Nov 2019, Lake Tyers Beach, Vic

Sometimes you just want to kick yourself, don’t you? You hear somebody raving about something that is almost in your backyard and you’ve driven past countless times and never been there, never seen it.

Having spent a lot of time mooching about the Gippsland Lakes we’ve never visited Lake Tyers, the easternmost lake in this large lake system. On our recent visit we decided to check out Lake Tyers Beach a small fishing community which neighbours Lakes Entrance. The lure for us was that the pub offers freedom camping out the back and we wanted to check it out.

The little town is one of those places that has water views to die for yet, is unpretentious. You know, the kind of place where holiday homes and retirement dream homes are well built but not trendy. The hilly town overlooks both the lake and the ocean.

The lake is currently blocked from the sea by a large dune that is waiting patiently for the right conditions before breaking away and flushing the lake out once more. It’s an interesting seascape and one where I must contain myself  because I’d love to fling off the shoes and paddle about exploring.

The pub known as the Waterwheel Beach Tavern is a gem with breathtaking views as we discover while enjoying a coldie. We’re there mid afternoon on a weekend and the bistro is busy with folk finishing lazy lunches. We marvel at the huge window panes and only on our return to camp do we learn that the pub was built from recycled materials and the windows came from the Sydney Opera House. Yep, this is a top spot and I guess that we’ll have to return and try the food.