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Discover Adelaide with Avis

Hire a prestige vehicle from Avis, drive out of Adelaide, and treat yourself to a luxury break among vineyards and superb coastal scenery.

Could there be anything better than a getaway that combines the open road with beautiful countryside and coast? Head from Adelaide into South Australia’s McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Peninsula for a glamorous short break and you’ll find a region dense in boutique hotels, fine restaurants and cellar doors.

This is an indulgent getaway destination, so why not enjoy an elevated road-trip experience with the newly launched Avis Prestige, and hit the highway in style? What will it be: a McLaren 570S, Audi R8 Supercar, Porsche 911, or maybe a Ferrari 488? Prestige vehicles are limited and vary between locations – you’ll also find Avis Prestige in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sunshine Coast and Sydney – but they all ooze class and luxury.

START PLANNING YOUR TRIP

Muni restaurant at Willunga offers a stylish, contemporary pan-Asian degustation menu.

Drive to Langhorne Creek in a Lamborghini with Avis Prestige.

DAY 1: CITY TO SEA

The car-collection process couldn’t be easier with Avis’ innovative Digital Check In, and shortly you’ll be sliding behind the leather steering wheel of your prestige car. As you hit the open road you’ll feel the thrill of the luxury driving experience, whether you’re purring along in a Bentley Continental GT or testing the power of a Maserati GranTurismo.

McLaren Vale is a 40-minute drive, leaving you plenty of time to appreciate the day in this beloved wine region, which enjoys an enviable location between the buxom Mount Lofty Ranges and scalloped coastline of the St Vincent Gulf. Start at d’Arenberg, one of McLaren Vale’s best-known vineyards, where the uber-chic cellar door resembles a giant glass-and-steel Rubik’s Cube and offers a unique multi-sensory experience that explains the story of d’Arenberg wine.

You have a choice of some 80 cellar doors today, but for perhaps the best views, stop at Chalk Hill, which specialises in small-batch, handcrafted wines and interesting varietals such as Barbera, Savagnin and Sangiovese. You might alternatively be just as tempted by the gins at the adjacent distillery, where you can do a masterclass with a gin expert.

Just six minutes on, Wirra Wirra has a good behind-the-scenes cellar tour. The winery has a century of history but abundant contemporary style to match your prestige wheels. Have a cheeseboard or gourmet lamb-and-Shiraz pie at Harry’s Deli if you haven’t already indulged in top-notch pizzas at Pizzateca at Chalk Hill. Alternatively, the restaurant terrace at Angove Vineyards is a delightful spot for seared swordfish and muscatel ice cream.

Spend the afternoon exploring leafy Willunga, whose colonial-era buildings now house fashion boutiques and cafés. Hither & Yon’s cellar door occupies an 1860s butchery that still retains heritage features. Earmark Muni restaurant for later, and return for dinner – you might have to make a short backtrack, but it’s a good excuse for another spin in your fine car. Muni offers a stylish, contemporary pan-Asian degustation menu that you can match with excellent sake.

McLaren Vale's iconic d'Arenberg Cube.

Stay a night at Ukiyo House in Willunga.

DAY 2: COASTING ALONG

If you’ve spent the night at Ukiyo House in Port Willunga – which blends a Japanese architectural sensibility with Danish designer furniture and Italian kitchenware – then you can enjoy a morning walk on brilliant Port Willunga beach.

Distances are short, so this morning explore more of McLaren Vale, since it’s just the place for those who enjoy the finer things in life. You’ll be entering into that spirit in the cocooned leather interior of your hire car, whether you’ve chosen a stately, classic Rolls-Royce or a powerful Lamborghini. If you want to impress for a milestone celebration, or attend a special event such as a wedding, you couldn’t get about in any more eye-catching fashion.

A great place for lunch is Star of Greece on the waterfront in Port Willunga, where you can watch the waves as you tuck into squid or whiting from Kangaroo Island just across the bay. Wagyu fillet or confit duck leg are other options for anyone who has worked up a heartier appetite.

Then meander the Fleurieu Peninsula, whose weathered, rust-coloured limestone cliffs clash with clear blue water. Time to get active: you’ll find great surf at Waitpinga Beach and Parsons Beach, shipwrecks for scuba diving, and walks through Deep Creek National Park, where grey kangaroos nibble windswept grass. Keep an eye out for whales in the June-to-October migration season, also.

Overnight in a villa at Seascape Retreat, set on 75 acres of lush countryside above Victor Harbor. There are two great dining options nearby: The Range overlooks Mt Compass Golf Course and offers wood-fired duck breast and local lamb saddle while, in Port Elliot, Thunderbird matches tapas and seafood with McLaren Vale wines in a bistro-style setting.

Star of Greece in Willunga is the perfect lunch spot.

Turn heads by arriving in an Avis Prestige vehicle.

DAY 3: THE SLOW RETURN

Victor Harbor is a good place to start your day: the holiday and fishing town has several tranquil beaches that invite an early dip, and you can walk out to Granite Island on a causeway to admire views from the clifftops. The island has spectacular weathered boulders stained orange, set against a foaming sea.

Several other seaside towns invite a slow meander. Port Elliot is quite the foodie destination; even its Port Elliot Bakery draws the hungry from as far as Adelaide for its pies, buns and doughnuts. Continue to Goolwa, on the other hand, and you could settle in for a laidback lunch at Hector’s on the Wharf, where full-on water views are guaranteed.

No hurry to leave Goolwa. Visit Fleurieu Distillery, check out the works of local artists at Signal Point Gallery, or get up close to dolphins on an eco-cruise. By now you may be wishing you were lingering longer in this beautiful region – or that you had more drive time to enjoy the comfort, superior design and technology of your prestige car.

Do a tasting at Fleurieu Distillery in Goolwa.

Enjoy the pristine views at Port Elliot Jetty.

If so, no worries: with Avis, you can extend your car hire with a few clicks of the Avis App. If you want to stop the night, check into Mill Estate in Goolwa, where you can stay in a renovated 1853 cottage now laden with modern indulgences.

From Goolwa, a 40-minute drive takes you to Langhorne Creek, centre of a small wine region of the same name and known for its Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – Kimbolton Wines has charming views from the rooftop deck of its striking cellar door.

The Winehouse is another of the region’s very stylish venues that brings together four wine labels (and a craft beer) and has a restaurant with very tasty dishes such as sesame-crusted chicken, prawn pasta and pork scallopine.

Adelaide is in your sights: the airport is just 65 minutes away. It’s your last chance to get your motor running and enjoy the ultimate in automotive engineering. Well, until next time at least...
 

Travel luxuriously through the Adelaide surrounds in prestige cars and be driven by better at avis.com.au