Appleton House, 20 mins from Adelaide, offers beauty, privacy and seclusion. Overlooking bushland, the city of Adelaide and sea, this unique retreat features: light spaces; galley kitchen; 2.5-seater sofa, 65” OLED SmartTV; combustion wood heater offering ambience & warmth on the coldest winter nights; native birds & resident kangaroos. Access a myriad of walking trails, fine-dining excellence, cafes, shops & more close by.
The space
• Spacious (100 m2) fully-carpeted self-contained house with undercover car parking
• 65” Samsung (2025) OLED
SmartTV (You'll need your own subscription for streaming apps)
• House located on 2.8 hectares of bushland
• Access to Cleland National Park walking trail at property entrance
• Stunning living room window views of bushland, City of Adelaide and the ocean (St Vincent Gulf)
• Light spacious internal environment
• Glass-faced slow combustion wood-heater offers warmth and ambience on the coldest days. Ample kindling & wood supplied
• Outdoor terrace area offer views of the garden, bushland, the City of Adelaide & the sea.
• Comfy portable reclining chairs for relaxing outside (storeroom behind wood heater).
• Environmentally sustainability: rainwater water supply; heating & cooling using warm house – cool house principles (heat both from the winter sun through large living room window & slow combustion wood heater are stored in the thick thermal mass of the dwelling); living room ceiling fan distributes winter warmth throughout the living area; strategic use of roller shutters, doors, windows and fans keep house cool during summer; firewood grown on-site; solar hot water system with electric back-up; kitchen food waste composted via green organic bin; recycling of recyclables.
• Property access by car is five minutes from the South Eastern freeway. (25 mins from Rundle Mall, Adelaide and 45 mins from airport)
• Native birds will delight with their colours, calls and many antics in the birdbath. A family of kangaroos live on the property.
Koalas may be heard barking across the Ranges from time to time.
• Close to: Crafers and Stirling townships; Mt Lofty Summit lookout and cafe/dining facilities; Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens; Adelaide Hills wine region; excellent fine-dining thro to stand-out pub and cafe fare; Cleland National Park incl Wildlife Reserve; and a plethora of Adelaide Hills walking and cycling trails. Historic Hahndorf is not far away.
• Stirling and Uraidla monthly Sunday markets
• Historic Mt Lofty House, a short walk from the Reynolds Drive entrance, offers degustation dining and walk-in service.
• Crafers Hotel, Crafers Bakehouse & service station are a three-minute car drive down the road in Crafers.
Guest access
* Guests have sole use of the 100m2+ house which is a family home.
* Undercover carport connects to the front door via a covered walkway
* Ample space & hangers in the walk-in-robe for guest clothes
* Space in WI pantry for storing food
* Samsung 65” OLED SmartTV Guests need own subscription for streaming apps.
* Fully-equipped galley kitchen incl. dishwasher, microwave, coffee machine & comprehensive range of kitchenware, utensils & pans.
* A range of basic pantry items is available incl. teas, instant coffee, sugar, balsamic and other condiments etc.
* Guests need to bring their own food for all meals incl. milk, bread, real coffee bean grounds.
Listen to your favourite smart phone playlist via high quality speakers; lounge in the rocking or other chairs; read a novel; browse through cooking, art, bird or local flora books; or simply watch the dawn, the morning mist, drifting clouds, native birds and kangaroos, sunset and the emerging city lights at dusk. To be convinced, browse guest reviews.
Other things to note
BRAND NEW IN 2025: queen bed & mattress, 2.5 seater sofa, 65” Samsung OLED Smart TV
CONDITION OF ACCESS ROAD & DRIVEWAY
Council-owned Reynolds Drive upgraded mid 2025.
Property driveway (unsealed) has undergone major repairs.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS (House Rules)
The Appleton House Terms and Conditions (T&C) include all information provided to you: on the Listing, AirBnB Inbox messages, hard-copy folders in the house and via other host-to-guest communications.
By making a reservation it is assumed that you will read and ensure you understand this information. You may be liable for injury, property damage and loss as a result of not following advice provided. For safety & security reasons we do not accept third party bookings.
BATH UNAVAILABLE
Due to climatic changes in South Australia, incl low rainfall, and increased bushfire safety risks in the Mt Lofty Ranges, the bath cannot be used as the house water supply is rainwater and must be conserved at all times to ensure an adequate water supply is available to enable guests to 'stay and defend' the property during a bushfire, if it is unsafe to leave the property during such an event.
GUEST VISITORS
Owing to our duty of care to keep guests safe during their stay, we provide personal protective clothing & equipment for up to two guests to stay safe in the unlikely event they are unable to leave because of a bushfire.
PORTABLE SMOKE ALARMS
Portable highly-sensitive smoke alarms (kitchen, pantry, wood heater) offer early warning of excessive steam, fat vapors or smoke particles. If an alarm is activated, attend to the cause of the activation (if safe to do so), temporarily remove the alarm away from activation source, then return the device to its original location. These are in addition to the hard-wired smoke alarm system in the living room and bedroom.
SMOLDER, SMOKE AND FIRE
Short-stay accommodation insurers will NOT cover property damage caused by scorching, smoldering or smoke including, but not limited to, electric blankets, candles, hot wood logs and wood heater implements, appliances turned on and left unattended eg amplifier, coffee machine, griller/ cooktop, oven, toaster, TV, printer. Electric blankets should be turned off and their power plugs removed from the power boards after 30 minutes of heating.
HOST / CONTRACTOR ACCESS
Occasionally the hosts or contractors may need to access the property to undertake bushcare and firewood management work. Guests will always be provided with advanced notice when access is required. Works will almost always occur away from the house and its immediate surrounds.
BUSHFIRE RISK AND SAFETY
Appleton House is located in dense bushland in the Mt Lofty Ranges region that is a high bushfire risk area. It is your responsibility to know your risk and what you need to do to stay safe in the event of a bushfire. You should be alert to the possibility of bushfires at any time of the year, but particularly during warmer months between October and May. Check your travel insurance cover relevant to bushfire risk / events.
During the Bushfire Season from November to May check the forecast bushfire danger rating in the Mt Lofty Ranges region for the day of your check-in: SA Country Fire Service (CFS), Bureau of Meteorology, Alert SA app. Prepare a five-minute Bushfire Survival Plan — template on the CFS website.
On total fire ban (TFB) days rated Severe and Extreme (see below for Catastrophic) the SA Country Fire Service recommends visitors to the region find entertainment and leisure in bushfire safer places, such as Stirling or the City of Adelaide, accessing other areas in the region only when safe to do so.
CATASTROPHIC FIRE DANGER RATED DAYS
Catastrophic Fire Danger Rated Days (CFDRD) occur infrequently but are highly dangerous. For your safety we do not permit guests to access (if you haven’t checked in), remain at or return to the property on a CFDRD. You will need to find alternative accommodation. Accommodation fees (part thereof or all) may be refunded subject to circumstances (see below)
• Catastrophic rated days occurring during your stay
The SA Country Fire Service (CFS) recommends people leave bushfire-prone areas the night before OR as early as possible on a CFDRD.
• Refund of accommodation fees applying to CFDRD
If you are unable to commence your stay due to a CFDRD occurring on your day of check-in, we will refund the rate for that night EXCLUDING the cleaning fee and AirBnB fees and taxes.
If occupation of the property does not occur due to a CFDRD occurring on every day of your booking, the accommodation fees, including the cleaning fee, will be refunded, excluding the AirBnB fees and taxes.
WANT A GOOD REVIEW AT DEPARTURE?
To achieve good review ratings:
* observe check-in time is 14:00 or later, and check-out time is not later than 10:00
* Leave the house clean and tidy and turn off what you turn on, put away what you take out, move back what you shift around, wipe up what you spill, close what you open, lock what you unlock.
* Return kitchen appliances and areas to the state you found them on arrival. (Especially cooktop & splash-back/heat shield, oven & trays, grill, coffee machine, microwave)
* Return all furniture, furnishings, kitchenware and other household items to their original location — Consider taking images at check-in as an aide-mémoire.
* Turn off exhaust & ceiling fans, all lights, TV monitor, amplifier and gas cylinder, and any other appliances or equipment used during the stay.
* Empty the dishwasher and return items to their original location
* Remove all waste to external bins (as advised in Information for Guests folder and on the fridge)
* Close and lock windows
* Lock external doors (inc both storeroom doors)
* Close ALL ROLLER SHUTTERS (both windows AND front door systems)
* Lock key in key safe
* Secure chain at entrance
* Report items not working /damaged / broken.
The Red Folder in the house also lists the things we DON’T expect you to do at the end of your stay.
