Are We There Yet?

There’s so much beauty in our own backyards. With travel restrictions easing, get road-trip ready with the help of these regional travel guides from some of the country’s most respected restaurateurs.

- Maggie Scardifield

BEN DEVLIN’S NORTHERN RIVERS, NSW

60 kilometres from the Gold Coast’s CBD Owner and chef of Pipit restaurant, Pottsville

“Most people know the Tweed or Northern Rivers as a stretch of amazing beaches,” says Ben Devlin. “What many forget, is that it’s also anchored with amazing green hinterland to the west, great waterfront along the Tweed River, and has the scenic backdrop of Mount Warning and the Border Ranges. I grew up in Byron Bay, but I moved to Brisbane for my apprenticeship and work. After being away in the cold winters of Copenhagen for two years, it was a family trip back home that made me decide that actually the sun, the surf and the community of this area was what I wanted. I was approached about a short-term gig at Halcyon House, and I ended up staying for more than three years. The dream of opening my own restaurant never died during this time, and we made a decision that the Northern Rivers was the best place for it. It was a mix of luck, availability, and timing that landed Pipit in Pottsville.”

EAT: Pottsville Pizzeria

“Valter Arenzani took over and revamped the local pizza place across the street from us last year. He has restaurant experience in Europe and brings that extra attention and quality to a genre that can be fairly average and ubiquitous in some places. The pizza crust, in particular, is great – and we love the simplicity of the prosciutto pizza. And with a sweet tooth, it’s very hard to avoid the knock-out tiramisu.” pottsville-pizzeria.com

HIDDEN GEM: Tropical Fruit World