Toolong
Given their prime location between Port Fairy and Warrnambool, snapping up a property in this pocket of Moyne – and an affordable one at that – takes perseverance and some luck.
There are some beautiful properties from 1800s stone cottages, converted schools, churches and hotels, to lifestyle blocks and farms.
Dairy cows and crops (including potatoes and onions) are nurtured by the rich volcanic soils of this highly productive region, where you can buy produce at the farm gate.
Killarney’s stunning reef-protected beaches are hidden gems.
Many properties in charming Rosebrook are on either side of the Princes Highway and therefore can be more affordable than Port Fairy. A renovator’s delight of a cottage and land near Belfast Lough was recently listed for under $500k.
In Illowa, large lifestyle blocks on the ocean side of the highway are available for $550k. Illowa has the highest population with 304 residents, followed by Killarney with 194 and Rosebrook with 128. Tiny Toolong, north of the Princes Highway, has 88.