Dust off the Melways – GPS reception can be patchy this deep in the Otways. In just a few years, chef and owner Dan Hunter, along with his wife, has created a truly world-class regional dining destination in Australia with Brae. Run out of the couple’s farm in Birregurra, much of the fruit and veg are grown onsite (you’ll get to have a wander through the garden between courses), and the rest comes from local producers. Be ready to be pushed out of your comfort zone at times (the ice cream-ified oyster is an acquired taste), but it’s a fun ride throughout. You can also splurge and stay overnight in one of the six luxury suites on the farm.

An essential stopover on a trip to the Grampians National Park. Chef Robin Wickens has reinvented the once-stuffy dining room in the town of Dunkeld after the departure of Dan Hunter (now heading Brae), offering a five or eight-course degustation that lets the quality produce sing. The hotel offers deluxe mountain view rooms, and is also home to one of the country’s greatest wine cellars, boasting nearly 30,000 bottles. If you’re not prepared to fork out for the premium diner, opt for the casual and totally decent restaurant Parker Street Project in the next room.

If you’re taking the Princes Highway south from Wollongong, be sure to pull in at Greenwell Point. You’ll want to pay a visit to Jim Wild (you’ll spot his Hawaiian shirts a mile away) who will expertly shuck you as many fresh Sydney rock oysters as you can handle. Did you know he was a former world champion shucker? Ask him to tell you the story.

You might not expect to find Tasmania’s best sushi in the tiny township of Geeveston. But the chef, Masaaki Koyama, sees many parallels between the pristine forests of the Huon Valley and the rural Japanese village he grew up in. When he first opened in 2009, some residents had never eaten sushi before. Now, it’s common for locals and tourists alike to queue for a seat. Call ahead to book, otherwise you can always grab your sushi to go.

An hour’s drive out of Perth you can catch some serenity on the lake at Millbrook Winery in Jarrahdale. They really turn up the regional charm – open fireplace, welcoming archways, a well-tended kitchen garden. A great initiative is No Waste Monday: three courses using fresh produce from the garden leftover from the weekend service for just $50 a person.