Kingsford Homestead

The property is beautiful and the welcome by Bethany was excellent however, sadly. the experience went downhill from there. Our room was large and comfortable but had its challenges for two seniors, in that you had to go up 2 steps to the bathroom, which was a bit of a hazard at night time without any night light and the sliding door would not close properly without being noisily dragged with maximum effort. The reason I chose this room was the spa bath but that also had its problems with both my husband and myself struggling for about 10 mins to manage to push the button to activate it. We were also hoping to spend a quiet afternoon catching up on a series but discovered that for some reason we couldn't access Netflix on the TV. Apparently this is something they are still looking in to. Then for dinner that night, the setting was lovely for drinks by the fire but the long narrow dining room exuded zero atmosphere and my main course and dessert were very disappointing. Overall the property is quite lovely but we do not believe the overnight experience is worth the high price they are charging. We will definitely not be back!

The estate is absolutely beautiful. We visited in July, and everything was so green it looked like a postcard. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that Kingsford pays attention to the little details. We were greeted by staff waving as we drove up to the homestead, our bags were taken care of, and our car was parked for us. We were welcomed with a glass of champagne by the beautiful open fire while the staff talked us through our itinerary for the weekend. We did the ATV tour of the property followed by a picnic by the river, which was a real highlight. The food was amazing. I’d recommend taking a bottle of wine with you (or purchasing one from the estate), as the staff will have it chilled and ready for your picnic. We also enjoyed dinner at the onsite restaurant, and every dish was of a very high standard. The only real disappointment was the room. Considering the price, it felt a little underwhelming. We were allocated the accessible room, which meant there was no bathtub, and it was located beside the exit door to the homestead, so there was quite a bit of foot traffic and noise. If you’re booking, I’d recommend calling ahead and requesting an upstairs room. The bed also wasn’t a king it felt closer to a double, which wasn’t what we expected for this level of accommodation. The bowling alley was a lot of fun, and breakfast was very good, although service for coffee was a little slow. If you’re planning to visit local wineries, ring ahead and the staff can help organise a wine tour. We booked a private tour that picked us up from the estate and dropped us back afterwards, making for a very relaxing day. The McLeod’s Daughters atmosphere is definitely there, which is part of what drew us to Kingsford. I would have loved to see more information and memorabilia about the show throughout the property, particularly in the library. Since many guests are likely visiting because of the series, it would be a nice touch to include an option in the booking information asking whether guests would like some background on the show’s connection to the estate. Overall, this is the kind of place where the staff have one opportunity to make a lasting impression, as it’s not somewhere most people are likely to visit regularly due to the cost. They certainly impressed us with their warmth, service, and attention to detail. While we were slightly disappointed with the room, we still had a wonderful weekend at Kingsford and would happily recommend it to others.

I chose this place because years ago I loved watching McLeod’s Daughters, and this is where it was filmed. I was completely blown away by the surroundings, the homestead with its beautiful new extension, and the quality of the food and drinks. The setting is absolutely stunning. It was extremely easy to get around, we hired a car. We spent two nights here to end our South Australian getaway, and it was the perfect way to finish the trip. A very romantic short stay 😍

We were so excited to stay at Kingsford Barossa for our anniversary, but unfortunately it ended up being the most disappointing stay we’ve ever had — especially given the price. The property itself is stunning. When you arrive at the homestead and are greeted by staff, you feel like you’re about to experience something really special. But from there, everything went downhill. Dinner took over an hour to arrive, and the menu was printed on a simple A4 sheet. Several items weren’t even available. Breakfast the next morning was the same story — more than an hour’s wait. Even getting drinks took 20 minutes or more, which created a frustrating experience throughout our stay. For a place that markets itself as luxurious, nothing felt first-class. The towels in our own home are more plush. The room didn’t have the level of comfort or attention to detail we expected. And when it came time to leave, after being welcomed so grandly on arrival, we were directed out through the car park — a very odd and anticlimactic end to what was supposed to be a special stay. Having worked in major hotels around the world, I can confidently say this did not feel like a five-star experience. We were deeply disappointed, especially after looking forward to this anniversary trip for so long. For the price and the expectations set, it simply wasn’t worth it. I wouldn’t recommend Kingsford Barossa, and I truly wish our experience had matched the beauty of the property.

The accommodations are magnificent and the service outstanding. It’s strange there aren’t any reviews for this place since 2024, so here goes. We stayed in room 2 which is their superior homestead suite for two nights. The signature suite, room 1, was booked out for our dates, but they have view suites as part of a new development. We weren’t interested as we’d read positive reviews about the homestead’s character, though those comments seem to focus on the McLeods daughters connection, which we’ve never watched. Room 2 is spacious and cleverly uses mirrors, especially in the walk-in closet. The fit and finish of the room is first-class. The bathroom is huge and well-appointed, featuring a fantastic bath and a shower with multiple options. The bed is large and very comfortable. However, there’s no view in this room and despite its size, there’s no couch or lounge. There’s a small round table and two chairs, which aren’t ideal for lounging or sitting for long. You’ll need to go outside for that. As with any old two-storey house like this, you’ll hear the people above you and, if you’re unlucky, you might get what seems like endless stomping around above you. That was the case for us, but it’s mostly just the luck of the draw. Given that and the lack of a view, I wonder if the upstairs homestead rooms are a better option, even though the highest-priced rooms are downstairs. The real draw is the dining and breakfast area (see photo). It’s cleverly designed with floor-to-ceiling glass that offers a breathtaking view of the countryside. You might spot kangaroos at dinner and breakfast, and we even saw two rabbits chasing each other – quite entertaining. There are also many different birds. The dining and breakfast food (known as the Orleana Restaurant for dinner) is the subject of a separate review. The area and outlook are magnificent. The onsite service at Kingsford is exceptional. Martin in particular and Kasey at Orleana were fantastic. Another gentleman offered to mix drinks multiple times but I didn’t catch his name. He was also great, as was the lady from the Grampians area. We didn’t get her name either but she was fantastic. While there aren’t many activities at Kingsford, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. However, it does impact other aspects of the stay. For example, if your room doesn’t have a good view or a comfortable lounging area, you’re forced to leave the room. There are two sets of large lounges near Orleana, which I’d call a bar area. We visited them a few times to relax and organise photos, but the bar was always noisy and not conducive to our needs. We did get to look at the view suites out of curiosity and they’re a much better option for us. They’re modern (which is fine with us) and share the same view as the Orleana dining area with floor-to-ceiling glass. They also have a spacious wrap-around lounge where you can each comfortably relax for hours. The best two are the corner suites, which offer a wider view and even a small plunge pool. Suite 4 looks particularly appealing with an outdoor fire pit and chars nearby We chose a bush picnic, but I was worried about the setup and potential for flies or ants. To our relief, they were honest about flies being a bit of a problem. We discussed having the picnic indoors somewhere, but after arriving and discussing a few options, Martin later came and suggested using the corner of the Orleana area. It offered the best views and was completely private since it wasn’t used for lunch. It was a fantastic idea and the setup was lovely. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend it. It was a better option than battling the flies by the para river. See the photo – it was really nicely done. Thanks again to Martin and the former Grampians lady for setting it up. There’s a 1.5-hour ATV ride available across the property. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it due to an injury I had, but we did enjoy a short ATV ride on the dirt roads. This was thoughtful and greatly appreciated. On our second night, we dined outside at a delightful restaurant in Tanunda. This is a gem of a town and deserved more recognition or highlighting. It boasts fantastic fine dining alongside more mainstream and fun options. There’s a lovely homeware store called Sage and great coffee and goods at Hustle Cafe. We returned the next day after checking out to spend some time there before our drive back to Victoria. Tanunda is a fantastic place to visit and offers plenty. We had a wonderful time at Kingsford and were glad we stayed. If we went back, we’d choose view suite 4, another indoor picnic, the full ATV ride and, of course, Tanunda dinners and shopping. The service at Kingsford was truly outstanding.