Bunyip and Garfield, West Gippsland, things to do: 80 minutes by train on a food-tasting day trip

"We should do this more often."

My wife Narrelle and I have just made the unexpectedly steep hike up from Bunyip railway station to the town's main street, and I'm enjoying the fresh country air. The climb has been worth it for the view, as we look south across the tracks toward sporting fields, gum trees and grazing cows, and the hills beyond them.

We reached Bunyip on a V/Line train, taking some 80 minutes to travel from Melbourne's Southern Cross Station to the farming region of West Gippsland. As V/Line's country trains use the same Myki card as the city's public transport, it's easy to head here for a DIY food-tasting day trip.

Our first stop is Biddy Martha's, a cafe in an atmospheric former butcher's shop with timber-plank tables, old-school wooden doorframes and a big window overlooking the town and the trees beyond. Co-owner Gavin Saunders tells us the curious name is a homage to his grandmother, who had the nickname "Biddy".

The menu is on a board above the counter, and includes local ingredients such as free-range eggs, cheese and yoghurt. There are also ham and sausages sourced from Country Style Meats in nearby Garfield.

I order scrambled eggs with mushrooms and goat's cheese (I love the taste collision of the hot egg and cold cheese) and Narrelle opts for the cacao nut granola with seasonal fruit and local organic yoghurt. Not for the first time I'm jealous of her choice, and on cadging a sample I'm impressed – just a hint of chocolate from the cacao, and excellent fresh fruit.

Walking back to the station we have a browse at Bunyip Makers Market, packed with locally-made items including rugs, hats, and novelty cushions featuring your favourite AFL team. Then it's a three-minute ride to the town of Garfield.

Garfield is the vision of an ideal village, with the railway line on one side of its main drag and a row of old-fashioned shopfronts along the other. At Country Style Meats there's a fridge of house-made smallgoods including jerky and kabana, which could form part of an al fresco lunch at the picnic tables along the street. And next door is Lulu's Lolly Shop, where you can pick up sweet treats ranging from the classics (licorice all-sorts, aniseed balls, sugared almonds) to the decidedly modern (a bubble gum called Possum Poop).