In a new travel series, CityMag checks out where to check in for a night, this time visiting Kingsford The Barossa.

When we arrive at the entry to Kingsford The Barossa, a friendly voice comes over the intercom welcoming us through the electric gate. But with a Bentley Bentayga on our tail, it left CityMag under some serious driving pressure.

We follow the long winding track to the Homestead and accidentally miss two Kingsford staff waving for our attention.

As they chase us by foot up to the car park – huffing and puffing – they tell us they were supposed to valet park our car. Whoops. I guess we were too distracted by the $395,000 car behind, and the other Mercedes and Porsche SUVs in the car park.

Feeling a little out of our depth, I walk into the lobby wearing jeans, a crop t-shirt and sneakers, with my partner wearing a fluorescent Jimi Hendrix top (which he unwillingly changed shortly after).

In the lobby, we bump into other guests in trench coats, heeled boots and jewellery that glistens in the light.

It only took one quick conversation with Brendan Proctor, the activities guide, to settle our out-of-place nerves and make us feel at home.

“If you stay at a hotel, you’re just a number,” Brendan tells us.

“This whole business, how this works is that you need to make guests have a second home. This is their second home.

“So just the little things like ‘Claudia, Jimmy, how are you guys, how you guys doing?’ Then you’ve remembered something about them, like ‘Jimmy changed his shirt’, you know like, ‘Claudia was not happy’.

“You’ve personalised that experience.”

This culture is important to the Kingsford The Barossa brand.

“Especially like staff wise, with a tight-knit group, you’ve got to feel like that’s a family because that resonates over to your guests,” Brandan says.

“It’s like you’re coming into a family home – but it’s a luxury family home. You’re still working, but that’s what separates you because then they go away and they come back and they see that same stuff, so you come back in.

“So from a business standpoint, that’s why you want longstanding employees, because when people return, they come back in and they go ‘Madison, how you been?’ I think that’s the difference.”

Brandan takes us on a tour of the entire Homestead, relaying facts about the history of the different rooms – we stayed in the Matilda King suite – how McLeod’s Daughters was filmed here and how Kerry Packer himself once owned the place from 1999 to 2008 and left a spot for his helicopter to land when he visited.

“The homestead was built and well completed in 1856, but it was used as a working farm all the way up until Kerry Packer bought it in ’99,” Brendan says.

When the space was purchased by the Ahrens family in 2008, they rebranded and reopened as Kingsford Homestead, and deemed themselves as a boutique luxury accommodation.

In 2020, they extended the space and introduced the lodge, bars, conservatory, new suits and wine vaults in a function room with the “longest table within a resort in Australia”.

“Random record. We’ll take it, but random,” Brandan says.

“But the wine vault was built for space and events. It’s unique…so the wine is a big thing so that’s understandable.”

This 2020 renovation also introduced Kegelbahn – a nine-pin bowling alley that is a “throwback to the German history”.

“When these guys came over on the boats, in 1839, they had dreams to farm and be successful [after spending] six months on a boat,” Brandan says.

“They get over here, and everyone sets up their homesteads, and then it’s ‘alright, business is done. Let’s have a bit of fun’.

“The problem is Kegel was outlawed in the UK, in Europe, and in the States. The reason it was outlawed was it stemmed from the military.

“So military were finding these generals and soldiers [and they say] ‘we get addicted playing Kegel’. There are probably some discipline things going on, but the main thing was it’s too addictive.

“So they get together and go ‘what can we do about this? Let’s ban this’ because that always works. If you ban something really fun and make it illegal, people are definitely going to stop doing it. It worked with prohibition, not.

“So what happens? It goes underground. You get illegal gambling, organised crime, you know, like some dodgy dealing and Kegal.”

Brendan then explains that when they came over to Australia, they were in a free colony” and rebelliously began playing Kegal again, but this time it was legal.

The restaurant, Orleana, served curated seasonal meals such as roam Wagyu sirloin and a 17-hour lamb rib in the seven-course à la carte menu.

The space overlooked the entire estate – which was particularly special during our breakfast sitting – as it provided a tranquil and calming view.

Kingsford The Barossa is fit for groups or couples. Though it’s only a short drive from other Barossa wineries and restaurants, the activities within the homestead will entertain and keep guests occupied for the stay. These activities include a walk around the estate, a tour of the homestead by Brandan, swimming in the pool and – of course – a few rounds of Kegelbahn.

CityMag’s highlight was a trip to the billabong on the estate where a wine and food tasting was prepared by the fire (though this is a seasonal experience).

Kingsford The Barossa is located at 68 Kingsford Road, Kingsford. Find out more on their website. 

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