From world-class dining and wineries to small-batch producers and a rich Indigenous heritage, Australia is devoted to its seriously good food culture. Discover why at an array of festivals across the country.
Australia's landscape swings from meandering coastlines to canopied rainforests and the vast, red outback. It offers travellers both remote adventures and modern thrills in cosmopolitan cities. Its enduring constant, however, is its great bounty: yielding everything from award-winning wines to the freshest-of-fresh produce and incredible seafood.
This abundance, melded with a rich Indigenous food history and generations of multiculturalism, is the source of Australia's robust food culture. One way to embark on an edible odyssey of Oz, discovering some of the country's most picturesque regions in the process, is to plan your trip around a cluster of top-notch food festivals, like these.
Western Australia Gourmet Escape, Perth
A food festival of epic proportions, Gourmet Escape is held every November on Australia's stunning west coast. Spanning Perth and the neighbouring regions of the Swan Valley and the idyllic Margaret River, it's one of the country's flagship food events. A beautiful three-hour drive south of Perth, Margaret River is a coastal haven famous for its pristine, white-sand beaches, clear topaz-like waters and welcoming towns offering up the quintessential Aussie mix of sun, sea and sand. It also happens to be peppered with excellent wineries, restaurants and producers, making it the perfect setting for the Gourmet Escape, which routinely attracts big name international chefs such as Marco Pierre White and Momofuku's David Chang, alongside many of Australia's own world-revered culinary glitterati.
Getting there: you can fly direct to Perth from Sydney and Melbourne, or to Busselton in Margaret River via either city.
Tasting Australia, Adelaide
Many of Australia's best-loved wineries sit in a cluster just a short distance from the charming city of Adelaide, South Australia. Among them are McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley – regions well worth touring, even without a festival to unite them. To get deeply involved in the food scene of this up-and-coming city and its surrounds, however, plan your trip to coincide with Tasting Australia, which runs for 10 days over March and April. With events held in the city, in regional areas and on the coast, Tasting Australia casts a wide net from the ocean to the fringe of the outback. Experience the freshest seafood, native bush foods and everything fortified, foraged and fermented.
Getting there: Adelaide is a short, two-hour flight from Sydney or one-and-a-half hours from Melbourne. From there, you can hop on a number of tours to explore the city's neighboring wine regions.
Taste of Kakadu, Kakadu
To truly immerse in the rich tapestry of Australia's food philosophy is to experience the native ingredients used by traditional owners of the land for 65,000 years. Each year, for 10 days in May, Kakadu National Park hosts the Aboriginal food festival, Taste of Kakadu, in celebration of the area's ancient food history. Here, you can learn about bush foods and Aboriginal culture and customs from the Indigenous community in one of the most unique and breathtaking places on the planet. Kakadu is perhaps not what you would expect of the Australian outback; it's a place of lush wetlands, waterfalls and rainforests, and home to some of the country's most exotic wildlife. Tap into the ancient knowledge of the Kakadu people and experience flavours and stories like no other.
Getting there: Fly direct to Darwin from Sydney. From there, join a guided to tour to Kakadu National Park.
Noosa Eat & Drink Festival, Noosa
This idyllic, sun-soaked beach town just two hours north of Brisbane is on the must-see list for many people travelling to Australia (as well as being a hugely popular spot for locals). But if you truly love your food you should time your visit to coincide with the four-day Noosa Eat & Drink Festival, held in May. Noosa's laidback surf vibes extend to her sandy-toed dining scene, which is as delicious as it is relaxed and supplied by the rich produce of the nearby hinterland and the ocean. Dine under the stars, enjoy live cooking demonstrations or settle in for some serious beachside brunching.
Getting there: You can drive the two hours from Brisbane or fly to Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast from Sydney and Melbourne. From Maroochydore, it's just 30 minutes to Noosa.
Taste of Tasmania, Hobart
Tasmania is an island of uncommon beauty. Although small, "Tassie" (as it's affectionately known) displays a dazzling array of landscapes – from deep wilderness to wind-whipped coasts, serene bays to lush forests. So it's little wonder this southernmost state is bequeathed with a cornucopia of eats – from briny oysters and cool-climate wines, to distilleries, amazing cheeses and truly astounding produce. Sample it all at Taste of Tasmania, which happens every year over the New Year period in the capital of Hobart. Expect dining events, a showcase of producers and a New Year's Eve party.
Getting there: Fly to Hobart from Sydney and Melbourne in less than two hours.
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Melbourne
Melbourne is considered Australia's food capital (especially by local Melburnians). The city's funky laneways are crammed with flavour-illuminating eateries and many of the country's best restaurants, helmed by award-winning chefs. It would be nearly impossible to understand the depth of Melbourne's devotion to food and wine in a short trip, so arriving just as the Food and Wine Festival kicks off will give you a good head start. Held every March, the festival program has everything from food talks to street fairs, performances, tastings and even an entertaining wine quiz.
Getting there: From Sydney, it's a quick one-and-a-half hour flight or two-and-a-half hours from Brisbane.
Orange F.O.O.D Week, Orange
Less than four hour’s drive from Sydney, the charming regional city of Orange has been attracting culinary adventurers for almost three decades to its annual Orange F.O.O.D Week festivities. Held over 10 days in March and April, the festival aims to champion the region’s incredible additions to Australia’s food scene; a fairly easy task given the area’s abundance of wineries and artisan producers. You’ll also gain bragging rights for discovering this beautifully bucolic and historic regional hub that is an under-the-radar find.
Getting there: Orange can be reached from Sydney in less than four hour’s drive. Alternatively, the town has its own airport with daily direct one-hour flights from Sydney.
Continue your foodie journey in Australia with our suggestions for unique wine tasting experiences.
