Elizabeth Whitehead

Each year, Wotif pulls together the best local intel and word-of-mouth recommendations to craft a list of the best road trip gems in every state. Sadly, Victoria didn't nab any top spots this year, but some of our favourites still cracked the top ten – we've rounded them up here to provide inspo for your next adventure.   It's an unofficial rule that baked goods taste better in the countryside – hence why a pit stop at a country bakery is all but compulsory on any road trip. Due to the reverence of the humble Aussie bakery, Wotif has not one, but two categories for baked goods this year: Best Neenish Tart and Best Pie. They've searched far and wide for the winning bite, and the results are finally in. Yarragon Country Bakery in Traralgon officially claims victory as Victoria's best purveyor of the neenish tart – a nostalgic bakery item made with jam and cream ensconced in a buttery pastry. If you've got a sweet tooth, keep this charming bakery on your radar. If something savoury is more your speed, you'll want to keep an eye out for Gumtree Pies located in Yackandandah. This beloved country-town pie shop has taken the title for Best Pie, thanks to its gourmet, hand-made selection.  It wouldn't be an Aussie summer without ice cream. Timboon Fine Ice Cream has been crowned Victoria's best, and it's little wonder why. Churned with milk direct from the neighbour’s farm, Timboon's ice cream range is a cut above the rest with fresh ingredients and innovative flavours (like Whiskey

Acclaimed American photographer Spencer Tunick (@spencertunick) is renowned for his series of photographs that capture gatherings of thousands of people posing nude in iconic locations. Now, Tunick is calling upon Sydneysiders to participate in his next project, to be shot on one of the city’s famed beaches – which we can now confirm will be Bondi Beach. Participants should be sure to pack some sunblock – this installation is held in collaboration with charity Skin Check Champions to raise awareness about skin cancer prevalence in Australia. The upcoming event, set for Saturday November 26, marks Tunick’s fifth project in Australia. It follows iconic installations held at Sydney Opera House (2010), along the Yarra (2001), on Melbourne’s Chapel Street (2018) and online via Zoom (2020). Tunick’s art documents the human form in all of its beauty and complexity. Now, he’s using his lens to spotlight one of the body’s oft-looked vulnerabilities. “It’s an honour to be a part of an art mission to raise awareness of the importance of skin checks,” Tunick says. “I use the amazing array of body types and skin tones to create my work, so it feels perfectly appropriate to take part in this effort, in that my medium is the nude human form.” The event is set to close out National Skin Cancer Action Week (November 21-27). With two in three Aussies likely to battle skin cancer in their lifetime, Action Week is spreading some much-needed awareness about the importance of sun protection and re

Oche is what you’d get if you took the darts corner in a pub and gave it a luxurious, fine-dining makeover. The restaurant boasts 22 semi-private darts booths with state-of-the-art electronic dart boards that track your score (so you can enjoy a tipple and ditch the tally). Each booth is attended to by a dedicated host, ready to serve up an array of tasty morsels on the menu, including cloche-smoked salmon cones and fried Kataifi duck with goats cheese. Oche combines fine dining with fuss-free finger food, serving meals in convenient mini-portions. Each bite packs a punch, and with no cutlery necessary, you can hold a nibble in one hand and aim for a bullseye with the other. Bartender Adam MacDonald, named 'World Bartender of the Year’, joins the team with some innovative mixes that really hit the mark. One such concoction includes Thin Red Line, a bourbon cocktail with a red wine float that doubles as a palate cleanser. The heritage-listed venue features luxe touches like rustic Tassie oak furnishings, stone tabletops and brushed brass fittings that harken back to the early days of dart’s invention in the early 20th century. The unique dining/gaming concept originally hails from Scandinavia with branches in Amsterdam and London. Now, the restaurant is finally ready to take root in Melbourne's CBD. Score! After more fun? Here are the best spots to go bowling in Melbourne.

Sing out, Louise! If you thought that bursting into a musical number in the middle of a ’50s-style diner only happens in Grease, think again. A new Broadway-themed diner opens in Sydney this November – aptly located in the Broadway Shopping Centre. Here, the entire restaurant is transformed into a stage, and patrons can become audience members (and participants) in a delicious production.  Broadway Diner resurrects retro Americana with unparalleled commitment. Decorated with a classic chessboard-chequered floor, oversized campy trinkets and glowing neon signs, the interior is an Insta-worthy backdrop to enjoy a bite or a jazzy cocktail. Your wait staff will be kitted-out with vintage-style milk bar uniforms and roller skates, and they’ll not only be taking your order, but treating you to an entire show. They’ll be performing the night away in song and dance as you snack on burgers, loaded fries, and more delicious diner classics. Broadway Diner is the brainchild of the same team behind the notorious Karen’s Diner. Not familiar with it? Read all about our first-hand experience at that famously rude dining experience here. But whereas the staff at Karen’s are all about bringing the sass, the servers at Broadway Diner are focused on creating nothing but good vibes. You can be sure that the waitstaff will be performing some golden oldies, so bring your best singing voice because patrons are more than welcome to sing along. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show! Early bird tickets ar

Grab your visor and dust off your bowling shoes because one of Sydney’s freshest indoor fun centres is opening up in Penrith. Already established in Alexandria, Holey Moley and Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq are the brainchildren of Fun Lab, who are now bringing the fun to Sydney’s West, with their doors set to open on December 16, 2022. The precinct will provide old-school entertainment with an eccentric twist; featuring mini-golf, bowling, arcade games, as well as vintage-style bars and eateries. Much like its Alexandria brethren, Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq will be an 80s-style arcade where you can shoot (or roll) your shot at the bowling alley, and vie for prizes with your mates on old-school neon-lit arcade games. The vintage-style carousel bar takes the nostalgia factor to a new level, serving up cocktails that are just as kitsch as they are delish. Candy Stand is one of Archie’s sugar-infused signature mixes— a boozy strawberry shake with White Rum and Frangelico, complete with a candy frosted rim, a giant lollipop, whipped cream and sprinkles. Holey Moley is the putt-putt venue bringing the whimsical and weird to mini-golf and earning legions of loyal fans along the way. Players work their way around a labyrinth of 18 themed golf courses that range from gloriously camp to outright bonkers. (Popular favourites include a course dedicated to The Simpsons as well as Jaws and Game of Thrones). The Penrith location will debut five new golf courses, including one that p

Honey is the new dining hot-spot bringing the flavours and ebullient energy of Korea to the coveted precinct of Darling Square. The restaurant’s interior is fabulously on-theme; bathed in neon lights and a soundtrack of bubbly K-pop that’s guaranteed to keep the energy riding high. Inspired by the street food of Seoul, Honey’s menu imports beloved classics such as Korean Fried Chicken served up in a variety of flavours (soy garlic, sweet chilli, flaming hot and more). Other delights include traditional foods such as yukhoe beef tartare, tender breaded tonkatsu and bulgogi pizza. “When crafting the menu I was reminiscent of the flavours of Korean street food vendors,” says Honey head chef Jungback Ryu. “It was essential to ensure we were paying homage to the delicious Korean cuisine while ensuring we added our own unique spin on these dishes.” For drinks, there’s a range of tap beers and a well-curated wine list to quench your thirst. Signature cocktails include the ‘Matcha Neko Martini’ that combines Haku vodka, Hojitcha matcha and coffee liqueur. The Honeycomb Magkoli is a must-try traditional beverage that's received a sweet and signature Honey twist, or you can play it safe with the popular Korean drink soju, which also appears on the menu. Perfect for sharing if you’re dining with mates. With delicious food, great drinks and a groovy interior, Honey is allowing Sydneysiders to experience a totally sweet slice of Seoul.

With an estimated one billion people living with a disability around the globe, accessible tourism is rightfully becoming a growing area of priority. While there is still a long way to go before we exist in a truly disability-friendly world, the good news is that Sydney has joined cities such as Amsterdam, London and Singapore on Valuable 500's list of the Top 10 Most Accessible Cities in the World – as voted by 3,500 disabled tourists. Sydney was highly rated for its wheelchair accessibility, with many of the Emerald City's main landmarks, restaurants and entertainment venues catering for wheelchair users. Blind and vision-impaired visitors can also navigate the CBD via more than 2,100 tactile and Braille street signs implemented as part of the Legible Sydney Wayfinding System. Nearly half of the respondents voted for Sydney because of our accessible public transport links, and nearly as many cited accessible accommodation close to cultural attractions, shops and restaurants as a reason for their vote. Although the ranking is fantastic news, accessibility in Sydney is far from perfect. New and renovated buildings must legally cater for wheelchair access, but many older heritage buildings still remain inaccessible. Additionally, many venues have a single step at the entrance, or don't have an accessible bathroom. In short, there’s plenty of room for improvement. "We understand it is important for our destinations, products and services to be accessible to all people, regardle