Boating and sailing – Gippsland
Gippsland's vast expanse of lakes and rivers are ideal for all forms of boating. Visitors can explore the Lakes National Park and Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park, as well as portside towns with pubs, restaurants, picnic facilities, public jetties and marinas.
Boating options
If bringing your own boat, you'll find launching ramps, public jetties and boat storage. Some accommodation businesses (including Bellevue, Captain's Cove, The Moorings, HolidayMakers and McMillans) offer private jetty mooring for their guests. If you don't have a boat, try one of the charter yachts, cruisers or day boats – there are also good day cruises on offer.
Must-see destinations
Travelling by boat allows you to enjoy the scenery of Gippsland Lakes at a more leisurely pace. Cruising and fishing the Tambo, Mitchell and Nicholson rivers are a good way to experience the region. The cliff areas of the Tambo and Mitchell are particularly picturesque. Barrier Landing is a thin strip of dune separating the Hopetoun Channel from Bass Strait and a great place to meet local boaties. On the Channel side, you'll discover a large public jetty and a good beach, and a two-minute walk takes you to Ninety Mile Beach. The recently redeveloped historic Port of Sale has cultural entertainment and quality restaurants to discover by boat.
Rotamah Island and Sperm Whale Head, part of the Lakes National Park, have public jetties, barbecues and walking tracks and an abundance of birdlife and native animals. Look out for the Bunga Arm, which runs east-west and boasts spectacular sunsets. For the length of the Bunga Arm, the ocean beach is a sand dune away.
McLennans Straits, connecting Lakes Victoria and Wellington, is a gently flowing channel with vast wetlands, outstanding bird life and good fishing. Boxes Creek, close to Metung and Duck Arm near Paynesville, offer all-weather moorings in idyllic settings.
The Mallacoota Inlet further down the coast offers a serene environment for boating with plenty of secluded getaway spots. Kick back and relax on one of several cruises on the Mallacoota Inlet or hire a boat and go exploring on your own.
