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The memory-making travel item you might be overlooking

Katie CarlinBy Katie Carlin
As a travel editor, I am often asked for my can’t-live-without travel product recommendations and while this isn’t that, it is an item I never considered until recently.

Normally, we’re looking for products that make life easier when travelling – from packing cubes and tech kits to hydrating travel beauty routines or the perfect tote bag – but this item isn’t necessarily essential, yet it is guaranteed to add a memorable element to any Aussie getaway. It’s more about enriching a moment than making life easier.

When I was a kid, Friday evenings were known as homemade family pizza night in our household. I loved choosing the toppings I’d add, kneading the dough and watching it rise in the oven as it cooked. It definitely wasn’t the best-tasting pizza of my life, but it was fun and it’s a great memory. Unsurprisingly, making pizza at home has advanced since the nineties, with numerous backyard pizza ovens now on the market. And it got me thinking. Can you travel with a pizza oven? It turns out you can.

I personally put the Ooni Koda 2 gas-powered pizza oven to the test on a recent girls’ trip to Robertson in NSW and was pleasantly surprised by just how easy it is to make gourmet pizzas on the road.

Ooni Koda 2 digital thermometer.
Checking the temperature. (Image: Katie Carlin)

The Ooni Koda 2 (RRP $749) weighs in at only 16kg, features collapsible legs and a handy Carry Cover with compartments to store the hose and gas connector, as well as straps to carry it with ease. You just need access to a gas cylinder (I checked with our Airbnb host ahead of the trip), a couple of extra tools (including the Ooni Pizza Turning Peel and Ooni Digital Infrared Thermometer, both sold separately), your ingredients (hot honey is essential), and you’re good to go.

Stretching out the dough in the kitchen.
Stretching out the dough. (Image: Katie Carlin)

I’ll admit I cheated and bought pre-prepared dough balls from my local gourmet pizza shop before I left Sydney – I hadn’t tested the oven out just yet, and I was a bit nervous about spending all that time perfecting the dough in case the pizza oven ended up being a steep learning curve. But with a 14-inch cooking area that reaches 500°C, professional-level pizza is actually incredibly easy to achieve – in fact, it takes less than 90 seconds to turn out a perfectly blistered pizza with oozy melted cheese. Two of my friends have already gone out and purchased their own – it’s that good.

Homemade pizza on the road with Ooni Koda 2
The finished product. (Image: Katie Carlin)

We spent the evening under the stars, taking turns to use the pizza peel, drinking wine and catching up on each other’s lives. The pizza was delicious, but the memory tastes even better. I will be packing it into the car on every trip I take this summer.

Disclosure: The writer received the product to test for review. All thoughts are her own.

Katie Carlin
Katie Carlin is Australian Traveller's Head of Content and when she’s not travelling or behind her computer, she’s hosting a dinner party (likely cooking an Alison Roman recipe), at brunch, working on extending her running k’s, or has her nose buried in a book. She joined Australian Traveller in 2018 and is responsible for leading the editorial team across print, digital, social, email and native content. Her job is to make sure we create content that connects readers to incredible experiences in Australia and beyond. In addition to sharing her expertise on travel through industry speaking engagements, Katie appears onToday, A Current Affair and various radio segments. With a BA in Communications majoring in Journalism and a career that has spanned roles at Fairfax Media and Are Media writing for titles such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and various lifestyle brands, she brings a wealth of experience to her role. Her most impactful trip to date has been swimming with whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef. For her next trip she is longing to experience the romance of train travel – hopefully on The Ghan or Indian Pacific.
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The Gold Rush town that’s become Victoria’s best country escape for foodies

    Jocelyn PrideBy Jocelyn Pride
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    The well-preserved Gold Rush town where an idyllic country vibe meets the best of city living.

    Cafe culture

    ‘Slow down’ is the mantra of Tortoise Espresso , and it’s apt for anyone visiting town. This local coffee hangout was the brainchild of Lloyd Meadows, who at 16 started it as a hole in the wall of an old pub. Five years on, it graces a fine shopfront with a menu of around 60 different coffees. Other one-off centrally located daytime cafes, such as Saffs, Togs, Saint Florian and Lazy Bones, are tucked into historic buildings and serve creative menus featuring local produce. A personal favourite is Origini, where chef Luca Sartori brings a taste of northern Italy to his rustic restaurant. For the best banh mi outside Vietnam head to Super Hero, and the pastries at Johnny Baker are legendary.

    the Saint Florian Cafe, Castlemaine
    Saint Florian is one of many businesses tucked away in a historic building. (Image: Griffin Simm)

    On the town’s fringe you’ll find some treasured cafes: Blackbird. Grist, Doveton Corner Store, and the cosy Aitken’s Corner. The Mill precinct also brings another dimension to Castlemaine. Located directly opposite the beautiful Botanical Gardens, this once-derelict woollen mill is a hive of creativity and collaboration. Retaining an industrial feel, it is home to a myriad of 44 unique businesses, galleries and studios that stretch over the three-hectare site.

    Brilliant brews, bars and food

    diners at The Mill, Castlemaine
    The Mill is home to many local businesses. (Image: Visit Victoria/Michelle Jarni)

    The Mill is also home to one of Castlemaine’s bespoke breweries, Shedshaker Brewing Company and Taproom. Within the sensitively restored walls of the oldest part of the building (circa 1875), small-batch, handcrafted beer features alongside fine wholesome food and live music.

    A more recent newcomer to the brewing scene is Love Shack . Starting small as a laneway pop-up in 2021, visionaries Conna Mallett and Harry Cox were armed with a Melbourne beer culture pedigree, which helped them create a great new ‘pub’ that feels as though it’s been there since the 1850s. Other atmospheric bars and restaurants are dotted around town – Grafting Cellars for local wines by the pour; buzzy Mostyn Street Cellars; Table Records plays vinyl on weekends; and the quirky Maurocco bar is not to be missed.

    food and drinks at Love Shack Public Bar & Bistro, Castlemaine
    The nostalgic Love Shack Public Bar & Bistro serves comfort food. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    For food you’ll write home about, the hatted Bar Midland serves exquisite dishes from Victorian-only produce. The freshly renovated Wild is located in the original firestation, Voor Ouker specialises in Indonesian/Dutch fusion, and the Railway Hotel oozes English pub charm.

    the Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
    Theatre Royal is the longest continually operating theatre on the mainland. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Much-loved Teatro Regio, found in the magnificent Theatre Royal , is the go-to for pizzas with a twist. As mainland Australia’s longest continually running theatre, this grand dame is also one of more than a dozen performance spaces that add to a rich and diverse entertainment and festival scene.

    pizza at Theatre Royal
    Dine before a show at Theatre Royal. (Image: Tourism Australia/Visit Victoria)

    Quirky country stays

    Quirky, authentic and perfectly located, the Midland Hotel is a private hotel that dates back to 1879. Each of the nine rooms at the Northern Arts Hotel is different and named in honour of an Australian artist. Castlemaine Boutique Accommodation also has a range of properties to suit all types of travellers.