There’s something rather charming about driving through a wine region – row upon orderly row of vines, looking like a patchwork quilt if viewed from above and creating the same lush blanket of green from the ground for as far as the eye can see. Meandering hills and valleys gently rolling in smooth curves and mounds, magical early morning mists spilling over the undulating hills, gradually separating to unveil the rich colour beneath and a certain stillness and unhurried pace to life – after all, you can’t hurry the creation of good wine so why hurry anything else? Yes, you’ll definitely feel your pulse start to slow as you contemplate all the ways in which you can enjoy a delightfully relaxing stay in Barossa Valley. 

In any discussion of fine Australian wine, Barossa Valley will spill forth from the lips of those in the know as this is one of Australia’s most successful wine growing regions, consistently producing high quality and award winning wines known the world over, with household names such as Penfolds and Wolf Blass, amongst smaller boutique labels. When you go there you will immediately sense the distinct European flavour of the area, deriving from the early settlement of the area by Germans in the mid nineteenth century. Fleeing religious persecution in Prussia and Silesia, the predominantly German settlers created a little piece of home in South Australia. The Germanic influence is strongly present even today, with a certain orderliness about the towns - clean lines, manicured gardens, gothic churches and steeples and well tended cottages. The miles of vines stretch across the horizon and pull you inwards to take a closer look at their wares. 

There is of course more to Barossa Valley than the wine, but it certainly constitutes an excellent reason to justify more than a weekend in this beautiful corner of the world. 

So, how could you spend a weekend in the Valley? 

What to do in Barossa Valley

Hot Air Ballooning: Firstly, even if early mornings aren’t your forte it is worth making the extra effort to rise early and take a hot air balloon flight over the Valley. The first morning you arrive in the area is obviously the best time to do this, as your remaining mornings may be somewhat muzzy once you have discovered the delights of the local grape! Seeing Barossa Valley from above provides a whole new perspective as you peer down on the thousands of vine rows standing to attention like ranks of soldiers, the pure density of the lush green carpet covering the hills, separated now and then with dividing paths of dusty roads and creeks and dotted with steeples reminiscent of little village churches in Europe. It is an awe inspiring sight that will quickly have you forgetting the desire you had that morning to pull the covers back over your head. 

The balloon flight is never complete without a glass of the region’s fine wine on landing, even if it does feel slightly too early to be partaking of the grape (you’ll soon change your mind on this one once you’ve been in the region a couple of days!). 

LavenderFarm: So, you’re wide awake and spellbound by your surroundings, your eyes have been astonished by the beauty of all you’ve seen, your taste buds are tingling from a glass of the vintner’s finest, what better way to continue the awakening of the senses than by taking a trip out to Lyndoch Lavender Farm in the lower Barossa Ranges? Your nose will thank you for it! 

The Farm grows over 50 varieties of Lavender over 6 acres of land and is a colourful interlude to the surrounding vineyards. Here you can wander among the perfumed grounds and browse the wide range of products such as body oils, seeds, foods, all infused with the delicate fragrance of the home grown lavender. Stop for a mid-morning cup of tea and a scone with lavender cream. 

Norm's Coolies: Now that your senses have been awakened, there’s one more stop off before you make a beeline for the vineyards to quaff your way through the afternoon....and the local wine cellar stock! A great pre-lunch trip would be to visit Breezy Gully Farm, near Tanunda, for an open air performance with a difference. Here the farm owner Norm delights in putting his army of sheepdogs through their paces before an audience. The dogs seem to love an audience too as you can’t help but feel they are putting on their best show for you. These are sharp and intelligent dogs and it’s not hard to see why Norm is so proud of them.
 
Vineyards: Ok, so you’ve had a relaxing morning, finally it’s time to head to the vineyards, which is, after all, what Barossa is famous for. The only dilemma is this: which one??!! With over 50 wineries in the region you’re spoilt for choice. Each is unique in character, some are small and sell boutique wines, some are huge with a wine list as long as your arm to choose from, some have a homely feel to them, others a grandiose ostentation about them. All produce fine wine! If you are a wine connoisseur you’ll probably have already done your homework and will head for those wineries producing your favourite tipple, be it Shiraz or Riesling. But for the most of us, who love wine but don’t live and breathe it, you’ll probably make your decisions based on instinct as you travel through the main vineyard region. 

Talking of which, the best way to make your way around is undoubtedly by cycle, unless you have an alcohol free designated driver! Besides, cycling gives you a real sense of the slow pace of life and this is half of the appeal, those bygone days where people had time to stop and chat with passers-by and to stand under the shade of a tree mid-afternoon and gaze out over the horizon. You get a sense that life’s still like that here and it will transport you a million miles away from any usual humdrum routine you might have back at home. 

If you’re after a small personal vibe, then Rockford Winery would be a good start. No slick sales patter here, just a good honest yarn with the family who make the wine so you’ll feel right at home as well as learning a bit of insider knowledge about the winemaking process. For lunch head to Yaldara winery where the food is almost as good as the grape and you can have a hearty lunch (which you’ll need to temper all those afternoon tastings to come!) overlooking the picture postcard landscape surrounding you, nicely set off by the North Para River. 

Back on the cycle, by now you’ll probably be chilled enough to stop in wherever the mood takes you! Lazy days and Sundays all rolled into one very enjoyable afternoon! 

The Lego Man: Don’t be surprised if you wake up a little worse for wear next morning.....probably wise to take it a little easy to start off with! A fun outing while the wine cloud is dissipating would be to visit Tom Lucieer’s astounding Lego collection. Tom (also known locally as ‘The Lego Man’) has been avidly collecting since the late 1950s and has built a remarkable collection of Lego models from space stations to medieval castles, from a circus and zoo to a fully working model of a railway complete with trains whizzing past you as you look on with childish glee! This is the best you can get short of Lego Land! 

The Whispering Wall: With the childish streak firmly implanted what better way to cultivate it further than by paying a trip to the ‘Whispering Wall’ at Barossa Reservoir? Once the highest dam in Australia, it is now famous for its audio-bounce from one side of the wall to the other. Give it a go and you’ll soon have the giggles as you whisper to your friend standing over 140 metres away in the opposite lookout. Whisper as softly as you like and you’ll be truly amazed when your friend hears every word and bounces back a response in a hushed whisper that somehow you can hear loud and clear despite the distance in between. Of course, the giggles will resonate throughout too! The dam wall is one sector of a perfect circle, allowing the sound waves to bounce in a series of straight jumps to the other end picking up the whispered murmurings as though you were standing right next to each other. 

Art and National Parks: After the morning’s fun and laughter you’ll probably feel the lure of the vintner’s elixir again and what better way than to enjoy a glass or 2 of fine wine at one of the vineyards with a lunch of bread and equally fine cheese? Once you have regained your composure from the morning’s hilarities you can indulge the cultural side of your character with a visit to one of the region’s art galleries to take in some of the local talent or you might prefer to walk off lunch among a wealth of native trees and flowers at the gorgeous 390 hectare Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park. Both ideas would be great choices. 

Whatever you do, Barossa Valley offers an abundance of feel good places and activities. The best time to visit is spring and summer when there are often festivals taking place with names such as Barossa Vintage Festival, Barossa under the stars and Barossa Jazz and Music Festivals. Mixing wine with good music has never been so pleasurable! 

The least scenic time to visit is during winter (July to October), when the vines have been heavily pruned and the plush green carpet of the sloping hills has become somewhat threadbare. 

Sleeping

Barossa Valley caters for every taste and pocket, although there is in particular a multitude of B&Bs. In some ways, a B&B is the perfect place to book for your stay in the area as the Barossa locals are known for their warm hospitality and friendliness and you are likely to pick up tips for places off the beaten track or not in the guidebooks that you might otherwise not have known about. Local knowledge of the area is not to be under estimated.

Getting there and around

The most direct route is from Adelaide on the Main North Road via Elizabeth and Gawler. However, the scenic routes via the East is through Springton and Eden Valley.
This is a great area to hire a car (except on wine tasting days!), but Barossa Valley Coaches also run daily services to and from Adelaide.
Once there, hiring a cycle is one of the most popular options and also a lot of fun too, although you’ll still need to be careful after a few glasses of vino!!