The beautiful village of Bowral in the Southern Highlands has been on the map for petal pilgrims since the tradition of Tulip Time began in the village more than 60 years ago. Today, Bowral is one of the best regional towns in NSW for eating and drinking. Build your itinerary around the annual Horizontal Festival to include top-tier eateries like Eschalot, Three Blue Ducks at Burradoo Park Farm and Hordern’s Restaurant at the new Ardour Milton Park Bowral.

Milton is the little NSW South Coast town that could. Sydneysiders who missed the boat when it comes to making that long-talked-about sea change might find solace at Milk Haus, housed in a former cheese factory. The Milton Hotel and restaurant Nomah are also driving tourism to the Shoalhaven region. The acclaimed Cupitt’s Estate is just a 10-minute detour from the main street of Milton. Make a weekend of it and stay in one of the luxury pods, one of the best farm stays in Australia for foodies.

Spring paints the landscape around Orange in swathes of brilliant green. Picture morning mist lifting off the vines at Rowlee Wines, where you’ll see the winemakers tending to the spring bud burst. Sitting in the shadow of Mt Canobolas, this high-altitude sanctuary blends rich volcanic soils with world-class cool-climate wines. Between paddock-to-plate feasts at Printhie Wines, wining and dining at award-winning restaurants like Racine and Mr.Lim, Orange is the ultimate place to visit in spring in NSW. Plan your visit to coincide with the Orange Wine Festival, one of the best food and drink festivals in Australia.

Swap winter blues for spring sunshine along the Riverina’s Canola Trail. Explore Junee, Temora and Coolamon’s brilliant butter-yellow fields before tasting your way through Australia’s food bowl. In springtime, visitors will have access to a range of fresh, seasonal produce, which the Riverina region is known for. Take a citrus-scented farm tour, watch sweets being crafted at Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory and grab you-beaut pub grub at the heritage-listed Junee Hotel. Feeling brave? Visit the haunted Monte Cristo Homestead.

Flora-lovers flock to Leura for its annual garden festival. But it’s not just about the blooms anymore. Once you’ve had your botanical fix, trade the garden path for vinyl and cocktails at listening lounge Little Sista, grab a vibrant bite at Taqueria Arriba, or settle in for a feast at Embers. It’s an irresistible itinerary that makes visiting Leura one of the best things to do in spring in the Blue Mountains. Continue your epicurean adventure in Blackheath, which also has some great places to eat and drink.

Carool claims a top spot on a list of the best places to visit in spring in NSW. Perched on the slopes of Mt Carool in The Tweed, its coastal and valley views sharpen in the apple-crisp air. Visit during Savour the Tweed, one of the best food and drink festivals in Australia. You can also celebrate the region’s bounty at Potager – A Kitchen Garden, where many of the ingredients that inform the menu are grown in the rich, fertile soils all around. To top it off, Hillside Carool is nearby, one of the best farm stays for foodies in Australia.

Embrace kisetsukan – the Japanese appreciation of seasons – at the stunning Cowra Japanese Garden. While late-September’s Sakura Matsuri brings the blossoms, foodies stay for matcha and authentic sweets at the Cowra Japanese Garden Cafe. Built to honour World War 2 reconciliation, the gardens burst into bloom during September’s Sakura Matsuri. Swap flower-gazing for matcha at the garden’s cafe, or fuel up on local produce at Breakout Brasserie. From here, the scenic drive from Cowra to Canowindra is one of the best road trips in spring in Australia.

From late October, Grafton erupts in a sea of violet for the annual Jacaranda Festival. Beat the selfie-stick brigade at dawn to stroll under the Clarence Valley’s canopy of 2000 blooming jacarandas, including the oldest in NSW. Once you’ve had your floral fix, grab baked treats at The Clarence Kitchen Collective or sink a cold pint at the Clocktower Hotel. Feeling adventurous? Take a scenic drive to the dinky Glenreagh General Store for a proper country pit stop. Road-tripping around the Northern Rivers? Check out our guide to eating and drinking around the region.

Bellingen has a bit of Byron Bay energy before it went boom. And we dare you to find a better tiny town in northern NSW for eating and drinking. Explore the boho village of Bello to find bars bursting with character, a live music scene and venues purpose-built for people watching. Dine on hyperlocal fare at Three Blue Ducks Bellingen. Sip on a craft brew at Bellingen Brewing Co. And leave the salt from the sea in your hair as you make your way to Bellingen Farmers & Producers Market on a Wednesday arvo.

While families flock to the fairy-tale topiary of the Hunter Valley Gardens in spring, foodies know the real wonderland lies in the Hunter Valley food and wine scene. Consider this cellar door crawl your grown-up grape escape. Taste your way through iconic cellar doors like Brokenwood and Tyrrell’s. Book-end your stay with dinner at EXP and Muse Restaurant. Or soak up provincial, vineyard views over lunch at Bistro Molines. It’s one of many NSW wine regions worthy of a visit in spring in NSW.

Circle the National Cherry Festival on your food festival calendar for December and keep an eye on @cherryblossfest to track the blooms in Australia’s Cherry Capital. While the blossoms are the drawcard, the burgeoning food scene is what will make you stay. Fuel up at Juicy Lucy’s Cafe before hitting the orchards. Come dinnertime, The Cranfield, housed in a stunning 1888 Masonic Hall, showcases seasonal Hilltops produce alongside killer local wines. Thirsty? Crack a coldie at The Australian Hotel, pouring pints since 1861.

After stopping off at a few viewpoints, head to Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mt Tomah to gain another perspective of the region. Visit in spring, when the leaves are sparkling green in the sunshine and the flowers are in full bloom. Attend a workshop dubbed Friends of the Flowers: Celebrating Native Bees. Or pop into the visitor centre to learn more about the Darug, who are the Traditional Custodians of the Northern Blue Mountains. Visit the Bell Bird Café to recharge over panoramic views, one of the many highlights for foodies visiting the Blue Mountains.

Expect Mayfield Garden to be embellished with flowers and butterflies like a pretty piece of embroidery in spring. The immaculate grounds were inspired by grand English country estates, but remain resolutely Australian thanks to the open plains and scent of eucalyptus. Come for the flowers of the Spring Festival in September and October when the shiny gates to the 75-hectare country garden are flung open to the public. Stock up on preserves at the Oberon Community and Farmers Markets (first Saturday of every month) and drive back via the Bells Line of Road so you can factor in pit stops at Bilpin Cider and The Grumpy Baker.

Bundanoon looks like the bucolic ideal of a cosy village in wintertime in the Southern Highlands with its plethora of cutesy cottages and historic buildings. Rug up and explore the heritage trail around Bundanoon, which is known for its Scottish heritage and return in spring for the annual Horizontal Festival. Head to Moss Vale for brunch at the What If Society, then browse books and sip cool-climate wines at Berrima’s Bendooley Estate. Finally, crash at Bundanoon’s quirky Pill Factory or Wildernest’s Stringybark Hut. visitsouthernhighlands.com.au

Port Macquarie is on the map for epicurean adventurers for its culinary experiences. It’s one of the best places to visit in Australia in spring. See grapevines beginning to bud at Cassegrain Wines or Bago vineyard, which has a hedge maze so you can break up your road trip. Or pick your own strawberries and tomatoes at Ricardoes, a business that sprouted from an honesty box and is one of the best foodie stops along Australia’s East Coast. The Port Macquarie Regional Botanic Garden also pops with colour from seasonal blooms in spring.