The Grape Express

Why not add another dimension to your next Clare Valley visit. Take the GRAPE EXPRESS - this is a 4 hour tour on each Saturday for a maximum of 10 guests in our comfortable AC mini coach. Visiting family and historic wineries in Sevenhill, Polish Hill, Mintaro, Watervale and Skilly Hills. A platter lunch is pre-ordered on your behalf from one of the vineyard bistros along the way. Tour $50 per head. Lunch $15-$20 per head. Private tours for small groups by arrangement any day.

Hola! Solar!!

Another stage of our Green Policy has been completed.
We now have 18 solar modules on the garage roof. (Fronius IG Unit in the Photovoltaic System).
The unit will tranform the direct current (DC) generated by the modules into alternating current(AC) - this current is then fed into our home system or into the public mains. Sounds highly techninal? As long as it means lower electricity bills - you gotta love it! By the way have just received a congratulatory message from SA Water regarding our low water usage for the quarter - due to the use of our harvested water for home and The Reserve. Go Green!

It's nice when guests appreciate what you have done!

It is always nice to hear that our guests have enjoyed their stay with us at The Reserve. Gratifying, too, that they take the time to say 'thanks'. Makes all that cleaning/washing/ ironing worth while!!!!

RE: Green .. green ...green

Further to our ongoing efforts to be as green as we can be ... we have just had a rainwater tank installed for use by The Reserve. So 'while stocks last' the apartment will be serviced entirely by our own harvested water.

Inaugural Photo Competition

The Clare Valley Business & Tourism Assoc recently held their inaugural Photographic Competition to gather great images from our region. Great entries - over 300 - but the winner was .....

James Cowperthwaite - well done son!!!

Exciting New Website

We have joined with the top accommodation in the Clare Valley (4.5 star) to offer a complete luxury package to visitors looking for the ultimate Clare Valley Experience. The website explains it all (www.thebestofclarevalley.com)

... from The Reserve Message Book

Julie & David

What a beautiful place you have here, it was more perfect than we imagined, thank you for all the nice touches - breakfast, wine, robes, magazines ---- you thought of everything. we hope to get up here again before our work assignment in beautiful SA is over. Warm regards Peggy & Lucian

(9 May 10)

Autumn has come to the Clare Valley. What a glorious sight - the weather is great too! Cool,crips mornings and evenings and wonderful days.

Some images from the Cruise.

Home Sweet Home

After a wonderful trip to South America in February - visiting Buenos Airies, cruising down the coast and rounding The Horn and seeing the breathtaking Avenue of Glaciers and the Beagle Channel and spending the last 5 days of our holiday in Santiago - the 'terramotto' struck on our last night (7.6 in our area) and almost ruined the whole trip! It was very frightening and then frustration set in when we couldn't get any information about our departure - finally boarded our plane 5 days later having waited in a queue for 7 hours! Never so pleased to see Australian soil.

Bad news for tour Down Under Fans

After being feted as a most successful start to the 2010 Tour Down Under - The Clare Valley has been left out of next year's schedule - no explanation given!!! Boooo Hissss

Tour Down Under in Clare

What a buzz! Have just watched the start of Tour Down Under 2010. Our Main Street was packed with people. Fantastic spectacle. And lots of lycra!!

Great New Year in The Valley

The New Year is starting with a bang! The Tour Down Under commences in Clare tomorrow (19th Jan 2010) and tonight the local community is staging a street party starting at 5pm. Should be great - traders opening late and lots of street stalls with food/wine etc.

And then on Saturday 23rd Jan the inaugural Clare Valley Short Film Festival begins at our wonderful theatre in Blyth culminating, after a day of finalist screenings, in award winners being announced from 9.30pm. Apparently this Festival will be held every 2 years at the Blyth Cinema - what a coup!