Birregurra Day Trip from Torquay

Birregurra is a farming town on the Barwon River, between Winchelsea and Colac, with the Otway Ranges rising to the south. It has a wide main street with a pub, a general store, a few cafés and some lovely old weatherboard buildings. It's about 55 minutes from the house.

Most people have heard of it because of Brae, the restaurant just out of town. But the town is worth a stop on its own, especially on market Sundays, or on the way to Forrest and the Otways.

The town grew up where the Cape Otway road crossed the Barwon, and it was surveyed in 1862. The name is thought to come from an Aboriginal word meaning "kangaroo camp". The railway from Geelong arrived in 1877, and the station complex is on the Victorian Heritage Register. The town still has a stop on the Warrnambool line.

The history goes back further than the town. From 1839 to 1851 there was an Aboriginal mission station about 6 km south, and the crossing was first known as Bowden's Point, after one of its overseers. Later, a branch railway ran south from here to Forrest, serving the small farming settlements along the way until it closed in 1957. The town had a dairy factory and saleyards, and close to 700 people by the 1930s. It's quieter now, with about 500 people, which suits a slow wander.

Have a wander down Main Street. The weatherboard post office, Christ Church from 1872, the public hall and the old shopfronts give it a proper country-town feel. There's a pub, a general store and a few places for coffee and cake.

Birregurra Park, on the corner of Main and Strachan streets, is a good stop with kids. It has a big playground, toilets, a barbecue, picnic tables, a rotunda, paved paths and an off-leash area for the dog.

Brae is chef Dan Hunter's restaurant, in an old farmhouse on 20 acres about 2 km out of town on Cape Otway Road. Much of what's on the plate is grown on the property's organic farm or by local growers. It has a big reputation, and it's very much a special-occasion lunch.

Lunch is Friday to Sunday from midday, and dinner is on Thursdays. You need to book ahead. There are six guest suites too, but you can only stay on a night you also have a restaurant booking. It's closed over Christmas, from 24 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.

If you're not booked in, eat in town instead, or carry on to Forrest. Brae isn't a place to drop into for a quick bite.