South Australia

Port Elliot Villa

Port Elliot From $800 per night viewretreats.com

It’s surprising that the Fleurieu Peninsula remains almost exclusively a holiday destination for South Australians because its blend of beach life, great wines and gastronomy has universal appeal. Port Elliot Villa occupies a dress-circle location overlooking the Southern Ocean, with walls of glass framing dynamic views of the sand, sea and sky. Its four bedrooms and two bathrooms are spaced over two floors of contemporary interiors colour-matched to the coast in whites and blues. It’s a short stroll from the house to Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot’s ridiculously photogenic main beach, where salt-crusted children leap from rocks into the sea and families congregate at the Flying Fish café for fish’n’chips served in a cone. If you can drag yourself away from the lazy, carefree life here, there’s plenty else on the peninsula to occupy happy families. Take a drive to Port Willunga, a popular surf spot that’s also a very family-friendly beach – not least for the cold beer and ice-cream on offer at the Star of Greece kiosk. Up on Sellicks Hill, the Victory Hotel is a magnet for group celebrations; adults catch up at the table while children play in the Victory’s big backyard. It helps that there’s a superb wine collection and, for the under-agers, mini Victory burgers and Golden Gaytimes. Family dinners at your home are also a definite possibility. Go to the Saturday morning Willunga Farmers Market for inspiration – it’s one of the best and most abundant growers’ markets in the country. Also, don’t forget to visit some of the 125 wineries in the region (mclarenvale.info).