This article is written in partnership with Travelbag who I travelled to Australia with, from the bottom (Kangaroo Island) to the top (Darwin) by plane, train and automobile. This view of Australia is very much through my lens, supported by the Travelbag range of tours and products. First post in this series: Travelling Australia from South to North: Adelaide Dispatches

Kangaroo Island has a magical quality to it, even just the name. It sounds straight out of a story book, like somewhere you would want to go without hearing anything further, and maybe immediately. It took several years to get there but I finally did. And it is gorgeous. 

Kangaroo Island feels very remote but it is very close to the mainland, just a few hours from Adelaide, including a short ferry ride (or even shorter plane journey). On landing at the small airport I was greeted by my pre booked transfer driver, and found myself joining the end of a wildlife tour as they made their way back to my hotel. This is how it works there. The population is small and there is no taxi service. And what a fun start to my few days there. They shared lots of tips and stories and I bounced off the bus eager to begin. 

Kangaroo Island has always been all about the wildlife, and it still is, but recently also about the wine, the gin and restaurants. It is remote in character, the population is only 4,500 people (and there are only 4 police), making it perfect for long road trips on expansive roads lined with tall trees. There are eight national parks and many beaches bustling with pelicans and native sea lions.  Continue reading

I love travel. You know that. There are some places that have got under my skin and that I love to return to. Places that inspire because of the place, the people, the light and often if not always, the food. There is a long list of places that I want to go to.

Sydney is one of my favourite cities to visit. I returned in November, my first visit in (their) Spring. I had few plans, not even where I would stay. I was coming out of an intense period of travel for work – which I love – but I knew that a schedule was the last thing that I would need.

Sydney is Sweetest in Spring

It was a gorgeous time to be there. The streets lined with bright purple jacaranda trees, heaving with blossom and intensely fragrant. There was so much jasmine lining the streets and bright pink rhododendron clinging to the ornate metal balconies on the front of Sydney houses. The sky was bright and the temperature was my ideal, between 20 and 24 deg C. I walked every day, soaking it all in.  I love getting out by the water, and sipping coffee or wine by the beaches. Most of all I love the food. Sydney has some terrific cafés and restaurants.  Continue reading

This article is written in partnership with Travelbag who I travelled to Australia with, from the bottom (Kangaroo Island) to the top (Darwin) by plane, train and automobile. This view of Australia is very much through my lens, supported by the Travelbag range of tours and products.

My first trip to Australia was 11 years ago on holiday with friends. Predictably, to Sydney, and I loved every minute. I was curious but as a professional contrarian I had avoided the year in Australia which most Irish people tend to do at some point. I never even planned to go to Australia, it seemed too close to home even though it is so far away. A friend moved there and another friend was keen to go so I decided I would try it. Australia proved to be surprising and exciting, and I have now been back 4 times. Each time I have experienced something completely different. 

Australia is a place that I have developed a deep affection for. The lifestyle is gorgeous, people are very friendly, and there is a very laid back air there and a general joie de vivre. It is a fun place to visit. The food and drink scene is vibrant, Australians know and love their food and have high expectations of every eatery who usually deliver. 

Australia is enormous and there is so much to explore, on this trip I went to two new areas as I travelled from the southern tip to the north: South Australia and the Northern Territory stopping in the red centre on the way from Kangaroo Island to Darwin via Adelaide. It was an excellent trip and I am excited to share my stories and experiences from there.  

Adelaide – Capital of South Australia

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Perth sits on the edge of Australia, it feels like the edge of the world with the nearest large city Adelaide being 2,104km away. This adds to the charm, it is refreshingly laid back and there is much to do. Perth stretches along the coastline, and so it doesn’t feel big or overwhelming. As with other Australian cities that I have visited (Melbourne, Sydney), there is a thriving and exciting food culture here. It may be the most isolated city in the world, but it is attracting impressive culinary talent and there are many new restaurants and bars.

As with all my food research trips, everywhere is researched thoroughly and only the restaurants that I rate and that cut above the others make the list. 

Enjoy! Perth is a fun city and there are lots of great places to eat. 

Also in this series: 
A Culinary Road Trip from Perth to Margaret River
Where to Eat, Drink and Stay in Fremantle
A Postcard from Western Australia (Through a Food Lens)
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Western Australia is vast and diverse, it is perfect for a road trip. Before I visited I imagined horizons filled orange soil and hot searing temperatures. What greeted me instead as I journeyed south from Perth at the end of winter was moderate temperatures, lush greens, flowers and lots of vegetation, all hugging the ocean as we journeyed by, stopping to soak it up occasionally as we did. 

There are many options, the obvious choice for me was to drive to Margaret River, a wine region just over 3 hours drive from Perth, with some lovely pitstops along the way. There are wonderful beaches, great places to eat, limestone underground caves and you can go whale watching.

The main reason you should go is the food and wine, and just to indulge in how gorgeous it all is. Margaret River has 187 wineries and 215 vineyards (as counted in 2015). It is surrounded by the ocean on three sides without extreme seasons providing ideal conditions for producing wine. Wineries mainly produce Bordeaux style wines (semillon and sauvignon blanc blends are common as are cabernet sauvignon and shiraz), Margaret River has been compared to Bordeaux in a dry vintage. The reds are gentle. There are established producers like Leeuwin Estate (who produced their first commercial vintage in 1979) and newer ones like Fraser Gallop (whose first vintage was 2008). Lots to explore and most tastings are free, if you fancy driving yourself winery to winery.  Continue reading

On a cold grey November day in London, let me whisk you to the sunny shores of Fremantle in Western Australia. 

A city officially, but with the feeling of a laidback seaside town, Fremantle has retained many beautiful old wooden buildings and while this may give it a quaint air, it is very much a contemporary lively place packed with lots of cafes, bars and restaurants. There is a great market, open late, with lots of food options. Beer lovers will love the selection of brewpubs and microbreweries. There are many reasons that Fremantle should be your first stop in Western Australia, one important one is that Fremantle is a relaxed spot that is close to the airport but not close enough that you can hear it. It was a tonic for my jet lag having flown in from London. Continue reading

Have you ever been to Perth? Or Margaret River? I have been to Australia a number of times, but never out west. A vast swathe of Australia, in parts scorched orange with iron ore sands and sunshine. What surprised me was how lush and green Western Australia became the more we travelled south. It was early spring and that will change, but I was reminded that travel is best when you leave your expectations at the airport and remain open to whatever may come. 

We started at Fremantle, and I finished there too. A pretty town outside Perth and on the sea, it is slow paced and well preserved with a thriving food and drink culture. From Fremantle you can travel by boat to Rottnest Island, an island famous for pristine beaches and quokkas (small and relatively tame marsupials that densely populate the island). The name comes from rat nest in Dutch, as they mistook the quokkas for rats when they first found it.  Continue reading

Everyone needs a bolt hole, even people who live in a city like Sydney. About three and a half hours inland from Sydney, and over the Blue Mountains, lies a gorgeous small town and wine region called Mudgee. Wine is not new here, winemakers have been active in Mudgee for over 150 years, but it is growing quickly and it is now the third largest winemaking region in New South Wales. At that, it is emerging in terms of tourism, and it is still under the radar for international visitors like you and me. Continue reading

Water Masterclass? Am I losing it? No, dear friends, I spent a day at a Water Masterclass near Melbourne, Victoria last year, and it was one of the best days of last year. And I had a lot of very good travel days.

Every year at Melbourne Food & Wine Festival there is a masterclass based around the theme of the festival. The 2014 theme was water, ergo, water masterclass and 50 excited people gathered by the river at 8.30am, sparkling wine in hand, and boarded a bus to regional Victoria. We were to spend the day in the company of the UK’s Nathan Outlaw, Peter Gilmore of Quay in Sydney, and local chef Aaron Turner, now based in Nashville, who had returned home for the event. Expectations were high.

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Don’t just brunch in Melbourne (although don’t miss it!), there are some fantastic lunches and dinners to be had too. I had a very long list of strong recommendations to tackle, Melbourne’s reputation as a culinary destination is hard earned and well deserved.

The emphasis everywhere is on local sourcing, which isn’t a surprise. There is also some terrific fusion and Asian food. Melbourne has the second largest Greek population of any city after Athens, so there is some great Greek food to be had, from the humble post pub souvlaki to more refined fare. There is a lot of excellent Italian fare due to the large Italian immigrant population, but as we have great Italian in London too, I didn’t focus on that on this trip.

This is the best of the restaurants that I tried when in Melbourne, and I tried many. Enjoy, and as before, if you have further recommendations, please leave them in the comments. Thanks!

Cumulus Up

Cumulus Up is a convivial wine bar and dining space above Andrew McConnell’s Cumulus Inc in the CBD in downtown Melbourne. A large open space with high ceilings lined on one side with a climate controlled cellar, the cellar is the focus of the room, both in terms of physicality and also the menu which is designed to complement the drinks.

The food is full flavoured and characterful. Standout dishes include the duck waffle, foie gras & prune which is a duck waffle with duck in the waffle and foie gras on top, and beautiful lamb ribs with a piquant sauce, sourced from Flinders Island nearby. Bookings are only taken for groups over 7, so get down there early, or be prepared to queue. It is worth it.

http://cumulusinc.com.au/up/, CBD Continue reading

There are many things to love about Melbourne, but one big plus point is the density of independent restaurants and cafés. People are passionate abut what they do, produce is high quality and flavourful, coffee is locally roasted, if not in the cafe or restaurant, at one nearby.  I didn’t meet one jobsworth nor did I at any point get a coffee that was as hot as the centre of the sun (hello London, you could work on that, although you are getting a lot better).

So, what was I to do? It was simple. If I was waking at 3am, I would need to embrace jet lag and have lots of breakfasts. One breakfast when WIDE AWAKE and jet lagged at 7am, and another at noon for lunch. I wanted to get under the skin of the Melbourne breakfast, and I did. Here is my list of the best places for breakfast (or brunch) from my trip, based on the three areas that I stayed in on my last visit.

Enjoy and if you have any that I have missed that you think are essentials (I am sure there are more than a few), please leave details for other readers in the comments below (and for me, as I will be returning soon). Thanks! Continue reading

I am coming to the end of my time in Melbourne & Victoria, and it has been quite some time since I last posted anything. Mainly because I have been so busy, and because I have been having so much fun. Delicious fun. I have visited lots of great restaurants, had many breakfasts, sampled a lot of coffee, met friends, toured the wine regions, and tried a lot of wine.

It is my last morning already (woe), and as I pack and have my last breakfast, I wanted to share some pictures of the last 9 days with you.

London winter, be kind, I will see you very soon. But first, a wee stopover in Brunei.

I am in Melbourne on the #TourMelbourne blog trip, created and managed by iambassador with Tourism Victoria, and Visit Melbourne in partnership with Royal Brunei Airlines. All content is of my choosing, and I retain all editorial control.

Greetings from Melbourne, Australia. A heartland for great food and drink, Melbourne is an exciting city for a food obsessive like me to visit. It has been at the top of my list for a long time. (Yes, that list, that long one).

I have been here for four days peering out through a jet lag fug and on my own personal brunch driven agenda. When you can’t sleep, the possibility of several great brunches on your doorstep, and all at 7am, is thrilling. Even through a brain that feels like it is currently powered by Angel Delight and 9V batteries (strawberry flavour, naturally). That also means that you can absolutely have another brunch at 12pm. (Hey! Don’t look at me. I didn’t make the rules). I have had many – some brilliant and very inspiring – and I have many more planned. Not just brunches, lunches and dinners too. There is so much to do, and eat, and drink. Continue reading