ChocoVino at Hahndorf Hill Winery
Since I’m generally looking for a small town feel with my urban adventure, a little wildness with my history, and a little chocolate with my wine, I was pleasantly surprised by the northern swath of Adelaide in South Australia. So pleasantly, in fact, that I could see myself living there. (Haven’t quiet broached this one with Adam yet…but whatever.)
In North Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills, I learned all about a famous artist of whom I’d never heard, found a style of architecture I’d never known existed, and discovered the simple pleasure of a snap — all in the same day.
My journey to the schmancy little suburb of North Adelaide marked the first time I’d ever been hosted in a bed-and-breakfast on a press trip. Since this was my and Adam’s stay-style of choice for years before I started ye olde blog, suffice it to say I was plum thrilled. Nothing against hotels, mind you, we just tend to gravitate towards the cozy neighborhood immersion of a good old-fashioned, chock-full-of-antiques B & B.
As if making my point for me, the red-brick Buxton Manor is indeed cozy, with a gentle sprawl of tea roses, quirky mementos and vintage curios. One of several properties run by married couple Rodney and Regina Twiss through their North Adelaide Heritage Group, the Manor is a restored and rambling 1909 Arts+Crafts bungalow. In addition to a huge public living room with a soaring ceiling and a library of Australian books, its four large apartments and a spa cottage all have wood-burning fireplaces, brass beds, ornately-decorated ceilings and huge bathrooms — all the trimmings of romance. Each room also has a fully tricked-out kitchen replete with a full array o’ breakfast fixin’s. These include Vegemite, the dark brown yeast-extract paste that is almost inexplicably the national foodstuff of Australia.
Buxton Manor in North Adelaide
While the latter is an acquired taste, the Buxton Manor feels like a comfortable home on a plush and sleepy side of town, just ten minutes from the city center (rooms $199-$340/night AUD). The neighborhood around the Manor is full of gardens and stone Terrace Houses from the mid-to-late 1800s, girded with frilly ironwork and sometimes, uniquely Australian porches called bullnose verandahs. (Click here for cool little gallery of North Adelaide houses.)
In case the idea of escaping into a slower pace of life appeals to you (one that looks not unlike the Hello, Dolly! backlot), just know that one of these well-preserved beauties’ll set you back between $700-900,000 Aussie dollars. (*Ahem.*)
If you choose to make North Adelaide your more temporary city base, know that there are several parks, shops and restaurants within walking distance (like the über-elegant Manse, home of a stunning, umpteen-course Degustation Menu). However, to travel farther afield you’ll generally need to hop a free bus, hire cabs, take a public train, or rent a car.
A car would be my choice for exploring the Adelaide Hills, a half-hour up the South Eastern Freeway to the vine-covered foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges (past signs that warn of honest-to-God koala crossings).
The Hills offer a warren’s worth of tiny villages to explore, including Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, Hahndorf. Started by Prussian Lutherans escaping religious persecution — and seeking land, which Australia has in spades — Hahndorf today is a little tourist mecca, full of artists, gastronomy and historic architecture; the distinctive sandstone used just about everywhere comes from the nearby Basket Range.
While in Hahndorf, belly up to a table at the aptly-named Udder Delights, ground zero for the Adelaide Hills Cheese & Wine Trail. Tuck into a basket-for-two of local cheeses (Heysen Blue? why, yes), spreads and a warm baguette ($24 AUD), consider a cheese-making course, or simply mainline espresso from one of the sexiest coffee machines on Earth.
Udder Delights on Hahndorf's Main Street
After a wander through some of the shops and galleries along Main Street, drive over to the gorgeousness of The Cedars, the home and studio of South Australia’s most famous landscape artist, Hans Heysen. Famous for his pastoral scenes and landscapes of the dramatic Flinders Ranges, he won the country’s coveted Wynne Prize nine times.
Between the soft forest of gum (eucalyptus) trees that Heysen saved from developers and a garden straight from a fairytale, you’re sure to spy a Crimson Rosella; quite possibly the most fantastic parrot I’ve ever seen outside of a cage, I’m assured these are as common as pigeons in South Australia.
Hans Heysen's home and studio, where Crimson Rosellas roam
Heysen’s cottage, which he shared with his wife and many children, is like a dream I once had. Lace tablecloths and dappled light, brimming window boxes on a covered stone porch, and on every wall a painting by Hans or his accomplished daughter, Nora, famous in her own right.
With deep sighs still in your throats, it’s best to put yourselves in the way of some chocolate and wine. At Hahndorf Hill Winery, the brainchild of two South African expats, the specialty of the house is the elaborate/fabulous ChocoVino, a tasting menu that seeks to educate you about how some of the region’s finest wines and the world’s finest chocolates meld and transform. ($20 AUD per person and up). The menu here is deliciously huge, and full of surprises; never again will you eat chocolate without first listening for a crisp snap, the sign of true quality.
And the emerald view over the vines? Sublime.
Wine, chocolate and verdant views at Hahndorf Hill Winery
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My trip was sponsored by the South Australia Tourism Commission and Qantas Airlines, but all opinions are my own.
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See also
Adelaide: From City to Bay
Discovering Down Under: South Australia
Flying High Above South Australia
TWT Travel Binder: Australia
