Fleurieu Living Magazine Spring 2012 by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd

CHITON RETIREMENT LIVING

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

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on why she makes the Fleurieu a regular stop

or call Adam Wright on 0412 620 022 or KeyInvest on 1300 658 904

Kangaroo Island Art Feast · Ethical Eats · Langhorne Creek ‘Women in wine’

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Key Personnel

Contributors

Petra de Mooy Petra is a publisher, an interior designer, a furniture maker and a devotee of good food, good design and good stories. She is also mum to Lucy!

Robert Geh Robert Geh can’t remember who to blame for his descent into photography, but he has been a purveyor of fine commercial photography servicing many clients over the last two decades. His work proliferates in this edition of FLM.

Jason Porter Jason has worked as a graphic designer and art director both locally and overseas for more than twenty five years. He’s tired now and would like to go home to fiddle with his hi-fi.

Heather Millar Heather once lived in London and edited the Spice Girls magazine. Now she lives in Willunga and gets her thrills peering into other people’s lives by writing for Fleurieu Living and other magazines.

Hazel Wainwright Hazel’s office looks down the coastline, capturing the views of the Fleurieu Coast. Her position here allows her to meet all the movers and shakers on the Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.

Adam Jacobs In 1994 Adam came to McLaren Vale as a viticulturist. It wasn’t long before he experienced the wonders of its wine region. He now owns and operates Doc Adams Wines in Willunga, which has wine markets all around Australia and overseas.

Leonie Porter-Nocella Leonie lives in a ‘publish or perish’ environment where her brief is to lift the rate of quality publishing while stemming the perishing rate. Here her brief is to retain each author’s voice within a (quality) house style.

Robert Godden Robert is a tea writer, presenter, video blogger and blender with local business www.the-devotea.com

Grant Beed Grant has recently moved to Port Willunga with wife Lisa and their four boys. After working in the film & television industry in Sydney for over ten years, they have now opted for a wholesome beach side existence on the Fleurieu. James Potter Allegedly conceived in a hot-house, James believes all gardens are improved by a drink and a gentle dig. He works, sometimes, as a garden designer.

Glenn Alderson Glenn grew up at Hallett Cove and now lives in Aldinga Beach. He has been a wedding and landscape photographer for the past six years and in his time off, uses photography to highlight environmental issues impacting the planet.

Publisher Information Meredyth Cilento Meredyth is a woman with eclectic life experiences, an unquenchable thirst for adventures and new challenges, and an almost religious belief in beauty.

PUBLISHER Fleurieu Living Magazine is published four times a year by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd. ISSN 2200-4033 PUBLISHING EDITOR AND MANAGING DIRECTOR Petra de Mooy

Merenia Vince Merenia is a New Zealander who has wandered far afield to Sydney, London and now Adelaide where she is raising her small children. She loves writing, cooking and her husband. In her spare time she is also an occupational therapist. Leonie Hick Living locally for 20 years (now in the Aldinga Arts Eco Village) Leonie almost considers herself a local. Having worked all her life in the health industry, Leonie now runs all About Health Massage, a health & wellbeing practice that focuses on individual ‘uniqueness’. Zannie Flanagan Zannie has been helping to drive South Australian food culture for over 30 years, particularly the food culture of the Fleurieu. She contributes to a number of publications and presents regular seminars & workshops on the development of the regional food culture. Pip Forrester Pip Forrester is a McLaren Vale-based foodie who has a long and strong commitment to regional food, the importance of using local produce; and the role food partnered with wine plays in both the local community and in the tourism experiences the area offers. Mike Lucas The right side of Mike’s brain has enabled him to be a children’s author and owner of Shakespeare’s Bookshop in Port Noarlunga. His left side has qualified him as an engineer. He is cognitively ambidextrous. Quentin Chester A much-travelled contributor for Wild and Australian Geographic, Quentin calls KI’s Dudley Peninsula home. His latest book is Kangaroo Island: Coast to Coast. Visit: www.quentinchester.com

EDITOR Leonie Porter-Nocella ADVERTISING MANAGER Hazel Wainwright GRAPHIC DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION studio threefiftyseven PRINTER Graphic Print Group. DISTRIBUTION Integrated Publication Solutions. SUBSCRIPTIONS www.isubscribe.com.au ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Hazel Wainwright hazel@fleurieuliving.com.au EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Petra de Mooy petra@fleurieuliving.com.au POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 7, Sellicks Beach South Australia 5174 ONLINE www.fleurieuliving.com.au www.facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine COPYRIGHT All content copyright Fleurieu Living Magazine Pty Ltd unless otherwise stated. While Fleurieu Living Magazine takes every care to ensure the accuracy of information portrayed in this publication, the publisher accepts no liability for errors contained in editorial or advertising copy. The views of the contributors are not necessarily endorsed by Fleurieu Living Magazine. Printed on paper from well managed forests using environmentally friendly vegetable-based inks.

Contents

22 FEATURED HOME: Signal Point Sanctuary An architecturally designed home situated in a pristine valley at Ashbourne.

14 FEATURED ARTIST: Jim Redgate makes guitars for some of the best classical guitarists in the world and he lives right here on the Peninsula!

FOOD AND WINE

LIVING GREEN

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

68 The Chef, the Recipe and The Wine: Au Pear – our new taste of France in the South.

42 Beyond Today – What the future of good residential development looks like.

58 The Bad Oil – What’s wrong with palm?

41 The Dirt – more advice from James regarding the benefits of poo.

54 Backyard Gardens – Eating what you grow.

64 Wine Women and Song at Langhorne Creek.

57 Body Ecology – What are you growing in there?

47 Leconfield – 175 years in the making!

MARKETS & EVENTS

FASHION

COLLECTORS

08 Diary Dates and Events to mark on your calendar.

80 Out and About People on the street – what they’re wearing and where they go.

20 Victor Harbor Antiques – Still collecting after all these years.

FEATURED HOME: Winnie Pelz has created an artist’s retreat at Cape Jervis that is both earthy and inspiring.

FEATURED ARTIST: Annabelle Collett – Plastic Fantastic – an exhibition of magnificently colourful and inventive work.

FEATURED EVENT: Kangaroo Island’s Art Feast – Celebrates 10 years.

COVER PHOTO: Winnie’s studio built almost entirely from recycled materials by local trades people. Photo by Robert Geh.

COUNTRY LIFE

MUSIC AND BOOKS

PENINSULA PEOPLE

48 Ethical Eats – Go the Berkshires and the Texels!

14 Laid back luthier Jim Redgate – making classical guitars for the world’s foremost players.

31 Ron and Jan Logan are flying high since moving to the Fleurieu.

62 KI Free Range Eggs – The chicken comes first and then the egg.

72 Book Reviews – Another five for the list.

74 Liz French – artist, resident and inspiring elder.

HOLIDAYMAKER

WEDDINGS

BEING SOCIAL

84 Maggie Beer on why she loves her downtime here on the Fleurieu.

92 From Strathalbyn to KI, our venues and landscapes create a stunning backdrop for these two weddings.

60 Fleurieu Milk – It has the be the milk!

FLM gets out to see who was at the events: · Ducks in a Row Pop Up · Sea and Vines · Cradle of Hills · FLM Launch Party · I am Tall Poppy 5

Welcome to FLM Welcome to the Spring Edition of FLM. As the days get warmer and longer we look forward to a Spring full of beauty. In an effort to deliver diverse and interesting content, every corner of the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island has been considered and explored. We have met many and seen much ... so if it is not represented in this issue, it’s sure to be in one to follow. The more we experience and learn about this region, the luckier we feel to be living here. We are also fortunate to have some great contacts who have put us in touch with many of the fantastic people and places revealed in the pages to follow. For this issue we visited farms in Parawa, Myponga, Inman Valley and on KI. We have visited two beautifully thought-out and designed homes at Ashbourne and Cape Jervis. We watched a new restaurant being born (see page 68 for the new Au Pear). We met craftspeople and designers, builders and architects – each with a story of their own or a story they’ve shared. One of our writers even got an impromptu scenic flight at Adelaide Biplanes. These are some of the perks in the job that we love. That is, the constant surprise and chance encounters. After the launch of our inaugural issue we had a flood of e-mails from our new readers. Here are some we would like to share:

“... I just want to congratulate you both on an absolutely wonderful magazine. Whilst personally I love it, and have been inspired by it, from a professional perspective it positions the region as a progressive, interesting and desirable place to live and visit. Huge congratulations.” Nicole Kinnear Manager Marketing and Communications, Onkaparinga Council.

“... I have just read your first edition of Fleurieu Living magazine and wanted to congratulate you straight away! From it’s striking front cover, to the varied and well written articles, it was a pleasure to read. Even the ads were interesting and relevant. I think you have struck a good balance between content that will appeal to locals and tourists alike. Good luck with your new venture, and I look forward to many more excellent editions of Fleurieu Living!” Anna Vincent Big Surf Australia

“... Just a quick note to thank you for allowing Sarah and I to share in the fun of your magazine launch. We were tickled pink … purple, red yellow and a lot of other colours when we saw ourselves in your beautiful magazine. Not something that happens every day for us, so once again, thank you.” Brett and Sarah Adams

“Congratulations, the mag looks great and I will want to advertise in the next issue.” John Lacey Green Tank Gallery

“Congratulations on the launch of Fleurieu Living Magazine! Having lived and farmed on Kangaroo Island in the 70’s before returning some years later to the home farm at McLaren Vale, I was amazed and inspired by the info and images conveyed in Fleurieu Living. I adore everything about it, even the paper quality and the smell!!! It is so fabulously KI and Fleurieu!!” Image at left: The rolling hills of Myponga. Photograph by Robert Geh.

Sue Oliver Oliver’s Chaff Shed

And a special thanks to the advertising partners that have made a long term commitment to FLM.

designed for living 7

MARKETS & EVENTS

Diary Dates Markets, Festivals and Events.

Markets: Willunga Farmers’ Market In the Willunga Town Square every Saturday from 8am to 12.30pm. The Farmers’ Market has a real buzz, is wonderful for regional produce — and you just know that all the diehards will always be there each week, come rain or shine. Willunga Artisans’ Market In the Willunga Show Hall (opposite the Willunga Farmers’ Market) on the second Saturday of every month. Local art and craft, with a little bit of something for everyone. Fig Tree Market In the Port Elliot Institute, The Strand, (opposite the Hotel Elliot ) on the third Sunday of each month. Local wares from jewellery and sculpture to toys and food. Fun for all the family. Victor Farmers’ Market At the Grosvenor Gardens, Victor Harbor every Saturday from 8am to 12.30pm. Over 32 stalls, with locally caught seafood, organic vegetables, seasonal fruit, local honey, mushrooms, fresh flowers, Fleurieu regional wines and much more. Well worth the visit. Goolwa Wharf Market Goolwa Wharf — every first and third Sunday of the month from 9am to 3.30pm. With around 80 stalls there is a myriad of goods on offer. Bric-a-brac, collectibles, plants, books both new and old, and hand-crafted goods. Kangaroo Island Community Markets Lloyd Collins Reserve, by the beach at Penneshaw — first Sunday of the month from 9.30am to 1.00pm — with Kangaroo Island’s top food producers selling a range of fresh local produce in a great village atmosphere.

Come for the Kangaroo Island Penneshaw Market and stay for the day! Take advantage of Sealink’s special KI Farmer’s Market return walk-on ferry fares: Cape Jervis / Penneshaw / Cape Jervis Adult $32pp, Child $16pp, Concession $16pp, $184 Standard Vehicle. Call 13 13 01 to book.

Meadows Country Market Meadows Community Hall on the second Sunday of the month from 9.00am to 3.00pm. Local produce, crafts, collectibles, plants and bric-a-brac. A true country market. The Original Open Market Beach Road, Christies Beach first and third Sunday of the month from 9 to 2pm. Bric-a-brac, second-hand goods, fruit, vegetables — they have the lot! Strathalbyn Market In Lions Park, South Terrace, Strathalbyn. On the 3rd Sunday of the month from 8am to 2pm. Bric-a-brac, produce, coffee, pies, apples, plants, soaps, jewellery and much more in wonderfully historic Strathalbyn. Yankalilla Markets In the Agricultural Hall, Main South Road, Yankalilla on the third Saturday of each month. Craft and Produce Market featuring goods from the local area. You’ll be surprised at what you may find!

Willunga Quarry Market Adjacent to the Willunga Oval, every second Saturday of each month, rain or shine! A real gem, from fantastic coffee, tarot readings to that hard to find plant and local produce — it’s not to be missed. Port Elliot Market At Lakala Reserve Port Elliot, on the first and third Saturday of each month. A typical country market with plenty of fresh local produce on offer as well as a good mix of other goods such as bric-a-brac, books, fishing gear — even a $2 stall! There is sure to be something here for everyone.

Festivals and Events: Rita Hall – Museum Studies 1969 – 2009 Artworks based on studies from the SA Museum’s ornithology department. Signal Point Gallery, Goolwa When: September 8–30. Patch Theatre Company / A Lion in the Night An engaging visual theatre production inspired by Pamela Allen’s picture book. For ages 4-8. Limited tickets available on 1300 466 592 Where: Goolwa Centenary Hall When: September 18, 19 at 10am and 1pm. Janeen Brian Book Launch Award winning author of picture books, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, short fiction and novels for young people, will be at Shakespeare’s Books at Port Noarlunga to launch her new book ‘Eddie Pipper’. Saturday September 22 at 2 pm.

Fleurieu Folk Festival The Fleurieu Folk Festival is Fantastic Family Fun! Set in the beautiful historic town of Willunga, the festival presents a weekend of music concerts and sessions, dance, workshops, bush poets, children’s entertainment, stalls and more. Relax and enjoy the vast array of local & Interstate performers. Entry to the Festival is only $45 for the entire weekend (children free). When: 26th - 28th October 2012 Perfect Peninsula Picnic at Goolwa Alive Each year the Goolwa Traders close the main street for a festival showcasing local produce and businesses. You will be able to spread your blanket on manicured lawns and stock your basket with fresh produce direct from the growers and makers. Free entry includes soulful and festive music from local entertainers, including Riley, Tane and Never Say Never. The Fleurieu picnic food will be served from 11-4. Where: At the Rotunda in Goolwa When: September 30. >

Open Everyday 6.30am - 4.00pm. 13 Old Coach Road Aldinga, South Australia. www.facebook.com/HomeGrainBakery

MARKETS & EVENTS

Yankalilla Cruise Yankalilla Memorial Oval from 10:30am. Classic cars, bands, kids’ activities, stalls and more. When: November 18. Hugh Hamilton Annual Oyster MasterClass Sip and shuck your way through five flights of oysters from all over the country and all matched with Hugh Hamilton’s wines. The ‘Two Michaels’ (Angelakis + Keelan) from Out of the Blue will be co-presenting the day with Hugh! From 2-5 @ $90 per person (payable at time of booking). Booking essential (08) 8323 8689. When: October 21 CARTeSIAN McLaren Vale Wine Show Exhibitors Tasting Where: McLaren Vale Bocce Club, Kangarilla Road, McLaren Vale. When: Tuesday, October 23, 10am-1pm. JamaeRaw 13 (a musical performed by young performers from the local community) will be staged as both matinee and evening performances on Saturday October 6 within JamaeRaw’s annual performing arts festival UpRaw 2012. Where: Willunga. When: October 3–6, in the second week of school holidays. Cru, Cheese and Chocolate Vale Cru are doing a tasting at The Victory Hotel with the theme ‘Cru, Cheese and Chocolate’. Bookings through www.valecru.com.au When: 14 October. Strathalbyn Rug-hooking Expo Rug-hooking half-day and full-day hooking workshops presented by internationally known instructors. When: October 20-21 from 1-5pm. Gorgeous Festival Missy Higgins will be headlining the Gorgeous Festival with Dan Sultan, Gossling, The Preatures, Butterfly Boucher, Hayden Calnin & Johnny McIntyre all joining Missy on the bill. www.gorgeousfestival.com.au When: November 24.

So much to do, so much to see! Just 45 minutes from the centre of Adelaide, the Fleurieu Peninsula offers a tapestry of experiences showcasing the best of South Australia.

Indulge In

And Explore

Our Community

Great food and wine, with four distinct wine regions. A fantastic and fresh food culture, underpinned by great seafood and local produce, showcased with pride by some of the South Australia’s finest dining experiences.

Our stunning natural scenery includes over 250km of superb coastline, rolling hills and valleys in the interior, as well as the world class ecologies of the Southern Lakes, the Murray River Mouth and Deep Creek National Park – there are plenty of activities to inspire. From the world’s smallest penguin, to the tail slapping majesty of Southern Right. Experience the vibrant populations of Australia’s larrikin kangaroos, emus and koalas, as well as the stunning birdlife in the Coorong National Park – you won’t be disappointed.

Stay the night in comfort enjoying accommodation from quirky caravan parks to decadent luxury resorts and boutique bed and breakfasts. Be welcomed and enjoy lively community events, farmers’ markets and local hangouts. Let us share with you our amazing home, the Fleurieu Peninsula.

www.fleurieupeninsula.com.au

our farm Handmade from Join us for a country lun ch and live music on the thi rd SUNDAY of the month.

This Jersey dairy farm located in Mount Jagged, near Mount Compass, on the Fleurieu Peninsula (17 km from Victor Harbor) is where the McCaul family produces awardwinning hard style cheeses & luxury dairy products, using high quality, rich creamy milk. The range uses traditional methods supported with the combined knowledge of four generations of farmers & cheese-makers.

Open daily Monday to Friday 12 noon - 5:00pm Weekends & public holidays 10:00am - 4:30pm

www.alexandrinacheese.com.au

Sneyd Road, Mount Jagged, Fleurieu Peninsula tel/fax: 08 8554 9666 email: info@ alexandrinacheese.com.au

Woodcroft College is closer than you think

With two dedicated buses servicing the Fleurieu Peninsula, departing from Goolwa and Aldinga, our students can travel from far and wide to access our internationally accredited curriculum. We invite you to join one of our College tours and see for yourself why parents choose Woodcroft College. Junior School (Reception to Year 5) Friday 26 October, commencing at 9:15 am Middle & Senior Schools (Years 6 to 12) Tuesday 16 October, commencing at 9:00 am For further information, to join a tour, or to obtain a prospectus, please contact Tracy Bonser on 8381 0491. Woodcroft College is an Anglican, coeducational day school from Reception to Year 12.

Starting point of the McLaren Vale Cheese and Wine Trail, Blessed Cheese combines a specialist artisan and farmhouse cheese shop, licensed cafĂŠ and providore. Pack a picnic or dine in our casual cafĂŠ for a regional breakfast, lunch, coffee or cake and of course ... cheese.

Bains Road Morphett Vale SA 5162 T: 8322 2333

www.woodcroft.sa.edu.au

150 Main Road McLaren Vale 5171 T: 8323 7958 F: 8323 7918 E: info@blessedcheese.com.au W: blessedcheese.com.au 13

Jason Porter visits Jim Redgate at Port Noarlunga â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and meets a very

Photography by Grant Beed.

You could be forgiven for not having heard of Jim Redgate. Despite his guitars being played by some of the world’s foremost classical guitarists, he does maintain quite a low profile. Jim works from a studio at the rear of his home, a stone’s throw from the beach at Port Noarlunga. The house is a ‘work in progress’: a 1960s besser block beach house he shares with staffy ‘Buster’. Originally there was living space on the first floor only, but Jim has now converted what was once under-house parking into additional living space. He also built the well-appointed workshop in the back yard of his large block. Consequently he’s created quite a quirky home, full of retro flavour and fascinating things he’s acquired over years of collecting. Jim acknowledges that his father was one of those guys who refuses to throw things out when they break, preferring instead to repair them; or if completely unsalvageable, strip them of all useful components that are then stored in the shed for ‘later use’. You can see a little of that in Jim. He definitely loves making things himself.

Once completed, Jim sprinkles the soundboard with sawdust and plucks the strings, studying the patterns formed by the dust to see how the energy is distributed across the surface. He will then spend up to another couple of days making minute adjustments to the bracing inside the guitar until he’s satisfied he’s achieved the best sound possible. Jim is a perfectionist and consequently he’s honed his craft to an impressive degree. The finish on his instruments is utterly meticulous. And they sound fantastic. Jim has a reputation for making loud, powerful-sounding guitars.

Perhaps not surprisingly Jim taught himself how to make guitars, initially by carrying out repairs on other people’s instruments. This enabled him to study the construction techniques of some of the higher quality instruments he worked on, so by the time he was studying for a Performance Degree at the Elder Conservatorium he was performing on guitars he’d made himself. After mastering the skills required to build a quality traditional instrument, Jim focused on developing techniques that would set his guitars apart from the others. He began to experiment with different materials and techniques. Based on the work of Greg Smallman (who pioneered the internal lattice bracing technique in Australia) he set about developing his own variations on these principles. These days he is best known for producing three models of acoustic classical guitar: • the ‘lattice braced’, • the ‘double top’ and • the ‘wave top’ guitar. The names relate to the way the front section, or soundboard of the guitar is constructed. As its name suggests, the soundboard makes an enormous contribution to how an instrument performs — and is usually the difference between a good guitar and a great one. Jim has experimented with high-tech materials in an effort to build soundboards that are incredibly strong, while retaining essential lightweight and flexible qualities. His latest designs use a kevlar mesh sandwiched between the upper and lower portions of timber. These surfaces are then fastidiously sanded and shaped down to minute tolerances in an effort to achieve perfection.

This is immediately evident even to untrained ears. When he plays, the sheer volume his guitars produce is really noticeable. Volume in itself isn’t enough though, the skill is in being able to maintain that volume across the full frequency range, from one string — even one note to the next — while sustaining proper balance and tone. One of the reasons Jim’s talent is such a well-kept secret (to the lay person at least), is that he sells his guitars through a single worldwide distributor in the United States. Originally he handled all the orders, made repairs and built new instruments himself, but a fire in his workshop six years ago threw a very large spanner into the works. >

He was forced to take six months off in order to completely rebuild his workspace, acquire more materials and virtually start again from scratch. At this point Classic Guitars International in California offered to step in and help out by managing sales for him. This arrangement remains in place today. Jim already enjoyed quite a reputation in the United States prior to this though. He tells an amusing story of how he enrolled in a NEIS course in the early 90s in an effort to gain some business acumen. This helped him determine where there might be a market for his guitars. He identified that the local luthiers already had a monopoly on the Australian market, so perhaps he should to try his luck elsewhere. He splurged and bought himself a then ‘state of the art’ fax machine for $500 — and after getting a listing of guitar store numbers from the Los Angeles phone book, sent off some faxes. Surprisingly he received not only interest, but even some orders. It seems that Australian luthiers such as Smallman had already gained a reputation for building the lattice-braced guitars, which had served to whet the Americans’ curiosity. One of the first guitars Jim made for the US lasted only one day in the window of a guitar store before it was reviewed by a writer for Acoustic Guitar Magazine. That was his lucky break. They ran a feature on his guitar, and his career as a professional luthier gained a momentum that hasn’t eased at all over time. 16

When asked how he spends any spare time Jim says he loves ‘anything to do with the beach’. Surfing, fishing and kite-surfing all rate very highly on the list. He’s even paddled out to Horseshoe Reef on his surfboard to catch squid. Breakfast at Blue Water Café, Saturday mornings at the Farmers Market in Willunga and the Singing Gallery in McLaren Vale also rate a mention. Jim also retains a keen interest in performing music, although his tastes are perhaps not what you’d expect given his clientele. Jim is a founding member of popular surf-rock-inspired instrumental outfit ‘GT Stringer’, who have been on the scene for ten or so years (during which time they’ve managed to release five albums). He’s also in the midst of producing a CD for another band he plays for, and which I was lucky enough to sample in his rather wellappointed home studio. You don’t get the impression Jim gets much down time though — he’s a man in demand. There’s a two-year waiting list to purchase a Redgate guitar. And he’s not the type to take any short cuts when it comes to work or his reputation. A reputation obviously well deserved. He’s also been involved with the recent ‘Adelaide Guitar Festival’, where he not only conducted a ‘Meet the Maker’ session for budding luthiers, but donated one of his guitars (valued at $16,000) to the festival as a prize for the winner of the Adelaide International Guitar Competition.

Jim says he loves ‘anything to do with the beach’. Surfing, fishing and kitesurfing all rate very highly on the list. He’s even paddled out to Horseshoe Reef on his surfboard to catch squid. Breakfast at Blue Water Café, Saturday mornings at the Farmers Market in Willunga and the Singing Gallery in McLaren Vale also rate a mention.

Images previous page: One of Jim’s completed guitars (left) and a couple of templates hanging on the wall in his workshop (right). This page: Jim at work (left) and Buster guarding the doorway (right).

Concert guitarists playing a Redgate guitar include: Ana Vidovic (USA) Lattice Ralph Towner (Italy) Double top Slava Grigoryan (Australia) Wave Double top Leonard Grigoryan (Australia) Double top Bertrand Thomas (France) Lattice Jeff Young (USA) Lattice Gareth Koch (Australia) Wave Double top Odair Assad (Belgium) Double top Wolfgang Muthspeil (Germany) Wave Double top Karen Schaupp (Australia) Wave Double top Emmanuel Rossfelder (France) Lattice Hucky Eichelman (Germany) Lattice Phillipe Mariotti (France) Lattice More information available at: www.redgateguitars.com.au www.classicguitar.com/redgate.html

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Down memory lane ... in Victor Harbor.

Heather Millar discovers an antique and collectibles store packed with all kinds of eclectic treasure.

Graham Parry drove past the old building that is now home to his antiques and collectibles store in Victor Harbor for a year before he contacted the real estate agent to enquire about it. That was over 20 years ago. Graham had collected stamps and coins for years, but was looking to leave the bank where he worked and expand on his interest in collectibles. He and wife Jenny started out selling some antiques and jewellery for friends. Then Graham sold off some coins from his personal collection to finance a buying trip. These days, he and Jenny travel to antique fairs across the country to buy for their store â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and for their clientele. Over the years they have come to know what their customers want â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and buy specifically with them in mind. For example, Graham keeps an eye out for china whippets, which one of his female customers collects. Another customer has a permanent monthly lay-by and Graham keeps an eye out for particular pieces for him.

These days, he and Jenny travel to antique fairs across the country to buy for their store – and for their clientele. Over the years they have come to know what their customers want – and buy specifically with them in mind. Their store is packed from floor to ceiling, with every conceivable corner stashed with all manner of collectibles. ‘Men like to collect military and petrol pieces, or old farm equipment,’ says Graham. ‘I’ve even sold old medical and dental equipment.’ ‘China is always popular,’ says Graham, pointing to glass cabinets containing all kinds of colourful and delicate crockery, tea pots, blue and white striped Cornish-ware, even Royal Doulton. There’s also a pair of Mary Gregory hand-painted glass vases from the 1880s worth about $4000 – one of the more expensive items in the store. There are old inkwells, Beatles memorabilia, cigarette lighters, old gazunders (‘gazunder the bed,’ laughs Graham pointing to a chamber pot) child’s buckets, old bush furniture, Piccaninny boot polish, toys, unusual telephones, old electric jugs, old oil cans, car badges, Bakelite radios and clocks. ‘We’ve started to see a lot of younger people coming in, in their 30s and 40s. Recently I asked a couple why they were interested in antiques. And they said it was because of The Block. The people on The Block often find that one-off unique piece to display in their rooms, and these shows seem to be sparking a renewed interest in antiques. You can easily find a plain item,’ says Graham, ‘but to find a tiny teddy with a humpback – which means it’s really old – is such a thrill, because it’s so unique. This object has been loved by someone for its whole life: it may be threadbare but it’s just got so much character. My mentor and best friend said to me once in the early days: ‘Graham you can’t sell from an empty wagon. And every time he’d come in here after that he’d shake his head at how much stuff I had and wonder why he’d ever said that.’ ‘Because it’s true – I do have the fullest shop – probably in Australia!’ Victor Harbor Antique Centre Corner Eyre Terrace & McKinlay Street Telephone: (08) 8552 1211.

Image top left: Graham Parry sits outside his shop in Victor. Image below left: Bakelite radios for the collector. Images at right: A plethora of collectibles await for those happy to invest time in searching through their laden cabinets. 21

Signal Point sanctuary An architectural homage to the Fleurieu landscape and a final flourish for designers Angus and Dowie. Written by Merenia Vince. Photography by Robert Geh.

Hidden in the lush countryside of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, Signal Point is a harmonious marriage of modern design and beautiful landscape. Located a few kilometres from the historic hamlet of Ashbourne, the property is tucked away in a landscape of ancient gums and gushing creeks. Drama builds as a dirt road climbs through lush farmland and steep ridges to reveal a giant amphitheatre of native woodland and verdant paddocks, the River Finnis and a brim-full dam. Perched below, high above the valley floor, the Todd home is an elegant dwelling of glass and steel hugged by a circle of hills. When Diana and John Todd began searching for land on which to build a new home, they recalled happy childhood holidays at family farms and knew they both wanted a country setting. They sought an unspoilt property with no buildings; a blank canvas where they could

start from the beginning. After seeing pictures on the internet they promptly visited and found Signal Point; the property, ‘untouched, virginal and stunning’. The icing on the cake was a precious grove of decades-old native Xanthorrhoea (or grasstrees) on what is now the slope on which the house sits. The property was theirs in two weeks. The couple envisaged an elegant, modern house which would celebrate the dramatic landscape and allow the views to take centre stage. They chose well with their architects, Angus & Dowie, long established on the Fleurieu Peninsula and renowned for their quality work. In fact it was to be a sentimental project, the last house Alistair Angus and Drew Dowie would design before their retirement. The building was completed in a year, a remarkable feat for a high quality home in an out of the way location. >

After seeing pictures on the internet they promptly visited and found Signal Point; the property, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;untouched, virginal and stunning. The icing on the cake was a precious grove of decadesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; old native grasstrees on what is now the slope on which the house sits. The property was theirs in two weeks.

Angus and Dowie have captured the magic of this setting skilfully, designing a home elegantly blended with the land. The house is elevated on steel poles, and stands lightly amid a natural garden of grasstrees. The silver corrugated roof slopes with the lie of the land and merges naturally with the greys of surrounding eucalypts. Double-height glass spans the width of the living area, framing the panoramic views of hills and valley and making a seamless connection between house and land. The architects specifically designed the house without verandahs to bring the scenery right to the edge of the building, with the hillside dropping away dramatically below the house. Occasionally, to Diana and Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delight, eagles soar into this extravagant view. Unpretentious and relaxed, Diana and John favour informal living and had requested a spacious open plan kitchen, dining and living area. The galley kitchen is sleek and minimal with all appliances hidden, and the bench tops and cupboards colour-matched exactly to the cream of the walls. A friendly compromise has been reached regarding the antique oak dining table which sits in ornate splendour amid the glass and steel, a sentimental treasure from Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family. On either side of the living area there are outdoor entertaining niches with a dizzying drop from the glass balustrades. Set back from the elements these spectacular yet cosy vantage points are usable year round for entertaining. >

Image at left: The open plan living area boasts panoramic views of the entire property. Image top right: The master bedroom with its equally impressive views. Image centre right: The rear of the home features a covered walkway from the main garage to the rear entrance. Image bottom right: The end of a winding driveway finally reveals the home.

Diana and John are art lovers and their painting collection adds a final touch to the visual delight of this home. Huge contemporary aboriginal paintings in earth tones and simple forms harmonise perfectly with the picturesque setting.

While this house is unmistakably modern, it has a definite softness. Natural materials and neutral tones gently complement the romance of the views. A lightly textured New England oak is used for the floors. The walls are a delicate ‘Berkshire Cream’. Pale grey lounge suites reflect the colour of the eucalypts studding the property. An acoustic gyprock ceiling, specified by the architects, completely eliminates echo and further adds to the intimacy. Together the owners and architects have created a theatre of lofty spaces and spectacular views, which is also friendly without being ostentatious. Diana and John are art lovers and their painting collection adds a final touch to the visual delight of this home. Huge contemporary aboriginal paintings in earth tones and simple forms harmonise perfectly with the picturesque setting. Trips to Darwin for John’s engineering firm ignited the couple’s passion for aboriginal art and they’ve found that the clean lines of their new house make a stunning gallery for their growing collection. Importantly, the design and building of the house was managed from start to finish by the architects – and it shows. Every inch of this house is immaculately finished to the finest detail. Diana describes how thorough Angus and Dowie were: ‘there was a meeting for the placement of light fittings, and even a meeting for the painting locations’. The architects employed their long-standing

team of tradespeople, who took great pride in their work. The entire process was so trouble-free that Diana and John hosted a thank you barbecue for the tradesmen, architects and their families in the newly finished house. Diana and John enjoy sharing their new home with family and friends. Neighbours regularly come and enjoy barbecues and views. The couple host cosy ‘bed and breakfast expeditions’ for friends, who come cross-country to dinner and stay the night in the comfort of their own suite. Two large bedroom wings straddle the living area, and as well as framing the more breathtaking angles of the valley, the guest wing is self-contained with a separate entry and lounge. >

Image at left: The main entrance hall features a large and spectacular aboriginal painting and full length cabinetry. Image below: The lofty open plan living space is made more intimate with acoustic gyprock ceiling designed to eliminate echo. The contemporary galley kitchen is by Goolwa Kitchens.

A grove of gumtrees below the house is virtually alive with parakeets, cockatoos, galahs, wrens, and the little striated pardalote. Diana and John revel in their land and have become passionate about preserving its rich ecology. They happily admit they bought the property for its natural beauty and it wasn’t until later, owing to a detailed survey by Goolwa Land and Planning, that they found they were caretakers of a precious ecosystem. Half their 49 hectares is wooded with the endangered eucalyptus odorata, or ‘peppermint box’. To preserve this fragile woodland Diana and John receive a government grant, and since removing cattle and fencing it off they’ve already noticed some regeneration. There are, however, a mob of kangaroos creating much consternation by grazing on tender, native undergrowth. Down at the riverbank the couple have worked hard to eradicate invasive olive, blackberry, elm and briar rose and have duly replanted with swamp wattle. Now the only domestic animals on this property are four pampered alpacas. The Todds chose them from nearby Yaringa Stud, and admitted ‘we didn’t know anything about them’, but soon found they made ‘easy, lovely pets’. The alpacas are also adored by visiting grandchildren who love riding down the hillside on the tractor with Diana or John for feeding time. Signal Point is also home to ample bird life. A grove of gumtrees below the house is virtually alive with parakeets, cockatoos, galahs, wrens, and the little striated pardalote. John is currently installing nest boxes high on the gumtrees to encourage residence by these pretty pardalotes. Wild ducks nest at the dam and raise ducklings there each spring. Signal Point house and land have come together as an inspired work of art. Owing to the vision of Diana and John and the genius of Alastair Angus and Drew Dowie, it is a celebration of the beautiful Fleurieu landscape and a brilliant finale for the architects.

Image top left: View of the dam. Image bottom left: Striated Pardalote.

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gallery studio 29

New faces on the Fleurieu by Mike Lucas.

When Ron Logan asked me if I’d like to take a short flight in one of his planes, I couldn’t say no. This was an opportunity too good to miss, but for Ron and his wife Jan, it’s as straightforward as jumping in the car and taking a quick drive down the Esplanade. Ron and Jan Logan have arrived at a place they call home. Situated in the corner of a vineyard at the foot of the Willunga Hills, their house is nearly finished. Designed and built using local trades and suppliers, with slate from nearby Bangor quarry and ten metre high pitched ceilings designed by a local architect, it is only a short journey from their place of work – Aldinga Aerodrome. Ron and Jan met at school in Ayrshire and both went on to careers in banking. It was here that Ron’s interest in flying began and he obtained his pilot’s license, with Jan soon following. After working at various locations around the UK, Ron was offered a senior position in Sydney, close to where his two younger brothers were already living. The Logans became Australian citizens and in 2002 they bought their first plane. Though their time in New South Wales was challenging, with Ron managing over ten thousand employees, the job itself held little personal satisfaction. But Ron’s ability to facilitate successful change in such a dynamic industry reached the ears of others. In 2003, Ron was presented with the seemingly impossible challenge of building a new joint venture credit card company in Shanghai, amalgamating HSBC and the Bank of Communication and radiating this new enterprise out to major cities across China within six months. The Bank of Communications at that time was fragmented, with the President of each province assuming ownership of their respective banks. Suitably qualified employees were scarce; new buildings had to be constructed; existing buildings had to be refurbished; the communications infrastructure was antiquated. But the largest challenge was that presented by the cultural differences between a capitalist western company and a communist culture.

than two kilometres away from each other in Henfield, Sussex. Ron and Jan returned to China but left their plane at Aldinga as a mutual benefit to themselves and the Smiths, gradually purchasing more aircraft. Since then, the two families have become good friends, and the Aerodrome is now home to the Logans’ planes. Ron and Jan recognised the beauty of the Fleurieu Peninsula immediately. As well as the unspoilt charm of the surrounding areas and the contrast of hills and sea, Ron says the amicable nature of the community is what makes this area so special. They bought their first home in the region over the internet. While in China, they noticed an interesting property for sale in Willunga and, without viewing the property, they secured themselves an address that could be used as a base for their increasingly frequent visits to the area. It was during one of these visits that they purchased the land for what was to be their dream home and what is now a striking construction of architecturally challenging and environmentally astute design. Ron has 1200 hours of flying time behind him, and nine months ago qualified as a trainer. His satisfaction in training students from fourteen years old as potential airline pilots of the future is evident, and adds to his fulfilment of changing the lives of his employees in Asia. His hard work is now allowing him to pursue his passion as a part time job.

Ron held official meetings with the Presidents of the provinces and was treated like royalty. Strings were pulled to successfully complete the project on time and, six months after Ron received that phone call, there was a simultaneous opening across China. His final task was to find a new CEO to replace him, before moving on to similar ventures in Vietnam and the Philippines.

The Logans consider Willunga their home. ‘It just feels that way,’ says Ron, and it’s not hard to see why: cruising two thousand feet above the smooth, folding hills; watching the Sportstar’s tiny shadow floating over the surface of the clear jewelled sea; gazing down upon the stillness of Myponga Reservoir, and over at the faint ghost of Kangaroo Island to the south.

It was in 2005 that Ron and Jan first flew into Aldinga Aerodrome and met Martyn and Gaylene Smith, the owners of Adelaide Biplanes. Over a coffee, the two couples realised that they used to live less

When we landed, I thanked Ron for, what was to me, one of life’s great experiences. ‘Not a problem,’ he replied, ‘I’m always looking for an excuse to get back up there.’ 31

Gardening on the edge. Business woman and artist Winnie Pelz says ‘I get a huge satisfaction out of sitting here watching the changing views and the birds. There are the most wonderful sunsets and sea mists ... and the ships going through ... Story by Heather Millar. Photographs by Robert Geh.

‘Just head towards the wind farm’, says Winnie Pelz, as she gives me directions to her coastal home near Starfish Hill Wind Farm, just above Cape Jervis. But on the day I visit, the countryside is thick with fog and there’s nary a windmill to be seen. As I turn into her road, two enquiring heads peek over the fence to greet me – Espresso the black llama and Chico the white llama. Bristle the labrador/ mastiff-cross races alongside my car, and just as I pull up to Winnie’s rammed earth home the sun breaks through the clouds and I can see all the way down to the ocean. Later that morning I will be able to see across to Kangaroo Island. Winnie tells me this place involves ‘gardening on the edge’, and she means it in more ways than one: her property is quite literally on the edge of the southern Fleurieu coastline – while gardening here is ‘on the edge of insanity’. Winnie began looking for a place where she could get her hands in the earth in 2004 – as a counterbalance to the life she leads in the city. ‘I worked in a succession of senior management roles and felt very burned out. It was very much about just finding a haven where I could scratch in the garden’. ‘I was looking at land over at Parawa and I had time to kill and I drove down here and turned into the street, which I didn’t know existed, and saw the view and went “Oh, this is stunning”.’ Although Winnie had always been a gardener she had no idea of what it would be like trying to establish a home – and particularly a garden – here. ‘I built the studio first with almost entirely recycled materials, using local trades-people. I wanted the studio to look like it had been here for 50 years. It was formed around four trusses that I got from Tony Parkinson (from Penny’s Hill Winery). Parky had got them from Greg Trott’ (the now-deceased owner of Wirra Wirra Winery). >

Image left: Winnie’s earthy collections are simply a pleasure to behold. Minimal art direction was required for this photo shoot! Image above: Chico and Espresso living the good life.

‘I had always believed in the old Glenn Murcutt philosophy of “touch the earth lightly” – but this is something more like an impacted molar’. ‘Trotty had built an extension onto his place using these wonderful trusses and these were leftover ones. So the trusses – which were seven feet long – determined the size of the studio’.

33 she found herself managing the JamFactory. This led her into more management roles in organisations as diverse as Santos, The Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Guide Dogs SA.NT.

Winnie started building the house in 2007: ‘It’s a very simple onebedroom cottage: a rectangle with a gable roof’.

She has again picked up the paintbrush in recent years. ‘The work that’s emerging links the garden and the landscape. There’s a very strong sense of big sky and distance, and then elements in the garden that are right in the foreground’.

‘I had always believed in the old Glenn Murcutt philosophy of “touch the earth lightly” – but this is something more like an impacted molar’, laughs Winnie. ‘It’s got this huge concrete slab so it doesn’t touch the earth lightly – but I think it fits into the landscape. I wanted it to be subtle, to just blend in; not be a big architectural statement. And I think it achieves that’. Dave Roberts of the Stabilised Earth company in Willunga did the rammed earth building. ‘The place is soundproof’, says Winnie. ‘It can be howling out there and yet peaceful and serene in here’. Winnie’s interest in visual art and her travels are reflected in all the rooms: from the rocking horse in the corner ‘actually made by Claude Monet’s great grandnephew, Jason Monet’, which she found at Distelfink Gallery in Melbourne; to the pebbled floor of the shower – a collection of pebbles from beaches all over the world; to the bathroom walls which feature old newspaper pages. One old piece is from The Lutheran Times dated 1951, the year her family migrated to Australia from Germany. Winnie herself trained in the visual arts, but ‘didn’t do much with it other than puddle around’. She exhibited for a few years, taught high school, then went into arts management and marketing: at age 34

There was no garden here though when Winnie first arrived. ‘The first night I came up here to plant the windbreak, I was sleeping in the studio and I had brought up a tray of melaleuca plugs. I got up in the morning to plant them and they had disappeared – the rabbits had had a feast. ‘So I had to put cages around everything. I built kangaroo fences for the two windbreaks to keep the kangaroos out. Stuff would just start to grow, and then the jolly white cockatoos would bite off the ends of things. So it’s been a battle’. Slowly over time Winnie has come to know what will withstand the elements, the animals and the birds. >

Image above: The house was built using rammed earth by David Roberts of ‘Satbilised Earth’ in Willunga. Image right: Winnie’s collection of bird houses and feeders serves both aesthetic and functional purposes. Her studio can also be seen in the background.

Image top left: The main open plan living area is home to many works of art, including paintings by Winnie’s daughter and a rocking horse by Jason Monet (great grand nephew of the famous Claude Monet). Image below left: Even the kitchen is not without many found objects and artwork sourced from Winnie’s travels. Image right and bottom right: The garden attracts much spectacular bird life. Image above: The inside of the studio. (The outside can be seen on this issue’s front cover.)

‘Correa alba are tough – they’re a great little windbreak, great for birds and bees. Westringias. Saltbush – the little wrens have built dozens of nests in there. And I’ve got this gorgeous display of irises in spring, that blue, tough iris that grows by the roadside. Grevilleas. Rosemary. Pelargoniums and succulents. Stuff that is really tough’. Then there’s the lack of water. She has five water tanks and still ran out of water last summer. ‘I had to buy water in, and it’s not cheap. So I’m sticking to a more limited palette of plants now!’ The garden at the back of the house was ‘a bit of a folly’, says Winnie. ‘I wanted to do a Celtic cross in stone on the ground and then I would make it into four quadrants of garden. But I don’t have enough water to keep four quadrants of garden going. In summer it pretty much looks after itself; I only water the roses about every 10 days, unless it’s stinking hot. I’ve been mulching heavily and gradually the soil’s improving’. >

Winnie loves birds – and plants with them in mind. ‘The Black Cockatoos that come here – they really love the casuarina nuts. We get everything from eagles that circle over this valley to hundreds of tiny Blue Wrens and Yellow-tailed Thornbills.’

She also has a loquat and a fig tree, Kalamata olives, and a pistachio and mulberry tree in this part of the garden. I ask Winnie about the Celtic connection – she also has a beautiful white stone spiral in the garden. ‘I have a Scottish great-grandmother and I’ve always had this very strong emotional link with Scotland. I studied textile design in Edinburgh – so whenever I had a weekend free, I’d go over to the west coast and out to the islands. I think wanting to be here has a lot to do with Scotland – high land overlooking the sea, being in touch with the sky and the sea and the landscapes’. Years ago when she was at the JamFactory after her return from Edinburgh, Winnie did a series of woven tapestries that dealt with Celtic imagery. ‘Scottish and Celtic history has always fascinated me, so the Celtic cross and spiral date back to then’, says Winnie. She also has plans to put in a labyrinth in stones on the ground. Winnie loves birds – and plants with them in mind. ‘The Black Cockatoos that come here – they really love the casuarina nuts. We get everything from eagles that circle over this valley to hundreds of tiny Blue Wrens and Yellow-tailed Thornbills. I’ve been planting the garden very deliberately with grevilleas and correas and westringias and all the stuff that little birds like’. Then she invites me back inside to her table. The floor-to-ceiling windows frame the earth, sea and sky – nature’s own work of art. ‘I get a huge satisfaction out of sitting here watching the changing views and the birds. There are the most wonderful sunsets and sea mists, and the ships going through. Then there are some nights it’s just so calm that I can hear the water breaking down on Morgan’s Beach and you can hear the waves lapping – it’s wonderful’.

Image top left: The bathroom features wallpaper from vintage newspapers and pebbles on the floor in the shower come from beaches all over the world. Image below left: The Celtic, white stone spiral in the garden.

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Each Issue Fleurieu Living will publish a photo that depicts the region from our readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspective. This photo of the Cockle Train was taken by Heidi Linehan.

The Dirt. by James Potter.

As expected I am putting on a hectoring tone and continuing my barrowpushing. This time I’m talking more crap than ever. Truckloads of it. Don’t obsess over the animal of origin; just buy lots of it as soon as possible. Buy it in bulk, spread it, dig it in and get ready for growing. Animal manures bring complex life to your soil unlike the limp-wristed tossing of a few granules of chemical concoction. Yes there are technical issues like the composition of the manure, how well composted it is, weeds and other pathogens, but these pale in comparison to the huge benefits to the plant health that will flow. Once you have corrected the manure imbalance in your life, your new favourite hobby will be pruning the verdant growth. Can I safely assume that after absorbing the above advice you are planning on purchasing a trailer load of composted chook poo and a machete? I thought so. If you are looking for something audacious to plant in your invigorated soil, and prune with your machete, then consider the always striking Ensete ventricosum. No need to show off your cultivated French tones – it’s pronounced ‘en-SET-ee’. If the utilitarian urge is overwhelming, then grow a banana. Not only do they look stunning (in a 3rd world way) but you can do your bit to address the demographic imbalance that is associated with growing the world’s favourite fruit. Yes folks you don’t have to be a New Guinea villager, have 84 years of Italian heritage or be a Subaru-driving agrariansocialist, anyone can grow a banana. Some, more successfully than others. If you are one of the others, try the small-growing, cooltolerant varieties such as Dwarf Cavendish or Dwarf Red Dacca. Plant in a position that will be warm in winter – against a northern wall or surrounded by paving. Protect both your Ensete and banana from frost and cold winds and feed these beasts with generous doses of compost and manures or nitrogen rich, organic fertiliser. If, like a banana plant you are constantly hungry, or plan to be in a couple of months, then you need to head to South America for their vegetable crops. Scrap that. Apparently the Spaniards, Portugese and other dastardly types have been there already and after some deft negotiation with the locals acquired the tomato, capsicum, eggplant and other kitchen essentials. But of course you already know this and have planted your crops with greedy anticipation of succulent harvests. Or if, like me, you’re generally slow … then get cracking! If it’s still bloody cold where you are, try sprouting seeds inside on the window sill or under a Victorian-era hand-blown glass cloche (or an old soft drink bottle). Keep the little suckers warm and feed them like a fat kid. Planning even further ahead? Then encourage your eggplant and capsicum plants to give you two fruitful summers; it’s the surest way to an early crop if you succeed.

Above: Ensete ventricosum.

If a few of you are still seeking more tangible information on cultivars, especially tomatoes, then we could talk heirloom varieties. Too many column-inches have been wasted on heirloom tomato varieties and I can’t bear to continue it. Thankfully Clive Blazey is a much bigger man and has dedicated a whole tome to the topic. Pick up a copy from the Diggers store in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens or online. Just ask for Clive’s Bolshevik-inspired All about tomatoes and potatoes, peppers and other relatives: growing your own from seeds the corporates don’t own. If any of the above has inspired you to seek real information, check out the Willunga Environment Centre. They have an extensive library with books on sale as well as free public workshops. Willunga Environment Centre, 18 High Street Willunga. Phone: 8556 4188 Email: willungaenviro@westnet.com.au Website: www.willungaenviro.org.au.

Beyond Today. ‘A development should foster a sense of community and should improve the landscape, not degrade it.’ Story by Robert Godden.

Image above: Looking across one of the many landscaped reserves, of which Beyond residents can enjoy views. In the rear of the image the stunning ‘Kondoli’ (dreamtime whale surfacing from the ocean) hills landscape can be seen to the north. Photo by Alice Bell.

Michelangelo once said ‘I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free’. How many of us can look at one thing, so similar to many others like it, and see the hidden opportunity to discover a new wonder within its depths? The area now known as the Beyond Today development was looked at by many people over the years, and all they could see was an old farm, or perhaps an opportunity to build a standard housing development between Victor Harbor and Port Elliot, pack 1200 houses in, sell them for a big profit, and move on. The only problem was, the land was a family farm and it wasn’t for sale. Not to a developer. That is, until the Wright clan entered the picture. Stephen Wright, a combination of dreamer and strategist, saw an opportunity to do something unique. He was so persuasive and the vision so alluring that the farm changed hands. What the Wright family acquired was denuded grazing land and an eroded creek that ran with storm water. It was land with as few as 40 trees, and a gentle gradient that meant the high side was always dry and the low side marshy after a rain event. Steven had a vision; a combination of ecological and sustainable principles with a clear picture of what living could be. And the perfect person to bring on that vision? Obviously, an award winning landscaper, known for sustainable developments. All of which happens to describe Steven’s wife, Margit. Between them, the Wrights had the passion and the knowledge to make the vision a reality. Then they added Adam, their son with a background in marketing, to the team, and it is Adam Wright who is now the face of Beyond Today. ‘We use the best contractors and experts we can find when we need to, but we like to do as much ourselves as we can,’ says Adam from his home on the estate. ‘People like John Maitland, the awarding winning eco-architect, who was invaluable in setting up our housing guidelines. But the core of the venture is my parents, myself, and my uncle Bruce, who handles the project management and contractors.’ 42

Beyond Today works with its future residents to get their planning right. ‘We help them get it through Council, because we make sure it is right before it goes there’. ‘... Over the last few years, the Alexandrina Council has gone from scratching their heads and asking us for examples of what we were trying to do – and there aren’t any – to now, bringing visitors from other council areas through to show people what can be done.’ On the face of it, it’s a simple concept. Instead of the mandated 12 percent of the development being open space, Beyond Today has 47 percent free of housing. Yes, almost half. And it’s only a few hundred metres from the beach. The open spaces have been planted with a huge variety of condition-appropriate plants, but also scattered around are stone fruits, pistachio trees and sundry other edibles. There’s an idea that has been around for most of human history, but who among us has actually seen it in the last 100 years. According to Adam, the Wrights believe a development should foster a sense of community and should improve the landscape, not degrade it.

It’s hard to get this far in thinking about Beyond Today without a sneaking suspicion crossing your mind that this environmental malarkey would cost you a pretty penny if you were to purchase one of the few remaining blocks and have to build according to the estate’s rules. Adam admits that the building guidelines are very strict. In fact, he’s proud of it. ‘The thing is, they are very prescriptive, but the rules don’t actually make your house more expensive to build. For example, there is a rule saying your house must be sited so as to catch the winter sun. The window placements are set down. Everyone needs windows, so it costs no more to put them in the right place to save you electricity.’ ‘There’s a requirement for cross ventilation, and we have supported this, as every block has a reserve on at least one side. It costs you nothing, but you may never have to turn on an air conditioner. The only thing that tends to happen as a result of these guidelines is that you end up with a modern, contemporary home that has virtually no need for outside water or electricity.’ Beyond Today works with its future residents to get their planning right. ‘We help them get it through Council, because we make sure it is right before it goes there. Over the last few years, the Alexandrina Council has gone from scratching their heads and asking us for examples of what we were trying to do – and there aren’t any – to now, bringing visitors from other council areas through to show people what can be done. It’s fantastic to have them on-side.’ With the idea that living at Beyond Today is both inexpensive and idyllic, the Wrights moved on to an obvious market, and came up with the Chiton Retirement Village. ‘We could see all these people retiring to a tiny house in a street of identical houses, with huge electricity and water bills following them. And we thought it could be done better. At Chiton, residents should be self-sustaining, or close to it with regard to their water and electricity.’

The key to Beyond Today is that they have demonstrated that even if the environment is your second or third priority, you can have it at no cost in terms of finance, on-going cost, community services or convenience. The demographics are worth a look. The final community numbers will be somewhere between five hundred and a thousand people. Older residents look to be about sixty percent of the population, which is in line with the area generally. Interestingly, the buyers are not all locals or retirees from Adelaide. About a third come from interstate, country SA or even overseas. This is quite a unique development and people are voting with their wallets. Even with the Global Financial Crisis which slowed down all real estate markedly, this development exceeded the average sales growth in the area. So, who are these buyers? Mike and Katherine are a young couple thrust into an unexpected role – as full-time carers for their son Shaster, who is not yet two and suffers from a debilitating and chronic condition. Even with an overnight nurse, the role is highly demanding. ‘This is our house and also the place we spend most of every day, so it is a joy to spend that time in this light-filled space’, says Mike. > Image below: Many water birds are attracted to the picturesque location.

‘Katherine, who feels the cold, has been walking around in bare feet and summer clothes – that’s how well-warmed by the winter sun this house is on even the coldest days of the year.’ Mike, Katherine and Shaster moved in a month ago from Golden Grove. ‘We were used to living in a nice place’, says Mike. ‘But here, we have a reserve full of grass and fruit trees behind the house that is maintained. It’s like someone else looking after your huge back yard’. Mike and Katherine are planning for the future at Beyond Today. ‘Shaster should gain greater mobility around the time he turns five’, Mike explains. ‘We can imagine all of us getting on our bikes and riding to the beach, without having to cross any main roads’. With the Victor Harbor Hospital close by and Adelaide a short trip away, this couple – an ex-pilot and a trained counsellor – believe they have made an excellent decision. Carol and her husband Alan have already made a big move – Carol hails from Torquay on England’s South Coast and Alan is from Manchester, and 22 years ago they decided to give Australia a go. Now, as they approached retirement in the house they built for this purpose in Allenby Gardens, they seem to have surprised everyone – including themselves – with a decision to move to Chiton Retirement Village at Beyond Today. With a comfortable existence already planned in the North-Western suburbs alongside the linear park and bike tracks, parks with tennis courts and barbecue areas, they didn’t imagine that they would suddenly make another move after leaving their respective professions of nursing and butchery. ‘We just fell in love with the place,’ says Carol, who is absolutely gushing with excitement. As soon as our home is finished, we’ll retire to it.’ The obvious question is to ask Carol is ‘why?’ ‘It is the future. One day soon, all development will be like this. And it’s like nowhere else in the world. It’s totally unique. We like the way the retirement village shares facilities with the community. We don’t want to just see people like us when we are out walking, we want to meet and

‘We just fell in love with the place,’ says Carol, who is absolutely gushing with excitement. As soon as our home is finished, we’ll retire to it.’ The obvious question is to ask Carol is ‘why?’ ‘It is the future. One day soon, all development will be like this. And it’s like nowhere else in the world. It’s totally unique. We like the way the retirement village shares facilities with the community. We don’t want to just see people like us when we are out walking, we want to meet and say hello to all types of people of all ages.’

Image above: MBA award winning design for sustainability 2011 by South Coast Constructions for the De Jong’s of Holland who fell in love with beyond on their first visit. Photo by Alice Bell. Image top right: Display home demonstrating best practice energy efficient design. Once lived-in, this home will be totally self sufficient with respect to water and electricity. Image bottom right: Entertaining courtyard that enjoys a great relationship with indoor living spaces while being positioned to be a comfortable space year round.

say hello to all types of people of all ages. We fell in love with the beauty of it – the birds, the frogs, and the wildlife. All that eco stuff is exciting, but it’s really just a bonus. This is the place we want to live.’ Jacqui is a senior manager with one of Australia’s major communications companies, who is so committed to the project that she owns several investments on the site as well as her own home. Despite needing to work long hours in the Adelaide CBD and working interstate at least some of each week, she enjoys the 75-minute commute. ‘It’s a beautiful drive. Driving in winds me up for the day, driving home winds me down. It’s like going on holiday every day. It’s well worth it. I can walk the beach in the morning and not see a soul, or wander around the wetlands and enjoy the birdlife. And in the winter, the whales are on our doorstep.’ Jacqui has a daughter at a nearby High School, and says that the new home has led to an increase in visits from her adult sons. ‘I see them more than ever now. They come down to swim, or fish.’ Having been on site for about a year now after a move from Strathalbyn, Jacqui has seen the environmental and design principles first hand across all seasons. ‘Not having an electricity bill and having your own water is just a bonus. And I feel good about it as well, so it’s all good.’ Like everyone else spoken to, the environmental factors are not the most pressing requirement they have in housing. For Jacqui, it’s far more personal and she becomes quite animated when explaining: ‘It sounds funny, because I work for one of Australia’s biggest communications companies, but I can see that in some ways all this connectivity leads us to be more isolated from the community around where we live. At Beyond Today I talk to my neighbours. There are young couples with interesting ideas, older people with so much history – a great diversity of people from all over the place. And we are sharing this experience. What has been created here is a community.’

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Richard Hamilton Wines. Pip Forrester visits LECONFIELD for their 175 years.

One hundred and seventy five years in business is a significant achievement for any family, but it is a special achievement for an Australian wine family. So, it is with great pride that Dr Richard Hamilton, his family and staff, will celebrate their ‘175th’ in October this year. Within two years of arriving from England to the young colony of South Australia, the original Richard Hamilton, a tailor by trade, had bought land and started planting vines to establish a winery. Hamilton had arrived in 1837 and on the advice of one of his sons, John, who worked for Colonel Light’s survey party, bought a section of land on the banks of the Sturt River at Marion. It was here that the Hamilton Ewell Winery was born. Although the original winery no longer exists, the present Richard Hamilton continues the family business, producing wines in two world-renowned, South Australian wine regions – McLaren Vale and Coonawarra. This is how it happened. The Hamilton Ewell Winery continued for over one hundred years, but Richard’s father, Burton, the viticulturist in the family, developed a passion for the fruit of McLaren Vale and bought the property known as the Hut Block on the southern outskirts of the township. He produced his first cabernet sauvignon in 1958. In the meantime, his brother Sydney, the winemaker at the Hamilton Ewell Winery, followed through on his lifelong dream to make his own cabernet sauvignon. He left the family business, and in 1974, at the age of seventy-six, purchased land in Coonawarra where he built his Leconfield winery. His nephew, Dr Richard Hamilton, bought the Leconfield Winery from his uncle in 1981, but this was not Richard’s first foray into the family trade. He had just finished his basic medical training in 1972 and was commencing his studies to become a surgeon. Max Lake’s book, Classic Wines of Australia, and the establishment of Max’s Lake’s Folly winery in the Hunter Valley stimulated Richard to start a winery of his own. He bought two acres of land from his father, which were on the main road in Willunga. This property was to be the home of Richard Hamilton Wines until the head office and the cellar door were moved to the present McLaren Vale site in 2005. Richard’s goal for his small vineyard and winery was to make quality red and white wine. He received significant support in the venture from his uncle Sydney, who helped design and build a small model winery. The Willunga property consisted of the winery, cellar door and offices, and vines planted by his father. In addition to the purchase of his uncle’s Coonawarra winery in 1981, Richard and his wife, Jetta, have strengthened their wine-making business by further vineyard acquisitions in the McLaren Vale and

Image above: Dr Richard Hamilton.

Willunga districts, including Burton’s Hut Block and a property on the corner of Johnston and Main Roads in McLaren Vale. The magnificent vineyard planted on the latter site is now one of the showcase vineyards of McLaren Vale. The fifth generation of the Hamilton Wine family is going well. From the original Richard, the founder, through his son Henry, then Frank and then Frank’s sons, Sydney and Burton ... and now Richard, the business has expanded and established itself as one of Australia’s most respected wine brands. The wines that visitors can taste at the cellar door in McLaren Vale on the Johnston Road property takes us through an historic journey. Burton’s much-loved Hut Block vineyard that delivered its first cabernet sauvignon in 1958, now lends its name to the current cabernet. The Lot 148 Merlot reminds us that the Hamilton story started on land marked Lot 148 in Marion. The Burtons wine comes from bush vine grenache planted in 1948 and the headlining Centurion comes from shiraz vines planted in McLaren Vale in 1892. The sense of family, history and place are also reflected in the newer wines in the line up; notably, the Slate Quarry Riesling and Almond Grove Chardonnay. Although the McLaren Vale region is now recognised as one of Australia’s premium wine regions, that was not always the case. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to pioneers like the Hamilton family – the original Richard, Frank, Sydney and Burton, who were all passionate and determined to succeed. The present generation will, of course become part of the historic Hamilton narrative. To help this venerable wine family celebrate 175 years – the hardest years, as Richard has commented – visit their cellar door or their website; www.leconfieldwines.com.

Leonie Porter-Nocella seeks out farmers who allow us to have our meat and enjoy it too.

Ethical Eats. Photographs by Grant Beed.

Charlotte wanted to produce the best prime lambs possible. And she did. There’s no mistaking Charlotte Morley’s passion. It’s palpable. And it’s all about the sheep.

Charlotte Morley’s Illawong Texel Lamb We just love to find food producers who farm ethically and well. This is especially the case with meat, the production processes of which can often distress quite a few people, even those who are carnivorous by nature and volition. But fortunately there are producers out here whose farming methods ease our conscience and allow us to have our meat –and enjoy it too! Charlotte has probably never wanted for much. She comes from one of Adelaide’s best-known families (sssh ... Bonython ... ) and when she was about 15 inherited 1600 acres of idyllic, lush, green land at Parawa. You could’ve done anything you wished on that piece of land: it’s that good. However, Charlotte wanted to produce the best prime lambs possible. And she did. She first encountered Texel sheep during a trip to the UK in 1987 and could see immediately that they were just what she needed to fulfil her dream. She began working towards this fulfilment by getting herself the Texels – and later, by importing herself a genuine, New Zealand ‘Stud Master’: Ross, hereafter referred to as ‘Stud Master’. He was exactly what Charlotte needed: a man born to work with sheep and raised in a country renowned for the quality of their

sheep and their sheep people. New Zealanders take sheep far more seriously than practically any other nation, and since Charlotte’s passion is for her sheep it stands to reason that she wouldn’t settle for anything less than a New Zealander to help her attain her great expectations. Australians have traditionally bred Merino sheep because they produce the best wool ... and after all, as we all learned in school, ‘Australia rides on the sheep’s back’. That was then, when wool was a valuable commodity and made us a reasonably wealthy nation. However, the problem has always been that because the sheep were ‘there’, they were also used as a staple food. The thing is, best wool does not mean best meat. (Besides, as Charlotte and Stud Master have both observed, Merinos are dumb.) They both agree that Merino = mob, whereas Texel = individual. In other words, each Texel has its own unique personality. Rather like people. Or dogs. Charlotte and Stud Master speak with great affection of ‘George’, a ram acquired in 1994, whose semen they still use and whose personality is legendary. They still recount with a loving smile and glistening eye the numerous anecdotes of his sometimes risque, yet always comical antics. > 49

Owing to Stud Master’s expertise in his calling, they’ve bred East Friesian to Texel in order to increase size and hybrid vigour and then bred back to Texel. The East Friesian is more fertile with a bigger frame and more milk, but the Texel produces exactly what Charlotte wants: good feed to meat ratio, denser muscle, with tender, full-offlavour meat + omega 3, iron and zinc. And if more zinc and iron is what you’re after, they finish off by feeding them on chicory!

Market (VHFM). If Saturday mornings are out for you, Goolwa Meats has it all year-round.

Charlotte’s meat can be found in selected butchers, bearing the red ILLAWONG TEXEL LAMB brand on either side of the carcass; however, she keeps some of it back for us and sells primarily through the Illawong Texel stall at the Victor Harbor Farmers

Previous page left: Charlotte sizes up the weather from her kitchen window, which boasts a sublime view. Previous page right: Casting a loving gaze over the flock. This page left: An Illawong Texel lamb. Next page right: Katrina heads out to feed the chooks.

If you wish to find out more go to www.illawongtexel.com.au, but Charlotte can usually be located at 8598 5235 ... or at the VHFM on Saturday mornings.

Katrina McCullough’s Green Eggs and Ham (a story of pigs and chooks). Several years back Katrina McCullough moved to the Fleurieu Peninsula for a sea/tree change and began her farm experience at the dairy of her (now) partner, where she worked as a ‘milker’. However, Katrina McCullough and Angus Williams got into the pig business almost by accident. They are both what we would call ‘greenies’ and like the idea of a barter system between friends and producers. So after being paid in pigs for some work they had both done for a farmer, they decided that they would not be at all averse to going into the pig business.

They now trade at the Victor Harbor Farmers Market (VHFM) every other Saturday under the charming name, ‘Green Eggs and Ham’, although this could sound a bit dire to anyone unacquainted with Dr Seuss. The ‘pig/salary’ was paid in ordinary Large Whites – the common everyday, commercial pig. However, that’s where all resemblance ends. Their ‘dry sows’, ‘in-pig’ (pregnant) sows and boar all run free together. The McCullough/Williams’ pigs are neither ‘teethed’ nor ‘tailed’ (that is the term for the removal of teeth and tails to prevent them from biting each other’s tails off when they’re penned so >

tightly that they can and will resort to this out of sheer boredom and frustration). Their pigs don’t get bored because they actually have a life. And at the end of their amazingly precise 3-month, 3-week, 3-day gestation their ‘in-pig’ sows are taken to a ‘farrow shed’ (note shed, not cage) to deliver 6 to 12 piglets per go in a nest-box lined in hay. The sow receives an A+E+D vitamin injection before and after birth, and the piglets within the first week of life. This is in addition to the pigs’ regular diet of grass, potatoes, grain, hay, carrots, dairy, and sometimes citrus peel.

For their feats in egg-retrieval the kids’ names adorn many of the cartons, which were initially sold through McLaren Vale Montessori child care and now through the Victor Harbor Farmers Market and various other small, ethical-food-conscious outlets.

The McCullough/Williams’ long-held desire to sell through a farmers’ market came closer to fruition after they acquired their handsome Berkshire boar. He was mated with the Large Whites, resulting in a superior ‘Berkshire Silver’ that has all the great qualities of the Berkshire plus ‘hybrid vigour’. Katrina and Angus’s game-plan is to stay small enough to remain true to their green values while keeping costs as reasonable as they can.

Image top left: Berkshire Silvers. Image top right and below: Chuffed chooks.

As well as being available at the Jetty Food Store at Normanville, the menu at The Courthouse in Normanville ... and now the menu at KI’s multi award-winning resort, the Southern Ocean Lodge, well-known chef Simon Bryant has cooked with the Berkshire White pork, loved it, and plans to keep on using it! As the name, Green Eggs and Ham implies, the family also sells freshly gathered eggs from chooks that wander wherever they please – even into the house (sometimes). Since the chooks wander wherever, they also lay ‘wherever’. This is where their children Finn (7) Coell (6) Rhun (5) and Briege (3) come into the picture. No adult could possibly squeeze into and under the peculiar places these hens arbitrarily deposit their neat little treasures.

If you wish to know more about these products, you can email Katrina at kjm.parawa@live.com.au.

A degustation featuring free range pork from Green Eggs and Ham will be hosted at the Court House Cafe in Normanville on September 27 from 6:30. Cost: $38. To make reservations telephone 85583532.

[Editor’s note] After interviewing Katrina at her Parawa property back in June we asked for directions to Charlotte’s, on the assumption that all Parawans would all be acquainted with one another. ‘Oh, that’s easy’, she said. ‘She’s actually my nextdoor neighbour. I can see her place from here’. But after driving for what felt like an eternity searching for the turn-off to Charlotte’s farm, we decided that we must have misunderstood the instructions ... so we drove all the way back for clarification. It had not occurred to us that a ‘next-door neighbour’ could be a full 5km away with nothing between them but rolling hills and pristine farm land. We really felt like a couple of clod-hopping city folk!

Backyard Bounty. New Zealander and now Fleurieu resident, Merenia Vince, discovers the highs and lows of fruit and vegetable gardening in a hot climate. I grew up in a lush corner of New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty with an abundant yearly rainfall of 2.5 metres, soft summers and velvety, black volcanic soil. It’s been a huge shift in mindset growing backyard produce in Adelaide, with some triumphs and a few tragedies along the way as I’ve progressively learned about watering, mulching, shading and managing the intense summer heat. Our block in Old Noarlunga is a compact 700 square metres. When we bought it eight years ago the backyard consisted of lawn, concrete, an ancient but prolific Valencia orange tree, and a ‘retired’ apple tree that bore no apples. On the upside, however, historic Old Noarlunga is uniquely blessed with rich, dark, alluvial soil deposited by the Onkaparinga River, and perfect for growing fruit and vegetables. We planted heat-loving stone-fruit right away, and within two years were enjoying fragrant sun-warmed apricots, peaches and nectarines straight from the tree. Stone fruit preserves beautifully and each summer I fill rows of jars with pretty pink nectarines and golden apricots and peaches. It’s a labour of love boiling up vats of fruit in the heat-waves of summer, but when we pop open a jar of golden peaches in mid-winter it’s as though we’re eating a slice of summer sunshine. Early on we also planted citrus varieties we suspected would cope with hot summers and cold winters. Our biggest success has been the sweet, virtually seedless Clementine mandarin native to North Africa, which means it also flourishes in our climate. I imagine exotic Moroccan gardens each time I eat one. The Valencia orange also thrives; more of a juicing orange than an ‘eater’, but Valencias keep so well on the tree that we enjoy breakfast orange-juice from September right through to May. To save space our other citrus trees are compact; our dwarf lemon, dwarf lime and Japanese cumquat are all grown in tubs. We’re crazy about home-made marmalade, so it’s become one of our regular winter rituals to steam up the kitchen with the scent of bubbling citrus fruit. Together Anatoly my husband, and my gardening-mad Dad built the vegetable garden. They used Queensland sleepers to make six small plots and laid ‘old red bricks’ for the pathway divisions. During eight summers of trial and error on the vegetable front, I’ve had success growing zucchini, capsicums, tomatoes and aubergines, (in fact, the full ratatouille) plus sweetcorn, dwarf beans and carefully shaded lettuce. Bush tomatoes with shorter trusses seem to take the heat better, but I’ve given up on cucumber vines that simply sizzle. Over winter I’ve had reliability with leeks, sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, rainbow chard, rhubarb, lettuce and beetroot and I will master carrots – one day.

We’ve been busy with our small children since living here, so it’s not one of those perfectly weedless, optimally-producing vegetable gardens. Our biggest challenge is the intense northern and western summer sun. Anatoly made wooden cloches stretched with shadecloth, which to some extent tackles this problem. When time and money allow, we hope to build a pergola over the whole vegetable patch with an adjustable shade system to allow for both summer and winter conditions. Our other major problem though is the voracious earwigs. These little devils can strip tender vegetable seedlings to a mere stalk in one, single night and I have yet to find a reliable earthfriendly method to control them.

My neighbour, Sherilee, is extremely gardening intuitive and has been a real source of inspiration for organic vegetable gardening. Although I’m really a straight rows kind of girl, she will have me planting in curves and drifts yet. I fertilise with ‘blood and bone’ and never use insecticides. Digging in our own humus-rich compost has boosted the water-retaining properties of the soil, along with the addition of a pea straw mulch. We water from our rain tanks by hand over summer and autumn. Using produce from the vegetable garden is a joy. The best herb teas are those brewed using a few freshly-picked springs of lemon thyme, lemon balm and common mint to make the most divinelyscented pale, golden tea. Our family is vegetarian so there’s hardly a day I don’t harvest spinach or silver-beet to slip into everything from pizzas to pastas and soups to muffins. If it’s not a silver-beet and spinach day it’s definitely a lettuce day. Like tomatoes, lettuces

On the upside, however, historic Old Noarlunga is uniquely blessed with rich, dark, alluvial soil deposited by the Onkaparinga River, and perfect for growing fruit and vegetables. are exponentially tastier when home grown. The Diggers Club has a gorgeous range of heirloom lettuces. My favourite, ‘Freckles Bunte’, has maroon speckles on a green leaf, reminiscent of a spotted thrush’s egg. For the children, sharing in the vegetable gardening is a joyful way to connect with nature, as well as being a useful life skill. Together we observe the seasons, notice the weather, listen to the birdsong, discover creepy crawlies, watch the life-cycle that begins with a seed, and wonder that a tiny blossom can one day produce a deliciously sweet orange.

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Here on the Fleurieu, we get to eat and drink the best local fare. This now includes The Devotea Teas, taking the US and UK by storm. They are created and blended right here on the Fleurieu. Find out more online at the-devotea.com. Buy packets to enjoy at home at Adelaide Fresh Fruiterers, Morphett Vale. Or enjoy a cup at Café MESO/Simply Organoleptic, Chalk Hill Road, McLaren Vale.

Gut Instinct. Leonie Hick takes a look at our inner ecosystem.

We truly are blessed to live in a relatively unpolluted and fertile region, with everything we need and often too much of what we want. When it comes to food, the jewels in our local crown include expertly crafted wine, cheese, beer, bread, and yoghurt ... to name but a few. Baking and fermentation processes have relied quite heavily on yeast throughout history, but for all the delights yeast helps create, sadly there is a downside. Villainous cousins are responsible for food spoilage and even infections in humans, such as Candida albicans; and the increasing incidence of yeast-driven infection is widely acknowledged as playing a big part in sending the health of our population to the wall. Life in the fast lane, being constantly plagued with deadlines and with little time for relaxation, we often tend to make poor nutritional choices, consume an excess of sugars, unhealthy fats and animal protein, while sacrificing enzyme-rich living plant-based food. In this adrenaline-driven state we tend to inflict nutrient-poor convenience food on our self-inflicted enzyme-weak digestive system. Many of us are energy depleted to some extent, and although we exercise (albeit inconsistently) far too often we are falling victim to soreness or injury. We sleep poorly, are too often overweight and suffer impaired fertility and libido, all par for the course of the subtle (and not so subtle) conditions of ageing and degenerative disease Allergies are common in all age groups, along with inflammatory conditions in the digestive tract and joints of the body. Internallyproduced toxins combine to make potent chemical cocktails. These are quite often the by-products of yeast. Contaminants, such as pesticides and heavy metals, stress the body even further, causing our inner ecosystem to be acidic and depleted of healthy gut microbes. Due to the contaminants and harmful bacteria passed along via their mothers, even our newborns enter this world with compromised immunity. Fortunately, breast milk and a high colonisation of friendly bacteria (that is, if it’s present in the birth canal) help to provide our babies with a strong immune system.

foods that clearly assist health-giving and anti-ageing qualities. If you consider alongside this, the billions of dollars now being invested by food and pharmaceutical manufacturers for research to find select strains of bacteria to add to yoghurts and supplements, we know we must be onto something good. The World Health Organisation defines probiotics as ‘live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a benefit to the host’. Prominent researcher and author of the best-seller, Body Ecology Diet, Donna Gates, is an advocate of probiotic foods, using them with great success in supporting individuals with severe cases of Candida overgrowth and general digestive dysfunction, as well as assisting children with Autism. The Body Ecology diet assists in restoring the balance of gut microbes, allowing us to rebuild our digestion, produce energy and return to healthy bowel habits for an effective elimination of toxins. ‘Probiotic food, such as young, coconut kefir and cultured vegetables, provide powerful support for the entire family, and you can make them at home!’ says Donna. With the myriad of dietary regimens proffered, confusion is rife … should we eat only raw food, should we be vegan or vegetarian, should we follow the Paleo or the Gaps diet? With variables such as genetics, stress levels, blood type and current health status, the one certainty is that we are all unique when it comes to our food tolerances.

Until we learn how to preserve the delicate balance of our inner ecosystem, the time, money and the effort spent in taking supplements, medications and treatments for conditions such as irritable bowel, cardiovascular and Crohn’s disease, arthritis, cancer, psoriasis, diabetes and others are simply wasted.

Our need for a balance of healthy versus harmful bacteria in our body is something we all have in common. With abundant Fleurieu fresh produce we can easily include the fermented foods on which ancient civilisations thrived. We have the benefit of modern research into pro-biotics, showing the potential to control sugar cravings and cholesterol while optimising nutrient absorption. Probiotics are our ‘micro warriors’ and remain at the battlefront in the promise of a long and healthy life.

However, to be uplifted by some good news we need only look to ancient civilisations such as those of Persia, Mongolia, Russia and Asia, where foods such as kefir * and fermented vegetable were cultured and stored for its fortifying benefits. Studies of races famed for their longevity often disclose the regular inclusion of fermented

*Kefir starters, (rich in amino acids, enzymes, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin K and B) used to ferment vegetables and young coconut Kefir at home, can be sourced from Leonie Hick on 85566226, lkh@internode.on.net or the website www.allabouthealthmassage.com.au.

Glenn Alderson travels to Borneo to give us the good oil on a

Not-so-good oil. As a local Fleurieu photographer I enjoy capturing our beautiful landscapes and seascapes, as well as weddings and portraits. Last year I made my first visit to Borneo and returned there again in May of this year. In April 2011 I began a new photography interest ... orangutans. My new interest was borne from having seen up close the horror of what the corrupt Palm Oil Corporations are to doing to our fragile planet and our even more fragile wildlife, many of which are now endangered ... and all due to our use of palm oil.

In 2011 we discovered a mother and her baby moving across the canopy of the rain forest looking for food and a place to build a nest for the night. Twenty metres away the forest had been cleared as far as the eye could see to grow palm oil. An area the size of 300 football fields is cleared every hour to make way for palm oil cultivation.

I capture these amazing orangutans on camera in the hope of educating people back home on the Fleurieu, as well as all over the world, using my photos for fund-raising products; such as Orangutan calendars, photographic prints and canvases, all of which are available on my websites and through social media.

We find young plants ripped from the ground evidence that orangutans have been here looking for food. This is why plantation workers will kill any orangutan they find. Sometimes there is even a bounty on their heads. Usually a mother will be killed and the baby is then sold via the illegal pet trade or to zoos. If evidence is found of orangutans in the area, destruction of that forest is supposed to stop.

Since learning what the palm oil industry is doing to the planet, animals and also our health as it is a saturated fat, I now research and educate people on the everyday items, such as food, toiletries and cosmetics that are palm oil free (pof).

I have now found out that most of the forest we had been trekking through has since been cleared. This area is in Central Kalimantan (Borneo) and to reach this area we had to drive through a palm oil plantation.

This has led to the creation of a dedicated palm oil free online webstore called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ethikoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, where customers can safely purchase items without having to be confused by the 200-plus cover up names for palm oil. This will also save time spent on reading labels to check the often confusing list of additives or ingredients and number-codes.

We passed through a checkpoint guarded by a security company employed by the plantation. I had to hide in the back seat of the truck in order for us make it through. The local Dayak tribe, who live in this area on the river, also have to pass through this checkpoint to go into the nearby town.

Palm Oil, or Elaeis guineensis is the cheapest oil on the market, as it is extremely high-yielding. It is found in a staggering 60% of products on our supermarket shelves and is growing daily. Demand is predicted to more than double by 2030 and to triple by 2050. The oil is very thick, and for this reason it is used to thicken cosmetic creams and lotions. It also allows soaps and chocolates to harden quickly during production, allowing faster processing times. This is why manufacturers find it so desirable. With our labeling laws in Australia it is quite difficult to detect, given that we currently have a list of over 200 names and numbers it goes under. Palm Oil is also used in the biofuels industry. Indonesia already has six million hectares of palm oil plantations, but has plans for another four million by 2015, all solely dedicated to biofuel production. In 2011 we also investigated a small government-run zoo with two orangutans. One adult was in a very small cage rocking back and forth. A zoo keeper asked if I had a cigarette to give to the orangutan. I could not say anything as we were undercover as tourists. A young baby in a nearby cage was clearly emaciated, chained by the neck and lying on the concrete floor in its own mess. His lips were scarred by fresh cigarette burns. The Centre For Orangutan Protection is now in the process of trying to have this zoo shut down. This year while in Saramarinda in the East Kalimantan Centre for Orangutan Protection I was taken to see some orangutans in various locations in peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes. It is actually illegal to keep orangutans, yet people still own them, keeping them in horrifying conditions ... and the government does nothing. The first I was taken to see was an adult female. Her name is Gundul. She is 21 years of age. She lives at Kampung Jawa, East Borneo. She has been in the location since she was a baby, owned by an elderly man who kept her tied to a tree with no protection from the weather.

An area the size of 300 football fields is cleared every hour to make way for palm oil cultivation. The second one is an adult orangutan kept in a small wooden box outside an apartment block. The owner of this poor creature used to live there and has since moved. The local residents feed her lots of food and as a result she is heavily obese. I also see a baby who lives on the step in front of a shop. Orangutans have 97% of our DNA and they are beautiful animals. This is why I am so passionate about this issue. Photos by Glenn Alderson. Top left: An illegal pet orangutan. Above: A young palm oil plant in a plantation. Left: Glenn in a palm oil plantation in Central Kalimantan.

Above: Geoff Hutchinson and Barry Clarke.

Fleurieu Milk.

Petra de Mooy reports on an independent dairy in Myponga providing fresh products for all. Something phenomenal has happened in cafes, restaurants and supermarkets all over the Fleurieu, South Australia ... and even beyond. A product has been embraced like no other and is showing no signs of stopping. Is this due to clever marketing and pretty labels, or is it just good quality and flavour? One taste, and the answer is obviously the latter. The Fleurieu Milk Company has gone from strength to strength since beginning its operations in 2005. People get a bit nostalgic when they talk about Fleurieu Iced Coffee. When describing the yoghurt, I have heard people say they have to hide it in the fridge or it will not last the day! These are some of the value-added products that you can find in supermarkets everywhere these days, and they all derive from one simple ingredient – good milk. We’ve all heard the term ‘food snob’ but have you ever heard the term ‘milk snob’? South Australia may well have originated the term ‘milk snob’. A lot of people just automatically expect their local café to have and use Fleurieu Milk. I called a few cafes to ask why it is that despite paying a premium they are willing to pay that bit extra and use the Fleurieu Milk? The consensus is that it is just a superior product that makes the coffee taste better. Molly Stachan, barista at Café la Terre says, ‘It is beautiful milk to use, it froths up really well and it is creamy and lovely.’ It warms my heart to know that a small producer, living and working locally has made such a big impact in our local collective conciousness. But why is it so good? Apart from the taste, the milk is produced, processed and packaged on a farm in Myponga. The range includes low fat and homogenised but with the unhomogenised all that good cream rises to top the way it did in the old days. And it’s free of any fillers so you are getting what you want – which is 100% pure milk. As well as all the low fat and full cream varieties, the Jersey Premium has been produced from Jersey cows who have been DNA tested and carry the A2 gene. The A2 milk is purported to be good for those suffering from lactose intolerance, asthma and eczema. Fleurieu Milk is owned by three families, the Royans, the Hutchinsons and the Clarkes. Geoff Hutchinson and Barry Clarke have known each other since ‘the year dot’, living by Myponga on nearby farms and attending primary school together. The three families have worked in the dairy industry for decades. 60

Dairy farming is in their blood. However, when faced with continually low farm-gate prices for milk, going back as far as 1993, the Hutchinsons, the Clarkes and the Royans became so frustrated that they decided to take the plunge and invest in their very own processing and bottling plant. This decision allowed them to dictate both price and quality and to be masters of their own destiny. In 2005 The Fleurieu Milk Company was born. It was rough going at the beginning with high overheads and low incomes for all of them, but hard work and perseverance has paid off and the company now has over 600 stockists. ‘People are parochial towards a South Australian product,’ says Geoff, ‘they like to see us having a go and not supplying the duopoly. The milk is not available in Coles or Woolworths supermarkets. I met with Barry and Geoff in their Myponga office for a chat the other day and despite their success they still feel very concerned about the state of the dairy industry. I ask the obvious question, ‘Why isn’t everyone going independent?’ ‘For us it was timing’ says Barry. ‘The market has a saturation point for milk that retails at $3.00 a litre. We got in at the right time.’ Their market share in SA is about 2%. Geoff reckons there is a health food shop in Sydney that sells 2 litres of their premium milk for $7.20 ... and it actually sells. Luckily we live close to the source!!! The biggest surprise of my visit to the processing plant in Myponga was that after being offered a cup of coffee in the factory lunch room, I received a mug of coffee that could rival some of the best baristas on the Fleurieu ... and beyond. Must be the milk!

G ra e m e Je n k i n s

O P TO M E T R I S T We have moved! Visit our new location at: Shop 3 - 139 Main Road McLaren Vale Telephone: 83239334 Come to our opening party on Sept. 18 Meet Roger Henley - Frame Maker

or take advantage of in-store specials and enter a competition to win some Maui Jim sunnies for summer!* *(conditions apply).

B A C K W AT E R B L U E S & ROOT S FESTIVAL at F OX CREEK CELLAR DOOR

27 - 28 OCTOBER 2012 | 1 - 5 PM SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER SUNDAY 28 OCTOBER

TICKETS

Brendan Gallagher & Chris Finnen Jeff Lang & Cal Williams Jnr

$15/1 day or $25/2 day presold • $20/per day at the door • children 13 and under free • bookings 8557 0000 • claire@foxcreekwines.com • www.foxcreekwines.com

90 MALPAS ROAD, MCLAREN VALE, SA CELLAR DOOR OPEN 10AM - 5PM DAILY WWW.FOXCREEKWINES.COM

Poultry Sums.

Quentin Chester reports on a threat to local free-range pioneers. Wide open spaces. Brilliant sunshine. Acres of grass and shady trees. The freshest of fresh air. And not a cage to be seen. Welcome to Tom and Fiona Fryar’s farm: aka chook heaven. Around 50,000 hens call this corner of Kangaroo Island home. Between them they turn out 12,000 dozen eggs a week, which the Fryar family then sell direct to 100 shop and restaurant outlets in SA – and beyond. It’s one of the most successful free-range egg operations in the state. But there’s a snag: the Australian Egg Corporation is hatching a plan that could put it all at risk. Twenty years ago Tom Fryar was living the knockabout life of a shearer. He did stints in sheds all over SA, including on Eyre Peninsula where he met his bride-to- be. Back then Fiona was working as a shed hand. Together, she and Tom started thinking about a new future. He had 100 acres of land back home at Cygnet River on KI. It was too small for the usual options but viable for something a little more intensive – like farming eggs. ‘Fiona’s mum had a few chooks,’ says Tom. ‘So we got the idea of giving them a try. We started with 400 hens and after our first year we did the sums and it seemed to be a goer. It was hard at first but gradually the word got around. We’ve just grown with the demand.’ Image above: One of the Maremma ‘chook-sitters’ doing what they do. Image above right: Sorting the eggs by hand. Image below right: Fiona and Tom Fryar.

From the word go the Fryar’s fowls enjoyed the good life. With its abundant ‘clean-and-green’ spaces, mild climate and relatively inexpensive farmland, KI is ideal country for giving chooks their liberty. Best of all, the island hasn’t suffered the scourge of foxes. That means the birds never need to be locked up, even at night. The range doesn’t any freer than this. As the business grew, the Fryars relocated their outfit to a much larger farm nearby. Tom designed and built a fleet of sheds, each of which gives up to 1,000 hens a comfy place to roost and lay. He also made the sheds mobile so the birds could be regularly shuffled to fresh pastures around the property to do their foraging. Another innovation since 2001 is a squad of fluffy white Maremmas – the famously protective Italian sheepdogs – who guard the chooks from attack by wedge-tailed eagles, feral cats and other intruders. Today the operation employs 18 locals to help out with egg collection, grading and packing. A computer-controlled brooding shed was recently added to better tend the rearing of young chicks. Meanwhile, the Fryar’s two sons, Tom and Jason, are now fullyfledged members of the team, helping to work the property where the family also grow the grain to supplement the bird’s diet.

As a start-from-scratch enterprise, this is a winning tale of KI-style ingenuity and steadfast effort. At the heart of the Fryar’s story is a belief in giving hens a proper life. Ultimately, that comes down to space. The current code of practice for free-range domestic poultry is 1,500 birds per hectare. The Fryar’s are twice as generous, allocating just 750 birds per hectare. Thus every chook of has 13m2 of island real estate to call their own. But, in a bid to help much larger mainland producers and the big supermarket chains cash in on a growing demand for the free-range product, the Egg Corporation is pushing to allow farms crammed with 20,000 birds per hectare to brand themselves ‘free-range’.

It’s one of the most successful freerange egg operations in the state. But there’s a snag: the Australian Egg Corporation is hatching a plan that could put it all at risk.

‘It’s just ridiculous,’ says Tom. ‘There’s no way that’s fair or sustainable.’ He and Fiona haven’t taken this threat to their longterm future lying down. Together with other island producers they’ve presented their argument in person to a recent SA Parliament forum. While there are moves under-way to legislate to protect the integrity of current stocking rates, Tom also sees it as a much bigger nationwide ethical issue. Even as things stand, a lot of so-called free-range eggs are not all that they’re cracked up to be. The silver lining to this cloud is the opportunity for committed producers to make their case public – and so sway opinion with the kind of keener awareness that changed consumer demand to free-range in the first place. For the Fryars there’s also the chance to leverage off something no corporation can poach – their hard-won KI branding. As Tom notes: ‘This island’s becoming a real food bowl and we’ve got a great story to tell.’

Women, Wine & Song. Adam Jacobs gets together with Langhorne Creek’s ‘women in wine’. Only one year in the making, the ‘women in wine’ project at Langhorne Creek is already buzzing and has seven motivated women strategically placing Langhorne Creek as the destination to visit. Although the wine region has been in production for 160 years, this recent development is worth noting. The custodians of this project are Deb Potts from The Winehouse tasting room; Judy Cross from Angus Plains; Anne McLennan from Cleggett wines; Anne Meakins at Rustican wines; Teresa Tanner representing Bleasdale; Robyn Follet at Lake Breeze and Nicole Clark from Kimbolton wines. While many wine regions have their own Grape and Wine Associations that successfully brand individual regions, it is easy to see that this new program brings energy and positivity to the region. I met with prominent businesswomen, Deb Potts of The Winehouse tasting room and Judy Cross of Angus Plains wines to hear more about the regional women in wine. Deb Potts is part owner and manager of The Winehouse tasting room and function centre, and a self-styled ‘general morale booster for the guys’. Deb and husband Bill purchased The Winehouse in 2008, with its main function being that it is multi-functional, offering ‘homeless’ wineries a cellar door from which to showcase their wines. Currently they’re home to the Ben Potts range – wines of which they are especially proud, since Ben is their son – Kimbolton

wines by Nicole Clark, Heartland wines made by Ben Glaetzer and the legendary John’s Blend made by John Glaetzer. One of the main objectives of The Winehouse is to give visitors to the region a snapshot of the wine country. Deb’s background is in nursing, but when she married Bill she immediately found herself thrown into the wine industry, since Bill is a member of the Potts family (of the long-standing Bleasdale vineyards and winery). Although Deb’s greatest moments have been many, son Ben’s first wine after graduating in Oenology from Charles Sturt University in 2002 was a major highlight ... and again, more recently, when Ben won the gold medal and trophy for 2007 ‘Fiddle’s Block’ Shiraz at the Langhorne Creek wine show in ‘07. Frank Potts grew wine grapes way back in the 1850s before establishing Bleasdale winery, and constructing the hand-sawn red gum basket press for crushing grapes, so it’s not surprising that Ben has been a success in the oenology field, given that he is a 6th generation winemaker! Henry Fiddle Potts tended the family vines for over 55 years and Deb explains that one of the wines Ben makes now is named Fiddle’s Shiraz in honour of his great-grandfather.

Apart from cabernet sauvignon, with shiraz in some years, malbec is another of the wines suited to the climate and soils of the Creek. Blends of red varieties also play a big role in this region as the season ripens wine grapes well, and full maturity is reached in most, if not all years. Another of the strengths of this region is their ‘strong cellar doors’ – ‘where you nearly always come into direct contact with the owner or the winemaker’, and if not always, it will often be a woman! Judy Cross is one of the owners at Angus Plains Wines, and gives her job description as ‘chief bottle-washer some of the time, but mainly cellar door and restaurant manager’. Judy comes from an accounting background where most of her days were spent with her head in spreadsheets and books. She came from the Riverland region to Langhorne Creek in ‘97, and after falling in love with the surroundings, she and her husband Phillip decided to plant vines. Phillip’s driving ‘passion’ is soil management, along with early pruning, which in turn supports an early harvest. ‘We also have a great focus on oak development through our winemaker, Peter Douglas. The cabernet sauvignon wine styles do well in some years and shiraz in others. We get excited by both varieties’, says Judy.

Another of the strengths of this region is their ‘strong cellar doors’ – ‘where you nearly always come into direct contact with the owner or the winemaker, and if not always, it will often be a woman!’

So far, their standout wine and greatest success has been the 2006 PJ’s Cabernet Sauvignon wine. It won a trophy at the McLaren Vale wine show in ‘06 and also the Winestate magazine Cabernet wine of the year. ‘This wine confirms my consuming passion’, says Judy. Another soft spot belongs to their 2008 Langhorne Creek Shiraz, which won a gold medal at the Sydney Wine Show and received 95/100 from James Halliday, the prominent wine writer. The women in wine project sits very high on the agenda and all seven women bring to the project their immense enthusiasm, saying that ‘consumers love to listen to initiatives and enjoy someone who is bright and bubbly explaining it’. ‘The Langhorne Creek region offers much from a landscape point of view, differing wine styles from one end of the region to the other, and most importantly, great value for money with the wines on offer. The wines always have great tannin structure from an early stage and are very fruitful. I like to think that our wine evaluation program at cellar door is fun and offers an informative learning experience. The only way to find out is to come and visit”, she says. > Image top left: The Women in Wine from left to right: Margaret James, Teresa Tanner, Deb Potts, Heidi Fabian, Anne McLennan, Ngaire Dannenberg, Judy Case, Anne Meakins, Nicole Clark, Judy Cross, Robyn Follett. Image right: A Langhorne Creek vineyard.

FOOD & WINE

The Women in Wine Reviews

Angus Plains 2008 ‘Special Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon Relinquishing a deep dark red, somewhat black, a vibrancy is evident, with aromas of cherry, spice and licorice all-sorts as the first sign. Voluptuous is the main descriptor, with a great long finish. One to remember. RRP $40. Wine rating for drinking now 8.5/10 cellaring capacity 9/10.

Ben Potts 2007 ‘Fiddle’s block’ Shiraz The colour descends as deep, red brick; exceptional, in fact, for a 2007. It shows a slight hint of age and for a 5-year old wine it’s on target. The structure is excellent. This is a favourite! RRP $40. Wine rating for drink now 9.5/10 cellaring capacity 9/10.

Kimbolton 2010 ‘Fig tree’ Cabernet Sauvignon The colour is vibrant and typically good for the 2010 vintage. It is brilliant and deep purple. If this is a monument to 100-year old fig trees, then it’s doing them proud. This is typically Australian and is reminiscent of wines made in the 70s and 80s. This reminds me of my first experiences with wine evaluation. RRP $24. Wine rating drink now 8/10 cellaring capacity 10/10.

Lake Breeze 2009 ‘Bernoota’ Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Showing some 3 years in maturity, its colour is deep red typifying the colour of Langhorne Creek. Somewhat minty and chocolate in its aroma. Decanting the wine changed it toward greatness. The aroma flows through to the palate to a velvety and divine finish. RRP $20. Wine rating drink now 9/10 cellaring capacity 8/10. 66

Rusticana 2009 Langhorne Creek Durif Colour is a purple, close to dark red, somewhat black as many other Durif wines. In 1998, DNA paternity analysis methods confirmed it was Syrah (aka Shiraz). So Durif is the unintended offspring of a cross-pollination between Peloursin and Syrah varieties. Sensational violets and cherries dominate the airways and precede the palate, which is delightful. Well done to the winemakers! RRP $30. Wine rating drink now 9.5/10 cellaring capacity 9/10.

Bleasdale Vineyards ‘Frank Potts’ Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc was once discussed as a ‘Bordeaux-variety blend’. Colour dark red with light tinges and blackcurrant and chocolate aromas. On the palate it displays grippy tannins which suggest cellaring would benefit. Upon decanting, this wine really opened up suggesting fantastic French oak development. RRP $30. Wine rating drink now 8.5/10 cellaring capacity 9.5/10.

Cleggett Wines 2011 ‘Shalistan’ white Cabernet Sauvignon A wonderful confectionery nose with predominate banana lolly wafts. The wine is smooth, fruity and appears to have little acid nature to it. Its finish is delightful and I think it is pioneering white wine in the region. My hat goes off to Anne and Malcolm. A monumental occasion for Langhorne Creek. RRP $17. Wine rating drink now 9.5/10 cellaring capacity 6/10.

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Soar over the McLaren Vale wine region and along our stunning coastline! Subscribe to Fleurieu Living Magazine for one (or two) years and go into the draw to win a flight for two at Adelaide Biplanes worth $350. The competition closes on 20 November 2012 and the winner will be announced via our facebook page; www.facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine/ on 21 November. A voucher for this $350 value flight will be mailed to the winner and will be redeemable at the Adelaide Biplanes Flight Office, Aldinga Airfield until 30 March, 2013. NOTE: The winners of this voucher may not have a combined total weight of more than 200 kilos.

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FOOD & WINE

The Chef, The Recipe and The Wine. Leonie Porter-Nocella visits Au-Pear and wrests the recipe from Nat Wilson for ‘Slow-cooked, pressed Spring lamb leg with buttery Brussels sprouts, potatoes dauphine, with a fresh pea, caper and shallot salad’.

The Chef: Nat Wilson Driving from McLaren Vale towards Willunga, just as you approach that cosy little township, cast your eyes left. There, set back from the road and surrounded by shiraz and merlot vines you will see an expansive, Basket Range-sandstone wall; the beauty of which is broken only by the most inviting ‘hand-smithy-ed’, rusty, old (read ‘authentic’) wrought-iron gate. I say wrought iron for want of a clearer description, since the bars of the gate are wider and more ribbon-like than wrought. Both in front of and behind the wall, Muff Gilbert, the owner of this establishment, has planted ornamental pears – thereby justifying the name of her new restaurant. Providing part justification, that is, because the other part of the name takes its inspiration from the cuisine, which is modern-FrenchMediterranean. Which is in turn inspired by this particular part of the Fleurieu being often referred to as ‘The Provence of the south’. Muff has preserved the rustic look by sourcing mainly recycled timbers and fittings. For example, the counter is grand and Mediterranean-looking with its idiosyncratic pressed metal and its old wooden surround. The floors are tiled, the ceilings straw, and the walls rough-rendered. Various decor pieces are of aged wrought iron and the colour scheme gives further credence to the overall Med-theme. Just behind the great wall there is an outdoor eating area which will (eventually) be shaded by wisteria and passion fruit vines. Against the wall there are Pierre de Ronsard roses and agapanthas, while in summer the ornamental pears will provide dappled shade by way of their generous canopies. The coffee has been just as carefully sourced as the building materials, and Muff is so confident of its ‘hand-roasted’ delightfulness, that it bears their own label. (I always say that you can judge a food destination on the quality of its coffee alone!) 68

Image above: Nat embracing ‘the gate’ to Au Pear at Willunga.

Muff’s dream is to eventually operate as a kind of ‘cellar door’ for some of the everincreasing small, boutique wine-makers of the area if and when the licensing red tape is all out of the way. To take control of the most essential aspect of the business, Muff has managed to get the talented and amiable Nathaniel Wilson (Nat) to reign supreme over the stoves. Nat has cooked since he baked his first chocolate pudding as a ten-year-old. He’s naturally worked ‘all over’, as chefs tend to, but his influence has been noted at several

of the better-known places in the area, like the Salopian Inn (now known as the Vale Inn ... home of Vale Ale) D’Arry’s Verandah (still known as D’Arry’s), Red Poles and most recently at the Elbow Room (now relocated to Shingleback on the Main Road at McLaren Vale). Nat has been a local for some now, living at Aldinga Beach, right near the famously protected ‘Scrub’. But to give you some idea of the quality and style of what you can expect of both Nat and Au Pear, test out this delicious recipe for yourselves.

The Recipe: Slow-cooked, pressed Spring lamb leg with buttery Brussels sprouts, potatoes dauphine, with a fresh pea, caper and shallot salad. Ingredients 1 small leg of lamb extra virgin olive oil 6 sprigs of thyme 1 brown onion, roughly chopped 3 cloves of garlic 4 bay leaves 1 tin of whole, peeled tomatoes 300ml of good, red wine 500g of Desiree potatoes 2 egg yolks 4 whole eggs 250g unsalted butter a pinch of grated nutmeg 160g of plain flour 250ml of water 2 litres of vegetable oil for deep frying 150g small Brussels sprouts (washed, halved with outer leaves discarded) 100g fresh, shelled peas 3 shallots, halved and finely sliced 1 bunch of flat leaf Italian parsley, leaves picked 1 tablespoon of baby capers, rinsed Salt and pepper to own taste

For more: Au Pear, 192 Main Road, Willunga will be open five days a week for breakfast and lunch, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Method Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan or roasting dish and seal the seasoned leg of lamb until golden brown. Place the thyme, onion, garlic, bay leaves, whole peeled tomatoes and red wine into the roasting dish, cover with a lid or foil and cook in a slow oven (160Ë&#x161;c) for two and a half hours or until the meat pulls easily off the bone. When cool enough, pull the meat from the bone, roughly chop with half a bunch of parsley (no stems) then season to taste. Set the lamb mix in a small terrine or pie mould with a weight on top to compact the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Reduce the braising liquid by half then pass through a fine sieve and set aside. For the potatoes dauphine, peel the potatoes, cut into equal-size cubes and put into a pot of cold water with a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until soft. Pass through a potato ricer, moulis or sieve, add the egg yolks, 25g of butter and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix this thoroughly and set aside. To make the choux pastry (to add later to the potato mixture) bring 250ml of water, 50g of butter and a pinch of salt to the boil,

add the flour (away from the heat) and mix well. Return to the heat and mix until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the side of the pot. Away from the heat again, add the eggs one at a time, beating well until incorporated. Mix together 375gms of the potato mixture to 250gms of choux pastry then set aside. Saute the Brussels sprouts in the remaining butter with salt and pepper until tender. Blanch the peas in boiling, salted water for one minute then refresh in ice-water. Add the peas, parsley, shallots and capers together with a drizzle of olive oil with salt and pepper to taste, portion the lamb to about 200g and reheat in the oven or microwave. If desired, brown the top and bottom of the lamb with a knob of butter. Roll the dauphine mix (potato + choux) into balls about the size of a twenty cent piece then deep-fry in vegetable oil at 180Ë&#x161; until golden brown. Serve the lamb with the potato dauphine, buttered Brussels sprouts and salad with a drizzle of the braising juices. > 69

FOOD & WINE

And The Wine: Fox Creek 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Appearance Deep purple with red hues. Bouquet Hints of mint with red cherry and blackcurrant fruits, earthy spice and dusty lifted oak. Palate Generous and flavoursome mid palate with sweet juicy blackcurrant and red cherry fruits. A well structured wine, with the youthful tacky textural grape tannins integrated with elegant oak tannins to achieve finesse and balance. Winemaking Sourced from premium McLaren Vale vineyards with well drained sandy loam soils and red alluvium. Harvested when fruit flavours, grape tannins and acids reached maturity.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Deep purple with red hues. Hints of mint with red cherry and blackcurrant fruits, earthy spice and dusty, lifted oak. Generous and flavoursome mid-palate with sweet, juicy blackcurrant and red cherry fruits. A well-structured wine, with the youthful tacky textural grape tannins integrated with elegant oak tannins to achieve finesse and balance.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Peter Bourne, Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine Nov/Dec 2010.

Since 1912, four generations of the Osborn family have tended vineyards and made wines with the distinctive red striped label. Known for an eclectic portfolio of oddly named wines and a bold red stripe that adorns each bottle, stories have been a central component to who we are. Visit our cellar door and taste the wine, talk with our knowledgeable staff and hear about a racehorse named Footbolt, money spiders, dead arms, laughing magpies, lucky lizards and more.

d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant

d'Arenberg Cellar Door

With breathtaking views overlooking the rolling hills of McLaren Vale, d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant is the idyllic place for an unforgettable dining experience. Head Chef Peter Reschke draws inspiration from local and seasonal produce to compliment the award winning d'Arenberg wines, and a selection of international treats.

The Cellar Door is housed in our restored 19th century homestead, with views over McLaren Vale, the Willunga Hills and the Gulf St Vincent.

Open for lunch 7 days a week Bookings essential, phone 08 8329 4848.

Group bookings required for more than 5 people. A Grenache Tutored Tasting and the Blending Bench Tasting are available by appointment. Open 10am – 5pm daily Phone 08 8329 4822.

MUSIC & BOOKS

Book Reviews by Mike Lucas.

Albert of Adelaide

it is today – the pages trace the ups and downs of four generations of traditional and innovative winemakers along with the lives of those around them. If you have ever tasted a d’Arenberg wine, or any wine of the region for that matter, this book will provide you with, not just a world-renowned vigneron’s genealogy, but an informative insight into the history of the wine industry in South Australia over the last century. The well-researched historical account is supplemented with an informative chapter by Chester Osborn on the technicalities and variables associated with wine making in the region. Don’t hear it through the grapevine – read the book.

by Howard L Anderson

Published by Allen & Unwin ISBN: 9781742379029 RRP: $26.99 Toad of Toad Hall goes marsupial and meets Ned Kelly in this adult tale about a platypus who escapes from Adelaide Zoo in search of ‘Old Australia’ in the desert. Whatever you think this book may be about, there’s a good chance you would be wrong. But take that as a positive. Because this original story, with a seemingly simplistic foundation, builds into a solid, memorable and remarkably addictive narrative that takes the reader on a journey through a timeless land of outlaws and renegades. Kangaroos with guns, drunken bandicoots and a pyromaniac wombat are some of the characters met and developed along the way. And in the middle of all this, Albert the duck-billed platypus forges his way through the hardship of the desert and his desperate life outside the bars of his Adelaide cage. Friendship, loyalty and betrayal are themes that are explored within the pages, and, after a while, you could be forgiven for forgetting that these wonderfully depicted characters are not human. A brave, humorous and distinctive book that places a traditional sense of adventure in the great Australian outback and adds its own individual charm to the mix.

The Story Behind the Stripe: A 100-Year History of d’Arenberg by Fay Woodhouse

Published by John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 9781118231630 RRP: $39.95 One of over sixty cellar doors within this world famous wine-making region, award winning and iconic winery d’Arenberg celebrates its centenary year in 2012. 72

Dickens

by Peter Ackroyd Published by Random House ISBN: 9780099437093 RRP: $19.95 The Story Behind the Stripe is an historical account of one family’s determination and perseverance, which has been captured by historian Fay Woodhouse in an inspiring and captivating way. From Joseph Osborn’s first purchase of land, through Frank Osborn’s admission that he was ‘flying by the seat of his pants’, d’Arry Osborn’s establishment of an individual label – and the winery’s more recent evolution by Chester Osborn to what

Two hundred years after the birth of arguably the most inspiring and celebrated 19th century author, Peter Ackroyd’s aptly named ‘Dickens’ has been re-released in an abridged version of his 1990 biography. Despite it being an edited version, this book still entrenches itself so deeply into the life, the character, the motivation and the times of Dickens that it is sometimes difficult to retain all of the facts. A man of contradictory, often obsessive and sometimes simply odd character, Dickens’ detailed observation and accurate perception of others allowed him to base the comic caricatures within his finely crafted narrative around the characters of real people he’d met. Often these narratives flowed without interruption, like the black smoke that poured from the mill chimneys, capturing the attention of a nation who eagerly anticipated the next monthly instalment. At other times, drawing creativity from his tortured mind was like trying to borrow a penny from Ebenezer Scrooge. He regularly struggled to balance his family life with his self-appointed duty to the people and the workload caused by the

into the troubled hearts of the two main characters, revealing their distant hopes, their justifiable fears, their torn pasts and the confusion of their present lives. With the reality of each daily task holding a potential threat to their lives and to those of their loved ones, the need to feed and support their respective families sends each man down a very different, and very dangerous, road. Morality versus belief; judgement versus acceptance; bombs versus words; â&#x20AC;&#x2022; these are the decisions that have to be made by Malik and Aadil as they find their way through the post-war turmoil of a new regime in Iraq. Gripping, real and perceptive, two characters take turns to present their motives for the choices they have made on their perilous journeys to where their roads ultimately cross.

many faces of his profession. For, more than just an author, Dickens was also an amateur thespian, entertainer, professional journalist, editor, businessman and campaigner for the rights of the poor. And, some may say, the inventor of modern day Christmas festivities. Reality and fiction shadowed each other and intertwined throughout his literary career, and it is this, above all, that enabled him to create such imaginative, exaggerated, coincidental, yet somehow typical and real stories of the Victorian age. This thorough account of Dickensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; life tempts the reader to revisit his novels and try to correlate the real dramas of his life with those created by his constantly industrious and inventive mind.

Flowers of Baghdad by Bruce Lyman

Published by Harper Collins ISBN: 9780732295059 RRP: $27.99 The everyday lives and individual choices of two men living in Baghdad are followed and explored by Australian author Bruce Lyman. In a place where personal loss is a sufferance of the majority, and the ripples left by war give cause to waves of inner conflict, the consequences of these choices can have devastating effects. The first person narrative draws the reader deep

Dingo: The Dog who Conquered a Continent

the first dingo may have arrived in Australia over five thousand years ago. When thirteen year old Loa sets off from his island in a canoe in search of a new clan, he takes with him a female dingo to eat or to feed to any sharks or crocodiles that may attack. But, eventually washing up on distant shores, the two find themselves relying on each other in order to survive in their new world. Written for children from nine years upwards, the story presents an educating and sometimes reasonably graphic account of tribal life at the end of the ice age, while at the same time delivering an engaging and entertaining read. The real facts, of course, of how dingoes came to be in Australia before sailing boats and larger seaworthy craft were commonly used will remain a mystery, but this plausible conjecture holds just as much water as any other that is floating around out there.

by Jackie French

Published by Harper Collins ISBN: 9780732293116 RRP: $14.99 The latest addition to the Animal Stars series of books by Jackie French provides a possible, well-researched scenario for how 73

PENINSULA PEOPLE

Liz French

Meredyth Cilento shines a little light on an unassuming artist.

Most people in Willunga know Liz French by sight. For 17 years she walked her dog around the township, morning and afternoon, and you could set your clock by her. When the first dog went to that great kennel in the sky, she quickly acquired another with barely a pause in the routine. Others know her by name. ‘Ah’ they say. ‘She does those great prints you can see in the Off the Slate Gallery.’ Owing to a nasty fall while stepping over

the pavement some months ago, and resulting in a broken hip, the dog has found a new happy home in Nangkita, and Liz’s daily exercises have been sharply curtailed. But not her art work. For Liz art is a way of life. Take her garden. Plants are usually chosen for their sculptural characteristics; bamboos, variously shaped succulents, neatly trimmed small shrubs and

ground covers alongside fruit trees. The window boxes in the front of the house hold artfully arranged twigs painted in primary colours, not only artistic but practical. No watering needed. Liz was born in London in 1925. She inherited her paternal grandfather’s watercolour paint box. She never knew him, but had seen his plant drawings and framed calligraphic illuminated texts on her

aunt’s walls. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t draw, paint, or create. She’s hard pressed to remember a time when she didn’t consider everything she sees through an artist’s eye. She tends to see landscapes as abstract shapes, blocks of colour, in recognisable or transmuted forms. >

At the Wimbledon School of Art from 1941 until 1944, one of a small group of wartime students, Liz had an all encompassing general art education which included the usual life, antique and memory drawing, anatomy, perspective, design, illustration, photography, printmaking and various other methods of (not human!) reproduction. Subsequently she passed the entrance exam to the Royal College of Art and graduated in June

1947. Two of her textile prints, in which she had specialised at that time, were purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum. She began 20 years of teaching art, from infants to adults, and exhibiting her work in local art societies. ‘In 1967 I was restless — the Cold War, a relationship break up, a touch of mid-life crisis — so I decided to try my luck overseas. I arrived in Devonport in Tasmania to the news that I was to

teach, amongst other familiar topics, the History of Devonport, so she transferred here and taught in Australian Art, about which I knew nothing, which secondary schools until she retired from teaching was somewhat daunting! After Europe, Devonport in 1981. was a bit of a culture shock,’ Liz remembered. Whenever possible Liz had kept up her own art In her first Christmas holidays, Liz attended a practice, and was made a Fellow of the Royal Summer School in Graham’s Castle at Goolwa, South Australian Society of Arts in 1971. She Adelaide. She found the then ‘Athens of the exhibited at Studio 20, Greenhill and Kensington South’, much more artistically exciting than Galleries, others in Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. Her work was deeply personal. >

(Said John Neylon in an earlier review ‘Images resemble pages torn from an inner diary, each one confiding … some crystallised moment of emotion.) In 1990, Liz decided that Port Willunga was the place to be. She became involved in the establishment of the original Old Bank Artel in McLaren Vale, a now defunct gallery where a group of local artists and craftspeople displayed their work, and exhibited in more locally-based 78

galleries such as the Stationmaster’s Gallery at Strathalbyn and the Noarlunga Art Centre. Liz feels an affinity with the hills, and can’t imagine not living close to the sea, which is why the Fleurieu suits her so well. Having always carried a camera with her wherever she goes, she captures the constant changes in light, weather and seasons. With the advent of digital cameras, she became interested in a new way of producing prints, still utilising her photographic interests.

Computer literate, she uses various filters to manipulate images to produce a hybrid; neither a photograph nor a traditional print.

archival longevity, are available from Off the Slate Gallery, an artists’ run co-operative in the Willunga High Street.

Her prints are illustrations using shape, line and (sometimes) heightened colour for emphasis, all of which seem to have universal appeal. They are certainly popular with local, interstate and overseas visitors. Liz’s limited-edition inkjet prints, using pigment based inks and acid free paper for

About to celebrate her 87th birthday, Liz is grateful for the recognition she has received, (awards such as the Council of the Ageing Every Generation Artist of the Year in 2005) but has no intention of easing up yet. Remember that saying ‘Old photographers never die, they simply lose their focus’? Well not in this case! 79

FASHION

Out and About. 01:

Anna Van Dalen What I Wear: Cool, Classic, Edgy. Where I Go: Jazz on Sunday at Hotel Elliot, Nino’s and shopping at Thread.

02:

Bruce Gilbert What I Wear: Smart Casual Where I Go: Anchorage, Encounter Bay

03:

Hanna Parry What I Wear: Forever changing with the fashion, because I love fashion. Where I Go: Eat at Whalers, Template Homewares, Kingsbrook on the weekend for their Saturday and Sunday meals.

04:

James Moffett What I Wear: ‘I don’t have many clothes.’ (but he likes a super hero aesthetic.) Where I Go: Fleurieu Golf Course, Anchorage or out to the shed.

05:

Nadia Haddrick What I Wear: Coco Chanel is my idol. Eclectic and changing all the time. Where I Go: Bracegirdle’s, Walking the Heysen Trail and hair at Kink.

SUBSCRIBE TO FLM NOW

Subscribe to FLM for one or two years and be in the running to win a flight over the McLaren Vale wine region and our stunning coastline in a Waco biplane.

Fleurieu Living went out on the streets to see what people had to say when asked about their personal style and favourite places. We found these lovely folk at Victor Harbor. Photographs by Courtney McFarlane.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right. A voucher worth $350 will be mailed to the lucky winner and is redeemable at the Adelaide Biplanes Flight Office, Aldinga Airfield until 30 March, 2013. Competition closes on 20 November 2012. The winner will be contacted by phone or email and announced via the FLM Facebook page on 21 November. Conditions apply. Subscribe online at: http://www.isubscribe.com.au/FleurieuLiving/ or mail us the subscription form in the magazine.

Plastic Fantastic.

Zannie Flanagan reports on an exhibition by Fleurieu artist, Annabelle Collett. If you don’t know Annabelle Collett, chances are you know of her work. So diverse are the materials and forms she has fashioned over her thirty-plus years of working and living as a professional arts practitioner in South Australia that you may in fact have worn it, sat in it or on it, sheltered from the rain under it or even danced within it.

more and more distanced from the creative process, so she turned to creating one-off interiors, shop fit-outs, furniture and public art commissions. Who could forget the wonderful disco dance floor she created as part of her interior for Limbo, the hottest nightclub in town at that time.

Collett’s environment has changed dramatically from the early days of Rundle Street East in the late 70s when she established Ya Ya Studio as an outlet for her wearable art. ‘I lived upstairs, and downstairs we would create wild and wonderful things in the rooms behind the shop-front where they were later displayed for sale’, Collett reminisces.

These days she lives and works at Clayton Bay, surrounded by the waters of Lake Alexandrina and the Coorong, as part of an intimate community of permanent residents residing at the southern-most end of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Collett is now on the local residents’ committee and her creative stamp is already evident in the thriving community garden. Later this year she will take charge of decorating the local hall for the annual Clayton Bay Ball.

The success of the knitwear design business she created during this time meant that at one stage she had over two-hundred handknitters creating garments under the Ya Ya label for customers as far afield as New York and Milan. ‘I would haul my suitcases full of samples up to mid-town New York and then race home with thousands of dollars worth of orders to try and get them all done in time’, laughs Collett as she remembers those heady days. However, managing the growing business meant that she became 82

It’s a good time for Collett to be living in the region. Already this year she has been involved in organising the second very popular Farm Gate Festival, which encourages visitors to get off the beaten track to view the work of artists invited to transform what is usually seen as a sober reminder of country life – the humble farm gate. This year too, Goolwa is the 2012 recipient of The SA Regional Centre of Culture program, a major biennial arts initiative aimed at

encouraging new investment in regional cultural infrastructure and increasing regional access to the arts. The year’s program is entitled Just Add Water, and as part of the program the Regional Galleries’ Association of South Australia and the Alexandrina Council cohost the Regional Galleries of Australia Conference at Goolwa from the 18th to the 21st of October. Collett has decorated the afterconference hotspot for delegates, which is located during that period at the Brewery on Goolwa Wharf. No doubt her already recycled plastic creations will see yet another reincarnation as part of the bar’s décor ... wait ‘til you see the dance floor! In the main though, for most of 2012 Collett’s creative energy has been channelled into preparing for her solo exhibition entitled Plastic Fantastic, billed as part of this year’s SALA program. An incredible eighty pieces have been created for display at the Goolwa Signal Point Art Gallery.

The works, as the title of the exhibition suggests, are all made from recycled plastic collected by Collett and her enthusiastic plastic-gathering friends.

The works, as the title of the exhibition suggests, are all made from recycled plastic collected by Collett and her enthusiastic plasticgathering friends. When I arrived to talk to her about this exhibition much of the work had already been packed away in preparation for transfer to the gallery, but there was still enough plastic evident to suggest that she was lucky to escape being buried alive by the piles of plastic carefully sorted by colour ready for re-assembly. This is, of course, a key message of the exhibition – what do we do with the mountains of plastic that are manufactured, used and discarded on a daily basis, threatening to bury us all alive. Collett’s humorous and colourful touch though, brings a sense of fun to this vexed question. Much of her work over the years has been about body decoration and ornamentation, and this latest exhibition is no exception, with its masks, shields and jewellery all represented in quirky and fantastical shapes and sizes. Some of the most interesting pieces for me were the colour-coded wall hangings reminiscent of Samurai armour. But there’s much more as well. All the works have required a considerable degree of skill to assemble and it is fun to examine them closely in order to identify the history behind the plastic bits and pieces that make up the works. So diverse are the materials and processes she explores that Collett’s work has always been hard to define, but there have always been strong references to the domestic arts and crafts interwoven with a real and infectious sense of design and colour. There is something very feminine and saucy (Madonna comes to mind) about the way the pieces have been stitched, threaded and even knitted. In the piece, Recipe for Disaster, plastic noodles end up on knitting needles straight from their bowls! (This piece has not been reproduced here, so you may have to attend Annabelle’s exhibition in order to see it!)

Images from top left (clockwise) Tellurian Torso: plastic plates, utensils, toys, lids. 85x40x15cm Pastel Mask: assorted plastics, implements, toys. 120x70x10cm Hot Mask: assorted plastics, implements, toys. 120x70x10cm Cocktail Hour: plates, implements, coasters, lids. 50x90x5cm Josephine: plastic coat hanger, bath mat, utensils, toys. 90x42x10cm.

There is no doubt the Fleurieu will benefit from artists of Collett’s calibre as people continue to make their sea change to the region. The artist acknowledges that the benefits are reciprocal. ‘I can’t believe I live here in this incredible environment and I just want to keep working and making my art here’, says Collett. I’m guessing there are a few more dance floors in her yet!

When Maggie Beer is not cooking in the Barossa or travelling around Australia making television appearances, she loves to visit the Fleurieu. Petra de Mooy speaks to Maggie Beer about why she loves her down time on the Fleurieu.

When was the first time you visited the Fleurieu? It was about 15 years ago. My staff bought us a weekend away at Port Willunga and introduced us to the Star of Greece. In those days it was much simpler than it is today and it was just quite amazing. It is probably one of the best views is SA. It is indeed. Interstaters are always goggle eyed. What were your first impressions? It was such an Australian experience. After that we would make the trip down especially to go to The Star of Greece, especially when we had visitors: it started regular visits to the Fleurieu. Favourite producers? I do think the Willunga Farmers Market is an absolute stand out and it is always exciting to visit there. I love the seedlings that are raised. You can get really interesting varieties that you can’t get at the nurseries. That is always a stop for me. There’s always a surprise to be found.

Favourite travel destination? Italy – their love of life; food and music ... In another life, I would be … A wild duck. I love the way they land on the water. Top things still to do on your bucket list? It would have to be something to do with music. Going to New York for the whole of the Opera season ... or taking time off for the whole of the Adelaide Festival. Do you still work on the development of all of your products? Yes. I do ... though I have a full-time chef working with me now. We bought the neighbour’s orchard and we are making cider as well as dried apricots, pears and marinated dried apricots. It’s never-ending and wonderful fun. For Maggie’s new products visit her website: www.maggiebeer.com.au.

Favourite nature spots on the Fleurieu? In truth we just go out eating or stay at the beach. Favourite local restaurants and wineries? Penny’s Hill – I remember one time in particular sitting outside on the verandah and eating such a simple meal that was absolutely perfect! Sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do. Jetty Food Store at Normanville – that store is the place. Fino at Willunga – we love Sharon at the front and the great food that comes out of David’s kitchen. Aquacaf at Goolwa – an absolute reason to go down south. Coriole at McLaren Vale – great wine, olive oil and vinegars. We used to go there when they baked the bread. Do you cook when you visit? I cook everywhere I go. Even Europe? Oh yes, I visit the farmers’ markets – it is a great way to experience the food of the local culture. I always look for apartments with kitchens, rather than hotels. 85

Our Artful Isle.

Quentin Chester on what drives KI’s busy ‘feastival’ of arts.

If you think Kangaroo Island is just sheep farms and cavorting seals, then think again. This big offshore hunk of the Fleurieu might have a sparse population of 4,500, but the locals can turn on a creative splurge any metropolis would be proud to own. Take, for example, the isle’s annual celebration of all things artistic and gastronomic. Now in its tenth year, Kangaroo Island Art Feast has blossomed from a handful of venues to a bumper spread of food, wine and art at thirty locations coast to coast. According to organising committee supremo, Kathie Stove: ‘Artfeast encapsulates the creative endeavours of the island. It’s a beautiful showcase and I love that it’s such a home-grown event.’ So what’s the secret? How does this tiny castaway community manage to turn on such a bun-fight? As it happens, when it comes to art, a little isolation can work wonders. Though barely 11km wide, Backstairs Passage serves as a surprisingly handy buffer. To many practitioners, KI offers muchneeded space and sanctuary for plying their art. A large number also fuel their creative fire direct from the island’s wilder assets – its unique and abounding mix of creatures, resplendent mallee habitats and unfettered shorelines.

Now in its tenth year, Kangaroo Island Art Feast has blossomed from a handful of venues to a bumper spread of food, wine and art at thirty locations coast to coast. Make no mistake, the pull of nature is strong here. Every year it spurs new émigré painters and sculptors to arrive from the mainland and set up studio. In this vein, it’s no coincidence that in the SA Museum’s 2012 Waterhouse Art Prize four of the finalists – Janet Ayliffe, Scott Hartshorne, Lara Tilbrook and Llewellyn Ash – exhibited KI-inspired natural history art. The other key to Art Feast’s success is a dash of grass-roots creative flair. As Kathie Stove notes: ‘A lot of locals, including both amateurs and professionals, use art as a community experience. We’ve got print-making workshops, life-drawing classes, mosaic groups, yarn bombers and all sorts of social connections centred on art.’ Cut off from the usual urban diversions, islanders have discovered that a strand of inventive endeavour – be it in jewellery, drawing, found-object sculpture, photography, wood carving or pottery – is both attainable and prized by a wider island fraternity. As a result, in beach shacks and back sheds all across KI the ‘give-art-a-go’ spirit burns brightly. Image at left: Janine Mackintosh ‘Terra Australis’. This page top right: Scott Hartshorne ‘From Little Things’. Bottom right: Scott Hartshorne ‘Windfall’.

This knack for ingenuity runs deep on the island. In response to slumping wool and sheep prices through the 1990s many farm families veered into new territory: from honey production and olive groves to cheese making, marron farms and vineyards. The fruits of these labours now come to the fore across the ten days of Art Feast, as winery cellar doors, cafes and a range of farm produce outlets join forces with visual artists to flaunt their wares. At first this event was conceived as a simple exercise to help launch the island’s spring/summer visitor season. Yet Art Feast’s evolution has given this celebration a life of its own, shaping it as a sturdy expression of place and people – with all the quirky charm, talent and resourceful nerve that KI can muster. And no-one did more to nurture this development than long-time organiser and art aficionado, Peter Walker, who sadly passed away earlier this year. To mark its first decade, Art Feast’s 2012 program kicks off with a rollicking Street Fiesta in Kingscote and the unveiling of Deb Sleeman’s sculpture commemorating the 175th anniversary of island settlement. >

Convened by Fleur Peters, the gallery dynamo behind Fine Art Kangaroo Island, this town party also features parades and performances, super-sized artworks, music, fire twirlers and dancers, plus, of course, lashings of local food and wine. It’s a typically KI burst of collaboration and a fitting tribute to the kind of creative brio Peter Walker revelled in. With more than a dozen Art Feast venues, from churches and beaches to farms and gardens, Kingscote and its surrounds are strongly represented in this year’s program. Other north coast highlights include an open studio at stunning Western River Cove, food and art served in the Hannaford’s Lifetime Retreats’ shearing shed near Snellings Beach, and Gay De Mather’s intricate studies at the Rockpool Cafe, the ever-popular seafood haunt at Stokes Bay. Nature-inspired creations continue to make a strong showing, with renowned Waterhouse Prize regulars Janine Mackintosh and Scott Hartshorne banding together at the historic Mrs Valentine’s Cottage in Penneshaw. Both artists use crisp white canvases to honour the botanical world in miraculous detail. Janine’s spellbinding assemblages of leaves and other found objects are ably complemented by Scott’s startling works in oil that spotlight an array of mallee forms with uncanny intimacy. Not to be outdone, the island’s famed wildlife takes centre stage at several venues including

Images this page above left and right: ‘Barn Owl’ and ‘Blue Wrens’ by Nicholas Burness Pike.

Raptor Domain near Seal Bay. Here Nicholas Burness Pike’s masterly bird of prey portraits double-bill with daily live-action displays from the real thing. This kind of synergy is an Art Feast hallmark. Thus at KI Spirits you’re treated to an exquisite mix of Sea McGowan’s photography, installations by Evette Sunset and dessert temptations revved with KIS’s medal-winning liqueurs. Similarly, over at Pelican Lagoon assorted artworks from the super-talented Ayliffe family are the perfect foil for the vistas and home environs at the Teasdale’s waterfront lair. And no Art Feast would be complete without KI’s beloved cellar door venues. Out east, event stalwarts Sunset Winery, Chapman River Wines and Dudley Wines each make merry with group art exhibitions, platters of tasty local produce and hand-crafted island wines – all dished up in spectacular settings that are unforgettably KI. In the end this is what gives Art Feast its essence and gusto. It’s not just the calibre of art on show or the quality of the ingredients being served. What really counts is that this event unfolds as an authentic celebration of lives shared and creations heartfelt on an island like no other.

Uncover Langhorne Creek’s newest wines.

Out of the Barrel Be the first to try some of the region’s newest releases (red & white) or take a sneak peak of pre-release wines. All on offer throughout Langhorne Creek.

Langhorne Creek. 10th & 11th November 2012

LANGHORNE CREEK

VIGNERONS’ DAY

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE THE PICK OF THE BUNCH.

SUNDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2012 Strathalbyn Racecourse Fine food and wine and live entertainment Hospitality packages available Visit strathracing.com.au for more info or phone 8536 2248

STRAT H

U M .A RACING.CO

Photography by Sam Noonan.

Visualise yourself in one of three lodges, tastefully furnished with everything you need. The enormous windows allow the outside in as you take in the ever changing views. Wander to the lounge dining room where scrumptious nibbles and bubbly await before experiencing an indulgent dinner cooked by Cheryl. Experience Lush Pastures. T: 0411 286 377 E: enquire@lushpastures.com.au W: www.lushpastures.com.au 89

editor’s selections: During our travels and enquiries we have had the opportunity to visit and experience a variety of businesses. Here are a few we would like to highlight:

Appleseed Cafe Located in historic Strathalbyn, Appleseed Cafe offers stunning organic coffee with a tempting selection of homemade cakes and goodies. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, with dinner available on Friday evenings. There’s also a kids’ play area. Families love it! 30 High Street Strathalbyn Phone: 8536 8195 Check us out at www.facebook.com/AppleseedCafe

Aquacaf Aquacaf Gourmet Cafe is situated on the banks of the sensational River Murray in the township of Goolwa. Offering simple, fresh and delicious food they provide local produce and great service. The newly- renovated, fully licensed cafe is perfect for an afternoon of wine and tasty delights. 94 Barrage Road, Goolwa Breakfast Thursday-Monday 8:30-11:30 Lunch Thursday-Monday 12:00-3:00 Cake/Coffee Thursday-Monday 8:30-4:00 Friday afternoon/evening platters, wine and cocktails 4:00-8:00 Last Saturday night of each month: set menu with themed dinner 6:30 until late. Phone: 8555 1235 www.aquacaf.com.au

Cafe 11 A delightful, small cafe serving delicious, fresh and healthy food, which includes chicken salad wraps, baked frittata with salad, homemade soups, Bull Creek wood-oven pies, salads, fresh juices and amazing coffee. Cafe 11 also caters for gluten- and dairy-free diets. 9 Dawson Street, Strathalbyn — in The Old Market Shed Monday to Saturday 8-5 (closed Sunday) Phone: 8536 3811 Mob: 0400 393 811

Carmel’s Carmel’s radiates a welcoming ambience with personalised service. Modern Australian cuisine with a strong emphasis on steaks, fresh seafood and local boutique wines. 250 Main Road, McLaren Vale Open: Tuesday-Sunday : 10.00am-late Phone: 8323 8038 Email: info@carmelsbarandgrill.com.au

Casuarina Holiday Houses

Hortas

Enjoy the best of sea and scrub on South Australia’s beautiful Aldinga Bay 40 minutes south of Adelaide. Two affordable selfcatering holiday that are fully furnished, peaceful and relaxing. A few minutes’ walk to Silver Sands Beach. Phone: 8556 3446 Mob: 0488 406 710 www.casuarinaholidayhouses.com

Restaurant/tapas/cafe. Set on the pristine beach front at Port Noarlunga, this restaurant sources the best local produce to create both contemporary Australian- and Portuguese-inspired dishes that are always a feast for your senses. Sit and enjoy petiscos (Portuguese tapas) a light meal, or main fare, with delicious wines carefully selected from the Fleurieu or Portuguese region. Bask in the glorious views of the ocean from any seat in the house. Phone: 8326 1777 info@hortas.com.au, www.hortas.com.au

d’Arenberg’s Dadd I know, funny to choose a single sparkling white wine to include here but this is a great light and bubbly white to have at any celebration! Made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of d’Arenberg … and also used to celebrate the launch of the Fleurieu Living Magazine to great acclaim! Get it while there is still some available! www.darenberg.com.au

Eat @ Whalers The old Whalers Restaurant has been rebranded as ‘Eat @ Whalers’ to reflect the contemporary, simple, and fresh nature of our new service. Only the best of what the Peninsula has to offer in local produce and premium wines is provided. Enjoy a lunch in the shade on the deck and enjoy views of Encounter Bay in its understated oceanic elegance, or perhaps dinner by soft candlelight while witnessing the fading glimpses of your busy day. 121 Franklin Parade, Encounter Bay Brunch / lunch / dinner / conferences / weddings / functions. Brunch Sat/Sun‚ lunch daily‚ dinner Thu/Fri/Sat, Tuesday closed in winter, while Thursday night is theme night‚ Happy Hour is each Friday 5.30-6.30 Phone: 8552 4400 Email: eat@whalers.com.au site: www.whalers.com.au

KI Spirits At their award-winning distillery on Kangaroo Island, Jon and Sarah Lark hand make high-quality liqueurs and spirits. KIS products reflect local and native ingredients such as wild fennel, Ligurian honey and native juniper berries. Visit the KIS cellar door at Cygnet River, on the highway between Kingscote and the Kangaroo Island airport. Wednesday to Sunday from 11-5 … but open 7 days during school/ public holidays (or by arrangement) for tastings, tours, sales, espresso coffee, T-Bar teas, affogato and blackboard specials. Phone: 8553 9211 www.kispirits.com.au

No 58 Cellar Door & Gallery Situated on the grounds of historic Waverley Estate (c1856) at Port Elliot. Cellar door for Thunderbird & Mt Billy wines, offering wine tasting | art gallery | coffee & cakes | farm gate regional produce | collectibles | ceramics & glass. 58 Waterport Road Port Elliot Phone: 8554 3149 www.no58cdg.com

Fine Art Kangaroo Island Fleur and Fred Peters have two galleries on Kangaroo Island. Fleur is a knowledgeable and passionate curator. Fred makes interesting sculpture and jewellery inspired by nature and employing materials ranging from sterling silver, to driftwood and even cutlery. The carefully selected works, by a range of local (KI) artists, are showcased in both spaces with great care. 80 and 91 Dauncey Street Kingscote, KI Daily 10-5. www.fineartkangarooisland.com.au

WEDDINGS

Fleurieu Weddings.

Ruth McKeown, podiatrist, met and fell in love with Matthew Neagle, video journalist, in 2006 when the two were working at Port Augusta in South Australia’s north. Six years later the two celebrated their nuptials at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Stralthalbyn and held their reception at Longview Vineyard in Macclesfield with over 100 of their nearest and dearest. Ruth’s parents, Esmond and Geraldine McKeown, live in Hillbank, and Matt’s parents, Ann and Rod Neagle, live at Goolwa Beach. Both South Australians, Ruth and Matt spent the beginning of their relationship in Port Augusta, then Adelaide. They moved to Townsville a few years later then transferred to the Sunshine Coast, one hour north of Brisbane where they still live. Shortly after they moved there and during a weekend escape to the beautiful Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Matt popped the question. They’d just finished a long lunch and were watching the sun set over the Glasshouse Mountains when Matt got down on one knee with a diamond ring he had designed and secretly had made for her. How could a girl refuse?

The wedding was always going to be in Adelaide to make it easier for the majority of their friends and family to attend. They had their heart set on a winery reception with a relaxed, country feel, with Irish touches to pay tribute to Ruth’s strong Irish heritage. Ruth wore a vintage style, ivory gown with beaded lace and was wearing a rose gold cross worn by both her mother and her grandmother for their weddings in the 1970s and 1940s in Ireland. A limousine took Ruth, her parents, childhood friend and Matron of Honour, Gianna Habel (34 weeks pregnant on the day) and niece/ flower girl, Hannah (3) to Strathalbyn. Arriving traditionally late, they were greeted outside and played into the church by a solo piper to where Matt stood waiting with his school friend and Best Man, James Officer. Close friends and siblings took part in the readings, contributing to the moving ceremony before Ruth and Matt skipped down the >

aisle as husband and wife to the lone piper’s lilting tune. Outside the church, guests showered the newlyweds with rose petals and bubbles before they left with the bridal party for photos with Alice Bell Photographics. They were able to capture shots in beautiful autumnal locations in and around Strathalbyn before heading off to Longview Vineyard. Ruth and Matt’s reception was one big party with their friend Andy Kilcross from their Port Augusta days singing and playing acoustic guitar before family friend DJ Sam Leverns kept the dance floor pumping! The first dance was to Ruth’s one of favourite performers, Keith Urban, before the Adelaide Academy of Irish Dancing took over with a spectacular performance, which Ruth and Matt couldn’t resist joining! Their wedding cake was made by Annie from Coco C’ture and included a white chocolate mudcake top tier with three different flavoured cocktail cupcakes – vanilla, chocolate and sticky date pudding. Yum! However, despite the many highlights of the day, the most significant one was the joy of having all the most important people in their lives together in one place at this one very special time. A couple of days later the couple set off on their fantastic 6-week European honeymoon, which took in Portugal, Spain, Southern France, Italy and Greece.

Photographs courtesy of Alice Bell Photographics. www.alicebell.com.au

March 24 2012 was a most amazing day for Daniel Roesler and Carly Johnston, who had met in 2003 when they both worked as trainees for the Kangaroo Island Health Service.

Carly was just out of school and training for reception work and Daniel was with the maintenance team training as a horticulturist. Although they admit that it sounds corny, they both profess it was love at first sight – ’corny but true’. It wasn’t long before they were ‘an official couple’, so after about five years together they bought a block of land (all 7.2 hectares of it) very close to the local township and a few years later built their first home on the Bullock Track. Daniel proposed about a year later on a beautiful night in summer where they had a local restaurant all to themselves. ‘When Daniel popped the question it made me the happiest girl in the world’.

The ceremony was an intimate and laid back one on KI’s Brown’s Beach with a few family and friends just as they always imagined. Carly was in a Maggie Sottero gown which was simple with beautifully detailed beading. Carly kept accessories to a minimum to avoid detracting from the stunning design. Their photos were taken at some of the most breathtaking locations around the island, including Brown’s Beach itself, Pennington Bay, Cygnet River, with a few at Lindy Bruce’s lovely garden and Daniel’s parents’ place with their treasured Harleys.

Pre-reception drinks and nibbles were on the lawn of the Sea Side Inn, the venue of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the proposalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the reception. Throughout the warm summer evening guests continued to be served while overlooking the gorgeous bay with its distant red banks.

Photographs courtesy of Pete Nash Photography www.petenashphotography.com

Carly and Daniel spent the next five glorious nights as husband and wife in the warm weather of the Whitsundays, enjoying beautiful food with some much needed downtime. The couple would like to thank Alex, Chris, Deb and staff at the Sea Side Inn, as well as friends and family who had travelled so far to join them on KI for their very special day.

SOCIAL PAGES

Being Social: FLM Winter issue launch party Our launch party at the McLaren Vale Visitor Information Centre on June 6th was attended by over 200 guests.

Wine from dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arenberg, Islander Estate, Maxwell Wines and Gemtree Vineyards, as well as boutique beer from Vale Ale fuelled the evening. Live Music by The Yearlings. 01: The Yearlingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Robyn and Chris. 02: Mike and Becky Lucas. 03: Lucille and Tom Parker. 04: Steve and Joanne Kelly. 05: Tanya Mitchell and Miranda Lang. 06: Richard Monty with Jenny and Rob Geh.

07. Julie Freemam, Carmel Young and Tony Collins.

Being Social: I am tall poppy Fashion Parade FLM attended a Fashion Parade by I am Tall Poppy at The Green Room, Willunga on May 9.

Seen taking in the parade were: 01: Airlie Jarrett and Kris Swaffer. 02: Charyn Youngson, Maggie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin, India and Melanie Armstrong. 03: Gloria Rittnor, Janine Power and Lynne Kajar. 04: Jane Holland and Emily Sandow.

Being Social: Ducks Pop Up A Pop Up cellar door on July 8th celebrated the new release of wines by Ducks in a Row.

Charlie Hill Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stonehouse Lane property in Aldinga was the location of the event. Present were: 01: Mitch Van Kaathoven & Luke McKay. 02: Nick & Julie Janssan. 03: Sam Teakle with Lachlan and Elise McMahon. 04: Vicki Bournias & Nick Rutten. 05: Katie Spain.

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Being Social: Sea and Vines Held on the 10th and 11th of June at various venues across Mclaren Vale.

Seen at PARRI ESTATE: 01: David Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Scott King and Darren Witcomb. 02: Niki Tomlinson and Tori Wright. 03: Terri Reeves and Kristy Houston. Seen at ROSEMOUNT ESTATE: 04: Darienne Bovell and Mel Amos. 05: Natalie Osborne and Mia Davidson.

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Being Social: Cradle of Hills launch party An afternoon of food and fine wine was enjoyed among the vines at the McLaren Vale Visitor Information Centre on May 27th.

Enjoying an afternoon of sultry blues/roots music, fine wines and gourmet pizza were: 01: Jessica Knight and Michael Roberts. 02: Mark Gabell. 03: Mary Bice and Bronte Camilleri. 04: Meg Rohan and Jac Woodard. 05: Sally Scantlebury and Phillip White.

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Willunga Portrait Co. Weddings · Portraits · Events

South Australian wedding photography specialising in the Fleurieu Region. Telephone: 0409242570 Email: info@willungaportraitcompany.com www.willungaportraitcompany.com

unique, elegant places making the most of nature, climate, light, and seasons emphasis on simplicity, beauty, and natural materials

anatoly

patrick

architect

w w w.a n ato l y pat r i ck .co m anatoly@anatolypatr ick.com m 0401 387 789

Shakespeare's Book and Coffee Shop A place to discover and relax.

Fiction · Reference · Children’s · Book Vouchers · School & Library Supplies Instead of a demanding trip to a busy shopping centre, why not visit a family run, friendly bookshop where customer service is our number one priority.

Shop 3, 7 Gawler Street, Port Noarlunga, SA 5167 Telephone 08 8382 3343 Email: contact@shakespearesbooks.com.au

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recommends:

WILLUNGA FARMERS MARKET Willunga Farmers Market has long been a weekly drawcard for Willunga and celebrated 10 years of fresh, local produce in February 2012. Producers selling everything from dairy and meat to bread, cheese and vegetables are on hand to answer questions about the food you buy. Open 8am ‘til 12.30pm every Saturday, the market is now a regular stop for anyone wishing to fill their bellies, their pantry, or both.

ROYAL FAMILY HOTEL PORT ELLIOT Looking for family dining & entertainment on the South Coast? The Royal Family Hotel is open for lunch and dinner every day, cooking a delicious range of quality food. It boasts the biggest & best beer garden on the Fleurieu, with a playground for the kids to enjoy. Facilities include a Sip n Save bottle shop, TAB, bistro, accommodation, gaming, functions and great live music. 32 North Terrace Port Elliot T: 08 8554 2219 F: 08 8554 2354 E: info@royalfamilyhotel.com.au W: www.royalfamilyhotel.com.au 104

HOUSE OF ELLIOT The House of Elliot has grown out of a passion for lifestyle products that will enhance your home and bring style and sophistication to your way of living. Purchase from our vast array of products including clothing · fine furniture · giftware · jewellery · Crabtree & Evelyn · aromatherapies · gifts and more ... 31 The Strand Port Elliot T: 8554 1958 W: www.thehouseofelliot.com.au

GIU AL MARE Giu al Mare “Down by the sea” is a modern self-contained beach house minutes walk from Moana beach. A short drive to McLaren Vale and Willunga, this beach-side escape has a shaded deck area — and fully equipped stainless kitchen for those who love to cook. With 3 bedrooms it can sleep up to 6 adults. Enquiries and reservations to Bronte Camilleri: M: 0411 190 547 E: camill@internode.on.net W: www.giualmare.com.au

GOODIESON BREWERY Champion South Australian Brewery 2012

LA TERRE Food, wine & all else divine ...

Goodieson Brewery is a privately owned family brewery where absolutely 100% of all the beer is brewed and bottled on site. A little oasis of beer right amongst the vines in McLaren Vale, it’s hard not to fall in love with this site, with the cellar door right inside the brewery. It also offers a lovely terraced area to sit and have a beer looking over the vines and ranges. 194 Sand Road, McLaren Vale Open 7 days, 11am - 5.30pm

· New wines · French bubbly by the glass · Spring menu · New shipment Garden Trugs · New shipment French Teas La Terre 44 High Street Willunga T: 08 8556 2612 Open Wednesday to Sunday 9am-4pm

Where every day is a holiday.

Visit our display centres at Noarlunga and Gepps Cross to view our extensive range of quality lightweight homes. 1300 073 995 systembuilthomes.com.au

OPEN FOR LUNCH 7 DAYS. NEW “SPRING” MENU JUST RELEASED. ----------

For bookings: Phone 8557 0840 or email: bookings@gwg.net.au

CHITON RETIREMENT LIVING

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Your idyllic retirement is now sustainable.

OPEN DAY

An Artist’s Retreat

Boasting STUNNING views of Kangaroo Island AU $7.95 SPRING 2012

Signal Point Ashbourne

A marriage of modern design & breathtaking landscape

MAGGIE BEER

For more information visit www.chitonretirement.com.au

on why she makes the Fleurieu a regular stop

or call Adam Wright on 0412 620 022 or KeyInvest on 1300 658 904

Kangaroo Island Art Feast · Ethical Eats · Langhorne Creek ‘Women in wine’