Thorpdale

Down Moe way in the Gippsland region of Victoria, about 140 km south-east of Melbourne, Thorpdale's rich red volcanic soil grows the very best potatoes, of which the locals are inordinately proud. The humble murphy, in fact, has seeded the Potato Festival which is held over the Labour Day weekend in March. Although the town's white history dates back to the 1860s, the town that greets today's visitor represents the fruits of a program to rebuild the community after the first village was virtually razed in the bush fires which ravaged Gippsland in 1898. The local attractions demanding a camera stop include the Trafalgar South Lookout, the Narracan Falls and Henderson's Gully. This area is the gateway to the Strzelecki ranges and offers up some beautiful mountain and rural scenery. It was here that they found the world's tallest tree, a gigantic Mountain Ash which grew to 114.3m (or 375ft. in the old money). So, it's not only the potatoes which thrive in the soil down here. But, are potatoes on the menu in the local eateries? They certainly are and the local bakery's potato bread is a red-hot seller.