While hotels are forever falling over themselves to impress with infinity pools, pillow menus, refurbs and celeb chef collabs, sometimes all you really want is a good bar where nobody knows your name.
I’m calling it: hotel bars have played second fiddle in this country for far too long. And for good reason. For my generation, the sheer mention of a hotel lobby bar still conjures up a shuddering image of fluffy cocktails, cheesy piano and sleazy businessmen. But thankfully – taking their cues from the glamour of hotel bars past – today’s riffs on the standard are becoming worthy destinations in themselves, providing a strong defence for keeping it in-house.
1. Rooftop at QT, Melbourne
The not-so-Melbourne Melbourne bar.
In Melbourne, where if a bar isn’t hidden up a rickety staircase or located next to a stinky skip then it’s not worth knowing, even locals have warmed to the city’s most brazenly un-Melbourne bar, Rooftop at QT. The view alone is well worth the lift journey, and exposes a side to Melbourne that few other venues do. They shake a mean margarita too.
2. Jackalope at Willow Creek Vineyard, Mornington Peninsula
Distilling the art of the perfect cocktail.
Further afield in the Mornington Peninsula, super-slick newcomer Jackalope at Willow Creek Vineyard is venturing beyond its vinous roots, offering an eccentric, distillation-themed cocktail lounge, Flaggerdoot to its luxurious offering. Championing classic aperitifs and whiskeys from around the world (and craft spirits from just down the road), it makes a fine spot for a sundowner.
3. Monster, Canberra
Where pisco and politics collide.
At Canberra’s Monster , there’s no guarantee that you won’t bump into an off-duty pollie, but you can be sure of decent drink until well into the wee hours. Located in the lobby of Hotel Hotel, this all-day venue welcomes diners from 6.30am and cocktail fanciers at any hour of the day (within reason, of course). Try the ‘Division Bell’ with mezcal, Aperol, maraschino syrup and fresh lime.
4. The Clare, Sydney
The dive bar revived.
As hotel bars go this rakish former pub is far from cookie-cutter. Adjoining the reception of The Old Clare Hotel in Sydney’s Chippendale, The Clare bar pays homage to its not-so-distant past as the grungy dive bar of choice for students from the nearby UTS. When the sun’s shining, you’d be mad not to head up for a leisurely spritz by the stunning rooftop pool and bar.
5. Storey Bar, Hobart
A place where you can write your own travel story.
The newest jewel in Hobart’s increasingly blinged-up crown is MACq 01 hotel on Macquarie Wharf. With its plush seating, circular fireplace and killer views across the river and the city, the hotel’s moodily-lit Story Bar is a great excuse for bypassing the outside chill. The drinks list is studded with plenty of Tassie stars, and warming up with a dram of Lark single malt whiskey might just be the perfect way to get acquainted with the local culture.
6. Petition Wine Bar & Merchant, Perth
A library where drinking is more than permitted.
Though not officially part of the hotel, Petition Wine Bar & Merchant is close enough to Perth’s COMO The Treasury to rate as a natural extension of it. Located in the revitalised State Buildings, this stylish wine bar/enoteca encourages leisurely browsing through its extensive wine ‘library’ which is filled to the ceiling with interesting local and international drops from small producers.
Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.
There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley , the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.
Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur , is one of my favourite road trips.
The Black Spur
Through the forested canopy of The Black Spur drive that winds from Healesville to Narbethong. (Image: Neisha Breen)
The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.
In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn , a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.
Victoria’s Silo Art Trail
The Silo Art Trail in the Wimmera Mallee region. (Image: Visit Victoria/Anne Morely)
Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days
What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.
The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud , making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.
Location: Gippsland Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours
The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance , where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch.
Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea.
Great Ocean Road
The 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)
Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days
Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.
Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast.
Location: Bellarine Peninsula Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours
The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.
You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate , sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours.
O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote
Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)
Location: Central Victoria Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling
Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail . The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.
The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular.
Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo
Location: Central Victoria Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling
The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.
As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.
