The best food and wine road trips in Australia

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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Some road trips lead to the most memorable food and wine experiences in Australia. Foodies, take note.

Here are 11 of Australia’s best food-and-wine-focused road trips to inspire you from our special 100 Amazing Road Trips around Australia series.

Food and wine road trips

84. Hunter Valley winery trail, NSW

Its vast rolling landscape has been cultivated for wine production since the early 19th century, making the Hunter Valley the country’s oldest wine region. Home to 150-plus wineries (including Dalwood Estate, the ‘birthplace of Hunter Valley wine’), this picturesque region is also renowned for its excellent dining, making it a satiating road trip for the eyes and stomach. Venture beyond the main hub of Pokolbin (home to highly acclaimed Brokenwood Wines and two-hatted Muse Restaurant) to the lesser visited regions of Broke and Wollombi for a slower-paced journey through countryside dotted with farm gates touting produce, historic buildings and quaint towns, and boutique cellar doors that you’ll likely have to yourself.

Chief Winemaker Stuart Hordern, Brokenwood Wines, Pokolbin, NSW, Australia
Sample wines from the country’s oldest wine region, Hunter Valley. (Image: Destination NSW)

Distance:

85 kilometres round trip from Pokolbin.

Stay:

Redleaf, set on 40 hectares near Wollombi, is a charming Italian-style manor that sleeps 12.

Words by Megan Arkinstall

85. Noosa Country Drive, Qld

Just like the quandong gin and lavender vodka being poured at 2020 Distillery in Cooroy, a journey through the pastoral folds inland from Noosa Heads distils the creative essence of the hinterland. How about gin blended with hopped H2O, being poured at the bar at Pomona Distilling Co? Or a frosty local from the iconic Kin Kin Hotel, which is currently undergoing a significant renovation? Sniff, swirl, sip, then snooze in sustainable luxury at Mayan Farm – the rammed-earth villas at the working farm run by Slow Food ambassador Jodie Williams in Kin Kin.

Distance

89.5 kilometres

Aerial view of Noosa Country Drive, QLD, Australia
Saunter along the Noosa Country Drive to try different pubs and restaurants. (Image: Destination NSW)

Words by Celeste Mitchell

86. The Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Trail

Though you may need to nominate someone else as the designated driver for this journey, those with a passion for handcrafted tipples can make this the driving force behind a trip around Tassie. The Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Trail links the island state’s artisan distillers, from trailblazer Lark Distillery in Hobart to Australia’s southernmost whisky distillery McHenry on the Tasman Peninsula, to Southern Wild, Tasmania’s newest gin distillery, on the wild north coast.

Tassie Whiskey Trail
Those with a passion for handcrafted tipples should make their way to Tassie. (Image: Destination NSW)

Distance:

380 kilometres north to south.

Stay:

Spend the night in the Devil’s Lair Cabin on site at McHenry Distillery for a whisky nightcap washed down with a side of dark sky stargazing from an observatory inside a converted barley silo.

87. Melbourne to Macedon Ranges, Vic

This is more multi-weekend treasure hunt than one-off Saturday spin (unless you want to bunch brunch and lunch). It seems every small-town bakery in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges and its peripheries lays claims to having ‘the best’ baked good of some variety, be it pie or sourdough.

Best selling baked goods, Macedon Ranges, Australia
Every small-town bakery in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges has baked goods worth trying. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Brothers Ryan and Chan Khun from Kyneton’s Country Cob Bakery regularly sweep the board at Australia’s Best Pie Competition. Trentham’s RedBeard is so confident of its natural wild yeasts and lactose bacteria that it offers sourdough making workshops. North-west of the ranges, the Bridgewater Bakehouse has won the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph twice (2018 and 2019). Towns like Woodend and Lancefield are just two more towns worth a sweet little pit stop.

Interiors of RedBeard Bakery, Trentham, Australia
Trentham’s RedBeard offers sourdough making workshops. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Distance:

90 kilometres one way from Melbourne (route dependent).

Words by Steve Madgwick

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88. Melbourne to Gippsland, Vic

You’ll find good food without much fanfare in egalitarian Gippsland. Take the M1 south from Melbourne towards Lang Lang’s Howler Brewing Company for next-level burgers and brews. Further south, Inverloch’s Dirty Three Wines offers top drops. Visit Prom Country Cheese in Moyarra and overnight in Meeniyan, known for its annual garlic festival. The next day, take the windy-yet-wondrous Grand Ridge Road to Warragul to browse the farmers market or splash out on the six-course tasting menu at Hogget Kitchen. Go out with a bang at Farmer’s Daughters, a landmark Melbourne eatery that champions Gippsland producers.

Platter from Dirty Three Wines, Gippsland, Australia
Inverloch’s Dirty Three Wines offers top drops.

Distance:

372 kilometres round trip.

Stay:

Ross Farm’s stripped-back aesthetic is just the tonic.

Ross Farm, Interiors, Victoria, Australia
Guests love Ross Farm’s stripped-back aesthetic. (Image: Lachlan Moore)

Words by Jo Stewart

89. Adelaide to Barossa Valley, SA

Hit the road northeast from Adelaide to indulge in some of Australia’s most renowned food and wine experiences, beginning at the western end of the Seppeltsfield Road precinct with its striking Avenue of Palms crying out to be cruised along. This five-kilometre trail of Canary Island date palms that now number more than 2000 was originally planted by Seppeltsfield workers during the Great Depression; visit the historic winery today to taste your birth year’s tawny, have lunch at destination diner Fino or even swap four wheels for two on a vineyard Segway tour. Other nearby epicurean highlights include Appellation and Hentley Farm restaurants and Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop. If this only whets your appetite for more, embark on the Epicurean Way: a decadent road trip through South Australia’s four iconic wine regions.

Landscape view of vineyards, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
Indulge in some of Australia’s most renowned food and wine experiences.

Distance:

Adelaide to Seppeltsfield Road is 80 kilometres.

Stay:

In the heart of the Seppeltsfield Road precinct, The Villas – Barossa provides an architecturally striking and environmentally sensitive base for road-tripping the region.

90. Orange winery trail, NSW

An easy meander from Sydney – four hours’ drive over the mountains and onto the Central Tablelands – a trip to Orange and its bucolic surrounds is the stuff long weekends are made of. This dynamic regional city blends heritage and the fruits of its rich volcanic soils with more than a dash of the new to create exceptional food and wine experiences.

Bottles of Wine from Nashdale Lane, Nashdale, NSW, Australia
Find boutique family-owned wineries like Nashdale Lane (Image: Destination NSW)

Base yourself in its heritage heart (check out Yallungah Boutique Hotel or The White Place) and spend your days on country drives to villages such as Nashdale, where you’ll find boutique family-owned wineries Nashdale Lane and Printhie Wines; historic Molong, home to cellar doors including the eclectic Heifer Station Wines; and Millthorpe, with its destination fine diner Tonic. But if you’re still in the mood for more, there are plenty more wineries to visit in Orange, and breweries and distilleries.

Distance:

256 kilometres

Countryside Canowindra, NSW, Australia
Base yourself in its heritage heart and spend your days on country drives to vineyards. (Image: Destination NSW)

91. Adelaide to McLaren Vale, SA

The Saturday farmers market in Willunga packs up at noon, but even after a sleep-in and a crossword I still arrive with time to spare thanks to the wormhole-like Southern Expressway that whisks me through Adelaide’s southern suburbs to McLaren Vale. Growers and makers of every type cram into the local schoolyard, and I follow my nose (and the crowds) to the toastie stall for a gooey late breakfast.

Fresh green pears from Willunga Farmers Market
Grab some fresh pears at Wilunga Farmers Market. (Image: Karen Walker)

The friendly community vibe continues five minutes away at the McMurtrie Road ‘share house’, where three fabulous smaller wineries (Lino Ramble, Bondar Wines and Sherrah Wines) have a room each. Continuing east, the sea of vines parts as if for Moses and reveals a path to Gemtree Wines’ solar-powered cellar door where perfumed biodynamic grenache vies for my attention with glorious views out towards a sea the colour of Peter O’Toole’s eyes.

A tasting at Gemtree Wines, South Australia, Australia
Go on a tasting at Gemtree Wines. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Distance:

100 kilometres round trip.

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Stay:

Lean into slow living at CABN X William, located between Gemtree’s vineyards and thick bush.

Words by Alexis Buxton-Collins

92. Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast

In the aftermath of the Black Summer fires, friends Erin Boutros and Eleanor Baillieu started an Instagram account to remind their friends and followers to visit affected areas and shop local in the hope of helping communities recover. They called it @emptyesky, and a grassroots food and tourism movement was born. The idea of grabbing an empty esky and filling it with produce and products from Nowra to Kangaroo Island to Gippsland quickly caught on, with organised tours by the likes of AAT Kings making it even easier to get involved.

Class at Eastwood's Deli and Cooking School, NSW, Australia
Learn from the pros at Eastwood’s Deli and Cooking School (Image: Destination NSW)

Then the pandemic struck and the movement was forced into iso like everyone else. But with regions and borders now open, and with a lot of recovery still to be done, charting one of Empty Esky’s self-drive itineraries is the ultimate altruistic adventure. May we suggest the four-day Best Regional Donut drive, starting in Melbourne and tracking along the coast through Morwell (Powerhouse Donuts) and Lakes Entrance (Big Bear Donuts), onto Bermagui (Eastwood’s), Berry (The Famous Berry Donut Van – an Australian Traveller favourite) and the Central Coast (Daily Dough Co) in NSW, and finishing off in Buderim (Dough Ho) on the Queensland Sunshine Coast. Local communities and your taste buds will thank you (if not your waistline).

Box of doughnuts from The Famous Berry Donut Van, NSW, Australia
The Famous Berry Donut Van is a crowd favourite. (Image: Destination NSW)

Distance:

2075 kilometres

Stay:

There’s nothing more satisfying on a long drive than pulling into a roadside motel, and all the better if it has classic mid-20th century bones and a seriously modern refit. Case in point: The Berry View, with its signature 1950s long-slung style now enhanced by joyful shots of orange and a classic Palm Springs-esque aesthetic.

Interiors, Berry View Hotel, NSW, Australia
With its signature 1950s long-slung style, you’re in for a stylish stay at the Berry View Hotel. (Image: Destination NSW)

93. Sydney to Canberra via Yass

The drive from Sydney to Canberra possesses many side trip opportunities, including the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan near Campbelltown or the loveliness of the towns and villages of the Southern Highlands (seriously consider stopping at Bendooley Estate in Berrima for lunch along the way), but continuing on the Hume Motorway towards Yass is the most rewarding long-way-round proposition.

Bendooley Estate in Berrima, NSW, Australia
Have lunch at Bendooley Estate in Berrima. (Image: Destination NSW)

Driving down the main street of this big country town, its former prosperity, built on the sheep’s back, is writ large in the grandiose heritage buildings that line it on both sides: grab coffee at Cafe Dolcetto or Trader & Co and take a stroll. Heading out of town will take you through cold-climate wine country along the Barton Highway before delivering you onto Canberra’s wide boulevards at journey’s end.

Distance:

340 kilometres.

Stay:

Little National Hotel Canberra in the suburb of Barton does pint-sized with sleek aplomb.

Stopover during The drive from Sydney to Canberra, Australia
There are plenty of side trip opportunities on the drive from Sydney to Canberra (Image: Destination NSW)

94. Margaret River region, WA

It’s time to get a bit funky in the Margaret River region along the Lo-Fi Wine Trail, where you will find legendary winemakers dedicated to producing low-intervention wines. Taste lesser-known varietals at the Blind Corner, Goon Tycoons and Stormflower Vineyard.

Vineyards in Margaret River, WA, Australia
Find legendary winemakers dedicated to producing low-intervention wines. (Image: Frances Adrijich)

Intrepid oenophiles will also enjoy world-class wineries and stunning district views along the Tom Cullity Drive where Dr Tom Cullity planted the first vines at Vasse Felix in 1967. Restock your esky at the Providore Margaret River and Margaret River Chocolate Company and find a spot to set up a picnic and enjoy a spread of local ingredients. Supplement your itinerary with a few wildflower walks, hikes through national parks and swims in sheltered bays.

Lunch menu at Vasse Felix, Margaret River, WA, Australia
Have lunch at Vasse Felix in Margaret River. (Image: Stefan Gosatti)

Distance:

The Lo-Fi Wine Trail stretches for about 20 kilometres, while Tom Cullity Drive includes eight wineries dotted along five kilometres of Margaret River’s backroads.

Keep reading our special Top 100 Road Trips in Australia editorial series.

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Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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Good food, beautiful nature & history: your guide to a long weekend in West Gippsland

(Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.

    Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.

    Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.

    But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences.  Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.

    Getting there

    Messmates Dining west gippsland
    Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)

    Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.

    Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.

    Visit historic villages

    Walhalla historic township
    Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.

    European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.

    The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township, a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.

    Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.

    Alpine Trout Farm west gippsland
    Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.

    Back in Warragul, the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.

    In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.

    Walks, waterfalls and wild places

    Toorongo Falls in west gippsland
    Stroll Toorongo Falls Reserve. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.

    One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve. A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.

    Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.

    Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail, which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.

    Taste the best eats of West Gippsland

    Hogget Kitchen west gippsland
    Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.

    For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.

    Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.

    Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.

    For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter.  Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.

    Time your visit with the Truffle Festival

    Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival, running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.

    Start planning your long weekend in West Gippsland at visitgippsland.com.au.