Australia boasts some of the world's most beautiful landscapes – sweeping panoramas, broad expanses of unspoilt desert, verdant countryside and sapphire oceans. If you're planning on exploring our fine country on the road, the chances are that you're going to get hungry at some point along the way, especially with all of those interesting sights and sounds awaiting discovery.
When you feel your tummy rumbling in one of East Coast Car Rentals' hire vehicles, don't head to a run-of-the-mill chain restaurant – why not take a break from the norm and take a feed at one of Oz's quirkiest restaurants?
The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant, Melbourne
Melbourne is a city well known for its historic tram system – the largest in the world outside of Europe – and this heritage is celebrated at the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. No, this place doesn't have old tram memorabilia adorning dusty walls – it's a tram itself, and a moving one at that.
For over 30 years, the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant has whisked its diners off for a scenic tour of Melbourne itself, taking them for a whistle-stop circle of its iconic highlights. The restaurant is the first of its kind in the world, offering you a dining experience you won't have had before.
All of the scenery and splendour in the world can't fill an empty stomach, though, but the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant doesn't disappoint on that front, either. Gorgeous, seasonal meals are served as the wheels turn, alongside a sumptuous selection of fine Australian wines.
Clydesdales Horse Drawn Restaurant, New South Wales
If trams are a little too modern for your rustic tastes, how about a horse and cart? The name of this restaurant doesn't beat around the bush – it does exactly what it says on the tin. Found in the Hawkesbury Valley, Clydesdales Horse Drawn Restaurant is a throwback to the days of old.
You will really feel as you have been transported to an earlier time as magnificent Clydesdale horses pull along the original, fully-restored carriages that date back to the late 19th century. Charming in their intricate, old-world design, you can choose from a fine range of gourmet foods as your steeds take you on a leisurely tour of Windsor, the historic town that the restaurant calls home.
The carriages are large enough to seat eight people, so bring along the whole family for a treat that offers more than just great food – take a look outside at the moving scenery that offers a glimpse of how we used to live.
Birdies Restaurant, The Tap Inn, Kent Town, South Australia
If you have a great love of golf and toilets{don't we all?}, head on down to Birdies Restaurant at the Kent Town Hotel. While neither are probably on your list of priorities when it comes to choosing somewhere to grab a bite to eat, at Birdies, you'll be in for a treat.
Even though the restaurant boasts an excellent menu, the driving range that spreads out before the building is sure to be worthy of a photograph moment. Birdies isn't the first eatery to be nestled side-by-side with a golf course, but we haven't mentioned the toilets yet…
For starters, they are unisex, but don't let that put you off. As you enter, you may feel like walking straight back out, because the clear glass panels of the cubicles seem to let everyone get a decent view, as you can see unoccupied toilets through the doors. Stick with it, stick with it…
Grab a cubicle, and push the lock – a reflective frost will manifest on the door, obscuring the view of those outside, yet still allowing you to see out!
Once you feel suitably tripped out, head to the men's urinals (if you're a man, of course) and take in an unrivalled view of the driving range.