I have just had the most lovely couple of days with my mum and her friend Pauline here on the Limestone Coast. People I know! Here in South Australia! Fabulous.
We trotted ourselves down to Robe pretty quick smart, the beautiful seaside village boasts some serious retail therapy, a coffee roaster and delicious food. Silly me though forgot to put a memory card actually in my camera, but that’s only given me an excuse to head back there to show all you lovelies the sights of Robe.
Cellar doors at Padthaway were our next stop. I drive past the vineyards on my way to town but was waiting to have visitors to really explore and drive up those pretty driveways. Padthaway Estate is a gorgeous historic winery – think crumbling limestone buildings and wine tastings in the old stables. With crunchy Autumn leaves underfoot we explored the rather grand homestead and gardens. The whitewashed cottage is the oldest building in the Tatiara (the shire which we live in) and is now home to the resident chef. The history here was impressive – extraordinarily old, quaint and very ‘South Australia’.
With several bottles of sparkling clinking in the boot we drove down the road to Henry’s Drive cellar door. This time not such a historic property but stunning nonetheless. A modern but classic limestone building resembling an old church or barn with a cracking view over the vines and surrounding farmland.
We settled in for a pizza and crisp white in the sunshine on the deck. Divine.
Padthaway, I’ll be back. Well not ‘back’, I live here after all! Having these local treasures on our doorstep is brilliant – we’re very lucky. Mum and Pauline headed back to Victoria this morning, a bit poorer for the retail spoils of Robe and Naracoorte and me a bit richer for having some company for a few days and showing off our new home here on the Limestone Coast.
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Padthaway Estate is on the Riddoch Highway in Padthaway, South Australia. They specialise in sparkling wines and have renovated shearer’s quarters for accommodation as well as the historic homestead bed and breakfast. Henry’s Drive is on Hodgson’s Road in Padthaway, South Australia. They have wine tastings, coffee and light meals. Both cellar doors are open 10am-4pm daily. The Limestone Coast is 3 hours south-east of Adelaide and 6 hours west of Melbourne.
Sharon says
I’m seeing similarities between your house and some of the others in their verandahs, which seem to different to those up here. Different climates and all I suppose. Must be fascinating to live in an area with such history, there isn’t that much up here, or little remaining anyhow, and very much more widespread as well. Thanks for the little tour, I really must get out my map book and study this new fascinating and until recently unknown-to-me part of the country!
Emma says
Yes a lot of the houses and buildings around these parts are like our farmhouse. Everything made from limestone so it doesn’t make it overly special?! I am finding all the OLD things fantastic, where we grew up it wasn’t overly historic. Apparently a lot of the gold rush migrants landed in Robe to avoid Victorian taxes on arrival and pushed their wheelbarrows overland to Bendigo/Ballarat gold fields, hence the history. Fascinating! Get out your atlas 🙂