The wetlands around Yarram.
Agriculture show
Next weekend, the people of south-east Gippsland will be heading to Yarram for the historic town's 131st annual agricultural show. The people around here are known for their horsemanship, so equestrian events such as showjumping are a big drawcard. The George McKean Memorial Cup is up for grabs for the bloke with an axe who can chop through 320mm of hardwood log the fastest. This is also the largest show for poultry entries in Gippsland, with chicken fanciers vying for prizes and blue ribbons. The biggest event, with a cash prize of $300, is the lamington bake-off, with junior entries competing for a $100 prize. Set in the historic Yarram recreational reserve with its stand of European trees, this is a day of old-fashioned fun.
November 23, 8am-5pm, Buckley Street, Yarram, family ticket $25, yarramshow.org.au
National park
Tarra-Bulga National Park.
The drive from Yarram to Tarra-Bulga National Park is one worth taking slowly. The narrow Tarra Valley Road (C484) meanders alongside the Tarra River, with several crossings over old wooden bridges. Along the way, stop at the Tarra Falls, where the Tarra River cascades over a bulging rock face in the rainforest. Stop at the Bulga picnic ground, where there are facilities set in the mountain ash forest. Further up, following a ridge high in the Strzelecki Ranges, is Grand Ridge Road (beware of logging trucks), off which is the visitor information centre. From here, follow signs to the Corrigan Suspension Bridge, a great steel cable bridge with a suspended wooden walkway that traverses the gorge formed by Macks Creek, in which tree ferns and beech myrtles of the cool temperate rainforest thrive.
parkweb.vic.gov.au
Courthouse
The old Yarram courthouse bookends the historic main street along with the library, formerly an old hotel. The Courthouse Gallery is a community gallery run for and on behalf of Mirridong, a local service provider helping locals with special needs. The exhibition space, formerly the courtroom complete with witness stand, is home to a constantly changing exhibition of the works of accomplished artists, ranging from ceramics to glassware. To raise funds, local knitters have made a range of fun, animal-inspired beanies, while on the shelves you'll find homemade preserves and honey. Combined with the volunteers from the local visitors information centre, who provide passionate local knowledge, this is a good first stop in town.
29 Rodgers Street, Yarram, Thursday-Tuesday, 10am-4pm
The town's historic courthouse.
Coffee palace
The Australian coat of arms sits proudly above the old Federal Coffee Palace built in 1896, five years before Federation. Now known as the Yarram Coffee Palace, this is a bright and friendly cafe run by Anna Moore, with her daughter helping out and her granddaughter stealing hearts and taking centre-stage. Anna cooks everything in-house and is especially proud of her fist-sized scones that sell for $6, including jam and cream. Consider also her beef and red wine pie, chicken and vegetable risotto or light and fluffy lemon meringue pie.
305 Commercial Road, daily 9am-5pm, 5182 6464
Rail trail
The Tarra Trail is, in part, a 13km rail trail that follows the former train line from Yarram through dairy country to Alberton. From here the trail goes on road and follows it to Port Albert, the historic port village from which gold mined in the Omeo gold rush was shipped to Melbourne and beyond. On the way the trail passes the historic Alberton Cemetery on the banks of the Albert River, where the oldest grave dates to 1812. The trail continues into Port Albert, home to good restaurants, fishing and a fine pub.
railtrails.org.au
Museum
Yarram was a dairy town, with the South Gippsland Creamery and Butter Factory Co Ltd processing cream, butter and other dairy products in a magnificent late-19th-century brick building on the edge of town by the banks of the Tarra River. The factory is now closed, but inside its old laboratory is the headquarters of the local historical society and its impressive collection of documents dating to the early colonial era in the 1840s, religious memorabilia from the district's deconsecrated churches, as well as recent relics from disbanded Freemasons' lodges.
1 Carpenter Street, Yarram, Wednesday, 11am-3pm, entry $3
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