Waking up in a rooftop tent with rows of vines in front of you and the ranges turning pink behind them is about as Barossa as camping gets. God’s Hill Wines is a family vineyard and winery just outside Lyndoch, at the southern end of the valley, and its owners rent out a handful of camp sites among the vines on Hipcamp. We booked it for our second night in the area, after a night at Wirra Campground in Para Wirra, and the view from the tent made it.
What we like
- Camping right among the vines
- Sunset and sunrise over the ranges
- Great food at Ennia Cucina
- A kilometre from Lyndoch
- Calm, campers spread far apart
What we don’t
- $75 a night
- No showers or campfires
- Toilet is a short walk
About God’s Hill WinesAbout
The property covers about 80 acres, 30 of them vineyard, with a dam, olive trees and a stretch of red gums. The gate signs carry the God’s Hill and Scalzi Estate names, Spiritato Distillers is here too, and Ennia Cucina, an Italian restaurant, runs out of the cellar door. There are eight camp sites spread around the property, and they’re booked through Hipcamp, where you choose the site and see what it has. We paid $75 for the night. Charlie, the host, meets you when you arrive, and check-in starts from midday.
Quick facts
- AddressGod's Hill Road, Lyndoch SA 5351, Australia (no street address: coordinates after booking)See on the trip map →
- FacilitiesToiletsDrinking WaterBBQsRestaurantPet FriendlyCaravan AccessCamper Trailer AccessNo ShowersNo PowerNo Campfires
- Good to know8 sites, booked on HipcampToilet a minute’s walkCellar door on site
- Fees$75 a nighttastings and meals extra
- 8.6/10Overall rated
- Book your site
Getting There
The vineyard is on God’s Hill Road just outside Lyndoch, the first town you hit coming up into the Barossa from Adelaide, but the property has no street address. After you book, the host sends GPS coordinates and written directions through the Hipcamp app, and they’re worth saving offline, as Google and Apple Maps aren’t always right out here. A sign on the gate welcomes you to Scalzi Estate and points through to the cellar door and Ennia Cucina. Close the gate behind you, because there are sheep grazing on the property. From there a dirt track runs past the sheds to the sites. It’s an easy drive in any car or van in the dry, and the speed limit on the property is 10 km/h, as people walk around too.
Lyndoch’s supermarket, fuel, pub and bakery are about a kilometre from the gate, so it’s easy to stock up before you settle in.
The Campsites
The eight sites are spread out around the property, and each one is different, so it pays to read the details on Hipcamp before you pick. Some sit right beside the vines, one is between a small vineyard and the red gums, and one is in front of the old cellar door. They range from small tent spots to sites that fit a big motorhome or caravan, though buses and extra-large rigs aren’t accepted.
We had Chardonnay, an open patch of grass right beside the vines for up to four people and a vehicle under 6 metres, with the ranges straight ahead and plenty of room for the Prado, the rooftop tent and our chairs. It was very calm, and the other campers were a long way off across the property, so it felt like we had the vineyard to ourselves. There’s no shade out there, so in summer an awning makes the afternoon much more comfortable, but you won’t care once the sun starts going down.
Facilities
Facilities are simple. From our site the toilet was next to the restaurant, a one-minute walk through the vineyard, and some sites have their own toilet and a drinking water tap close by. There’s a BBQ area under the verandah, but no showers, power or water hook-ups, so bring your own drinking water if your site has no tap. Campfires aren’t allowed, so bring a gas stove. Dogs are welcome on a lead, and rubbish goes in the bins by the main entrance.
We had dinner at Ennia Cucina and the food was great, so it’s worth timing your stay for a night it’s open: it serves Italian food from Thursday to Sunday. The cellar door does tastings too, and after dinner it’s a short stroll back through the vines to the tent.
Watching the Light Over the RangesSunset and sunrise
This is the reason to book. As the sun drops behind the trees, the light turns the ranges gold and then pink across the vineyard. Get up early for the sunrise too: the sky goes orange over the ranges while the vines are still in shadow, and you can watch it from the tent.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
You’re at the southern gate of the Barossa, so the wineries start almost at the front gate. The next morning we stopped at Chateau Yaldara, whose grand old building and 1847 arch are just up the road, and at Kies Family Wines, a stone cellar door on Barossa Valley Way, before heading into Tanunda; the rest of the valley is in our Barossa Valley guide. Para Wirra Conservation Park, with its lake walk and Wirra Campground, is a short drive south-west if you want a night in the bush as well.
Summary
God’s Hill Wines is a special-occasion camp rather than a budget one: a quiet spot among the vines with a view of the ranges, a cellar door and a restaurant on site, and Lyndoch a kilometre away. Book a night when Ennia Cucina is open, bring a gas stove, water and your own shade, and be out of the tent for sunset.
A night among the vines at the Barossa’s southern gate.
You camp on the grass beside the rows with the ranges in front of you, the sunset and sunrise light up the whole valley, and the cellar door, the restaurant and Lyndoch are all close. Dinner at Ennia Cucina was great. It’s dear for a paddock with no showers, though, so bring your own water and a gas stove.
- Couples
- 4WD tourers
- Van-lifers
For a special night, yes. $75 buys a quiet spot among the vines with a view you won’t get at a caravan park, plus a cellar door and restaurant on site.
Recommended Gear for God’s Hill Wines
There are no campfires, so pack a gas stove like the Dune single burner, and carry your own water in good water containers if your site doesn’t have a tap. There are no showers either, so a portable camp shower is handy, and the sites have no shade, so an awning like the Kings 270 Tourer makes the hot afternoons easier.
