Lakes Entrance + Magical Metung

December 2022. Another Christmas, possibly the closest to how the festive season used to be before 2020, and another short getaway with the adopted fam - this time to Lakes Entrance. Our journey started at 9:30 am on Christmas Eve.

Day 1

We knew the drive would be long - about four hours - so planned to stop in Morwell and eat at a bakery called Out of Dough. We reached Morwell around 11:15. Driving past the Centenary Rose Garden and looking at the curbside display of fabulous colours, anyone would agree that Morwell is indeed the town of gardens!

Out of Dough was disappointing though. The bakery is in a shopping centre called Manny's Market. The place looked rundown. The staff were impatient and somewhat rude. The food was below average. We would never return there!

After another two hours (and a bit) of driving, we reached the Airbnb at around 2:30 pm. It was a small cottage with a front garden and a backyard with a picnic table. After a short rest - we needed it after four hours of driving - we headed to the town centre, and then to Jemmys Point Lookout. The view was marvellous!

We also saw a historic tree, which was used for many years as a lookout for incoming ships since the Entrance opened in 1889.

From Jemmys Point Lookout, the Esplanade is only a five-minute drive. What must be a busy and bustling place looked deserted on Christmas Eve! We strolled to Cunninghame Arm Footbridge and crossed it to go to the Surf Beach.

Day 2

We started Day 2, Christmas Day, by driving to Metung. The drive was beautiful and the town quiet. We strolled on the boardwalk as far as it would go. Even though the sun was quite strong, the gentle breeze made the walk truly enjoyable.

This might not interest many people, but I was fascinated by the boat berthing signs and the roped channels!

There's a viewing deck in Metung only a couple of hundred metres (or less!) from the road. The path is steep-ish, but there are steps.

It was midday and we were hungry. We drove back to Esplanade in search of food, but the only place that was open on Christmas Day was KFC, and it was packed! After a quick lunch, we headed to the historic Stony Creek Trestle Bridge. From the KFC, the Trestle Bridge is only about 20 kilometres. We came to a gravel road, and after we'd driven only a few hundred metres there, Google Maps told us we'd have to walk 2.5 kilometres to reach the bridge! We obliged, even though my instinct said we should be able to drive all the way to the bridge! The walk would've been quite enjoyable had the temperature not risen to 35 and the trail not been so exposed. We took the Nowa Nowa Walk to an intersection, and then the Rail Trail to reach the bridge.

My first realisation, as we arrived at the bridge, was that we could've indeed driven there!

The bridge is a historic site. It was built in 1916 to extend the Melbourne-to-Bairnsdale train line a further 97 kilometres to Orbost through rugged terrain, making it the hardest rail project in Victoria. The last train crossed the bridge in 1987. Today, at 276m long and 20m high, it apparently stands as the largest bridge of its kind in Victoria.

The bridge is not accessible to the public, but there are two viewing areas, one at the base and one close to the top, both inspiring awe and admiration.

Day 3

Another glorious day in Lakes Entrance - perfect for boating! There are many companies to choose from and the prices aren't too varied. I would recommend reading through the recent reviews and finding the company with the highest rating - 4.5 and up. We hadn't done that, and since it was a busy day on the lakes, we ended up choosing Victor Hire Boats because they had the shortest wait time. Whoever you go with, make sure you follow the instructions given to the tee!

The highlight of our third day was, however, Chants Amusements! ShNaajh and Harsh had eyed the rides with such longing the day before, when the park was closed, that we had to take a chance today! Google and Facebook searches revealed that the park opened at 6:00. We were off again to the Foreshore.

We bought a couple of leaves of 'tokens' for the rides and games. Each 'token' was worth two dollars. Chants Family Carnival is open from late December through to the end of January when the school holidays end.

Hungry after the adrenaline had settled, we headed to Metung for dinner. Our destination: Cafe Chez Joe. It was almost 8:00, and the kitchen closes at 8:45 - we were worried that we'd be holding up the kitchen with our late booking, but Joe, the owner, was kind and hospitable and the warm smile on his face enriched our dining experience. We ordered the Mezze Platter, Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng. They were flavoursome and the portions were a good size. We'd go back there in a heartbeat!

Day 4

We were back on the beach on our last day in Lakes Entrance. Although the day was hot and the water inviting, we just walked on the beach, collecting shells.

Sun-baked and hungry, we went to Funkey Monkey Cafe for brunch. We had Sweet Potato Fritters, Eggs Your Way and a Beef Burger - all incredibly tasty and filling! And the Spider, of course, was refreshing.

With our stomachs and hearts filled, we headed to the Griffiths Sea Shell Museum. The museum doesn't have a website, and the Facebook page doesn't seem to be maintained, but the museum has an impressive collection of seashells and other marine life. If you are in Lakes Entrance, it's well worth a visit. The ticket was less than $10 for both adults and children, and you might not need more than an hour.

Our day ended in Metung - yes, we were back in magical Metung for the sunset. As we strolled by the water, we spotted a sculpture of the Charles Edward passenger ship on Metung foreshore. The real Charles Edward, a passenger ship, sailed from Scotland to Australia in 1864.

We followed the boardwalk to the very end as the sun prepared for its descent. On our way back, we stopped on the boardwalk right across from the sun. The show was spectacular!

I wish I could leave you with the serenity we felt standing there, watching the setting sun and the calm water, but...

From Lakes Entrance Foreshore, there are at least two possible routes to Metung: one is via Nungurner Road and Rosherville Road, winding through the forest, which we'd taken on both our previous visits to Metung; the other is Metung Road, which runs through residential areas and small farms and has much fewer (hairpin-ish) bends, which we took on our last day! I would recommend the second route because it's safer. Why? As we were driving back through the forest - driving at 10k below the speed limit - a kangaroo jumped in front of our friend's car! The car was significantly damaged. We wanted to follow ShNaajh's advice and find the kangaroo to make sure there was no joey, but we'd already driven a few hundred metres from the bend where the accident happened, it was dark, and as we were standing around the damaged car, a large kangaroo came out of the bush, watched us for a few seconds, and then hopped into the bush on the other side of the road. We were worried that trying to find the kangaroo might actually be dangerous, so we drove back to the Airbnb, slowly, with our hazard lights on - because our friend's car could only go at 40-50k. We were relieved that our friends were okay, but the thought of the wounded (or dead) kangaroo weighed heavily on our hearts.

We drove back to Melbourne the following morning. Both families were exhausted and we felt like we needed another holiday just to recover from the trauma of the night before but glad that we had each other during a difficult time.