The Church Guest Home, Gawler / Barossa Region, South Australia

17/06/2024

My last guest couple from really enjoyed their stay in & they were so lovely to meet n' greet & show them through! What a wonderful online message to receive, bless. 🫶

Book your getaway here 💒 in our beautiful of !

I look forward to you staying soon! 🍷🍕🧀☕️

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host
❤️🙏

15/06/2024

When the skies literally paint a picture above the TC, the beautiful winter sunshine clouds were about to be moved on by the thick band of dense cloud & rain showers ... I was thinking about how many seasons this historic building has weathered while waiting for my next guests to arrive. The lavenders are flowering freely.

Thoughts of getting away for a couple of days? Book your stay online at, www.thechurchgawler.com.

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

11/06/2024

This pic quote is so very true ...
So, last night I attended a social media session & I recognised a young lady who walked in. She sat next to me, opened her notebook & showed me all the notes from 2weeks ago when she attended my 'Create a B&B, Guest Home or Accommodation Space' workshop. "It was such a fantastic course". That was such a fantastic compliment for her to share & I was really chuffed. Her large family holiday home is being built in the Fleurieu Peninsula & should be ready for a summer launch, which I have promised to share. It is such a buzz to know that what I share is helping so many to start out on this path. My next session is on 26Oct, so stay tuned for details closer to time.



Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

06/06/2024

🌿☘🌱'Upcycling With Plants' with . What a fabulous way to spend an hour on a weekday evening at , learning how to & everyday items & creating great ideas with plants! Such great energy & finding happiness in all things . Thank you ! Check out www.thebotanicdesigner.com.🌿☘🌱
Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

02/06/2024

My WEA workshop yesterday was again such a wonderful time spent with people starting out in the accommodation & tourism space. I always walk out with a skip in my heel! ✨️

From a unique rustic style experience on the Murray, to a real treasure concept on wheels, to a neat home away from home with a golf/city/sea offer, to a premium offer in one of our renowned winery regions, to a step back into the 70s retreat beachside & a hosted home also nestled into our beach/sand/sea landscape. 💒🏡🏠🏘🏕

Sharing for me is , in being the host sharing my home with travelling guests or as a tutor , sharing knowledge & experiences with potential hosts. Stay tuned for my next workshop in Oct! 👏

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host
❤️💒 www.thechurchgawler.com.au 💒❤️

26/05/2024

There is something truly life enriching about owning a piece of history. Standing tall & proud for 157years, this former church has seen every sunrise & sunset, every moon phase & weather forecast, a trillion passersby, a handful of owners, hundreds of gatherings & occasions & millions of prayers & blessings. As the history month of May draws to a close this week, may 💒 & all the buildings that hold the stories of our local, state & national history continue to stand forever strong. It is a true privilege to be its owner in this era of its history, since 2010.

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

19/05/2024

Sometimes the Host simply has to swap their hat to being a Guest & to other places & experiences in our beautiful state of . So I did in the recent weeks!
In Feb, I escaped to the wonderful region. I stayed in a winery accommodation & ventured to see the Monarch butterflies garden nursery, the & McLaren Vale main streetlines from one end to the other & gathered some treasures & delicious brunch & lunch while there & visited the Salvador Dali exhibition after a sensational lunch, walked a couple of our gorgeous beaches & stayed for the sunsets. Such a beautiful region to drive & stay & I have my next short stay around there planned already!
Last week, I ventured to the historical region. I started out at to enjoy strolling amongst the Autumn vistas & then on to my motel accommodation at . I ventured to see & , being such time capsules of our past. I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing collection of wares & offers at . I beyond enjoyed my day at Monarto Safari Park , with the meerkat mingle & giraffe feeding experiences. I returned via Mannum, Mt Pleasant, Birdwood & Gumeracha. I have my next adventure bookmarked for another run!

Me in my car, with eyes wide open to the little & big things you get to see & do when you can. My host hat is back on, ready for my next guests to stay here & enjoy our beautiful .

When have you planned your next getaway? Checkout availability for my 💒 online at, www.thechurchgawler.com.

I hope to greet n' meet you one day in the future ...

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

12/05/2024

To my beautiful Mum in Heaven, after 59 Mothers Days together, the last 2 were quietly celebrated. This year, I just finished your fave 'nuggets' as a tradition & I will be mingling with meerkats this week, to experience the memories of us watching the TV show together. "Flora is such a naughty girl", I can hear you say in my mind.
You have to make the occasions happy & filled with goodness, when they leave such a vast space in your life, once passed.
To the little 4legged protector for many years of the 'TC', Ripley, in this collage next to Mum's fave meerkat, your Mum misses you. 🐾🐾
Happy Mothers Day to all Mums everywhere!
Karen ❤💐💒🙏

10/05/2024

Walking through my & gardens today, I realised how many signs of peace are here. ☮️ As a former church, I know there have been thousands of peace prayers offered up within its walls throughout time & it continues to provide space for you to find your peace, to escape for a short stay or , in our beautiful region of . 🙏

Check out our photo gallery online at www.thechurchgawler.com & then find a date that suits. When you book direct, you are dealing with me online!

Peaceful blessings from my home to yours! 💒

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

07/05/2024

When I return to a message on a bottle, to add to my collection around the ledge in the main living room, it always makes me smile & warms the soul! ✍️
THANK YOU to my guests who left this morning. A former SA'er, now interstate & enjoying a getaway here. A really great couple & thank you so much again for the chocolates! I really appreciate it! 🍫

I love greeting & meeting my guests & showing them through my before I leave them to enjoy their stay! 💒

Book my home direct online at, www.thechurchgawler.com.

Now for a cuppa & a chocolate or 3! 😉☕️

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

06/05/2024

🌸8 years ago today ...
🌸Our 1st online booking was confirmed ...
🌸A group from Melbourne ...
🌸Met their besties from Perth ...
🌸WOW ... so many times & memories ...
🌸So many guest bookings since ...
🌸A catalogue of experiences ...
🌸Lots of greet n' meets.
🌸The quote in this post is my host ethos.
🌸There are still booking spots in 2024.
🌸My bookings for 2025 have started ...

Book your getaway direct with me on ...
www.thechurchgawler.com.au.

I hope to greet & meet you one day, at my very ! Autumn vibes ...

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

02/05/2024

Keeping everyone safe who stays .
Maintaining my home is so important, so today, have checked everything onsite as part of my safety audits. Now I am all ready for my next guests to arrive this afternoon, for a wedding weekend! Mild Autumn days here ... have a lovely weekend everyone!🤎🍂💒🍁

Book your getaway direct with me online at, www.thechurchgawler.com & enjoy my this year!

🍁Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host @ 🍁

26/04/2024

💒8 years ago, we opened our doors for guests.
💖An amazing dream come true.
💝An idea from thoughts became a reality.
🦋We have created highs & weathered storms.
🩷It is our infinity symbol year in business.
💘To my 3 beloveds, now in Heaven, thank you.
🙏Thank you to my circles, guests & connections.
💒Every dream is possible ... just keep going ...

Book your getaway direct online, www.thechurchgawler.com.au.

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

25/04/2024

Not quite a red poppy for this respectful day of remembering Anzac ... but a pink, poppy shaped flower on the strawberry plant, here . May peace be with us all, for what has gone before.
Love, light & gratitude, now & forevermore.💒🌸🙏

24/04/2024

🙏Rest in peace to the soldiers on the window in The Church.
🙏Rest in peace to Eugene 'Digger' Churches, my Mum's brother from Terowie, served & captured in WW11. Lived to 90yo in Mt Gambier, his parents from Mallala & Wasleys. Now near his 2 sisters, in the Soldiers Memorial in Port Pirie.
🙏Rest in peace to the 3 O'Reilly brothers from Wasleys, my Grandmother's brothers, served & killed in the battlefields of France in WW1. Never returned home. So very young.
🙏Rest in peace to all ANZACs.
🙏Rest in peace to all the fallen from every war, who battled for us then & ever since & still. Our freedom & peace we owe to them.

Prayers, respect & gratitude. 🌅🙏

21/04/2024

Sometimes in life, little things mean so much more once you stop, to take them in ... this little plaque holds very big thoughts ...

🌹Seize the day.
🌹Look out of every window.
🌹Life is a journey.
🌹Live your dreams.
🌹Dwell in possibilities.

I have had a wonderful weekend, from a cheese making workshop yesterday, to a lovely brunch with a friend today.
I had wonderful guests from Adelaide stay this weekend to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They were so nice to meet on their arrival.
So today, when I returned, I sat down on my own stairway & looked out my window at the hues of the setting sun. Then I read those words & my answers were ... I do, I did, it is, I have, I believe I do ... every day.

Enjoy your life, keep dreaming ... & now & again, sit quietly & just look out a window ...

Book your getaway on www.thechurchgawler.com.au.

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

#

15/04/2024

🌟A card & flowers yesterday from my weekend guest, then an online review today! Lots of great feedback & saying "leaving" was the only 'sad face'. Blessings to my guests!🌟

My 'why' is right there in that review! Another very happy group of guests & a happy day for The Church & me! Sharing the goodness. ❤💒

www.thechurchgawler.com.au

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

14/04/2024

🦋I am always grateful to arrive back 💒, to find flowers & a card with really wonderful words inside.
🦋This direct feedback is the measure of my business & it is really nice to think someone would take time out of their day to do it.
🦋Having a home to share, for guests to enjoy exclusively while here, is a blessing & something I never, ever take for granted.
Thank you to all my guests over the years for their bookings, their feedback & their consideration of staying here.
❤️🦋🙏
Book your stay direct with me at, www.thechurchgawler.com.

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host at The 💒

11/04/2024

♻️REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. Garden project continues, splitting established plantings in the main gardens to fill gaps, reusing old pots & the kokodama ball with succulents, adding shared herbs to the produce patio, new green organics bin, solar lighting in & recycled infuser bottles setup. I 💚 a good op shop, bric-a-brac wander or vintage market! Today, I just reduced, reused & recycled my own things. It's very much my focus at the moment, to clear & minimise 'stuff' & split & share the 'greens'. High 5! ✋️✅️♻️👏

My next guests have arrived ...

Book your getaway at my home, direct with me on ... www.thechurchgawler.com.au.

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

08/04/2024

Excellent 'locking in' ... ! Hello Gather Round Barossa! 👏

Gather Round and the Barossa Valley.

See you in 2025!

06/04/2024

My latest Guest Review, from Adelaide & Sydney guests who booked direct with me ... book your stay online at www.thechurchgawler.com.au.

'This beautiful property maintains the eminence of The Church and introduces the coziness of a country cottage. You can read on the stained glass window, the names of the local men who served in WWII and remember them as intended by the parishioners who recorded and preserved those names. At the same time, you can curl into the sofa to enjoy a Barossa red, local cheese and a Netflix movie. The house and garden are full of love. This is a home and not just accommodation. The beds are comfortable, the towels are fluffy and the linen is crisp. We were a party of 3 and we appreciated the 2 full-sized bathrooms. The Church was perfect for our visit to the Barossa and return to Adelaide. We intend to come back in a couple months to take advantage of the fireplace and to visit more of the area. There is every convenience here and the property is perfect for a family or a group of friends. Karen is a beautiful host.' P & J



Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

01/04/2024

The biggest, brightest, fullest rainbow adorned the sky yesterday, after that beautiful rain & I arrived home in time to of its last little piece of . 🌟🌹

Rainbows, the visuals, the song & the words are some of my favourite things in the world. ❤️🌈

Then inside was another surprise. A drawing of the stained glass window from my guests' children. Bless them. 💒🙏

May you all have rainbows pop into your life! There are always blessings somewhere ... often in the simplest of things. 💖🫶

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

01/04/2024

🪶'Feathers appear when our Angels are near'.🪶

Indeed, a soft white feather in The Church, right on the spot we said "I do" in 2016 & where I say my prayers every time before I leave. It was not there minutes before, when I walked through the front foyer.

Believe as we may, I say. Each to their own beliefs, but it is a nice thought. Bless my & its purpose of forever giving out goodness & peace. 💒🙏

If ever you stay, then always send a prayer up while here. There is a sense of understanding & calm in this space & you can leave the world behind for a while.

Book online 24:7 at www.thechurchgawler.com.au.

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

30/03/2024

'Happy Easter' to you all! Enjoy this beautiful day!

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

💒❤️🌻🙏

28/03/2024

🎉🥂🌹Happy Anniversary to us!🌹🥂🎉

🎉The Church & me ... 14 years together today!

🥂Almost 8 years as a Guest Home & Host!

🌹760+ guest groups = 2700+ individual guests!

🌟Book your getaway online 24:7,
www.thechurchgawler.com🌟

✨️So many moments & memories made, for so many people.
✨️We have been through for better or for worse times together & we have kept going.
✨️No matter what life brings, we continue to rise!

🌟What a beautiful day!🌟

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

A former c1867 church, now guest home, waiting for you to exclusively book your next short stay!

24/03/2024

We all do indeed shine on, especially when the moon is full & the sky is clear, as it is tonight! Arrived later today ... my weekend guests were from Adelaide & country SA & really enjoyed catching up here for a couple of days.

Transition tomorrow, before a group from Adelaide & Sydney arrive later, to enjoy our beautiful region also, for a couple of days. Then my Easter long weekend guests will arrive on Good Friday.

Bless my . She keeps shining on, under the light of the silvery moon.

Book your getaway direct with me online at www.thechurchgawler.com.au.

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

18/03/2024

'Give out goodness & goodness will come back to you'. 💒🦋🙏

I love my guest reviews! This time from an guest group from the weekend, attending a friend's birthday locally. 🎂🥂🎉

My story with this amazing building & our guests continues ...

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host
www.thechurchgawler.com





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16/03/2024

🌿Early morning starts are so good for the soul.
🍂The falling leaves have begun on the trees.
🌿Not crisp yet, just beautiful days.
🍂The cycles of nature are amazing.

Waiting for my weekend guests to arrive.
Book your stay direct with me on www.thechurchgawler.com.au.

I hope to greet & meet you one day soon!

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host

11/03/2024

A wonderful review puts a skip into your step! I always appreciate hearing from my guests in relation to their experiences in booking & staying & travelling in our beautiful region of . A & ! That makes . Have a happy day!

Book direct with me at ... www.thechurchgawler.com.au

Karen, Guest Home Owner and Host