Food & Wine Touring Route

Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges

Start your morning with a drive through the Black Spur just beyond Healesville, a winding road through a cathedral of towering mountain ash trees and giant tree ferns.

Work up an appetite with an easy bush walk, then stop for a Devonshire tea or gourmet lunch at the quaint hill villages of Sassafras and Olinda.

Uncover the bounty of the Dandenong Ranges at gardens and orchards across the region. Fill your basket at farm gates and local provedores, or pick your own fruit right at the source. Stock up on fresh cherries in the height of summer at Cherryhill Orchards, or visit Rayner's Orchards for stonefruit, citrus and quinces as the season cools.

Swap the road for the rails and book in for a sumptuous lunch on the Puffing Billy heritage railway. Revel in the old-world glamour of the historic dining carriage as you travel through lush rainforest and beautiful fern gullies. Alternatively, drive up to SkyHigh Mount Dandenong for a lavish lunch paired with sweeping views across the city and Port Phillip Bay.

Top off the fine food and wine experiences with dinner at the award-winning Eleonore's at Chateau Yering, and spend a night in the chateau's luxury heritage accommodation.

Dandenong Ranges to Mornington Peninsula

Travel south to the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, and settle into a late afternoon wine tasting at Crittenden Estate, watching the shadows lengthen over the vines. If you're here late in the week, be sure to visit one of the peninsula's award-winning restaurants for dinner. Lunch or dinner at Pt Leo Estate and a stroll in the sculpture park is a must.

Stay overnight at Quarters at the Flinders Hotel or book a luxury stay and dinner at Jackalope. If self-catering's more your style, book a stay at Lakeside Villas at Crittenden Estate with a gourmet hamper.

Mornington Peninsula to Bellarine Peninsula

Tempt the palate and treat the tastebuds as you make your way along the Wine Food Farmgate Trail. Fill your basket at Rocky Creek Strawberry Farm, Green Olive at Red Hill, and Heronswood Gardens. If you'd rather have someone else do the driving, take a DIY foodie tour with MP Designated Drivers and meet the locals behind the sensational regional produce.

Schedule a late lunch at Ten Minutes by Tractor in Main Ridge, where the innovative fine dining menu is driven by fresh regional produce. Alternatively, stop for lunch at Montalto and combine a walk through their sculpture park and olive grove, with a stunning meal overlooking the vines. Peruse the cellar doors and sample wines of other nearby vineyards and then wind your way to the pointy end of the peninsula.

Ride the ferry from Sorrento to Queenscliff with Searoad Ferries and then head straight to Geelong where your accommodation at the Vue Apartments awaits. All settled in, explore the waterfront and urban offerings of this ever-evolving foodie destination.

Bellarine Peninsula

Let the Bellarine Taste Trail direct you around this beautiful region. Visit berry, olive and tomato growers, and stock up at local farm gates and farmers' markets. Be sure to include a visit to White Fisheries in Drysdale, where you can purchase an assortment of fresh-off-the-boat seafood from Port Phillip Bay. 

Jack Rabbit Vineyard, which sits on the coast overlooking Corio Bay is a must for lunch. Follow it up with an afternoon exploring some of the other fine vineyards of the Bellarine, including Oakdene, Leura Park Estate and Terindah Estate.

Wine palate exhausted; make a beeline for Flying Brick Cider House, or Little Creatures Brewery in Geelong, before heading back to Melbourne in the late afternoon.