Originally published in The Weekend Australian Magazine – 30th May 2024
The estate is named after the tall trees that were planted 170 years ago by the property’s party-loving founder. They will grow for 1000 years.
The first thing you notice as you drive up to the entrance of Mount Lofty House is the tall strange tree soaring skyward near the church-like entrance. Reaching high above the roofline of the old stone building, the tree is unlike any I’ve seen. Its thick, rust-coloured trunk is bare to about the halfway mark, after which spiky branches spring suddenly outwards towards the skies above.
“So what is that weird looking pine tree out the front?” I ask the concierge as she checks us into the hotel. She answers my ignorant question kindly, as if she has heard it a few times before. “That is one of our sequoia trees,” she replies lightly. “We’re very proud of our sequoias. They were planted by Mount Lofty House’s original owner, Mr Hardy.”
I feel embarrassed, for tomorrow, after tonight’s stay in this charming heritage hotel, we’re checking in next door at the estate’s sister property, Sequoia Lodge. “Oh, I hadn’t wondered where the name came from,” I mumble in reply. “Now I know.”
I’m probably not the first person to be humbled by a sequoia tree, at Mount Lofty, or elsewhere for that matter. For not only do they have a rather imposing aura, who would expect to find one of these giant Californian redwoods here, in this scenic pocket of the Adelaide Hills?
And in any event Sequoia turns out to be an excellent moniker, for the existence of these trees for more than 170 years here is more or less the story of this place itself, and quite the story it is.
We have arrived in Mount Lofty specifically for the purpose of trying Sequoia Lodge, the glamorous addition to this well-loved Hills estate. Opened in 2021, Sequoia is one of the newest additions to Australia’s increasingly popular lodge market, with 14 suites in an architectural-designed building gorgeously situated on a ridge slightly below Mount Lofty House.
Sequoia is designed to offer a five-star option to travellers attracted to this part of the state with its beautiful rolling hills, leafy gardens, genteel little towns and established and much-loved wineries. And it is a lovely property, complete with heated infinity pools that draw waters from the property’s own mineral springs. Each suite has unobstructed views of Piccadilly Valley, so the idea is to set up camp in your suite, take day trips local spots like the little Hahndorf German village, then retreat to the sanctity of your suite for some serious R&R.
Apart from the general pleasure of being here, though, there is a lot for both history and gardening nerds to revel in.
The narrative of Mount Lofty House itself is gripping, having been built in 1852 by Arthur Hardy, an Englishman dispatched to South Australia at 21 to spare him the fate of two older brothers who had died of tuberculosis. Arriving in the 1830s, Hardy enjoyed his life in the colony rather a lot. To reduce a long and colourful life to a few words, his specific interests were governance, botany and … partying.
Hardy and his wife Martha built the stone home in the Hills as something of a funhouse, then partied so hard in it they eventually went broke. It’s a sad story in a way, but the legacy of Hardy was laid down not only at the homestead but in the multitude of botanical treasures he planted on his property and nearby. He opened a Botanic Gardens near the house, which still operates today, planting it with seedlings he had brought from his global travels. These included the magnificent sequoias that still crown the property.
The gardens have long outlived the Hardys and even survived the catastrophic 1983 Ash Wednesday fires that destroyed much the original Mount Lofty House (it was rebuilt after the disaster by some quixotic new owners).
The leafy location within the Adelaide Hills.
Pictures hang throughout the old house showing the destruction wrought by the fires. They are a sobering reminder of the power of nature in sensitive and occasionally dry forested areas such as this.
But what the fires couldn’t destroy were the sequoias. Despite the ferocity of the flames that reduced the stone house to rubble, the sequoias were impervious, their hardwood trunks too tough for even the most barbaric of infernos. They will keep growing for a thousand years.
There was a crisis of sorts around here when the current owners of the property, the Horbelt family, built Sequoia Lodge. One of the sequoias took a dislike to the development and began to show signs of distress, dropping its leaves and looking decidedly sick. Rescue measures were put in place to save it – and three years later, it is on the mend. They’re made of hardy stuff around here.
Checklist
Getting there: Sequoia Lodge and Mount Lofty House are about a 30-minute drive from Adelaide. Hire a car at the airport to get there, so you can drive through the beautiful Adelaide Hills and surrounding wine regions during your stay.
Stay: Mount Lofty House (mtloftyhouse.com.au) has 30 rooms, some of which have beautiful views of the Piccadilly Valley. This is very much a heritage property with appropriately creaky floors, dark wooden furniture and four-poster beds. There’s a central pool that has a rather South of France feel to it on a hot summer’s day, with guests lounging around it sipping cocktails and watching children play old-fashioned games like quoits and croquet on the lawn. It’s charming. Rates from $499 per room. Sequoia Lodge (sequoialodge.com.au) is a 14-room boutique hotel next door to Mount Lofty House (they have separate entrances but the two properties connect). Take a glass of local wine to your private balcony to make the most of the views or loll in your private lounge room with its large plate-glass windows that protect you from the vagaries of the Adelaide weather. Each suite, heavy on local wood and stone, features the work of local craftspeople including an original oil painting in each room by resident artist Stephen Trebilcock. The lodge is child-free (under-18s are prohibited). Beware, the rooms are very high tech. It takes me about 10 minutes to figure out how to get the shower working to my liking. Rates from Sequoia $1499 per night based on a three-night stay.
Do: Sequoia Lodge offers an “artesian spring-fed hot pools experience”. Guests can spend an hour in the infinity pool that is serviced by the site’s natural spring water. A sunset booking is recommended. Guests are also offered a guided nature tour of the surrounds and can do other activities including wine and cheese masterclasses. The Mount Lofty Botanic Garden (botanicgardens.sa.gov.au) is 97ha of established gardens featuring species from around the world; it is open from 8.30am daily. There is a tour of Mount Lofty House daily where you can learn all about the history of the house.
Eat: Sequoia Lodge has a lovely onsite restaurant with beautiful views. Find a menu of dishes like chargrill wagyu or Glacier 51 toothfish with salsa verde. Dinners and lunches are extra but breakfast is included. You can also ask for dinner to be delivered to your suite. Also make time to dine at Hardy’s Verandah next door at Mount Lofty House, which has high teas and a fabulous degustation menu at night.
ELIZABETH MERYMENT
LIFESTYLE CONTENT DIRECTOR -THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE
