Fine-dining in a forest, plus seven other unexpected moments in Australia

From a world-class winery in NSW's Blue Mountains to a hot-springs haven in Queensland, EXPLORE writers recall their most unexpected Australian travel moments.

If it wasn't for the Big Mango on the side of the road, I might have almost missed the turnoff to Bowen. While most cars continued along the Bruce Highway to nearby Airlie Beach, I put on the indicator and took the five-minute detour to the small town, seemingly hidden these days, but founded in 1861 with the expectation it would be the grand capital of a planned colony called North Queensland.

The new colony never happened but the town's wide avenues are a relic of this stately ambition. Heritage buildings lining the streets evoke such a sense of pioneering that Baz Luhrmann used them as a set for Australia (a pub meal at the excellent Grand View Hotel puts you right in one of the main filming locations).

Even more surprising than this secret pocket of heritage, though, is what I discovered along Bowen's coastline. A string of golden beaches, punctuated by outcrops of glimmering granite boulders, arced around a peninsula to capture the light from sunrise to sunset, with palms on the edge of the sand, clear water for snorkelling on the fringing reef and even an area for water skiing.

Not far away, visitors were paying premium prices to stay in places like Hamilton Island, yet here was all the natural wonder of the Whitsundays ... from a beachside caravan park, holiday home or serviced apartment. The annual regulars politely begged me not to tell anyone about their little secret, lest it gets crowded, but I'm sorry - just like its mangoes, Bowen is ripe for the picking. tourismbowen.com.au

I'd love to say that I took the turn on an impulse, but it was a friend who'd tipped me off. "There's a really good winery up in the Blue Mountains - just turn left at Blackheath and follow the road," he'd told me. So that's what I did.

I've visited the Blue Mountains countless times over the years, but I'd never taken that particular turn before. As the road descended into the Megalong Valley, through lush pockets of rainforest down towards the fertile farmland on the valley floor, I couldn't believe these lovely landscapes had been hiding in plain sight.

Reaching Dryridge Estate after around 30 minutes, we found a true gem. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised to find quality cool-climate wines being produced here - after all, nearby Orange is home to some outstanding wineries - but even more unexpected was the stunning view. Sitting with a glass of shiraz and a charcuterie platter on the terrace looking back towards the mountains, the sandstone escarpment glowing golden in the sun, was a splendid way to spend an afternoon. And, of course, we took a couple of bottles home with us.

If you want to linger a little longer, take a day hike on part of the Six Foot Track (the stretch from the old Megalong cemetery to the Swinging Bridge over the Coxs River takes three hours each way), or stop in for scones or a mushroom toastie at Megalong Valley Tea Rooms. A range of farm stays and cottages is available: the cosy Werriberri Cottages, nestled in the bushland, is an inviting option. dryridge.com.au

If your family was a fan of road trips, chances are you equate Ballarat with Sovereign Hill, the open-air museum beloved as an educational day out during holidays. It depicts the city in its gold-mining era when thousands of people came to seek their fortune. Heady were those days - in 1856 alone, almost two million kilograms of gold was extracted here.

Fast forward almost 170 years and there's been another string of arrivals. This time, they're capital city defectors seeking community and a place where they can live comfortably while expressing their creativity. They're makers and artists, dreamers and schemers. The Ballarat of today is a long way from the quiet, quaint country town of decades past. This new city is as artistic and vibrant as any inner-city neighbourhood.

It all makes Ballarat, in Victoria's Central Highlands, the perfect stopover or weekender. Hunker down across the road from the station at the stylish and sophisticated Hotel Provincial, or live larger at Hotel Vera, a converted 19th-century mansion taking luxury to a new level.

Surrounded by wine regions and farmland, the cuisine here is second to none. Derek Boath brings the finest of dining to just 24 guests a week at Underbar, while Doug Kerr celebrates seasonality at Peasant. Go summer truffling and enjoy a long lunch at Black Cat Truffles. The newest opening is the Goods Shed, where you'll find Itinerant Spirits, a craft distillery using local grains and foraged botanicals.

But it's the local creative scene that inspires. Enjoy the street art, take a perfume workshop at Sweet Fern or join a Made Of: Ballarat experience. These change seasonally, but could include painting a vase and arranging flowers for it, or taking a jaunt through the city with a local poet. After a few days, you can't help but feel recharged. visitballarat.com.au

Have you ever discovered "that little place" on your travels? You know, that trattoria in Tuscany; that tapas bar in Granada; that sushi joint in Tokyo? You come home reminiscing about that little place, the one that reminds you so intensely of a holiday well spent.

For me, that little place is Maitenia, a bistro in south-west France. My partner and I used to drive across the border from San Sebastian in Spain, where we were living, just to dine at Maitenia, to enjoy its pared-back menu of dishes decided entirely by what was good at the market that day.

Eventually, though, we had to move home to Australia and bid goodbye.

But then I heard something interesting. The chef from Maitenia, Louis Naepels, had a connection to Australia. His partner, sommelier Tess Murray, was from Melbourne. Even more excitingly, the pair had moved to Victoria.

Soon after that, Chauncy opened. On the sleepy streets of Heathcote, Louis and Tess took "that little place" from France and made it even better: better food, better wine, better service.

My favourite French bistro is now a two-hatted, pan-European eatery serving produce-driven cuisine in an old surveyors' cottage just a short drive out of Melbourne, and I couldn't be more surprised, or happier.

You could do lunch at Chauncy as a daytrip from Melbourne, but it makes sense to stay over at the Cellars at Heathcote II, a nearby winery where the villas have private wine collections. You can call into Heathcote's myriad cellar doors and check out the knickknack stores.

And you can bask in the surprising glory of "that little place" being so close to home. chauncy.com.au

Surprise, surprise: Western Australia is not flat. This detail became apparent as I trudged up sand dunes, dropped into flinty gorges and climbed bollard staircases wedged into the bedrock along the 124-kilometre track linking Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin in Margaret River south of Perth.

WA is not dry, either: rainfall was a periodic interloper, drizzling through the melaleuca canopies, stinging my eyes in wind-fuelled drafts as I laboured along an infinite ribbon of beach. I hadn't packed my rain jacket and waterproof pants in vain, after all.

But did I have the fortitude to overcome such challenging topography and inclement weather? Mercifully, the state's famous sunshine was my most frequent companion as I set off in springtime on Cape to Cape Explorer Tours' self-guided, six-day trek (autumn walkers will also avoid summer's heat and winter's icy precipitation).

The season's bounty bloomed in the bright wildflowers that stippled the coastal heath; the spring tides soared up the beach as if to greet me. Though regarded as one of the world's great walks, the track was sparsely peopled. Only at Meekadarabee Falls - the Wadandi people's "bathing place of the moon" - did I see day-trippers congregating, eyes agape as veils of spray spilled from a cleft carved between oxblood bluffs.

"How fortuitous," they seemed to be thinking. The coastline's wildness was tempered at day's end, when the shuttle returned me to Margarets Beach Resort in Gnarabup, my base for the journey. On the final morning, I set off towards the trail's endpoint, Cape Leeuwin, where the most transformative of surprises awaited me: yes, I had made it. capetocapetours.com.au

The Central Coast of NSW, just two hours' drive north of Sydney, has been a summer playground for Aussie families for generations. Returning WWII soldiers snapped up big blocks of land near the ocean, building modest fibro houses for carefree beach holidays with their growing broods. My grandfather was one of those soldiers, starting a treasured family tradition of sunny days, salty swims and crisp fish and chips for dinner.

I wonder what my grandfather would make of the Coast today. The simple pleasures of unspoiled nature, fresh seafood and room to breathe are still there for all to enjoy. But now, a new generation of Coasties is putting their own unique stamp on the region. Each time I visit, I'm intrigued to discover new stores and restaurants.

Take a wander down Long Jetty's main drag, The Entrance Road, to get a feel for the modern coastal vibe. The hip suburb has been described as the Coast's version of Sydney's Newtown or Melbourne's Fitzroy. Local makers and collectors display their wares alongside street art, yoga studios, modern cafes and vintage op shops.

At Plain Janes, browse quality women's fashion with an emphasis on sustainability. Nearby, Kloth Industrie houses a well-curated selection of fashion, homewares and beauty finds. Looking for old-school vinyl? At the Cacti Folk, shop for Blundstones, beeswax wraps and baby clothes, in addition to a wide range of hardy cacti.

The Savannah Way stretches all the way across the top of the country from Cairns to Broome, but I'd barely covered 100 kilometres before I was tempted to call it quits. At the edge of the lush Atherton Tablelands, strands of giant tree ferns and curtain figs gave way to a forest of sandy termite mounds and a dusty savannah that stretched from horizon to horizon. By the time I reached Talaroo Caravan Park two-and-a-half hours later, the fine sand felt like it had seeped into my skin and I could barely remember what shade felt like. After this extended prelude, the dense grove of spiky pandanus and drooping melaleuca by the campsites was so unexpected that it felt like a mirage.

At the centre of this unlikely oasis lie the Talaroo hot springs, a sacred site for the Ewamian traditional owners that welcomes visitors from April to October. As an elder led me along a boardwalk, I listened to the welcome chatter of birdsong and marvelled at the delicate travertine terraces left behind by the mineral-rich water that bubbles up from the ground. But while the shade of the surrounding black tea trees provided welcome relief, the sight that greeted me next was nothing short of divine. Visions of the arid landscape I had driven through quickly disappeared once I lowered myself into a soaking pool sitting at a very comfortable 31 degrees. And as the leaves falling into the water released soothing oils, I couldn't help but think that I had judged this savannah country a little too hastily. talaroo.com.au

I'm ashamed to admit that the only thing I knew about Kangaroo Island (KI) before going there was the devastating summer bushfire of 2019-2020. So when I finally made the 45-minute ferry crossing from South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula last year, I expected to find a scorched landscape and limited tourism.

Instead, I was greeted by an astonishing display of resilience and rejuvenation - healthy new growth sprouting from blackened trees and passionate operators offering extraordinary experiences.

Who knew that KI produces the world's purest Ligurian honey? Or that it's home to a dozen vineyards? Or that it's the birthplace of Australia's first dedicated gin distillery?

All of which means you've got to be doing something remarkable here to stand out. And Gastronomo Dining is offering two of the most immersive dining packages I've ever experienced.

First is The Enchanted Fig Tree, a fairy-tale three-course lunch held within the sprawling limbs of a 120-year-old fig tree on the island's north-west coast. After enjoying cocktails and canapes, we entered a magical twilight world of fairy lights and candles to savour a sumptuous three-course lunch featuring local abalone and King George whiting within the tree's dappled embrace.

Second is Sensorium, an equally alluring dinner event hosted in an antique-filled former shearing shed. This private eight-course tasting menu showcases regional produce with delightful theatrical flourishes, such as oysters smoked in a fish tank and dessert accompanied by songs from an old gramophone.

As for where to stay, nearby is yet another KI treasure - four elegant glass-fronted WanderPods with outdoor baths, wood-burning stoves and captivating views over Snelling Beach. See gastronomodining.com.au; wander.com.au

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