The old trestle bridge at Noojee.Credit: Neil Newitt
Although some of the green fields are threatened increasingly by the extending fingers of suburbia, the broad acres of West Gippsland are still much the way they were a century ago tranquil, bucolic and truly fascinating.
The boomerang of land that starts at Yarragon, takes in the twin towns of Warragul and Drouin, then heads for the hills along the Tarago River was for many years called the Gourmet Deli Trail but the name has fortunately fallen from fashion.
Now it is content to be what it always was a highly productive pocket of land with magnificent scenery and all the infrastructure needed by visitors planning day trips or longer breaks.
New roads have brought the region within 90 minutes of Melbourne; add another hour and you can be more than a kilometre above sea level in a year-round mountain resort.
What's to see?
The densely forested headwaters of the Tarago have sparkling creeks as tributaries, all worth exploring. My favourite is the Ada River, which spears off the Noojee-Powelltown Road and climbs steadily until you arrive at the start of the Ada Tree walk. After a gentle stroll you'll reach one of the world's most magnificent trees an 84-metre monster that you'd love to hug, only you'd need a 15.7-metre arm span.
At Noojee, take time out to view the old trestle bridge that once a year groans with the weight of more than 100 gourmands tucking into local produce in the Long Lunch, part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. The Toorongo Falls are spectacular after rain.
Take the road through Noojee, past Icy Creek and Tanjil Bren and you'll soon reach Mount Baw Baw, where you can drive into the heart of the little Alpine village and stroll to the summit for views of Bass Strait and the Alps.
And now, for something completely different, see the musical village at Darnum. There are more than 300 instruments and you can have your own Steinway grand piano french polished, tuned and generally restored there (56278235).
South of Yarragon and Warragul are the slopes of the Strzelecki Ranges, with glimpses of the broad Latrobe Valley and views down towards Bass Strait.
In times gone by
Much of this swathe was uncharted territory for years after Victoria was settled. The Great Swamp, starting around Pakenham, could not be crossed easily and pioneers found it was easier to access the rich lands farther east by ship. Gold and timber changed all that. The precious metal was found by the tonne in and around Walhalla and a Gippsland route was pushed through a strip of land skirting swamp and mountains.
Timber was won from the Strzeleckis, including a tree acknowledged as the tallest in the world, near Thorpdale. And logging is still carried out in the headwaters of the Tarago and Latrobe.
Farmers moved in where the trees were cleared. Thorpdale specialised in spuds; other areas had a go at orcharding. But dairy farming is the mainstay and there are many more cows than people around here.
Shopping
Yarragon punches way above its weight as a destination for anyone looking for food, gifts or homewares or absolutely stunning bread with a strong ingredient of religion. This comes from Hope Farm, a bakery in the little town's industrial district run by members of the Hope of Israel Ministries (56342073).
Yarragon has many arts, crafts and antiques shops, a traditional lolly store and a bookshop. What you might not expect to find is a shop specialising in African products visit Across Africa (56342126). There is also a couple of fashion stores including a cowboy-cowgirl shop.
Warragul is the district's main shopping centre with supermarkets, gift stores and everything else to serve a growing population. The streetscapes are attractive and parking is easy.
For the table
Eat it here or take it home there's enough local produce to fill the boot. A good place to get a handle on what's on offer is Gippsland Food and Wine at Yarragon (5634 2451). They let you sample local cheese including Jindi, Top Paddock, Tarago River, Berry's Creek and Capra organic goat's cheese and smoked trout from Noojee's Alpine Trout Farm.
If you have a large, suitably refrigerated car you could set yourself up with enough meat to last quite some time at Gregory's Red Angus in Neerim South (56288501). A whole carcass will set you back about $2000-$2400; they'll also drop down to a quarter animal. The Gypsy Pig at Darnum has free-range pork products (56278201). Jindi Pig at Neerim South also deals in free-range pork (56281797).
A bit cheesy
With all those contented cows around the place it was inevitable the region would win a reputation for fine cheese.
A good place to start tasting and buying is Brandy Creek Wines at Drouin East (56254498; brandycreekwines.com.au). Here the new Gippsland Regional Cheese Tasting Centre offers a range of speciality cheeses made by well-known artisan cheesemakers.
The centre also offers cheese tastings matched to wine plates and special cheese events featuring the master cheesemakers themselves.
Cellar guide
It's not all about wine, even though this is one of Victoria's fastest-growing wine regions, with more than 25 wineries at last count.
The opening hours vary so contact the wineries before you visit.
For a remarkable beer experience, try John Greenwood's Yarragon Ale House (56342367), with about 180 brands, many of them imported. "If you're looking for something to give the one you love, how about a bottle for $148?" Greenwood asks. "For that you'll get a three-litre magnum of Belgian Blue Chimay. If you can find a better beer, please let me know."
Parnassus Vineyard at Drouin East (56268522) doubles as a fine bed and breakfast and small event centre. Lillico Wines at Warragul (56234231) has cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris and sparkling cabernet sauvignon, matched with local smoked meats, cheeses and homemade terrines.
Wild Dog at Warragul North (56231117, wilddogwinery.com) has award winning riesling and shiraz, plus a range of cool climate wines. Cannibal Creek Vineyard at Tynong North (59428380, cannibalcreek.com.au) is open seven days. Little-known Piedmont, beyond Neerim, is home to two wineries Meriz (0419939569) and Piedmont Wines, (56289675, piedmontwines.com.au). Ada River Vineyard, at Neerim South (56281661) is open for business on weekends and public holidays.
For a detailed overview of the entire local winescene, take a look at The Press Cellars in Warragul (56220494).
Eating
The Outpost Restaurant in Noojee (56289669) rewards the picturesque drive check the menu at theoutpostretreat.com. An alternative is Noojee's Red Parrot Cafe (56289602).
Jack's at Jindivick is a special place restaurant, bed and breakfast, produce store, cafe and gallery (56285424). It's close to Jackson's Track, where boxer Lionel Rose was born 61 years ago.
In Warragul, try the Courthouse (56222442) with hearty country food in an 1886 building.
Sleeping
There are many options consider Jannali at Neerim South (56281476). Luxurious suites overlook Tarago Lake. Yarragon Villas on Campbell is self catering (56342623). Bloomfield Cottages at Nilma (56221723) has continental breakfast.
Blerick Country Retreat at Neerim South has three self-catering cottages and views of Mount Baw Baw (56281507). Mira Mira (56267200) at Crossover is a truly bewitching place, along the lines of a Harry Potter scene. There's a cave apartment, which you enter through a vast mouth, a Gaudi-inspired hideaway and a retreat that takes inspiration from Japanese Zen.
Springbank at Nilma North regularly wins awards for its gardens and is well-known for its hospitality (56278060).
Getting there
Yarragon is about 120 kilometres from Melbourne a fast route once the Monash logjam has been passed around Heatherton Road. Drouin and Warragul are bypassed, as are Pakenham and some quaint little towns including Nar Nar Goon, Garfield and Bunyip.
LOCAL'S VIEW
John Snelling, owner and chef of the Outpost Restaurant, Noojee, has become one of the little town's largest employers - staff numbers have risen from six when he bought the place about six years ago to its current 21.
"I first came here in 1997. All I knew was that my wife, Barbara, was born here, had left and vowed never to come back. But we did - on our honeymoon - and she fell in love with the place all over again.
"It was a big change for me - I had become accustomed to the cosmopolitan lifestyle of head chef at Cafe di Stasio in St Kilda. People tell me it was a brave step coming here but it's gradually starting to pay.
"Our clientele is from the Latrobe Valley, Melbourne and the Yarra Valley. Locals pop in from time to time but there aren't many locals up here.
"It was a bit scary when the fires broke out on Black Saturday and we closed the doors for 16 days. During that time I was serving food to the firemen - from breakfast at 4am through to supper at 11pm. They were pretty thrilled about the food, I think.
"What I like about the region is that it's so green.
"This valley is the last place to turn brown in a drought and the first to recover when we get rain. Scenically it's quite magical and the richness of the soil and climate make the region perfect for growing all manner of foods. In turn that makes it perfect for running a restaurant.
"Whenever we can we shoot into Melbourne and try out a good restaurant just to see what's happening in the food world."
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