Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor · Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia
Room for everyone, including you
Sleeps
Ten, across four bedrooms
For
Families, or two families
Outside
Pool, deck, working farm
To the water
A five-minute walk downhill
Built because six beds was not enough
Naiko Retreat sleeps six and cannot stretch. Enough people asked for somewhere that could take the whole family that the Johnsons built one, on a second farm, an hour up the coast at Encounter Bay. It opened in August 2025.
Max Pritchard Gunner Architects drew it, so the language is familiar: a long curved roof, cathedral ceilings, and glass on the side that faces the water. Three hundred and five square metres including the carport and stores.
The difference is what it is for. There is a pool, a rumpus room, a bunk room that sleeps four, and a great room big enough that ten people can be in it without anyone feeling crowded. Whalers is a five-minute walk down Jagger Road when nobody wants to cook.
The other one, at Deep Creek
Two wings, one great room
Each wing has a master bedroom with its own ensuite, so two couples can travel together without sharing a bathroom. A third king room shares with the bunk room, which sleeps four children. There is a fourth bathroom and a powder room, plus a rumpus for whoever needs to be somewhere else.
A pool, on a sheep farm
The deck runs off the living room to the pool, with the bay behind it. Beyond the fence there are sheep and cropping paddocks and, in the distance, Granite Island and Wright Island. Farm stay is usually a euphemism. Here it is just the address.
Everything is close
This is the practical difference between the two properties. At Deep Creek the nearest shop is thirty-five minutes away. Here, Whalers Seaside Dining is a five-minute walk, the Yilki Store and Beach House Café are ten, and Petrel Cove is about the same. Victor Harbor proper is minutes by car.
- 5-minute walk
Whalers Seaside Dining
Breakfast through dinner, kids' menu, ocean views
- 10-minute walk
Petrel Cove
Rock pools, cliffs, and far fewer people
- Minutes
The Bluff
The headland the property is named for
- 10-minute walk
Russell Bird Reserve
Along the Encounter Bay foreshore
- Short drive
Granite Island
The horse-drawn tram still runs across the causeway
Everything that is already here
Ten guests, four bedrooms and a teen room with its own television. Written out so nobody has to email and ask.
- Living
- Open-plan living room, dining and kitchen
- Olbia low-emission wood heater, Austrian designed and made
- High cathedral-like ceilings with the signature curve
- Family-friendly layout with several entertainment zones
- Large sliding doors straight out onto the deck
- Kitchen
- Induction cooktop and electric oven
- Double-door fridge with water and ice
- Separate drinks fridge
- Convection microwave
- Bluetooth sound system
- Sleeping & bathing
- Two master bedrooms, each with an ensuite
- A third and fourth bedroom sharing a third bathroom
- Bunk room with two double bunks, sleeping four
- Powder room
- Separate laundry
- Teen retreat
- Separate TV room for teenagers and kids
- Streaming services and Wi-Fi over Starlink
- Outside
- Large deck with outdoor lounge furniture
- Inground plunge pool
- Electric BBQ
- Parking
- Undercover parking
- Chargers for electric vehicles
The last light goes, and the house turns on
South-west facing, so the sunsets run over the bay. The great room lights up through full-height glass and the pool holds the colour after everything else has gone dark.
Inside The Villa
Brought to the door
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.
Down the hill
Dinner is a six-minute walk
Whalers Seaside Dining sits where Jagger Road meets Franklin Parade. Petrel Cove is seven hundred and fifty metres. The summit of The Bluff is a four-minute drive, and from the top you can see the whole of Encounter Bay.
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 self check-in from 3pm · Check-out by 10am
Off peak · 1 February – 30 November
- Monday – Thursday · $1,800 per night
- Friday – Sunday · $2,100 per night
Peak · 1 December – 31 January
- Monday – Thursday · $2,100 per night
- Friday – Sunday · $2,500 per night
- 15% discount when booking three nights or more
- Three bedrooms · less 5% · Two bedrooms · less 10%
- Other peak rates apply on long weekends and holidays
- Maximum two guests per king bedroom
