Australia's food and wine experiences

Forget shrimps on the barbie and bushtucker trials, when it comes to cuisine Australia is a country transformed. Wexas expert Keely Roberts picks out her top food and wine experiences from across the country.

Its diverse landscapes, coastlines and climates produce a remarkable variety of fresh, seasonal produce, from unusual indigenous ingredients like saltbush, riberries, Angasi oysters and quandongs, to award-winning cheeses, truffles and a quite extraordinary variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs. Its vineyards, from Margaret River to the Hunter Valley, are the source of some of the world's best-loved wines, an oenophiles paradise where firm favourites like Chardonnay, Riesling, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, can be found alongside lesser-known varieties like Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier.

But there's far more to this gastronomic explosion than produce alone. As people who love to travel, we've found it's the experiences you can have that really set Australia apart, making it one of our favourite foodie destinations. Head to almost any corner of this vast country and you'll discover superb restaurants, fabulous farmers markets, exciting food festivals, boutique breweries, wine makers large and small and a wealth of culinary adventures that showcase not only the food and wine, but also the incredible settings in which they're enjoyed.

Australia on a plate

The sun is setting, transforming the desert into a kaleidoscope of red, yellow and orange. You stand on top of a remote dune with a glass of sparkling wine in hand as the last flickers of daylight vanish and the unmistakable outline of Uluru is silhouetted against the late evening sky. Then, as the stars begin to twinkle overhead, you're led to your table where a four course gourmet dinner of the best Australian produce awaits, accompanied by specially selected wines, spellbinding tales of Aboriginal folklore and the rugged beauty of the outback. This is what an Australian food experience is all about. It's something unique, something exciting, something unforgettable. It's about showcasing the finest Australian produce in a way that stays with you forever.

From shucking fresh oysters on Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula to sipping ice-cold chardonnay in the vineyards of the Barossa Valley, Australia has so much to offer the gourmet traveller. Speak to our Australia specialists and browse this brochure for inspiration and insight into our favourite Australian food experiences and where to enjoy them.

Our top Australian food & wine experiences
Click the links below to see what we recommend...

• Dining under a canopy of stars at ancient Uluru 
• Dining in style aboard the Indian Pacific, a luxury coast-to-coast rail journey from Perth to Sydney
• Getting to know the vineyards and vintners of the Hunter Valley, Australia's oldest wine region 
• Exploring the Mornington Peninsula by horseback while tasting some of the region's best wines 
• Sampling fresh oysters and a glass of champagne in Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula 
• Sharing "breakfast with the kangaroos" in South Australia's beautiful Barossa Valley 
• Hunting for truffles amid the rolling farmlands of Margaret River