10 ways you can experience Australia like a local

Find Port Fairy passé? Broome boring? Is Seal Rocks so last year? Then you, trend hunter, will want to take note. From the next Mudgee to tiny towns big on art and your new favourite foodie destination, we have these places pegged as the next hot ticket (so get there before everyone else does).

1. Bondi’s sleepy south Coast Cousin

Where: Bermagui, NSW

Swaddled by national park and with its iconic Blue Pool (just quietly, we think it could bump Icebergs from its popularity podium if it was closer to Bondi), our soft spot for Bermagui is growing larger by the day.

The pretty seaside town on the Sapphire Coast is experiencing a swell of new cafes and restaurants to complement its already undeniably beautiful natural assets, like Camel Rock and Wallaga Lake.

Head to Long Time No Sea , which opened in December, for brunch with an unbeatable view over Cuttagee Beach or book ahead for an intimate fine-dining experience on Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings.

“Bermagui has just evolved so much since I moved here seven years ago… but it’s still so simple and it keeps you in touch with what’s important in life," says Timenah Hunt of Gulaga Organics.

2. No longer under lock and key

Where: Beechworth, VIC

It could be one of the prettiest towns with an infamous criminal record.

And now the Beechworth Gaol – which once held Ned Kelly – has been promised a more glamorous life ahead after a consortium of locals and investors banded together to buy it last year.

While it’s set to become a centre of excellence for young entrepreneurship and a hub for the cycling groups that whorl through Beechworth , new cafes, a co-working space and accommodation are all on the cards.

For now, guided tours of the gaol will take you back to the Kelly Gang days.

3. Seafood, shipwrecks & sorbet

Where: Moonta Bay, SA

The Yorke Peninsula is a finger of land with Innes National Park at its tip, and looks a bit like Italy’s boot.

Seafood is bountiful, surfers head for rugged beaches like Pondalowie and Browns, and shipwrecks lie submerged offshore.

Walking is one of the best ways to explore this coastal frontier.

Walk the Yorke is a 500-kilometre collection of trails stretching from Port Wakefield to Moonta Bay , a once-booming copper mining town that now lures families with its waterfront Splash Park and homemade Italian gelato.

“People will drive from Adelaide for the day just to have a gelato.

The sorbets are very popular, too. We have our own orchard, so we can we use our fruit," says Janette Martino from the Coffee Barn & Gelateria in Moonta.

4. Silo-sized street art in Victoria’s tiny towns

Where: Patchewollock to Rupanyup, VIC

When Brisbane street artist Guido van Helten transformed the towering decommissioned silos in the small country town of Brim, none of the locals could have predicted what an effect it would have.

Curious travellers came flocking, a car park was formed in front of the silos and the news reached international shores.

Now, the Wimmera-Mallee region is well on its way to becoming Australia’s largest outdoor gallery with a new art trail stretching 200 kilometres and linking some of Victoria’s smallest towns.

With artworks on silos in Patchewollock and Sheep Hills since the Brim makeover, Rupanyup, Lascelles and Roseberry are next, leading to the culmination of the official Silo Art Trail in July – aka a damn good reason for a road trip.

5. Your new favourite foodie destination

Where: The Scenic Rim, QLD

Technically a cluster of towns, this produce-rich region – one hour’s drive from Brisbane or the Gold Coast – also dishes up six national parks, so eating and exertion come in equal measure.

Three things to buy:

1. A bottle of Reserve Selection Lona Sparkling from O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards. oreillys.com.au

2. Olives from Rathlogan Grove in Rathdowney.

3. Naughty Little Kids goat’s milk gelato in Peaks Crossing, near Boonah.

6. Emerging out of Margaret River’s shadow

Where: Manjimup, WA

Twenty years ago the first truffles were planted at The Truffle & Wine Co .

In Manjimup , just over 300 kilometres from Perth.

Today, the region offers a bounty of produce, truffle hunts and the annual Truffle Kerfuffle festival.

We asked Alex Wilson, senior sales and marketing manager for The Truffle & Wine Co.

What to do when we’re in town.

Must-eat… Truffle cheesecake from The Truffle & Wine Co.

Stay at… Fonty’s Pool – a massive man-made lake with surrounding cabin, caravan and camping accommodation.

All the locals have a soft spot for Fonty’s.

While you’re here… Go canoeing at Big Brook Dam or follow the bike trails in the Pemberton area, just down the road.

7. Go now before the crowds

Where: Punsand Bay, Cape York, QLD

With word that the trip to the tip could be paved in bitumen by as early as 2020, getting properly off the grid will be harder than ever.

So now’s the time to plan your Cape York adventure.

New boutique operations like Adventure Australia Treks & Tours will take you on the back roads, or you can join a tag-along if you’ve got your own wheels.

8. You’ve been to Mudgee, so what about…

Where: Jugiong, NSW

Sydneysiders who can sniff out a trend 300 kilometres away are driving to Jugiong, on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, just to eat lunch at The Sir George .

Opened in December after a nine-month renovation of the 1852 pub (which had been in the same family for 165 years before the handover), the chic venue houses a restaurant, sourdough bakery and beer garden, with heritage-listed Cobb & Co. stables accommodation coming at the end of this year.

With a cafe and cooking school, The Long Track Pantry , next door and the Curators Collective just up the road, we’re sensing a hint of Newrybar in the Riverina, especially with its position just off the Hume Highway.

9. Folk festival meets foodies

Where: Cygnet, TAS

With tickets sold in record time for this year’s Cygnet Folk Festival – which has been running since 1982 – buzz is building around this hippie enclave, one hour from Hobart.

It’s always been a magnet for creative types, but there’s an undercurrent of change afoot.

“There is a bit of foodie culture that’s coming into town, there’s a wood-fire bakery that’s opened up just next door… and there are lots of small, vegetable growers and producers around," says Joe Pickett, co-owner of vegetarian cafe The Velvet Lounge .

10. A surf and art lover’s haven

Where: Yallingup, WA

As well as luring surfers to its consistently quality waves, Yals (as it’s affectionately known) is an art-lover’s paradise.

Yallingup Galleries is the obvious first port of call but you can also pick up some amazing local art at the markets, and follow the arts precinct along Marrinup and Gunyulgup Drives.

Three breaks to surf:

1. Smiths

2. Three Bears

3. Supertubes

City buzz, gourmet trails, surf breaks and art scenes are all at your fingertips.

When it comes to planning a trip, picking a holiday destination is the easy part. The real dilemma is where to set yourself up for the night. Do you go coastal, city, or countryside? Somewhere remote and rugged, or right in the action? Luckily, the Sunshine Coast, and huge number of amazing Sunshine Coast day trips, have kindly made the choice for you.

Ditch the hotel-hopping and suitcase-lugging. Instead, base yourself at Novotel Sunshine Coast or Mantra Mooloolaba , where big-city culture, vine-covered valleys, and theme parks are all within a two-hour drive.

1. Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes (105km)

Shake off the sand from your sandals and swap the beach for the throb of the Queensland capital. Ease in gently with a bougainvillea-filled stroll through South Bank, iced latte in hand, before cooling off at Streets Beach lagoon – Brisbane’s answer to the coast (but without the waves).

Once firmly in big-city mode, hit up the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) , home to Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Dive into the past at the Queensland Museum, where prehistoric fossils of Australian dinosaurs and megafauna collide with First Nations cultural collections and interactive science exhibits.

All this learning got you hungry? Howard Smith Wharves calls. Here, riverside dining delivers breweries with meat-forward menus, Japanese fine dining and overwater bars. If you’ve got room for more, Fortitude Valley’s shopping boutiques await you and your wallet.

woman walking around Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — Wander the Gallery of Modern Art. (Image: TEQ)

2. Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (170km)

Make your way inland to the Scenic Rim for the state’s best vineyards and age-old volcanic slopes. Start your day early (like, sparrow’s breakfast early) at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park . Here, take a treetop walk through the canopy and hand-feed the wild birds who flock here.

Next, it’s your turn to eat. Here, the food scene operates where locally sourced produce is an expectation, not an exception. Order a picnic basket crammed with regional wine and cheese to devour next to the creek at Canungra Valley Vineyards . Or perhaps a grazing platter of vegan and non-vegan cheeses at Witches Falls Winery .

Feeling bold? Tackle the Twin Falls circuit in Springbrook National Park. Or keep the gourmet life going with a Scenic Rim Brewery tasting paddle, best enjoyed while taking in the rise of the Great Dividing Range.

woman with cheese and wine at Witches Falls Winery — Enjoy a cheese platter at Witches Falls Winery. (Image: TEQ)

3. Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast

Drive time: 2 hours (180km)

Surf, sand and sparkling skylines might be the Gold Coast’s MO, but there’s more to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Kick things off with a beachfront coffee at Burleigh Heads, then hike through Burleigh Head National Park to look over the ocean and whale sightings (dependent on the season, of course).

Cool off in the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek before chowing down on the famously buttery Moreton Bay bug rolls at Rick Shores . Travelling with the kids? Then you can’t miss Australia’s theme park capital, with Dreamworld ’s big rides and Warner Bros. Movie World ’s Hollywood treatment at hand to keep the family entertained.

aerial view of Tallebudgera Creek — Dive into Tallebudgera Creek. (Image: TEQ)

4. Sunshine Coast to Tweed Heads

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (200km)

Dare to cross enemy lines? Then welcome to New South Wales. Tweed Heads blends the laid-back attitude of the Northern Rivers with high-quality dining, experimental art, and farm-fresh indulgence – a combo worth the drive.

Start strong with a long, lazy brunch at Tweed River House , then swing by Tropical Fruit World for exotic finds like red dragon fruit, handfuls of lychees and black sapote. Next, hit M|Arts Precinct – an art deco hub of micro galleries, artist workshops and one-off boutiques.

Round off the day with sunset drinks at Husk Distillers among the glowing cane fields, and order one with their famous Ink Gin. You’ll thank us later.

exterior of Husk Distillers — Taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Distillers. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Drive time: 1 hour (70km)

Strap on those hiking boots and make tracks inland, where volcanic peaks, misty rainforest and hinterland townships beckon. Ease in with the Glass House Mountains Lookout Walk, or, if you have energy to burn, tackle the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk for a 360-degree sight of the surrounding summits.

Next: Montville. This township delivers European-style architecture and old-world appeal. Nearby, settle in at Flame Hill Vineyard, where a large pour of estate-grown wine comes with encompassing views of the countryside.

Not ready to leave the hinterland villages just yet? Of course not. Meander past art galleries and indie shops at Maleny. Nab some fudge from Sweets on Maple for a sweet fix. Or go salty at Maleny Dairies with a farm tour and a chunky wedge of their deliciously creamy cheese.

End the day among the eucalypts and rainforests of Kondalilla National Park. Here, the Kondalilla Falls Circuit winds down through trees humming with life to a rock pool beneath a waterfall – as if designed for soaking tired feet before heading back to the coast.

view of Mount Ngungun on the scenic rim queensland — Take on the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk (Image: TEQ)

Start planning your Sunshine home base at all.com.