With its gobsmacking combination of mountains, lakes, beaches and rainforests, Gippsland is easily one of the best camping and caravanning regions in Victoria. The region spans Victoria’s entire southeast coast up to the New South Wales border, and extends west through lush pastureland and into the mountains of the Great Dividing Range.
The incredible diversity of Gippsland’s landscape can be experienced throughout the region’s excellent national parks and reserves, many of which are managed in partnership with the Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners. For travellers, these natural playgrounds offer plenty of opportunities to fish, 4WD, hike, mountain bike, see native wildlife, and discover the sacred Aboriginal connection to the land.
Along the coast you’ll find gems such as Croajingolong National Park, the always-popular Wilsons Promontory, and the famous colony of little penguins at Phillip Island. The system of coastal lakes that makes up Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park provides ideal conditions for lakeshore and jetty fishing. Beyond the sand dunes lies Ninety Mile Beach, and if you head to the western end via Seaspray or Golden Beach, there’s phenomenal kayaking and surf fishing to be had.
The Gippsland lakes are where several rivers meet the sea, and if you head off the beaten track to trace their course inland, a world of river gorges, foaming rapids and breathtaking lookouts opens up before you. Head to Mitchell River National Park and walk the Den of Nargun Loop to uncover sacred waterholes and characters from Indigenous folklore. Or get your thrills in Snowy River National Park – home to Victoria’s deepest gorge. Access is via one of Victoria’s most precarious roads so if you’re not prepared to leave your towables behind, save Little River Gorge for another time and explore Tulloch Ard Lookout or Raymond Creek Falls.