With fuel prices soaring there are a range of local experiences worth considering. Travel editor Winsor Dobbin has some suggestions.
Newcastle Food Month
With fuel prices high and long-distance travel plans feeling too complicated, there is a simple alternative this April – head just two hours north to Newcastle, by road, or rail.
Newcastle Food Month 2026 – one of the most successful regional food festivals in Australia – features over 70 events and Is promising its biggest program yet.
Once you arrive, just everything is within walking distance.
You might be tempted to treat yourself to a Foodie Sleepover package at the Crystalbrook Kingsley, the city’s first five-star hotel, located in the heart of the action and right on the light rail line. From here, Newcastle Food Month unfolds at your doorstep.
Without even leaving the hotel, you can dive straight in:
# First Creek Wines brings its Cellar Door in the City to Ms Mary’s lobby bar for the month, or you can indulge in High Tea with MasterChef alumni Reece Hignell and his cult Cake Boi creations. Or head to the Crystalbrook’s rooftop bar Romberg’s for a “Plate Date” standout— martini and a Basque-accented gilda for $30.
Step outside and you are moments from several of Newcastle’s busy precincts – the revitalised East End, the Darby Street dining strip, and nearby late-night Plate Dates (a signature dish and a drink).
If you don’t mind splashing out, check out the BMW Progressive Wine Lunch, where the Hunter Valley’s 2-hat eatery EXP Restaurant presents a progressive canapé experience on April 12, showcasing some of the best food, wine, and car matches.
Or head to the beach suburb of Merewether, where local Korean street food icon Sukimama, will take over Merewether Surfhouse every Sunday for Sukimama Sundays. Think beach club vibes and beach beats for $30.
Throughout April, the Newy Tour co is hosting Walk & Talk and Eat & Art; a new walking tour which combines food, art, and local stories. Guided by Newcastle’s most knowledgeable voices in the food and arts scene, the experience weaves through key precincts, stopping to taste along the way.
Newcastle’s newest wine bar, Cara, is bringing serious flavour to Food Month with an intimate Winemaker’s Table on April 9. Expect a curated multi-course menu paired with exceptional wines and the stories behind them. Seats are limited.
With more than 70 Plate Dates on offer across the city, you can eat and drink your way through breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Programs and bookings: newcastlefoodmonth.com.au
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South Coast flavours
The South Coast of NSW has emerged as a serious gourmet destination in recent years, with Cupitt’s Estate among the flagbearers. At a time when consumer spending has tightened, the South Coast has seen restaurant dining numbers in the region increase by 15-16% across January and February compared to 2025.
Riding the continuing wave, Cupitt’s has appointed experienced Ryan Smith as executive chef, with Smith bringing more than 27 years of international culinary experience to the role. Smith joins Cupitt’s Estate following an extensive career spanning fine dining kitchens in Sydney (Banc and Restaurant Balzac) and London, including events where has cooked for the British Royal Family.
His career includes a spell at London’s The Square. Following this, he took on a head chef role within the Bill Granger restaurant group in the UK.
Closer to home, Smith has previously served as head chef at Rick Stein at Bannisters and says returning to the region feels like coming home. His parents live locally, and he has strong South Coast connections. Smith says his focus at Cupitt’s Estate will centre on what he believes is the key to the success of regional restaurants; exceptional local produce, cooked simply and served fresh.
“Regional dining works when you embrace what’s around you,” he says. “For us, that’s the local seafood and produce and the people farming and growing it. The closer you can get ingredients to the plate, the better the result.”
Cupitt’s Estate is located nestled between Milton and Ulladulla and offers a winery, restaurant and luxury accommodation on site in the form of 10 architecturally designed stand-alone villas.
For more info seewww.cupittsestate.com.au.
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Clarence Valley arts trail
Fans of street art will probably enjoy a new art trail that launched recently in northern New South Wales.
The Clarence Valley has unveiled its Public Art Trail, inviting visitors to wander through murals, sculptures and installations across the region. Designed to let art lovers slow down, explore and connect with each town’s story, the trail turns streets, laneways and public spaces into an open-air gallery.
The trail covers coastal hamlets Yamba and Iluka, river towns Maclean and Grafton, and the village of Glenreagh. The artworks celebrate local culture, history, and creativity at every turn. The trail is part of the Clarence Valley’s Art, History & Culture Hub, which also includes the Art Gallery Trail, Museum Trail, Heritage Trails, and the Lower Clarence Aboriginal Tourist Drive.
The trails aim to let visitors “explore the stories, creativity and culture that bring the Valley to life”.
The Clarence Valley region includes the coastal plain and lower valleys of the Clarence and Nymboida rivers.
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Hunter Valley deals
With the peak summer season now in the rear-view mirror, canny travellers can pick up some autumn and winter travel bargains.
The Lane Retreat, Bimbadgen, in the Hunter Valley, has just launched a Signature Stay package offering savings of up to 25%, inviting guests to slow down and savour wine country. Set on 15 hectares of vineyards and natural bushland, The Lane Retreat offers a country escape paired with premium food and wine experiences. The new package is available for stays until August 31.
The Lane Retreat Signature Stay package includes two nights in a premium king or twin studio, continental breakfast provisions, a $100 restaurant and beverage credit available to use at Bimbadgen Cellar Door, Bimbadgen Pizzeria, Esca Bimbadgen, Alter Wines at Emma’s Cottage or The Lane Retreat’s Pantry, a signature wine tasting of five wines with paired Cocoa Nib chocolates at Alter Wines Cellar Door, Emma’s Cottage and a gourmet picnic with a bottle of wine, as well as a late checkout.
It is priced from $319 per night (two-night minimum).
Each studio retreat has king bedding, a bathroom with double rain head showers and Hunter bathroom amenities, a kitchenette with coffee maker, toaster, microwave and mini bar, and gourmet breakfast provisions supplied daily.
The property now features a new swimming pool and amenities and guests also enjoy VIP access to Bimbadgen’s flagship restaurant Esca.
Book online at www.thelaneretreat.com.au
See more of Winsor’s travel tips and news at www.gourmetontheroad.com.
