Forget about an ordinary old motel when planning your next group wine trip – check out this fabulous Limestone Coast accommodation.
A few months back I travelled to the Limestone Coast region in South Australia to do some research. This region is world famous both for the wonderful Coonawarra wines created there and the striking coastal scenery. My work trip reminded me that The Bloke and I had been promising ourselves a bit of R&R in this region for some time.
We have many dear friends in Melbourne whose passion for good wine is at least as great as ours, and for decades we had all been saying that we should meet up in the Coonawarra and explore the region. Of course, time passes, we all get busy and plans fall by the wayside – but life is damn short and this time we finally got our respective acts together. A couple of weeks back found six of us assembled in Penola with lists of wineries and restaurants to visit, while I had been put in charge of finding our Limestone Coast accommodation.
Our first base, where we stayed two blissful nights, was Punters Vineyard Retreat, an architect-designed retreat, picturesquely located in the middle of the vineyards just north of Penola. This award-winning building offers guests four bedrooms – three queen and one with two singles, each with their own en suite bathroom, a huge living area with floor to ceiling glass walls, a gourmet kitchen with every appliance necessary, plus a Rayburn stove – and which included full cooked breakfast supplies, and a beautiful outdoor dining area under an old vine.
Add to that every possible accessory visitors could need to make their stay totally perfect – dishwasher, coffee machine, bikes, a barbecue, a sound system, flat screen tv, air conditioning, luxury toiletries – and you have the full package. This is an adults-only getaway and, with the cost divided between the six of us, is incredibly affordable luxury accommodation.
When the time came for us to head to Robe, a popular seaside holiday town less than an hour from the famous Coonawarra terra rossa, it wasn’t easy to leave Punters, but fortunately our next Limestone Coast accommodation experience was every bit as special.
The Shore, one of the properties on the Love Robe accommodation website, provides absolute beachfront luxury accommodation in the centre of town, with ocean views right from your bed. It can accommodate up to 12 guests in five bedrooms (two with ensuites), plus a studio that is the perfect spot for older kids and teens to have their own space. There are two separate, fully equipped kitchen areas – one upstairs and one down – both with floor to ceiling views out to the beachfront, and an outdoor kitchen and balcony dining area.
While we were only there for one night, we managed to fit in beach walks, afternoon snoozes and plenty of time sitting on the balcony enjoying the soft, sea air and a glass or two of the region’s finest.
Once again, dividing the cost between six of us made this another totally affordable luxury stay and leaving was something of a wrench, but we’re planning our next trip to this special South Australian region and these wonderful accommodation options – and we intend to make sure it happens sooner rather than later.
Punters Vineyard Retreat, V&A Lane, Coonawarra – contact Lucille Bailey 0408 816 312
The Shore, Love Robe Accommodation – contact Kimberley Ross 0438 872 517
ALL ACCOMMODATION WAS INDEPENDENTLY PAID FOR.
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Liz (Good Things)
Oh now this is superb! Definitely adding it to our wish list for our next SA visit. Thanks Amanda!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
That looks like lovely accommodation Amanda! It’s been too long since I visited SA.
Tania| My Kitchen Stories
How lovely Amanda. I would love to visit with friends what fun