Where - 52-56 Old Calder Hwy, Diggers Rest

Price - $28 ($20 on Tuesday parma night)

Website - https://www.houdinis.com.au

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

On March 18, 1910 in a lonely paddock at Diggers Rest, barely 20 miles from Melbourne, renowned escapologist Harry Houdini made what is claimed to be the first controlled powered flight in Australia.

Unsuccessful attempts to take off were made by Houdini on March 17, but on March 18, 1910, the three successful flights were made. Houdini recorded in his diary “never in any fear and never in any danger; it is a wonderful thing”.

I’m gonna take a stab and venture a guess that this is why the only restaurant in Diggers Rest is known as “Houdini’s” (and the model biplane with hanging from the ceiling of the restaurant lends even more credence to this theory).

Diggers Rest is a strange little town. Absolutely booming when it comes to real estate with urban sprawl exploding out in all directions yet strangely lacking when it comes to restaurants. Entering the town via the Old Calder Highway takes you past the burnt out remains of the Diggers Rest Pub, and I wasn’t joking when I said Houdini’s was the only restaurant in town, a Google Maps search of “restaurant” returning these results -