McLaren Vale’s Shiraz Trail follows an old railway line through rolling hillsides dotted with gum trees. The seven-kilometre, pedestrian-and cyclist-only route passes wineries including Hugh Hamilton, Serafino, Primo Estate and Oxenberry. Make sure to stop for pinsa – a pizza-focaccia hybrid – at Chalk Hill.  

Stay: The Vineyard Retreat has six self-contained guest houses.

Located at the southern end of the rugged Grampians National Park, Wickens at the Royal Mail Hotel is an unmissable fine-dining experience. Get behind-the-scenes access by booking the four-person Chef’s Table or take a tour of the organic kitchen garden and extensive wine cellar. 

Stay: Bed down in one of the property’s cottages.

British chef Rick Stein is an honorary local in Mollymook, a three-hour drive south of Sydney, where his namesake restaurant, Rick Stein at Mollymook, at Bannisters Hotel, has become a landmark. Unsurprisingly, it’s a celebration of all things seafood: think freshly shucked oysters, kingfish ceviche and grilled scallops with hazelnut butter.

Stay: Book an ocean-view suite on-site.

Run by Walk Into Luxury, this four-day, 41-kilometre small group tour of Margaret River takes you past secluded beaches, granite cliff tops and lush karri forest. Also on the itinerary: winery lunches with world-class drops and private chef dinners showcasing the region’s best produce.   

Stay: You’ll spend all three nights in a private villa at Injidup Spa Retreat.

This is not a restaurant with lines outside the doors on any given evening. In fact, it’s a venue that doesn’t even have doors. One night you could be settling around a long table by the riverside and the next you might dine surrounded by a towering forest. The common thread? You’ll only find PLACE in South Australia – that is, after signing up to a waitlist and receiving an invitation to join chef Kane Pollard at a mystery location in the state for a one-off culinary journey. From your seat, you’ll watch Pollard and his team whip together an enchanting meal incorporating local ingredients (think pine needle-smoked kangaroo or eucalyptus-poached beetroot) that draws inspiration from the unique setting PLACE has inhabited for the day.

Stay: Make The Playford in Adelaide’s CBD your home base for easy access to the splendour of South Australia.

Dining at this rustic-chic outback retreat is imaginative, all-inclusive and it changes every day. Expect dishes such as lemon myrtle focaccia, popcorn octopus and kangaroo with davidson plum., all matched with stellar Australian wines.

Stay: There’s space for just 20, with eight suites and two glamping tents.

Forage for witchetty grubs, yams and other traditional bush foods on an Animal Tracks tour of Kakadu National Park. Led by a First Nations guide, the seven-hour safari wraps up with a campfire cook-up at sunset – expect magpie geese or buffalo served with damper and billy tea.

Stay: Cooinda Lodge is an eco resort with easy access to Kakadu.

Housed in a 19th-century building in the Derwent Valley, just a 35-minute drive north-west of Hobart, The Agrarian Kitchen is a must-visit for a long farm-to-table lunch. 

Stay: At Raffah House, a bright and light three-bedroom historic house in Oatlands.

Maggie’s Farm Shop and Restaurant, on Maggie Beer’s Barossa property, is now run by her daughter Elli. Stock up on small-batch pantry staples, join a group cooking class, create your own gin or simply sit back with a freshly baked cake and coffee on the sun-dappled deck.

Stay: Wake up in the farm’s two-bedroom country home, Orchard House.

Spanning a pretty, winery-dense stretch of the Hunter Valley, this 10.6-kilometre trail includes minimal-intervention Hunter Wine Lab, craft beer hub 4 Pines at the Farm and French bistro Muse Kitchen. There’s a purpose-built cycleway and vineyards will deliver bottles to your accommodation.

Stay: Spicers Vineyards Estate, a modern manor house in Pokolbin.

From fine diner Doot Doot Doot’s Miso glazed Hapuka to charred octopus at the Rare Hare food and wine store, a visit to this avant-garde hotel is an unforgettable way to taste the Mornington Peninsula’s bounty. Don’t miss an eclectic drink at Flaggerdoot cocktail lounge. 

Stay: Book a moody, 85-square-metre suite overlooking Willow Creek Vineyard.

Join an Aboriginal-owned tour through the verdant Daintree to learn about the local Kuku Yalanji people's food traditions, sample some bush tucker and try your hand at spearfishing for mud crabs. 

Stay: Just 20 minutes from Port Douglas, Silky Oaks Lodge has 40 luxe treehouse-style suites.

Stretching across the state’s north, Cradle Mountain and the south-east, this trail joins the dots between pioneering distilleries like Lark, credited with starting the Apple Isle’s whisky scene, and newcomers putting fresh spins on spirits.

Stay: Start your journey at hip Regency-style hotel The Islington in Hobart.

Your adventure starts with a 30-minute helicopter flight to Finniss River Lodge from Darwin. An ATV buggy or airboat (depending on the season) will then whisk you away to forage native botanicals under the guidance of an expert. Track down everything from paperbark to waterlily and quinine, which you’ll later use to craft your own bespoke gin. Refuel back at Charlie’s of Darwin with braised Akoya-sourced oysters and crocodile dumplings, and top it off with a taste test of your own gin. Bonus: a 500-millilitre bottle of your creation will accompany you home. 

Stay: Take in the real Australian outback from Finniss River Lodge.

A 20-minute drive from Orange in sleepy Millthorpe, this much-lauded restaurant is housed in the heritage-listed Hall of Commerce building. The five-course set menu is brimming with local produce and changes daily, but you might find Cowra lamb or duck lasagne paired with shiraz from nearby vineyards.

Stay: Head to the sophisticated The Byng Street Boutique Hotel back in Orange.

Join Sarge the kelpie and Scout the border collie in the NSW Central West for a morning of truffle hunting at RedGround. Just under 3 hours’ drive from Sydney, near Oberon, the experience begins with a tasting of warm truffled garlic, artichoke and spinach dip on toasted sourdough before getting into the hard work. Accompanied by RedGround’s expert guides, you’ll head to the truffière (truffle orchard) and dig for, weigh and grade your own black gold. If you’re feeling peckish after your hunt, there’s sweet treats such as panna cotta and ice-cream (with truffle) on hand.

Stay: Enjoy a farm stay in the onsite cottage.

On local mussel farmer Lance Wiifen’s Portarlington Mussel Tours, you’ll gain a front-row seat to mussel farming as you hit the Bellarine Peninsula with 11 other guests on a three-hour cruise of Port Phillip Bay. Along the way, you’ll learn about the history of farming these tasty molluscs and take part in cooking demos, tastings and local produce platters, all washed down with a glass of Bellarine wine. If you’re lucky, you may even spot dolphins frolicking in the water beside the boat. 

Stay: Treat yourself to a detoxifying body wrap and drift into bliss at Lon Retreat.

A visit to the Margaret River is synonymous with food and wine, but experiencing the region through the eyes of a local is the best way to do it. Walk Talk Taste hosts four-hour tours that deliver exactly this. From brunch to lunch, the expert guides will share where locals go for topnotch eats.. There’s a riverside coffee to start, cheese from Charcuterie Margaret River, wines from La Kooki and lunch at a restored village. 

Stay: Extend your visit with Gourmet Glamping