How I Holiday: Bookmark Sam Studd’s Rugged Desert Trip For Your Next Vacay

By Emma Bishop

28th May 2025

Welcome to How I Holiday, a series of travel stories and recommendations shared by friends of Urban List from Aotearoa and Australia.

If you, too, believe 'the best things in life are cheese', you'll be familiar with Sam Studd and his sister Ellie. The duo wrote a book about fromage, and their dad, Will Studd, is—as we describe him—Australia's godfather of the good stuff. As a cheese expert, Sam is also a well-seasoned traveller, having spent lots of his life tasting fromage in fancy countries overseas. But a little closer to home, his dream trip is much more rugged.

Here, the avid adventurer shares why he loves South Australia—the desert, the food and the down-to-earth folks who live there.

Why is South Australia special to you?

It’s remote, rugged, and real. It's a place where brutalist desert meets rolling foothills and wild, windswept coastline. There’s a good mix—quality produce, world-class wine, and down-to-earth people. It’s not trying to be anything—it just is. That’s why I keep going back.

What are your favourite venues?

Africola. Always. When I’m in Adelaide for work, I take myself out—sit solo at the bar, soak it all in, and order the Ooldea pipis with fermented chilli and white peas, fully breaded. Washed down with a Midnight Sky cocktail. If I’m off the clock, Muni in Willunga is special. Quiet, clean, thoughtful—it makes you slow down and pay attention.

What’s a core memory you have from South Australia?

Spending time in a dugout in Coober Pedy. No reception. No rush. Just red dust, dry heat, proper space—and a good, hard look in the mirror. It was a special place for me during a challenging time. It gets under your skin—in a good way.

Where should people eat, drink, stay and play?

Eat

Start at Africola—it’s loud, sharp, and always delivers. Sit at the bar or go with mates and let the crew feed you. Heading down the coast? Muni in Willunga is a must. Stripped back and flavour-driven. For something more casual, Low & Slow in Port Adelaide has you covered—proper BBQ.

Drink

La Buvette is a no-fuss wine bar in Adelaide’s West End—charming, a bit moody, great wines.
If you want a hidden gem, Maybe Mae does slick cocktails in a laneway basement.
Down south, Victory Hotel has one of the best wine lists in the state—and views that do half the work.

Stay

Book an Airbnb in Stirling for misty mornings and fireplace nights, or Port Willunga for swims and lazy lunches. If you want a bit of luxury, Sequoia Lodge in the Adelaide Hills is proper grown-up territory.

Play

Hit the road. Drive north to the Flinders Ranges—ancient, cinematic, proper Australia.
Or ferry over to Kangaroo Island if you’ve got time—it’s wild in all the right ways.
And if you’re there in March, WOMADelaide is a dream—music in the trees, barefoot dancing, strangers who feel like mates.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in South Australia?

A tasting at Muni. Minimalist and beautiful. Felt like a love letter to the region.

Looking for more South Australian travel inspo?

15 Dreamy Romantic Getaways In South Australia To Book In 2025
29 Of The Best Restaurants In Adelaide Worth Checking Out In 2025
All The Best Things To Do In Adelaide In 2025

Image Credit: Sam Churnside

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