The most weird and wonderful foodie experiences in Australia revealed
Tour around Australia and you'll discover an all-you-can-eat-buffet's worth of unique foodie experiences. You can picnic on an alpaca farm, eat oysters at a table knee-deep in the water they were farmed from and sit at a head-spinning dinner table that's suspended from a towering crane. These are just a handful of experiences in the smorgasbord of weird and wonderful culinary experiences we present here, which take place everywhere from to the Northern Territory via the Great Barrier Reef. The Dinner in the Sky dining experience sees 22 dinner party guests seated at a table thats suspended up to 50m (164ft) above ground from a crane. Unbeatable views are served up with the meal, the reveals (although the appeal may be lost on those with a fear of heights). The experience takes place in various locations across Australia, but each December theres a two-week-long season of dinners hosted in Tasmania. How do you get a place at the table? You must join a to win a coveted spot. The full-day 'Seafood Seduction' cruise begins in the Tasmanian capital of Hobart, taking passengers along the River Derwent and DEntrecasteaux Channel to the southern end of Bruny Island, where a guide will dive into the water to hunt for seafood. Passengers can watch as the guide emerges with the fruits of their labour - abalone and sea urchins. This fresh seafood is then cooked on the spot aboard the boat and served alongside local crayfish, mussels and salmon, paired with Tasmanian wines. This bounty is enjoyed against a beautiful backdrop - Bruny Islands secluded bays and deserted beaches. To experience the tour, which is run by Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, visit . Love oysters? Then youll be in your element with Sydney Oyster Farm Tours Immerse Yourself tasting experience. First there's a boat tour around the Broken Bay oyster farm on the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney. Next, you slide into a pair of waders and take your place at a dining table planted in the water. Here youll be treated to a feast of fresh oysters as you stand in the water they were harvested from. Throughout the day, youll chat with second and third-generation oyster farmers and learn about oyster harvesting and farming. They'll even teach you how to expertly open oysters. The tour costs 104 ($195AUD/$132US) per person. Visit . Heres one for animal lovers - venture to the Blackwattle Alpaca Farm near the town of Murrumbateman in New South Wales to try out its unique Luxury Bobo Picnic experience. As its name suggests, the farm, overlooked by the Brindabella Range mountains, is home to a herd of alpacas, 70 in total. Visitors can take the resident alpacas for a stroll around the 'picturesque' paddocks whilst learning about the inner workings of the farm from a tour guide. There's also the chance to pat, cuddle and take photos with the creatures, the farm's website reveals. Post-tour, visitors are led to a luxurious picnic spot decorated with pillows and blankets, where they're presented with a sweet and savoury grazing platter. Tickets are priced from 95 ($180AUD/$121US) for two people. Visit . Lauded restaurant Brae is housed in a country cottage just outside the town of Birregurra, at the foothills of the Otway Ranges mountains in Victoria. A regular on the list, the restaurants ever-changing menu revolves around produce from its organic farm, which is home to an olive grove and beehives. After your meal, you can explore the farm, with dedicated walking paths designed to let visitors discover where their food comes from. Its easy to extend your stay too - there are six guest suites on site. Visit . The historical seaside town of Portarlington in Victoria is thought to harvest around 60 per cent of Australias mussels. To learn about its seafood industry - and taste its wares - sail around Port Philip Bay aboard a 40-year-old wooden vessel with Portarlington Mussel Tours. The companys Classic Mussel Tour is run by Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation farmer who has been in the business for 37 years, and his wife. Their three-hour tours offer the chance to see first-hand how mussels are cultivated and include a cooking demonstration and a speciality mussel-themed lunch. Mussels will be pulled up on ropes and harvested, cleaned, and cooked on the vessel, before they're plated up and washed down with local wines and beers. The tours website notes: If you happen to spy a few dolphins or make some new friends, then thats an added bonus! Prices start at 122 ($230AUD/$155US). Visit . The Golding Wines winery in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia offers a wining and dining experience with a twist. Billed as 'one of the most unique spaces you will find at a cellar door', a 'whimsical' woven nest has been crafted on the winery's estate. Groups are ushered inside to enjoy a six-course lunch paired with the winery's award-winning wines. Golding Wines says the nest 'will have you reminiscing of childhood tree houses and remind you that there is always room for a little whimsy with your wine'. The experience costs 133 ($250AUD/$157US) per person. Visit . Dine under the stars with a view of one of Australia's most iconic landmarks - the distinctive red monolith of Uluru - courtesy of these two gourmet experiences, run by the Ayers Rock Resort in the Red Centre region of the Northern Territory. The first event - called the 'Sounds of Silence' experience - begins with canapes and chilled sparkling wine in a setting that overlooks Uluru. As the sun sets and darkness falls, listen to the sound of a didgeridoo and join your table to dine on a bushtucker-inspired menu crafted using native bush ingredients. A resident 'star talker' will decode the southern night sky, pointing out the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac and various features of the Milky Way. The resort also offers a Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner experience that offers guests more awe-inspiring views of Uluru and the nearby Kata Tjuta rock formations. Guests can fill up on a gourmet dinner hamper as they witness the ancient Mala story - a tale that's central to the Anangu people who've lived by Uluru for tens of thousands of years - being re-told in a mesmerising light show that sees choreographed drones and lasers light up the night sky. Visitors are said to feel a powerful connection to the land as they listen to a traditional Inma (ceremony) soundtrack and narration in the local Pitjantjatjara language. Visit . Roaming restaurant Fervor puts a focus on Australian produce, working with ingredients that include green tree ants, silver cobbler fish and native stingless bees. The pop-up eatery appears in a wide variety of landscapes across Western Australia, from the Pinnacles Desert within Nambung National Park to rugged Breaksea Island. Chef Paul Iskov works in partnership with local communities for each dining experience, and it's ensured that no trace is left on the land once the event wraps. Australias Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, home to the globes largest collection of coral reefs. O After dinner, guests retire to underwater suites and fall asleep to a front-row view of nocturnal marine life passing by the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows. Visit . The indigenous Kuku Yalanji people have been living in the Daintree Rainforest - the worlds oldest rainforest - on Australias north-eastern coast for over 50,000 years. The Flames of the Forest dining experience, hosted weekly, offers the chance to learn about their culture as you enjoy local foods that have been harvested from the land and sea. Throughout the evening, listen as two Kuku Yalanji brothers share stories, and the sound of a didgeridoo performance fills the air. Visitors arrive in the rainforest via transfer from Port Douglas, a town on the Coral Sea coast in the far north of Queensland. Visit . Take your seasoning skills to a whole new level courtesy of this 'salt sommelier' experience, which takes place in the Mayfield Estate on Tasmania's eastern coast. Foodies can tour the estate's saltworks, learning how locals harvest the region's pure sea salt flakes from the Tasman Sea, before trying it themselves with a tasting experience. An array of carefully seasoned small plates are produced, demonstrating how the 'robust' salt flakes can transform dishes. To sweeten the deal, the setting offers wonderful views across the rugged Freycinet Peninsula. Visit . Attica is a must-visit destination for fine dining - its a regular on The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list, that the eatery offers emotional, boundary-pushing Australian cuisine at its very best. The restaurant, based in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea, notes: We are proud to serve ingredients endemic to Australia, so you won't find chicken or beef on our menus. Instead, smoked emu or barbecued saltwater crocodile ribs are among the dishes presented to diners, many of whom have booked their table three months in advance. The experience doesn't come cheap, it's worth noting - a multi-course tasting menu is priced at 192 ($360AUD/$245US) per person. Visit .