Pub Trails
Pub Trailing with Gaz around OZ
PUB-TRAILING
by Gaz
".... enjoy the journey, not just the destination"
It's hard to recall if it was a passion for travel that lead to the discovery of some great outback pubs. Perhaps it was really the search for pubs that resulted in some brilliant journeys. At the very least, that probably explains many excuses invented for doing both.
Mix into that equation, an insatiable
appetite for filming and photography. Then add the endless challenges presented by a business with clients in pretty much every regional and remote area of Victoria, (see: Victoria Overview example) and you can see why pub-trailing has been a big part of my many years on the road.
When the opportunity presented itself to bolster the Victorian coverage of www.GdayPubs.com.au I had no hesitation to join the pursuit.
As a long time technical product reviewer, passionate caravaner, and with a keen interest in 4WD, camping, wine-tasting,exploring and documenting all things related, the role was a natural fit.
www.GdayPubs.com.au boasts a directory of Pubs, taverns, and hotels throughout Australia well managed along with excellent mapping and directions tools – a great reference to be sure. And what's more, it has some interesting sidelines for readers who are interested in history, pubobilia, and great Aussie icons. Anybody interested in experiencing true outback pub hospitality and folklore history of this country, can enjoy a veritable smorgasbord of good old Aussie locations to visit.
I will admit up front, that I have a bias for camping and caravaning, and really enjoy the smaller towns and regions, but the Pub-Trailing itineraries will equally provide those with interests in cities and suburbs, with an introduction to some fine pubs and taverns there as well.
But many of these are in far away places, and I thought it would be an idea to link up some of the less known treasures out there. Pub-Trailing provides an interesting itinerary approach that travelers could enjoy to visit our great Aussie Pubs for a number of days, whilst taking in the adjacent tourist attractions of the area. I want readers to enjoy the journey not just the destination. So be sure to also check out our Outback Preparation guides featured as part of Gaz's Gear
I hope our contribution to travelers will further enhance the scope and pleasure gained from the information presented so well over the years by John Hatwell and his team on this site, and welcome any feedback from readers.
Happy Pub-Trailing!
Gaz!
Gary Pope
www.GdayPubs.com.au
p: 0408994799
Pub Trails Main Menu
- The Great Aussie loop
- An index of Pub Trail destinations around Oz. Linking all the Aussie pub trails by showing you all the pivot towns we've chosen, will help you go from one trail to another.
- Hawkesbury Upper - NSW's first food bowl
- Take a river boat view back in time to see where the NSW colony first established its food source, and discover the oldest pub still standing in mainland Australia.
- Blue Mountain Zig Zag
- Blue Mountains west of Sydney NSW has a hidden side to it, best reached by cutting across from historic Richmond (1794). This Pub Trail takes the quiet scenic route via Kurrajong Heights and Bilpin to historic Hartley Village...
- Hill End Merlin and Bayliss Memorial (NSW)
- Rarely is a town's history so well documented. But Hill End, in NSW, is fortunate to be the beneficiary of a complete photographic record of its gold mining origins - thanks to Beaufoy Merlin and Charles Bayliss in 1872...
- Kidman Way to Longreach and Townsville
- The Kidman Way is a brilliant inland trail cutting right up through the centre of NSW and onward to QLD and a great way to reach Longreach and over to Townsville...
- Melbourne - City
- A one day Pub-Trail visit to Melbourne to get acquainted with all the attractions, and some fine old taverns.
- Event Horizon Trail
- Event Horizon trail - a trip around the black hole that is the 'dry area' for pub trailing in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It's an area bounded by what was once two districts: Nunawading and Booroondara, which lay about 15km east of Melbourne.
- East Gippsland
- East Gippsland? Well it's that huge area that takes you to the pointy end of Victoria and covers four major regions: * Gippsland Lakes around Lakes Entrance, Metung and Paynesville * Great Alpine Rd that takes you north of Bairnsdale through Bruthen to Omeo * Snowy River Country taking you north from Orbost to Buchan up through Wulgulmerang to Suggan Buggan - or back down via McKillops Bridge and Bonang * Croajingalong National Park and adjacent parks to the north.
- Central Gippsland
- Central Gippsland, an area spreading from Yarragon in the west, through to Bairnsdale in the east, linked by the Prince's Hwy, is another example of where some great one, two or three day trips can be enjoyed, by slipping off the main highway to explore some more Pub Trails.
- Walhalla
- Even after having camped in this area for years now (since 1983), I still find something new and exciting to explore in this rugged out of the way, historic gold-mining area...
- South Gippsland
- South Gippsland and the adjoining Bass Shire area, together, cover some exciting tourist regions to the South East of Melbourne.
- Silvan Dam
- Silvan Dam Pub Trail linking Yarra Valley to Gippsland area.
- The Dandenongs
- Bayswater / The Basin / Sassafras / Olinda / Mt Dandenong / Kalorama / Mt Dandenong / Olinda / Monbulk / The Patch / Kallista / Sherbrooke/ One Tree Hill / Tremont / Upper Ferntree Gully / The Basin Submitted By: Gary Pope ...
- Warburton
- It is not uncommon for pubs to be adjacent to railway lines, and this trail is no different, except of course, the railway has long since become a walking trail.
- Mt Slide
- Visit some fine pubs heading north out of the Melbourne's eastern suburbs by going through the Yarra Valley winery area of Dixon's Creek to Yea and over Mt Slide...
- The Black Spur
- The Black Spur is a motorcyclist's dream of a hill climb east out of Healesville, VIC, leading up towards Mt Dom Dom and winding around the southern shores of the Maroondah Dam...
- Kinglake Motorcycle Touring
- Touring the area from Warrandyte via Panton Hill, St Andrews through Kinglake and across to Flowerdale is one of those very special runs enjoyed motorcyclists, classic car enthusiasts or in fact anybody who enjoys the great hospitality provided by some really top country pubs...
- Turton's Track Otways Ranges VIC
- Discover the depths of the Otway Ranges temperate rainforest whilst revisiting the history of logging along the Beechy Rail Trail. This trail climbs up to the ridge of the Otways and includes some of the magnificent forests, rail history and wilderness of the Otways, leading eventually to the Great Ocean Rd.
- Timboon Whisky Trail
- Discover the roots of Timboon's timber industry and enjoy the local produce whilst taking in a little mischievious delight at the history of the local whisky distillery...
- West Wimmera Secrets
- Enjoy a picturesque and interesting trip west from Melbourne to South Australia via the Glenelg and Wimmera Highways through Ballarat, Skipton, Casterton, Edenhope and Naracoorte.
- Barossa byways
- Barossa Valley in South Australia is the perfect location for taking a short cut from Victoria towards Port Augusta when travelling deep into northern SA, over the Nullarbor, or heading up to the Red Centre...
- Flinders and Gammon Ranges (SA)
- Flinders Ranges and Gammon Ranges, located an easy day's drive from Adelaide, is a magnificent introduction to the central and outback region that lays farther north...
- Nullarbor Thirst Quencher
- The Nullarbor Plains is often considered a baron desert type location but nothing could be further from the truth. Apart from a small stretch, barely 100km long that is the actual "treeless plain", the 1194km extended stretch from Ceduna thru to Norseman is a series of varied and interesting landscapes, with many an interesting watering hole along the way - but not necessarily a Pub!
- Dinky Di Red Centre
- Capture the spirit of Australia's Red Centre with a pubtrail taking you from Woomera to Ayer's Rock, King's Canyon, Alice Springs and the home of Dinky the Dingo
How the Pub Trails are organized
In case you are wondering about the sequence chosen for all the Pub Trails, let's explain!
The sequence is based on firstly providing a definition of the state and its suburbs, but then taking a clockwise route as if travelling around Australia, but trying to include all the off-road interesting attractions along the byways. For instance, Victoria commences with an assumed entry from the NSW coastal border, and takes you through each of the regions traversing slowly accross the state, until you reach SA.
We have attempted to identify KEY PIVOT points that permit you to link the trails one to the other, and these are mentioned within the trails themselves.
Of course there are some just plain great Pub Trails, that stand out by themselves, and over time these will be included - most likely at the start of the list!
Happy Pub Trailing!
Gaz
