Abbotsford Country House - Barossa Valley

We struck it lucky once again with our choice of Abbotsford for our accommodation, though as we travelled up the dirt roads on the last bit of our journey from Adelaide Airport we did wonder if we had got it right this time. We needn't have worried because we found ourselves at a custom designed homestead for what we English would call Bed & Breakfast, but this is B&B on steroids.

There is the main Homestead which the Maul family, four in all, lives in along with golden retriever Cooper. The building is well designed and so well laid out that we never did see either of the Maul children.

Guests take their breakfast in the enormous family kitchen with its very reassuring AGA cooker and the guests also have full use of an enormous lounge. For instance I set my computer up on a desk and left it there for the duration of our stay. There is wi-fi so you can remain connected to the world outside and I was able to begin the catch up process for the updating of my blog and photograph files. Breakfasts are excellent and whatever you want including heart attack fried bread with your fry up which by the way can include haggis if you want.

The guest rooms are in two custom built annexes which both contain four rooms. The rooms are big, have everything you want and have en suite bathroom which should more properly be called a wet room. Again the size is on a grand scale.

Abbotsford is located in the middle of the fields but in reality is not far off the main road and very handily placed for the local town of Lyndoch. You can see the vines from the Homestead along with fields of grass and cereals and with cattle, even highland cattle, alpacas and kangaroos all in neighbouring fields. This is the heart of Barossa, you can not get closer.

With vineyards like Charles Cimicky and Burge Family Wineries very close by you are very well placed for local wine tasting. Indeed it is no trouble to get to anywhere in the Barossa very quickly. The Eden valley can be reached in about 35 - 40 minutes if you do not get lost and use the dirt roads, and it is about an hour and quarter to Clare in the Clare Valley.

The Mauls have an extensive knowledge of all things local. They have personal contacts with all the restaurants and for me more importantly the vineyards. This local knowledge was invaluable and made for a really great stay.