The best gourmet getaways in Australia
There’s nothing quite like experiencing food from the paddock before it’s even reached the plate.
There are two types of people in the world: those who eat and travel, and those who travel to eat.
Few could argue that exploring the world and gastronomy are among life’s ultimate pleasures. The two combined, however, can be transcendent. Australia punches well above its culinary weight when it comes to both the wealth and quality of its produce, with every state boasting unique ingredients sourced from both land and sea. “I absolutely love the diversity of our landscape and the fantastic produce we have to work with,” agrees chef Matt Moran. “The quality and variety we have really are incredible and it’s something we’re known for across the world.” If you’re into catching your own dinner, or simply want to enjoy good food at its absolute freshest, add these destinations to your next travel itinerary.
Molluscs
The Sydney rock oyster has to be considered one of Australia’s most spectacular delicacies, and despite its name, can be found up and down the east coast. If you’ve never experienced the pleasure of eating a mollusc within moments of being plucked from its briny home, add it to the list; there’s nothing like it.
Debate rages over Australia’s best oysters, but there are some standouts. South Australia’s Coffin Bay is renowned for producing some of the best oysters in the country, with a number of operators offering the chance to wade waist-deep through the submerged farms and indulge in oysters shucked on the spot. At nearby Port Lincoln you can sample another popular export of the area, mussels. Local seafood hub The Fresh Fish Place offers tasting tours where visitors can taste a variety of molluscs and other local seafood species.
A drier experience can be had along the NSW Sapphire Coast, with oyster farm gates dotted along the Pambula River and the Merimbula Lake shoreline selling their briny produce. Head west to Albany and you’ll find the home of akoya, a pearl-producing native oyster which has found favour among chefs for its unique taste profile.
Truffles
Australia might be fairly new to the truffle game, but the gourmet fungi has found favour with our fertile soils and our growers are quickly rising through the export ranks. You’ll find these pungent balls of bliss at gourmet food stores around Australia, but nothing beats inhaling a whiff of a soil-caked truffle before exhuming it directly from the source when they’re in season (June to September).
Tasmania can lay claim to producing the first black truffles grown in Australia back in the late 90s, but it’s Western Australia’s Manjimup district where the majority of Australia’s black truffles are grown. Join the enthusiastic canines on a hunt at Truffle Hill before sampling the goods with a glass or two of their wines, or dive deep into the art of truffle hunting – and eating – with a luxury five day immersive at nearby Stonebarn Trufferie and Lodge, Pemberton. In New South Wales, Moran is a fan of Fish River Truffles, “a truffle farm just around the corner from The Rockley Pub,” he says, adding that he’ll be hosting an Aria dinner next month featuring the farm’s produce.
Crustaceans
With its rich sea kelp forests and extensive tropical reef systems, Australia’s coastline is a crustacean’s paradise. It’s good news for gourmand travellers too. While scampi, king prawns, bugs and rock lobster are exported around the country while still super fresh, locally caught options are incomparable and it’s worth following your tastebuds to the source. The tropical waters of north Queensland are a haven for some of the world’s best prawns and bugs. Purely for shellfish lovers, Prawn Star at Cairns Marlin Marina – a no frills restaurant on a moored trawler – serves up nothing but platters of freshly caught shellfish including local prawns and bug tails, chased down with ice cold beers.
Head further North to Karymba, a small township in the Gulf of Carpentaria, where you’ll find the country’s best mud crabs and yabbies (if you‘re brave enough to fight the crocs). Fans of freshwater marron should head to its native home in southwest WA, where the tasty crayfish features on menus throughout the Margaret River region, served grilled or poached and paired with a glass of local wine.
Cheese
We’re a cheese loving nation, with Aussies eating more than 13kg each per year according to Dairy Australia. We’re very good at making it, too.
Gippsland is an essential destination for fromage fans, with its rich grazing land ideal for raising dairy cows and producing exceptional cheeses, including award-winning Maffra cheddar and Berrys Creek blues. Stop by family-run Bassine Specialty Cheeses near Bass, and if you’re visiting between November and April, sample handcrafted cheeses at Prom Country Cheese in the picturesque Moyarra Valley.
King Island off Tasmania’s northeast coast is best known for its dairy, and a trip to the isle for a cheese tasting session and visit to its quaint cheese store will scratch the cheesiest itches. Finally, head southeast to the Huon Valley for a tour of Bruny Island Cheese Co’s dairy farm and a sampling session of their exceptional cured offerings.