15 minute read
Oh, WOW
WORDS Hayley Pearson
Dreaming of a boutique holiday with the wow factor? We’ve found your gal.
Just an hour up the freeway, Wow Houseboats on the Murray River offers two levels of off-land luxury living. Your adventure begins at Riverglen Marina, just a short drive from Murray Bridge, where you’ll step off the grassy riverbank and onto your magnificent houseboat holiday.
On board, up to 12 guests will experience endless extras — it’s all the little things that make your stay so special. There are four bedrooms (all with private balcony decks, split systems and smart TVs), a fully equipped, rear-facing kitchen and dining area, and a home office with the fastest internet you could dream of. This opens out onto a sheltered deck where you can fire up the Weber, rotisserie or pizza stone, and kick back under the outdoor heaters with a wine to take in the magical Murray views from sunrise to sunset.
Upstairs is like no other houseboat we’ve seen — it’s fully enclosed with 360 degree views, so you can control the heating in winter or let the outside flow in during summer. The entire boat has been renovated and filled with brand new top-of-the-line furniture, so you can flop and drop into the eleven seater lounge suite, which also features recliners and two fold-out beds. The second-level deck is home to an eight-seater heated spa and outdoor entertaining area with a TV and kitchenette — all that’s left to do is set the mood with the colour-changing ‘Wow Factor’ LED lights that sparkle as they reflect on the river.
Passionate owners Kate and Todd want their guests to expect the very best. “All you need to bring is your clothes, food and drinks, and we have absolutely everything else on board — we’ve tried to think of all those extra things, so you don’t have to!” says Kate, while adding that they’re dog-friendly, so your four-paw bestie doesn’t have to miss out.
It’s the home-away-from-home you’ve always dreamed of — with some pretty speccy extras available for good measure, including experience tours, one-way bookings, outdoor sports and fitness equipment, campfire gear and even heated deck chairs, so you can enjoy the million-star experience on the riverbank.
It’s the perfect way to connect with your friends and family on a truly memorable holiday that will leave them saying, “Wow, oh wow!”
@wowhouseboats wowhouseboats.com.au
Love thy neighbour
WORDS Hayley Pearson
Do you care about animals and love to drink wine? There’s never been a better time to visit Langhorne Creek.
The power of collaboration was a force to be reckoned with when six Langhorne Creek wineries came together to support their beloved neighbour — Monarto Safari Park.
Kimbolton Wines’ girl boss and deadset legend, Nicole Clark, has frequented the safari park countless times, and her passion to help the animals has never waivered. Kimbolton was already raising vital funds for cheetah conservation with their popular Cheetah wine, a 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, but it was time to level up. “I’m blessed to have a gorgeous winery ten minutes from the best safari park outside of Africa — what else could I do to help?” says Nicole.
So, Nicole rallied five additional wineries from the Langhorne Creek region to form Grapes for Good. Kimbolton Wines — together with Bleasdale Vineyards, Bremerton Wines, Lake Breeze Wines, The Winehouse, and Vineyard Road Wines — have created a unique mix of vinos, with part proceeds supporting Zoos SA’s conservation mission.
More than 70 percent of the species at Monarto Safari Park are threatened with extinction in the wild! Your support keeps the fight going to save them. Grapes For Good not only gives you another reason to head 50 minutes up the freeway to Langhorne Creek, it also gives you an itinerary and six animalthemed wines to collect.
GRAPES FOR GOOD NOT ONLY GIVES YOU ANOTHER REASON TO HEAD 50 MINUTES UP THE FREEWAY TO LANGHORNE CREEK, IT ALSO GIVES YOU AN ITINERARY AND SIX ANIMAL-THEMED WINES TO COLLECT. Lake Breeze Wines: The Bongo With less than 100 bongos left in the wild, Lake Breeze Wines chose this cutie patootie as the face of their Bernoota Shiraz Cabernet blend. “Blackberry, plum and a hint of choc mint, the Bernoota is our hero wine because it encompasses those sweet trademark Langhorne Creek flavours,” says owner Robyn.
Lake Breeze ticks all the prerequisites for a superb winery, with gorgeous vineyard views, a fine dining restaurant, a welcoming cellar door, cosy fireplaces, stunning Tuscan-style outdoor seating and a new event space that will blow your socks off. It’s where to take your interstate friends to really show off SA.
lakebreeze.com.au @lakebreezewines
Bleasdale Vineyards: The Plains Zebra With numbers decreasing in the wild, the Plains Zebras are facing a troubled future. Langhorne Creek’s oldest vineyard, spanning over 170 years, is proudly helping to save them from extinction.
But what about the wine? “Our Mulberry Tree Cabernet Sauvignon (which was named after the century-old mulberry tree on our vineyard), has aromas of mixed berries, dark chocolate and violets,” says Wine Club Manager Mardi.
While grabbing your bottle of Cab Sav, we suggest going back to where it all began for this award-winning winery in 1850, with a behind the scenes tour. Soak up the stories, then wash it down with a wine tasting before heading off to the next winery.
bleasdale.com.au @bleasdalevineyards
The Winehouse: The African Painted Dog The Winehouse is supporting one of the most endangered mammals on earth — The African Painted Dog — with one of their most popular drops, the Gipsie Jack Dolcetto Rosé.
“Lifted aromatics of rose oil and florals, with hints of handcrafted boiled lollies and strawberries and cream — this drop is interesting, just like The African Painted Dog,” says Cellar Door Manager Kate.
Gipsie Jack is best served with mates by your side, and that’s perfect because there’s plenty of room at The Winehouse! With a barn-style restaurant, the space is light-filled and super family-friendly, overlooking a gorgeous lawn area and vineyard. It’s the kind of cellar door where you can settle in for the arvo with a cheeseboard, lunch and one of their craft beer flights.
thewinehouse.com.au @the_winehouse_lc
Kimbolton Vineyards: The Giraffe Fiano and giraffes — the perfect blend! “We chose an ancient Italian wine grape variety that grows perfectly here in Langhorne Creek, and we paired it with the gentle giant of the savannah — the giraffe,” Nicole says.
There are less than 70,000 estimated wild giraffes in Africa right now, which means they’re at risk of extinction. By adding this Fiano to your collection, you’re helping Monarto Safari Park continue their conservation efforts.
As fresh as the feeling you get when you step inside Kimbolton Wines, Fiano is crisp and textural with lovely acidity, and their cellar door is an Instagrammer’s dream, with a rooftop overlooking vines for days, a grassy garden made for picnics and a light-filled dining area. And just when you think it couldn’t get any better, they have your kids sorted, too. The Kimbolton Kids’ Flight is exactly what the parental gods ordered, with tastings of Bickford’s cordials paired with local cheese, chocolate and sausage — they’ll have the time of their lives, and you will, too!
kimboltonwines.com.au @kimbolton_wines
Bremerton Wines: The Ring-Tailed Lemur These sisters are doing it for themselves… and for the Ring Tailed Lemur who is in deep trouble in the wild. Bremerton Wines owners Lucy and Bec are passionate about wine and collaboration. “We live and breathe Langhorne Creek, so to team up with five other wineries to help a greater cause was easy for us.”
Representing the Ring Tailed Lemur is Bremerton’s Mollie & Merle Verdelho. “We chose to make a fresh, vibrant style of wine to express the pure varietal characters of our region. Using only free-run juice results in a clean, focused Verdelho with lifted perfumed citrus aromas,” says Lucy.
If you haven’t visited Bremerton Wines in a while, a lot has changed. Their massive cellar door renovation has seamlessly combined the original cellar door with the new, creating loads more space to enjoy their delicious pizzas, pies and wines. Always thinking, ‘What’s next?’, the sisters are also building a distillery on site to meet the demands of their new baby, Willson Gin.
bremerton.com.au @bremertonwines
Vineyard Road Wines: The Meerkat Like a full-flavoured Shiraz, the lovable meerkat is personality plus, making them the perfect match. “Supporting the meerkat was a no-brainer for us — they’re social and a little bit cheeky, just like our team!” says Cellar Door Manager Karen.
Vineyard Road’s signature Langhorne Creek Shiraz is packed with forest fruits. As well as an on-site choccy wall featuring Fleurieu Chocolate Company, they have an entire room dedicated to Vasse Virgin skincare — so between wine flights and piping hot flammekueche, you can peruse this natural skincare range.
vineyardroad.com.au @vineyard_road
Now you’ve got the gist of this unique Langhorne Creek tour, set a date and start collecting. As Nicole says: “Grapes for Good is proof that wine can be a force for good. Every drop can go a little further and make a real difference!”
Zoos SA. Photo: Adrian Mann.
monartosafari.com.au/grapes-for-good
WORDS Millie Looker
Cherishing our planet is everyone’s responsibility — so why not go green when exploring SA.
We adore getting out into our natural surroundings and the incredible beauty that SA has to offer — but, like many others out there, our mission is to always leave our great state exactly as we found it.
As education in sustainable living grows and more people make the choice to go green, it’s exciting to see the same love and respect for Mother Nature reflected in local businesses around South Australia. So, when you’re choosing your next adventure, go eco!
UNICO ZELO From the founders of Applewood Distillery comes a new sustainable wine label that we just know you’ll love. Unico Zelo is making wine the true blue way, celebrating everything that Australian soil has to offer in the most eco-friendly way possible. The Unico Zelo team has earned their stripes as a certified B Corporation, which means they’re being held to the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Now they’re proudly creating accessible wines for the next generation to adore, while also helping to pave the way for other winemakers to up the ante when it comes to sustainable horticulture. Go, you good things! TOPIARY Talk about local! Located in Tea Tree Gully, this beauty prides itself on being one of SA’s most unique dining experiences — and really, their ethos says it all. “Topiary is run in a similar way to the households of our ancestors 100 years ago. We only source locally, make everything from scratch, work with whole carcasses and waste nothing. We want to make the most of our surroundings without harming the environment,” says Kane Pollard, Creative Director. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and even have a full plant-based menu that celebrates one vegetable at a time in all its glory.
HANSON BAY WILDLIFE SANCTUARY We’re so lucky that so many native animals, birds and plants all still call Australia home — largely because of some incredible conservation work by places like Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on Kangaroo Island. For the last 25 years, this privately-owned conservancy has worked hard to keep Australian wildlife flourishing. After a devastating few years with bushfires and the pandemic, the sanctuary has flung open its doors once again, inviting visitors from far and wide to support the work they are doing to keep their treasured animals and 190 species of native plant life flourishing.
Photo: Duy Dash. EYRE.WAY It doesn’t get much better than an EYRE.WAY getaway. These eco-friendly little homes, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, give visitors a chance to explore the untouched areas of the gorgeous Eyre Peninsula region. These beauties are architecturally designed and crafted in the local area, and our planet is front of mind every step of the way. You can choose between Yambara and Maldhi, (which both sleep two adults and two children), to get off-grid and start exploring the natural beauty while leaving minimal footprints behind.
We’re spoiled with sustainable choices here in SA, so making the decision to go green when you’re up for a new experience is easy-peasy lemon squeezy!
Photo: Nikki Redman.
@southaustralia southaustralia.com
Glamp it up
WORDS Em Worthington PHOTOS MADFOX Design.
Nature and luxury don’t always go hand in hand — but that’s just what makes Reedy Creek Retreat so dreamy!
The healing power of nature is undeniable, and in a fast-paced world, having the opportunity to slow down is priceless. Reedy Creek Retreat in Mannum combines these two things to perfection — and a stay here will have you feeling refreshed from top to toe.
The luxury glamping accommodation overlooking the Murray River is set on a stunning private property owned by local couple, Louise and Rufus Scheffers. “We want people to come and escape the busyness of life — just to stop, breathe and be happy. After years of working hard, this little piece of paradise has been our saviour, and we’re so excited to share it with others,” Louise says.
There are three glamping tents on offer, all with river views and some seriously generous provisions. Louise and Rufus are proud of their small footprint on the environment — these babies are eco-friendly, run through off-grid solar with back-up batteries — but that doesn’t mean any luxuries have been compromised, no-siree, Bob!
The big mama of the tents, Sunflower is perfect for a family getaway! It has a kitchenette and living area that open up onto a deck overlooking the water, a queen-sized bed in one bedroom, and an offset room with beds for two kiddos (or friends). It has a generous bathroom and the whole thing is disability friendly.
Photo: Supplied.
For a more romantic vibe, Haven and Burrow are both open plan and made with couples in mind. You can be the master of the tongs with your own barbecue hut, complete with an inset kitchen, a Weber Q and fire pits for the winter.
Nothing has been missed when it comes to making your stay next level — top quality linen, fluffy bath towels and robes, an espresso coffee machine, smart TV, bluetooth speakers, wi-fi, reversecycle air-con, provisions for a cooked breakfast, cereal, yoghurt, milk, juice, water, coffee, tea… can it get better? It sure can!
“We’re surrounded by some incredible local businesses, so we love to show off what’s on offer! We start with a glass of complimentary sparkling on arrival, then leave you to try a Dasher + Fisher gin and tonic, and a bottle of Elysian red wine to help you slip straight into relaxation,” Louise says.
And there are plenty of options for nibbling. “We can organise platters from Looove Cheese or have someone cook a full-blown romantic dinner on-site, or you’re just seven minutes away from Mannum’s shops, hotels and cafes!”
As for the nature part, you’re well and truly covered! Every tent overlooks the river, which is alive with birdlife. “There’s nothing like sitting on the deck, watching a mass of pelicans land on the water… it’s like watching planes land! At different times, you’ll see black swans, wedgetail eagles, our little kangaroo family who we absolutely adore, and the big-ticket item, our wombats! The Burrow tent was named because it sits right next to an active burrow of wombats — you can watch them come out at night, it’s incredible!”
@reedycreekretreat reedycreekretreat.com.au REEDY CREEK BBQ BOATS Their little sister biz, Reedy Creek BBQ Boats, really lets you max out a river stay! Launching from Mannum Waters Marina, two large pontoon boats comfortably fit 10 people each and are fully fenced, so they’re safe for little ones. You don’t even need a boat licence to take one for a spin, just a driver’s licence and the drive to have a good time!
“Our boats are equipped with a barbecue, table, chairs, an onboard toilet, large esky and bluetooth speakers, so you can set your own vibe,” Louise says.
Choose between a half or full day river cruise, where you can pull up to the bank to explore or even take kayaks on board to really make a splash. And catering for your day on the river couldn’t be easier with options to add on platters or even a meat tray from the local butcher.
You don’t have to glamp it up to book the boats, but those doing both get a sweet little discount thrown in — just part of the all-embracing Reedy Creek Retreat hospitality.
