Eat your way through delicious eastern Australia
Some things in life are just a good time. Road tripping in a motorhome with an open calendar and an open road ahead is one of them. Eating is another. Imagine combining the two with a motorhome adventure that stops in to enjoy some of east Australia’s best food festivals.
You can do just that, with a little help from our Australia motorhome itineraries and this article. Head out on a Sydney to Cairns journey and stop in to savour the flavours of the Sunshine Coast along the way at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival, or make the trip right around Tasmania and kick it off in Hobart with the island state’s biggest foodie event, Taste of Tasmania. The possibilities are endless, so get moving and enjoy that motorhome lifestyle with some tasty added extras.
Noosa Food and Wine Festival (May)
We’ll start in the north, with a bang. The Noosa Food and Wine Festival has a straightforward name and a straightforward objective: eating and drinking. Most of the action happens in the Festival Village which has stalls, bars, tastings, cooking demos, a Pimms garden party and much more with a background of live music.
The festival also includes an array of different events throughout Noosa, just north of Brisbane, including masterclasses with international chefs, a champagne brunch, a “Long Lunch” on Hastings Street and much more. Winter? Not in Noosa - the month of May is sunshine and flavour.
Sydney and Melbourne Italian Wine and Food Festival (August/May)
Sometimes it’s nice to concentrate on one particular cuisine in your foodie adventures, and Italian is undoubtedly a crowd pleaser. The Italian Food and Wine Festival takes place in both Sydney and Melbourne, and it’s a smaller, one-day event. Pack a whole lot of Euro goodness into one fantastic afternoon if you are in Sydney in August or Melbourne in May.
At the festival, you can expect pizza and pasta galore, wine tastings, artisan bread, cheese, sweets and oils, coffee and much more. It’s a short and sweet festival, but one which will immerse you in delectable Italian food and culture for a few hours.
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (March)
Trendy Melbourne is already a top destination for food lovers - and when the internationally renowned Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is on, the city is nothing short of a gastronomical wonderland. For more than 25 years it has brought gourmet dishes and delights to the laneways and streets of central Melbourne.
The festival lasts a week and is spread across the city with various parties, classes, dinners and more. If you are planning a motorhome trip that will take you to Melbourne in March, we suggest making sure you can fit in one or two MFWF events!
Orange F.O.O.D. Week (April)
Head inland nearly four hours from Sydney, and you’ll come across Orange, a city and district in the Central West region of New South Wales. Here, over ten days of April is Orange F.O.O.D. Week: “Food Of Orange District”. It’s the country’s longest-running regional food festival and promotes the excellent local produce of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne.
On the menu for the festival are night markets, “Meet the Producer” sessions, special meals, a fantastic foraging/wine tasting combo tour, and plenty of other special events. “F.O.O.D. HQ” is the centre of the proceedings, and visitors can head there for fun, talks, demonstrations and information about what’s on that day.
Taste of Tasmania (December-January)
If you pick up a motorhome in Hobart around the Christmas holiday period, you should definitely add a day at Taste of Tasmania to your itinerary. It’s free to enter and peruse the many stallholders, showcasing the best of Tasmanian produce and creative cooking talent on Hobart’s waterfront. The island state is known for its breweries and distilleries, and you can taste a few tipples here for sure - but there is so much more to sample!
As well as food, Taste of Tasmania entertains all ages with live music and a Kids in the Park area with sports, crafts, cooking classes and much more for the little ones to enjoy.
Cape Jaffa Seafood and Wine Festival
Cape Jaffa in South Australia is a little out of the way for some travellers, but just a stop along the way for intrepid motorhome road trippers. If you are passing through in January, be sure to time your journey to stop in at the fabulous Cape Jaffa Seafood and Wine Festival.
This friendly local event combines two of the world’s greatest flavour sensations - seafood and wine - in a beautiful South Australian setting (four hours east of Adelaide) and has a laid-back atmosphere focused on enjoying good food in an excellent place.
Are your taste buds and your spirit of adventure feeling inspired? Take a look at our great motorhome rental deals in Australia and start planning your own gastronomical quest.
Written By: Kristof Haines
It’s funny how motorhome memories stick with you. I can still recall a motorhome vacation my family took when I was five years old and how awesome I thought I was, tucked away in a loft bed above the cab. From revealing unique destinations to providing tips and tricks, it’s my mission to help others build great motorhome memories too.
It’s funny how motorhome memories stick with you. I can still recall a motorhome vacation my family took when I was five years old and how awesome I thought I was, tucked away in a loft bed above the cab. From revealing unique destinations to providing tips and tricks, it’s my mission to help others build great motorhome memories too.
