Dreamy Daylesford belongs on any list of Australian towns that come alive in winter. Nudging the base of the Great Dividing Range, the town in the heart of Victoria’s Spa Region is dotted with mineral-rich hot springs. Alla Wolf-Tasker’s Lake House has also put the region on the map: it’s home to an acclaimed regional diner, hotel and spa. Wolf-Tasker’s Dairy Flat Farm, just outside town, is also worth adding to the itinerary: the kids can moo at the cows while you linger over lunch amid the sprawling gardens.

Few regional towns wear their history on their Hard Yakka sleeve as well as Bathurst in winter. The Central Tablelands city’s heritage buildings present like sepia-toned photographs when washed in winter’s pale yellow light. Spend your days traipsing the Bathurst Rail Museum, or National Motor Racing Museum and nights at one of its many pubs; The Victoria stands out as one of the best places to eat, drink and stay in Bathurst.

In winter, the twin towns of Echuca Moama look like a Hans Heysen painting: towering red gums, paddle steamers in the mist and life revolving around the mighty Murray River. Three hours from Melbourne by train, this historic river port on Yorta Yorta Country is worth the trip. Enjoy pulled lamb mafaldine at Embr Moama, a tasting at St Anne’s Winery, then bed down at Wisps of Wool Retreat or Lost & Found.

Winter in Rutherglen is all about wending your way around the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail by day and kicking back with a bold red by a roaring fireplace at night. For lunch, head to Jones Winery & Vineyard, Quartz Cuisine at Cofield or Grace, one of the region’s go-tos for a great gastronomic experience. Cellar doors are the region’s backbone. Campbells of Rutherglen and Stanton & Killeen pours the muscats and durifs this corner of northeast Victoria is known for. Stay at Jones Tiny House, Quondong Homestead or Mt Ophir Estate.

Though it’s officially a city, and the largest of Australia’s inland, we’re going to include Ballarat in this list, purely so we can make mention of the Ballarat Winter Festival where the city goes full country in winter. The three-week bonanza encourages visitors to don their puffer jackets and lean into the cold, with public activities and events hosted across town. If you’d rather avoid the crowds, hole up at Hotel Vera instead where you will understand the buzz about Ballarat.

There are few places in Australia that lean into winter like the west coast of Tassie. The tiny settlement of Corinna sits on the Pieman River in Tasmania’s wild northwest at the edge of the Tarkine – one of the southern hemisphere’s largest temperate rainforests. And it is particularly magical in winter with its fungi-rich forests, river journeys by flat-bottomed boat and the profound quiet of the landscape. Carve off for a jaunt on the West Coast Wilderness Railway and stay at Corinna Wilderness Village.

Wine region Mudgee makes for another of the best Australian towns that come alive during winter. Those who make the trip are rewarded with a plethora of great places to eat, drink and stay in Mudgee regardless of how far the mercury dips. Zin Food + Wine House at Lowe Family Wine Co. and Blue Wren Farm are lovely places to lunch, and Gilbert Wines’ Cellar Door is equally worth a stop. Bed down at Wandarra Homestead, which has its own underground bar called Grandma’s Tipsy, or try a luxe glamping getaway at Sierra Escape.

The northeast Victorian town of Beechworth is already a gold-rush heritage icon, but in winter it becomes something altogether richer. It has quiet streets, open fires and a food scene that has been courting attention for decades. Bridge Road Brewers is a year-round anchor in Victoria’s High Country; while Provenance Restaurant is the destination dining option for a special night. The town’s granite streetscapes glow in the honeyed light of winter.

Pemberton, an hour inland from Margaret River, is a show pony in winter. Rug up to explore its misty lakes, atmospheric karri forests and soaring Yeagarup Dunes. The Southern Forests region produces black Périgord truffles and hunts run throughout winter. Book one, then follow it with a pour of Ampersand Estates‘ 2022 Pinot Noir. Stay here for Argentinian barbecue, fireside residences and cocktail classes at the Rainfall Distillery Gardens. The Floating Sauna’s cold-plunge offering at Pemberton Pool cinches the deal.

You don’t head to Milawa to dodge the cold. You go there to embrace it. Enjoy a wee dram in a cosy pub with a fireplace. Cycle along the Pedal to Produce Trail. The Milawa Gourmet Region in Victoria’s High Country has long been one of the state’s great food and wine regions and winter is a fine time to see what it offers. Brown Brothers, one of Australia’s most storied family wineries, operates an excellent restaurant and cellar door. Milawa Cheese Factory turns out excellent artisan cheeses. Dinner at Ava is one of the best ways to warm up.

Red Hill is one of the prettiest towns on the Mornington Peninsula and at its most magical in the cooler months. The town is dotted with quaint B&Bs, vineyards, and eateries, all well equipped to handle the typically cold weather in winter. While there’s no shortage of restaurants, the revered Tedesca Osteria is a stand-out. You can also taste the terroir at The Dining Room, Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill. Plan B: warm up in an altogether more immersive way with a dip in the Peninsula Hot Springs.

As the nation’s oldest surviving German settlement, Hahndorf is known for its cultural charms. Get a taste of that heritage through bakeries serving strudel and pubs like the German Arms Hotel where you can pick up a Big Daddy Schnitzel or Bockwurst, Sauerkraut and Pretzel. The Hills Winter Lantern Festival also makes this storybook village a great option come mid-year as the streets come alive, twinkling with lights. Hahndorf is one of South Australia’s cosiest towns to put on your radar in winter.

Rebuilt after the 2009 fires and now thriving, Marysville sits in the Yarra Ranges just over an hour from Melbourne. Bruno’s Art and Sculpture Garden is a year-round marvel; Steavenson Falls, which is lit up at night over winter, is one of Victoria’s great attractions and a highlight of the High Country. The proximity to Lake Mountain makes it a natural base for cross-country skiing. Embrace the season in Marysville to see why it tracks as one of the best cosy winter towns in regional Victoria.

Castlemaine – affectionately dubbed ‘Northcote North’ by the Melbourne crowd who’ve been visiting the gold rush town for a decade – offers more per square kilometre than almost any other regional town. And in winter, its cafes, bars, pubs and galleries shift into a lower gear. In particular, cosy places to drink are a dime-a-dozen, Boomtown Winery & Bistro, The Bridge Hotel, Bar Midland among them.

Merricks is one of the Mornington Peninsula’s most rewarding towns to visit during winter. The village is known for its cool-climate wines, rolling vineyards and wide views across Western Port Bay. One of the main draws is Pt. Leo Estate, where the acclaimed restaurant Laura delivers a Relais & Châteaux dining experience built around hyper-seasonal produce and a sculpture park worth wandering to before or after lunch. Merricks General Wine Store keeps the village vibe secure.