Australia by ice cream - 9 super cool gelato bars

Traditionally we’ve all screamed for ice cream in the Australian summer… but now the arto of gelato is a serious reason to make a daytrip to one of these experimental taste emporiums. Expect a queue at some of these 9 fan gelato bars, but also expect it to be worth the wait too.

1. Cow and the Moon, Sydney

Since taking out the Gelato World Tour title this year in Italy with its Mandorla affogato flavour, the lines at the family-run Cow and the Moon café in Enmore have run down the street and into the papers.

2. Crazy Acres, Darwin

Venture around 55 kilometres out of Darwin to find this family-owned shop on a property that grows mangoes and other delicious tropical fruits. Buffalo Vanilla ice-cream is a popular pick and you can savour the flavour while taking in a flick at Darwin’s famous Deckchair Cinema where the delicacies are sold. They’ve also just opened a kiosk at local swimming hole, Berry Springs.

3. Ben & Jerry’s Scoop, Wagon Perth

If you’re hovering around the Perth Cultural Centre this summer, cruise past the scoop wagon – a converted Airstream caravan that doubles as a shop, slinging out all your Ben & Jerry’s favourites.

4. Massimo’s Gelateria, Noosa, Qld

If Noosa had children, we dare say they’d be named summer and ice-cream: the main drag of Hastings is littered with shops selling the stuff. But there’s only one place locals flock to for a scoop or two and that’s Massimo’s. Take one waffle cone, add a scoop of coconut and a scoop of mango, top with a walk along Main Beach and there you have it: instant summer memory.

5. Dooleys Ice-Cream, Apollo Bay, Vic

If you’re traversing the Great Ocean Road on Australia Day, pop your mug in here to taste the special Aussie day flavours – such as vegemite, weet-bix with banana and honey, and iced vovo. Oh, come on – it’d be un-Australian not to try at least one…

6. Gelati Clinic, Bermagui, NSW

This little shop in the seaside town of Bermagui, NSW, is packed with sandy-footed families during summer. Made with mostly locally grown, organic fruit, they conjure up tasty treats such as blood orange and macadamia, and if you have a spare kilo of fresh fruit laying about you can swap it for a scoop of your favourite frosted flavour.

7. Pompei’s, Bondi, NSW

You’ll find endless decadent tubs of whipped, creamy gelato in this open-air store, set one street back from Bondi’s golden shoreline. When summer rolls around, backpackers and hipsters can be seen jostling for a taste of the traditional Italian-style gelati.

8. The Daintree Ice Cream Company, en route to Cape Tribulation, Qld

A must for a pit-stop on your way to, or from, Cape Tribulation is this humble institution. Sample tropical fruit flavours like black sapote – commonly referred to as ‘chocolate pudding fruit’ – and jackfruit, with flavours resembling banana and pineapple.

9. Gelato Messina (various Sydney & Melbourne)

Each and every week at Australia’s most outrageous gelato chain chefs are given between three and five hours to experiment with new flavour combinations – like their recent ‘red velvet’ concoction (cream cheese gelato with red velvet cake). We wouldn’t be surprised if it was during one such session that their latest idea, the Messina Dessert Bar was dreamt up – a one-off concept store that’s opened just in time for summer. See gelatomessina.com

Video credit: Tourism Australia

From pink salt landscapes to oases fringed by forests of red gums, the lakes of this rural region are astounding.

You’re going to find peace and quiet when you take a road trip through the lakes of the Wimmera Mallee region. Whether it’s mirror-like pink salt lakes that look like an inland sea, or lakes fringed by forests of red gums that showcase Victoria’s arid beauty, there’s a lake for you out here somewhere.

1. Lake Tyrrell

Located in the dead heart of the Mallee, Victoria’s largest salt lake, Lake Tyrrell , is a landscape photographer’s dream – especially at sunrise and sunset when the pink salt flats look like a gigantic mirror. It’s easy to camp or park a caravan nearby, too, though the tiny town of Sea Lake is just south (with accommodation). In winter, shallow water covers the salt, creating surreal reflections of the sky.

2. Nhill Lake

There’s a permanent water source here, so there’s always plenty of water for water skiing, swimming and fishing (the trout and redfin fishing here is legendary). Located beside the pretty heritage town of Nhill with its main street of historic buildings, there’s options for eating and drinking right next door. There’s also a barbecue area with plenty of shady picnic spots and a boardwalk for walking around the lake.

3. Lake Bringalbert

Lake Bringalert is a great spot for aquatic adventures.

Located south-west of the pretty Mallee town of Kaniva, Lake Bringalbert epitomises the best of ‘outback’ Victoria. It’s ringed by red gums and red mallee and feels completely hidden from the world – you’ll barely ever see another person. There’s basic camping on its foreshore and Kaniva offers more accommodation options. It’s the perfect lake for swimming, kayaking and skiing, and the stars at night come without even a hint of city glow.

4. Lake Hindmarsh

If you’re a bird fan, you’ll love Lake Hindmarsh . Located north of Dimboola, Victoria’s largest natural freshwater lake is like an inland sea full of pelicans, swans and numerous species of ducks – but it also teems with everything from spoonbills to parrots. Sunsets here will blow your mind – the lake is a mirror for the pinks and golds you’ll see on the horizon. There’s free camping spots along the foreshore if you’d like to really contemplate the magic of the lake.

5. Pink Lake

Also known as Loch Lel , the summer months offer up some seriously vivid pink water colour at this lake north of Dimboola. The pink varies throughout the year, but is best after rain (hence why summer is the time to visit).

There’s plenty of birds, including wedge-tailed eagles, but you’re as likely to spot big lace monitors, kangaroos and echidnas. Nearby, check out the uber-cute heritage town of Dimboola and its eclectic shops, and Little Desert National Park, full of walking trails through mallee heathland.

6. Lake Lascelles

On a hot summer’s day, there’s nowhere better for a cooling dip, kayak or boat ride. You can camp by the lake , or at powered caravan sites – or the pretty town of Hopetoun offers numerous accommodation options a short walk away. At night you’ll see the lights of Hopetoun reflect off the lake. Fish for yellow belly, redfin or catfish, or try water-skiing. There’s also a great walking trail around the lake, where there’s more birds than you can count.

Australia by ice cream – 9 super cool gelato bars