Sequoia, Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills sit just 20 minutes from the city yet feel like another world entirely. Rolling green hills, cool-climate vineyards, artisan producers, and eucalyptus forest that stretches across the Mount Lofty Ranges. It’s a region that rewards travellers who slow down – and Sequoia is designed precisely for that.
Sequoia is one of only two luxury lodges to open in Australia in the past decade. Set on the Mount Lofty Estate overlooking the Piccadilly Valley, it represents a genuinely new level of luxury in South Australia. The lodge is built around four experience pillars – Food and Wine, Nature, Wellness and History – with an intimate lounge designed for social connection, artesian spring-fed stone hot pools, a day spa, and access to the 3 Chef Hat awarded Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant. The estate sits above the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden and connects directly to the famous Heysen Trail. For travel agents building premium South Australian itineraries, this is a property that sells itself once clients understand what’s on offer.
ON-SITE EXPERIENCES
The Sequoia Experience – What Your Clients Can Expect
Evening Lodge Welcome & History Tour
Each evening, guests are invited to gather on the valley rim at sunset for an introduction to the Sequoia story, the region, and the experiences available during their stay. The setting is hard to beat – the Piccadilly Valley stretching out below as the light shifts. Local wines are poured, Adelaide Hills produce is shared, and the lodge team walks through the property’s history and what’s on offer.
It doubles as a social moment. Guests meet fellow travellers in a relaxed, unhurried setting that feels more like a private dinner party than a hotel briefing. For FIT clients, it’s a natural icebreaker. For incentive groups, it sets the tone for the stay.
Trade tip: The daily 5pm welcome includes the estate’s seasonal signature drink. It’s a small detail, but clients consistently mention it. The history tour covers the Mount Lofty Estate’s heritage – genuinely interesting, not a scripted walkthrough.
Maker & Somm Wine Experience
A South Australian winemaker joins one of Sequoia’s sommeliers for an hour of pouring, tasting and conversation. It’s intimate and informal – not a lecture. Guests sit with the people who actually make the wine, ask whatever they like, and taste wines that are carefully matched with canapes and tapas from the kitchen.
The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s premier cool-climate wine regions, producing exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Having a winemaker in the room to explain what makes this region distinct is something most wine experiences simply can’t offer.
Trade tip: This is a standout for food and wine focused clients. The winemakers rotate, so repeat visitors get a different experience. It also works well as a private session for incentive groups – we can arrange exclusive Maker & Somm events.
Le Nez du Vin – The Nose of the Wine
A playful, interactive wine education experience led by one of Sequoia’s sommeliers using the renowned Jean Lenoir kit – 54 superb quality aromas designed for making rapid progress in wine tasting. Guests learn to identify the notes that define different wine styles, from fruity and floral through to earthy and mineral. It’s more game than classroom.
Who hasn’t had that moment of “I know this smell but I can’t name it”? This session turns that frustration into genuine skill. By the end, guests approach their next glass of wine with a completely different awareness.
Trade tip: Works brilliantly as a group activity for incentives or as a pre-dinner experience for FIT clients. It’s competitive enough to be entertaining without being intimidating for non-wine drinkers. A good pairing with the Maker & Somm session.
Guided Nature Walk & Heysen Trail
Sequoia’s experience team leads a daily walk through the surrounding bush, hiking along a section of the Heysen Trail up to the long ridge lookout. The views from the top sweep across Adelaide and the Mount Lofty Ranges. Along the way, guests should keep an eye out for kangaroos, koalas and wallabies – they’re regularly spotted.
The walk is guided but unhurried. The team knows the terrain, the wildlife habits, and the stories behind the landscape. At the end, guests are met with refreshments and a transfer back to the lodge.
Trade tip: The Heysen Trail is one of Australia’s great long-distance walks – 1,200 kilometres across South Australia. This is a curated taste of it without the logistics. Good for active clients who want to experience the Australian bush without a full-day commitment. Morning timing works well before a spa afternoon.
Sunrise Yoga
At sunrise, a local practitioner leads a private, bespoke yoga session designed for all levels – beginners through to experienced yogis. The focus is on connection to the land and the natural surrounds. It’s a slow, deliberate start to the day, with the valley waking up around you.
The session is adaptable. It can be gentle and restorative or more physically demanding depending on the group. The setting does most of the work.
Trade tip: Worth flagging for wellness-focused itineraries and honeymoon packages. It pairs naturally with the artesian hot pools and Gatekeeper’s Day Spa for a full wellness day. Can be arranged as a private session for incentive groups.
Star Gazing
From dusk until midnight, Sequoia’s private telescope is available for guests to gaze into the stars above the Piccadilly Valley. The Adelaide Hills are dark enough to reveal thousands of stars exclusive to the Southern Hemisphere – constellations and planets that many international visitors have never seen.
There’s something about standing on a valley rim in regional South Australia, away from the city, looking at stars you’ve only read about. It’s a quiet experience that stays with people.
Trade tip: For clients from the Northern Hemisphere, this can be a genuine highlight. The Southern Cross, Magellanic Clouds, and the Milky Way core are visible in a way that’s simply impossible in much of Europe, North America or East Asia. Particularly strong for Japanese and Chinese markets where Southern Hemisphere star gazing has real novelty value.
Artesian Spring-Fed Hot Pools
The Mount Lofty Estate sits above ancient natural spring waters that run deep in the mountain. These naturally filtered springs feed every tap on the property, provide the lodge’s bottled water, and – most memorably – fill the artesian spring-fed stone hot pools on the valley rim.
There’s also an infinity pool overlooking the valley. The combination of mineral-rich spring water, the valley views, and absolute quiet makes this one of those experiences that doesn’t need embellishment. It just works.
Trade tip: The hot pools are a hero selling point. They photograph beautifully and they’re genuinely unique in the Australian luxury lodge market. For incentive groups, exclusive pool access can be arranged. Pair with the Gatekeeper’s Day Spa for a full wellness itinerary component.
Hiking & Cycling the Adelaide Hills
Beyond the guided nature walk, the Adelaide Hills offer an exceptional network of trails for both hikers and cyclists. Mount Lofty Estate lies above the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden and provides direct access to the Heysen Trail. The Sequoia team can organise hiking sticks, electric bicycles, standard bicycles, and private tour guides.
The terrain ranges from gentle valley walks to more challenging ridge climbs. For cycling, the Hills are a favourite among South Australian riders – winding roads through vineyards, orchards and forest.
Trade tip: Electric bicycles are a smart option for clients who want to explore without exhausting themselves before dinner. The cycling routes pass through some of the Adelaide Hills’ best wine villages. We can build self-guided or guided cycling itineraries that connect Sequoia with cellar door visits and local produce experiences.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
