Executive chef Shaun Presland (ex-Saké) has adopted and adapted food and flavours from hawker centres around Asia to inform the culinary direction of the new Tiger Lane dining precinct at the Canberra Centre.
Satisfy your palate with a Japanese feast. (Image: Harry Chalker)
Expect the food and beverage options at the 12 eateries to nod to the neon-lit laneways in downtown Tokyo, the bustling riverside markets along the Mekong River and the diversity of the regional dishes of China for the final phased opening of the precinct mid-May.
Snag a spot for a wine night. (Image: Ben Calvert)
Restaurants Taki and Inari opened in 2022 and trace Presland’s culinary journey back to the time the sushi master lived and worked in the Yamagata Prefecture in Japan.
Dine at INARI. (Image: Ben Calvert)
2. Canberra’s newest village
Travelling with: Christine Aldred
On Ngunnawal Land in a place once reserved for car yards and industrial warehouses, Fyshwick’s Dairy Road precinct on the edge of Canberra has surfaced as a funky and fun place, rethinking how creative businesses and community can combine. A small village has been fashioned within transformed warehouses from the 1970s, alleyways with soaring ceilings and exposed timber trusses now leading the way through a string of eclectic enterprises, some with windows to peer through to witness the action.
Soak up sky-high architecture at External Dairy Road. (Image: Christine Aldred)
Dairy Road is a place to gather with friends over coffees or craft beers, to pick up a freshly distilled gin, browse an art gallery or to pick up everything from mid-century treasures to chocolate treats. But it is also where business is done. You can test your muscles bouldering, reset with a yoga or wellness session or indulge in a night of drama at the tiny but thoroughly professional Mill Theatre. Perhaps top it off with pre-theatre dinner and drinks, belly-warming ramen and sake from Japanese-inspired Canteen or casual pizza by the fire in front of indoor ski slopes. It’s an intriguing mix.
Order up a warm bowl of ramen at Outside Canteen. (Image: Christine Aldred)
Outside, the kids will relish exploring the running stream and garden spaces or run among a towering concrete art installation. If your timing is right, the professional entertainers employed on site may be around to inspire small people with open-ended and creative play while you relax. Watch out for regular community events and markets showcasing local produce. With planned residential accommodation, it’s a forward-thinking place worth visiting and watching.
Mingle over a beer at Capital Brewing Co.
3. Canberra Wine District: a new stomping ground for oenophiles
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
There are just too many cellar doors to squeeze into a weekend stay in the Canberra Wine District. Luckily, this year’s inaugural Stomp Festival made inroads into addressing this dilemma by showcasing more than 25 wineries and producers. Missed the 29–30 April event? No biggie. Just pore over the program and use it as a starting point to inspire your own itinerary. Book a table at Agostinis at Lark Hill, built into the side of Lake George Escarpment.
Plot a winery trail through Canberra’s wine region.
Grasp the allure of the region’s cool-climate syrah during a tasting at Eden Road Wines . Or order a tutored tasting at Mount Majura Vineyard and pop into boutique Dionysus Winery.
The Canberra region is divided into three distinct subregions, so be sure to book a few return visits to check out the 140-plus vineyards that make up this exciting cool-climate district.
Don’t expect to see it all in one visit – there are over 140 vineyards. (Image: Tourism Australia)
From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.
Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it.
Budj Bim cultural landscape
Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is on Gunditjmara Country. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim , ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas.
The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour
Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance. The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.
Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Kingfisher Cruises
Cruising the Murray with Kingfisher Cruises. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises . Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.
wawa biik
Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik.
Bataluk Cultural Trail
Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)
The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.
Healesville Sanctuary
Get up close with a resident echidna at Healesville Sanctuary. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm.
The Grampians
Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.
