Lakes Entrance Hotels

Lakes Entrance is a tourist resort and fishing port in eastern Victoria, Australia. It is situated approximately 320 kilometres (200 mi) east of Melbourne near a managed, man-made channel connecting the Gippsland Lakes to the Bass Strait. In 2009 the number of residents in Lakes Entrance was estimated to be about 6000. The township was originally named Cunninghame, the Post Office of that name opening on 5 February 1870. It was renamed Lakes Entrance on 1 January 1915. Lakes Entrance, which lies almost at sea level, can be accessed from Melbourne via Bairnsdale and the town of Kalimna to the north west by a stretch of the Princes Highway, which snakes down and around a point protruding into the Gippsland Lakes known as "Jemmy's Point". Spectacular views of the entrance and of the Lakes can be seen from various look-outs on Jemmy's Point. The Princes Highway leaves the north east side of the town through hilly countryside towards Nowa Nowa and Orbost. Lakes Entrance is predominantly a fishing- and tourism-driven town; the main beach front is a safe harbour for many major commercial fishing and recreational watersport operations. The surf beach is patrolled by the Lakes Entrance Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) between November and March every summer, with lifeguard patrols from late December to late January. The waterfront is populated by restaurants, shops and caravan parks. The town's main residential areas lie farther inland. Lakes Entrance is a very popular spot for camping in caravan parks and in free camping spots in Colquhoun State Forest. Nearby major towns include Bairnsdale and Orbost. Minor towns include Swan Reach, Johnsonville, Kalimna, Nicholson, Metung and Lake Tyers.