This regional town sure knows how to pack a punch. Just north of the Great Dividing Range and only a 90-minute drive from Melbourne, Yea offers a relaxed country experience but with a progressive twist.
Boasting modern street art, award winning wineries, restaurants, historic buildings, a thriving main street and a strong arts culture, Yea Victoria is a key town on the Great Victorian Rail Trail.
HIGHLIGHTS
RAIL TRAIL
The Great Victorian Rail Trail winds through Yea, making it a great stop to wet the whistle, indulge the palate and inspire your inner creative, as cyclists can explore the fabulous range of welcoming country pubs, great eateries, local art galleries and quirky stores.
YEA WETLANDS DISCOVERY CENTRE
A trip to Yea, Victoria, isn’t complete without a wander through the Yea wetlands and the Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre
Situated on a 32-hectare floodplain the wetlands are home to platypus, koalas and many native and migratory waterbirds that watch over the billabongs. While the YWDC is an environmental learning and accredited visitor information centre, where you can also learn about the traditional owners, the Taungurung people.
The Yea Wetlands may be small on a world scale, but they provide inspiration in spades, opening your eyes to an abundance of bird life and fauna throughout the seasons.
MURRINDINDI SCENIC RESERVE
Pack a picnic, throw a line in, or even pitch a tent at the Murrindindi Scenic Reserve. Situated at the northern end of Toolangi State Forest, this large green oasis is less than 2 hours from Melbourne.
It includes tumbling waterfalls, Mountain Ash, fern-filled gullies and is the perfect place for bushwalking, bird watching, fishing and paddling in the shallows of the Murrindindi River.
EAT & DRINK
The General Strath Creek
Set within a restored barn, The General Strath Creek is a country corner shop with a condensed curation of everyday items. From hot coffee, to home made sausage rolls, each item conveys a sense of support and community. Built to supply locals and welcome visitors, The General Strath Creek is a place for everything and everyone. Open everyday (except Tuesday) with evening meals served Friday and Saturday night.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Cycle Dindi 25
CycleDindi24 is a joint project by the Rotary Clubs of Alexandra and Yea, together with Friends of the Great Victorian Rail Trail and is a charity bicycle ride along the trail on the last Saturday before the April Victorian school holidays.
It is centred on the lovely townships of Yea and Alexandra and includes those towns plus Merton as starting locations. Riders have a number of distances and options to choose from. This year the prices are again linked to the rider, not the distance. Included in your entry ticket is Billy tea and damper, a barbecue lunch at Cathkin and free admission to Nutfield; a working farm with Devonshire tea in the shearing shed, a sheepdog demonstration and a trailer ride. The ride includes cycling through the historic Cheviot Tunnel.
Monies raised will be used to support Rotary Youth Projects.
STAY
Yea Springs Holiday Accommodation
Yea Springs has two large and luxurious holiday units of 100 square metres each, set on four beautiful acres in a peaceful rural area, only five minutes drive from the Yea town centre.
The property has direct access to the Great Victorian Rail Trail for cycling and wonderful views of the Goulburn River Valley and Strathbogie Ranges.
The two homes are of the same size and layout, comfortably accommodating up to four persons each.
Both have two well-appointed bedrooms with full wardrobes, ceiling fans and quality linen and bedding.
Wattleseed has one queen bed and two king singles, while Ironbark has queen beds in both bedrooms.
The fully equipped kitchen and exceptionally spacious lounge and dining areas are fully air conditioned, have large digital televisions (satellite transmission) and open onto outdoor covered decks.
Yea Springs is perfectly suitable for couples (or a family of three or four) sharing a single residence, or groups of up to eight people taking both.
And it’s especially great for cyclists wanting to ride Australia’s longest rail trail, which runs from Tallarook all the way to Mansfield.