Couples · Fishing enthusiasts · Kayakers · Nature lovers
November to April for swimming and water activities. The Gippsland Lakes are calm year-round but summer brings the best conditions. Avoid school holidays if you prefer a quieter experience — Metung is genuinely peaceful outside peak season.
Metung is a tiny, unhurried village on the western shore of Lake King in the Gippsland Lakes system — Australia's largest navigable inland waterway. With a single main road, a handful of cafés, a boat hire shed, and a pub overlooking the water, Metung is the antidote to busy coastal tourism.
Why Metung makes a perfect Melbourne weekend getaway
The Gippsland Lakes cover 400 square kilometres of interconnected waterways, separated from the Tasman Sea by a narrow strip of sand dunes known as the Ninety Mile Beach. Metung sits on a small peninsula where Lake King and Bancroft Bay meet, offering boating, kayaking, and swimming in calm, tannin-stained water that glows golden in the afternoon sun.
The village has a genuine boating culture. The Metung Hotel — perched directly over the water on stilts — is one of the most atmospheric pubs in Victoria and a destination in itself. Metung Waterfront offers boat hire, kayak hire, and a small but excellent café. From the water, the surrounding national park, the distant mountains of the Snowy River country, and the mirror-flat lake surface make for extraordinary paddling.
The surrounding East Gippsland region offers excellent fishing (the Gippsland Lakes are renowned for bream, Australian perch, and luderick), beautiful cycling on the East Gippsland Rail Trail, and easy access to the pristine beaches of Ninety Mile Beach at Lakes Entrance. The small towns of Paynesville, Bairnsdale, and Lakes Entrance all offer additional dining and accommodation options for those wanting a fuller exploration of the region.
Top things to do in Metung
Kayaking the Gippsland Lakes
Paddle through calm, tannin-coloured waterways surrounded by reeds, pelicans, and herons. Hire kayaks and canoes from Metung Waterfront — the morning paddle toward Bunga Arm is particularly beautiful.
Metung Hotel
One of Victoria's most atmospheric pubs, built on stilts over the water with sweeping lake views. Cold beer, good food, and a terrace that catches the afternoon light perfectly — arrive before sunset for the best experience.
Boat hire
Self-drive hire boats from Metung Waterfront allow you to explore the lakes at your own pace, reaching hidden coves, sandbanks, and secluded beaches that are only accessible by water.
Lakes Entrance
A 30-minute drive east of Metung, Lakes Entrance is the main town of the Gippsland Lakes and has good seafood restaurants, an excellent visitor centre, and the only entrance from the ocean into the lake system.
Ninety Mile Beach
One of Australia's longest and most undeveloped ocean beaches, accessible from multiple points along the lakes system. The beach is wild, powerful, and usually empty — excellent for long walks.
Mitchell River National Park
A beautiful 30-minute drive from Metung through the Bairnsdale corridor, the Mitchell River carves through spectacular gorges. The Den of Nargun — a significant Aboriginal cultural site — is one of Victoria's most atmospheric places.
Practical tips for your Metung trip
- Metung is small — book the Metung Hotel, Moorings at Metung, or one of the lakeside holiday houses well in advance for summer visits.
- The Metung Waterfront café serves excellent food but has limited hours and capacity — arrive early or book ahead.
- Bring a fishing rod — the Gippsland Lakes offer exceptional fishing and a fishing licence is required for freshwater fishing.
- The drive from Melbourne via Princes Highway is long but beautiful — break the journey in Bairnsdale or Paynesville.
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