Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a walk through Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
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Savour Sydney’s diverse flavours beyond the inner city’s many excellent restaurants. Harness traditional knowledge on an Aboriginal guided tour in an unexpected location, go behind the scenes in Sydney’s culturally rich suburbs, and be amazed by the city’s edible landscape on a foraging tour — to name but a few enriching excursions worth sampling.
Find bush tucker on an Aboriginal-guided tour
Discover how the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, Sydney’s Traditional Custodians, have harvested the natural bounty of Sydney for tens of thousands of years on an Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour at the harbourside Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Breathe in the fragrant scent of native lemon myrtle — which can be used to make a delicious tea — as you learn how flowering wattles indicate when it’s eel season. Visit an ancient red gum used in Aboriginal initiation ceremonies, taste seasonal bush foods, and be awed by the many ways that plants in the garden are used by First Nations peoples across Australia.
Tuck into Sydney’s multicultural food story
Understand the many global cultures and cuisines that have influenced Sydney’s vibrant culinary scene on a guided food tour. Taste how recipes brought from China, Malaysia and Korea are elevated with Australian produce on an excursion to Chinatown, bordering the city centre, with Taste Cultural Food Tours Inc. Or hear the fascinating stories behind the recipes that have travelled all the way from Afghanistan and Syria to the kitchens of Merrylands in the western suburbs.
Sample more of Sydney’s multicultural food highlights with Gourmet Safaris, created by food journalist and broadcaster Maeve O’Meara OAM. Fuel up for the day in western Sydney’s Harris Park, also known as Sydney’s Little India, where you can try a traditional Indian breakfast. You can also meet local producers in Marrickville in the Inner West, or unleash your appetite on a gourmet Italian food tour of nearby Haberfield.
Pair a love of food with an interest in street art on a Newtown Chewtown tour in Newtown with Local Sauce Tours. Get a fun-filled taste of ‘Aussie food’ on a relaxed walk around three central Sydney suburbs, or sink your teeth into Sydney’s own Little Italy in Five Dock, also in Sydney’s Inner West.
Purchase fresh produce from the source
Learn the stories behind your food when you buy it directly from farmers and producers at Sydney’s farmers markets. On Saturday, make your way to Carriageworks Farmers Markets in inner-west Eveleigh. Fill your shopping basket with everything from artisan breads to single-origin coffee, gourmet meats to freshly-cut flowers as you explore the market with all your senses.
Treat yourself to organic goodies, from homemade jams to freshly harvested seasonal fruit, at the Kings Cross Market in Potts Point’s Fitzroy Gardens, also held on Saturdays. Or head across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge to browse the offerings of more than 70 stallholders from Sydney and regional NSW at the Northside Produce Market, which pops up in North Sydney’s Ted Mack Civic Park every first and third Saturday morning of the month.
Aboriginal Tour, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Guests learning about the rich Aboriginal culture of the Gadigal people on a guided tour in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
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Aboriginal Tour, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Guests learning about the rich Aboriginal culture of the Gadigal people on a guided tour in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
Avasana Afghan Street Food, Merrylands Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying food and drink at Avasana Afghan Street Food, Merrylands. Avasana Afghan Street Food is an included location for visitors booked on a Taste of Afghanistan and Syria tour with Taste Cultural Food Tours. For more details, visit: https://www.tastetours.com.au/
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Avasana Afghan Street Food, Merrylands Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying food and drink at Avasana Afghan Street Food, Merrylands. Avasana Afghan Street Food is an included location for visitors booked on a Taste of Afghanistan and Syria tour with Taste Cultural Food Tours. For more details, visit: https://www.tastetours.com.au/
Go foraging with an expert
Feel empowered to forage for your own wild food on a tour with respected forager and author Diego Bonetto, who learned how to seek out wild edible ingredients growing up on an Italian dairy farm. Now, he leads foraging tours in and around Sydney. Whether you join a workshop that takes place in Centennial Parklands, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, or the Blue Mountains, a 90-minute drive west of the city, he’ll show you the edible riches that can be found underfoot, from warrigal greens to chickweed. Or feel the sand between your toes on a walk on Clovelly Beach in Sydney’s east with Bonetto and his collaborator Oliver Brown to learn how to identify and harvest edible sea plants found along the coastline.
Enjoy an urban farm experience
Be inspired by the sustainability ethos of Pocket City Farms, which grows organic produce right in the heart of Sydney’s inner west at Camperdown Commons, near Newtown. Sign up for an urban farm tour to learn more about permaculture techniques and how regenerative agriculture can improve the natural environment, tackle food insecurity and take action on climate change.
Reel in your own fish dinner
Revel in feasting on fresh Sydney seafood caught with your very own hands on a thrilling fishing charter with the likes of Off the Map, based in Pittwater in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Whether you prefer deep-sea or estuary fishing, you’ll be taken to the best angling grounds around Sydney for a half- or full-day fishing adventure.
Olympian Rock Lookout, Blue Mountains National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Young people out on a hike in the Blue Mountains enjoying the views from Olympian Rock.
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Olympian Rock Lookout, Blue Mountains National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Young people out on a hike in the Blue Mountains enjoying the views from Olympian Rock.
Headland Sunrise, Cabarita Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying sunrise on the headland at Cabarita Beach
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Headland Sunrise, Cabarita Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying sunrise on the headland at Cabarita Beach
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.