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$AUD 722 per day

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A fully hosted retreat in historic seaside Goolwa, River’s End Retreat is the restored 1854 Younghusband cottage, named after the colonial politician of the area, that rests on the final bend of the Murray River. Jamie and Trudy Bishop are third generation custodians of the cottage, and hosts of your stay – providing homecooked meals, locals’ knowledge of the area, and spectacular company.

The large, fully-contained cottage is located on a quiet, local road and offers sweeping views of the Murray River. From the comfort of the front porch, soak up a panoramic view of serene riverside jetties, abundant birdlife including pelicans and warbling magpies, the historic Goolwa steam train station and railway tracks, and Hindmarsh Island resting across the water.

The cottage’s five spacious and comfortable guestrooms feature their own individual ensuite and storage built into the stone of the original cabin, while the large, open-plan living/dining room with wall- spanning French doors is the perfect space for entertaining, dining, and relaxing, while soaking up the incredible view.

Completely exclusive for guests’ use, on-site facilities include a library with gas fireplace perfect for spending a cosy afternoon in, heated outdoor salt pool, massage and art therapy room, spa bathroom with a deep tub, and games and function room separate from the main building with abundant outdoor entertaining activities.

Blending the historic with the contemporary, the furnishings throughout the retreat include repurposed artefacts from the area and objects from the cottage’s previous custodians, alongside comfortable modern décor. The finest hosted accommodation in the area, River’s End Retreat’s unique history and fantastic location invites its guests into blissful riverside luxury.

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Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1

Departing from Adelaide, your journey to River’s End will begin with a morning meet and greet with your private guide. After getting acquainted, sit back and relax in The Tailor’s luxury vehicle as you are taken on a brief journey to Mt. Lofty Summit, a lookout that offers panoramic views from Adelaide Hills to the shoreline, with clear views of everything in-between.

From this spot, your private guide will take you through scenic South Australian countryside. Journey through rolling hills, scenic vineyards, and charming townships nestled between coast and hills en route to your destination.

Your stops along the way will be tailored to your interests, whether that is wine, artisanal goods, wildlife, or something else entirely, but each stop will showcase local fare and immerse you into the fine produce and goods from the greater Fleurieu area.

Lunch will be held at a premium restaurant in the area. Spectacular dining destinations offer delicious modern Australian fare to suit all kinds of appetites, emphasising fresh and local produce with commanding views of the area. After finishing lunch, you’ll be taken to a local favourite, the eclectic d’Arenberg Cube that provides stylish 360° views of the region. A personal tour through the Cube will immerse you in five sensory levels, including a panoramic video room, scent to wine exhibition room, and an ever-changing art exhibition gallery, with opportunity to taste some of d’Arenberg’s quality varietals.

Once you’ve finished exploring The Cube, you’ll be back en route through stunning Fleurieu countryside and historic Goolwa until you arrive at your destination sitting nearly upon the Murray River itself, River’s End Retreat.

Upon arrival, you’ll become acquainted with your hosts, Jamie and Trudy Bishop, husband and wife duo. You’ll get settled into your comfortable rooms and be shown through the historic restored homestead, and will enjoy a homecooked meal showcasing local produce teamed with a selection of beverages from the Fleurieu region, the perfect way to settle into your accommodation for the next few days.

Day 2

Mornings at River’s End Retreat are an intimate and cosy affair, with shared breakfast, coffee and tea in the open-plan dining room, watching morning light shimmering over the Murray to ease you into a day of exploring.

After breakfast, make the short walk across the old steam train tracks to Goolwa Wharf, where you will board your shared charter boat for an immersive and educational cruise and tour of the beautiful Coorong National Park. A special place for many, this region is particularly important to the local Indigenous peoples, who have lived off this land for thousands of years.

Cruise to the Mouth of the Murray River, Australia’s largest river and see the journey end at the Southern Ocean. You will have the opportunity to walk through the sand hills, and step out onto one of Australia’s longest beaches. Your knowledgeable guide will show you around the land, and have you sampling bush tucker while exploring the sand dunes before returning back to Goolwa.

Upon your return from the outdoors, you’ll have a quality lunch and from there, the afternoon is yours. There are options abound: the national-award-winning Fleurieu Distillery is within walking distance from the Retreat, as well as a local charming watering hole sitting just on the wharf where you can watch Jamie feeding the pelicans.

Spend the afternoon at your leisure, with options to explore the local area on foot or via Me-Mover stepper machines available on the property. Otherwise, you can simply relax back at the retreat with choices of board games and books on offer in the library, a range of outdoor leisure activities like life-size chess and bocce, or any other activity your heart desires.

Dinner this evening will be another communal affair, with a homecooked meal from your hosts, made with local, fresh produce from the surrounding region. An emphasis on sustainably sourced seafood and meats, teamed with beverages from the region will be sure to satisfy. The evening will stretch into leisurely chats, relaxation, and quality wine before the day ends.

Day 3

Your final day at River’s End Retreat will begin with a quality breakfast in the shared dining area, with final morning views over the Murray River to send you off. After your farewells from Jamie and Trudy, you’ll get into The Tailor’s luxury vehicle to begin a full day of touring while en route back to Adelaide.

Your return to Adelaide will take the scenic route. Exploring the southern countryside, you will stop at Sacred Grove, a certified organic property specialising in three of Australia’s endemic medicinal plants: Scented Emu Bush, Sandalwood, and Native Pine.

The host and guide of this stop, Edmund Gooden (aka Eddie) will show you through the property, teaching you with his background and education with the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara peoples of North-Western South Australia, showcasing the importance and significance of these plants. With anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and pain reducing properties, you can pick up some goodies to take with you, or simply enjoy this uniquely educational stop.

After your visit to Sacred Grove, it is a short journey to local and acclaimed wine region Langhorne Creek. A historic agricultural part of the Fleurieu Peninsula, Langhorne Creek’s vines were first planted in the 1860s producing both red and white varietals.

Sample some of the region’s finest wines, and potentially discover a new favourite within their welcoming cellar doors. Before leaving the region, enjoy the plentiful lunch choices from outstanding local eateries to satisfy all palates and hungers alongside a variety of beverages.

After a full day of exploring, you’ll simply get to sit back and relax as your private guide takes you to your accommodation, or straight to the airport depending on the remainder of your itinerary, ensuring streamlined transfers and minimal hassle.

Your journey throughout the Fleurieu Peninsula and stay at River’s End offers respite alongside its excitement and indulgence, and is a fabulous three-day journey down into one of South Australia’s finest wine regions.

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These Booking & Advisory Services Terms and Conditions are designed to protect your rights under Australian Consumer law by ensuring that you are fully aware of all Travel Providers' terms and conditions, including payment schedules, before you commit to purchasing travel. These Booking & Advisory Services Terms and Conditions (below) are owned by our "Travel Affiliate" Darebin Travel. If there is any doubt as to your rights or obligations, our Travel Affiliate will answer your questions.

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Cancellations and amendments for hotel bookings only

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" We" and "us" means Darebin Travel.

" You" or "your" means any user of our Website or any person who acquires the Booking & Advisory Services, including any person who acquires a Travel Product (whether or not the Booking & Advisory Services were acquired by another person).

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Schedule of Professional Service Fees

Planning Fee	$125 per itinerary. Creating unique travel itineraries is our specialty. For detailed quotations providing tailored recommendations for custom designed tours, a non-refundable planning fee applies. Should you proceed with booking, this fee is credited towards your trip.
Service Fees	$40 Domestic/Trans-Tasman airfare per person or as discounted
	$150.00 International airfare per person or as discounted
	$50.00 Domestic/Trans-Tasman business class airfare per person or as discounted
	$200.00 International business class airfare per person or as discounted
	NIL Domestic/Trans-Tasman package, tour, or cruise per booking
	NIL International package, tour, or cruise per booking
	$ Other Services dependent on service explained to you
	$200 to $500 Itinerary planning per booking (credited towards reservation once booked)
Deposit & Balance	For all bookings, the initial deposit is 20% and the balance of payment is due 60 days before departure. If Travel Provider terms and conditions vary, we may request an additional deposit from you, after the initial deposit is paid, plus the balance payment date may also vary. After you have paid your initial deposit, you will have five days cooling off period to accept these Booking & Advisory Terms and Conditions, during which time your deposit is refundable. After 5 days has passed, or you have accepted the Terms and Conditions, the deposit will automatically become non-refundable. Note, some Travel Products must be paid in full at time of booking. Service Fees must also be paid at time of booking and are non-refundable. After you pay the balance of payment this will become fully non-refundable 60 days before travel, or earlier, if specified by the supplier.
Amendment Fees	Changes to Domestic/Trans-Tasman bookings will incur a fee of $50 per passenger per booking in addition to Provider and credit card fees.
Amendment Fees	Changes to International bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman bookings) will incur a fee of $50 per passenger per booking in addition to Provider and credit card fees.
Cancellation Fees	Cancellations to Domestic/Trans-Tasman bookings will incur a fee of $75 per passenger per booking in addition to Provider and credit card fees.
Cancellation Fees	Cancellations to International bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman bookings) will incur a fee of $150 per passenger per booking in addition to Provider and credit card fees.
Credit Card Fees	Visa - an additional 2.0% applies
	Mastercard - an additional 2.0% applies
	American Express - an additional 2.0% applies

(All fees exclude GST, where applicable).

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We will also use your personal information to personalise the service we provide you, including your experience on our, and other, websites, and to provide you with information about our, and our partners’, business, products and services. Your personal information may be shared between entities within Darebin Travel and with DeluxeLife Pty Ltd (ACN: 647 484 115), disclosed to suppliers, Providers, our cloud infrastructure, our contractors and to others where authorised or required by law. Some of these entities may be located overseas.

ANNEXURE – TRAVEL TIPS FOR TRAVEL PRODUCTS

These tips set out below are NOT legally binding terms and conditions.

Passports, Visas and Health Requirements

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the required documents, including visas and passports, before travelling to a destination. For more information please log on to www.dfat.gov.au and www.smarttraveller.gov.au. Please check with the respective Embassy or Consulate of each country that you are travelling to, as many destinations require visas for both Australians and non-Australian passport holders. For more information, log on to www.visalink.com.au. You need to ensure that you have at least 6 months validity on your passport from the date of your departure return.

For International travellers booked on flights to the USA, including Hawaii, it is now mandatory, under the Visa Waiver Program to receive an electronic authorisation known as ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) no less than 72 hours before travel to the USA. This can be obtained from the following website: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ .

For international travellers booked on flights to Canada, you either need a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through, a Canadian airport. An eTA can be obtained from the following website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/apply.html

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of any health requirements for your travel destinations. Vaccinations are strongly recommended for certain destinations. You need to contact your local doctor who will advise you of these requirements. Please note that vaccinations may be recommended before your travel departure date.

Travel Advice

We recommend that you contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or visit their website at www.dfat.gov.au for general travel advice, as well as specific advice (including safety alert levels) relating to the destination you wish to visit.

Ticketing

For international and domestic departure, e-tickets will be issued upon payment and completion of the booking process. All other travel documentation, such as hotel booking confirmations, will be emailed to the email address you provided as an e-document. Should the Provider issue paper vouchers, these will be posted to the address you provided.

Baggage Allowance

Baggage allowance varies from airline to airline and in many cases the airfare you have paid may not include the cost to cover checked baggage. Please check with your Travel Advisor and/or the airline providing your flights for the allowances.

Frequent Flyers & Special Requests

For more information on whether your airfare is eligible for Frequent Flyer rewards, please contact the airline directly. When booking online, please ensure that you have entered your correct number. For bookings made by telephone via our Customer Service Team, please advise of your Frequent Flyer details and these will be added to your reservation. We do not take any responsibility should an airline not register your trip. You should retain copies of your air ticket and boarding pass.

Special requests will be passed on to the Providers but cannot be guaranteed.

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