I scream, you scream, we've all been screaming for ice cream — and, this February, once again, our prayers have been answered. The annual Ice Cream Festival is back, and this year it's taking place at three of Victoria's chocolateries and ice creameries: in the Yarra Valley, along the Great Ocean Road and on the Mornington Peninsula.
You may want to prepare the smelling salts because each venue will be trotting out 12 new flavours a day. For 12 days. That's 144 unique flavours all up — and this year it includes scoops like espresso martini, olive oil and salted pistachio, and watermelon and mint sorbet.
For $20 you can book into a tasting session that covers 12 flavours at once, or just rampage around the place like a deranged, hungry Pac-Man and try to taste 'em all at $4.80 a pop. You can also go beyond ice cream, if you so please, and taste ice cream-topped pizzas, waffle ice cream sandwiches and giant OTT sundaes.
What's more, each of the venues — in Yarra Glen, Bellbrae and Flinders — each have lovely grounds for you to lay around in and enjoy. The view may well be lost on you as you slide into a sugar-induced happiness coma, but that's okay. They aren't inventing all those flavours for you to not try them.
The Ice Cream Festival will take place at three venues: Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery at 35 Old Healesville Road, Yarra Glen; Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery at 1200 Great Ocean Road, Bellbrae; and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice creamery at 45 Cook Street, Flinders.