South Australia’s lush new lodgings
These new stays set discreetly amid the South Australian bush are a real surprise package.
Over the past couple of disruptive years, with air travel mostly off the agenda, many have rediscovered road-tripping, and the pleasures of arriving slowly to a destination. I’m reminded of this as I lower my car window to inhale the damp, humus-laden scent of the forest. I’ve not seen a house or car for some time, and the only sound is the bickering of a rabble of rosellas.
My journey has been short; a 90-minute traverse down the spine of South Australia’s Fleurieu, through the vineyards of the McLaren Vale and high into the cool hills at the heart of this lovely peninsula. I’m driving slowly through paddocks greening after autumn rains; a steep climb takes me into the clouds. Great cypresses loom up out of the fog as much of the landscape is momentarily swallowed. When clouds disperse again, I’m plunged into a dark forest of bracken and twisted stringybarks where grass trees trail their spiny tendrils along the road’s edge.
The road narrows, becomes gravel, narrows further, becomes dirt, twisting through the forest before emerging as though from a tunnel on to a hilltop. Galahs skim the car like dolphins about a boat and I spy, after much checking of maps, a discreet sign. ESCA.
Two mysterious black boxes are nestled into the side of a hill with stupendous views across the Inman Valley and distant vales. I’ve been told firmly by the property’s proprietors – who plan a national collection of off-grid retreats – that these are most definitely not “tiny homes” or a glamping outpost. Rather, they are five-star suites that just happen to be in the bush, or in this case hovering above the bush like a spacecraft just touched down.
With their matt black exteriors and neat rectangular forms, Nest and Mist resemble shipping containers, but it quickly becomes apparent these high-spec, modular buildings have little in common with an upcycled tin can. Completely off-grid, deploying solar power (with backup generators), and rainwater and grey water recycling, the suites are the polar opposite of rustic. Architect-designed in direct response to the landscape, they offer a “contactless” escape from the everyday. And they are Tardis-like in their unexpected spaciousness.
More than 60sq m of living space has been transformed by Adelaide-based Das Studio into an incredibly stylish bolthole; rather Scandi in mood, with a long wall of glass providing gorgeous vistas over a nature reserve and distant ranges. The floor, ceiling and walls are timber lined and the palette ranges a moody gamut from smoky grey to black. If you’d prefer it even moodier there’s a special switch on the lighting panel.
The large front door to Mist swishes open, revealing a log fire set and ready to strike, decadent cream-stuffed croissants adorning the kitchen counter, and Peninsula olives, oil, bread and dukkah at the ready (the fridge is stocked with local wine, beer and cheese).
The detailing is top notch: Aesop unguents, kitten-soft bathrobes, chef’s knives lined up with military precision, on-point ceramic tableware. I’m clearly the uncoolest thing in the room, and when the lure of the croissants proves too strong, manage to spread crumbs all over the black coffee table and pristine leather sofa. Time to activate that moody dimmer switch.
The space is cleverly designed, with a large bathroom with tub set at the window at one end of the building, a chef’s kitchen stocked with generous breakfast provisions and cosy living area in the centre, and a king bed tucked behind the fire. From the sleeping quarters, glass doors open on to a slick barbecue deck.
Outside there’s a sunken bathtub and fire pit, the perfect spot to enjoy sunset with a glass of wine. Or if it’s too chilly for an al fresco soak, perhaps a cuppa (courtesy of the futuristic black Alessi kettle) by the fire with a good book; the suite has a smart TV, but analogue seems more apropos. And because the suites double as wildlife hides, the great outdoors can readily be enjoyed from the comfort of the sofa. Finches flit in the grass trees by the window and those galahs are back, descending swiftly, adjusting their wings like small planes in heavy weather.
As dusk draws down, kangaroos appear from the forest in the gully below, pushing their way beneath the fence, one, then three, then eight, then 17. They’re closing in, creeping towards the Tardis like fluffy Daleks. Curious as cats, they seem enthralled by my efforts to sweep up all those croissant crumbs.
Messy pastries aside, I’m hard pressed to recall a more stylish bush bolthole. Opened in April, ESCA at Nest & Nature is the first of a planned stable of savvy, off-grid retreats (Clare Valley is next).
Chief executive Steve Kernaghan, who has previously held senior roles with Tourism Australia, Qantas and Great Southern Rail, says each luxury retreat will be designed to suit its off-grid location and those locales are crucial to the overall experience.
These are not “pods in a paddock”, he says, but high-quality architecture and design in unexpected locations. Intended as a very private escape, the suites are accessed via a key code; there’s no need to meet a host (although assistance is only a phone call away).
Most guests are unlikely to wander far, but for those with itchy feet, the cellar doors of the McLaren Vale and Peninsula beaches are a short drive away.
TO-DO LIST
Dine
On local, sustainable seafood at the quaint Pearl on the beach at Aldinga, a 30-minute drive.
See
Southern right whales in season from the Narukami Kondoli Whale Lookout at Kings Beach, a 20-minute drive from ESCA.
Try
A bracing walk in the forest followed by an al fresco bubble bath.
Browse
The shelves of the lovely South Seas Books & Trading. It’s in Port Elliot, a scenic 25 minute drive away.
ESSENTIALS
ESCA at Nest & Nature is a 75-minute drive from downtown Adelaide. Located at the heart of the Peninsula, the retreat provides easy access to the sea in two directions, west to Normanville, Myponga and Aldinga, or south to Victor Harbor and Encounter Bay. Suites from $599 a night (minimum two nights).
Christine McCabe was a guest of ESCA.