Best Short Break Stays in South Australia

From ocean-side retreats to country piles and vineyard dwellings, these top SA picks present the perfect weekend.

The Frames, Riverland

A stay in the Riverland region is a chance to slow right down to the pace of the meandering Murray River. An architecturally unique couples’ retreat on a clifftop overlooking the river, the aptly named Frames offers three private villas each with its own pool, spa and balcony.

Soak in the picture-perfect views of the landscape with a glass of local wine in hand. From staying put to exploring the river through its creeks and wetlands, choose to do as little or as much as you please while here.

Exterior of The Frames, Riverland — Stay at the Frames, Riverland. (Image: Cathy Edmonds)

Arkaba Conservancy, Flinders Ranges

A Wild Bush Luxury property (which does exactly what it says on the tin), Arkaba is a remote 2400-hectare wildlife conservancy on the doorstep of Ikara (Wilpena Pound) that provides the chance to bed down in its rustic but beautifully restored 1850s homestead to just 10 guests at a time.

A stay here is an all-inclusive experience that includes bushwalking, 4WD safaris and immersion in both the landscape and local Adnyamathanha culture.

Sequoia, Adelaide Hills

Mount Lofty House has long been a favourite South Australian retreat: first as a summer house built in 1852 and latterly as a luxurious boutique hotel offering guests the ultimate country retreat and recharge.

Its newest addition, Sequoia lodge, offers a contemporary counterpoint to the hotel’s classic leanings complete with natural spring-fed onsen tubs and panoramic infinity pool.

Your stay will be complemented by unfiltered access to the nature surrounding you including Mount Lofty Botanic Garden and all the spoils of the Mount Lofty estate: from world-class wines and artisan food at Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant to ultimate indulgence at the on-site day spa. All in the aid of a truly regenerative weekend.

Inside the new Sequoia, Adelaide Hills. (Image: Aaron Sitti)

Naiko Retreat, Fleurieu Peninsula

South Australia does an excellent line in stylish, edge-of-the-earth coastal retreats that leave nothing between you and the swell of the ocean but some designer decking.

The show-stopping deck at Naiko Retreat, Fleurieu Peninsula. (Image: Tony Johnson)

Case in point, Naiko Retreat. Its distinctive curvilinear form comes courtesy of Max Pritchard Gunner Architects, the team behind Uluru-Kata Tjuta’s Longitude 131˚ and Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge (as well as its planned rebuild following the 2019/20 bushfires) and delivers the ultimate weekend refuge.

A luxurious and sustainable stay for up to six people, it’s all pendant lighting, polished concrete floors and freestanding bathtubs that, making the most of the property’s hilltop position on a remote working sheep farm, afford sweeping views out towards Kangaroo Island.

CABN X, McLaren Vale

A new concept from off-grid tiny house trailblazers CABN, CABN X takes the brand’s eco credentials a step further with its two new architecturally designed nature escapes, Giles and William, set within a biodynamic McLaren Vale vineyard; CABN will donate a portion of your stay to the CABN conservation fund as well as plant a native tree on your behalf.

My Sister & The Sea, Marion Bay

This adorable three-bedroom 1950s weatherboard cottage on the Yorke Peninsula’s Marion Bay is an ode to owners Sarah and Emma’s countless family holidays spent here: lazing on the deck in summer, reading by the fire in winter and exploring nearby Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. They invite you to do the same.

Seppeltsfield Vineyard Cottage

For a quintessential vineyard experience in the Barossa, find a cute cottage to bed down in for a few nights. Within walking distance to iconic Seppeltsfield Winery and FINO restaurant, this restored 1860s German settler’s cottage serves up all the best bits of the Barossa: food, wine, vineyard views and history.

Eos by SkyCity, Adelaide

Between its stylish and intuitively designed rooms with views over Adelaide, leisure deck with outdoor heated pool, sauna and spa, and plethora of eating and drinking options such as rooftop restaurant and bar Sôl, new Eos by SkyCity is the kind of city crash pad you could check into and forget to leave for a few days.

Video credit: Tourism Australia

From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland , and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

a couple on Mount Oberon — Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit , which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk , even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk , usually done over seven days.

the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland — Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The best bush hikes in Gippsland

the Baw Baw National Park — The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland — Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park , along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park — Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail , a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park — The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park , known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the WildernessRetreats in The Prom — Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

Eating there

the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.