Victoria Archives

When the Melbourne Sandwich Craze Arrived in the Small Town of Toora

“What started as a wild idea and a dodgy Photoshop mockup…”, read an Instagram post published in the lead up to Tooradeli’s opening. “It really was a dodgy job to begin with,” laughed co-owner Steve, when I brought it up. Unlike the age-old chicken or egg conundrum, it was the big move from Collingwood to…

2 days agoByLara Torcello

Food & Drink Victoria

Where to Find the Best Ice Cream in Regional Victoria

Summer means ice cream. Warm days touring our beautiful regions and feasting at the best country pubs should always end with the crunch of a waffle cone topped with sweet melty goodness. Here’s your guide to finding the creamiest ice cream and the tangiest sorbet, made with love by local makers and dairy farmers with…

22 January 2025ByPhoebe Hartley

Victoria

The Best Art Galleries in the Goldfields

When the weather isn’t playing nicely, or you’re craving a dose of cultural time-out, head to Victoria’s Goldfields region and immerse yourself in an eclectic art trail, from Ballarat and Bendigo to Daylesford, Castlemaine and Maryborough, spanning Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wadawurrung Country. In addition to these major art galleries, there are a myriad…

12 January 2025ByPhoebe Hartley

Victoria

In Praise of Outdoor Pools

Outdoor pools instil a particular kind of shimmering nostalgia in anyone who’s ever devoured an icy pole from the kiosk while dancing frantically across scorching concrete back to the safety of grass. To jump into sparkling icy blue chlorinated water (supposedly) warmed by the hot summer sun seems like a rite of passage for Aussie…

28 December 2024ByPhoebe Hartley

Victoria

The Best Family-Friendly Bushwalks Through the Macedon Ranges

The Macedon Ranges in Victoria’s north west is the perfect spot to enjoy walks as a family. From ferny forests and luscious lakes, to monolithic rocks and clutches of mystical bushland, the diverse landscape offers it all. Pack a backpack, get out in the fresh air and explore some well worn tracks in the country…

1 December 2024ByKat Buttigieg

Accommodation Victoria

The Best Riparide Stays in Victoria

Given we're constantly telling you about amazing places to visit in regional Victoria, it feels only right to give you some recommendations on where to stay as well. A little home base for you and your fellow travellers while you check out all the amazing things in our regions. Given there are so many great…

26 November 2024ByBen Tyers

Victoria

How Did Loch Ard Gorge Get its Name?

Nestled between the coastal town of Port Campbell and the Twelve Apostles rock formations along Victoria’s world-famous Great Ocean Road is the stunning beach nook known as Loch Ard Gorge. Part of Port Campbell National Park, on Kirrae Whurrung Country about 230 kilometres from central Melbourne, the gorge is named after the most famous of…

26 November 2024ByPhoebe Hartley

Pubs Victoria

How Romsey Got Its Pub Back

It usually takes decades of residency or generational legacy to be considered a true local in small country towns. But husband and wife pub owners Alex and Ashleigh Gorman fast-tracked their local status by taking over not one but two country pubs in northwest Victoria and entrenching themselves in their adopted community. “We bought the…

20 November 2024ByPhoebe Hartley

Pubs Victoria

Japanese Dining Pop-Up Coming to Portsea Hotel This Summer

The iconic Portsea Hotel on the Mornington Peninsula is set to host a refined Japanese dining experience this summer. From 3-19 January 2024, the historic venue will transform its secluded Bertrand Bar into an intimate pop-up, featuring a set-menu by Chef Yukio Ozeki of Towsville’s acclaimed Terasu restaurant. With a breathtaking backdrop of Port Phillip…

6 November 2024ByJohn Taylor

Animals Victoria

The Enduring Mystery of Big Cats in Australia

Big cat tales abound in several states of Australia. From panthers and pumas to leopards and living thylacine, fervent fans of folklore will tell you that much of our countryside is riddled with predatory big cats of various shapes and sizes. Sometimes called Phantom Cats, or even Alien Big Cats (ABCs), sightings of big cats…

5 November 2024ByPhoebe Hartley

Accommodation New South Wales Victoria

The Best Kitsch Motels in Regional Victoria & NSW

The classic country motel is not only a nostalgic road-trip classic and often one of the few remaining untouched examples of the aesthetics of times gone by, but also a more affordable way to travel throughout regional Australia. Although there are many more hidden gems around and certainly a lot of renovated mid-century motels that are…

30 October 2024ByEm Jensen

Pubs Victoria

The Best Pubs in the Yarra Valley

Amidst the picturesque landscapes of Victoria's Yarra Valley, a haven of Yarra Valley pubs awaits, each embracing the region's unique blend of history, natural beauty, and culinary excellence. Beyond the renowned vineyards and sweeping vistas, the Yarra Valley boasts an inviting array of pubs, some even dog-friendly. These Yarra Valley pubs are more than mere…

25 October 2024ByBen Tyers

Victoria

The Murray River Makes Nat Geo’s Best of the World List

The iconic Murray River has always held a special place in the hearts of many Australians, and according to National Geographic, it's about to become special to a lot more people over the coming year. Each year, National Geographic profiles special places around the world that people should visit the following year. In this year's…

25 October 2024ByBen Tyers

Food & Drink Victoria

This Meeting Spot Between Melbourne and Bendigo Offers Homestyle Asian Cuisine With a Difference

From an unassuming shop front in a business centre in the heart of Gisborne—the gateway to the Macedon Ranges in Victoria—Stephanie Zhou and her husband, Stephen Rocard, run an Asian fusion eatery with a difference. Positioned about 50 kilometres from Melbourne and 100 kilometres from Bendigo on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country, The Flying Pigeon offers…

22 October 2024ByPhoebe Hartley

Victoria

A New Food Festival Launches in the Yarra Valley This November

The Yarra Valley’s food and wine scene will take centre stage at the Road to Food Discovery Festival, a brand-new event set to kick off on Saturday, 9 November at the picturesque CherryHill Orchards in Coldstream. This one-day festival, hosted by Warburton Valley CEDA, promises a feast for the senses as it brings together the…

20 October 2024ByBen Tyers

Victoria

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