Ice cream connoisseurs will be celebrating the taste of the Australian Summer at the annual Ice Cream Festival in Melbourne’s Yarra Valley and down on the Victorian Surf Coast for 12 indulgent days from February 14 to 25, 2018.

The Aussie celebration of all things cool and creamy will be staged by the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery and Great Ocean Road Chocolateries & Ice Creamery.

A cornucopia of 144 artisan flavours will be created and churned by teams of European Chocolateries, with 12 different flavour sensation introduced each day of the Festival.

Expect creamy classics, exotic sorbets as well as more adventurous combinations with each destination serving up different scoops of flavours inspired by local ingredients and their valley or coastal setting.

Discover creations such as Valley pear and blue cheese, smashed avocado and pistachio & wild berry frozen yogurt at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie while Surfin’ Happy Panda with black rice, refreshingly sweet honeycomb & violet and lychee & kiwi sorbet will be on the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie’s revolving ice cream line up.

Festival creations in cups or cones will be served from café cabinets and outdoor ice cream kiosks – perfectly located to lick or spoon your favourite flavours within picturesque landscaped grounds of both Chocolateries.

Ice cream enthusiasts can also get a ‘behind the scenes’ scoop at specially scheduled tasting sessions each day of the Festival. Ice cream gurus will host 40-minute tastings, with samples of 12 different flavours to taste test for just AUD $18 (MYR 55) per person in a private tasting area. Bookings are essential.

Look out for the Ice Cream Lovers Deal too, where AUD $15 (MYR 46) buys your very own souvenir sundae cup and four tokens to redeem for any four ice cream flavours during your visit. A creamy, dreamy way to spend a summer’s day.

For those that can take their minds off the creamy delights, the grounds at both Yarra Valley Chocolateries and  the new Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie offer picturesque views and plenty of room for kids to play and explore; there’s free chocolate tastings, showrooms filled with thousands of handcrafted chocolate plus giant viewing windows to watch their European chocolatiers at work. All day cafes provide breakfast, lunches and a decadent dessert collection, with cakes and pastries and tarts made fresh daily. Coffee, milkshakes and hot chocolates are also the best.

To find out more information, please visit www.yvci.com.au and www.gorci.com.au