NathanT3

I would recommend Stratford over nearby and larger Sale.
Town centre is small but has a small supermarket, pharmacy, bakery and butcher. Only 10 mins to Sale or Maffra. 30 mins to Bairnsdale. So while the town centre is small it's situated perfectly between these 3 towns no matter where you work or want to go out to dinner, pub, entertainment, etc. Also the V/Line train runs through town and the M1 Princes highway. Close to the Gippsland Lakes.
Plenty of quiet streets and nice river side places to live. The Avon river floods but the banks are high and if you're in town you're safe. Knob reserve is nice, plenty of places to walk, ride, playgrounds for the kids.
Quiet a cultural town with the Courthouse theatre and the annual Shakespeare festival.