32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

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Australia's approach to food and wine respects tradition, whilst seeking ..... the year, from Long Table Lunches to loca
32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

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Host an event where ancient scenery inspires new thinking

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE AUSTRALIA FOR YOUR NEXT BUSINESS EVENT. PLAN NOW, VISIT AUSTRALIA.COM/BUSINESSEVENTS

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

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/Welcome

lobally, Australia continues to be a highly desirable destination for business events, ranking either first or second, as a place offering an exceptional combination of world-class beauty and natural environments, local cuisine and wine, outstanding business events facilities, quality accommodation and exclusive experiences. We know too that the element of ‘wow factor’ is something business events buyers are looking for in a destination. And Australia has plenty to offer in this regard as demonstrated by our global There’s nothing like Australia campaign and its latest iteration Restaurant Australia, which highlights the stunning offering of food and wine being served in remarkable locations each day. Australia’s approach to food and wine respects tradition, whilst seeking to challenge it. The result is producedriven, fresh and innovative cuisine paired beautifully with wines that regularly gather accolades and devotees. Australia's pristine landscapes produce a wide variety of fresh and tantalising produce. Some of the newest ingredients on Australian restaurant tables are thousands of years old, as chefs draw on the ancient knowledge of the continent for further inspiration. With some 36,000km (22,000mi) of coastline, Australia too has an abundance of fresh seafood with different states and cities offering an array of local specialties. Visitors can taste first-hand the depth and breadth of Australian cuisine at venues across the country – from the globally renowned restaurants to outback country pubs – and importantly, at convention and exhibition centres. Australia is a place where every day, the locals are serving up amazing food and wine experiences, so make sure you grab your seat at Restaurant Australia, and enjoy the very best the country has to offer – no matter where you travel. JOHN O’SULLIVAN MANAGING DIRECTOR, TOURISM AUSTRALIA

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Take your team in a new direction

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

CONTENTS

06 14 22

32 36 46

FROM THE EARTH

FROM THE DESERT

FROM T HE WAT ER

ON T HE PL AT E

FROM THE VINES

FROM THE REGION

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

P H OT O GR AP H B Y P E TE R W H Y TE

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Rodney Dunn

OWNER, THE AGRARIAN KITCHEN

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

FRoM The EARTH

Terroir is as important to food as it is to wine, and Australia offers its own unique mark on everything it produces. Chefs like Ben Shewry of Melbourne’s Attica, and Jock Zonfrillo of Orana in Adelaide, know this only too well. Combining their unique take on local and indigenous ingredients with exemplary culinary skills, they have created experiences that put you back in touch with the Australian land and seasons. So too, farmers like Rodney Dunn (ex-Tetsuya’s) of Tasmania’s Agrarian Kitchen, truffle hunters in Western Australia and mushroom growers in New South Wales willingly share their secrets, taking you in search of prime ingredients.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences FORAGE FOR BLACK GOLD / Western Australia

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zzie and Sam are the Truffle & Wine Co’s (truffleandwine.com.au) most esteemed employees, so valuable

no insurance company will cover them. Sunny is a kelpie/labrador cross and Izzie is a beagle. The dogs walk more than 80 kilometres in season, checking on the progress of the tuber melanosporum – French Perigord black truffles that lie beneath the soil. 13,000 hazelnut and oak trees were

PETER WHY TE

inoculated and planted here in 1991. Cultivating truffles is tricky business. It takes six to seven years before

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EXPERIENCE TRUE PADDOCK TO PLATE COOKING / Tasmania

asmania, with its pristine air, soil and waters, produces many of Australia’s finest ingredients and, as such, has emerged as one of the country’s hottest destinations for food enthusiasts. The island state’s considerable food pedigree drew Rodney Dunn to open The Agrarian Kitchen (theagrariankitchen.com) here in 2007. Having enjoyed an illustrious career as an apprentice to Tetsuya Wakuda, and then as food editor at Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine, Dunn decided to leave Sydney behind to settle in Tasmania for a taste of the good life. Together with his wife Séverine Demanet, he bought a 19th century schoolhouse in the Derwent Valley, a 45-minute drive from Hobart. The couple transformed the heritage listed building into The Agrarian Kitchen, a hands-on cooking school with a paddock to plate philosophy. Each morning Dunn tailors the cooking program around what’s ready to be plucked from the considerable kitchen garden. The Agrarian Experience, a one-day class, begins with a tour of the property to select ingredients.

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truffles appear. Luckily for the Western Australian truffle pioneers the first truffle arrived on schedule in 1997 and the yield has grown steadily each year since. This year they may

The kitchen, complete with cathedral ceilings and picture windows onto the garden, is big enough to comfortably accommodate groups of 12 at a time. Everything is made from scratch, as you prepare an entree of tortellini stuffed with stinging nettles and ricotta. The class skims the cream from milk, provided by a neighbour’s cow, to make the ricotta, and kneads dough for pasta. Fillets of Angus beef from a local farm are rolled into involtini stuffed with Tasmanian raclette cheese and pancetta from Rodney’s own farm. After cooking up a feast, the group gets to eat lunch in the garden, with wines by the award-winning Lubiana family, fifth generation winemakers who live down the road. l

EXPERIENCE … SPEND THE

harvest more than a tonne, some of which they will export to Europe, providing a steady flow to restaurants in between France, Spain and Italy’s truffle seasons. One of the few truffières in the world that allows you to participate in a truffle hunting experience, Truffle & Wine Co can accommodation groups of up to 18 during the winter months. On the hunt wander the rows of hazelnut and oak trees with the dogs in search for black gold. l

EXPERIENCE … THE

SURROUNDING REGION: Approximately a two hour drive from Manjimup is the wine region of Margaret River where you will find over

N I G H T : Stay at one of the many

155 wineries including Leeuwin Estate

premium accommodation options

(leeuwinestate.com.au), Vasse Felix

available in Hobart including the Islington

(vassefelix.com.au) and Voyager Estate

Hotel (islingtonhotel.com), The Henry

(voyagerestate.com.au). Each year

Jones Art Hotel (thehenryjones.com)

Leeuwin Estate hosts a series of alfresco

and the Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart

concerts in the stunning grounds of the

(grandchancellorhotels.com/au/hobart).

Estate, perfect for corporate groups.

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

WINE & TRUFFLE CO: Main image: A French Perigord black truffle. Above from left: Truffle dog Sunny; The dogs on the hunt; Wines from the Wine & Truffle Co's Truffle Hill vineyard. THE AGRARIAN KITCHEN: Opposite page: Owner Rodney Dunn in his kitchen.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences GO UNDERGROUND IN SEARCH OF MUSHROOMS / New South Wales

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n the Southern Highlands south of Sydney, microbiologist Dr Noel Arrold spends much of his day underground in a dark tunnel.

Having graduated from the University of Sydney, one of Arrold’s professors offered him a Teacher’s Training Scholarship and the opportunity to

C HEF J A M ES VILES , BIOTA DINING © J A S ON LOUC A S ; BIOTA DINING

undertake his PhD, on the proviso that his research focused on mushrooms. He accepted the offer and set off on a mushroom hunt that continues to this day. The tunnel is home to his exotic mushrooms. Pink oysters, towering enoki, shiitake, and velvety wood ear line the walls of a 650-metre long former rail-way tunnel between Mittagong and Bowral. The tunnel has been used to grow mushrooms since the 1950s. Arrold conducts mushroom tours,

taking

food

enthusiasts

underground,

explaining how he cultivates unusual varieties of his mushrooms for chefs including Tetsuya Wakuda of Tetsuya’s and Kylie Kwong of Billy Kwong. l

E X P E R I E N C E … B O O K A T O U R : Li Sun

Exotic Mushrooms (li-sunexoticmushrooms.com.au)

REGIONAL DESTINATIONS WHERE PRODUCE RULES / New South Wales

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90-minute drive from Sydney takes you to the charming town of Bowral where you will  find the elegant and ambitious Biota (biotadining.com). This surprising restaurant has a strong sustainability ethos thanks to Chef James Viles. Onsite at Biota, which means “animals and plant life of a particular region”, is a glasshouse that contains more than 40 varietals of seeds and supplies the elegant restaurant with a constant seasonal harvest of shoots, cresses and seedlings. Viles also forages from his immediate surrounds and

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gets recipe inspirations from what his horticulturalist mum Cathy grows in the kitchen garden. With such a strong commitment to good produce and seasonality, Biota’s menu is everchanging and always reflects what can be sourced locally. l

EXPERIENCE … BESPOKE

O F F E R I N G : Book Biota’s private dining room that can seat up to 14 people or alternatively book the restaurant out exclusively and work with their staff to create a bespoke event that suits your needs.

offer corporate tours of the tunnel for groups of up to 40 through Highlands Food Group (highlandsfoodiegroup.com.au). Additionally they can organise for the group to explore vineyards, farms and farmers markets.

Pink oysters,32 towering shiitake, and velvety wood ear extraordinaryenoki, Australian food & wine experiences line the walls of a 650-metre long former railway tunnel. The tunnel has been used to grow mushrooms since the 1950s.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences LEARN THE MEANING OF NOSE TO TAIL / Queensland

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names of those who planted them; quince

O F F E R I N G : Freestyle Escape’s cooking

(Stephanie Alexander), avocado (Matt

school offers the unique experience to select

Wilkinson) and lychee (Lyndey Milan). “We

a celebrity chef for your group cooking class.

invite those who teach to plant something,

Select chefs like Martin Boetz, Dom Rizzo and

giving them a connection to the earth,” says

Peter Kuruvita or take a look through their past

owner Martin Duncan. Freestyle’s cooking

classes for inspiration.

ust up the hill from Freestyle Escape’s

you can take cooking classes including a

(freestyleescape.com.au) cooking school

Nose to Tail class.

is an orchard with trees bearing the

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EXPERIENCE … BESPOKE

school overlooks hinterland treetops where

FREESTYLE ESCAPE: Main image: The property sits high in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Inset: The indoor/outdoor kitchen is open to the rainforest.

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Dive into the only aquarium visible from space

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

FRoM The WATER

Australia’s waterways are truly spectacular, with a variety of destinations ranging from tropical to sub-Antarctic. Local experts are on hand to guide you to your own unique experiences, from savoring sashimi mulloway within minutes of catching it off the coast of Darwin to wading waist deep with Tasmanian oyster farmer Giles Fisher before sampling his Pacific Oysters or taking in a cooking class with one of Australia’s top chefs at the Sydney Fish Market, Australia is literally brimming with delicious and unique seafood experiences.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

SAFFIRE: Shuck your own oysters for breakfast in the waters of the Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

SEAFOOD COOKING CLASSES WITH AUSTRALIA'S BEST CHEFS / New South Wales

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tourist attraction in its own right, Sydney Fish Market

share the meal in the dining room, with its floor-to-ceiling

(sydneyfishmarket.com.au) in Pyrmont, on the fringe

glass windows, overlooking the fishing boats bobbing on

of the Sydney city centre, is also the location of the

Blackwattle Bay.

long established Sydney Seafood School (sydneyfishmarket. com.au/seafood-school/about-sss). The school is popular with local and visiting food enthusiasts keen to learn how to cook seafood under the watchful eye of some of the country’s finest chefs. Tetsuya Wakuda, ex-pat Michelin-star chef David Thompson and Rockpool’s Neil Perry AM all present classes here, as do Aria chef Matt Moran, Guillaume’s Guillaume

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E X P E R I E N C E … S P E N D T H E N I G H T : Create a

fantastic foodie itinerary for your group and stay at one of Sydney’s high end hotels that feature an awarded restaurant on site. Dine at Momofuku Seibo (momofuku.com/sydney/seiobo/) at The Star (star.com.au), savour Bentley’s (thebentley.com. au) menu at Radisson Blu Hotel (radissonblu.com/en), enjoy

Brahimi and Quay’s Peter Gilmore. The class begins with a

Executive Chef Mark Best’s cuisine at Pei Modern (peimodern.

full demonstration, then it’s your turn. The group heads into

com.au/sydney/) at the Four Seasons (fourseasons.com/sydney/)

the kitchen to recreate what they have just learned and cook

and discover Luke Mangan’s culinary creations at Glass Brasserie

their own meal. At the end of the class (with matched wines)

(glassbrasserie.com.au) at Hilton Sydney (hiltonsydney.com.au).

LOBS TER, BRUNY IS LA ND, TA S © TOURIS M A US TRA LIA

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

A SEAFOOD LUNCH TO REMEMBER / Tasmania

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scape of

water

the

Hobart

beautiful for

fresh

seafood

with

Pennicott

a

day

seaside and

straight Wilderness

town

dine

from

on

caught before your eyes and served paired with Tasmanian wine, boutique beers and cider.

the

Bruny Island is located off the southeast

Journeys’

coast of Tasmania and is a beautiful wilderness

(pennicottjourneys.com.au) Tasmanian Seafood Seduction. Step on board one of their luxury custom built boats that can accommodate 12 people and cruise down the Derwent River and into the waters of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel that

of beaches, rugged landscapes and forests and is celebrated for its produce, in particular its artisan cheeses and seafood. Keep an eye out for wildlife including sea birds, seals and dolphins that you may see along the way. EXPERIENCE … BOOK A TOUR:

surrounds Bruny Island. During the journey

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your guide will dive for abalone and sea urchin,

With a fleet of luxury boats, Pennicott Wilderness

gathering fresh seafood for your lunch which

Journeys’ Tasmanian Seafood Seduction can

includes freshly shucked oysters and rock lobster

accommodate groups of up to 40.

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WATER VIEWS AT R E S TAU R A N T AU S T R A L I A

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

FRESH OYSTERS FOR BREAKFAST / Tasmania

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n the edge of Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park, on the island’s east coast, lies Saffire (saffire-freycinet.com.au). The luxurious superlodge opened in 2010 with just 20 suites on the shores of Great Oyster Bay. The lodge’s dramatic, contemporary design makes use of timber, stone and acres of glass to maximize the views. Breakfast at Saffire can be quite a different experience. A two-minute drive from the property brings you to Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm, a large stretch of oyster leases in a quiet estuary of the Greater Swan Port, back dropped by the

dramatic pink granite cliffs of The Hazards mountain chain. Here oyster farmer Giles Fisher farms premium Pacific Oysters. Donning rubber fishing waders, you make your way through the cool water until you reach the first bank of leases where Giles, formerly a salmon farmer, drags up a cage and shares the secrets of growing great oysters. Giles harvests 2,000 dozen oysters each week during the season, which begins in September, while Tasmania as a whole produces four million dozen oysters each year. At a long wooden table decked out with a white linen tablecloth, a bottle

of Tasmanian sparkling and champagne glasses await you as you enjoy freshly shucked oysters that Giles has harvested straight from the water. l

EXPERIENCE … SPEND THE NIGHT:

The Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm tour is just one of the many complimentary experiences that are available when you stay at Saffire Freycinet. The luxurious property features 20 suites, an exclusive day spa, gourmet restaurant that serves up delicious meals featuring premium local produce from the region and a guest lounge and bar.

SAFFIRE: Oyster farmer Giles Fisher harvests up to 2,000 dozen Pacific Oysters per week during the season.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

GO MUD-CRABBING IN THE TOP END / Northern Territory

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nown for their distinct and sweet flavour, mud crabs can be found in the warm waters of the Northern Territory (also known as the Top End) from May to September. Catch this famous crustacean delicacy for yourself with

Darwin Barra & Crab (darwinbarraandcrab.com). Darwin Barra & Crab will take you on a journey through the giant mangrove

OYSTERS, STRAIGHT OFF THE ROCKS WITH A TWIST OF LEMON / Northern Territory

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ccommodating groups of up to six, Venture North’s (venturenorth.com.au) five-day Kakadu and Arnhem Land safari from Darwin takes in Kakadu National Park before spending three nights in a remote coastal camp on the Cobourg Peninsula. The camp is nestled in savannah bushland overlooking the pretty, secluded bay of Port Essington. As well as exploring the rugged peninsula and beaches, spotting birds and wildlife and relaxing, you can spend your time at the camp foraging for some of the freshest seafood you’re ever likely to eat. At low tide, beautiful black-lip oysters – some the size of dinner plates – are easily found on the rocks around the camp. Collect and shuck your own and enjoy them straight off the rocks with a squeeze of lemon. You can also learn how to hunt for prized mud crabs the traditional indigenous way and, if you like, have a go yourself. Mud crab is considered a true seafood delicacy in the tropics, and you’ll delight in trying them al fresco with a glass of wine. Then there’s the fishing. With more than 250 species and some 2,000 square kilometres of water to explore, it’s the ideal destination to catch good fish without battling crowds. Those who catch a fresh tuna or mackarel are in for a real treat as it is prepared sashimi style and served on the boat with wasabi and soy sauce.

system along the coastline of Darwin to track down some of the largest mud crabs in

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the area. Once you’ve caught your crab, you can take it to one of the local restaurants

Before you start your tour, stay in one of

like Hanuman (hanuman.com.au) to have it transformed into a gourmet feast.

Darwin’s premium hotels including SKYCITY

EXPE R IE NC E … S TAY T HE NIGHT:

Darwin (skycitydarwin.com.au/skycity-darwin/), l

E X P E R I E N C E … B O O K A T T O U R : Combine your mud crabbing tour with a

Hilton Darwin (placeshilton.com/darwin)

coastal or inland Barra Fishing tour and go after the mighty saltwater barramundi, prized

or Mantra on the Esplanade

the world over for its exhilarating fight, strong runs and enormous leaps out of the water.

(mantraontheesplanade.com.au).

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V E NT URE NORT H

32 250 extraordinary Australian food &2,000 wine experiences With more than species and some square kilometres of water to explore, it’s the ideal destination to catch good fish without battling crowds.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

FRoM The VINES

P H OT O GR AP H B Y F RA NC ES A ND RIJ IC H

A young wine industry by world standards, Australia’s wine regions have quickly established themselves as must-do experiences for wine lovers, and lovers of great food. Enjoy biodynamic wines at Cullen Wines in the Margaret River Western Australia followed by an organic lunch at the on-site restaurant, blend your own wine in the Barossa Valley South Australia or have an Italian encounter a short drive from Melbourne in the beautiful King Valley, where home-made pasta cooked by the Dal Zotto family’s nonna often leads to a post-meal game of bocce.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

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Vanya Cullen WINEMAKER, CULLEN WINES

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FRA NC ES A NDRIJ IC H

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

DRINK BIODYNAMIC WINES AT CULLEN WINES / Western Australia

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he Margaret River Wine Region produces just three per cent of Australia’s wine, yet 20 percent of the country’s premium wine. Cullen is a family name long synonymous with the region, having tended one of the oldest vineyards in Western Australia’s south west since planting the first vines in 1971. Vanya Cullen, a second-generation wine maker, gained experience in the 1980s working vintages in Burgundy and California to fortify her tertiary qualifications. Following the family tradition of pioneering viniculture, Vanya began to experiment with natural soil management techniques while always looking to add greater complexity in the glass. “I want to really bring a sense of the land into the glass,” Vanya

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says, swirling a glass of 2009 Kevin John Chardonnay, named after her father. In 2007 the wine was named the World’s Best Chardonnay by the UK wine bible Decanter magazine. Her commitment to organic wine making techniques and biodynamics are subjects she talks about passionately. The Biological Farmers Association of Australia certified Cullen vineyard A-Grade Organic in 2003 and A-Grade Biodynamic in 2004. The vineyard boasts carbon neutrality and is powered naturally. The restaurant just beyond the cellar door is a wholesome and gastronomic experience. Vanya’s food philosophy is similar to that of her wine, natural and organic. The large kitchen garden grows seasonal vegetables that inspire head chef Matt

Egan’s daily dishes, and it doubles as a lovely place for patrons to stroll. Edible flowers, beetroot, artichoke, rocket, tomatoes, herbs, potatoes, spring onions, fennel and asparagus are just some of the garden’s bounty. Long wooden tables on the verandah overlook the vines that are dotted with their companion plant, broad beans. On sunny days, tables are set up on the lawn at the foot of the restaurant steps, just a few metres from the trellises. l

EXPERIENCE … BOOK A TOUR:

Cullen Wines (cullenwines.com.au) offers private group tours and tastings at the winery where you can learn more about their biodynamic gardens and vineyards. Book a premium wine and food experience at the Cullen Restaurant and enjoy a range of new and back vintage wines matched to a delicious menu.

VISIT AUSTRALIA’S MOST TRADITIONAL 32ITALIAN extraordinaryWINE Australian food & wine experiences REGION / Victoria

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ucked away in a quiet corner in

cellar door you will usually be greeted by

the high country of northeast

a family member – and may be invited to

Victoria, the King Valley is a little

enjoy a game of bocce after your tasting.

slice of Italy Down Under. This region

On weekends, visitors flock to enjoy

was once tobacco country, but over the

a traditional Italian meal at the Dal Zotto

past 30 years it has become renowned for

Trattoria, affectionately known as the

producing wines made from alternative

Tratt, where family matriarch “Nonna

grape varieties, many of them crafted by

Elena” Dal Zotto creates antipasto

Italian families who have lived in the region

combinations, delicious gnocchi dishes

for generations and welcome you to their

and hand-made pasta.

rustic cellar doors.

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The preeminent winery names here

EXPERIENCE … THE SURROUNDING

R E G I O N : King Valley is approximately a

include Pizzini (pizzini.com.au), Dal Zotto

three hour’s drive from Melbourne Airport.

(dalzotto.com.au) and Chrismont

In the region you will also find Pizzini Wines

(chrismont.com.au), all of whom make

(pizzini.com.au) which has a cooking school

Italian varietals like Sangiovese, Barbera

called A Tavola! that can accommodate

and Nebbiolo. Family patriarch Otto Dal

groups of 10. While 30 minutes away

Zotto was born in Valdobbiadene in the

from King Valley is Brown Brothers

Veneto, home of Italy’s favourite sparkling

(brownbrothers.com.au) Milawa Cellar

wine, Prosecco, and the Dal Zottos

Door. Here you can book a wine blending

produced Australia’s first commercial

experience, take a tasting tour or dine at

Prosecco. When you walk into Dal Zotto’s

their restaurant, Patricia’s Table.

When visitors walk into Dal Zotto’s cellar door they will usually be greeted by a family member – and may be invited to enjoy a game of bocce after their tasting.

KING VALLEY: Main image: Victoria's King Valley is becoming famous for producing wines from alternative grape varieties. Inset: Play a game of bocce at Dal Zotto Wines. CULLEN WINES: Opposite page: Second generation winemaker Vanya Cullen.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

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PADDOCK TO PLATE IN A VINEYARD WITH A VIEW / New South Wales

idden away at the end of a quiet country lane, minutes from Shoalhaven’s finest beaches, Cupitt’s Winery (cupitt.com.au) and The Vineyard Kitchen restaurant sits among picturesque vineyards, with outstanding views of Burrill Lake and Budawang mountain ranges. The restaurant offers the opportunity to dine on a working farm, sampling the bounty of fresh, seasonal produce including Black Angus cattle, vegetables and herbs grown in the kitchen garden or foraged from the pastures, and boutique cheese; all paired with Cupitt's award-winning handcrafted wine. The menu is a reflection of head chef Russell Chinn’s training in classic French cooking although his English heritage and philosophy of keeping it simple shine through too. Indulge in a long, lazy lunch or a casual meal from the light menu and visit the winery’s historic cellar door (c.1851), tasting wines and talking to the winemakers. Make an appointment to tour the underground wine cave, sampling directly from the cuves and barrels. The property also hosts a number of food-focused events throughout the year, from Long Table Lunches to local growers markets, held on the grounds on the last Saturday of every month.

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E X P E R I E N C E … S T A Y T H E N I G H T : A short 15 minutes’ drive from the winery

A TASTE OF HISTORY WITH A WINE FROM YOUR BIRTH YEAR / South Australia

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he Barossa Valley, located just an hour’s drive north of Adelaide, is known for its gutsy wines,

you will find two luxury resorts, Rick Stein’s Bannisters by the Sea and Bannisters Pavilion

particularly reds made from Shiraz and

(bannisters.com.au), both located in seaside town of Mollymook. Bannisters by the

Grenache grapes, grown on some of the

Sea features 32 rooms and a seafood restaurant while Bannisters Pavilion, open from

world’s oldest surviving vines. The region

1 December 2015, has 33 rooms and a suspended rooftop pool.

is home to more than 80 cellar doors and 150 wineries including Seppeltsfield (seppeltsfield.com.au) establised in 1851 and home to some of the best fortified wines in Australia, some dating back over a century. The winery offers groups a number of unique experiences, like the Seppeltfield Segway Tour which takes you around the property’s stunning gardens and heritage-listed buildings or the unique and very popular Taste Your Birth Year tour. Accommodating groups of 10 in their 100 year old Centennial Cellar, the Taste Your Birth Year Tour allows you the rare opportunity to taste a tawny port straight from the barrel made the year you were born. l

EXPERIENCE … THE SURROUNDING

R E G I O N : There’s more to the Barossa Valley than just wine. Visit Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop (maggiebeer.com.au) for a taste test of her famous fruit pastes and gourmet essentials. Also on site is The Farm function centre which can accommodate up to 160 people and specialises in menus featuring seasonal and

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regional produce.

Discover a zoo without fences

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE AUSTRALIA FOR YOUR NEXT BUSINESS EVENT. PLAN NOW, VISIT AUSTRALIA.COM/BUSINESSEVENTS

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

MAKE YOUR OWN VINTAGE IN THE BAROSSA VALLEY / South Australia

S

et amongst rolling hills covered in

National Park with a picnic breakfast,

vines on historic Seppeltsfield Road,

complete with kangaroos. Cooking classes

boutique hotel The Louise (thelouise.

can also be on the agenda, as is the

com.au), and its restaurant, Appellation,

opportunity to attend a wine blending class

have established a reputation as one of the Barossa Valley’s most premium accommodation Executive Chef

and

dining

offering.

Ryan Edwards sources

85 per cent of the produce he uses in the Barossa Valley and South Australia, in

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EXPERIENCE … THE SURROUNDING

R E G I O N : The Barossa Valley is just an hour’s drive from Adelaide and includes established wineries such as Jacob’s Creek Winery (jacobscreek.com), Seppeltsfield

addition to baking bread on-site and curing

(seppeltsfield.com.au) and Château Tanunda

smallgoods. Guests of The Louise have

(chateautanunda.com). Alternatively for a

the opportunity to undertake a number

winery closer to Adelaide, Penfolds Magill

of exclusive food and wine experiences,

Estate (penfolds.com) is only a 15 minute drive

including starting the day in the nearby

from the city centre.

THE LOUISE: Main image: Fine dining at Appellation. Inset: Guests of The Louise can produce their own wine blend at

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Penfolds.

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences VISIT ONE OF HUNTER VALLEY’S MOST RENOWNED WINERIES / New South Wales

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he Hunter Valley wine region is a two hour drive north of Sydney and is best known for its unique styles of Semillon and Shiraz. The region has been making wine since 1828 and now boasts more than 60 cafes

and restaurants and close to 120 cellar doors, including Tyrrell’s Wines (tyrrells.com.au) whose Vat 1 Semillon is still acknowledged as one of the world’s best. Tyrrell’s Wines’ cellar door is located in the original 1864 winery with old oak vats and historic red cellar still in full operation. Accommodating groups of up to 12, the cellar door offers private group tastings including the Murray Tyrrell Tasting that includes wines from their oldest and most awarded collection of wines, the Winemaker’s Selection range. l

E X P E R I E N C E … T H E R E G I O N : The Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley

(crowneplazahuntervalley.com.au) recently unveiled its conference and events centre with an airy, light filled design. The Centre offers a combined 2,000 square metres of  pre-function, meeting and exhibition space catering for up to 1,600 delegates. The property also features 316 spacious guestrooms, an onsite restaurant and brewery

T YRRE LL’S W I NE S, H UNT E R VA LLE RY, NS W © DE S T INATI O N NS W ; MURRAY VAN DE RV E E R

as well as a day spa.

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DOM A IN C HA NDON, YA RRA VA LLEY, VIC © TOURIS M A US TRA LIA / A LA NA DIM OU

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

A POP OF SPARKLING FROM A LEGENDARY CHAMPAGNE HOUSE / Victoria

S

ome of the most influential winemakers in Australia can be found in the Yarra Valley, just an hour’s drive from Melbourne. Known for its sparkling wines, stellar Chardonnay and outstanding Pinot Noir varieties, the Yarra Valley was first planted with grapes back in 1838, just three years after Melbourne was founded. Today the wine region has more than 70 wineries including Domaine Chandon, one of Australia’s leading producers of sparkling wines and the only Australian winery founded by the legendary champagne house Moët and Chandon.

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Accommodating groups of up to 24, the winery offers tastings of a range of their most popular sparkling wines, as well as lunch packages at their onsite restaurant, Greenpoint Brasserie. Enjoy your lunch accompanied by a spectacular view of the vineyard and beautiful countryside. l

EXPERIENCE … THE SURROUNDING

R E G I O N : Other wineries you may like to explore nearby are Oakridge (oakridgewines.com.au), De Bortoli (debortoli.com.au), TarraWarra Estate (tarrawarra.com.au) and Yering Station (yering.com).

Treat your crew to the world’s most exciting in-flight entertainment

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

CICADA LODGE: Menus at the newlyopened Cicada Lodge near Katherine in the PH O TO G RA PH BY PE T E R E V E

Northern Territory highlight native ingredients.

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FRoM The DESERT 32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

In contrast with the abundance of aquatic experiences, Australia also has the quintessential ‘outback’ experience – and that includes a spectacular food and wine offer. The resorts of the Northern Territory feature exemplary dining experiences unique to their surrounds, from feasting on crocodile tail at Cicada Lodge, 300km south of Darwin, to outdoor dining whilst watching the endless starry skies above Uluru.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

EAT A SEASONED CROCODILE TAIL / Northern Territory

A

t a table on the pool deck, John “Long Johnny” Dewar is painting small canvases with a gecko and cicada in x-ray style. This is part of the cultural offering at Cicada Lodge (cicadalodge.com.au) at Nitmiluk Gorge, 300 kilometres south of Darwin and 32 kilometres from the town of Katherine. The lodge is owned by the local Jawoyn people and introduces guests to some of their traditional arts and way of life. In the restaurant and 18  villas you’ll find more of Johnny’s work. It gives the luxury retreat a sense of place and connects it to an ancient culture. You can also take a helicopter flight over the stunning 13  gorges to a rock art site, where paintings date back possibly thousands of years. While you are enjoying the sights, Chef Adam Woods is back at the lodge preparing for your return. Enjoy platters of canapés like tuna tartare, seared kangaroo, oysters and crocodile velouté served by the pool as the sun sets. Before Cicada Lodge opened, Adam met

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Aboriginal chef Mark Olive, of Melbourne’s Black Olive, who introduced him to some of the traditional indigenous ingredients – native pepper berries, lemon myrtle and river mint are common ones – that are now incorporated throughout the menu. Adam and Mark have also created a signature dish: whole crocodile tail cooked in coals. “It’s a bit of theatre,” Adam says. “You cook it in the skin, so that the meat confits inside. When you’re done you pull it out of the ground and serve it up.” Now that’s a taste of the outback that you can’t get in the city. l

EXPERIENCE … BOOK A TOUR:

Cicada Lodge has a number of tours that showcase the beauty of this region including the Nabilil Dreaming Sunset Dinner Cruise. Enjoy a three course meal cooked on the boat

CICADA LODGE:

as you learn about the culture and history of

Clockwise from top left: Artist

the Jawoyn people with the Nitmiluk Gorge as

John Dewar; Native ingredients

your backdrop.

become fine dining; Scenic flight above Nitmiluk Gorge; Crocodile tail is the signature dish.

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

DUNETOP DINING AT DUSK / Northern Territory

O

utdoor desert dining at Uluru has been taken to a whole new level with the introduction of Tali Wiru (ayersrockresort.com.au/experiences/detail/tali-wiru)

– a four-course dunetop dinner with matched wines for groups of 20. As the sun sets on Uluru and Kata Tjuta, take in the extraordinary formations and outback sky over champagne and canapés such as tuna tartare with finger-lime caviar. Chefs don headlamps and busy themselves with a menu strong on indigenous flavours: wattleseed-rubbed roo carpaccio, wagyu scented with native thyme, and macadamia and lemon myrtleencrusted barramundi. Post-dinner, gather around a firepit cradling hot chocolate, port or cognac to hear an indigenous storyteller yarn about country and culture. Tali Wiru (which means “beautiful dune” in the Anangu language) is certainly

Adam and Mark also created a signature dish: whole crocodile tail cooked in coals. “It’s a bit of theatre,” Adam says. “You cook it in the skin, so that the meat confits inside.”

a night to remember. l

E X P E R I E N C E … D I N E A N D S T A Y : The Tali Wiru

dinner operates nightly for up to 20 guests from 1 April to 15 October each year weather permitting. Both Longitude 131° (ayersrockresort.com.au/accommodation/longitude-131) and Sails in the Desert (ayersrockresort.com.au/accommodation/ sails-in-the-desert) offer accommodation close by.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

On The PLATE Australian chefs have well and truly made their mark and now regularly feature on global ‘best-of’ lists. Access to some of the best fresh produce in the world, often cultivated just for their kitchens, certainly helps. But it’s the unconventional approach and fresh thinking they bring to menus that really captures the innovative, vibrant and approachable Australian personality. Host your event at restaurants like Bennelong, inside the iconic Sydney Opera House, to get your dinner with a side of stunning water views, or get to the heart of Australia’s political scene over some rosemary ice-cream at Canberra’s Monster restaurant. Take a seat at some of Australia’s most extraordinary dining tables.

LIZARD ISLAND: Meet with the chef to create your own personalised degustation menu before dining at a private waterside table.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences CUSTOM-GROWN PRODUCE FOR QUAY / Sydney, New South Wales

I

n 2001 chef Peter Gilmore and his team moved into Sydney’s most prominent restaurant space, a glass box perched

between the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Over the past 14 years the restaurant, like the Opera House and the Bridge, has become a place of pilgrimage for visitors and locals. Born and bred in Sydney, Gilmore is renowned for his astounding presentation of food. His Snow Egg dessert at Quay (quay.com.au) has perhaps become his most famous creation after being immortalised on the high rating MasterChef television series. He is also loved and lauded by diners and critics alike for his down to earth attitude, reflected in his approach to ingredients. Gilmore credits the restaurant’s long term success, in part, to the specialist ingredients he uses, including flowers, herbs and leaves. Gilmore’s commitment to fine and rare produce doesn’t stop at the veggie patch.

PERSONALISED DEGUSTATION AT LIZARD ISLAND / Queensland

L

izard Island Resort (lizardisland.com.au) sits 240 kilometres north of Cairns in the Great Barrier Reef, but its remoteness is tempered by a staff ratio of almost one to one. Service is intimate, friendly, experienced and informed – expect your waiter to know which Margaret River red goes best with your Kingfish fillets. But for the ultimate dining experience don’t miss out on your own degustation menu. The experience begins one day in advance with a consultation with the chef who finds out your dietary requirements, needs, likes and

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Scallops and abalone are collected by hand from the ocean floor and rare breed lamb and free-range pork are raised especially for the restaurant. “Great food can only come from great ingredients, treated well,” says the chef. In 2015 Peter took up residence in one

dislikes, and talks through the local produce currently available. All food is flown in daily like line-caught reef fish, local prawns and fresh produce from the Atherton Tablelands. Soon you’re carried along on a creative journey through seven courses of your choosing paired with superb matching wines. l

EXPERIENCE … A BESPOKE

O F F E R I N G : You can exclusively hire out Lizard Island Resort for your next

of Sydney’s most iconic destinations, the Sydney Opera House. This second restaurant, Bennelong (Bennelong.com.au), again focusses on using premium quality produce from around the country to bring to life Peter’s unique take on Australian cuisine. The restaurant is available for private hire, and also features a semi-private table which can accommodate groups of six to 10. l

EXPERIENCE … THE SURROUNDING

R E G I O N : Sydney has a number of great group activities that take place in the stunning harbour

event. With its own private airstrip

including climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge with

and 40 rooms and suites, the resort

BridgeClimb (bridgeclimb.com), sailing the harbour

is located on the doorstep of the

with East Sail (eastsail.com.au) and exploring the

Great Barrier Reef.

Sydney Opera House (sydneyoperahouse.com).

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

QUAY: Main image: The jewels dessert. Inset from left: Beetroot salad; Chef Peter Gilmore in his test garden. LIZARD ISLAND: Opposite page: Chef Anthony Healey at work.

“Great food can only come from great ingredients, treated well.” p e t e r g i l m o r e / q uay

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences INDIGENOUS INGREDIENTS & 21 st CENTURY TECHNIQUE / South Australia

O

A MONSTER OF A FEAST / Australian Capital Territory

G

ourmets

and

cream showcasing mastery of technique

culture precinct of NewActon,

in

and flavour combinations. The restaurant

Monster

Hotel

continues to win awards under Chef

(hotel-hotel.com.au) is certainly a one-

Sean McConnell who describes his food

at

the

arts

Hotel

of-a-kind restaurant. Every aspect of the décor has been meticulously considered to enhance the experience, and the restaurant also boasts a fireplace, den, and a private function space that can accommodate up to 60.

as ‘both casual and relevant’. l

EXPE R IE NC E … S TAY T HE

N I G H T : Hotel Hotel is a boutique hotel, featuring 68 unique rooms that contain original artworks. The property also

ne of Adelaide’s best restaurants, Orana (restaurantorana.com), has been making waves in the dining scene since it first opened. Located on Adelaide’s Rundle Street the restaurant offers an intimate and bespoke dining experience. Executive Chef Jock Zonfrillo designs each degustation menu and pushes the boundaries with his interest in foraging, indigenous ingredients and culture clearly displayed on the plate. “Native Australian ingredients have a strong astringency that is unique to this continent,” he says. “Understanding those plants, the culture which has thrived on them, and developing the techniques with which to allow those ingredients to shine is the beginning to truly understanding more about our own backyard. The power of our own ingredients will help put a stamp on what Australian cuisine really tastes like.” Making a virtue of the saltiness and astringency common to plants tolerant to the extremes of the climate, Zonfrillo uses the sharp flavour of ice plant to balance the sweetness of Kangaroo Island scallops, and gives kangaroo meat a herbal twang with mountain pepper. With dishes such as charred kangaroo, native grasses & wild garlic, Jock’s emphasis on place and the land as a provider is evident. Dine at Orana and truly taste Australia on a plate.

l

EXPE R IE NC E … S TAY T HE NIGHT:

A surge of new hotel openings have added to Adelaide’s accommodation options, including The Playford (playford.com.au),

includes a hair salon, the Pacific Electric

Mayfair Hotel (mayfairhotel.com.au), Hilton

designed to surprise and delight with the

cinema, a gym and offers free bike hire,

Adelaide (placeshilton.com/Adelaide)

sweet menu including a mandarin, cocoa

so you can explore the bush capital at

and the InterContinental Adelaide

nib brittle, almond and rosemary ice-

your leisure.

(intercontinental.com/Adelaide).

The

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menu

offers

share

plates

Native Australian32 ingredients have a strong astringency that is unique extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences to this continent … The power of our own ingredients will help put a stamp on what Australian cuisine really tastes like. j o c k z o n f r i l lo / o r a n a

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

HITTING NEW HEIGHTS AT ATTICA / Victoria

W

hile geography plays a huge role in shaping the cuisine of any country, for Ben Shewry of Melbourne’s Attica (attica.com.au), the sheer size of Australia is the key. “With all the different climates around the country at any one time, from tropical far north to cool-climate south, we have such an abundance of produce available,” he says. “Add to that a very special and unique pantry of native Australian ingredients and you have the raw materials for a unique cuisine.” Shewry puts those raw materials to good use in dishes like Salted Red Kangaroo with Bunya Bunya. Attica’s contemporary food is thought-provoking, sometimes perplexing but always delicious. The restaurant itself is both intimate and elegant, with a private dining option that can accommodate groups of 12. On Tuesday nights, Shewry and his team experiment with new menu ideas at Chef ’s Table. It’s a chance for their team to try out some of their latest cooking ideas and an opportunity for you to be the first to taste it. l

E X P E R I E N C E … T H E S U R R O U N D I N G R E G I O N : Melbourne is a foodie’s paradise with plenty to

see and do. Why not visit Queen Victoria Markets (qvm.com.au) and partake in their hunt and gather tour. Accommodating groups of up to 35, the two hour walking tour will take you around the iconic seven hectare open-air market as you learn more about its history and taste some of the delicious food on offer.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences FINE DINING IN BRISBANE / Queensland

M

att Moran is one of Australia’s best known chefs and his Aria restaurants have delighted Australians for decades. His passion for cooking began at the age of 15 with an apprenticeship in a

classical French restaurant, La Belle Helene, on Sydney’s North Shore. Today he oversees a collection of high-profile restaurants including fine dining ARIA in Sydney and Brisbane (ariarestaurant.com), the more informal CHISWICK (chiswickrestaurant.com.au), in Sydney’s Woollahra and also at the Art Gallery of NSW, and the relaxed North Bondi Fish (northbondifish.com.au) right on the beachfront. Moran believes in finding the best ingredients and allowing the produce to shine on the plate. “It is all about fresh produce and buying direct from the people growing it,” he says. Aria Brisbane maintains that philosophy, with a special focus on Queensland beef producers and the Moran family’s own brand of lamb. The restaurant is located on Eagle Street Pier with stunning views across the Brisbane River and features a private dining room that can accommodate a group of up to 40. The menu features delicious dishes like Moreton Bay bug grilled tails with walnuts, spiced cauliflower and jamón, as well as seared scallops served with smoked chicken, shiitake mushrooms and citrus dressing.

l

E X P E R I E N C E … S T A Y T H E N I G H T : Brisbane is a vibrant city with

a wealth of accommodation options. The Pullman Brisbane (pullmanhotels. com/brisbane), Emporium Hotel Brisbane (emporiumhotels.com.au), Stamford Plaza Brisbane (stamford.com.au/spb) and Spicers Balfour Hotel (spicersretreats.com/spicers-balfour-hotel/) are all perfectly located for your

AWARD WINNING RESTAURANT SETS THE BAR / Queensland

O

ne of Brisbane’s most awarded and forward thinking restaurants, Esquire (esquire.net.au) is a Scandinavian-styled dining space that boasts views of the Brisbane River and features an innovative menu created by Executive Chef Ryan Squires and Chef Brenden Gradidge. Raised in Queensland, Squires has had an impressive cooking career working with the likes of Adria at El Bulli, Rene Redzepi at Noma and Thomas Keller at Per Se and The French Laundry. In 2011 he opened Esquire, and since then has gone on to earn the coveted three ‘hats’ award – the highest rating available in the Brisbane Times Good Food Guide – every year from 2012 to 2015. Dishes like an organic fowl bone & tokay, and lemon myrtle curd white chocolate & horseradish porcini cake, continue to set the bar for Brisbane dining.

l

E X P E R I E N C E … B E S P O K E O F F E R I N G : Esquire can be

exclusively booked for a private event.

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Brisbane adventure.

Reward your team with front row seats to the world’s smallest parade

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

FRoM The REGION

P HO T O GRA P H B Y J O H N RE YME NT 'A D AY I N TH E LIF E ' I MA G E S

At luxury lodges, hotels and resorts across Australia, food is at the centre of the guest experience. Not only do these properties offer exceptional service standards and ambience, they are also strong advocates of local food and wine products, showcasing these on menus and experiences. All you need to bring is your appetite…and your toothbrush. You’ll be staying the night.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

/

Cameron Matthews

CHEF, SPICERS CLOVELLY ESTATE

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences TAKING THE WATERS Lake House / Victoria

M

ore than 30 years ago, Chef  Alla Wolf-Tasker began encouraging local farmers to

produce niche crops for her to cook in her Daylesford restaurant. These days, her philosophy has spread throughout the local area, but the Lake House (lakehouse.com.au), a modern waterside restaurant and boutique hotel located 80 minutes from Melbourne, is still the jewel in regional Victoria’s crown. As well as the 33 rooms and suites, the Lake House has more recently added The Retreat, a two-bedroom luxe country house. There’s also the award-winning Swedish-style Salus Spa, with treatments

J OHN REY M ENT 'A DAY IN THE LIFE' IM A G ES

that change according to the season. Wandering around the beautiful grounds, with its kitchen garden and orchards, or the Daylesford shops will work up an appetite. Birds join you on the deck for breakfast, but the lunches and dinners at the two-hat restaurant are what people travel for miles to enjoy. Be sure to indulge in the tasting menu for

RELAX IN A COUNTRY RETREAT IN THE HINTERLAND Spicers Clovelly Estate / Queensland

D

ishes at Clovelly’s two-hatted restaurant, The Long Apron, are less textbook and more instinctive these days. “I’m cooking more from my heart and less from my head,” says chef Cameron Matthews. Courtesy of Clovelly’s veggie garden, nasturtiums accompany wagyu tartare with hay-ash battered peppers, and in Matthew’s choc-mint dessert of sherbet, sponge, chocolate truffle and crumbs you will find three varieties of mint. The patch is prolific with savory, beetroot, French tarragon and flowers of violet and rose, all inspiration for dishes at not only The Long

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the full Lake House experience. It will no doubt include a signature dish of smoked Skipton eel, a by-product of Alla’s Russian heritage. l

EXPERIENCE … FOR

Y O U R S E L F : Lake House’s Terrace

Apron but at Clovelly’s cooking school where Matthews chats to you about the virtues of tarte tatin while it caramelises on the stove. During the class you can learn to debone chicken for terrine and master pork rillettes after which you can enjoy your hard work whilst on the verandah. l

EXPE R IE NC E … S TAY OV E R NIGHT:

Spicers Clovelly (spicersretreats.com/spicers-

Room is a multi-functional space that can cater for 168 people theatre style.

SPICERS CLOVELLY ESTATE: Above left: Chef Cameron Matthews picks fresh produce from the garden. LAKE HOUSE: Right main image:

clovelly-estate/) is located 90 minutes from

Wildflowers are a feature of many

Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast and features

desserts. Right inset from left:

12 stylish rooms and their own onsite spa,

Local farmers produce niche crops

Spa Anise.

for the restaurant; The Salus Spa.

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

EXPERIENCE A CATTLE STATION GONE ULTRA LUXE Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley / New South Wales

S

ince opening in a remote valley beyond the Blue Mountains in 2009, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley resort (wolganvalley.oneandonlyresorts.com) hasn’t served the

same meal twice. It’s an impressive claim, but then, everything about this luxury resort fashioned from a former cattle station is quietly over the top, from the towering sandstone escarpments cradling the 1,618-hectare property to the profusion of grazing wombats, wallabies and wallaroos. The culinary mantra here is seasonal, regional and organic, drawing upon not only the finest ingredients from the area’s artisan producers but the resort’s own kitchen garden that sits next to a painstakingly restored 1832 farmhouse, located across a creek from the 40 luxury villas. The all-inclusive rate includes meals as well as sommelierselected wines from top vineyards in Orange, Mudgee and the Hunter Valley.

l

EXPERIENCE … THE SURROUNDING AREA:

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley is located in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, a huge ancient sandstone plateau dissected by gorges up to 900 metres deep and renowned for its eucalypt forests, rainforests and hundreds of  waterfalls.

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B

FRESH PRODUCE STRAIGHT FROM THE FARMERS MARKET Byron Bay / New South Wales

yron Bay is located 45 minutes from the Gold Coast Airport and is known for its relaxing beach culture, dynamic arts and culture scene and growing list of mustexperience restaurants. The region is home to many that are passionate about quality produce, showcasing this to visitors. Byron at Byron Resort and Spa’s (thebyronatbyron.com.au) Head Chef Gavin Hughes, who has been at the property since it first opened, is one such passionate local. “Our menu showcases the freshest local ingredients and is lovingly planned and prepared,” says Hughes. “The food is of a light Mediterranean style and based around the best of what’s

available locally at the farmers markets. We use Bangalow Sweet Pork, Alstonville Chicken, Yamba Prawns, Hervey Bay Sea Scallops … the fish we get is second to none.” Hughes even holds a special Farmers Market Dinner every Thursday at the resort where he uses fresh regional produced sourced that day from Byron Farmers’ Market to create a special two course menu that changes weekly. l

EXPE R IE NC E … S TAY T HE NIGHT:

Byron at Byron Resort and Spa is located within a stunning 45 acre rainforest. The property offers 92 luxury one bedroom suites, a 25 metre infinity pool and a luxurious day spa.

EMIRATES ONE&ONLY WOLGAN VALLEY: The culinary mantra at Wolgan Valley is seasonal, regional and organic.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences EXPLORE A TROPICAL ISLAND GOURMET PARADISE qualia / Queensland

E

ntering the impressive gates of

here. Award-winning Executive Chef, Alastair

qualia (qualia.com.au), on Hamilton

Waddell, nurtures you with his modern

Island, you immediately recognise

multicultural cuisine embracing local seafood

that you have arrived at a one-of-a-kind resort.

and natural produce. Each July, the resort

The

meticulous

unpretentious resources

tropical

architecture

including

wood

gardens

and

using

natural

and

stone,

immediately create a relaxing environment, and the use of glass has been maximised to take in the sparkling turquoise of

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the

hosts the Great Barrier Feast, which sees chefs, including Peter Gilmore of Sydney’s Quay, descend for a weekend of masterclasses and dinners. l

EXPERIENCE … BESPOKE

Whitsundays. qualia, a Latin term meaning,

O F F E R I N G : For that extra personalised

“a collection of deeper sensory experiences”,

touch, you can brand the golf carts at the

aptly describes the experience of staying

resort with your logo.

32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences

QUALIA: Above from left: Black sesame and raspberry dessert; Executive chef Alastair Waddell; Queensland spanner crab and heirloom tomatoes. Main image: Dine at your own private beachfront restaurant.

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32 extraordinary Australian food & wine experiences SLEEP AT THE END OF THE WORLD Southern Ocean Lodge / South Australia

S

naking along the southernmost

Ingram, in conjunction with the legendary

coast of Australia, Southern Ocean

Maggie Beer, South Australian chef

Lodge (southernoceanlodge.com.au)

Simon Bryant and renowned chef

is perched dramatically on the very edge

Damien Pignolet, leading farm visits to

of the country. The dining room, with its

introduce you to local produce growers,

floor to ceiling windows, affords infinity

hosting wine tastings and dinners, and

views of the Southern Ocean and the

teaching masterclasses using the island’s

rugged coastline. The plates put before

unique produce.

you are equally impressive. Dish after dish of Executive Chef Jack Ingram’s innovative cuisine is made using Kangaroo Island’s magnificent produce. Honey, freshwater crayfish, King George Whiting, lamb and native grasses. Ingram is an advocate of local produce, and his locavore philosophy has seen him forge strong links with the island’s farmers and

For example an afternoon stroll through KI Olive Oil’s olive and fig groves can be followed by an olive oil tasting, and a visit to the honey co-op affords the opportunity to stock up on Kangaroo Island’s highly sought after honey. Produced by the world’s only pure strain of Ligurian bees, like the island itself it is

producers. The food is accompanied by

one of a kind, and is the souvenir of

local wines from the island itself and

choice for visitors.

from mainland South Australia.

l

In addition to bespoke culinary tours,

EXPERIENCE … BESPOKE

O F F E R I N G : Southern Ocean Lodge

walking adventures and beach fishing

can assist you with organising a private

expeditions offered year round, each

charter for your group from Adelaide to

August the lodge offers a six-night KI

an exclusive private airfield located just

Food Safari package. The program sees

30 minutes’ drive from the Lodge.

SOUTHERN OCEAN LODGE: Above left: The innovative cuisine uses the finest Kangaroo Island produce. Main image: The lodge is perched on a cliff looking over the Southern Ocean.

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Take your team to dinner at the world’s freshest seafood restaurant

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It’s not every day you sail your team through a postcard

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