Bemm River

Bemm River is a small, one pub town that attracts a lot of fishermen throughout the year. This is apparently "the fisherman's paradise" in Victoria, with the busiest times being Christmas and Easter. The town is on the edge of Sydenham inlet which more like a large shallow lake than an inlet. Like many Victorian rivers, the Bemm River filters through a sand bar to get to the sea. Occasionally, when the water level in the inlet becomes to high, the entrance to the river is blasted to allow more water to flow out.

While much of the forest appears to be dry, the rainfall is quite high and temperate rainforest can be found in most of the river valleys. There are few roads on the region and most of the 4WD tracks are seasonally closed as they are impassable in the wet of winter. The Croajingalong National Park starts just east of Bemm River and the region is perfect for mountain bike riding and canoeing. Swan Lake is definitely worth a visit by either method. The entrance to the lake can be a little interesting to find by canoe as you paddle through the swamp at the edge of Sydenham inlet.

I have cycled to Bemm River a few times (when the train used to go "all the way" to Bairnsdale) and one of the best rides I have ever done was to turn right at Orbost to the coast at Marlo and then follow the coast to Cape Conran, Pearl Point and eventually Bemm River. Sections of the road are closed to vehicles and the sandy track definitely requires a mountain bike.