ONE of the great political scandals of 1950s Australia was the Petrov affair, a Cold War spy case.
In April 1954, Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov, Soviet spies who had masqueraded as diplomats in Canberra since 1951, defected to Australia. Three months later, during a royal commission into Soviet espionage in Australia, the Petrovs checked into a guesthouse in the South Gippsland hamlet of Balook, a place so remote that few had ever heard of it.
When Tarra Bulga Guesthouse was built in 1934 this corner of the eastern Strzelecki Ranges was known as "Heartbreak Hills" because of the hardships faced by settlers who tried to carve farmland from mountainous countryside, ancient forests and deep fern gullies.
Today, Balook remains a secluded haven, accessible only by the narrow, twisting roads - many gravel - that wind through the hills. The Petrovs' signatures from the guest register are displayed in the guesthouse dining room. There are seven guest rooms (five with ensuites) and a guest lounge, where Thomas Larsen, who runs the guesthouse with parents Nina and Torben, stokes the fire before serving Danish-inspired dishes using local produce.
A couple tell me they've been staying here for 35 years. "There's nothing quite like the Tarra-Bulga National Park, the beautiful walks, and this traditional guesthouse, where you are treated like family."
Balook is the gateway to the national park, a swathe of original cool temperate rainforest made up of a dense canopy of trees including myrtle beech, some thought to be up to 1000 years old, and mountain ash towering to 75 metres, underscored by blackwood, silver wattle and masses of tree-ferns. The prolific wildlife includes koalas, platypus, possums, wombats, wallabies and echidnas. Birdsong echoes through silent fern gullies.
Tarra-Bulga Visitor Centre is the starting point for many walking trails, from short strolls to multi-day treks, including the historic Corrigan suspension bridge. From Balook, the Tarra Valley Road snakes south through woodlands and patches of farmland to Yarram. At the Tarra Valley Picnic Area you can hike to Cyathea Falls and Tarra Falls, two of 20 waterfalls in the area.
South of Balook, adjacent to the crystal-clear Tarra River, is Elian Donan, a rambling century-old house set among Japanese maples, pin oaks, tree ferns, camellia, wisteria and roses. Two bedrooms are available via Airbnb, both with ensuites and small balconies. The lounge has an open fire and there's a country-style kitchen.
Fernholme, the Tarra Valley Caravan Park, is set by the river. There's no noise bar the gurgling river, which is home to trout, blackfish and freshwater crays. Its on-site cafe serves home-made scones.
(The Petrovs were given new identities - Sven and Maria Anna Allyson - and moved to Bentleigh in 1956. Vladimir worked at Ilford Photographics in Upwey; Evdokia was a typist at William Adams Tractors, Clayton.)
Getting there: Tarra Valley and Tarra-Bulga National Park are about 190km south-east of Melbourne. From Melbourne take the Princes Hwy to Traralgon, then follow the Traralgon Creek Rd south to Balook. Or drive to Yarram via Leongatha and Foster, and via the Tarra Valley Rd north to Balook. Tarra Bulga Guest House has rooms from $95 - www.tarra-bulga.com; Eilean Donan is $140 per double per night, $180 for four - www.eileandonan.com.au; Tarra Valley Caravan Park, sites from $28, self-contained cabins from $95 - tarravalley.com.au
