The top winery stays across Australia

Australian Traveller Australian Traveller
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Australia’s wine regions offer guaranteed relaxing breaks thanks to scenic drives, gorgeous rural vistas, endless rows of romantically gnarled grapevines, and increasingly exceptional on-site restaurants. Alissa Jenkins finds the most delightful accommodation nestled among the vines, so you can stay where you play.

1. Chateau Yering

Although this estate no longer encompasses a vineyard – it was subdivided from the winery (now named Yering Station) 15 years ago – this luxurious five-star property remains an icon of the Yarra Valley. Founded in 1838 by the Ryrie brothers, it was here the brothers planted vine cuttings that grew Victoria’s first vintage. Chateau Yering Historic House Hotel has been part of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux association since 2001.

Accommodation

A heritage-listed Victorian mansion, Chateau Yering comprises 32 suites, each decorated with individual colour schemes and antique furnishings. All have a marble ensuite and private balcony. There’s 24-hour room service and guests have access to the Chateau’s pool, tennis court and cocktail bar. Suites may have a king-size, antique half-tester or four-poster bed, claw-foot or spa bath with separate shower and a gas or open log fireplace.

How much

From $825 per couple for dinner, bed and breakfast. Winter rate from $495 per couple, available until September 30.

Contact

42 Melba Hwy, Yering, Yarra Valley, Vic. // (03) 9237 3333

2. Spicers Vineyards Estate

Situated on 25 acres of rolling Hunter Valley landscape, five-star Spicers Vineyards Estate looks across its own private vineyard towards the imposing Brokenback Range. Later this year the estate will open Spa Anise, which will have single and double treatment rooms and a range of unique treatment options. In the meantime, guests will just have to make do with an optional in-suite massage.

Accommodation

Nestled between rows of vines and natural bushland, the eight spacious suites here are kitted out with all sorts of goodies to ensure guests can unwind and rejuvenate – such as local bubbles, fluffy robes and slippers and L’Occitane bathroom products. But so much relaxing and wine sampling can really give you an appetite, so the estate’s Restaurant Botanica comes in handy.

How much

From $340 per suite per night midweek, or from $445 per suite per night over the weekend.

Contact

555 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin, NSW. // (02) 6574 7229

Spices Vineyard Estate

3. Lindenderry at Red Hill

An hour’s drive from Melbourne in the heart of the picturesque Mornington Peninsula is this European-inspired retreat, with 30 acres of gardens, lawns and its own vineyard. The cellar door has an extensive range of wines, including those produced at Lindenderry and at sister vineyards in the King Valley and Macedon Ranges.

Accommodation

Part of the privately owned Lancemore hotel group, Lindenderry has 40 individually decorated rooms, all with views of the stunning surrounding landscape. Each room features a flat-screen TV, wi-fi, a king or queen bed and other little luxuries such as daily newspaper delivery. Premium rooms also have a spa bath and open fireplace. Throughout the property, you’ll find an eclectic collection of artworks and antiques. On-site facilities include a Wellness Centre, featuring a hot spa and pool.

How much

From $280 per night per couple, packages available.

Contact

142 Arthurs Seat Rd, Red Hill, Vic. // (03) 5989 2933

Lindenderry Vineyard Highres

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4. Port Phillip Estate

The natural world meets modern design at the family-owned Port Phillip Estate, also located at Red Hill on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula. Emerging dramatically from the native landscape and vineyard, this modernist structure houses the cellar door, winery and accommodation. The estate incorporates environmental initiatives such as architectural features that shield interior spaces from the afternoon sun, avoiding fluctuations in temperature that would otherwise need heating and cooling.

Accommodation

Six exclusive luxury apartments opened on the estate last year and all feature king-size beds with leather headboards, spacious ensuites, plush Missoni bathrobes, glamorous furnishings and outdoor terraces with stunning views across the vines to the bay. With a discreet guest-only entry and car parking, privacy is paramount.

How much

From $500 per night.

Contact

263 Red Hill Road, Red Hill South, Vic. // (03) 5989 4444

Mona Pavillions

5. Mona Pavilions

First planted in 1958, Moorilla Estate vineyard has seen a lot of changes, with the property now home to the Museum of Old and New Art, The Source Restaurant, Moo Brew brewery and eight free-standing luxury MONA pavilions. The contemporary villas sit on a private peninsula 15 minutes from Hobart, with views across the Derwent River.

Accommodation

Four of the MONA pavilions are named after influential Australian architects such as Esmond (Dorney) and Walter (Burley Griffin); the remaining four are named after major Australian artists including Arthur (Boyd) and Brett (Whiteley). Bold and elegant in design, the pavilions feature a 24-hour concierge, spa baths, king-size beds with 400-thread-count linen, wine cellars, underfloor-heated bathrooms, iPod docks and a wide variety of music online, as well as original artworks from the MONA collection. Guests also have access to a heated infinity lap pool, sauna and gym.

How much

From $390 per night.

Contact

655 Main Road, Berriedale, Tas. // (03) 6277 9900

The Louise

6. The Louise

Central to the Barossa Valley and an hour from Adelaide, The Louise vineyard retreat is at the pinnacle of luxury wine stays in Australia. Together with the vineyard’s award-winning Appellation restaurant, The Louise is a member of several noteworthy groups such as Relais & Chateaux and Luxury Lodges of Australia, reflecting its strong reputation in the industry both locally and overseas.

Accommodation

Featuring 15 luxurious suites, The Louise promises guests complete privacy and stunning views of surrounding vineyards from each suite’s gated courtyard and rear terrace. Also expect a king bed fitted with luxury linen, precise lighting control, widescreen television, ensuite bathroom with spa tub, rain shower for two, heated towel rails and dual vanity basins, as well as complimentary high-speed broadband and wireless internet.

How much

From $429 per couple per weeknight; $479 per night on weekends.

Contact

Corner Seppeltsfield and Stonewell Roads, Marananga, Barossa Valley, SA. // (08) 8562 2722

Jacobs Creek Retreat At Moorooroo Park

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7. Jacobs Creek Retreat at Moorooroo Park

Moorooroo Park Gardens sits on the banks of Jacobs Creek in the Barossa Valley. French-inspired rose gardens, olive groves, orchards and shiraz vineyards make the Park a scenic and tranquil base from which to explore surrounding wineries.

Accommodation

A stone homestead dating back to the 1840s has been transformed into seven luxury suites. Surrounded by gardens, all suites are uniquely designed with beautiful European finishes and offer a king bed with luxurious linen, shower and spa, flat-screen television and minibar.

How much

From $340 per couple per night, breakfast included.

Contact

Nitschke Road off Krondorf Road, Tanunda, Barossa Valley, SA //. (08) 8563 1123

Longview Vineyard

8. Longview Vineyard

Just outside the historic township of Macclesfield in the Adelaide Hills lies this 200-acre estate comprising a vineyard, Heritage-listed homestead and freestanding private apartments. The family-run winery is now in its tenth year and grows both white and red varietals, producing a range of wines such as cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, nebbiolo, sauvignon blanc, riesling and chardonnay.

Accommodation

The main rooms are in a restored homestead dating back to the property’s original dairy days, which can be booked as one large or two private apartments. Featuring king and queen bedrooms, two newly renovated spa bathrooms, full kitchen and second kitchenette, modern entertainment system, private balconies and a large sunroom, this air-conditioned home sleeps up to 10 guests. Alternatively, guests can stay in Longview’s Yakka or Riesling apartments, overlooking the property’s Iron Knob riesling vineyard. Each has a king-size bed, flat-screen TV, self-contained kitchenette, ensuite bathroom, ducted air conditioning and wood-fire heating, as well as a private balcony.

How much

From $180 per couple per night.

Contact

Pound Road, Macclesfield, Adelaide Hills, SA. // (08) 8388 9694

Cape Lodge

9. Cape Lodge

In the heart of Western Australia’s Margaret River wine country is this intimate estate, surrounded by forest, lake and scenic coastline. In addition to housing one of Australia’s finest boutique vineyard stays, the estate also includes multi-award-winning Cape Lodge Restaurant and Gourmet Retreat and Cooking School.

Accommodation

Featuring 22 suites and a five-bedroom private residence, each suite comes with views of the lush surrounding landscape, king or twin beds, LCD television and DVD player, ensuite bathroom and complimentary wi-fi, while guests are welcome to use the on-site all-weather tennis court and swimming pool. Superior rooms also have a spa bath, spacious lounge area and optional private cooking classes.

How much

Standard rooms from $445 per night, while The Residence, which holds up to 10 guests, costs from $2400 per night

Contact

3341 Caves Road, Yallingup, WA. // (08) 9755 6311

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Discovering Bendigo’s unique heritage through incredible foodie experiences

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Tuck your napkin firmly in place and get ready to dive into Bendigo’s history.

    It’s an internationally recognised fact that Bendigo food experiences prove this region knows how to wine and dine. After all, its shiraz-laden landscape was named Australia’s first UNESCO Creative City and Region of Gastronomy. But what visitors lured in by this shiny label might not know is how deeply its culinary scene sits within the gold-rush town’s colourful past.

    Whether you’re eating in a grand colonial bank or nibbling through a gold miner’s garden, grab a big plate. In Bendigo, every meal is served with a huge helping of heritage.

    Take a food tour

    foodie walking tour in bendigo at Ms Batterhams restaurant Bendigo foodie experiences
    Join a Foodie Walking Tour to local highlights like Ms Batterhams.

    Start in the capable hands of Bendigo Guided Tours. Named as the 2025 Victorian Best New Tourism Business, they run two 12-person options. A Taste of Bendigo – Foodie Walking Tour will see you tasting seasonal dishes and sipping wine, craft beer and cocktails made with regional spirits over two-and-a-half hours, with stops at Ms Batterhams, Wine Bank on View, The Dispensary and Bendigo Brewing.

    You can up the ante a notch or two with the Four Hats of Bendigo – a night of fine-dine hopping with the experts across Terrae, Le Foyer, Alium Dining and The Woodhouse.

    Book a table

    Terrae restaurant in bendigo victoria
    Dine at Terrae.

    Alternatively, see Bendigo’s stars under your own steam. There’s Terrae, where produce from the owners’ own farm kitchen garden and orchard is plated up inside what was once a bank, while cocktails are poured in the underground bar below. For something special, book a private table in old bank vault. Rather less wholesome? The bullet hole in the window – a throwback to Victoria’s wild gold rush era.

    Another former bank-turned-eatery, Alium Dining, goes full art nouveau inside a 1908 building overlooking the Alexandra Fountain in the heart of Bendigo. Here, Alium’s Asian-meets-European flavours run all the way from duck leg croquettes with mandarin marmalade to raw trevally with coconut and nước chấm, to pork milanese with anchovy and stout mustard.

    Beneath an old school hall at Mackenzie Quarters, Ms Batterhams serves southern European-inspired dishes inside a 19th-century basement bar and restaurant. Beyond its sourdough crumpets (smeared with taramasalata, paprika and parsley oil, if you must know) is the origin of the restaurant’s name: Winifred Batterham, the owners’ mother’s former kindergarten teacher. Honour her properly with a ‘Winifred’ cocktail.

    Alium Dining in bendigo victoria
    Alium Dining offers a unique setting inside a 1908 building.

    Carnivores, get ready to bang your sharpest knives on the table. Bendigo’s only dedicated steakhouse, The Woodhouse, specialises in Wagyu sourced from surrounding farms. They’ve got beef every which way – from tartare topped with Giaveri Oscietra caviar and wagyu toast to porterhouse dry-aged and grilled over redgum.

    Your next bank stop on the food circuit is Bunja Thai. Housed inside the former Colonial Bank, it’s all Victorian-era Australian grandeur, from the enormous arched ceilings to the detailing overhead. Thai Singha and local craft beer jostle for attention – but both are perfect quenchers when you’re sharing barramundi baked in banana leaf beneath all that old-world opulence.

    If your trip through Australia isn’t complete without a country pub stop, make it The Bridgewater Hotel on the Loddon River. Renovated since its 1942 beginnings, but the establishment still retains its Art Deco charm. It’s the kind of place where steak burgers come stacked with bacon, egg, cheese and dripping beetroot relish, and are best handled in the riverside beer garden.

    Pour a glass

    Heathcote Wine Hub bendigo food experiences
    Find over 180 local wines at Heathcote Wine Hub.

    Your plate’s been stacked. Now it’s the glass’s turn – ideally with the famously bold shiraz and cab sav grown here. Early settlers in Bendigo and Heathcote were onto something when they first planted vines in the area’s mineral-rich soil, and their legacy still pours strong across more than 60 cellar doors today. Start big at the Heathcote Wine Hub, where more than 180 wines from nearby vineyards sit beneath the rafters of a restored former wooden church, with 16 available to taste by the glass.

    Heathcote Winery might have become one of the area’s first commercial wineries in the seventies, but its story started way before its courtyard tastings. Back in 1854, it operated as a miners’ produce store during the gold-rush years. Other cellar doors aren’t immune to reinvention under the wine wave either. At Munari Wines in Heathcote, charcuterie boards are presented in their newly renovated cellar, originally the stables of the former sheep station.

    Discover local events

    the Heritage and Hidden Spaces Wine Walk in bendigo
    Time your trip for the Heritage and Hidden Spaces Wine Walk

    Time your trip right and watch the parks, gardens and buildings fill with food and drink. Fans of the malt: mark 29 August  2026 for Bendigo On The Hop, when craft breweries take over venues throughout the CBD. Brews make way for history at the Heritage and Hidden Spaces Wine Walk (17 October 2026), where bottles are opened inside some of the city’s most interesting buildings – including rarely opened spaces. In November, the Regional Gin Gala raises spirits in Mackenzie Quarters with a boozy celebration of its homegrown distilleries, including Noble Bootleggers, Envy Distilling and In Good Spirits. Explore wine, food and live music at Heathcote on Show (6 – 8 June 2026).

    Take it all in

    bendigo tram cafe Bendigo foodie experiences
    Tram meets tasty at Bendigo Tram Cafe.

    Takeaway means something different in Bendigo. At Australia’s oldest operating Tram Depot, the Tram Cafe sits aboard an out-of-service 1916 N-Class Tram that serves tea and scones. Once you’ve polished off the last crumb, you can even pop into the driver’s cab and try the controls yourself.

    Peppergreen Farm continues Bendigo’s long connection to Chinese market gardens, first established here by immigrants in the 1850s. Today, the not-for-profit farm invites visitors to pick up organic produce, alongside jars of honey harvested from its own hives.

    Indulge in retail therapy

    Bendigo Pottery
    Elevate your at-home dining experience after a trip to Bendigo Pottery.

    If there’s still room in your bag among the clanking jars and bottles, stop by Uniquely Bendigo inside the Old Post Office. Sharing space with the Bendigo Visitor Centre, it’s a one-stop shop for favourites like Bendigo Brittle, Bridgeward Grove and Tea Associates.

    If you’d rather leave your fingerprints on your Bendigo souvenir, there’s a place for that too. At Bendigo Pottery, visitors can try their hand at shaping clay while taking part in another tradition of evolving old spaces – creating works of art within Australia’s oldest working pottery.

    Start planning your Bendigo adventure at bendigotourism.com.