Australia by ice cream – 9 super cool gelato bars

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Traditionally we’ve all screamed for ice cream in the Australian summer… but now the arto of gelato is a serious reason to make a daytrip to one of these experimental taste emporiums. Expect a queue at some of these 9 fan gelato bars, but also expect it to be worth the wait too.

1. Cow and the Moon, Sydney

Since taking out the Gelato World Tour title this year in Italy with its Mandorla affogato flavour, the lines at the family-run Cow and the Moon café in Enmore have run down the street and into the papers.

2. Crazy Acres, Darwin

Venture around 55 kilometres out of Darwin to find this family-owned shop on a property that grows mangoes and other delicious tropical fruits. Buffalo Vanilla ice-cream is a popular pick and you can savour the flavour while taking in a flick at Darwin’s famous Deckchair Cinema where the delicacies are sold. They’ve also just opened a kiosk at local swimming hole, Berry Springs.

3. Ben & Jerry’s Scoop, Wagon Perth

If you’re hovering around the Perth Cultural Centre this summer, cruise past the scoop wagon – a converted Airstream caravan that doubles as a shop, slinging out all your Ben & Jerry’s favourites.

4. Massimo’s Gelateria, Noosa, Qld

If Noosa had children, we dare say they’d be named summer and ice-cream: the main drag of Hastings is littered with shops selling the stuff. But there’s only one place locals flock to for a scoop or two and that’s Massimo’s. Take one waffle cone, add a scoop of coconut and a scoop of mango, top with a walk along Main Beach and there you have it: instant summer memory.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

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5. Dooleys Ice-Cream, Apollo Bay, Vic

If you’re traversing the Great Ocean Road on Australia Day, pop your mug in here to taste the special Aussie day flavours – such as vegemite, weet-bix with banana and honey, and iced vovo. Oh, come on – it’d be un-Australian not to try at least one…

6. Gelati Clinic, Bermagui, NSW

This little shop in the seaside town of Bermagui, NSW, is packed with sandy-footed families during summer. Made with mostly locally grown, organic fruit, they conjure up tasty treats such as blood orange and macadamia, and if you have a spare kilo of fresh fruit laying about you can swap it for a scoop of your favourite frosted flavour.

7. Pompei’s, Bondi, NSW

You’ll find endless decadent tubs of whipped, creamy gelato in this open-air store, set one street back from Bondi’s golden shoreline. When summer rolls around, backpackers and hipsters can be seen jostling for a taste of the traditional Italian-style gelati.

8. The Daintree Ice Cream Company, en route to Cape Tribulation, Qld

A must for a pit-stop on your way to, or from, Cape Tribulation is this humble institution. Sample tropical fruit flavours like black sapote – commonly referred to as ‘chocolate pudding fruit’ – and jackfruit, with flavours resembling banana and pineapple.

9. Gelato Messina (various Sydney & Melbourne)

Each and every week at Australia’s most outrageous gelato chain chefs are given between three and five hours to experiment with new flavour combinations – like their recent ‘red velvet’ concoction (cream cheese gelato with red velvet cake). We wouldn’t be surprised if it was during one such session that their latest idea, the Messina Dessert Bar was dreamt up – a one-off concept store that’s opened just in time for summer. See gelatomessina.com

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8 experiences to get the most out of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road

    Louis Costello Louis Costello
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    Beyond the winding bitumen and coastal views lies another side to Victoria’s most famous route.

    There’s something hypnotic about this stretch of Victoria’s coast. Maybe it’s the way the road hugs the ocean so tightly, or how the cliffs catch the sun in colours you can’t name. Or, for local Victorians who drove this route as kids, maybe it’s the memories of winding through the impossibly tall trees as they seemingly guide you on your journey like wooden guardian angels. Most travellers know it for the 12 Apostles, but there are plenty of alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road equally as worthy of your time.

    So, next time you’re in that neck of the woods, park that car, stretch those legs and try these experiences.

    1. Discover living culture at Budj Bim

    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism
    Walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Breakaway Creek’s Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is a masterclass in educational storytelling. Join a guided tour with Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism to walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system, where the Gunditjmara people built sophisticated eel traps and stone channels more than 6,000 years ago.

    Budj Bim’s aquaculture system predates Egypt’s pyramids by roughly 2,000 years, making it one of the oldest examples of human engineering on Earth. If that’s not enough to get your history-loving family members involved in this road trip, we’re out of ideas.

    2. Unwind in the hot springs at Warnambool

    woman relaxing at Deep Blue Hot Springs
    Let mineral-rich water heal you.

    If your legs need a break after a long drive, Deep Blue Hot Springs is your remedy. The geothermal pools sit just metres from the coastline, filled with mineral-rich water that bubbles up from deep underground. Move between open-air baths, waterfall pools and quiet zones made for meditation.

    The water in Deep Blue’s geothermal pools comes from an ancient aquifer nearly 850 metres below the Earth’s surface, which, in non-scientific terms, means it’s far more likely to have healing properties than the mineral water you’d find at the supermarket.

    3. Take to the air at Princetown

    12 Apostles Helicopters flight alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road
    See an icon from a different view.

    You may have seen the Twelve Apostles from the trusty viewing platform, but a helicopter flight with 12 Apostles Helicopters shows you just how sprawling and rugged this coastline really is.

    The trip covers everything from Port Campbell to London Bridge (not to be confused with the UK’s own), giving you a rare chance to watch waves carving the limestone cliffs from above. It’s worth noting that the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles are said to erode by roughly two centimetres each year, so the longer you leave it, the less of the Apostles you’ll see.

    4. Step into the past at Flagstaff Hill

    Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and Museum
    Visit a time of yore.

    Continue the tour through Warnambool at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and Museum , a recreated 19th-century port town. Hear stories from the days when shipwrecks were as common as seagulls, with an astounding 180 ships believed to have sunk along the Shipwreck Coast in less than five years.

    The night show, complete with lights, sound, and sea spray, brings the coastline’s most dramatic stories to life.

    If you’re staying the night, Simon’s Waterfront offers relaxed dining with fresh local seafood and oceanfront views. Order the catch of the day and toast to the sailors who never made it ashore.

    5. Learn to surf in Torquay, Lorne, or Anglesea

    kid having a lesson with Go Ride A Wave
    Learn how to hang 10. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Whether you’ve surfed before or can barely stand on a board, Go Ride A Wave will have you upright in no time. Torquay’s calm beaches are ideal for first-timers, while Lorne and Anglesea bring a bit more energy for those unafraid to get dunked.

    Bells Beach, just down the road from Torquay, has even hosted the world’s longest-running professional surfing competition since 1962. So, for those eager to have a gander at pros using surfboards like they’re an additional appendage, the competition usually runs sometime in autumn.

    6. Tackle the trails in Forrest

    Barwon Flow Trails Otways Flow MTB
    Hire a bike and explore MTB trails through the Otways.

    Forrest is a haven for mountain bikers thanks to an expansive network of trails through stunning natural scenery. The Forrest trail network has almost 100 kilometres of singletrack across 36 trails, so there’s something for every level of rider. That’s including more than 60 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails winding through the Otways’ dense forest. Cycle through ancient myrtle beech trees and towering tree ferns, with smaller ferns and soft mosses forming a carpet at your feet.

    Hire a bike from Forrest MTB Hire and take your pick from easy, scenic rides to more challenging singletracks, such as Red Carpet or Rollercoaster.

    7. See wildlife up close in Apollo Bay

    bush rat on Wildlife Wonders tour
    Get help spotting the locals. (Image: Doug Gimsey)

    If spotting koalas and kangaroos in the wild feels like winning the lottery, Wildlife Wonders gives you guaranteed sightings without cages or crowds. Every visit to the sanctuary helps fund the Conservation Ecology Centre which supports endangered species across the Otways, so your business is appreciated by humans and animals alike.

    The guided walk takes you through protected Otways habitat where you might spot potoroos (or joey lookalikes for those unfamiliar with a potoroo), wallabies, and sleepy koalas lounging in the trees.

    8. Visit the Cape Otway Lightstation

    Cape Otway Lightstation
    Delve into the tales of Cape Otway Lightstation.

    Towering over the sea on a cliff above the Southern Ocean, Cape Otway Lightstation has been guiding ships since 1848. Before the lighthouse was built, Cape Otway was one of the most treacherous points on the Victorian coast, with dozens of shipwrecks occurring in its surrounding waters. Pick the right day, and you may bump into a local willing to tell you about the wreck of Eric the Red .

    While at the Cape Otway Lightstation, explore the keeper’s quarters, walk the coastal trails, and take in views that only stop short at the horizon.

    And no, contrary to popular belief, the Round the Twist lighthouse is actually located in Split Point, just shy of two hours in the direction of Melbourne. Nothing’s stopping you from embarking on a lighthouse crawl, though.

    Plan your next no-stone-unturned journey along this iconic Aussie road at visitgreatoceanroad.org.au.