THERE'S history and scenery in a delightful spot in Victoria's east, writes SARAH HUDSON

Captain George Gibbons blows the horn of the MV Loch-Ard as he pulls away from the Mallacoota dock, arousing a pack of dozy pelicans.

"My name is George and my wife is Pam," he says in his welcome to passengers on the 100-year-old ferry.

"Those pelicans you see are the laziest on the east coast of Australia and the most educated. They don't work for their food, but sit there all day waiting for fishermen to clean their fish.

"They're not the only birds you'll see on this trip. There will be cormorants, swans and, with a bit of luck, sea eagles and whistling kites."

Thus begins the two-hour cruise on the Mallacoota inlet, which forms part of Victoria's magnificent Croajingolong National Park, 87,500ha that extends 100km along the coast of East Gippsland, offering some of the country's best examples of flora and fauna.

What better way to explore the inlet than on Australia's oldest ferry in continual service? The Loch-Ard first plied the waters of the Yarra River in 1910 and was rebuilt in Mallacoota by previous owners in 2003.

As its captain since 2006, George, a former beef farmer and prawn trawler fisherman, offers travellers a perfect combination of local knowledge and dry wit.

"Mallacoota is halfway between Sydney and Melbourne," he continues in his introductory spiel.

"If you come here, make sure you've got enough food and fuel in your vehicle because there's only one way in and out.

"Earlier in the year, there was a fire at Nowa Nowa and the petrol station ran out of petrol. But we make sure we get our priorities right in Mallacoota because the pub has never run out of beer."

During the cruise George and Pam not only give an insight into Croajingolong - including several close encounters with sea eagles - but also historical anecdotes and the intrigue of Mallacoota.

We learn that white settlers first arrived in the area in the 1830s. By the 1880s, commercial fishing was well established and continues today in the abalone fishery.

We pass the Spotted Dog gold mine, where gold was discovered in 1894, and learn of the lighthouse established on nearby Gabo Island in 1854.

Along these shores, George says, there have been drownings and even a wedding on a large buoy in the inlet.

As for the story of Pam and George, they say they came to Mallacoota in 2006 from the Upper Hunter Valley as part of their retirement.

They had lived in the valley for 40 years, with Pam running a 90ha beef farm and George heading to sea trawling for prawn and lobsters.

"We did the grey nomad thing in 2005 and headed down the coast," Pam says.

"We'd never been to Mallacoota before. George saw this old boat on the wharf and thought nothing more about it."

The following year the couple saw that old boat, the Loch-Ard, for sale.

"We'd been working hard for 40 years, 18 hours a day at times, seven days a week and because George loves fishing we thought this would be perfect for semi-retirement," she says.

While farming and fishing did not immediately equip them with skills for being tourist operators, they say they've found a natural affinity with passengers.

"We just like being on the water, talking to people and not rushing," Pam says.

George adds: "It's a lot easier than farming or commercial fishing, where you work day and night.

"And I reckon I can tell a yarn or two."