South Australia holidays: Best farmstays in the state

WHETHER you're after somewhere to take the kids or a romantic getaway, farm stays offer the perfect taste of life on the land.

SA Farmstay

Next time you are driving through a vastly beautiful stretch of farmland on the way to your overcrowded and overpriced hotel in the city, stop. Then, get out of the car, unpack your bags, and introduce yourself to the cattle. The holiday experience of your dreams is literally right in front of you.

Farmstays have exploded in popularity over the past couple of years, and for good reason. For young families, they offer the perfect opportunity to relax and entertain the kids at the same time. Wait, what? Yes, I just said that. It turns out that the dream scenario of unwinding in solitude whilst keeping the kids happy actually exists, and you can find it on a farm.

Most farm stays encourage interaction with the animals on the property, so while the kids build lifelong friendships with their new four legged friends, us adults can sit back on the deck and enjoy the peace and quiet of our remote surroundings. By now you’re probably sold on the idea, so where should you go? South Australia. Because within just a few hours of the state’s capital of Adelaide, the rolling hills and stunning landscapes are dotted with sheep and cattle stations, rich in history and ready to accommodate the whole family.

Experiencing a completely different way of life while holidaying on a functioning farm doesn’t mean you have to rough it, either. These five farmstays offer beautiful, rustic accommodations like renovated barns, antique cottages and unique cabins, as well as bush camping, if you’d rather sleep under the stars.

Redwing Farm Stay, Weetulta

If your kids are, well, kids, they probably love playing with their food. Finger painting with cottage cheese, shot putting with boiled eggs, interpretive dance with yoghurt, that kind of thing. Maybe they’d be a little less inclined to play with their meal if they knew where it came from, and Redwing farm is the perfect place to teach them. On the Yorke Peninsula, this working sheep farm offers a hands-on experience where you can collect eggs, feed chooks, milk cows and run amuck with the pigs. For accommodation, stay in either the restored shearer’s quarters or the renovated Redwing barn. The luxurious quarters were first built in the 1860’s, with bullet holes from pigeon shooting and rainfall recordings still etched into the stone. The barn dates back to the 1950’s and was originally used to store hay, and although it has had a complete makeover, its original rustic beams and timber flooring remain. Wake up to incredible views and cows greeting you good morning through the windows.

Narnu Farm, Hindmarsh Island

If you’re a family of animal lovers, or of the equestrian persuasion, Narnu Farm is for you. At Narnu, kids as young as two and a half can ride around the property on horses and ponies. No experience is necessary, as lessons aren’t just offered—they’re encouraged! Twice a day, you and the kids can partake in the feeding of the animals, of which there are so, so many. Rabbits, chickens, deer, goats, sheep, emus—you name it, they’re all here, and they’re all hungry. If you want to experience something really cute, bottle-feed a lamb! Then climb aboard Elsie, the restored bright red Bedford truck that rolls around the property, stopping for more feeding along the way. There’s even a chance you’ll catch a chicken mid-hatch in the hatchery on the farm. You can stay in one of seven self-contained and well-equipped cottages, all boasting an outdoor area where the adults can unwind while the kids continue to play.

Morella Farmstay, Cape JervisApproximately 82km from Adelaide airport, among the rolling hills of Southern Fleurieu Peninsula sits Morella Farm. Just over a year ago, the farm was purchased by two young families who have set to work refurbishing the property, so now is the perfect time to enjoy the fresh updates. What makes Morella so unique from other farmstays is the ocean views that surround it. The farm is located mere minutes from the fishing town of Cape Jervis, gateway to Kangaroo Island, so the sea and landscape views from your balcony are really something else. The working farm boasts over 150 farm animals on 100 acres of fully fenced paddocks, and petting the friendly animals is encouraged. You probably want to have the camera handy at all times, too, as Morella is known for its abundance of incredible Australian wildlife.

Native birds frequent the property, as do kangaroos grazing on the pastures and slurping from the dams. Look picturesque up in the dictionary; find Morella.

Beltana Station, Flinders Ranges

If you want a taste of the real South Australian outback, head to Beltana Station, a real working sheep and cattle station. Here you can watch experienced station workers do what they do best while taking in the incredibly remote surroundings and alpacas. That’s right, alpacas. The station workers are more than happy to stop and have a chat and impart some of their local knowledge with you, too, making you feel more than welcome in your remote new home. Beltana has amenities well catered to big groups and families, including a swimming pool for when it gets hot out there, which is a lot of the time. There’s an Overseer’s cottage for big groups, or you can get a room at the renovated old Shearer’s Quarters with communal facilities. There’s also bush camping available with pit toilets, or ‘drop dunnies’ if you want to take on the local vernacular.

Almerta Station, Carrieton

If your main priority is to really disconnect and get away, Almerta Station is the best farmstay option for you. Almerta offers complete seclusion, where you camp under more stars than you knew the sky could hold. You’ll take in some of the most incredible scenery in the Flinders Ranges, flanked by beautiful, giant red gums on all sides of the landscape. The 22,000-acre property has a number of bush campsites, but all six spaces are situated far enough from each other that you’d never know another soul was there. There are well-developed tracks throughout the property to walk, cycle or drive through, with lambs, sheep and kangaroos all ducking in to say G’day. If bush camping isn’t your thing, the property offers newly built Shearer’s Quarters, too. Whether you lay under tent or roof, though, there’s no mistaking the fact that you truly are at one with nature here.

Originally published as South Australia holidays: Best farmstays in the state