For a first (or next) culinary pilgrimage down under, head to Victoria and Tasmania, Australia’s island state.
From its lush farmland to its marine-rich waters, Australia’s beautiful landscapes yield a cornucopia of fresh ingredients. That bounty is on full display across the southeastern states of Victoria and its neighboring island, Tasmania: Winemakers in Victoria’s Yarra Valley harvest crisp, refined chardonnay grapes (among others). Ranchers at Cape Grim, on Tasmania’s northwestern tip, raise grass-fed, free-range cattle used in intimate, farm-to-table restaurants across the island. And in Melbourne, Victoria’s capital city, known for its culinary prowess honed by a multicultural cast of characters, diverse restaurants and eclectic food tours shine.
Victoria and Tasmania may be Australia’s two smallest states by area, but when it comes to food-focused getaways, they deliver big. Here, four experiences not to miss:
From Melbourne, Take an Elevated Dining Road Trip
Melbourne and its 5 million residents (it’s Australia’s second-most-populated city) foster an innovative, culture-rich, and rooted-in-place culinary environment that’s always ripe for exploration. From chilled-out coffee spots (Axil Coffee Roasters) to late-night supper clubs (Black Kite Commune), the capital city’s modern cuisine is also deeply influenced by its diverse communities, including people of Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and African descent, who immigrated to Melbourne in the 1800s.
“Melbourne knows how to do coffee, conversation, and cuisine. The city delivers unforgettable flavor at every turn.”
Beginning in Torquay – an hour’s drive outside of Melbourne – and ending in Allansford, the 151-mile Great Ocean Road takes travelers past rugged limestone cliffs overlooking golden beaches, through tropical rainforests, and into quaint towns rich in culinary craftsmanship. It’s one of the greatest – and most delicious – drives on earth.
“The Great Ocean Road is one of the most stunning drives. “Travelers can complete it one-way from Melbourne, then arrange a private plane or helicopter back to the city if they’re short on time.”
To cover the road’s must-see highlights – including The Twelve Apostles, a group of coastal rock stacks rising 150 feet above the ocean – plan for at least two or three days to complete the drive. To really savor the journey, allowing four to five days for the road trip adds time for hidden gems such as the Otway rainforest, Wildlife Wonders (home to cockatoos, potoroos, wallabies, kangaroos, and koalas), and plenty of worthy restaurant pit stops.
No matter the pace, every drive should include fish and chips at Fish by Moonlite in Anglesea, a scoop or three from Dooley’s Premium Ice Cream in Apollo Bay, and a tasting at Torquay’s Great Ocean Road Distillery, which specializes in gin infused with native botanicals such as juniper, honeysuckle, and lemon gum. At the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape on Lake Condah, a UNESCO World Heritage site, travelers can try kooyang smoked eel, a signature dish of the Gunditjmara Aboriginal people, who live at the nearby Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre.
Discover Victoria’s Internationally Acclaimed Vineyards
An hour’s drive northeast of Melbourne in the Yarra Valley, a diversity of microclimates yields some of Australia’s most awarded wines, including Oakridge Vineyard’s floral and nutty Henk chardonnay, and Giant Steps’ salty and citrusy Tarraford Vineyard syrah. Often called the Burgundy of Australia for climate, soil, and winemaking techniques that are similar to the French region’s, the Yarra Valley is home to more than 80 boutique winery cellar doors. LTTravel Connection Inc travel advisors can work with tour operators and on-site connections in the country, such as Swain Destinations and Southern Crossings Australia, to craft bespoke wine itineraries that visit the region’s best vineyards.
For cellar tours with more coastal flair, head to the Mornington Wine Valley. This breezy region an hour’s drive southeast of Melbourne is known for its chardonnay and complex pinot noir, revered at wineries including Ten Minutes by Tractor and Pt. Leo Estate. “Pt. Leo Estate is a gem,” .
“The estate is set in a privately owned sculpture park with over 60 works by Australian and international artists.”
A ten-minute drive north, the 44-room Jackalope Hotel makes an excellent home base for touring the surrounding vineyards. At the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, Doot Doot Doot, sommeliers pair Mornington wines with inventive seasonal dishes. In spring, that might look like seaweed farfalle with peas or Siberian caviar with smoked cream and onion.
Touch Down for a Culinary Adventure in Tasmania
A one-hour flight from Melbourne lands travelers in Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania and the gateway to the island’s oyster farms, ocean-to-table restaurants, and abundance of local producers. Tasmania is about the size of West Virginia, with a temperate climate and four distinct seasons that create near-perfect conditions for harvesting pinot noir grapes, earthy Tasmanian peppers, and rare leatherwood honey, world-renowned for its creamy, floral flavor.
A few days on the island leads to intimate restaurants (Fork It Farm, Stillwater), ocean-to-table feasts (Seafood Seduction), and plenty of laid-back exploration. In New Norfolk, about a 40-minute drive northwest of Hobart, the family-owned Agrarian Kitchen grows 90 percent of its own ingredients and hosts garden tours and cooking classes. And on the east coast of Tasmania in Coles Bay, the Freycinet Marine Farm harvests oysters, mussels, scallops, rock lobsters, and other seafood favorites. Travelers can tour the farm, and shuck and taste their own oysters.
The best way to experience Tasmania’s artisan-driven food scene is by hitting the road – LTTravel Connection Inc
#luxurytraveladvisors can arrange guided tours, or travelers can rent their own cars for a self-guided, go-where-the-cravings-take-you journey. At Tasman Sea Salt on the island’s east coast, resident salt sommeliers show guests how the company sustainably harvests its sea salt flakes before leading them through a produce-paired tasting deep dive. Across the island on the northwest coast, artisan cheeses take center stage at La Cántara, where owners Genaro and Rosselyn Escalante bring a dash of their Venezuelan home into bold, inventive cheeses.
Tap Into Some of Australia’s Most Innovative Distilleries
Tasmania claims a robust network of cool-climate wine regions, from the storied and sprawling Tamar Wine Valley to the champagne-rich Pipers River region. The cellar doors span city to coast to countryside, as does the island’s impressive lineup of distilleries, many of which are producing spirits found nowhere else in the world.
Take Bakehouse Distillery, for starters. The seaside spot in South Tasmania is home to the world’s first sassafras-infused spirit, a slightly bitter, gin-like liquor with hints of anise, mint, and forest moss. And at Hartshorn Distillery, producers use leftovers from neighboring Grandvewe Cheeses to produce the world’s first small-batch vodkas and gins made from sheep’s whey.
Tasmania is home to more whiskey distilleries than any other Aussie state (you can thank the island’s terroir and ultra-pure water resources for that – Tasmania has some of the cleanest air and water in the world), and in recent years, its whiskies have achieved international acclaim. Travelers shouldn’t miss Belgrove Distillery, which opened in 2015 as Australia’s first rye distillery. The biodiesel-powered operation in Kempton, about a 45-minute drive from Hobart, invites travelers into its farmhouse-style tasting room to learn more about its sustainable paddock-to-palate production process and sample a variety of barrel-aged ryes. A 20-minute drive north at Callington Mill Distillery, travelers can taste for themselves why the producer’s Pedro Ximenez Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky won the Single Malt Whiskey of the Year award at the 2025 London Spirits Competition. #luxurytravel #wineandfoodtravel #experience #explore #onceandalifetimetravel #australiatravel #lttravelconnection
