Things to do in Lakes Entrance, Victoria – free, exclusive guide

The best things to do in Lakes Entrance, Victoria, include lakes cruises, Eastern Beach, kayak tours and the Lakes Entrance Aqua Park.

Lakes Entrance, Victoria, is where the Gippsland Lakes meets the Southern Ocean. It is home to a huge fishing fleet and has long been the most popular resort town on the lakes.

Unsurprisingly, the main things to do in Lakes Entrance revolve around the beaches and lakes.

Lakes Entrance beaches

The gap where the lakes flow into the ocean divides 90 Mile Beach to the west from Lakes Entrance Beach. This beach unfurls east, becoming Eastern Beach, although the main difference is where you access them from. There are two pedestrian footbridges over Cunninghame Arm. The main one links the town to Lakes Entrance Beach. The second one is just next to the NRMA Eastern Beach holiday park, towards the eastern end of Cunninghame Arm. This leads to the significantly quieter Eastern Beach.

The Lakes Entrance beaches are known for their rips, so swimmers should stay between the flags. Surfers, however, should have a good time as the ocean swells roll in. The best conditions tend to be around Red Bluff further east towards Lake Tyers.

Lakes Entrance in East Gippsland, Victoria. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Things to do in Lakes Entrance, Victoria: Cruises and kayak hire

Away from the beaches, the obvious attractions are the lakes. And there are several ways to explore them. Lonsdale Eco Cruises runs three hour cruises taking in birdlife, seals and dolphins. Peel Cruises does much the same, but also offers a leisurely lunch option which involves dining at the Metung Pub in Metung.

Other options for exploring the Gippsland Lakes from Lakes Entrance include boat hire and kayak rentals. Portside Boat Hire rents out small boats, while Venture Out hires kayaks. The latter also runs kayaking and paddleboarding tours.

Things to do in Lakes Entrance, Victoria: Sea Shell Museum and Aqua Park

Lakes Entrance’s biggest weakness is a lack of rainy day activities. The Griffiths Sea Shell Museum is about your lot, and that’s exactly as interesting as it sounds.

Other things to do in Lakes Entrance include mini golf. There are several putt-putt courses, of which Footbridge Mini Golf is the most convenient for anyone heading back from the beach.

You’ll also find the Lakes Entrance Aqua Park by the footbridge. This is basically a big inflatable obstacle course on the water. Kids love it.

Accommodation options include the NRMA Eastern Beach holiday park, the highly-regarded Cunningham Shore Motel and the child-friendly Big4 Whiters Holiday Village.

This article came as a result of a Melbourne to Sydney coastal road trip in March/ April 2022. This trip was supported by Tourism Australia and Visit Victoria.

Driving times to Lakes Entrance, Victoria

Bairnsdale to Lakes Entrance: Distance 40km, driving time 35m.

Canberra to Lakes Entrance: Distance 422km, driving time 4h44m.

Mallacoota to Lakes Entrance: Distance 202km, driving time 2h24m.

Melbourne to Lakes Entrance: Distance 318km, driving time 3h50m.

Metung to Lakes Entrance: Distance 19km, driving time 22m.

Orbost to Lakes Entrance: Distance 60km, driving time 42m.

Sale to Lakes Entrance: Distance 105km, driving time 1h20m.

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