From pies to vanilla slices: The best Aussie bakeries worth the drive

Where to go now for a handmade custard tart like your nan used to make, a chunky beef pie straight out of the oven (don't forget the tomato sauce) or a cheesy Vegemite scroll? Grab the car keys, it's time for a road trip. One of the more sentimental pleasures of driving this great big sunburnt country of ours is a pit stop at an Aussie bakery along the way. Even members of the low-carb, no-carb, calorie-counting crowd have been known to give in to the occasional temptation of hot, flaky, delicious baked goods served in paper bags. Perhaps it's the feel-good throwback memories to childhood canteen lunches or maybe it's just because bakery food on the go is convenient, inexpensive and satisfying. Either way, this is Australian tucker at its best.

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Who even needs to have a compelling sightseeing reason to hit the road? Some regional cake and pie shops are worth the drive alone. Fans of the famous vanilla slice from Gumnut Patisserie in NSW's Southern Highlands would agree. The master bakers at Rolling Pin Pies & Cakes in Geelong, Victoria, have an award-winning way with everything from lamingtons to prawn-laksa pastries. And there will be protests if Apollo Bay Bakery on the Great Ocean Road ever stops making the scallop mornay pie.

For my five dollars' worth, Ken's Humble Pie Shop on Coral Street at the Entrance makes the best sausage rolls, pies, quiches and profiteroles on the NSW Central Coast. In the busy rush of summertime school holidays, be prepared to join the end of the line that snakes out the door. I promise you, it's worth the wait, and the drive.