The Adelaide Hills has come so far since December, when fires ravaged through much of the area, destroying homes, animals and businesses. Our hearts are now singing because the region is definitely looking more green and regenerating quickly, and South Australians are banding together to help them out, and #BookThemOut. So rustle up your friends and family, grab an empty eski and fill it with EVERYTHING you love about the Adelaide Hills — wine, cheese, gin, fruits and veggies… the lot!
We practise what we preach here at Adelady, so we headed for the Hills with a full wallet and spent a weekend touring the gorgeous Adelaide Hills. So, here’s our Adelady #BookThemOut Tour… and we’d love you to copy-cat us. Of course, there are sooooo many other businesses who need your help too, so please let us know where we should head next!
Sadly, Coronavirus has impacted some businesses since writing this article — and the places we showcase may now have restrictions around bookings, as they’ve had to modify numbers and introduce social distancing protocols — and this is changing daily. Please also remember these businesses need us to support them more now than ever, and they are doing everything they can to adapt so you can enjoy their amazing produce and services. Sadly, Golding Wines have decided to close their doors after today until further notice. We have just showed you how wonderful this family owned winery is so please follow them on socials and they will let us know when they reopen so we can flood them with love and support.
Udder Delights
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Cheese and crackers, cheese baguettes, cheese jaffles, cheese fondue… this is Adelady heaven! In the fires, Udder Delights sadly lost an enormous amount of product due to smoke damage at their factory. Fortunately, they always keep their Udder Delights store fully stocked. So, while they continue to churn out ALL THE CHEESE, you can enjoy a free cheese tasting, a delicious lunch, or if you’re living on the edge, book in a fondue experience! Melted, gooey cheese over local pickled onions, cornichons, meats, fruits and warm crusty bread — it’s to die for! Oh and apart from cheese, I also had the best dirty chai I’ve ever tasted, and I’m a massive dirty chai snob!
Golding Wines
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What a beauty! Before and after the fires, Golding Wines is a true hidden gem. They lost 95 percent of their vines in the December fires, but due to a miracle, Mother Nature managed to save their cellar door and gorgeous property. Lucy and Darren Golding and their team were back to business as usual a week later and the family are still overwhelmed with the community support they’ve received. So, pop in and try one of their amazing wine flights, stay for a platter in their cellar door, or cosy up with a glass of red and one of their wood fired pizzas… it’s up to you! It also happens to be the most magical setting for a wedding, with both outdoor and indoor event spaces.
Melba’s Chocolate Factory
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A change of wind and a dash of good luck is what saved Melba’s on December 20, 2019. I mean, nobody neeeeeeds an excuse to visit a chocolate factory but the fact that Easter is around the corner just sweetens the deal. Owner and our good mate Tom, even gave us a couple of cheeky ways to enjoy chocolate this Easter. For the kids, try smashing one of Melba’s chocolate eggs and putting it inside a freshly toasted hot cross bun, making the chocolate melt inside. I mean, YUM! And for the adults, in a non-violent way, remove your chocolate Bilby head and pour in a dash of Baileys. The choccie slowly seeps it’s way into the Baileys and SHUT THE FRONT GATE, it’s delicious!
Cleland Wildlife Park
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It’s surprising how many South Australians have either never been to Cleland or haven’t visited since primary school. But you don’t have to wait until you have kids of your own to have yourself a field day at Cleland! Within 7 minutes of being there, we were feeding friendly kangaroos and making besties with the Tassie Devil. But the absolute stand out for us was the koala experience! Matilda, Brownie, Trevor and Tahlulla, they’re just a few of the beautiful koalas who are cared for at Cleland. All the Cleland keepers are so passionate about making sure all their koalas are happy and stress free, which makes us love the wildlife park even more.
LOT 100
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100 stars for LOT 100! You’ll arrive with your jaw on the floor, because this place is outstanding! A giant cellar door, gin distillery and out-of-this-world views of the Adelaide Hills, what more could you want? Pizza? They have that too! Wood fired pizzas, gourmet meals, shared plates, platters, they have it all at an A-Grade standard. What about weddings? You bet! With so many amazing spots around the property, you’re spoilt for choice as to where you say “I do!” You can even go home with your own personalised gin using local botanicals.
Earthship Ironbank
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Fifty weekends, three summers and over 100 volunteers — that’s how long it took to make this off-the-grid 100 percent sustainable accommodation. While it might look like it’s in the middle of Greece, it’s actually in Ironbank, somewhere between Blackwood and Stirling. Every element of this building has been considered to be as environmentally friendly as possible, with solar panels on the roof, a pipe system creating the ideal temperature all year round, and beautiful decor created from empty bottles and cans. Disconnect from your busy day-to-day life, relax in the green room, warm yourself by a bonfire, and feast on brekky provisions that come straight from the backyard. Bliss!
