Deep Creek · Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia
The last six kilometres are unsealed
Sleeps
Six, in three king rooms
Bathrooms
Three ensuites, each with a bath
Power & water
Off-grid solar, battery, rainwater
From Adelaide
Under two hours
A building that follows the hill
Max Pritchard drew a single curved form that lies along the contour rather than sitting on top of it. From the sea it reads as part of the ridge. From inside, the floor-to-ceiling glass runs the length of both sides, so the retreat never needs a blind drawn for privacy — there is no one to draw it against.
It is aligned east to west with a rear courtyard and long northern glazing, double glazed and argon filled, insulated for thermal mass. One low-emission wood heater warms the whole building, ducted through to the bedrooms. The evaporative cooling is for the handful of days a summer that need it.
Power is solar with battery storage and a backup generator. Water is rain, collected in tanks behind the building and filtered for drinking. Waste goes through a Biocycle system, a compost bin and worm farms. It has been eco-accredited since it opened.
Three rooms, and no best one
The bedrooms are identical on purpose, so nobody has to negotiate. Each has a king bed that splits into singles, its own ensuite with a freestanding bath and a walk-in rain-head shower, automated blinds, and windows that open so the sea puts you to sleep.
If you only need one or two rooms, the rate drops and the rooms you have not booked are locked. You still have the rest of the house, the deck and the property to yourself.
You are going to be cooking
The nearest town is thirty-five minutes away, which most guests treat as a feature. The kitchen is built for it: a 90cm gas cooktop, a 60cm electric oven with steambake, a full-size fridge, a dishwasher, and a Nespresso machine, kettle, toaster, slow cooker, sandwich press and Nutribullet.
The pantry already holds olive oil, balsamic, herbs, spices, condiments, flour, sugar, tea and coffee pods. Bring the rest from Drakes at Yankalilla, and bread from the bakery next door.
Or do none of that. Platters, prepared meals and a private chef can all come to you.
Who cooks, and what they cookEverything that is already here
Thirty-five minutes from the nearest shop is a long way to drive back for a corkscrew. This is the whole list.
- Living
- Open-plan living, dining and kitchen
- Invictus low-emission wood heater, ducted through to the bedrooms
- Floor-to-ceiling double glazing, argon filled, down both sides
- Energy-efficient DC ceiling fans throughout
- Evaporative cooling for the few days a summer that need it
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, if you want them
- Kitchen
- 90cm gas cooktop and a 60cm electric oven with steambake
- Full-size fridge and a dishwasher
- Nespresso machine, kettle, toaster, slow cooker, sandwich press, Nutribullet
- Pots, pans, crockery, cutlery, platters, glassware, bar accessories
- Pantry stocked with oil, balsamic, herbs, spices, flour, sugar, tea and pods
- Sleeping & bathing
- Three king bedrooms, each with its own ensuite
- Kings split into king singles
- Extra-deep mattresses and white bed linen
- Automated blinds, soft-touch reading lights, built-in wardrobes
- Freestanding bath and a walk-in rain-head shower in every ensuite
- Bedroom windows open, so you can hear the sea
- Outside
- Expansive front deck with outdoor lounge furniture
- Sheltered rear courtyard with a Weber electric BBQ
- Cold-water outdoor shower by the door
- Wicker picnic basket and beach chairs
- Four private walking trails, marked with stone Naiko waves
- Off-grid
- Solar and battery power with a backup generator
- Rainwater collected in tanks, filtered and safe to drink
- Biocycle septic system, compost bin and worm farms
- Eco-accredited since it opened
- No EV charging — the Retreat runs entirely off its own power
Four minutes down the track, and it is yours
A wicker basket and beach chairs by the door, and a cold outdoor shower for the sand on the way back. The resident dolphins come into the cove most weeks. From May to October the southern right whales go past.
Inside
What you can do without leaving
Massage in the Futuro
Normanville Remedial Massage · Sabai Thai Massage · Pause inHouse Wellbeing
The only way into the Futuro is to book a treatment. Remedial, deep tissue, myofascial release, or traditional Thai massage on a mat on the floor of a 1968 Finnish spaceship.
Yoga on the deck
Pause inHouse Wellbeing · Solace Massage & Yoga
A class on the deck with the sound of the waves underneath it. Suitable for people who have never stood on a mat. Moves inside if the weather turns, and the view is no worse for it.
A private chef, or a cooking class
Anita Robin, Foodbuilder · Le Cordon Bleu trained
Breadmaking, starters, fine dining, or a menu you design yourself — taught in the kitchen you're already staying in.
Dinner brought to you
Sarah Savage of Vacatering · TJ Marks · Malisa's Thai Kitchen
Breakfast hampers, platters, prepared meals, or a full private dinner served at the table with the sea in front of it.
Four private walking trails
Exclusive to guests
The Blowhole Beach walk, the History Walk, the Talisker Mine Walk and the Rarkang Loop — marked with stone markers cut with the Naiko wave. The Heysen Trail crosses the property on its way to the Flinders Ranges.
Beyond the house
Two thousand acres, and most of it is walkable
“Secluded paradise with the most spectacular view of KI. The private beach is delightful and the amenities are well-appointed. Bucket list item ticked off for sure!”
Brad Newman · January 2021 · one of 96 five-star reviews
Eco-accredited since it opened, five-star accredited for self-catering, and in the South Australian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame after winning Self-Contained Accommodation three years running.
What it costs, all of it
No resort fee, no cleaning fee, no bond. 50% deposit plus a 2% booking fee confirms the booking, and the balance is charged one month before you arrive. Visa, Mastercard and Amex accepted.
Two-night minimum · Check-in from 3pm · Check-out by 11am
All three bedrooms
- Monday – Thursday · $1,650 per night
- Friday – Sunday · $1,950 per night
Fewer rooms
- Two bedrooms · less 5%
- One bedroom · less 10%
- 15% discount when booking three nights or more
- Peak season rates may apply
- Unused rooms are locked and unavailable
- Maximum two guests per bedroom
