Lakes Entrance

Lakes Entrance is situated between Bairnsdale and Orbost at a man-made channel that links Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea with the 400 square kilometre network of inland waterways known as the Gippsland Lakes.

As a water-front town, Lakes Entrance is a very popular all year round holiday destination, including during winter months when the climate is often a few degrees warmer than Melbourne. The main thoroughfare of the Esplanade runs along the shoreline of the Cunninghame Arm inlet, with marinas and attractive foreshore gardens on one side, and a good selection of shops, restaurants and accommodation options on the other side. A number of wooden sculptures, carved out of old tree trunks, can be found along the Esplanade, and they represent images of Australia at war.

A walk across the popular landmark footbridge, which crosses Cunninghame Arm, links the town centre with the sand dunes and windswept coastline of Bass Strait, popular with surfers and swimmers. A 5 kilometre return walk from the footbridge along the narrow peninsula of land which separates the still waters of Cunninghame Arm from the choppy waters of Bass Strait takes visitors along some scenic coastline and coastal bush to the Flagstaff Lookout which provides good views over the man-made entrance into the Gippsland Lakes.

A number of lookouts provide panoramic views over Lakes Entrance and the surrounding waterways, with most located on or near the Princes Highway, just west of the town in the neighbouring community of Kalimna. However, for one of the best views of the area, a drive along the appropriately named Seaview Parade rewards visitors with unparalleled views over the town centre, marinas, Cunninghame Arm and down to the Ninety Mile Beach.

As a holiday town with a large emphasis on water activities and a high concentration of marinas and jetties along its extensive lake coastline, it is no surprise that Lakes Entrance is the base of one of Australia's largest fishing fleets. The Fisherman's Co-Op, located on Bullock island, sells a wide variety of freshly caught fish to the public.

Around 10 kilometres east of Lakes Entrance is the small community of Lake Tyers. Situated on the shores of Lake Tyers where it opens out into the ocean on the Ninety Mile Beach, visitors can enjoy bushwalking, fishing, boating, swimming or simply drop into the lake's waterfront tavern for a meal or drink. Local surfers usually trek down to Red Bluff - a stretch of ocean beach located beneath a rocky headland within walking distance of the lake's sea entrance.

The Stony Creek Railway Bridge is located 22 kilometres north-east of Lakes Entrance, just off the Princes Highway within the Colquhoun State Forest. This trestle bridge was built in 1916 from local timber and stands 18.6 metres in height and is 274 metres in length. It is believed to be the largest wooden bridge still standing in Australia.