Set to be the Southern Hemisphere’s longest over-water zipline, Berwin Zipline is finally becoming a reality for founder and Lake Tyers Beach local Rory Bolding.
Utilising the untapped potential of the Lakes Entrance topography, the zipline will run from the top of Kalimna Hill, across the entrance of the Gippsland Lakes, to Bullock Island.
Providing participants with a gentle glide above Lakes Entrance, the 1km journey will be an experience that captures a new perspective of the greatest waterways in Victoria.
Watching sea eagles gliding along the thermal at the cliff face of Kalimna Hill was the inspiration for Mr Bolding who envisioned creating an experience showcasing the natural beauty exclusive to the bird life of the region.
“I feel so lucky to live in such an amazing community, an area with such natural beauty and wonderful people,” he said.
“I hope this project will give back to the town and region that has given me so much.”
Rory grew up at Lake Bunga attending Lakes Entrance Primary School, Lakes Secondary College and Bairnsdale High School before heading overseas and around Australia. He moved back to the area in 2017 so his children could enjoy the upbringing in such a beautiful spot as he did.
“I had a career changing injury to my arm and whilst deciding what I could still do, I came up with the idea of the zipline. I have now spent four and a half years planning this,” he said.
The Berwin name is ‘sea eagle’ in the local Gunaikurnai language. With the Gunaikurnai traditional owners front of mind, Mr Bolding reached out to Russell Mullet at Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) to determine any Cultural Heritage overlays.
After explaining his concept, and the inspiration behind it, Mr Mullet offered the name Berwin for the project.
The Berwin Zipline is not an amusement ride; it will be a transformative addition to the Lakes Entrance economy by operating year-round and with minimal impact to the natural environment, both in footprint and energy consumption. The purely gravity-fed design for descent and latest Ion-Trolley technology for the ascent will bode well for the Eco-Tourism credentials of the region.
By achieving a tourism ‘hat trick’ through the integration of cultural, eco and adventure tourism, the project is poised to deliver significant economic returns locally, state-wide and nationally as a true bucket-list experience. Furthermore, it distinguishes itself on the global stage as the first in the world to feature ascending capabilities, utilising world-renowned engineering and zipline design company ‘Skyline’.
The project is currently in the planning and approvals phase with applications sitting with the relevant government bodies for approval and in part, the stakeholder and community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Letters of support have been received from GLaWAC, Gippsland Ports, MP Darren Chester, The Kalimna Hotel and Gippsland Lakes Fishing Club, encouraging the Berwin team to advance the project construction stage as soon as permits are issued.
To learn more about the project you can follow Berwin Zipline on Facebook and Instagram, check out the Berwin Zipline website and attend the community information session happening at 2pm Saturday, August 8, 2026, at The Kalimna Hotel. If you would like to attend this session, please register online.
from the top of Kalimna Hill across the Gippsland Lakes entrance to its landing site
on Bullock Island. (PS)
