The Winter Getaway Guide: Australia’s Best Fire-Fuelled Events, Cosy Stays And Food Spots
There’s nothing better than rallying the troops for a fun, out-of-the-box experience. And if you’ve been hunting for inspo, consider this your official hit list.
We’ve teamed up with Kettle to celebrate their new Firemasters range—bold, fire-inspired flavours such as Firepit Beef Brisket & Smokey BBQ Sauce, Woodfired BBQ Chicken & Chimichurri and Chargrilled Red Pepper, Oregano & Sour Cream—the perfect partner for Australia’s hottest flame-fuelled experiences, open-fire dining spots and warming stays.
Whether it’s a fire pit in the backyard of a cosy holiday house overlooking the beach, a wood-fired feast that restores your soul, or a winter solstice festival that celebrates the powerful force of fire, we’ve found the very best places and experiences where the flames ignite magical moments, drawing people together just as they have for generations.
Ready to warm up? Here's where to feel the heat:
- The Best Fire-Fuelled Escapes And Experiences In NSW
- The Best Fire-Fuelled Escapes And Experiences In VIC
- The Best Fire-Fuelled Escapes And Experiences In QLD
- The Best Fire-Fuelled Escapes And Experiences In WA, TAS And ACT
The Best Fire-Fuelled Escapes And Experiences In NSW
Fire Kitchen
96 Osborn Avenue, Bundanoon
Image credit: Fire Kitchen
Fire Kitchen is a flame-led Latin American dining experience with a seriously dreamy backdrop, perched in the outdoor terrace of Osborn House in Bundanoon with breathtaking views over Morton National Park. The best part of this unique dining experience is that guests can fully immerse themselves in open fire cooking as they watch chefs prepare bold share plates over the fierce flame.
The menu riffs on the best produce from the Southern Highlands and South Coast, with a curated edit of Latin-American wines and cocktails. Standouts from the fiery kitchen? The Peruvian spice-rubbed pork cutlet with mojo verde, guindillas, chicory, sorrel, and lime, and the Brazilian-style Tajima wagyu top sirloin with chimichurri and lime, charred seasonal vegetables, and zesty sides. Come for the fire, stay for the slow, enchanting atmosphere.
Henrietta Charcoal Chicken
75–79 Hall Street, Bondi Beach, Shop 1/500 Crown Street, Surry Hills and 3 Parramatta Square, 153 Macquarie Street, Parramatta
Image credit: Henrietta Charcoal Chicken
Henrietta is dishing up mouth-watering charcoal chicken across Sydney, bringing flame-kissed Middle Eastern flavours to a loyal following.
The menu is built around juicy birds straight off the grill, served with lashings of punchy toum and a spread of mezze designed to keep the table busy. Think golden, crispy-skinned chicken, pillowy pita, vibrant salads and smoky sides, best paired with a round (or two) of margies.
The hot, smoky charcoal lamb wraps are iconic, alongside classics like hummus, zesty fattoush, pickles and fluffy bread, all made for mixing and matching. Dine in or takeaway and let the good, spicy times roll.
Plus, from 4 June to 4 July, Henrietta is serving a limited-edition smoky snack pack with golden hot chips, juicy fire-grilled chicken shawarma, creamy toum mayo, Henrietta's Chilli sauce and BBQ sauce, finished with crushed Kettle Firemasters BBQ Chicken & Chimichurri Potato Chips.
Atra At Callala Beach
Callala Beach
Image credit: Atra at Callala Beach
Atra at Callala Beach is a gorgeous beachfront stay where the white sands of Jervis Bay beckon. Sleeping up to 12, this luxe home is designed for easy entertaining, with breezy interiors flowing to an expansive lawn that meets the ocean.
Inside, there’s a fully equipped kitchen as well as three stylish bathrooms, but it’s the outdoor fire pit that steals the show. As the sun dips, the flames flicker to life, igniting good times and drawing everyone in for cosy nights under the stars.
Orange Region Fire Festival
Orange | Friday 7 August to Sunday 16 August, 2026
Image credit: Orange360 | Facebook
The Orange Region Fire Festival is a ten-day celebration of flame, food, music and local talent. Every August, the country town becomes ablaze with action. From fire-fuelled feasts, smoky cellar-door sessions, live music, and art installations, the venues transform into warm, flickering hubs of creativity.
Whether you’re kicking back for a long lunch or taking part in a hands-on workshop, everything here is warmed by fire and buzzing with good energy. Set amid Orange’s crisp winter backdrop, it’s the perfect excuse to rug up and lean into the glow.
Gilay Estate
Liverpool Plain, Quirindi
Image credit: Gilay Estate | Airbnb
This architectural Airbnb in Liverpool Plain is a design-led sanctuary made for two, where fire and heat take centre stage. Its open-plan interiors are anchored by an inviting indoor fireplace, complete with a private deck, an open-flame grill and a hot tub.
By day, it’s all clean lines and calm surrounds; by night, it’s about turning up the heat, flames flickering, something sizzling on the grill and a glass in hand. Intimate and atmospheric, it’s the kind of accommodation you’ll remember for years to come.
The Best Fire-Fuelled Escapes And Experiences In VIC
Fireside Feasting At Cleveland Estate
55 Shannons Road, Lancefield
Image credit: Cleveland Estate
A sensorial feast, Fireside Feasting is an immersive open-air dining experience on the romantic vineyards of the Macedon Ranges at boutique winery Cleveland Estate. It brings the ancient ritual of cooking over fire into the now, with a menu that features the region’s best local produce.
Feast on flame-led fare of charred heirloom vegetables and premium cuts grilled over glowing embers. Gather around the cauldron, watch the embers dance and settle for the night, because this is slow, social dining, sparked by firelight and made for lingering.
Sorrento Solstice
Sorrento Foreshore, Saturday 20 June 2026, 2pm–9pm
Image credit: Sorrento Solstice
Sorrento Solstice lights up the Mornington Peninsula with a vibrant mash-up of fire, food, music and community. Expect live tunes, artisan markets, performers and cool installations, all coming together to mark the shortest day and longest night of winter. It’s family-friendly and pulls a crowd every year.
The main event is the lighting of “Bernie”, a towering six-metre effigy set ablaze in a dramatic solstice ritual. Once Bernie has his moment, DJs take over, and the dance floor ignites under the stars. Bold and fiery, this is one not to miss!
Fancy Hank’s BBQ Restaurant
1/79 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Image credit: Fancy Hank's BBQ Restaurant
A restaurant all about fire and seriously good barbecued chook? Sign us up! Fancy Hank’s are the pros of slow-cooked, wood-fired meats (we’re talking up to 22 hours), bringing melt-in-your-mouth brisket, pulled pork and ribs to your ever-grateful belly, packed with that glorious, smoky flavour only a looooong time in the smoker can do.
The menu is perfect for feasting with stacked punchy sides and a lineup of house-made, spicy sauces that bring the heat… and then some. Fuelled by flame and flavour, this is the kind of place you’ll just keep coming back to.
Plus, from 4 June to 4 July, inspired by Kettle Firemasters, Fancy Hank's is dishing up a lunch-only Firemasters Brisket Sandwich packed with 16-hour smoked Angus brisket, American cheese, red onion pickles, Fancy Hank's Original BBQ Sauce and Kettle Firemasters Beef Brisket & Smokey BBQ Potato Chips in a soft Martin's potato roll.
The Best Fire-Fuelled Escapes And Experiences In QLD
Agnes Restaurant
22 Agnes Street, Fortitude Valley
Image credit: Agnes Restaurant | Instagram
A wood-fired hotspot crowned the 20th-best steak restaurant in the world by World’s Best Steaks, Agnes in Fortitude Valley is where chef Ben Williamson works his magic over flame. With a simple yet powerful approach to wood-fire cooking, premium Australian wagyu and seasonal produce bring it all together.
Set within a heritage building across three levels (the dining room, wine bar and terrace), it strikes that sweet spot between refined and relaxed. All moody interiors with dark furnishings and hanging pendant lights, it’s great for a date night or special occasion.
Intimate and buzzing, the fire sets the room's toasty tone, while the dishes are equally sublime. From peach-smoked tomato toast to ember-cooked duck, wagyu and pork, every plate is shaped by fire and smoke.
Death & Taxes
36 Burnett Lane, Brisbane CBD
Image credit: Death & Taxes
Hidden down an unassuming laneway, Death & Taxes is a vibey, walk-ins-only, old-world bar where leather booths and a towering wall of over a thousand spirits set the scene.
The drinks menu is a thing of beauty, with around 30 cocktails (all with cheeky names like The Kath & Kim or The Marisa Tomei), 40 wines, and a whisky-heavy selection of expertly balanced classics, rare pours, and bold signatures designed to be sipped slowly.
Hot tip: order the warming Will Hunting cocktail with Slane Irish Whiskey, green apple and gingerbread—it's set on fire as it's created and perfect for a chilly night, paired with a pick from the delish snack menu.
Plus, from 4 June to 4 July, D&T are serving a limited-edition, set-on-fire cocktail called First Flame. Built with Nosferatu Blood Orange Gin, Amaro Nonino (an Italian liqueur infused with alpine botanicals), Amontillado (barrel-aged sherry wine from Spain), charred red capsicum and sumac, it takes inspiration from the new fire-inspired Kettle Firemasters Red Pepper, Oregano & Sour Cream Potato Chips.
The Best Fire-Fuelled Escapes And Experiences In WA, TAS And ACT
The Farmhouse
Kirup, Western Australia
Image credit: The Farmhouse
Perched high above a rolling valley and surrounded by protected bushland, The Farmhouse is a beautifully restored 1940s fruit picker’s retreat that sleeps up to six, and it’s pet-friendly.
Inside, original details meet soft, sunlit interiors and an indoor fireplace, while outside, an open fire pit overlooking the lake forms the beating heart of the stay. Spend your days wandering the orchard, then return for sunset wines by the fire as it crackles into the night. Nostalgic and quietly luxe, it’s the ultimate off-grid reset.
Big Don's Smoked Meats
Bayswater Industrial Area, Perth, Western Australia
Image credit: Big Don's Smoked Meats | Instagram
Big Don’s Smoked Meats has a cult-like following and claims they serve one of the best barbecues outside of Texas, and look, we have to agree. This hangout is smoky, social, and just the right amount of rogue, with the live smoking of meats out in the Bayswater Industrial Area; it’s a seriously cool way to do BBQ.
The mysterious ordering process is all part of the charm, as it’s less takeaway and more of a first-in, best-dressed sitch. The ever-changing menu drops on Instagram every Monday, with orders opening Tuesday at 7pm and selling out in minutes. Rally your crew, bring a camp chair and settle in for a tailgate-style feast.
Floating Sauna
Lake Derby, Tasmania and Lake Burley Griffin, ACT
Image credit: Floating Sauna
A true bucket-list experience, the Floating Sauna is the ultimate hot-cold double act, pairing icy lake plunges with a wood-fired sauna that quite literally floats on the water.
With two stunning locations in Lake Derby, Tasmania and Lake Burley Griffin, ACT, it’s all about fire and contrast. Sweat it out in a crackling timber sauna, then plunge straight into the fresh water below. An elemental ritual of flames, steam and shock-to-the-system dips, guaranteed to leave you glowing from the inside out.
Already sparking unforgettable shared adventures and warm moments nationwide, discover Kettle’s Firemasters range here.