The best food Regions in Australia that will delight Foodies
Australia’s large farming industry, coupled with its eco-system and rich cultural diversity, has made Australia a top country with the finest food in the world. In the eyes of most travellers, Australia is not a top food destination, though.
If you also expect to get Vegemite on bread for breakfast, meat pie for lunch, fish & chips for dinner and an invite to an Aussie BBQ, think again, because real Australian food is much more than this!
And you will be surprised by the excellent blended flavours that you will taste!
5 Food Regions of Australia for your bucket list
If you love road-tripping, these are easy day trips that you can take from 5 Australian cities to some of Australia’s premium food regions.
Food and Wine Regions of Australia – Victoria
Melbourne is world-known for its coffee culture and multicultural cuisine. With the higher number of cafes and restaurants, Melbourne is the top city for food in Australia, especially freshly prepared food from all over the world, in your favourite format.
From street food to food halls, to take-away, to brunch bars, to excellent restaurants, there is everything you need. If you love food, then Melbourne is the right place to start your food tours.
Yarra Valley
Melbourne offers a truly multifaceted surrounding and is an excellent location for a day trip. Within 65-90 km from the city, you can drive through a diverse landscape growing local produce and wines. Yarra Valley wineries are world-famous.
The region is home to some of the most excellent sparkling wines like Chandon and De Bortoli. Next to wine and food tastings, you can go on a hot-air-balloon flight to view the breathtaking panorama or take a walk in one of the national parks and explore the beautiful Dandenong Ranges.
Mornington Peninsula is another great region for food lovers. Its scenic coastal views, pristine landscape, great walking trails are worth a visit—only one-hour drive south-east of Melbourne.
New South Wales – Explore the Hunter Valley
Depending on what your Australia trip includes, a visit to Sydney is usually an iconic destination for travellers visiting the country. If you are into wine and food, then a day trip from Sydney to the Hunter Valley must be on your list. There is no public transportation from Sydney, though. So the only way to visit is by joining a food and wine tour or hiring a car in Sydney and go on a do-it-yourself exploration of this amazing region.
Food Regions of South Australia
Adelaide and South Australia take pride in having the best food markets in Australia. From Adelaide Central Market to smaller farmers markets, organic food markets in its surroundings. Adelaide is also the hub for top-notch food and wine festivals like tasting Australia, held in May this year.
You can start your foodies’ ventures to the Adelaide Hills to taste some of the most excellent bakery, chocolate and local produce with the distinctive German heritage flavours of Hahndorf. If you love shellfish, you must try the delicious oysters, like Or the award-winning organic oysters from Smoky Bay.
Barossa Valley
You can hire a car from Adelaide, and in less than one hour drive, you can visit Barossa Valley, a world-famous and the oldest region for Australian premium wines. Try the Pepper Jack Wine and an absolute hit.
From the variety of food and wine trails, two popular ones are the Barossa Wine and Cheese Trail or the Tanunda Heritage Trail. One thing you shall not miss out on is the legendary Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop, a paradise for food and nature lovers.
If you prefer going on a tour instead of self-driving, then my food and wine experience in Barossa Valley may be the right thing for you.
McLaren Valley
The McLaren Valley in the Fleurieu Peninsula is a less known but worth visiting South Australia food region. It’s one of my favourite day trips with the picturesque, relaxing landscape, sandy beaches, little villages with quirky restaurants.
Besides great wines, you can taste a locally brewed beer produced only for local pubs, regional retailers and restaurants. You can read more about what you can do and see in the Fleurieu Peninsula on this page.
Another excellent wine region, north of Adelaide, is Clare Valley, famous for its wine and micro-brewery.
Food Regions of Western Australia
South Western Australia is another top place for food experiences in Oz. Only one hour drive from Perth can reach the Swan Valley for some excellent wine and local produce. From lavender fields to the best honey, to the homemade bakery, chocolate and fine restaurants, the Swan Valley is the first stop of your food and wine explorations.
Margaret River
Margaret River is the top wine region producing over 25% of all premium wines from Australia. The district stretches from Cape Naturalist over 100 km south to Cape Leeuwin, a spectacular coastal landscape with an untouched eco-system carpeted with fields of wildflowers.
I would rate this region no. 1 for the variety of outdoor activities you can make a road trip. From surfing, swimming, hiking, biking to whale watching, art galleries and food exhibitions and sports events. If you are looking for an itinerary that includes everything, then Margaret River is your food region. Alone in this area, there are over 150 wineries and dozens of micro-breweries.
On this page, you can learn more about my Food and Wine Experience in Margaret River.
Albany food region
If you have a week or 10 days, you must head south to Pemberton, Denmark, and Albany to explore more South Western Australia. Next to local wines, you can taste the local truffles, speciality honey, local fruits, cheeses, seafood, shellfish, etc.
Food Regions in North Tropical Queensland
Australia’s best food regions are not limited to the southern areas of Australia. In North Tropical Queensland, you can have all tropical foods. You have it all from mangos, bananas, pineapple, coffee and tea plantations, organic dairy and farming products, beef and seafood.
If you plan a trip to Cairns and love food, then you must add a road trip to Atherton Tablelands to your itinerary.
Where to shop for the most exquisite food in Australia
While Australia, in general, is an expensive country for groceries, it will not be so easy to find the local produce in ordinary supermarkets. That’s why Food Markets and Farmers Markets in Australia are very popular and a great way to get local produce at reasonable prices.
Moreover, there are many places to eat in Australia and buy premium local food without breaking the bank.
I hope you enjoyed this post that shows you some of the premium food regions in Australia I have come across in my travels.
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First published in 2017, last updated in April 2021
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Kay
January 29, 2017 @ 5:48 pm
Awesome post! I will admit, I’ve never really thought of Australia as a “foodie” destination myself, but your photos and descriptions have me drooling! I’ll definitely keep your tips in mind when I finally visit Australia for the first time.
Come to think of it, I think I have some Australian wine sitting in my kitchen right now…
rockytravel
July 17, 2017 @ 10:24 am
Hi Kay, you are so right. Not many people think of Australia as a food destination. The common believe is that is a fast food country. While there is some truth in it, food-on-the-go is very popular in Australia, not many know that Australia is a top destination for local produce of the highest quality. This coupled with its multicultural cuisine, you can taste some of the finest food of the world.