128 Upper Penneys Hill Road, Onkaparinga Hills, SA 5163

Offers Close: 28 April at 12.00pm

There's a quiet kind of magic to Upper Penneys Hill Road. Set across some 8-acres in a hidden valley of the southern Adelaide Hills, this is a home that's lived more than one life – built C1909, with a chapter as a winery in between, and now something altogether more considered.

When it was first acquired, the footprint was modest – a simple Shepherd's Hut, pared back and practical, with little hint of what it would become.
Today, it has grown to twice its size, the old and new drawn together by a central conservatory where Baltic pine raked ceilings rise above original stone walls and heated travertine floors, setting a tone that feels grounded, warm, and entirely its own. Wood burning fires, hand-sawn Cypress Pine rafters, and natural materials layer in a quiet authenticity.

It's been described as The Man from Snowy River meets Ralph Lauren – and it lands exactly there. A little French country, a little rural Australia, with an ease that feels collected rather than styled. Earthy, layered, and deeply comfortable, with tallowwood, jute and stone textures bringing the outside in.

The kitchen sits at the heart, shaped with intent. A bespoke layout where patina-look cabinetry carries the look of age, balanced by carefully chosen modern inclusions – a Miele dishwasher and Artusi freestanding oven placed exactly where they should be.

At its centre, a timber island sourced from France anchors the room, surrounded by pieces gathered over time – an armoire from Normandy, wall sconces casting light across stone, Cypress beams overhead, and Tallowwood floors underfoot – all working together to honour the home's origins without holding it back.

What were once stables now settle into a library, rich in tone and mood, before the plan opens to a three-bedroom wing and bathroom – spaces that feel tucked away and quietly restorative.

The original Shepherd's Hut still stands, now reworked to include three bedrooms, an updated bathroom, kitchenette and laundry – already plumbed and ready to shift again, whether into a private master suite with dressing room, a self-contained guest stay, or a work-from-home retreat with complete independence.

Outside, the grounds carry the same sense of story. Extensive gardens follow the natural fall of the land, with vineyards stretching outwards and no sign of neighbours – or the rest of the world. Three dams, along with a winter-fed creek, draw in birdlife and reflection, while River Red Gums stand quietly over the landscape.

A winding track leads you in, over a bridge and past a pond filled with Silver Perch, where drifts of Daffodils and Iris mark the seasons. There's a flying fox stretching across open lawn, a picnic area centred around a fire pit, and space enough for long-table lunches or something much larger under a marquee – equally suited to family life or gatherings on a grander scale.

Lemon-scented gums line the hillside, attracting koalas and releasing their scent with the rain. A large shed with combustion fire and red brick flooring lends itself just as easily to celebrations as it does to projects, hobbies or creative pursuits.

There's room here still to shape – a court, an orchard, even an elevated pool looking out across the canopy, where winter light filters through and settles softly over the sunken gardens below. The property also holds the potential to become entirely off grid, supported by collected rainwater and a non-commercial, unrestricted bore.

And the future feels as open as the land itself. Two dwellings offer flexibility for extended family, income potential, or a private retreat alongside the main residence – with scope to evolve further while still leaving space to make it your own.

A hidden valley setting, moments from suburban convenience yet worlds away in feeling, Upper Penneys Hill Road is one of those rare offerings where the story is already written into the land – layered, personal, and completely impossible to replicate.

Even more to love:

· Undercover parking for three vehicles

· Split system R/C cooling

· App-controlled pop-up sprinklers

· 50,000L of filtered rainwater, plumbed to house

· Automated bore water

· Moments from local shops & essential services

· Zoned for Wirreanda Secondary School

· Proximity to Woodcroft & Cardijn College

· 15-minutes from Port Noarlunga beach & McLaren Vale wine region

· A quick 30-minutes CBD trip via Southern Expressway

Type

House

Bedrooms

5

Bathrooms

2

Parkings

3

Area

3.22 ha