Australian cricketer Adam Zampa and fiancee Harriet Palmer are selling their luxurious Adelaide foothills retreat.

Words Ben Kelly

From his home in the peaceful, leafy suburb of Leawood Gardens in the Adelaide foothills, it might be the serenity of his surroundings that makes Adam Zampa speak with such ease about his intense schedule for the coming months.

“I’ve got quite a bit coming up,” says the leg-spinner, who is leaving for a tour of India this week with the Australian one-day side. Between now and April, when he will marry fiancee Harriet Palmer, Adam has another two international tours, in between his commitments with the Redbacks and playing for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.

On top of all that, Adam and Harriet are selling their beautiful four-bedroom property, which they have called home since 2016. The home has two bathrooms, including a stunning en suite that accesses the pool area, with the home sitting on a block of almost four hectares.

“We originally lived in Brompton in a townhouse and wanted a little bit more space,” Adam says. “Leawood Gardens is a bit of a lesser-known suburb, which is a positive, and it’s only 25 minutes to Adelaide Oval. For me, that was one of the selling points when we bought it.”

The couple has lived a somewhat nomadic lifestyle in recent years, with cricket taking Adam around Australia and the world, but always coming back to their retreat. They will continue to live in Adelaide but are pulling up stumps and selling the home to pursue new business opportunities.

“It’s at the foot of the hills so you get the stunning views, while still being close to Adelaide. It’s a beautiful little spot and quite secluded,” Adam says.

“We get plenty of wildlife. Almost every second night we see a koala, and we often see deer, kangaroos, and some echidnas as well.”

Both vegans, Adam and Harriet have agisted rescued goats on the property and also adopted two rescue dogs. This passion for animals, combined with his experience being surrounded by flora and fauna, that spurred Adam to pledge $200 from every wicket he takes this summer to the rescue of animals affected by the recent catastrophic bushfires. He’s taken nine Big Bash scalps so far, with plenty of games to go.

“Living here has opened my eyes to Australian wildlife, so that was a huge reason why I was keen to get involved with the bushfire relief charity,” he says.

“We built a beautiful deck that sits on the second floor and you can see the views of the rolling hills and the ocean behind it. There’s a tree right next to it and there are often koalas in it.”

The couple has installed new fences, including the fencing that separates the back yard from the block of native trees. They also had the block cleared of blackberries to improve the landscape.

The pool has been important to Adam for cooling off after hot days of cricket. “I’m a bit of a water baby and I absolutely love that pool. It has direct access from our en suite, which is magnificent too,” he says.

The couple will miss the tranquillity of the location, which has no immediate neighbours. The kitchen and main living area are beautifully designed with spotted gum timber flooring and a large, well-appointed cooking space with a Caesarstone island bench.

“We also love the main bedroom with its stone wall. I’m not a great sleeper when I’m on tour staying in a lot of hotels but, for some reason, in that bedroom, I sleep like a baby every night.”

Sustainability is incorporated into the home with 100,000 litres of rainwater with a UV filtration system, and an 8.85kW solar power system

The couple has made good use of the double garage, with Adam’s 1965 Ford Mustang that he likes to drive through the Hills, alongside Harriet’s early-1970s FJ40 Land Cruiser.

Having grown up on the south coast of New South Wales and lived in Sydney for a few years, it’s the convenience of living in Adelaide that Adam has loved since he came across to play for the Redbacks and Adelaide Strikers several years ago.

“We love driving through the Adelaide Hills to Stirling and Hahndorf, and the proximity to the city and eastern suburbs — that’s one of the best parts,” Adam says.

In 2013, when Adam came across from New South Wales to play with the Redbacks, it was the late Phillip Hughes who was key in orchestrating his move.

Harriet, an artist, has drawn a portrait of Phil that hangs at the top of their staircase. “I played with Phillip in New South Wales when I first started playing professional cricket,” Adam says. “He pushed to get me here, and when I moved to South Australia we built on that friendship and Harriet grew to know him over those years as well.”

The sale is being handled by Dale Gray of Ouwens Casserly Real Estate.