It takes fortitude of a wardrobe-changing kind to take on a crumbling old building destined for demolition, and turn it into a hub for the community. That’s exactly what Ferg and Andrew have given the people of Sale in Central Gippsland – a pub to be proud of. It came as the result of a passion for heritage; ably guided by Heritage Victoria, they have turned a wreck that had barely survived since it was built in 1865 into the kind of local establishment where you’ll want to spend hours with your mates.
The hospitality side of things is looked after by Ferg Horan, a former chef at places like the Tinamba Hotel, amongst others. His team is turning Gippsland produce info the kind of pub food that brings a smile to your face. Nothing too wanky, just beautiful flavourful dishes that actually make you smile when they arrive. Yes, there’s a parma for those who are on that quest for the perfect one, but the steak is amazing too. It should be – Gippsland is beef country.
The hotel has some stunning accommodation as well, for those on the way somewhere.
All pubs should be a collection point, a place for people to meet, unwind, and put aside the cares of the day over a pint of the finest. The fact that the kitchen turns out some damn fine food is the best of bonuses.
Like a still pocket of temperate loveliness, the Tarra-Bulga National Park occupies a quiet parcel of old growth forest in South Gippsland. Much of the forest has been the subject of forestry activities for decades, so this ancient patch of myrtle beech, mountain ash, and tree ferns exists as one of the best examples of cool temperate rainforest remaining in the Strzlecki Ranges, and one of only four remaining in Victoria.
The Corrigan’s Suspension Bridge spans a spectacular gully, through the rainforest canopy, affording a truly unique view into the tops of the green ferns below. It’s a chance to slow down and contemplate the meaning of life. No need to Insta this moment, as your phone won’t work here. Put it away and just soak it in.
There is a 30-minute walking loop from the visitor centre on to the suspension bridge and back around. It’s pram friendly, though not dog friendly.
Listen for the lyrebird’s imitations of other wildlife as you walk – you may even be lucky enough to spot one.
Regional art galleries are a thing – seriously important works of art are held and exhibited in significant galleries in regional areas. Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale is a breathtaking renovation of a 1960s brutalist building, housing important works of art from not only the region but also internationally. There are pieces you might have seen at MoNA in Hobart, MoMA in New York or the NGV, sitting comfortably and meaningfully with works by artists who’ve made Gippsland their life’s passion and focus.
The gallery celebrates regional artists who have made a significant impact on the art world, such as Annemieke Mein. The Sale-based textile artist has had a long career and is deservingly described by the gallery as a ‘global phenomenon’.
Take the time to wander slowly through the gallery – entry is free, and the coffee in the port-side window is good.
Toorongo Falls Reserve is a bushland area of wet forest containing two spectacular waterfalls. It’s a moderate to easy 2.2km walk in a dog-friendly park up a bush trail to several vantage points below and over the falls; the full distance is an enjoyable circuit taking in both the Toorongo Falls and the Amphitheatre Falls.
Dawn or dusk is the best time to go if you want to spot any wildlife. If you’re light on your feet you could see brush-tailed possums, echidnas, gliders and wallabies. It’s a haven for birds, too.
Keen photographers will want to pack a tripod. Getting that perfect cotton-like water in motion will take a slow shutter and a timer or remote release. There are also bush camping spots available on a no-booking, first-come first-served basis.
The drive into the falls park takes you along the Toorongo River valley floor. It’s a green haven following the river, like something out of The Lord of the Rings – complete with ponies. It’s a spectacular entree to an enjoyable immersion in the forest.
The Yarra Valley’s rock and roll bad boys have gone and opened up a cellar door. Best mates Behn Payten and and Troy Jones have never done things the conventional way. The cellar door is just as likely to have a food truck parked out front as it is to be sporting some new graffiti artwork on the side walls. Don’t be fooled by the deliberately urban vibe, though. These wines are sophisticated. Behn is happy to have a play with skin contact, whole-bunch, and SO2-free, but the range cleverly spans the gamut from fine elegant chardonnays to beautifully weighted savoury pinot noir, to outright ball-tearing funky shiraz. Look for the gorilla if you’re into the latter.
This is no picturesque vineyard-side cellar door. You’re in the heart of Healesville, across the road from the Four Pillars gin distillery, in a sharp fit-out with picnic tables out back for sitting and drinking a glass or three of the good stuff with whatever offerings the food trucks have on the weekends. The OHO trip coincided with a damn tasty BBQ from The Cypriot Grill – a caravan resplendent in yellow livery turning out awesome accompaniments to Behn and Troy’s booze. So far three significant pieces of graffiti art adorn the walls, and are in themselves worthy of a drop-by.
Giant Steps quickly became the stalwart of the Yarra Valley winery and restaurant scene when Phil Sexton first opened it over a decade ago. The structure has become a reassuring symbol of always-available quality wines and food situated in Healesville’s east end.
Winemaker Steve Flamsteed has an unwavering commitment to making quality wines that express the place they’re from, whether it’s one of the single-vineyard series wines or a regional blend. His commitment to excellence is exemplified in his path to winemaking. First he was a chef, then a cheesemaker, but it was wine that caught his attention. While studying oenology, he paid his way as a chef with Maggie Beer. It’s unsurprising that he emerged with a passion for local expressions of produce.
Steve’s uncompromising attention to detail yields results, from the vineyard to the wine glass, and the experience at the Healesville cellar-door restaurant is a reflection of this same approach. Staff are knowledgeable and genuinely love talking about the wines they’re selling. It helps that the tasting room is behind the glass wall, right in the barrel hall where you’re immersed in the workings and glorious smells of a winery.
After a recent refurbishment, the place is looking as fresh and contemporary as ever. It’s a pleasant place to sit and enjoy the food, and definitely to appreciate the good work of Steve and the team in the winery.
With a name that harks back to the Scottish ancestral roots of owners the Graham family, Boat O’Craigo punches way above its weight for quality wines. Indeed, Halliday named it as ‘Dark Horse Winery of the Year’ in 2018. The cellar door on the high side of Healesville heading out of town is a perfect place to sit and lose a couple of hours trying wines and eating platters of local produce, or the simple traditional pizzas expertly turned out of the tiny kitchen.
Wines are made by the legendary Rob Dolan at his Warranwood facility, from fruit grown on the two estate sites at Kangaroo Ground and Healesville. Quality is high, with an emphasis on wines made for drinking and enjoying. Rob is known for his generous winemaking style, and Boat O’Craigo wines definitely fit that bill.
The deck outside shares the close panorama of Mt Riddell with the dining area inside the building. For people who might be heading up to Marysville or just on a drive up the Black Spur, stepping out of the car and encountering the stunning view across the lush vineyard to the foot of the mountain comes as something of a surprise. It’s easily overlooked as you head up the highway, but with the triple threat of great wine, food and a surprise view, it’s a must-stop venue.
You might know Oakridge for its deserved reputation as a producer of some of the best wines in Australia. The best wine writers consistently score Oakridge’s sacred drop over 95 points, and for good reason. The cellar door and restaurant, set in the middle of the vineyards at Coldstream, is a beautiful architectural work of minimalist art, and is the perfect place to try all the latest as well as some selected museum releases. Winemaker David Bicknell is one of the greats, described by James Halliday as ‘an extremely gifted winemaker’, so the opportunity to sample the wines with knowledgeable staff is one you should consider seriously as a life goal.
Another life goal should be to eat the food of Oakridge’s dynamic duo, Matt Stone and Jo Barrett. Both might appear familiar to you from cameo appearances on TV shows, including MasterChef. The ethos of local and seasonal is taken seriously, with an array of just-picked produce coming straight out of the large garden behind the winery. Matt handles the savoury flavours delicately and with such finesse that you’ll be hard-pressed to resist the instagram urge before devouring. Go slowly, because you’ll want to remember every bite. The same is true of Jo’s exquisite desserts.
One of the things we all look for when we go out to dine is flavour that we won’t experience at home. Jo and Matt both pair flavours with such bold confidence, you’re guaranteed a unique taste experience that you won’t get anywhere else, much less at home. Some flavours seem so unusual, ethereal and beautiful that they’re impossible to put a finger on. Who’d have thought that the lime-like acidity in a dish might come from the unexpectedly delicious addition of green ants?
The name could not be any more literal. Six Acres is truly six acres of vineyard producing estate-grown (vegan-friendly) wines in small batches on site. The Zuccaro family has tended this plot lovingly, subscribing to the adage that all good winemakers say: ‘Good wine is grown in the vineyard.’ It’s a prime little patch of Yarra Ranges dirt near Silvan in the Upper Yarra region of the Valley. Here the soils are deep and volcanic, and the fruit yields wines of density and structure. Some of the greatest wines of the Yarra Valley come from up this way; we’re not far from Seville Estate, Hoddles Creek, Thousand Candles, and vineyards growing fruit for Giant Steps, De Bortoli and Oakridge. So the area has some kudos.
Six Acres is a smaller affair, located in a modest (cute) shed with a great view. However, don’t let size fool you. The Zuccaros are focused on quality in their pinot noir, merlot and cabernet. They pride themselves on minimal intervention wines, using none of the usual animal products (like eggs, which are traditionally used for fining). The cellar door is a fun and super-personal experience with a passionate family sharing some stonking wines. You’ll need to allow a budget for take-home wines, but nothing is super-expensive, so don’t be shy!
So much has been written already about the extraordinary food at The Royal Mail. We know that it’s a save-your-pennies experience at the famous Two Hat restaurant – and that it’s worth it. But less well known are the other stunning gems also part of the Royal Mail Experience. The wine cellar attached to the business is, as you’d imagine, goddamn amazing. Here’s the awesome bit though – you can get into it for a rare tasting and tour. It’s literally a warehouse full of wine racks. And you can pay $25 for the most extraordinary flight of wines. This is the way to learn about the great French wines, and our local equivalents.
Also part of the Royal Mail’s DNA is the attention to produce. Most of it is sourced from the business’s properties – the beef and lamb from the farm, the olives from the grove, the fruit from the orchards, and the veg from the garden. You can take a complimentary tour of the garden as a guest of the hotel. Well worth it. We were inspired to make things grow in our own dirt back home.
Of course, it all comes together in the dining room, with the famous degustations. But if you’re just passing through from Port Fairy or Hamilton, try the Parker St Project. This is the Mail’s laid-back experience, but none of the attention to detail is lost. As the name implies, this is a work in constant progress, where menu items are tried and tested, and we get to sample in a casual, country pub-like setting. Worth the detour.
All the best things happening outside Melbourne. Food & Wine, Art & Craft, Adventure & Nature, Events & Festivals and more.
Every week we send you our picks of the best stuff happening outside Melbourne.
We will never share your information with a third-party.
