View from property

Reviews of Flour Cask Bay Retreat

3 out of 5
Flour Cask Bay Retreat
383B Old Salt Lake Rd, Haines, SA

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 34 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 39 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Peter

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property is perfect if you want to be away from everything. Its secluded and relaxing - with great views and plenty of wildlife about. Its completely off grid with solar electricity and water from tanks. The room has everything you need for a short or even and extended stay. Plenty of cooking equipment, a full sized fridge with freezer and tea and coffe with a kettle and microwave. We really enjoyed our 5 days here.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mary

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location is secluded and appears a little remote but is good as it is half way between Penneshaw and Kingscote. We saw more kangaroos on the driveway to the retreat than on the rest of KI. The host lives on the property and is friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our 4 day stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very welcoming host, room extremely clean and well equipped. Beautiful property with abundant wildlife.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2021

8/10 Good

Graham

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Remote and clean
The driveway up to the accommodation was very rough and 2km's long. Wouldn't want to do that in anything smaller than a SUV/4WD. Accommodation was very clean and tidy, has everything you need for a self catering stay. It's a long way from everything, so take supplies with you.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great welcome from the host John. Clean room with all the necessities for our comfort. Very quiet retreat which was ideal for our getaway. We got in close contact with nature as we observed lots of kangaroos feeding and drinking water right in front of our room. We were lucky to see a koala in one of the trees in the backyard 😀. We were well looked after by John who gave us some tips on sightseeing the island.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2020

10/10 Excellent

john

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay. So quiet and serene. And John the host can show you the beautiful seaside views nearby.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Howard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hidden gem off the beaten track
Wonderful stay at Flour Cask Bay! Began with a warm welcome from the proprietor, John, showing me all the amenities. The suite was well equipped: I had everything I needed to BBQ some local produce on the patio and unwind after exploring the island during the day. The service was outstanding; he even followed up and mailed me some personal items I had left behind! But be prepared, as it is a couple kms off the main route down a rough, gravel road, but well worth the drive for the peace and quiet.
See the local fauna right from the patio!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We liked our bright, light,airy and clean unit. There were nice touches, like binoculars to use, bird books to read, etc.We were looked after and felt very comfortable there.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Guy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Good scenery, will see lots of wildlife. Very modern and clean ammenities. However all information listed on website and other sites states is a husband & wife run accommodation- is only a man. Driveway is shocking for an accommodation venue (all other homes on road are cared for and maintained, so could be rectified) and suitable for 4WD/SUV only.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely little retreat in very quiet and peaceful surroundings with nice view of countryside. All basic amenities you need, no oven tho. John was a great host, friendly and very helpful, even told us that he throws in an extra night free if you get stuck on island due to weather and ferry can't sail. Loved seeing kangaroos hoping around outside. 4wd vehicle best for roads!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kristie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely retreat!
We had an incredibly relaxing 3 night stay here and wished we could have stayed longer. Plenty of wildlife, especially birds (we spent HOURS watching them in the garden) echidnas and more roos than you can handle! John was a fabulous host, and facilities were immaculate. A home away from home 😊
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019
Response from John on 25 Feb 2019
Thank you Kristie. It was nice to meet you and your family and I appreciate your kind words. I hope your your stay here was just a small part of an enjoyable holiday.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice and quiet location to relax around kangaroos and birds
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2018
Response from John on 13 Aug 2018
Thank you for staying, we hope that we may see you again sometime and please let us know if there is anything better we can do for you. sincerely,

10/10 Excellent

Christopher, Melbourne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best stay on Kangaroo Island
Where to begin. Thanks - Thanks to John and Karon for being the most amazing hosts you could ask for when travelling. My partner and I visited Kangaroo Island in January and booked around end of November. We were quite fortunate to find this accommodation, as something like 80% of Kangaroo Island had been booked. How lucky we were! You drive up a very bumpy road to wide open fields (don't be worried when you are driving up the road - you will make it!). We were given a nice run down of things to do on the island, places we could eat at and closest town(s) to visit. The beds are extremely comfy and the self contained unit is cosy and good free WIFI for such a remote area. A nice breeze usually comes through and cools the house down on those hot days! In the evening, we were always visited by some Kangaroos, drinking from a strategically placed water bowl by John. We were also very fortunate to see an Echidna and Koala around the property (as well as hundreds of Kangaroos). On the last night, John so kindly showed us the most beautiful sunset and a perfect way to wrap up a holiday. Cannot recommend this place enough!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2018
Response from Karon & John on 23 Jan 2018
Hello Chris, Thank your so kindly for your very flattering review. We both felt very lucky to meet and spend a little time with such a wonderful couple. We really hope that you will revisit us one day in the future. We are very close to opening our other house for holiday bookings for families and groups, so stay in touch if you plan escape the big city and come back. We look forward to seeing you then. cheers,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice, quiet, peaceful location
Friendly hosts, John and Karen. You can learn a lot about the area and places to go from John. We even got the chance to feed a couple of wild goannas ourselves, as they regularly visit the building and John feeds them.

10/10 Excellent

Solo traveller, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Delightful Retreat
Lovely place with an opportunity to encounter lots of wild kangaroos in your backyard (literally). Recommended for those looking for a peaceful retreat away from the maddening crowd, amidst flora and fauna, yet close enough to the towns of Penneshaw, American River and Kingscote.

10/10 Excellent

DAA55, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect place to enjoy KI
Perfect location to enjoy most of what Kangaroo Island has to offer. Remote, peaceful but very well equipped and with plenty of local kangaroos for company as the sun goes down. Excellent hospitality and very helpful guidance on KI generally. Great find!

10/10 Excellent

Marina, Victoria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Serenity
We found the hosts very helpful and friendly. We loved how serene it was and the native wildlife. Simply decorated and spotlessly clean, we felt like the first people to ever stay there.

10/10 Excellent

Elliot, Ferny Grove Queensland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Kangaroos and Wildlife at the Back Door
Might be a bit off the beaten track, but it is quiet, Kangaroos to see morning and evening and sometimes during the day. Lots of birds and nice and quiet. Great hosts and a perfect place to base your explorations of KI.

10/10 Excellent

Paul, Melbourne, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
the owners made us feel like one of the family
The new owners (John & Karon) only took over the retreat 6 months ago and are doing everything to make your stay as close to perfect as they can. They offered to take us round the property (200 acres) and go to the northern edge where it is possible to climb down the cliffs to a secluded beach (we didn't go as we just ran out of time). If you want to see animals, then you can't miss the Kangaroos that come out on mass, we also saw an Echidna that made my wife's day and they have tales of big lizards and an Koala coming onto the balcony. There are currently only 2 studio rooms at the retreat, but this may change as the owners have lots of plans. The owners live at the end of the house seen in the photos. The studio apartment has everything you could want and is very clean and new. Fridge/freezer, hob, toaster, kettle, sofa, TV, big bed, small bathroom with shower, pots, pans, etc, etc. The balcony is on the back of the house and runs along the length (trellis splits up the balcony) which is sheltered from the wind and with a small table and chairs is where you will spend most of your time. the Retreat is 5km down old salt lake road and then another 2km along its own driveway. On a clear night you will see a lot of stars as there is just nothing else around. On the last night we sat round with the owners and chatted until the small hours, they are very friendly.

8/10 Good

Janet, Sydney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Secluded hideaway
Great place to get away from it all for a while. Wild life at your doorstep & host & hostess very helpful & friendly. Very clean & well equipped for home cooking.

10/10 Excellent

Jan, Temecula ca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
the best of our down under holiday
do not hesitate ! book a s a p ! very nice people, wonderful surrounding. in the middle of nowhere, look out of your room in the evening and see at least 10 to 15 kangaroos, enjoy a 20 minutes walk, encounter at least a kangaroo or an egneda, then decent a hill to the beach and enjoy your own private beach 3 km long. the owner drove us arount in his 4 X 4 to show the enviroment. the place has its own solar energy and cold and hot water supply. experience what the future can become! easy to reach from the ferry and last miles are on gravel but was not a problem for my passenger rental car. I could even get groceries in the owner his garden. we bought meat and groceries on the mainland (much cheaper) and took it to the island in a cooler, even a BBQ available. first evening we got lots of tips to visit the island we stayed 4 nights. fuel up before getting on the ferry.

10/10 Excellent

Mike and Nicki, Worcester, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A truly memorable stay at Flour Cask Bay Retreat.
This is fantastic accommodation if you want to get up close and personal with the amazing wildlife that Kangaroo Island has to offer. Dave and Jeanie were simply brilliant hosts and made us feel so welcome...we even got our own personal 4x4 tour of their grounds, during which Dave pointed out some of the amazing wildlife, including "boxing" kangaroos and a Wedge Tail Eagle...simply stunning to see in the wild. If you arrive back to the accommodation around dusk (or after) you will literally be driving up the private road past dozens of wild kangaroos....a brilliant way to end each days exploring. The accommodation itself was extremely clean, spacious, well equipped and offered stunning views of the surrounding countryside and the hosts beautiful gardens and is well placed to explore the natural beauty of the island. In addition and to demonstrate our hosts generosity further, we were invited to join Dave, Jeanie and their daughter Sara for a meal on our last night which was so kind of them.....and delicious !! Just one piece of advice we would offer, the island has many minor roads which are unsealed and quite stoney in places and therefore a more "robust" hire car would be recommended. Saying that, we had a Vauxhall Corsa style car and it didn't put us off exploring all the hidden coves and views etc. We would have no hesitation in recommending the Flour Cask Bay Retreat for a perfect Kangaroo Island experience.

10/10 Excellent

Susan, Adelaide

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Understated and hidden gem
Others' reviews of the Retreat did not exaggerate. The setting is beautiful and the property even has its own private beach. Although secluded it's not so far out of the way that you can't go out for an evening meal. The rooms are well appointed. And then there's the excellent hosts, Jeannie and Dave, whose generosity and hospitality helped make our KI visit so special. They're more than happy to share their local knowledge and show you around - but only if that's what you want. We had a great time and we're planning to go back.

10/10 Excellent

Oliver

Travelled with partner
John was an excellent host and the feeding of kangaroos and iguana was an absolut highlight for us.The house is a little remote (9 km from main street) but it is an incredible experience to be that cöose wirh the animals! We‘ve loved it!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Patrick

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019
Response from John on 25 Feb 2019
Hello Patrick, Thank you for staying at Flour Cask Bay Retreat and your Kangaroo Island and Australia holiday affords you many happy memories.

10/10 Excellent

Cornelius

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Prachtige accomodatie midden in de wildernis.
Het beste vakantieverblijf van onze hele reis tot nu toe (5 weken). Midden in de vrije natuur, elke dag kangoeroes voor de deur en toch een mooi en comfortabel huis. De eigenaar is zeer gastvrij en behulpzaam. Bakte zelfs een brood voor ons toen we aankwamen. Want in de wijde omtrek is niets te koop. Als je het echte Kangaroo Island wil zien, zoek dan niet verder want beter vind je niet.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019
Response from John on 25 Feb 2019
Thank you for your generous review and I am pleased you found Flour Cask Bay Retreat comfortable and hope it was one of many wonderful memories of your visit to Kangaroo Island.

10/10 Excellent

Francois

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best Equipped Kitchen!
Don't be put off by the rocky road ...after 2 km you will reach a birding paradise. John, the owner has a few bird baths and wonderful garden with 3 hanging bird feeders and a water station for the Kangaroos. We loved using Johns place as our base around the island. We stayed a week and had everything we needed to cook during our stay.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2019
Response from John on 25 Feb 2019
Thank you for your very kind review. It was wonderful to meet such wonderful people and spend time with you both watching the birds and 'engineering' the nectar feeders.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Juergen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Super
we enjoyed the sound of silence
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018
Response from John on 30 May 2018
Hello Juergen, I hope your Australia holiday has been enjoyable. Thank you for your review and for choosing to stay with Flour Cask Bay Retreat. sincerely,

10/10 Excellent

karo&paul, germany

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Super Unterkunft in wunderschöner Lage
Die Unterkunft befindet sich mitten in der Wildnis von Kangaroo Island! Das Zimmer mit Blick auf den wunderschön angelegten Garten und kleiner Terrasse waren top! Die Eigentümer waren sehr hilfsbereit und freundlich und haben uns gute Tips für die Insel gegeben. Am Abend konnte man auf dem riesen Grundstück die wilde Tierwelt Australiens beobachten (hauptsächlich Wallabies). Immer wieder gern! Tip: besser einen Geländewagen für die Insel buchen. Unser kleines Mietauto hat uns öfter leid getan (vor allem die Zufahrt zur Unterkunft ist sehr steinig - schotterweg).

10/10 Excellent

U

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wohnen mitten in der Natur
Insbesondere abends sieht man sehr viele Tiere (insbesondere Kängeruhs) in unmittelbarer Nähe des Appartments.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Entspannung pur Mitten in grandiose Landschaft
Sehr freundlicher Empfang, moderne Einrichtung inkl. Küchenausstattung, direkt vor der Terrasse ein schön gepflegter Garten, Schotterstraße im letzten Abschnitt zur Unterkunft Perfekte, traumhafte Unterkunft zum Abschalten mitten in der Natur! Kängurus sind in unmittelbarer Nähe, teilweise direkt hinterm Haus zu sehen, Eigenes Auto/Fahrzeug erforderlich, SUV von Vorteil, aber nicht zwingend notwendig

10/10 Excellent

Jeannette, Vejen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Famtastisk smukt
Fantastisk smukt sted, med kenguruerne hoppende helt op til huset. Værtsparet var meget søde og hjælpsomme og værelset var dejligt.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Australian Wildlife vor der Tür
Das haus befindet sich inmitten der Wildnis. Es liegt sieben Km von der asphaltierten Straße entfernt und ist über einen naturbelassenen Weg zu erreichen. Die abgeschiedene Lage führt dazu, dass man vom Haus aus viele Känguruhs morgens und abends beobachten kann. Dave und Jeannie sind herzliche Hausherren und geben gute Tipps, was man alles unternehmen kann. Das Zimmer ist zweckmäßig eingerichtet und hat eine gemensame Terrasse mit dem Haus. Es handelt sich um ein Appartment ohne Zimmerservice. Handtücher werden zu Anfang gestellt. aber nur auf Nachfrage gewechselt. Es gibt keinen Föhn und kein Internet. Natur pur dafür umso mehr. Esist gut, zumindest Lebensmittel für das Frühstück mit zubringen. das nächste Restaurant in American River ist ca. 30 Fahrminuten entfernt. derAufenthalt war sehr erholsam. Wir würden gerne wieder dort ein paar Tage verbringen

10/10 Excellent

Claudio, Suisse

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Accueil attentionné et coin de paradis
Rentrer le soir et passer devant des dizaines de kangourous sortis de leurs cachettes est vraiment relaxant, ce que le contacte avec la nature donne est sans égal. Les propriétaires sont adorables et nous ont donné d'excellentes suggestions pour visiter l'île. Assez bien placé, avec seulement 7km de route non goudronnée, une attention particulière est à réserver lors de la conduite de nuit, comme dans le reste de l'île, d'ailleurs.