Swan Reach on the Tambo River

Swan Reach lies on the Tambo River and offers two distinct starting points for a stay: culinary experiences centred on the Culinaire Cooking School and leisure activities on the river. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can first decide whether you’d rather focus on hands-on cooking and food or on the river and a fishing event. The Twin Rivers region also offers trails, birdwatching and a cycling route across a historic railway bridge.

Hands-on cooking and culinary experiences

The Culinaire Cooking School is in Swan Reach, Victoria, and teaches cooking fundamentals through hands-on practice rather than demonstration classes. This makes the difference between watching and trying things for yourself the central part of its teaching approach. Topics range from barbecuing and cooking seafood to herbs, spices and international flavours. The school also runs gourmet food tours. The class and the tour are therefore distinct culinary formats: classes focus on fundamentals and practical instruction, while the tour is a standalone gourmet experience. If you’re planning to attend a specific class, check the current schedule in advance.

Garden and local produce

The school’s herb and kitchen garden is also part of its culinary focus. It was established to supply fresh produce for classes and workshops. The Culinaire Gift Shop sells handmade preserves made with produce grown in the school’s own garden. If you’d like to visit the shop, check in advance whether it is currently open to visitors.

Another culinary experience is the East Gippsland Distillery in Swan Reach on the Tambo River; it was formerly known as Logan’s Micro Distillery. The distillery ferments its own alcohol on site rather than buying it in bulk. Its property grows lemons, figs and juniper, among other things. The school’s hands-on cooking and garden produce sit alongside the distillery’s own fermentation and plant growing.

The Tambo River and fishing

The waters of the Tambo River near Swan Reach offer opportunities for recreational fishing. The Tambo River Bridge in Swan Reach has a clearance height of 6.6 metres. The bridge therefore provides a specific structural reference point for navigating the river: the fishing opportunities describe an activity, while the clearance height is a technical measurement.

A fishing competition in July

One seasonal fishing event is the Twin Rivers Bream Classic, held every year in July and involving Swan Reach, Nicholson and Johnsonville. The multi-day competition promotes catching and releasing fish, giving recreational fishing a specific seasonal occasion. Check the current event dates before your trip if you plan to schedule your visit around it.

Cycling and nature nearby

If you’re planning to explore beyond Swan Reach, you can cycle across a historic railway bridge on the East Gippsland Rail Trail in the Twin Rivers region. Trails also run around Nicholson, Johnsonville and Swan Reach along riverbanks, through wetlands and across other landscapes. You can spot pelicans, cormorants, birds of prey and woodland birds there. Cycling and birdwatching offer two different ways to experience the regional surroundings.

Tambo Wines is part of the region’s wine scene. It has a single vineyard and a cellar door. If you’d like to visit the cellar door, check its current accessibility in advance.

Discover more destinations: San Remo, Condah, Bundoora, Lysterfield South, Cathcart, Merricks North, Trentham East, Kialla

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.