Our second stop on our road trip from Sydney to Melbourne was Lakes Entrance, a quite small coastal town in eastern Victoria. The town is absolutely beautiful and it was the perfect stop between Canberra and Melbourne.
If you haven’t checked out my Canberra Travel Guide, I definitely recommend you do. There are a couple of routes you can take to get to Lakes Entrance from Canberra, a straight-shot, faster route, or a more scenic route down the coast of Australia. Although the more scenic route would have been lovely, due to it raining while we were driving, we decided to take the direct route away from the coast, which took us a little under five hours.
If you’re looking to do a road trip from Sydney to Melbourne, you’ve probably have heard of Canberra, as it is Australia’s capital, however, you may not have heard of Lakes Entrance before, I know I didn’t before doing my research.
Lakes Entrance was kind of no-brainer stop in between Canberra and Melbourne. During our road trip, we passed quite a few small towns on our way to Melbourne, however, when I say small, I mean very small. Lakes Entrance is definitely a popular destination due to it being a much more established town with grocery stores, cafes, hotels, camper parks etc.
Where to Stay:
There are quite a few options to stay in Lakes Entrance. Probably the most popular option when visiting Lakes Entrance is to stay in a camper van park, as most people are camping in the area. However, there are a few hotels in the area as well.
We stayed at Koonwarra Family Holiday Park, a camper van park with options for cabins and apartment style rooms as well as camper van parking. As we weren’t camping, we stayed in a two-bedroom apartment style suite. The apartment was actually really nice for the price and included a small dining area, small kitchenette, two bedrooms, and a balcony with a large parking space below. You could easily park your camper van underneath if you were traveling with one.
For the price, and for four people, staying at Koonwarra Holiday was definitely a great option and close to the amenities in the area.
What to Do:
As I mentioned, the weather wasn’t the best when we were in Lakes Entrance, and since we were in a hurry to get to Melbourne, we didn’t get to spend too much time exploring the town. However, the time that we did spend exploring, we definitely enjoyed what we saw and definitely plan on returning to the small town to explore some more.
The Markets: Located in the park near the boardwalk, there was a carnival and a huge farmers market. This market was one of the biggest markets I’ve seen in a long time with everything from crafts, plants, food, and flea market finds. We would have definitely made some purchases while we were here if we weren’t continuing our journey to New Zealand afterward.
The Lake: As the name says, Lakes Entrance is surrounded by a lake leading into the ocean. Although the ocean would typical be my go-to destination when visiting the area, this lake should not be missed. There’s plenty to do by the lake from renting paddle boats to having a picnic by the water. There is also a lovely bike path around the lake that’s perfect from walking your dog or cycling around the town.
There is also a stunning lookout just past the town where you can see where the lakes meet the ocean. The water is so incredible that I definitely recommend either driving to this lookout or stopping at it during a morning stroll around town. It’s something you definitely don’t want to miss.
The Ocean: Across from the park, is a boardwalk where you can cross over the lake and reach the beach. If you’re looking for more of an ocean vibe, right across the lake is the ocean, perfect for a beach day.
Shopping: In the main area of the town, there are tons of cute little shops that you would see in small towns including cute cafes, bookstores, boutiques, and tons of other little knick-knacks shops. Along with the small town style shops, Lakes Entrance also has stores like Aldi, Woolworths, Reject Shop, and much more.
Griffiths Sea Shell Museum: Although we didn’t have time to visit the museum, this is definitely a popular spot for people who visit Lakes Entrance so it may be worth checking out on your visit.
How to Get Around:
Walking: Lakes Entrance is definitely a walkable town, perfect for bringing along your furry-best friend or dragging along some bikes for your journey. You can easily walk from one end of the town to the other so walking is definitely preferred in the area.
Lakes Entrance is definitely a town that we want to explore a little bit more. It had such a nice, friendly vibe that the small town is definitely somewhere we’d love to take our dog Frejya, and spend a long weekend relaxing.
Whether you’re traveling from Sydney, Canberra, or Melbourne, I definitely recommend taking some time to stop in Lakes Entrance and enjoy this beautiful coastal town. Have you ever been to Lakes Entrance before? Let me know in the comments down below!
