Silver lining... Tanunda comes with ample homely comforts.
The colourful local residents give Nina Rousseau and family a warm welcome at a hideaway for wildlife lovers.
Made it. Past the Koala Conservation Centre,through the sleepy hamlet of Silverleaves to"Tanunda",a two-storey home on a bushy,residential strip,one block back from the beach.
The sun is dwindling,but is it warm enough for a swim?
It's a three-minute dawdle past rangy banksia trees,and it's their silver leaves that give the suburb its name - take thongs for walking over the lumpy"banksia men"and watch your toes on the gnarly roots poking up through the sand.
Shirt up,shorts down,and the nipper is in the nuddy,bolting along the sand,splashing in the giant puddles. There's not another soul in sight,and Silverleaves beach is ours for the taking.
Gotta dash,it's nearly penguin hour. There's barely time to plunge the nipper in the toddler-size tub. The towel rail breaks while trying to hang up a towel,and the two time-warp bathrooms - retro tiles,boxy showers - are the weak links in an otherwise gorgeously renovated property. They're perfectly fine,but at this price point,details count,and the owners plan to spruce them up this winter.
That night,glass of red in hand - a complimentary pressie from"the house"- we hear an owl"hoo-hooting"and the rustle of ring-tailed possums.
In all four bedrooms,the beds are firm but fair,the continental quilts bagged in designer covers,and the pillows soft. It's an extra $80 to have crisp white linen included,otherwise bring your own top and bottom sheets and towels. Oil heaters warm up the rooms in the off-season.
A handy thing:each king-size bed can be unzipped to create two king singles,useful if you're a group that doesn't want to share beds.