Romantic Escapes on the Fleurieu Peninsula: Time Together at Merilli1885
Some getaways are built around activities and itineraries. This one isn’t.
Merilli1885 is for couples who need space—literal space across ninety acres of working farm, and figurative space from phones, schedules, and the general noise of life.
The cottage sits seven minutes from Middleton Beach and close enough to Port Elliot and McLaren Vale for easy visits. But most couples don’t leave much. There’s something about the place that makes staying put feel like exactly the right choice.
What You’re Actually Booking
A restored 1885 stone cottage set in an orchard, overlooking a stone ruin and dam on a working Angus farm. High ceilings, exposed stone walls, working fireplaces. King bed, French linen, robes that guests keep “borrowing” for the deck.
The kitchen is fully equipped if you want to cook. The deck overlooks paddocks where cattle graze. The golden retrievers (Alfie and Archie) and jack russell (Bertie) will say hello when you arrive and then leave you alone (maybe!).
You get the entire cottage. No other guests, no interruptions. Just the two of you and however you want to spend your time.
What Couples Actually Do Here
Mornings: Coffee on the verandah. Sometimes breakfast that turns into brunch because there’s no reason to rush. The light across the paddocks changes through the morning and people tend to just… watch it.
Afternoons: Some couples explore—Middleton Beach (7 minutes), Port Elliot cafes and bakeries (10 minutes), McLaren Vale or Langhorne Creek wineries (30 minutes) or Home of Plenty (7 minutes) . Others stay on the property with books, wine, and zero agenda.
Evenings: Fire going, wine open, dinner either cooked in the cottage kitchen or picked up from one of the excellent local restaurants. Cattle settling in for the night. Stars coming out (there are a lot of them out here).
The pattern that emerges: people arrive with plans and then abandon most of them. Not because the plans were bad, but because doing very little together turns out to be what they actually needed.
The Fleurieu Advantage
You’re genuinely isolated here, proper farm quiet but you’re also remarkably close to everything worth visiting on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Wine: McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek. Cellar doors, tastings, bottles to bring back to the cottage.
Food: Port Elliot’s cafes and bakeries, Goolwa restaurants, farm gates and producers’ markets. Or cook at the cottage with whatever you’ve collected.
Coast: Middleton Beach, Goolwa Beach, Horseshoe Bay. All within 15 minutes. Usually quiet, often empty.
Walking: Coastal trails or just wandering the ninety acres watching cattle and working out why you live in a city.
You can pack your days or do absolutely nothing. Both work.
Why Couples Come Back
Privacy. The whole cottage is yours on a 90 acre estate, which turns out to matter more than people expect.
Quiet. Real quiet—cattle, wind, birds. No traffic, no neighbours, no background hum of other people’s lives.
Space to just be together without performing for anyone or adhering to someone else’s schedule.
The combination of heritage cottage (1885 stone walls, fireplaces that work) and modern comfort (premium king beds with equisite linens, a fully equipped kitchen, excellent bathroom with large shower, heated towel rail, hairdryer) hits the perfect balance between character charm and modern livability.
And honestly, the location. Close enough to explore if you want, remote enough that you don’t feel obligated to.
Practical Details
What’s included: The entire cottage, the ninety acres, French linen, robes, firewood, WiFi (works well), generous breakfast provisions.
What’s not included: Meals beyond breakfasts (unless on request or book your private chef experience). There are excellent restaurants nearby, or the kitchen is fully equipped for cooking and there is a bbq.
Minimum stay: Two nights (most couples book three or four once they understand what the place is actually like).
Best for: Couples who need to disconnect. Anniversaries, birthdays, “we just need a few days away” escapes.
Not ideal for: People who need constant activity or entertainment. The cottage is beautiful and the location is excellent, but if you get bored easily without structured plans, this might not suit.
How to Book
Merilli1885 is adults-only, pet-free, and books as a single exclusive stay.
If you’re looking for a few quiet days together and to reconnect on the Fleurieu Peninsula, this might be exactly what you need.