Now, there's nothing I love more than planning a holiday itinerary around food. Make sure there's somewhere on the route to stop for lunch, that there's at least one or two options for dining out once you've reached your destination, a cute cafe close to the beach for the morning coffee after an early swim, a place you can get oysters and champagne and watch the sunset, and definitely somewhere selling excellent fish and chips.

It's an added bonus if you're passing through areas where producers might have roadside stalls. Eggs, cheese, fruit and vegetables... I've been known to chase down seafood trucks too. Or you find shops selling locally made jams and chutneys, not to mention local wines and beers. It's the best kind of grocery shopping you can do along the way.

Canberra's in a great spot to head out in all directions for such a weekend. Beach, city, mountains, plains. North, east, south, west. We're not far from it all.

So pack the car, and your esky, and let your taste buds take you away.

I've been making the drive back to Orange for 30 years and I still think the best place to stop for something to eat is the CWA Rooms in the old courthouse at Boorowa. Nothing like a homemade slice. Or now there's the Absolutely Superb Bibliothèque and Occasional Wine Bar, open Thursday to Saturday, where Jeremy Clarke hosts some of the country's best authors while serving great local wines.

Once you've hit Orange, there are a few places shaking things up. Charred Kitchen and Bar has a hat and a menu where the wood oven takes centre stage. And while you wouldn't associate Orange with oysters, at Printhie Wines they haul over some water from the Clyde River to fill tanks at the cellar door, serving them alongside their signature sparkling. Other restaurants for the list include The Schoolhouse Restaurant at the trendy Union Bank in town and Sister's Rock Restaurant at Borrodell Vineyard. Ferment, the Orange wine centre and store, is a must-do, with all the best local wines in a quaint heritage building-turned-bar.

Ever thought about heading to Sydney just to eat? The Good Food Guide has just announced its hats for 2023. So many choices. There are a few places I'm keen to check out. After interviewing Clare Smyth earlier in the year, Oncore at Barangaroo is top on the list. Won't be doing that this summer, however - apparently there's a three-year wait list. Neil Perry's Margaret in Double Bay is on the agenda too, where Perry himself is actually in the kitchen most nights.

Or I might ask the opinion of celebrity chef Curtis Stone, who's teamed up with Destination NSW for a series to showcase the city; it's available to watch on YouTube. Of course, there's a great food component. After the Bondi to Coogee walk, he and his wife Lindsay stop for lunch at Mimi's, a Mediterranean-inspired fine dining restaurant in the Coogee Pavilion. Later on, he drops in at Josh Niland's Fish Butchery Waterloo, the accessible side of the two-hatted Saint Peter. Think yellowfin tuna cheeseburgers, swordfish tacos as well as elevated fish and chips, all served in cardboard boxes. Then there's a Bush Tucker Tour through the Royal Botanic Gardens and a visit to KOI Dessert Bar in Chippendale, run by MasterChef's Reynold Poernomo.

Or try some of the city's hippest bars, from Ante in Newtown to Jangling Jack's in Potts Point and the wonderfully named The Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre in Marrickville where you can enjoy a drink and explore memorabilia in a pool room modelled on Hawke's own Northbridge home.

This is where we head to the coast. Where do we start? Why not do it from top to bottom? Start at Shoalhaven Heads, where Bangalay Dining at Bangalay Luxury Villas just earned its first hat and the old-school bakery makes arguably the best caramel slice in the land. Then duck down to Greenwell Point, a tiny seaside village with two first-rate fish and chip shops.

About an hour down the road you might have to pull over for a few days, you're that spoilt for choices. In Milton, there are hatted restaurants Small Town Food + Wine run by Alex Delly and Jo Thomas, and The Milton Hotel, which raises the bar for pub food. And there's the Milkhaus, a charming cafe in its own right, but even more desirable now Bakeclub's Anneka Manning is holding the occasional class there.

In Mollymook, Gwylo pushes the boundaries of Asian cuisine and there's the two Bannisters venues, Bannisters and the Pavilion, close to the beach. Or head out to Cupitt's Estate in Ulladulla, explore the vineyard, settle in for some cheese and beer tastings, and wait for the live music to kick in.

The Patch, a revitalised space at the Tomakin sporting club just metres away from the beach, is also a great place to catch some tunes and get a good family-friendly meal.

And if that's your thing, relax at the Broulee Brewhouse, it's family and pet friendly, and a stone's throw from North Broulee beach. A couple of pale ales brewed on-site and plenty of beer choices. Order a huge plate of salt and pepper calamari and wait for the sun to go down.

Further south, explore the changes since Justin Hemmes' Merivale group moved into Narooma. Quarterdeck is a tiki-flavoured bar overlooking Wagonga Inlet, where the menu is Mexican-inspired. Queen Chow Narooma picked up a hat, the menu features a lot of local seafood that's given an Asian touch and the morning coffee is good too.

Further south still, Merimbula is a great destination. Try the hatted Valentina, Dulcie's is a fancy burger bar situated in a cute renovated weatherboard cottage. Banksia in Pambula is worth a visit too.

Or for something completely different, book a place at North of Eden's gin school, where you can join distiller Gavin Hughes at the Stony Creek distillery just near Bega. It's a three-hour immersive experience and includes a light lunch, three complimentary drinks and, of course, a full-sized bottle of gin that "graduates" can show off to friends and family.

The family-run company makes an oyster shell gin which just won a bronze medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. Built on the foundations of juniper and coriander, with lemon, lime and cumquats, there's a mouth feel via oyster shells and saltbush. Summer in a glass.

And then turn around and make your way home via the South Coast Ale Trail and visit nine great craft breweries, talk to the brewers and sample some original beers. There are also suggestions of other things to do along the way, from treetop adventure parks to surfing with legend Pam Burridge.

Go west, they said. We should do that more often. The Hilltops region is home to some of the best vineyards in the land as well as some great food destinations. At the visitors' centre in Young, you'll find the Hilltops Region Wine Cellar, where most wines are featured and regular tastings are held. Wineries to check out include Chalker's Crossing, Grove Estate, Lockwood Vineyard and Freeman Vineyards, which do a great rosé.

And then spend a whole day in Jugiong. Is there another corner block in rural NSW that offers so much? From The Sir George, the multi-million-dollar restored tavern, to the Jugiong Wine Cellar and Long Track Pantry, selling homemade relishes, preserves, chutneys, jams and marmalades alongside ready meals and more. In the courtyard is the Lickety Splits Gelato Bar with 26 delicious flavours.

Or head over to Tumut and order a beer at Tumut River Brewing Co. Grab a seat outside on one of the rustic couches and watch the world pass by as you work your way through their great range, much of which is brewed onsite.

The Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory is well worth a visit too. Located in an old flour mill, there's a shop you can get lost in, tours to see how it's all made, and you can even make your own giant freckle to take away. There's a decent cafe and live music every weekend.

This retro slice, courtesy of The Australian Women's Weekly, was always available on our country road trips in the 1970s. Apparently, ginger helps with motion sickness, so my mother thought it might help alleviate our car sickness. It kind of did.

Method

1. Combine butter and golden syrup in a medium pan and stir over heat until the butter is melted. Stand until warm.

2. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, sugar, coconut and egg; press mixture over the base of greased 19cm x 29cm rectangular slice pan.

3. Bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned and firm. Cool in pan.

4. To make the lemon icing, sift the icing sugar into a small heatproof bowl and stir in butter, rind and enough juice to make a stiff paste. Stir over hot water until spreadable.

5. Spread the slice with lemon icing and leave to set.

Serves 8.

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