speciality shops for locals and tourists. It is known as one of the best places to stop if you have a love of antiques and morning or afternoon tea with many shops and restaurants able to cater.
With the principal industries of dairy, sheep, cattle and horse breeding, Stratford is a growing township and comes alive in May for the annual ‘Shakespeare on the River Festival’.
Accommodation: Motel, caravan park, cottage and B&B
Things to do: Apex Park and All Abilities walk, Gippsland Plains Rail Trail (Stratford - Maffra - Tinamba), The Bataluk Cultural Trail, Knob Reserve – Canoe tree, Avon River – gem and fossil fossicking, Galleries and antique, The Old Court Theatre, Gold tours
Major Events: Shakespeare on the River Festival late April/early May
TINAMBA
Located 10km west of Maffra, Tinamba is a small town established when McEvoys Track from Seaton opened as a major access track to the goldfields.
The erection of a hotel in 1874 and the arrival of the railway in 1883, with its station and saleyards, saw a small settlement develop. By the 1930s there was a store, school, community hall and church. Several large estates were subdivided early in the 20th century; Tinamba was one of the first districts made available to Soldier Settlers after WWI.
Today the Tinamba Hotel is a popular restaurant and function centre. The district is sustained by a productive dairying industry and there is a range of accommodation within a 15km radius.
Accommodation: B&B
Things to do: Gippsland Plains Rail Trail, Newry Golf Course
WOODSIDE/WOODSIDE BEACH
Woodside is a small town located on the South Gippsland Highway 53 kms south of Sale and consists of a school, hotel, motel and general store. Woodside Beach is 10 km away, located at the start of the beautiful Ninety Mile Beach. Both Woodside and Woodside Beach have caravan parks, providing ideal accommodation for fishing and surfing activities.
The Woodside Beach Surf Life Saving Club patrols the beach during peak periods over the summer months.
Accommodation: Caravan Parks, Hotel, Motel
Things to do: fishing, swimming, surfing, walking on the beach
YARRAM
Located on the A440, 210 kms southeast of Melbourne, Yarram is at the heart of some of the most beautiful country in Gippsland. A service town for local dairy and sawmilling industries, Yarram is the major hub for several coastal towns in the southern part of the shire.
Possessing a lovely 18 hole golf course and excellent sporting facilities, Yarram offers the visitor a wide range of activities. It provides shopping facilities, cafes, the restored Regent Theatre, a large variety of accommodation options and the Tarra-Bulga National Park which is renowned for its suspension bridge. Nearby is historic Port Albert which was Gippsland’s first port establishment and boasts excellent boating facilities and is also known for Victoria’s best fish and chips.
The town boasts the annual Tarra Festival at Easter with a street parade, art exhibitions, a race meeting and a country fair.
Accommodation: 2 motels, 2 hotels, 2 caravan parks, B&Bs
Things to do: Golfing, Tarra Valley fern gullies, Tarra Bulga National Park, White Woman Waterhole, Historic gardens, McLaughlin’s Beach walking track, Hiawatha and the Minniehaha Falls, Award winning bakery, Historic Regent Theatre, Tarra Trail
