The top Australian food worth travelling for

Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
hero media
Australia is blessed with incredible food and produce. Here are the best that are definitely worth a road trip.

Australians have countless reasons to travel overseas, but when it comes to top-quality produce, is it bragging to say that Australia comes out on top? Well, we don’t want to be accused of false modesty…

From native super fruits to wine that gives the French a run for their money, these are the Australian foods worth travelling for.

1. Barramundi, Darwin, NT

You will find barramundi on menus across Australia, but the barras in the Top End are considered the best. It’s become so popular that once a year, anglers descend on the Northern Territory to catch the ‘million dollar barra,’ which is tagged and released in the waters, ready for enterprising anglers as part of the Million Dollar Fish competition.

enjoying a Barramundi platter in Darwin
Barramundi in the Top End is considered the best. (Image: Jojo Yuen)

Best season? November to May (wet season).

Where to try? Fin and Tonic  on Marina Boulevard in Darwin, NT.

2. Green Ants (gulguk), Arnhem Land, NT

Indigenous Australians have been eating these tiny but fierce insects for millennia. Today, the lemony-coriander seed-tasting treat is gaining momentum among more eaters. Try them in Arnhem Land.

green ants on a plate
Try green ants in Arnhem Land. (Image: Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia)

Best season? All year round.

Where to try? One of the most famous ant-based products is the green ant gin made by SomethingWild Australia on Larrakia land .

3. Bowen/Kensington Pride Mangoes, Bowen, Qld

Not just the home to the Big Mango! Australia’s most popular breed of the luscious, tropical fruit originated from the Whitsundays town of Bowen. This summer sweet treat is now grown up and down the Queensland coast. Pick your own in the Aussie summer.

ripe mangoes hanging from a tree
Pick your own mangos. (Image: Rajendra Biswal)

Best season? December to January.

Where to try? Fresh mangoes are everywhere here. If you’re taking a road trip up to Townsville, stop halfway to pick your own at The Frosty Mango  on the Bruce Highway, Mutarnee, Qld.

4. Prawns, Gulf Country, Qld and NT

Whether cooked, peeled or chucked carelessly onto the barbecue, one thing is for certain: Aussies love their prawns. The tropical waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria, stretching between Queensland and the Northern Territory, contain enormous, fat banana prawns and some of the biggest tiger prawns in Australia.

tiger prawns on a plate
Aussies love their prawns. (Image: Getty Images/luchezar)

Best season? Tiger prawns are caught around August to December; banana prawns are best caught September to November and March to May.

Where to try? Take the Savannah Way to the coastal town of Karumba for prawns fresh off the fishing boats.

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

AI Prompt

5. Sydney Rock Oysters, South Coast, NSW

Turns out Australians are quite greedy when it comes to our oysters. Most are sold domestically, and the addiction doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Mad about the molluscs?

Go on a seafood odyssey down the NSW South Coast. From Nowra to Eden, there are plenty of places to try Australia’s native oyster.

sydney rock oysters being served at Jim Wild's Oysters
Go on a seafood odyssey down the NSW South Coast. (Image: Destination NSW)

Best season? September to March.

Where to try? Jim Wild’s Oyster Shack at Greenwell Point  in Shoalhaven is a great pick for Sydney daytrippers.

6. Macadamias, Northern Rivers, NSW

Did you know Australia is the only place in the world where macadamias grow wild? The sweet and rich nuts have been growing here for tens of millions of years. Today, the native Australian macadamia is grown up and down the east coast of NSW, with the rich soils of Byron Bay producing gorgeously fatty mouthfuls that are popular overseas and at home.

a basket filled with macadamias
Pick some sweet and rich macadamias. (Image: Destination NSW)

Best season? March to August (harvest time).

Where to try? Wander through the macadamia crops during harvest time at The Farm near Byron Bay , NSW.

7. Cheese, Gippsland, Vic

Who wants a charcuterie platter? Our answer will always be a resounding, ‘Yes, cheese!’ Australia has a massive array of gourmet, inventive, and reinvented traditional cheeses.

And it’s down in the rich dairy pastures of Gippsland where the creamy milk is transformed into addictive specialties, like hearty slices of blue-veined cheese.

wine and cheese tasting at Bassine Specialty Cheeses
Bassine Specialty Cheeses makes premium artisan cheese.

Best season? Available year-round.

Where to try? Fill up your picnic basket at the Bassine Specialty Cheeses  store at 2125 Bass Highway, Glen Forbes, Vic.

8. Samphire, Eyre Peninsula, SA

A quick pop followed by drops of seawater suffusing your mouth. Eating the salty snack of the samphire is oddly addictive. The samphire succulent grows in salty areas around the world, but Australia has its own species that can be found in salt lakes, such as those on the Eyre Peninsula. Try ‘sea asparagus’ on salads, as a side accompaniment to shellfish, or dried and sprinkled as a boost of vitamin C.

a close-up landscape shot of the samphire succulent
Samphire bursts with salty flavour. (Image: Getty Images via lynnebeclu)

Best season? Summer.

Where to try? Unfortunately, Australian samphire is currently at the ‘look, don’t taste’ foraging level. You can get a big fine for picking it.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

9. Kakadu Plum (gubinge), Dampier Peninsula, WA

Another win for those seeking some antioxidant power is the sweet-sour Kakadu plum. The fleshy native fruit is up to six per cent vitamin C and can be found in the Kimberley region, as well as stretching all the way to Cape York.

green Kakadu Plum fruits
The sweet-sour Kakadu plum grows in the Kimberley region.

Best season? January to February in Western Australia.

Where to try? Take a bush food tour on Nyul Nyul country with Twin Lakes Cultural Park .

10. Marron, Margaret River, WA

Jet 2500 kilometres south to Margaret River and try the state’s largest freshwater crayfish, which can weigh in at over two kilos. Hairy and smooth marron live in the fresh waters here, but the former are endangered and should not be eaten.

Luckily, other kinds of marron can be grown and harvested on farms during the short summer season, before being dished up with garlic butter.

a garlic butter maroon dish on the table
Marron is a must-try in the Margaret River region (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Best season? January to February.

Where to try? You can tuck into the crayfish during Marron season across restaurants in the Margaret River, like the Voyager Estate .

11. Sparkling wine, Tamar Valley, Tasmania

Australia has half a dozen regions where sparkling wines are produced. But it’s the cool climate of Tasmania’s Tamar Valley that produces French-style drops that have us dropping past Calstock instead of Champagne.

The wines found at the family-owned wineries here are made from pinot noir and chardonnay varieties and are delectable enough to make anyone cheers!

pouring sparkling wine into a glass at Jansz Tasmania
Enjoy a glass of Tasmanian sparkling wine in the Tamar Valley. (Image: Adam Gibson)

Best season? All year round – thank goodness.

Where to try? When it comes to Tamar Valley wineries, it is hard to go wrong. But for sparkling, Jansz Tasmania  is a must.

Kate Bettes
Kate Bettes is a freelance travel writer. Whether having a picnic in Vietnamese jungle with new friends, or partying in the back of a limousine in Hollywood, Kate’s experiences have left her with the sneaking suspicion that the best travel memories happen when you least expect. It’s this feeling - and how to get it - that she loves to write about.
View profile and articles
This app can predict flight delays up to 25 hours in advance
Australia

This app can predict flight delays up to 25 hours in advance

Using live data and smart technology, this flight-tracking tool is keeping travellers one step ahead.

Read more
A pink-hued full moon in the sky
Australia

Why you shouldn’t bother looking for a pink moon tonight

Despite the name, the moon won’t, in fact, be pink.

Read more
aircrafts on field of Alice Springs airport in the Northern Territory
Australia

Australia’s most delayed flight routes revealed

A new report has ranked Australia's worst-performing domestic and international flight routes.

Read more
Krinklewood Winery, Hunter Valley
Australia

Affordable Easter getaways in every state to beat soaring fuel costs

Skip the fuel sting with these affordable Easter getaways and staycations across Australia.

Read more
hero media

Exploding supernovas & gold fever: discover the past at this outback Qld town

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
    Continue
    Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

    While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

    Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

    Getting there

    car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland
    Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

    You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

    Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

    Best accommodation in Clermont

    Theresa CreekDam in clermont
    Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

    Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

    To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

    Things to do in Clermont

    three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting
    Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

    One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

    Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

    The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

    Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland
    See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

    Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

    Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

    Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

    meal at Commercial Hotel
    Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

    Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

    Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

    For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

    Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

    Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.