V/Line trains run from Melbourne to Sale, basically following the Princes Highway through South Gippsland. From Sale, buses leave for Orbost, stopping at Lakes Entrance. The Sapphire Coast Link is a daily train-bus connection between Melbourne and Narooma on the south coast of New South Wales: take the train to Sale, then a connecting bus along the Princes Highway via Lakes Entrance, Orbost, Cann River and Genoa. Similarly, the Capital Link train/bus service heads to Canberra via Sale on Monday and Thursday mornings, returning Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Bookings for all the above should be made through V/Line (tel 13 6196, www.vlinepassenger.com.au ). There's also a daily Greyhound Pioneer service along the coast from Melbourne to Sydney, but it's not very convenient if you want to get off at stops in East Gippsland: the bus leaves Melbourne at 10pm and gets to Lakes Entrance and Cann River in the small hours of the morning. Having your own car is vastly preferable, as you need to get off the highway to really experience the region's diverse highlights and to get to the unspoilt bush campsites on the coast. The Princes Highway itself is a very boring drive, particularly the stretch from the Latrobe Valley to Bairnsdale, but after Orbost the highway becomes more scenic as it goes through the tall, dense eucalypt forests of Far East Gippsland. If you don't have a car, or don't want to spend much money, you might want to consider travelling on Oz Experience, the backpacker bus line that covers the Sydney-Melbourne route via the very scenic high country and Gippsland.