Traralgon

Latrobe Valley's largest city, Traralgon is shaped by wide tree-lined streets, beautiful gardens and spacious parklands. The town is the region's entertainment capital with alfresco dining at cafes and restaurants, and thriving pubs and clubs. The Gippsland town was a resting place for drovers during the gold rush, and today has grown to service the surrounding energy, agricultural, pastoral, papermaking and timber industries. See remnants of the gold rush years reflected in the architecture of the town: the Traralgon Post Office, Ryans Hotel and Ostler House. Sidewalk cafes, restaurants and shopping arcades mark the commercial centre of Traralgon. There is a string of bars, pubs and clubs in the town hosting an array of live bands and entertainment. Enjoy a musical or comedy act at the Latrobe Performing Arts Centre. A favourite destination for picnickers is Victory Park with its marble sculpture Lars Compatalis, historic band rotunda and beautiful gardens. A stroll over the creek along the footbridge leads to Newman Park featuring a huge adventure playground including monthly miniature train rides. Try your hand at a round of golf at Traralgon Golf Club or visit the Traralgon Vineyard winery. For the more adventurous, visit the Latrobe Regional Airport to experience the thrill of sky diving and gliding or a scenic flight over the Gippsland region. Take a guided tour of the Loy Yang Open Cut Mine and Power Station south-east of Traralgon, one of Australia's largest engineering projects. Traralgon is an attractive base for exploring the nearby Strzelecki Ranges and cool temperate rainforests of the Tarra Bulga National Park. Traralgon is approximately 165 kilometres from Melbourne, or just under two hours by car along the Princes Highway.