Paynesville (Victoria)

Paynesville is a resort for boating in East Gippsland.

Understand
It has a man made canal system for boating as well as a natural harbour area, central to the hundreds of kilometres of lakes and rivers that form part of the Gippsland Lakes system.

Get in
Paynesville is around 15 minutes drive from Bairnsdale. A bus runs five times daily between the towns. The road between Paynesville and Bairndale has a consistently wide hard shoulder, and it is a nearly flat 14km ride from Bairnsdale alongside the (unseen) Mitchell River. There is even a short diversion along a cycle path by the side of the river - although travelling this way involves a climb at the end of the path.

Trains service Bairnsdale from Melbourne three times daily, and carry bikes.

You can also travel to Paynesville by boat. You can moor at the jetty in front of the town centre for 4 hours free of charge - for longer stays there are plenty of marina and mooring options.

Get around
Paynesville is well suited for cycling. The area is flat, the roads are quiet, and the Raymond Island ferry carries bicycles free of charge. The town centre is easy to walk around. Parking is available everywhere.

To see many of the areas surrounding the lakes a boat is required. There are several options for dingy, cruiser, or kayak hire in town.



See




Do

 * Swimming. The foreshore area is reserved for swimmers. The water is calm, the beach is sandy, and it is a good place to cool off.  It isn't really the destination for those looking for a spectacular beach or for a beach scene. There are a few small jellyfish around, but they probably won't bother you. Please note: after strong rains, the salinity level in the lakes decreases, causing a mass die-off of shellfish. This results in a smelly layer of dead shellfish washing everywhere. By road, the nearest ocean beach is 50km away in Lakes Entrance.
 * Boating. This is what Paynesville is all about.  If you have your own boat, you will be right at home here.  Otherwise you can hire a cruiser for around $200 a day, or a kayak for around $50.  You can cross the lake directly to 90-mile beach - which is an ocean beach around 45 minutes away by boat at 8 knots.  You can circle Raymond Island, or you can spend several days or a week exploring the lake and river system.
 * Cycling. There is no challenging mountain biking here - Paynesville and Raymond Island are almost completely flat.  There are numerous bush tracks and a waterfront track on Raymond Island.  You can spot koalas and other wildlife as you cycle around.  For the best koala viewing, just cross on the ferry and continue up Seventh Avenue.  You can cycle all the way to the other side of the island, with numerous diversions along the way. Shops on The Esplanade will rent adult mountain bikes for $60 a day.

Buy
Supplies are easily available - supermarkets stock a wide variety of goods, and are open until 8pm daily.


 * Paynesville Dairy, is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 11am until 5pm, stocking local dairy products, including milk and cheese.

Eat


Most of Paynesville's cafes and restaurants can be found along The Esplanade: L-shaped road that follows the water. The coffee market is competitive - with the boaties demanding a good coffee on deck in the morning.



The pub serves meals for lunch and dinner every day, and there are a couple of clubs serving similar style pub fare.



There is a pizza place to eat in or take away, two bakeries selling a large variety of pies and cakes, and several fish and chip shops.

Drink
After a day on the lakes or seeing the sights, you will have no problem getting a quiet beer with a view. Don't expect too much in the way of nightlife.



Connect
There is mobile reception in town, but the signal is weak and limited in many parts away from the town centre. Telstra has 4G mobile Internet, but Optus and Vodafone struggle with even GPRS.