Australian Food Worth Travelling For

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.

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.

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.

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley , the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.

Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur , is one of my favourite road trips.

The Black Spur

Location: Yarra Ranges
Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes

The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.

In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn , a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.

The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud , making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.

Metung to Mallacoota

Location: Gippsland
Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours

The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance , where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch.

Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea.

Great Ocean Road

Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.

Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast.

Bellarine Taste Trail

Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Bellarine Peninsula
Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours

The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.

You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate , sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours.

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling

Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail . The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.

The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular.

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling

The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.

As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.

The top Australian food worth travelling for