How To Make the Most of West Gippsland This Winter

Winter in the city can feel pretty samey, but not everywhere has fallen into a state of hibernation. Only less than a two-hour drive from Melbourne, most of West Gippsland thrives in the midyear chill, with alpine snow and leafy forests guiding visitors towards curated seasonal dining and fresh-air experiences.

Whether or not you’re new to the region’s expansive offerings, the inaugural Noojee Truffle Festival provides an easy gravitational centre in winter. Happening for the first time ever this year, it’s a gorgeous showcase of Noojee, Baw Baw Shire and beyond.

Planning your visit? Here are our recommendations – from nature hikes and trout farms to pub pizzas and chef’s menus.

See and do

Noojee Truffle Festival

Make the most of the black truffle’s tantalisingly short season during Noojee Truffle Festival, running from July 10 to August 2 around West Gippsland. It’s not a single-day, single-location festival, but a multi-week opportunity to explore all things truffles. Options include guided truffle hunts led by trained dogs at Ashridge Truffles in Neerim, which also hosts an intimate truffle cooking experience, and a floral workshop hosted by Ridge Road Blooms in Noojee.

There’s also dining galore: the festival opens with a four-course truffle dinner at Neeri Nuff Wine Bar & Kitchen in Neerim South (with optional wine pairings) and culminates in a fireside gala at Toorongo Valley Estate in Noojee, complete with ethically sourced meats from Oakdale Meat Co. There’s also a weekly Sunday hub at Noojee Heritage Centre, which is free and family-friendly. You needn’t be an expert in truffles to dive into this diverse program – with plenty to do, you just need to plan your winter visit accordingly.

Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls

Just four kilometres east of Noojee and surrounded by green, dewy forest, a circular track takes you to the 25-metre-high Toorongo Falls and its smaller counterpart, both standout features of the Toorongo River. There’s designated camping nearby, and a picnic area with tables and a toilet block. It’s a straightforward 2.2-kilometre round trip to check out the falls, with around an hour of walking required. But you might get so swept up in the leafy canopy that you don’t even notice the time pass.

Glen Nayook Rainforest Walk

Just outside Neerim Junction, the Glen Nayook Rainforest Walk is proof that you don’t need to commit to a full-day hike to experience Gippsland’s lush natural scenery. This short loop through Glen Nayook Reserve winds past towering mountain ash trees, moss-covered granite boulders and dense fern gullies, following the Tarago River as it disappears underground through parts of the rainforest.

The walk itself is only 1.5 kilometres return and takes around 30 minutes, making it an easy addition to a day of exploring the wider Noojee region. The trail is relatively short – expect a gentle downhill section over creeks and small bridges before a steeper climb back towards the car park.

Eat and drink

Neeri Nuff

Opened in 2024, Neeri Nuff Wine Bar & Kitchen has quickly become one of West Gippsland’s standout regional dining spots, bringing a more contemporary food and wine offering to the small town of Neerim South. Led by hospitality duo Bruce and Margaret MacDougall, the venue focuses heavily on seasonal local produce, with dishes shaped around ingredients sourced from across the region. Meanwhile, the wine list is equally considered, spanning more than 120 Australian bottles with a strong emphasis on small-batch and family-run wineries.

Alongside the main dining offering, Neeri Nuff also hosts regular winemaker lunches and creative community events throughout the year, making it feel as much like a gathering place for the region as it is a destination restaurant. It’s also set to play a key role during the Noojee Truffle Festival, hosting the already sold-out opening truffle dinner on July 11 and the closing dinner on August 1. 

Noojee Hotel

Standing in the middle of town since 1925, the Noojee Hotel has long been part of the fabric of this pocket of Gippsland. Surviving multiple bushfires and decades of change in the region, the pub still feels like a classic country gathering place – especially in winter, when the dining room fills with locals, day-trippers and post-hike visitors warming up over hearty pub fare.

The menu leans comfort-driven and generously portioned, spanning woodfired pizzas, chicken parmas, steaks and classic pub mains, alongside more unexpected additions like barramundi fillet, burrito bowls and smoked trout dishes that nod to the region’s produce.

Little Red Duck Cafe

Right in the centre of Noojee, this cosy all-day cafe has become a reliable stop for locals, cyclists and road-trippers heading towards Mt Baw Baw. The menu features comfort food such as loaded breakfast plates, eggs Benedict, burgers, house-made sausage rolls and sweet waffles, alongside coffee and a cabinet full of baked treats. There’s also a noticeable Gippsland influence throughout the menu, from locally smoked trout to sourdough sourced nearby.

The Toolshed Bar & Bistro

This classic country pub, surrounded by ferns and forest, offers more than a dozen woodfired pizzas. They’re shareable and family-friendly, with several vegetarian options, too. True to its name, The Toolshed was originally a shed and chook house for a dairy farm dating back to the early 1900s. Today it’s owned by the Lines family, longtime locals who have doubled down on the venue’s wholesome community vibes. A common site of weddings and car and bike club meetings, the surrounding property also includes cabins for handy accommodation. During the Noojee Truffle Festival, the venue will also host a Truffle Farmer’s Dinner, bringing together local growers, truffle-inspired dishes and even a working dog demonstration around the fire. It’s an ideal base camp for exploring the serene greenness of Noojee and beyond, and you can warm up by the pub’s fireplace after a long day’s exploring.

Beyond

Hogget Kitchen

Gippsland’s bountiful produce shines at Hogget Kitchen, an acclaimed restaurant sitting on a sweeping 130-acre property against the Strzelecki Ranges near Warragul. Chef Trevor Perkins is all about local farmers, sourcing ingredients from nearby for his four- and six-course seasonal degustation menus. A smaller version is available for lunch or dinner on Thursdays and Fridays, featuring either two or three courses. Even the wine list is locally focused, with a whole section devoted to drops from Baw Baw Shire and South and Central Gippsland. And beer lovers can sidle up to the latest Sailors Grave release.

Messmates Dining

Also well worth the trip to Warragul is Messmates, a family-owned restaurant with French and Italian influences and a robust wine list. Named after the local eucalyptus trees whose wood was repurposed for the tabletops, Messmates was converted from an old church. The chef’s menu is the way to go here, leaning into the best local offerings of each season. But if you happen to be there midweek, there’s a steak night every Wednesday that showcases different cuts and sauces. Pair that with some Gippsland reds and you’re all sorted for a cosy night during the chilly season.

Mt Baw Baw

If you’re extending your Gippsland escape beyond Noojee, Mt Baw Baw makes an easy alpine detour – especially during the colder months, when the mountain shifts into full snow-season mode.

Just over an hour from Noojee and around 2.5 hours from Melbourne, it’s the state’s closest downhill snow resort, drawing families, first-timers and weekenders chasing a quick winter reset. The resort is known for its approachable, laid-back feel rather than steep expert terrain, with skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and snow play all on offer across sheltered slopes surrounded by snow gums. There are also walking trails, restaurants and alpine accommodation if you’re keen to turn a daytrip into a proper overnight stay.

Even if you’re not planning to ski, the drive alone is worth it. The winding roads towards the mountain cut through dense forest and misty alpine scenery, offering a completely different side of Gippsland once winter settles in.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Noojee Truffle Festival.