The best short break stays in South Australia

From ocean-side retreats to country piles and vineyard dwellings, these top SA picks present the perfect weekend.

The Frames, Riverland

A stay in the Riverland region is a chance to slow right down to the pace of the meandering Murray River. An architecturally unique couples’ retreat on a clifftop overlooking the river, the aptly named Frames offers three private villas each with its own pool, spa and balcony.

The Frames, Riverland. (Image: Cathy Edmonds)

Soak in the picture-perfect views of the landscape with a glass of local wine in hand. From staying put to exploring the river through its creeks and wetlands, choose to do as little or as much as you please while here.

Stay at the Frames, Riverland. (Image: Cathy Edmonds)

Arkaba Conservancy, Flinders Ranges

A Wild Bush Luxury property (which does exactly what it says on the tin), Arkaba is a remote 2400-hectare wildlife conservancy on the doorstep of Ikara (Wilpena Pound) that provides the chance to bed down in its rustic but beautifully restored 1850s homestead to just 10 guests at a time.

Arkaba Conservancy, Flinders Ranges. (Image: SATC)

A stay here is an all-inclusive experience that includes bushwalking, 4WD safaris and immersion in both the landscape and local Adnyamathanha culture.

Sequoia, Adelaide Hills

Mount Lofty House has long been a favourite South Australian retreat: first as a summer house built in 1852 and latterly as a luxurious boutique hotel offering guests the ultimate country retreat and recharge.

Its newest addition, Sequoia lodge, offers a contemporary counterpoint to the hotel’s classic leanings complete with natural spring-fed onsen tubs and panoramic infinity pool.

Your stay will be complemented by unfiltered access to the nature surrounding you including Mount Lofty Botanic Garden and all the spoils of the Mount Lofty estate: from world-class wines and artisan food at Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant to ultimate indulgence at the on-site day spa. All in the aid of a truly regenerative weekend.

Inside the new Sequoia, Adelaide Hills. (Image: Aaron Sitti)

Naiko Retreat, Fleurieu Peninsula

South Australia does an excellent line in stylish, edge-of-the-earth coastal retreats that leave nothing between you and the swell of the ocean but some designer decking.

The show-stopping deck at Naiko Retreat, Fleurieu Peninsula. (Image: Tony Johnson)

Case in point, Naiko Retreat. Its distinctive curvilinear form comes courtesy of Max Pritchard Gunner Architects, the team behind Uluru-Kata Tjuta’s Longitude 131˚ and Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge (as well as its planned rebuild following the 2019/20 bushfires) and delivers the ultimate weekend refuge.

Naiko Retreat boasts sweeping views out towards Kangaroo Island. (Image: SATC)

A luxurious and sustainable stay for up to six people, it’s all pendant lighting, polished concrete floors and freestanding bathtubs that, making the most of the property’s hilltop position on a remote working sheep farm, afford sweeping views out towards Kangaroo Island.

Naiko Retreat offers a luxurious and sustainable stay for up to six people. (Image: SATC)

CABN X, McLaren Vale

A new concept from off-grid tiny house trailblazers CABN, CABN X takes the brand’s eco credentials a step further with its two new architecturally designed nature escapes, Giles and William, set within a biodynamic McLaren Vale vineyard; CABN will donate a portion of your stay to the CABN conservation fund as well as plant a native tree on your behalf.

CABN X is set within a biodynamic McLaren Vale vineyard.

My Sister & The Sea, Marion Bay

This adorable three-bedroom 1950s weatherboard cottage on the Yorke Peninsula’s Marion Bay is an ode to owners Sarah and Emma’s countless family holidays spent here: lazing on the deck in summer, reading by the fire in winter and exploring nearby Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. They invite you to do the same.

My Sister & The Sea, Marion Bay is a 1950’s weatherboard cottage.

Inside My Sister & The Sea, Marion Bay.

Seppeltsfield Vineyard Cottage

For a quintessential vineyard experience in the Barossa, find a cute cottage to bed down in for a few nights. Within walking distance to iconic Seppeltsfield Winery and FINO restaurant, this restored 1860s German settler’s cottage serves up all the best bits of the Barossa: food, wine, vineyard views and history.

Eos by SkyCity, Adelaide

Between its stylish and intuitively designed rooms with views over Adelaide, leisure deck with outdoor heated pool, sauna and spa, and plethora of eating and drinking options such as rooftop restaurant and bar Sôl, new Eos by SkyCity is the kind of city crash pad you could check into and forget to leave for a few days.

Eos by SkyCity, Adelaide. (Image: Michael Waterhouse Photography)