With more than 15,000 towns in our vast country, naming Australia’s Town of the Year is a difficult task. But we took on the challenge and found the towns that offer everything great holidays are made of, here we have Australia’s town of the year.
The winner: Mackay, Queensland
Named after a 20-year-old Scot who led an expedition through the now-named Pioneer Valley in 1860, the Queensland town of Mackay (pronounced ‘Mack-eye’) produces more than a third of the country’s cane sugar, earning it the title of ‘Australia’s Sugar Capital’. But now it’s assumed another title – and a pretty praiseworthy one at that – when Wotif.com named it the 2018 Australian Town of the Year, describing it as a destination that “delivers the charm of a country town with the adventure of a tropical paradise".
Positioned on Queensland’s Tropical Coast, Mackay has the pristine waters of the Coral Sea lapping at its east, the blue Pioneer River to its north, and a tapestry of cane fields, lush rainforest, mountains and valleys to its west.
The town is an historic delight with most buildings dating back to the 1920s and ’30s rendered in a gorgeous Art Deco style, the result of a catastrophic cyclone that destroyed most of the original town in 1918. The Town Hall, built in 1912, was one of the only structures to remain intact.
It also boasts a modern marina with a palm-lined promenade, home to a host of restaurants; family-friendly Harbour Beach, just one of 31 beaches in the area; and the Pioneer River, which has several riverside cafes. There’s also a spectacular bank-side trail that takes you past the Botanic Gardens and Bluewater Lagoon, a three-tiered man-made pool that overlooks the river.
The runners-up…
1. Shepparton, Vic
Located on the Goulburn River, this culturally diverse town is an incredible arts centre, with a focus on Indigenous works, and also boasts vineyards, dairies and orchards.
2. Mildura, Vic
Located on the edge of the Australian outback, this peaceful river oasis has a fabulous wine region and the Murray River on its doorstep; the perfect place to hop on board a houseboat.
3. Bunbury, WA
Well-known for its bottlenose dolphins, Bunbury is a stunning water-world surrounded by the calm waters of Koombana Bay, the great surf of the Indian Ocean, and the mangroves of Leschenault Inlet.
4. Bundaberg, Qld
Famous for its rum, but with so much more to offer, Bundaberg is home to a colony of rare sea turtles, a southern gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, and a sugar region.
5. Lakes Entrance, Vic
Australia’s largest inland network of waterways, on the edge of Ninety Mile Beach, Lakes Entrance is a favourite aquatic getaway with amazing seafood.
6. Townsville, Qld
Sitting pretty between the Great Barrier Reef, the outback, and the Wet Tropics, Townsville has more than 320 days of sunshine each year, beautiful heritage buildings, great cafes and shopping.
7. Port Macquarie, NSW
‘Port Mac’ is a classic Australian holiday destination with 17 beaches and a heap of family-friendly attractions: camel rides on the beach, jet boating, a koala hospital, and easy bike trails to name a few.
8. Byron Bay, NSW
This northern NSW coastal town has long been a favourite for its boho-chic vibe, epic surf beaches, a host of hip eateries and bars, and gorgeous hinterland.
9. Batemans Bay, NSW
Sitting on the Clyde River, sleepy Batemans Bay is famous for its oysters, snorkelling trails, and waterfront dining.
10. Echuca, Vic
On the banks of the Murray, Echuca is a charming town rich in riverboat history with the largest paddlesteamer fleet in the country.
Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.
Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.
But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.
The rise of Macedon Ranges wine
Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.
Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.
Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.
Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.
Meet the new generation of local winemakers
The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.
Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.
Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”
The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.
Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.
Come for the wine, stay for the food
Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.
For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.
The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.
The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.
Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.
Drinking there
A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .
Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
Playing there
Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.
Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)
