Gascoyne Food Festival 2020

The region’s produce takes centre stage in the much-anticipated follow-up to last year’s resoundingly successful Gascoyne Food Festival. Running from August to September 2020, with a stunning collection of destinations hosting unforgettable events, this is a must-do part of any foodie’s itinerary. Expect events from Exmouth to Dirk Hartog Island, and Mount Augustus, as well as Carnarvon and other new locations to be announced.

GASCOYNE JUNCTION

GOURMET GAZING

Saturday 19 September | Gascoyne Junction, Junction Pub & Tourist Park

Join us in the Gascoyne hinterland town of Gascoyne Junction for an evening of gourmet gazing. A bush BBQ showcasing the region’s freshest produce. Enjoy this incredible gourmet feast as you gaze the Gascoyne. This event is being held in conjunction with the Gazing the Gascoyne – Stargazing experience. After enjoying some of the tastiest Gascoyne food, prepared by local Chef Paul Kelly, take a grand tour of the most stunning objects in the Southern Hemisphere including nebulas, dying stars, enormous star clusters and the planets. Hear Aboriginal star stories by local Yinggarda Man and artist, Raymond Edney. You will learn how Aboriginal people in the region historically used the stars for navigation, to uphold morals and laws, and to indicate changes in the seasons.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW – ACCOMMODATION & BBQ PACKAGES COMING SOON

This event is held in conjunction with the Gazing the Gascoyne – Stargazing Experience (Free Event):

The Gascoyne Development Commission invites all stargazers and amateur astronomers to attend the first Gazing the Gascoyne 2020 event on Saturday 19 September, at Gascoyne Junction.

Attendees will discover how the local Aboriginal people were connected to the night sky through a talk with Yingarrda Aboriginal Elder Raymond Edney. Following this, an astronomy expert from the Perth Observatory will explain what different stars, constellations and nebulas are before attendees are then able to experience things more intimately through one of the four telescopes that will be on site.

MORE INFORMATION

DIRK HARTOG ISLAND

ISLAND LIFE FESTIVAL

Thursday 17 – Monday 21 September | Dirk Hartog Island, Shark Bay

Think platters of Shark Bay prawns, plump scallops, juicy snow crabs, stiff fresh whiting and pink snapper. Think an island paradise off the Coral Coast, ready to welcome foodies and nature-lovers. Think you’d like to come along too? Well, get ready to experience one of Australia’s more remote gourmet experiences on Dirk Hartog Island this September. Discovered in 1616, the island is one of the Coral Coast’s largely undiscovered gems, and home to one of Australia’s premier eco-tourism destinations. With fresh fruit and vegetable flown in from nearby Carnarvon, visitors will feast on the freshest seafood and gourmet cuisine, produced by Russell Blaikie and George Cooper, some of the country’s leading chefs, in an authentic beachfront ocean to plate experience.

Why not….If you’ve got a taste for the island life, why not book a stay at the rustic Eco Lodge, right on the edge of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. The six-guest rooms and private villa blend simple elegance with a luxe twist, and of course giving those stunning ocean views a starring role.

TICKETS & PACKAGES ON SALE NOW

CORAL BAY, NINGALOO REEF

THE TOP TABLE – A CORAL BAY FOOD & WINE EXPERIENCE

Tuesday 13 October | Beachfront Lawn at Ningaloo Reef Resort | 2pm to 5pm

Find your seat at our long table lunch on the Coral Bay beachfront and let us take you on a culinary journey through the tastes and flavours of the Gascoyne. Enjoy three spectacular courses accompanied by the finest WA wine pairings and world class ocean views to match. This marquee event will feature live acoustic music and first-class service from our passionate team.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW ~ $95 PER PERSON ~ (08) 9942 5934 or reservations@ningalooreefresort.com.au

SHARK BAY

FLAVOURS OF SHARK BAY – WITH CELEBRITY CHEF, ANNA GARE

Saturday 17 October | Boughshed Restaurant, RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort | 2pm to 5pm

Join us, along with celebrity chef Anna Gare, for a unique culinary experience on the shores of Monkey Mia. Set on the beachfront Lawn of the Boughshed Restaurant at RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, spend the afternoon tasting your way around the Shark Bay and Gascoyne region. Sample a selection of canapes featuring spectacular local produce prepared by our head chef Ian Osborne, as well as local Exmouth brews and a range of WA wines.

Then, learn to bring the flavours of Shark Bay into your own kitchen at home with a live cooking demonstration from passionate Western Australian food advocate, Anna Gare.

Ticket includes a selection of 12 canapes, your choice of beverage from the wine and beer selections on offer.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW ~ $35 PER PERSON ~ (08) 9948 1320 or fom@racmonkeymia.com.au

EVENT SPONSORS

MAJOR SPONSORS EVENT PARTNER

PAST 2020 EVENTS

CANAPES ON THE GASCOYNE

Friday 7 August | 5.30pm to 10pm | Bentwaters Plantation, Carnarvon

Canape evening set in the heart of the lush, sub-tropical horticultural country of Bentwaters Plantation, on the Gascoyne River. Enjoy a gourmet ten-canape menu by chef Sophie Budd and Paul Iskov. Sophie has worked for both Jamie Oliver and Rick Stein and cooked alongside Gennaro Contaldo, and Antonio Carluccio. Passionate about the region and its fine produce, Sophie is back to create a series of gourmet canapes. Paul Iskov established Fervor, which harnesses locally sourced native products and showcases them in unique locations, like the Gascoyne. Paul will portray his love and passion for the land and sea, as he features Shark Bay seafood on the menu. The evening will be complete by live entertainment and the finest beverages from the South West and Gascoyne region.

FESTA DELLA DONNA

Saturday 15 August | 11am to 5pm | Yacht Club, Carnarvon

Festa Della Donna will include a seven-course small plate luncheon with a welcome drink on arrival! Set in the winter sun, with ocean views from the Carnarvon Yacht Club, this event is dedicated to celebrating the lifestyle of Carnarvon, and an opportunity to frock up and have a great time while enjoying our incredible Gascoyne food. Prepare the best outfit you have got and take the opportunity to strut the runway with an opportunity to win some incredible local prizes. The menu is designed by local chef Valeria Lucchitto. Originally from Italy, Valeria has worked in many prestigious kitchens in Italy, London, Miami and Australia including Michelin Star and 5 Diamond Award winning Restaurants. Using recipes from her own published Italian cook book, Valeria has designed an incredible menu to showcase the best of our local produce. Pairing incredible food, vino, fashion, and entertainment, we are set for an incredible day out in Carnarvon.

MOUNT AUGUSTUS (BURRINGURRAH)

AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST BBQ

Saturday 29 August | 6.30pm to 10pm | Mt Augustus (Burringurrah), Tourist Park

Celebrate the best of the bush at one of WA’s most extraordinary settings. Mount Augustus – the world’s biggest monolith – is the backdrop for a BBQ of epic proportions. You’ll be served outback beef cooked on roaring open fire pits with locally-sourced vegetables on the side. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore this wild and unspoilt part of the world, a landscape that’s full of natural wonders, birds unique to the area, wildlife and flora unparalleled in its beauty.

HOW TO BOOK TICKETS/ ACCOMMODATION: Tickets on sale now from Mt Augustus Tourist Park | Saturday 29 August | Tickets are $100 | Bookings Essential: (08) 9943 0527 – mtaugustustouristpark@skymesh.com

WOORAMEL

FIRE & FROTH

Saturday 5 September | 5pm to 12pm | Wooramel River Retreat, 120km south of Carnarvon

Bringing back winning combination of fresh brews and BBQ coals is the genius inspiration. Fire and Froth will once again be held on the iconic station stay of Wooramel River Retreat. Set amongst the river gums of the Wooramel River, a three-course Turkish influenced menu featuring an extensive array of Gascoyne produce, and beverages from talented producers in Western Australia will give you a unique gourmet experience. You’re guaranteed a top night to talk about for the ages.

Wooramel River Retreat is the perfect spot to recover from all that excess, so why not stay an extra night or two? If you can drag yourself out of your bed early enough, the bore baths are the ideal pick-me-up solution to too much Kolsch.

All bookings for accommodation should be made at: www.wooramel.com.au

CARNARVON

TWILIGHT LONG TABLE DINNER

Friday 11 September | 5pm to 9pm | Bentwaters Plantation, Carnarvon

Pull up a chair for one of the highlights of the Gascoyne Food Festival – and make friends into the bargain. The highly anticipated event of the year returns in a new format; Twilight Long Table Dinner. This is your opportunity to enjoy kaleidoscope of ingredients produced in the Gascoyne region. Held on the banks of the mighty Gascoyne River at Bentwaters Plantation, guests can expect a long dinner for the ages set in the heart of this productive, sub-tropical horticultural country. With dishes prepared by some of Perth’s top chefs putting Gascoyne ingredients in the spotlight in a tapas-style menu. Those ingredients will have been gathered after the chefs visit local growers and farmers, making this long table dinner one of the most location-specific – and freshest – you’re ever likely to enjoy.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

GASCOYNE GROWERS MARKETS, FESTIVAL EDITION

Saturday 12 September | 8am to 11.30am | Civic Centre (Visitor Centre)

Get amongst it at the regular seasonal growers’ market on Saturday August 11 from 8 to 11.30am. The atmosphere is festive, vibrant and inclusive; growers and producers are more than happy to share tastes of their fruit, veg, jams and sweet treats. Set to the backdrop of live entertainment from local performers, this is a perfect introduction to Carnarvon’s amazing array of produce. If that all leaves you in need of sustenance, pick up a coffee and a Goat Pie – then continue doing the rounds and take home a taste of the Gascoyne. Festival edition will have cooking demonstration from a special TV star. Stay tuned for the announcement.

CARNARVON CUP

Saturday 12 September | 12pm to 8pm | Race Club, Carnarvon

All the glamour and excitement of watching horse racing comes to life at the Carnarvon Race Club. Don’t miss the premier Carnarvon Cup, a real high point in the season, as well as WA Fashions on the Field where WA’s finest strut their stuff. More information coming soon.