Apart from a state-of-the-art wine museum, Adelaide boasts five wine regions within striking distance, making it a stunning holiday destination.

If Cabernet Sauvignon is your grape of choice, head towards Coonawarra, with its brick red soils and old vines. Staying at a refurbished workers’ cottage was a fantastic perk. We toured the vineyards during the day and star gazed after dinner – the restaurant conveniently placed opposite Pickers Cottage.

If you fancy Barossa and Clare Valley why not stay off the beaten track in an old mining town, Kapunda, and enjoy the Goodall’s hospitality at Peppertrees B&B. Perfectly placed between the two regions, it’s ideal for unwinding before dinner – with even a bottle of complimentary bubbly in the fridge!

Dining at the nearby Wheatsheaf Pub is so unusual that many drive miles to experience it. As well as outstanding food and wines, there are two love shacks available for total privacy, and crayons are provided to encourage budding artists. We ended the meal by a roaring fire, doodling away on our tablecloths while sipping a perfect “sticky”.

Pickers Hut Cottage: coonawarracottages.com.au
Red Fingers Cafe Bar & Grill, Memorial Drive, Coonawarra. Tel:(08)8736 3006
The Peppertrees B&B, 47 Clare Road, Kapunda. Tel:(08)8566 2776
Wheatsheaf Pub, Allendale North, via Kapunda. Tel:(08)8566 2198

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A beautiful and internationally renowned sanctuary for rare and endangered Australian native animals; you'll see much more here than almost anywhere else on your travels in Australia and learn plenty from the informative guides who take people on walks. Platypus, bettongs, quolls and a whole lot more to be seen, if you are observant. Highly recommend the 'moonlight walk', as many of these secretive animals are nocturnal. Restaurant/cafe on site, as are luxury large tents for an overnight experience. This sanctuary was the first to install fox-proof fencing, which has since been adopted by most leading sanctuaries across Australia, and keeps the animals inside it safe from outside predators. It may also be the first to successfully breed platypus in captivity, all achieved in the last twenty years since the place was established - great accomplishment by founder John Walmsley. It raises the bar for wildlife sanctuaries everywhere. Just the drive up there is worth it, gorgeous scenery especially in autumn when Japanese maples are turning incredible shades, in among the gumtrees!

take the freeway from the city to Stirling, in the Adelaide Hills, continue on through Aldgate til you reach Mylor creek. Next turn on the right should be signposted "Warrawong Sanctuary".
www.warrawong.com/

Google map: tinyurl.com/lty25t

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Thorngrove Manor Hotel is a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Designed in the ecclectic Gothic inspired style of the colonists, this celebrates architectural design and creativity. It's a five minute walk to the local village set atop a hilltop. Food is all bio-dynamic and organic. Rooms are inspirational with antique gilded clocks next to LCDs and ipod docks. Small in size, but huge in experience with the closest winery and wildlife sanctuary five minutes away.

www.slh.com/thorngrove
61 08 83396748
Adelaide Airport 35-40mins
approx 20minutes from the Adelaide GPO-great touring base.

Google map: tinyurl.com/klfh2c

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Australia's oldest family owned vineyard, and a place well worth a visit. Before visiting this mecca for the grape I didn't "get" wine, and more specifically the words used to describe wines by the likes of "TV's Oz Clarke". The staff insisted that we try everything on their extensive list, describing the wines as we went along... it was a bit of a Damascus moment for me and suddenly I could taste those red berries, peaches and all sorts of other flavours!

It was both a pleasure and an education, and well worth a visit... just make sure you aren't the designated driver!

Eden Valley Road
Angaston SA 5353
Australia

Tel: +61 8 8561 3200

www.yalumba.com

Google map: tinyurl.com/pawsbd

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