Lake Eildon

The little town of Alexandra (pop. 2200) has preserved a number of handsome old buildings (Town Hall, Union Hotel, courthouse).

On the west side of Lake Eildon, 17km east of Alexandra, is Fraser National Park (area 3750 ha; water sports, fishing, walking). Its hills were deforested, first by gold prospectors and later to provide grazing land, but since grazing ceased the forest has been regenerating.

To the south of Alexandra is the McKenzie Nature Reserve, an area of unspoiled bush country with many orchids. There is also good walking country in Cathedral Range State Park and Eildon State Park.

The little holiday resort of Mansfield (pop. 2310) is a center for outdoor activities of all kinds, with ski pistes in all grades of difficulty and an Alpine village with accommodation for visitors and restaurants. In Mansfield itself there is a monument to three policemen shot by Ned Kelly in 1878.

60km northeast on a scenic road is Whitfield. 14km north is Mount Samaria State Park. To the south are the Goulburn and Jamieson Rivers (trout fishing, gold panning). Jamieson, on the south side of Lake Eildon, is an old gold-mining town.