Come Away With Me: 48 Hours in South Australia

Starting point

I think a lot of us can identify with the need to travel - the yearning for adventure, all the flights of fancy that we daydream about, and the actual flights that we get onto. I mean, who doesn't love a break from real life?

Where we landed

As such, I'm starting a new series on the blog that is tilted more towards lifestyle, but don't worry, these won't be lengthy reports on how fancy I am when I travel - if only! I live a champagne inspired lifestyle on a prosecco budget, so it will really be more about mini breaks and small trips away. All little things to add to the memory bank for the times when I'm stressed, and I have something positive to uplift me, so come along on my adventures, and find out what you can really do in the span of 48 hours in South Australia!

Everyone knows that if you buy your tickets waaaaaaay in advance, you can catch some flights at a very decent price. Hence, I was elated very early last year (you read that right) when the Jetstar sales happened, and I snapped up some tickets to Adelaide for the two of us at around $184 return from Sydney. That's right - less than $100 each to get there and back!

Of course, this meant that we did have some horrifically early flights, but such is the price you pay for a bargain. It also meant that we had two full days there during which we got up to a lot! Once we landed on Friday, we headed straight to the counter to grab our rental car before going out to our very first and most important of stops - the Haighs factory!

Did you know that they have a factory in Adelaide, which is where those divine chocolates are from, and that they also have factory seconds, in addition to the usual offerings found in store? Hello, more affordable chocolates! 

After that, we went out to the Barossa Valley, while snacking on our new purchases the whole way. We managed to hit up the following wineries:

• Greenock Creek Wines
• Hentley Farm Wines
• Kaesler Vineyards and Winery
• Torbreck

In between, we went to the Linke's Bakehouse and Pantry for a bit of lunch, which, while satisfying, wasn't entirely to my taste. Did you know that the Barossa Valley wineries have an agreement amongst themselves regarding the sending of a mixed batch of wine to the buyer? This meant that we could purchase wines at different places, then send it all back to Sydney with a flat fee at a winery of our choosing - no need to free up any space in the luggage! And of course, that was handy, because we only had carry on luggage with Jetstar, and they can be notoriously strict.

Once we got back to the city, we checked into our hotel, the Ibis Hotel on Grenfell Street, where we had a beautiful view of the mountains. We even managed to squeeze in a bit of sightseeing of the city and I have to say, Adelaide, you're one hell of a city! It's just so beautiful, and well maintained - Adelaide stole my heart that weekend.

We then ended the day with a very amazing meal at Restaurant Orana, which was recently named as the restaurant of the year by the Good Food Guide. This is an unmissable experience, so if you're in the mood to splash out big for a major meal, a once in a blue moon moment, and you happen to be in Adelaide, make sure you swing by and bring your appetite! I will say that this wasn't cheap, but it was worth it for a celebration. 

Suitably fuelled by good food and wine, and an excellent sleep in, we set off to the Barossa for another day of fun. This time, we managed to get to:

• Murray Street Vineyards
• Langmeil Winery
• David Franz Wines

As we started the day off later than anticipated, we had lunch at the first place we went to, and trust me on this one - if you're after a good ploughman's platter, this should be on your list! It was scrumptious and absolutely what we needed. Then, as the day wound down, we headed out to Mengler's Hill Lookout, which had a pretty backdrop and some very interesting sculptures. 

Once we had enough of the sun (it was a 37 degree day after all!), we headed into Tanunda to relax at Z Wine, which is both a cellar and a wine bar - great vibe, live music and some gorgeous wines! It was just an absolute shame that we couldn't eat anything then, because we were off to another degustation that evening!

It turned out that when we headed to Hentley Farm Wine on the first day, we had the loveliest, chattiest woman, Leeandra, behind the bar who managed to (through very little persuasion, let's be honest) squeeze us into their hatted restaurant for dinner on our second day there. It was one that my husband had been thinking of trying, and well, let's just say, we ate very well on our entire trip there! Dinner was another home run of amazingness, and sadly for my husband, I couldn't keep my eyes open on the trip back into the city, and the hotel, and had to snooze until we got back. 

It was with a tinge of sadness, and lethargy, given that the flight was early, that we boarded the plane to head back to Sydney. Adelaide and the Barossa were very good to us, and we had an amazing time, despite the heat and overeating.

For those who haven't been yet, what would you do there? For those who have, what would you have done differently?