Okay, so we may not be able to match the itineraries named in the famed 1959 Australian ballad, I’ve Been Everywhere, which boasted: “I’ve been to Moree, Taree, Jerilderie, Bambaroo, Toowoomba, Gunnedah, Caringbah, Woolloomooloo, Dalveen, Tamborine, Engadine, Jindabyne, Lithgow, Casino, Brigalow and Narromine Megalong, Wyong, Tuggerawong, Wangarella…”
But in the search for positives from the past wretched two years, one is that Australians were least compelled – in between lockdowns and lockouts – to make a connection with their own nation, with passports safely tucked away.
For many of us this led to some memorable travels, no less to the distinctive and characteristically Australian towns that we possibly wouldn’t have travelled to without the restrictions forced by the pandemic.
As it turns out there are about 1700 small towns Australia-wide, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (not even the late Geoff Mack, the Australian country singer and composer of I’ve Been Everywhere, could have visited that many).
Traveller’s editors and writers managed to visit and fall in love with scores of Australian towns, and not only over the preceding 24 months. Here’s a selection of their all-time favourites.
CASTLEMAINE, VICTORIA
By Kerry Van Der Jagt
WHERE IS IT
Castlemaine is a 90-minute drive north-west of Melbourne or nine hours by road from Sydney.
WHY I LOVE IT
Let me count the ways. I love Castlemaine’s lacey buildings and eclectic bookstores, its cafes and co-ops, its artisan producers and thrumming music scene. A magnet to artists, musicians, writers and foodies, this former gold-rush town has all the creative feels of Melbourne, with an old-school vibe. (New South Welsh folk be warmed: make sure you pronounce it Cassel-maine).
SEE + DO
There’s nothing run of the mill about The Mill (millcastlemaine.com.au) a former wool mill turned creative precinct. Once there, don’t miss Shedshaker Brewing (shedshakerbrewing.com). Established by Hunters and Collectors drummer Doug Falconer, the brewery’s Taproom is a hub for live music. More great music can be found at the Theatre Royal (theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au), an Art Deco building long adored by locals for its live gigs, art-house flicks and seriously good pizza. For the perfect pastry try Johnny Baker’s (johnnybaker.com.au) or for the hottest meal in town head straight to Wild (wildfoodandwine.com), housed in an old fire station. Walk it off with a stroll through the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens (parks.vic.au). Gold rush history is a big part of Castlemaine’s identity. A driving loop taking in Garfield Water Wheel, Pennyweight Flat cemetery and the Monster Meeting Site (goldfieldsguide.com.au) is a good introduction
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
John Walter, owner of Stoneman’s BookRoom, recommends allowing a few days for a Castlemaine visit. “We have some of the best hiking and bike trails in Victoria,” he says. “You can do the entire Goldfields Track from Bendigo to Ballarat, or just a portion of it.” (goldfieldstrack.com.au).
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Visit in autumn when the oak leaves burn scarlet or in spring when the whole town is in bloom. Stay at the historic and homely Midland Hotel (midlandhotel.com.au) opposite the railway station. See bendigoregion.com.au
BICHENO, TASMANIA
By Jim Darby
WHERE IS IT
Bicheno is on Tasmania’s east coast just under two hours from Launceston airport and just over two and a half from Hobart.
WHY I LOVE IT
My first encounter of Bicheno was from the deck of the Lobster Shack where fishers launch their boats and seagulls and distant seals squabble and squawk. It was a sunny spring afternoon with fresh fish and chips and a glass of Milton pinot gris on hand and from where I spotted a humpback whale shoot up in the air and splash back into the ocean. I was hooked.
SEE + DO
First up, head for Little Bay Patisserie (no website) and snap up some of the Paris-level pastries made there by Gustavo L’Huillier. The coffee’s good, too. For lunch, try the aforementioned Lobster Shack (lobstershacktasmania.com.au) There are wineries like Milton, Freycinet and Devil’s Corner about 20 minutes south (eastcoasttasmania.com). Dodge the Freycinet National Park crowds, even if it is only 30 minutes away, and sample closer Douglas Apsley National Park (parks.tas.gov.au) and its serene Apsley River Waterhole, combining that with a walk of between 15 minutes and three hours. The surf scene is strong, with breaks to the north and south of town. So, too, is ocean swimming – each April locals line up for the two or five kilometre Devil of a Swim (bichenoslsc.com.au).
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
“Bicheno’s penguin tour (bichenopenguintours.com.au) is not that mass tour you see at Phillip Island (in Victoria),” says Michael Symons, local builder and councillor and former surf club president. “It’s a boutique tour with small groups of 10 to 15 people and a guide walking through a rookery.”
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Visit from late November and early December or try February and March or even a wild winter weekend. Stay at the homely beachfront Sandpiper Ocean Cottages (sandpipercottages.com.au)or the smart riverfront Sea Stacks (seastacks.com.au). The local pub, Beachfront Bicheno is a bargain given its location and its popular bistro (beachfrontbicheno.com.au). See eastcoasttasmania.com and discovertasmania.com.au
MUDGEE, NSW
By Brian Johnston
WHERE IS IT
Mudgee is a three-and-a-half hour drive northwest of Sydney in the Central West region of NSW. From Melbourne fly to Dubbo, 90 minutes’ drive from Mudgee.
WHY I LOVE IT
I fell in love with NSW’s Central West five years ago as a new immigrant because its rolling sheep-chewed hills, vineyards, rust-roofed farmhouses and bouncing kangaroos seemed the epitome of rural Australia.
SEE + DO
You’re spoiled for choice for cellar doors but visit Pieter van Gent (pvgwinery.com) for its cobwebby ogre-sized barrels, Lowe Wines (lowefamilywineco.com.au) for friendliness and Robert Stein (robertstein.com.au), which displays vintage motorcycles. First Ridge Wines (firstridge.com.au) uses striking red shipping containers, while glass-and-steel Logan Wines (loganwines.com.au) is cantilevered above the hillside. The new cellar door at Rosby Wines (rosby.com.au) is the winner of two prestigious architecture awards and hosts regular art exhibitions. For a feed, try farm-to-fork Pipeclay Pumphouse (pipeclaypumphouse.com.au) whose chef Andy Crestani previously worked for Otto Ristorante in Sydney, and The Zin House (lowefamilywineco.com.au), where you could linger all afternoon over a five-course lunch. Drop into the Mudgee Observatory (mudgeeobservatory.com.au), a small theatre and planetarium explain space missions and the night sky and take a drive out to lovely Gulgong (gulgong.com.au), a well-preserved gold-rush town associated with the poet Henry Lawson.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
“Lawson Park Sculpture Walk is a perfect place to escape to and it’s right in the heart of Mudgee,” says local guesthouse owner Amber Norton-Knight. “It’s a magical walk along the Cudgegong River with some really special works of art at every turn.”
MAKE IT HAPPEN
The best time to visit is March-October with the next Mudgee Wine + Food Month n September. Stay at luxury Rosby Guesthouse (rosbyguesthouse.com.au) in the hills or heritage Cobb & Co Court Boutique Hotel (cobbandcocourt.com.au) in town. See visitmudgeeregion.com.au, visitnsw.com
ROBE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
By Justin Meneguzzi
WHERE IS IT
Robe is a 90-minute drive from Mount Gambier Airport, which is a 70-minute flight from Melbourne. Flights from Sydney take about four hours and include a stopover in Melbourne. Robe is also an easy six-hour drive from Melbourne along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.
WHY I LOVE IT
Robe is that special kind of place most people discover through word of mouth and when someone casually name-dropped it as her favourite beach town, I knew I had to visit. What I found was charming weatherboard and sandstone houses, a smorgasbord of seafood, enterprising local producers and a different beach to try each day.
SEE + DO
Turn inland from the main drag and discover a hidden nook stuffed with great local producers. Load up on caffeine at socially conscious café and roaster, Mahalia Coffee (mahaliacoffee.com.au), or wet your whistle with a signature slow-brewed ale at Robe Town Brewery (robetownbrewery.com.au). Boutique homeware store Transmutation collects plastic bread tags from all over Australia to melt down and create ceramic-style bowls, plates and more (transmutation.com.au). If you have a four wheel drive, skip Town Beach and drive right onto the sand at Long Beach. Later, unwind with a rosé and lawn games at Woodsoak Wines’s cellar door (woodsoakwines.com.au), crack open a fresh lobster at Sails at Robe (sailsatrobe.com.au), and watch the sunset from the witches-hat shaped Robe Obelisk.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Robe resident and owner of Transmutation Brad Scott recommends visiting the cluster of wineries around the northern headlands. To visit the cellar doors without needing a designated driver, Brad suggests travelling in true local style with Billy Bob’s 4×4 tours (billybobstours.com.au).
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Robe is best to visit from November to April, when the sun is shining, and the water is its bluest. Stay at the Caledonian Inn Hotel (caledonianinnrobe.com.au), an historic English style pub a stone’s throw from the beach (double rooms from $99 a night). See robe.com.au; southaustralia.com
RUTHERGLEN, VICTORIA
By Julietta Jameson
WHERE IS IT
Rutherglen is a three and a half hour drive north of Melbourne and six hours by road from Sydney. Fly to Albury from Sydney and drive to Rutherglen in under 40 minutes.
WHY I LOVE IT
Rutherglen was once a place where Victorians went in order to cross the Murray into NSW to play the poker machines, illegal in Victoria until 1992. However, the post-pokies Rutherglen I’ve recently discovered is one proud of its history and excited about its future. New generations in mostly family-affair Rutherglen wineries are bringing back new ideas from their stints in the vineyards of France or from their times the city but remain respectful of traditions.
SEE + DO
The centre of one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, Rutherglen remains best known for robust reds and as the global home of the still often misunderstood fortified wine, muscat. Explore the latter’s delicious complexities on the Muscat Mile, meeting the master blenders at 14 of the top family wineries (explorerutherglen.com.au). Book ahead for dining on the French-inspired menu at atmospheric Jones Winery & Vineyard (joneswinery.com.au) or pop into the new Bonnie, at All Saints Estate (allsaintswine.com.au), for pizza al fresco. Sip and nibble at the classy wine bar, Thousand Pound (thousandpound.com.au). Sample progressive takes on the local varietals at Scion, a don’t-miss cellar door (scionwine.com.au).
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
“Visit St Leonards Vineyard (stleonardswine.com.au), a hidden gem on the Murray River which produces modern and aromatic wines,” Eliza Brown, chief executive of All Saints Estate, recommends. “Must-trys are the rose and cabernet franc and the first Saturday of every month there’s Music on the Murray, a fantastic live music event.”
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Rutherglen’s great any time with the weather and the vineyards particularly appealing in autumn. Time your trip with the Tastes of Rutherglen festival in mid-March. Rooms at Tuileries at De Bortoli Estate (debortoli.com.au), right in town with a superb restaurant, have been renovated. See explorerutherglen.com.au;visitvictoria.com
KIAMA, NSW
By Sue Williams
WHERE IS IT
Kiama is just under a two-hour drive south of Sydney or eight and half hours by road from Melbourne.
WHY I LOVE IT
It’s a relatively short hop from Sydney but still manages to feel a bit like a typical little seaside town that time somehow, forgot. But after undergoing a “Byronification” over the last few years, it does have big city-style pluses. All in all, Kiama is a welcome blast of fresh air for a holiday, weekend or even a do-able day trip from the city.
SEE + DO
There’s water, water everywhere for swimming, surfing, snorkelling, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. The famous Blowhole – either the big one or its smaller sister – can be spectacular when the tide is in and running high and there are stunning walks along the beaches and hikes into the surrounding hills. Picturesque and happily undemanding golf courses, nearby wineries and a bustling farmers’ market add to Kiama’s appeal while inland, the waterfalls and wildlife of Minnamurra Rainforest in the Budderoo National Park (nationalparks.nsw.gov.au) are always worth a visit as are the nearby gorgeous villages of Gerringong, and Gerroa. (visitnsw.com). Afterwards, feast on the Cha Ca La Vong (turmeric fish with noodles) at Hanoi on Manning (hanoionmanning.com.au), sip on The George marguerita (after Clooney’s tequila) at El Corazon Cocina de Mexico (elcorazon.net.au), delight in the fresh take on old favourites at Encore Kiama (encorekiama.com.au) and don’t miss the Ottolenghi-inspired Middle Eastern Miss Arda (missarda.com).
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Kiama Mayor Neil Reilly recommends a walk to watch the sunrise at Cathedral Rocks, a striking basalt rock formation created by a volcanic eruption millions of years ago. “Especially when it’s a clear morning and a wild sea, it’s absolutely beautiful,” Neil says. “It’s somewhere visitors would rarely know about but Kiama means ‘Where the ocean roars’ in the Dharawal language, and that’s a sight that, once seen, leaves an indelible impression.”
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Summer is lovely but busy while May to November has dolphins and whales passing by, and far fewer people. Stay at the dreamy and newly-renovated guesthouse Bask at Loves Bay (baskatlovesbay.com.au) while the 1850s weatherboard cottage Driftwood Beach House (driftwoodkiama.com.au) with its water views and accommodation for eight is great for family and friends. See kiama.com.au; visitnsw.com
SEYMOUR, VICTORIA
By Paul Chai
WHERE IS IT
Just over an hour north of Melbourne on the Hume Freeway or seven and a half hours south of Sydney.
WHY I LOVE IT
I originally loved to hate Seymour. My grandparents lived there for decades and every time I visited from Sydney, I wished they lived closer to the big smoke of Melbourne. But then up popped urban wineries, artisan butchers and weekend farmers’ markets in and around this once regional black sheep.
SEE + DO
One of the first signs of Seymour’s revitalisation was the opening of Wine by Sam (winebysam.com.au), an urban winery by winemaker Sam Plunkett who has been growing grapes in the Strathbogie Ranges region for decades. The spectacular Mitchelton Winery (mitchelton.com.au) is a more traditional offering just out of town on the banks of the Goulburn River with a restaurant, day spa, boutique hotel and chocolatier all on the one property. A bit further north on the freeway Fowles Wines (fowleswine.com) is also worth dropping into. Take a peek through the window at Seymour railway station and you will see a line of levers that run the 150-year-old signalling systems, one of the few such working systems left in the state.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
“The Goulburn River is a hidden gem in Seymour with secret fishing spots, riverside walks and camping spots like those at Goulburn Park,” says Bron Dunwoodie, president of GoSeymour and Wine by Sam co-owner. People also love going to Lyons Park where they dip their toe in the river from the jetty.”
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Visit all year round. Stay at the revamped Trawool Estate (trawoolestate.com.au) that was once a daggy historic lunch spot but has been bought and completely made over by locals Wes and Terry Old into a 20-room boutique hotel and now-very-slick 100-seat restaurant. See goseymour.com.au; visitvictoria.com
FIVE MORE AUSTRALIAN TOWNS WE LOVE:
ALBANY, WA
Albany fronts a magnificent harbour of shimmering peacock waters and is ringed by a half-dozen national parks. It’s also historically interesting being the first European settlement in Western Australia and once a thriving whaling town with the fascinating Historic Whaling Station detailing the dangerously brutal life of old-time whalers. Elsewhere, the National ANZAC Centre outlines the sad significance of Australia’s involvement in World War I – and has more magnificent views. See amazingalbany.com.au; westernaustralia.com
BRIGHT, VICTORIA
This is a town for each of the seasons – warm summer days and nights, autumn colours, winter snows and spring breaks. It’s a brilliant base for the nearby mountains – the skifields of Falls Creek and Hotham or the year-round appeal of the boulder-strewn Mount Buffalo Plateau. With the Ovens River bubbling through it, Bright is a perfect place to stop and wander and one of the best places to take a break from your wanderings is the riverside Bright Brewery (brightbrewery.com.au). See also visitbright.com.au and visitvictoria.com
BLUEYS BEACH, NSW
A seminally sleepy coastal town with all you need for a surf retreat – pizza, burgers and great coffee. The beach is so good you want it declared top secret by ASIO, framed by lush green hills with cows grazing on the land that must have developed one set of legs shorter than the other in order to survive. Grab a house overlooking the beach and you can watch dolphins surf the waves and fluorescent algae light up with each crash of a night-time set. Push the boat out and go to the nearby “Recce” (pprc.com.au) for a pub meal on the lake. See visitnsw.com
OLINDA, VICTORIA
One of the highest villages in the Dandenong Ranges to the east of Melbourne, leafy, lush Olinda is quintessential to the area. It’s hard to not be awestruck by the towering eucalypts, or transported by the thousands of blousy rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias at the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens. Visit the William Ricketts Sanctuary for iconic sculptures in an area that’s long attracted artists and feast on delicious pies, be they fruit, veg or meat, at the award-winning Pie in the Sky. See visityarravalley.com.au; visitvictoria.com
MERIMBULA, NSW
A six-hour drive down the coast from Sydney brings you to Merimbula, a seaside town with a unique position, being wedged between a lake, lagoon and sandy beach. This makes it a haven for outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts. Greet the day with a coffee at Bar Beach Kiosk, spot rays and fish on a stand-up paddleboard tour of the lake, learn to surf on Main Beach or head out of town for a walk beneath the canopy at leafy Goodenia Rainforest. See escapetomerimbula.com.au; visitnsw.com
