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Just 90 minutes east of Melbourne, this green patch of land is also rich in great restaurants, rollicking country pubs and sparkling produce. Plus, there’s the Noojee Truffle Festival running during July and August.
Wilsons Prom. Lakes Entrance. Mallacoota. Gippsland fantasies tend to centre on the sandy beaches and bucolic reaches of the region’s east and south. But what if Victoria’s most beguiling weekend getaway has been hiding in the region’s west, barely 90 minutes from Melbourne, this whole time?
When to visit
West Gippsland is a paradise for all seasons, but there’s no better time to scratch the surface than July. That’s what the truffle dogs reckon, at least, who are already hard at work sniffing out some of the country’s finest fungi ahead of the inaugural Noojee Truffle Festival (10 July-2 August). From truffle toasties and truffle dinners to truffle hunts hosted by some of the most down-to-earth truffle growers in the business, it’s a full-scale celebration of nature’s most fragrant culinary treasure. For the full experience, book a discovery and tasting experience with Ashridge Truffles and learn all about this enigmatic ingredient with the festival’s founders, Abby Graham and Graham Dewhurst.
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Hogget Kitchen
At Warragul’s mighty fine-diner, recognised with a Good Food Guide hat since 2020, produce becomes poetry in the hands of Gippsland’s favourite son Trevor Perkins. And the view – acres upon acres of cool-climate vines, William Downie and Patrick Sullivan grapes among them – is a sonnet itself. Seasonality is sacrosanct in these four walls, and right now, you can expect peak-winter ingredients like Jerusalem artichokes and oyster mushrooms to make special appearances in a rich farfalle pasta finished with chicken jus. Hogget’s surfeit of pumpkins, meanwhile, is magicked into ice-cream, caramel and candied pepitas to garnish a sweet pumpkin tart.
6 Farrington Close, Warragul, hogget.com.au
Messmates
If Hogget is the icon, Messmates is the disciple. Provenance is just as sacred in this dark, slender dining room. And whether you’re swinging by for a glass of Entropy riesling and smoked trout rillettes or settling in for a soul-massaging brick of lamb for two, you can just about guarantee it’s all coming from somewhere close by. Set on an entirely unremarkable strip near a Premix King, it walks the line between casual catch-up and come hither like few others.
15 Palmerston Street, Warragul, messmatesdining.com
Neeri Nuff
Climb the foothills of the Southern Dividing Ranges and you’ll quickly find yourself in the charming town of Neerim South, and, with any luck, at one of the spirited winemaker lunches hosted by local favourite Neeri Nuff. The sense of community is palpable at this easygoing wine bar, its regulars singing the praises of chef-owner Margaret MacDougall’s soulful cooking and sensitively priced menu.
115 Main Neerim Road, Neerim South, neerinuff.com.au
Neerim South Hotel
Outside, two groups pull up out the front of this small-town pub. One arrives on horseback after a leisurely trail ride and fixes its steeds to the pub’s hitching post. The other wears its leathers proudly (and peacefully!) as its Harleys roll to a gentle halt. It’s a testament to the knit of the town’s social fabric that the two would drink at the same joint – pull up a stool and get to know them over a chinwag at the front bar.
91-109 Main Neerim Road, Neerim South, neerimsouthhotel.com.au
Alpine Trout Farm
Pick your ride and press on up the road to this commercial trout farm, a pay-to-plunder paradise for anglers of all ages. It’s also the breeding ground of those rillettes you loved back at Messmates. Back-dropped by the dramatic Great Forest National Park, it looks like it’s been lifted straight out of an episode of the 1990s TV series Twin Peaks. Wet a line, catch and cook your own trout onsite, grab a jar of caviar and a golden trout on the way out. It’s one of the region’s most unique experiences.
115 Mt Baw Baw Tourist Road, Piedmont, alpinetroutfarm.com.au
Noojee Trestle Bridge
Speaking of which, ever heard of this 21-metre tall bridge? Built entirely of timber, it’s an architectural wonder now – so you can imagine what a sight it was when it was built in 1919. Back then, it ferried timber from Noojee to Warragul; nowadays, it’s more geared for a leisurely stroll among the gum trees. There are plenty of good walks to be walked in these wilds, and a little gentle exercise might be just the thing before making for the pub-rich town of Noojee.
Mt Baw Baw Tourist Road, Noojee
Little Red Duck Cafe
But first, coffee. Little Red Duck is your spot. The pies are huge and might be filled with juicy brisket and cheese; the brekkie rolls fortifying with sausage and hollandaise and all things salty; and the waffles, occasionally festooned in M&Ms, legendary. The Duck is getting in on the truffle action, too: swing by during the festival and pimp your morning with a little earthen luxury.
1 Bennett Street, Noojee, instagram.com/littleredduckcafe
Noojee Hotel
You might’ve seen the bumper stickers, but nothing can prepare you for the high-octane hootenanny awaiting you. 101 years young, the Nooj Pub has it all: the whomping parmas, the wooden fixings, the crackling fireplace, the country hospitality. It also has a perfect view of the majestic Latrobe River, and a courtesy bus to get you to and fro if you live within 30 minutes. And have you ever seen a pub with this much merch? (Don’t sleep on the pink fluffy stubby coolers!)
411 Mt Baw Baw Tourist Road, Noojee, noojeehotel.com.au
The Toolshed Bistro, Bar and Cabins
One excellent watering hole in a town of 157 would be plenty; two is miraculous. If the Twin Peaks energy at the Trout Farm got you going, you’re going to want to set aside a good day or two to drink in the pine-and-iron allure of the Toolshed. The bar – a real-life saloon – teems with locals knocking back cold ones to a little live Sunday music. The bistro kitchen is in overdrive grilling trout and steak and throwing dough for blister-crusted pizzas. And the cabins? We wish we owned one: cosy, comfortable and, best of all, an easy crawl from the bar. There’s a muscle car meetup going down in the carpark, a wedding playing out under the shade of the weepy elm trees, a flock of parrots pecking feed from the bowl near the bistro. Perfection.
38 Loch Valley Road, Noojee, toolshednoojee.com.au
Gippsland Food and Wine
If you’re loving all this Gippsland food and wine, why not swing past this Yarragon gourmet grocer? Preserves, cheeses, cold cuts, oil, wine, hampers – your providore fantasy finds full expression here. Bring an empty basket and a treat-yourself attitude and bring the best of Gippy home with you.
123 Princes Hwy, Yarragon, gippslandfoodandwine.com.au
Cannibal Creek Vineyard
Before you wave West Gippsland goodbye, let’s get you a glass of something really good. Halfway back to Melbourne in Tynong North is this gorgeous single-estate winery. Inspired by the winemaking traditions of Burgundy and Bordeaux, the range is best explored in a tasting, or at the cellar door restaurant alongside a generous prix fixe menu starring, perhaps, thick medallions of grilled cotechino sausage served with rich gratin dauphinoise.
260 Tynong N Road, Tynong, cannibalcreek.com.au
The Noojee Truffle Festival runs 10 July to 2 August. For the full details, head to noojeetrufflefestival.com.au
The writer travelled to West Gippsland as a guest of Destination Gippsland.
