22nd Jan 2018 by brandsa2018

Top three spots to ‘glamp’ in SA … and how to do it in style!

I Choose SA, Lifestyle
glamping, Holidays, Lists, Outback, outdoors

We are spoilt for choice when it comes to local holiday destinations in South Australia – be it resorts, holiday homes or caravan parks.

But have you ever thought of glamping?

For the uninitiated, ‘glamping’ is shorthand for glamorous camping, and involves accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those usually associated with traditional camping.

So, pack the car – leave the sleeping bag at home – and set off for one of these top three SA glamping destinations.

A six-course feast with matched wines? Yes please!

1. For the wine lover

Located in the Coonawarra wine region, 7km north of the township, is Bellwether Wines – a boutique winery, community kitchen, cellar door, produce garden and campground.

It’s every wine lover’s dream – stay at a winery and see/experience the wine being made during vintage.

The foodies of the family are also looked after, as you can cook your own meals using fresh herbs and produce from the garden including fresh eggs.

Bellwether Wines also offers you the chance to dine at the ‘Table for Twelve’.

Imagine sitting in an 1868 shearing shed, around a former wool sorting bench turned dining table, ready to enjoy a six-course degustation cooked by your own personal chef, while wines are selected by the winemaker.

The campground features 10 sites, including four with beautiful Bell tents, surrounded by magnificent 500-year-old red gums and a central communal campfire.

Prices start from $200 per night.

You don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to go on safari.

2. For the safari seeker

The Wilpena Pound Resort is an amazing way to escape the ordinary and enjoy outback hospitality and the extraordinary beauty of one of the earth’s oldest landscapes.

While much of the region’s accommodation are located on the outskirts of the Ikara Flinders Ranges National Park, the Ikara Safari Camp is the only accommodation located within the park.

The glamping site features 15 high quality spacious and powered safari tents.

Each tent has an ensuite bathroom, king sized bed, mini bar, reverse cycle air-conditioning and ceiling fan, private deck and fire pit. Accommodation options are available for couples and families.

Breakfast is served daily in the main tent while a lounge area allows guests to relax and socialise.

Prices start from $320 per night.

Get amongst nature in all its glory.

3. For the wilderness warrior

The Gawler Ranges is located 600km north west of Adelaide on the Eyre Peninsula and is home to Gawler Ranges Wilderness Safaris.

The small family owned and operated business specialises in the wildlife and nature the region has to offer.

Kangaluna Camp – the glamping site – has been developed by owners, Geoff and Irene Scholz, from a lifetime’s experience of trekking and camping.

The luxury safari tents feature two bedrooms, as well as their own bathrooms which use rainwater collected from the site.

The camp also has a central dining room which is a great place to relax, socialise and enjoy nature at its harmonious best.

Top five tips for glamping in style

1. Pack a capsule wardrobe of basics in neutral colours that mix and match. We’re talking t-shirts, tank tops, shorts and a light jacket for cool evenings.

2. Bring footwear that’s functional and fashionable. Good quality hiking boots and sneakers for daytime adventures and the old faithful flip-flops for when you need to throw something on in a hurry are your best bet.

3. Hats are stylish but also sun smart. We all remember the ‘no hat, no play’ policy at school and it goes without saying it’s a philosophy we should still be following as adults. Pack a hat or two to wear on your glamping getaway such as a wide-brimmed straw hat, fedora, baseball cap or a floppy felt hat.

4. Bring photoshoot props you can use, eat and drink. For those that like to ‘gram their getaways, pack props that can perform double duty. Think: wine, cheese, books, playing cards, board games. Once you’ve captured that perfect photo, you can put the phone down and finally enjoy all the activities!

5. Pack a first aid kit. Not cute, but essential. OK so this isn’t a fashion tip as such, but no one looks good or feels great when they’re covered in mosquito bites or – worse – sunburn.

Sonia Bavistock is a fashion and lifestyle blogger and also has her own social media management and copywriting business. Sonia is passionate about all things South Australia and can often be seen dining out with a glass of wine in hand.

1st Dec 2017 by brandsa2018

No loneliness for SA’s outback cop and her sidekick roos

Regional
Far North, Outback, Regional

Patrolling the red sandy plains of Murputja 1200km from Adelaide, and outback cop Tiffany Greig is far from lonely.

Despite working at the most remote police station in South Australia, the Senior Constable is often joined by a pack of crime fighting sidekicks – rescued joeys, wild dingoes and a kelpie named Kip.

Senior Constable Greig works in the Aboriginal community of Murputja in the APY Lands, just south of the Northern Territory border.

It’s not unusual to spot a rescued joey in the back seat of her 4WD police patrol vehicle.

Nor is it surprising to find her walking Kip with a pack of wild dingoes, George, Teddy, Daisy and Rosie, trailing behind.

While keeping the community safe might be Senior Constable Greig’s primary job, she’s also a bit of a social media star.

A post shared by Tiff Greig (@outbackcop_tiff) on Mar 27, 2017 at 9:49pm PDT

//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js Senior Constable Greig with TV star Ernie Dingo.

Her Instagram page has built up a following of 3000 people who can view her experiences with locals, tourists, and wildlife.

Senior Constable Greig was inspired to share with the world her life as a Far North cop when rugby union star Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins was passing through Leigh Creek.

She says the sportsman suggested using Instagram to help promote the region and share a day in the life of an outback cop.

“Ever since then people have taken an interest in this female copper and her joeys,” Senior Constable Greig says.

Throughout her policing career she has cared for seven joeys, rescued from the roadside after their mothers were hit by cars.

The star of her Instagram page is adopted baby roo Quinn, who recently died from a snakebite.

She says an Instagram photo of the pair in the front bar of renowned outback pub The Prairie Hotel has been viewed one million times.

A post shared by Tiff Greig (@outbackcop_tiff) on Mar 24, 2017 at 6:10pm PDT

//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js A joey walked into a bar … and became an Instagram star!

In September, the duo even appeared on Channel 10’s The Project.

“He was always a hit with the tourists and great for community engagement and talking about road safety with kangaroos,” Senior Constable Greig says.

“He was a good icebreaker.”

Working alongside one other police officer, she says Murputja and the surrounding area’s crime rate is extremely low.

“We drive around the community and are usually able to nip things in the bud before they happen,” Senior Constable Greig says.

“Our job involves a lot of community engagement – the Anangu people are very gentle and have quite a calming culture.

“We have some really good yarns with the elders.”

A post shared by Tiff Greig (@outbackcop_tiff) on Oct 9, 2017 at 1:22am PDT

//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js A typical day as a Murputja police officer involves engaging with locals.

Senior Constable Greig was born in the UK, moving to Australia as a child.

Before joining the police force she studied at university and worked in the wine industry for more than a decade.

But a slow burning desire to become a policewoman eventually took over and so she joined the force in late 2009.

“It was a good time to be a female in the police force and I think I had enough life experience to be successful at it,” she says.

“I was first posted to Berri in the Riverland for my probation period of two years.”

A post shared by Tiff Greig (@outbackcop_tiff) on Oct 23, 2017 at 8:40pm PDT

//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.jsPatrolling along the Birdsville Track. PHOTO: @kayt_southaustralia.

Senior Constable Greig then headed to Coober Pedy, attending anything from small-scale thefts to major drug trafficking operations.

She also completed a stint at Ceduna before taking a position at Leigh Creek where she patrolled along the remote Birdsville, Strzelecki and Oodnadatta tracks.

Now at Murputja for the past three months, she works two weeks on one week off.

“Last night it was completely still outside except for a chorus of crickets,” Senior Constable Greig says.

“I’m constantly inspired by the landscape … you can see for miles.”

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7th Jul 2017 by brandsa2018

Bakery thrives in outback ghost town

By Melissa Keogh

The ghost town of Farina in outback South Australia is the last place a traveller would expect to be met with the aroma of freshly baked bread.

But that is exactly what visitors to the almost forgotten remote town will find – in addition to freshly baked pies, pasties and buns.

Farina in the State’s Far North, 55km south of Marree where the Oodnadatta Track commences, has a population of zero but is popular with history buffs, campers and, of course, meat pie lovers.

For eight weeks during winter, volunteers flock to Farina and fire up an old underground wood-fired Scotch oven.

Aside from the bakery PHOTO: Rob Fairweather.

Farina is rich in history, character and charm. PHOTO: Lydia Strutton.

They bake hundreds of goods for hungry visitors, who can also explore old buildings and ruins scattered across the landscape.

The man behind the oven mitts is experienced South Australian baker Martin MacLennan, who says people’s reaction to the bakery’s existence is always the same.

“Gobsmacked – they can’t believe it,” he says.

“We have people come especially to Farina for the bakery – it’s very much on the map now.”

Martin MacLennan is the man behind the oven mitts. PHOTO: Rob Fairweather.

Men, women and children of Farina c.1990. SOURCE: State Library of South Australia.

Men, women and children of Farina c. 1900. SOURCE: State Library of South Australia.

Farina is located on the former alignment of the Ghan railway.

It was settled in 1878 for farming and at its peak was home to 380 people, a bakery, a hospital, two hotels, and a post office among other buildings.

But Farina slowly fell into disrepair and was completely abandoned in the 1980s.

About a decade ago Victorian Tom Harding and his group of caravanners came across the ruins and discovered they were in significant decline.

The underground bakery churns out hundreds of baked goods every winter. PHOTO: Rob Fairweather.

Children gather outside the Farina post office, c. 1900. SOURCE: State Library of South Australia.

A Farina Restoration Group was formed and its volunteers from across SA and interstate have worked to preserve the town ever since.

At least $40,000 in bakery revenue every year goes back to the restoration group and its preservation efforts.

Volunteers also sell Farina merchandise which adds to the income.

There are plans for a new café, museum and training area in the underground bakery for trainee bakers, while a second oven was discovered behind one of the old hotels only weeks ago.

The bakery leads to the underground oven. PHOTO: Rob Fairweather.

Laucke Flour Mills has provided four tonne of flour to the bakery over the years and Martin says this winter has been one of the best yet.

“The bakery continues to get busier and busier,” he says.

“It is the linchpin of the town.”

The Farina bakery is open until July 23.

Check out this amazing drone footage of Farina captured by Jacqui Kennedy of Get Twisted.