Parmas AND Potholes

IF YOU miss the turnoff to the pub you’ll end up on a four-wheel drive track. This is serious four-wheel drive territory around here, with tracks converging in all areas. Plus, there’s another big drawcard: tucked in among the rollicking tracks is a gem of an establishment, a barn-like bistro with a rustic interior that looks straight out of a ‘wild west’ movie. Add to that good country hospitality, honest, hearty pub grub and friendly bar banter and you know you’re in for a fun weekend. Whether you come with your family or a four-wheel drive club, or with your horse, motorbike or fourby, this is a place that epitomises adventure.

We’re in Rawson, about 2.5 hours’ drive east of Melbourne (taking the turnoff from the M1 towards Moe) in the heart of the Gippsland Mountain Rivers region. Originally built for the construction workers of the Thomson Reservoir, Rawson is