PAGE 16 | LAKES COAST VISITOR GUIDE MEENIYAN A little town with a lot to love Centrally located to many of South Gippsland's best attractions, the pretty town of Meeniyan is a small township with a tree-lined median strip and a variety of boutique stores, restaurants and cafés. The town slogan 'the turning point' is a reference to the fact that at Meeniyan you can choose to travel along the highway to Foster, or turn-off to explore Fish Creek and Wilsons Promontory National Park. Considered the music capital of South Gippsland, Meeniyan hosts regular concerts in its town hall, and over the years it's attracted a vast and eclectic array of Australian and international music acts. The town was also the filming location for the popular ABC miniseries, Bed of Roses. Meeniyan was originally established as a train station on the South Gippsland railway line in the late 1800s. The station operated for just over a century and has now been transformed into the Great Southern Rail Trail, winding 72 kilometres through Gippsland as it connects the towns from Leongatha to Port Welshpool. Today, the old train station grounds retain a pivot sheet, goods platform, mile marker and buffer stop. The fertile soils surrounding Meeniyan are home to a community of premium garlic growers, while in the township you'll find a supermarket, pharmacy, and the Meeniyan Post Office, which was first opened in 1890, shortly before the railway arrived. The town's Meeniyan Square is a hub for local gatherings, with some permanent shops as well as regular produce markets. A trip to Meeniyan should include a visit to the Meeniyan Bird Hide and Wetlands, and a stop by the eclectic array of art on display at Meeniyan Art Gallery. Meeniyan Square is a popular local market and event space. Photo: Visit Victoria Driving to Meeniyan offers some scenic views. Photo: Visit Victoria
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