Just 90 minutes by train or car from central Melbourne lies the town ofWarragul. The town has a fantastic quality of life, with one real estate company ranking it the fifth mostliveable place in regional Australia in a 2014 survey.
This town of 14,000 people was first settled in 1877 after the construction of the railway from Melbourne to Traralgon. The town first became wealthy from the production of timber, with many sawmills operating in the district. As forests were cleared, dairy farming was established. Today, the countryside around Warragul is famed for yielding rich dairy produce, boutique wineries and other foods.
A walk along Queen Street will reveal the beautiful heritage of Warragul and its elaborate 19th-century architecture, such as the railway station and Shire Hall.
Take a break in one of Warragul’s top-notch cafes or restaurants such as the Grange Café and Deli – one of the best coffee shops in a town of very good cafes – or Pepe’s Woodfired, a low-key restaurant with amazing pizzas and steaks.
Warragul is close to some delightful boutique wineries and no trip to this part of Gippsland would be complete without a visit to some of them. The Ripplebrook Winery is a short drive away and serves Italian food with its fine wines.
Warragul’s cultural scene is also worth sampling. There are a number of galleries and studios in the area. Nearby Darnum Musical Village is a particular rarity: it has a collection of 300 exquisite vintage instruments on display and you can hear them being played by the dedicated owners.
