Best things to do in Bairnsdale | Nearby Silt Jetties and St. Mary's Church ⋆ Hatch a Holiday

After a crappy sleep due the loud noise of trucks belting down the highway adacent to the Caravan Park we had breakfast and then headed off to the Bairnsdale Tourist Information Centre to get some ideas on what to do. A few of the suggestions were to visit St Mary’s Church ( next door), the Bairnsdale Bazaar Antiques and Collectables Market, and Silt Jetties. We visited everything suggested and our favorite place was a drive along the Silt Jetties.

St. Mary’s Church Bairnsdale lovely hand painted murals by Italian artist Francesco Floreani

First stop (as it was the closet ) was to St. Mary’s Church, Bairnsdale. The interior walls and ceilings of the Church are covered by murals depicting saints, the holy trinity and scenes of hell, purgatory, heaven and the crucifixion.

Painted by Italian artist Francesco Floreani between 1931 and 1938 they are a “must see” if you are in Bairnsdale. St Mary’s Church is Located next to the Bairnsdale Tourist Information Centre.

David Lucke’s Fresh Food Market, Bairnsdale

We were told to check out the fresh food market for fresh local produce, quality meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables. We came out with some house smoked chicken cabana to snack on later in the day.

Bairnsdale Bazaar Antiques and Collectables Market

Bairnsdale Bazaar showcases 30 stalls of collectables, antiques, man cave items, retro, bric-a-brac, and vintage treasures. Great to meander around and checkout things from the past.

Disappointing Lunch

A bit of a non event was a disappointing pie and pastie from Jarrods Bakery in Bairnsdale. David the expert pie connoisseur was not happy with the uncooked bottom of his pie which fell apart after the first bite. Prize winning offerings listed on the bakery window, enticing you in from the street, were either not made anymore, or sold out. I had an oversized underwhelming pastie. Not sure what was going on here as we had read some good reviews.

Silt Jetties

The Silt jetties are a short drive from Bairnsdale/Paynesville. We had no idea what to expect and it turned out to be the highlight of the day. We drove right to the end and turned around and came back. The gravel, pot holed road stretches out long and narrow with water on either side. Along the side of the road are a few odd houses which seem out of place on this very narrow strip of land.

These naturally formed silt banks run for over 8 km, making them the second largest silt jetties in the entire world, and the longest in the southern hemisphere. A type of digitate delta, they have been formed over thousands of years by sediment deposition from the Mitchell River during periods of low water flow and subsequent wash-through during periods of high water flow.

Watch the video taken driving along the Silt Jetties and see a very unexpected mode of transport!

A bit of an unexpected sight along the Silt Jetties in East Gippsland. Driving in the Jeep along the long dirt road we slowly drove past groups of fisherman, the odd house and then….a man on a mobility scooter. On the way back we stopped when we came across the man on the mobility scooter and I got out, had a chat to him, and took some more photos. He told me he loved this place and got out his camera took some photos too. Great place to see if you are visiting Bairnsdale or Paynesville. Turns out the road is suitable for 4WD’s and mobility scooters! 🙂

Missed out on Raymond Island Ferry and Koalas

We really wanted to go on the ferry to Raymond Island and see the Koalas however we just ran out of time and mainly energy. We could have gone on foot with the dogs, or taken the car and driven around the island. Great place to visit for international visitors who want to see Koalas.

We could see the ferry from where we had stopped on the Esplanade in Paynesville- and decided we would have to come back and to do it another time. We really like Paynesville and plan to come back and stay for a holiday in the future. ( when we got back from our holiday I found out that my great grandparents lived on Raymond Island – something I was unaware of ).

Spanish Eggs for Dinner

We love to have some Spanish cooked eggs in the Weber when we are camping. The smell when they are cooking is amazing. With a few simple ingredients you can cook up a yummy dinner or breakfast.