Fleurieu Living Magazine Summer 2012 by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd

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

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

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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!

Heather Millar Heather arrived on the Fleurieu Peninsula eight years ago, by way of London, Melbourne and Hobart. She runs a freelance editorial consultancy from Willunga, and enjoys the spoils of life amongst the sea and vines. www.zestcommunications.com.au

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

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.

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.

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

Leonie Porter-Nocella Leonie is a survivor of decades of academic editing and ghost writing. She quite fancies herself as a food, coffee and wine connoisseur (in that order) an animal rights advocate ... and would really love a cat!

Heidi Linehan Heidi owns ‘heidi who? photos’ and specialises in location photography. Photographing everything from compost bins to glamorous five star resorts. She is based on the Fleurieu, South Australia, but works across the globe. She is also mum to Belle and Ashton.

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.

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.

Grant Beed Grant has recently moved to Port Willunga with wife Lisa and their four boys. After working in the film and television industry in Sydney for over ten years, they have now opted for a wholesome beach side existence on the Fleurieu.

Skye Redding Skye has lived on the Fleurieu for the past 15 years. Practising Yoga has been her passion for over two decades. She operates the Southern Vales Yoga Shala in McLaren Vale. Monique Gill Writer, communications consultant and parttime poet Monique has worked in publishing for over 20 years. She escaped to the Fleurieu last year, seduced by its laid-back lifestyle and postcard-perfect scenery. She and daughter Alexa (with various furry creatures) live in Goolwa.

Publisher Information Gill Gordon Smith Gill is a Certified Advanced Educator and Assessor with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust of London. Gill lectures in food and wine for TAFE SA — winning the Clive Simmonds award for outstanding ambassador of the McLaren Vale region.

PUBLISHER Fleurieu Living Magazine is published four times a year by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd. ISSN 2200-4033

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.

EDITOR Leonie Porter-Nocella

Anna Butler Self-confessed word nerd, perpetual student, arm-chair psychologist and proprietor of Copybreak Copywriting Services. Based in Strathalbyn, I spend my days wrangling words to help businesses effectively communicate with their audience. Ainsley Roscrow Bachelor of Arts. Bachelor of Education Early childhood. Advanced Dip. Montessori Studies. Managing Director Montessori Rose Pty Ltd. Mother of four and active local community member. Passionate and genuine advocate for early childhood education.

PUBLISHING EDITOR AND MANAGING DIRECTOR Petra de Mooy

ADVERTISING SALES Hazel Wainwright GRAPHIC DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Jason Porter jason@fleurieuliving.com.au PRINTER Graphic Print Group DISTRIBUTION Integrated Publication Solutions SUBSCRIPTIONS www.isubscribe.com.au ALL ENQUIRIES Petra de Mooy petra@fleurieuliving.com.au

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.

POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 7, Sellicks Beach South Australia 5174

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.

Brenda Pearson Brenda settled in the Fleurieu Peninsula from Canada with her family four years ago. She thinks it rocks!

ONLINE www.fleurieuliving.com.au www.facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine

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

48 FEATURED HOME: A Whale of a Beach House boasts a vista stretching from Knight’s Beach to Granite Island and across Encounter Bay. COVER PHOTO: The modern and well appointed upstairs living area of the Shopov beach ‘shack’. Photo by Robert Geh.

84 FEATURED ARTIST: John Lacey, a multi-award winning South Australian artist, lives, teaches and creates in Mt Compass on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

FOOD AND WINE

MARKETS & EVENTS

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

18 The Currant Shed – It’s about the people.

08 Diary Dates and Events to mark on your calendar.

32 Growing healthy kids.

72 Organic and Biodynamic Wines – Local winemakers going green.

28 Yoga – The virtues of Om. 30 Nature walks with children – For when the kids need exercise.

66 Two cooks and one chef: recipes to make a winning meal for summer.

COUNTRY LIFE

HISTORY

94 And the Bushing Kings are … Matt Koch and Andrew Locke.

14 Fresh and in season from our berry farmers.

88 Spargo House: 1856 ~ 2012.

23 Harvest Festival – Bringing it in and blessing the harvest.

34 Goolwa – A river runs through it. 56 CFS – Community and commitment. 76 KI Cup – Distant Thunder! 111 Dog’s Life – Pics of our beloved pooches.

FEATURED HOME: This Max Pritchard designed ‘Boat House’ overlooks the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club at Goolwa.

FEATURED ARTIST: When Lesa Farrant is not teaching ceramics, she can be found in the shed at the bottom of her Port Willunga garden or on the nearby beach searching for ‘treasure’.

FEATURED EVENT: The 2012 Bushing Kings, Matt Koch and Andrew Locke of Rosemount Estate were crowned at this year’s CARTeSIAN McLaren Vale Wine Show.

LIVING GREEN

MUSIC AND BOOKS

BEING SOCIAL

60 On any Saturday – Farmers’ Markets keeping it local.

82 Laura Hill – Fleurieu girl hits the road with her lovely tunes.

59 The Dirt – More advice from James about building stone walls.

80 Book Reviews – Summer reading.

WEDDINGS

PENINSULA PEOPLE

98 Angela and Michael White tie the knot at Penny’s Hill.

92 Chester Osborn – Experimental winemaker, cook.

103 FLM gets out to see who was at the events: · Vale Cru – Cru Cheese and Chocolate · All That Jazz Fashion Parade · Eat Local · Kink Goes Pink Fundraiser · Lake Breeze Picnic – 25 years of winemaking · Bushing King Luncheon at Penny’s Hill · McCracken Convention Centre – Fabulous 60’s Fashion Parade.

FASHION 100 Shopping Local – What to buy. Where to buy it.

96 Monika and Günther Bertram settle in at Inman. 40 Brenden Scott French – Glass artist. 44 Lesa Farrant – When debris becomes art.

ACKNOWLEDGES

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

designed for living

With one eye on the lookout, this solitary pelican rests atop a favourite roost at Encounter Bay. Photograph by Robert Geh.

Welcome to FLM Almost a year ago we set the wheels in motion for the development of our magazine – and have been working on it non-stop since. And after we celebrate this, our third issue, I, for one, am looking forward to a holiday – while at the same time continuing to look out for new places to discover and write about! In this, our holiday issue, we have a few more food and wine features – so eat, drink and be merry! We have tips on where to go and what to do with the kids, a few not to be missed events, and as usual we uncover some talented artists and visit some award winning coastal homes. As awareness of the magazine grows and we meet our readers, a lot of our feedback relates to the photography and design. Special thanks go to Jason Porter for his fantastic, almost fanatical design and art direction. Also to Robert Geh of ‘mrgeh photography’ for giving us access to his extensive library of Fleurieu photos (amassed over years of holidays at Victor Harbor) and for photographing our fantastic home features. Special thanks must also go to Grant Beed for getting out ‘amongst it’ to photograph the amazing selection of places and people we have featured over the past 9 months. A big thank you also to ‘Monie’ (aka Leonie Porter Nocella) for staying up way past her bedtime to get this issue finished and ready for publishing. Happy Holidays!!! Come back soon.

AND THE WINNERS ARE ... Here are some of our award winners from the recent ‘Advertiser Press Food and Wine Awards for 2012’ Best regional restaurant: Fino, Willunga Best cafe: Blessed Cheese, McLaren Vale Best wine list: Star of Greece, Port Willunga And the ‘South Australian Tourism Industry Council Awards 2012’ Gold Winner for Luxury Accommodation: Australasian Circa 1858, Goolwa!

Some letters from our readers: Hello I recently noticed on Facebook that a friend of mine had ‘liked’ your magazine. I must admit I wasn’t familiar with the publication until then, so I was intrigued to dig a little deeper. It looks very impressive – beautiful images and very well designed. Greg Hassold Hello, I have just purchased my copy of your new Edition of FLM and I must say it looks really great! I love the house on the front … so inspiring and it gives me ideas for a future cellar door here at Cradle of Hills! We would also like to thank you for our photos making the social pages … all our friends will get a copy! Tracy Smith Hello, I just wanted to pass onto you and the team how fabulous the magazine is looking (and reading) and the photography is really gorgeous. It has substance. Well done! Regards, Peta, Jetty Food Store Hi Leonie and Petra, Enjoyed catching up over the weekend. The second edition of FLM raises the bar and telegraphs your intent to express and communicate the ‘life’ of this wonderful region. The diversity of content is a winner and it is incumbent upon all in the region to support your initiative, taken not without a fair degree of risk, I know. As indicated, I’m happy to contribute. Let me just spend a little more time deciding those areas which I may best deliver. Look forward to seeing you. Best, Tony. Tony Parkinson, Penny’s Hill Vineyards Hi Petra, Yes the magazine looks lovely. Have had a good flick through but need time to sit and read some of the stories. The Fleurieu Peninsula is close to my heart as I am a Willunga girl, born at McLaren Vale Hospital and my dad used to run buses in that area (Briscoes – just ask an old timer, and they’ll remember them!) Many thanks, Julie-Anne Julie-Anne Briscoe, Marketing Manager, SeaLink (South Australia) Hi Petra, Firstly I wanted to congratulate you on Fleurieu Living, it’s a great magazine of beautiful quality. I’ve really enjoyed the last two editions and look forward to reading many more. Regards Carol, Three Monkeys Hi Petra, May I say congratulations, you are producing a brilliant magazine of international quality. Well done, I have read the first two editions from cover to cover. Cheers, James Currie, Yankalilla Hi, got your message today re: my subscription. I have the 1st two issues of this delightful mag, so my subs can start with next issue. Many thanks and congrats on your ‘heaps good’ mag! Keep up the great work! Can’t wait for next issue! Pat Sprague 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 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. 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. 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 Market 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. Aldinga Bay Art, Craft and Produce Market When: 8am to 1pm. Fourth Sunday of every month. Where: Corner of Aldinga Beach Road and Pridham Boulevard. Arts and crafts from local artisans and fresh local produce.

Festivals and Events: Normanville New Year’s Eve Pageant When: New Year’s Eve Where: Normanville foreshore Time: Parade starts 7:30pm on Katherine Drive. This year, music from DJ Georgie will provide a lively backdrop to the food stalls and amusements organised by the local community clubs. A safe and family friendly environment for all ages, the event closes with a fireworks display at 9:45pm. Coopers Kangaroo Island Gourmet Gallop Food and Wine Festival When: January 26 Where: Cygnet River Racecourse, Kingscote Time: TBA Price: Free entry Blending racing with Kangaroo Island’s celebrated food scene, attendees can indulge in food, wine and live music from the many marquees dotted on the banks of the Cygnet River. Yesterday’s Power Rally Where: Milang Oval, Milang When: 19th January - 20th January 2013 Time: 10am-5pm Cost: $5 Adults A day packed full of activities, tractor pull demonstration, working horse display, vintage chains demonstrations, model railway displays, sheep hand-shearing and a variety of stalls.

Goolwa Regatta Week Where: Lower River Murray, Goolwa SA When: 20th January - 27th January 2013 Free Family Event The Goolwa Regatta Week offers a community festival of riverside activities including wine appreciation, a fashion show and vintage cars. The highlight of the week, the Milang to Goolwa Freshwater Classic yacht race, will be held on the Sunday 27th January 2013. Harvest Festival McLaren Vale Where: McLaren Vale Sporting Complex, McLaren Vale When: Saturday 12th January 2013 Time: 10am - 7pm Free Family Event A celebration of the diversity of food, wine, music and the arts from the McLaren Vale region. Fantastic range of activities to keep the kids amused, with pony rides, pizza making, face painting and crafts. Compass Cup Where: Main Oval, Mount Compass When: Saturday 26th January 2013 Cost: $6 Adults. Children under 14 gold coin donation. Be a part of Australia’s only cow race; it’s is a fun, exciting, unique way to spend a family day. Lots of entertainment, sideshows, food stalls and crowd participation events. Tour Down Under Where: McLaren Vale, Willunga and Aldinga When: Saturday, January 26th 2013. Come and celebrate the Jayco Stage 5 of the race; starting in McLaren Vale, passing through Snapper Point at Aldinga beach, and finishing at the top of Old Willunga Hill.

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

MARKETS & EVENTS

Love Velo Where: McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre When: Friday 25th January 20131 Time: 5:30 – 9:30pm Gourmet food and wine, smooth jazz beats and all things cycling come together for this sophisticated affair in the sumptuous McLaren Vale, a feature of the Tour Down Under. Food from local stall vendors, so taste the region’s delicious wines and mingle with cycling enthusiasts from all over the globe. Australia Day Bush Fair Where: South Adelaide Football Club, Lovelock Drive, Noarlunga Downs When: Saturday 26th January 2013 Time: 5:30 – 9:30pm Last year saw over 7000 attendees pass through its gates. This year promises another event packed with local foods, arts, crafts and novelties, including live entertainment and fireworks. Coopers Kangaroo Island Cup Carnival Where: Cygnet River Racecourse, Kingscote When: 15th & 17th February 2013 Kangaroo Island’s Premier racing event and the island’s largest celebration delivers entertainment on and off the track. Try your hand at crayfish picking and place your bets on some first-class horses. Fashion on the Fields, a popular event, will be returning this year to showcase race day fashions. Aurora Ozone Hotel Twilight Street Party Where: Aurora Ozone Hotel, Kingscote When: Saturday February 16th 2013 Time: From dusk A highlight of the Kangaroo Island Cup, the Aurora Ozone Hotel Twilight Street Party is an opportunity to sample the island’s produce while enjoying live music and entertainment. South Australian Wooden Boat Festival Where: Goolwa Wharf Precinct When: Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th February 2013 Time: Saturday 9am – late, Sunday 9am – 5pm This two-day boating event offers entertainment for all ages. Starting with a morning procession of wooden boats, boat building demonstrations and sailing races. For the kids, there is face painting, paddle steamer cruises, steam train rides and many other carnival amusements. Saturday’s event also includes an outdoor cinema and fireworks display. More details at: http://www.woodenboatfestival.com.au Music in the Piazza The Vale Cru presents ... a twilight mix of music and wine. When: Friday 4 January 2013 When: 5:30pm Where: Piazza della Valle, McLaren Vale, South Australia.

Enjoy the Picnic and much much more at

Stylish Gifts, homewares & ladies fashion Mon – Sat 10.30am-4.30pm Sun & Public Holidays 11.00am-4.30pm 29 North Terrace (Next to Port Elliot Bakery) PORT ELLIOT 08 8554 3645

E T A R B A E CELTRALIA D Y! AUS

ine event w d n a d An outdoor boutique jazz, foo d all things cycling. n celebrating a love of our region a Friday 25 January 5.30–9.30pm McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre Main Road, McLaren Vale

Special guests Anna Meares, London Olympic Gold Medallist and Mark Bickley, AFL Adelaide Crows legend and sports presenter. Watch live cooking demonstrations and musical performances. Enjoy a cycling themed garden art exhibition by talented artists, with the winning piece announced on the night.

Join us for our free community cycling celebrations! Saturday 26 January McLaren Vale – Old Willunga Hill

IN TH E

You can follow our events on Twitter and Facebook... or find out about all the trackside events, viewing locations, festivities, competitions and merchandise at www.onkaparingacity.com/jaycostage5

CIT Y

Enjoy family focused events with live music, local food and refreshments and free children’s entertainment and activities at our township celebrations: • Ellis Park, McLaren Vale • Snapper Point, Aldinga Beach • Old Courthouse Grounds, Willunga

KAPARINGA N O F O

Woodcroft Collegee

OPEN DAY Sunday 24 February 2:00 to 4:00 pm All welcome

Bains Road Morphett Vale SA 5162 T: 8322 2333

www.woodcroft.sa.edu.au

Harvest Festival McLaren Vale Flavours of the Fleurieu

January 12 2013 FREE Community event McLaren Vale Oval Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale Activities start from 10am ‘Free Entry’ with proceeds to the McLaren Vale and Districts War Memorial Hospital

facebook.com/pages/HarvestFestivalMcLarenVale

Come celebrate with us a diverse culture of food, wine, music and arts from the McLaren Vale Region. Free children’s activities and live entertaininment. This premiere regional event is an epicurean extravaganza and is about enjoying world-class wines and tantalising gourmet food as the official lead up and blessing of the 2013 Harvest Season.

Simon Byant

Supported by City of ONKAPARINGA Graphics by INK ON PAPER Print & Design Thanks to our valued sponsors

www.harvestfestivalmclarenvale.com.au

Berry interesting Leonie Porter-Nocella goes in search of berries and finds two families with serious berry projects. Photographs by Grant Beed.

Fleurieu Cherries Linda and Trevor Desmond are professional cherry growers at Pages Flat, not far from foggy Mount Compass with its rather cute full-scale 3D black and white Mother and Calf mosaic, designating not only the centre of town but also its primary activity. (Incidentally, if driving south and you see the aforementioned cute mosaic, you’ve gone too far. The turnoff to Pages Flat Road is a bit before Mt Compass.) Linda and Trevor had never really set out to be cherry farmers. Who would, in a place dominated by the dairy industry? However, if some summer’s day you find yourself on Pages Flat Road you will undoubtedly drive past a giant three-dimensional model of cherries. Unlike many of the other giant models that populate country towns, presumably so that people can see immediately whatever it is they’re famous for, these are quite atypically well crafted and well conceived. However ... the message to get across here is ... in cherry season DON’T DRIVE PAST. Stop and try the life-sized originals! The Desmonds came to the cherry business quite incidentally. Some friends of theirs from Whyalla, where they’d all been busily pursuing their own careers, left and established themselves in Pages Flat. Linda and Trevor often visited these friends ... and the more they saw the more interested they became in the area, its beauty, and its potential; so when a 12-hectare farming property came on to the market they snapped it up – despite having no real plans for developing it. Meanwhile their friends had found that of all the things they had tried growing in their neighbouring orchard, it was the cherries that bore the most impressive crop.

So cherries it was ... with their freeroaming chooks not only keeping the insects down, but adding a bit of fertiliser as they went about it. So cherries it was ... with their free-roaming chooks not only keeping the insects down, but adding a bit of fertiliser as they went about it. The Fleurieu isn’t a place you’d normally associate with cherry cultivation, given its moderate climate and all that, but apparently as long as you have the required number of hours per annum under 5˚ you’re good to go! In those early days the Williams’ variety of cherry was the standard, with other varieties like Sir Tom, Sir Don and Dame Roma being close runners-up. These days there are far more varieties and they are not only self-pollinating, but also far less parochial-sounding. Not only this, but they’re crack-resistant. (Cracks being a cherry-growers’ worst nightmare and greatest cause of crop wipeout.) Like most of the producers we feature in this magazine, the Desmonds are quite finicky about producing the very best and harvesting their cherries only when they are at peak ripeness. Once cherries have been picked they cease ripening; but many commercial cherry farmers strip pick (that is, they pick all the cherries in one hit, because it’s quicker and easier). Linda and Trevor only allow picking of the ripe fruit. This often means that a tree is picked over on 3 or 4 separate occasions. But the taste-test proves their point indisputably! Takehome message: look for the giant cherries! Then taste the real ones. Linda and Trevor can be contacted at Fleurieu Cherrries by telephoning 8556 1314. >

Previous page top: The orchard. Previous page bottom: Guy Tyler removing this years pruning. This page top: Trevor Desmond with Jazzie. Left: ‘Look out for the giant cherries on the wagon and you’ve found us.’ All photos by Grant Beed. 15

The Blueberry Patch Leonie ... still on the berry trail (with tell-tale purplish ‘mouth smudges’) finds blueberries at, of all places, The Blueberry Patch. Once again, blueberries are not a fruit generally associated with the temperate climes of the Fleurieu Peninsula, but again, if you find the right, quite specific conditions it is possible to grow them, and even to perfect them, as Grant and Merry Gartrell have discovered. But while fruit ‘crack’ is the death knell of the cherry, ‘bad pickers’ are death to the blueberry. This is where Merry, aka DragonLady, comes into her own. Merry has the required fanaticism (and ‘cojones’) to drill blueberry etiquette into both hired labour and recreational pickers alike. It goes something like this. The very worst thing any picker can do is run a lazy hand down the blueberry sprig and remove all the berries at once. This is because once an individual berry has been picked it remains at that degree of ripeness ... forever. (A bit like cherries!) This is also the reason that freshly-picked blueberries bear little taste resemblance to a punnet of store-bought ones. Despite their 8-hectare Blueberry Patch property originating as a dairy then an onion farm, the Gartrells bought it with blueberries

Previous page top: Alex Long and Grant Gartrell. This page top right: Grant and Merry checking progress. Left: Grant’s homemade jam. All photos by Grant Beed.

Beehives are brought to the berry patch by an apiarist just as the first blossom is bursting, and left there until flowering finishes – about six weeks. firmly in mind. Grant was originally a Physicist, and while on ‘exchange’ in New London, living across the road from his landlord who grew a few backyard veggies, he was given some homegrown-across-the-road blueberries. These were the first Grant had ever tasted and the experience was ... well ... life-altering. It was this event that led to the inception of the blueberry farm; which, after waiting for between 5 to 10 years for the various trees to mature, now has 30-odd varieties. However, one of the most interesting aspects revealed in ‘the story of blueberries’ is that of the bees ... they get ‘brought in’ to do the job! But let’s hear it in Grant’s words: ‘The blueberry bushes are deciduous so have no leaves over winter. In spring the fruit buds flower over a period of about six weeks. Honeybees are used to cross-pollinate the blossom, but because the bushes have to be netted this presents access problems for the bees. Beehives are brought to the berry patch by an apiarist just as the first blossom is bursting, and left there until flowering finishes – ― about six weeks.

The netting over the top of the enclosure, designed to keep out hail as well as small birds, has a mesh too fine for bees to fly through from above. They can, however, fly through the netting on the side walls of the enclosure. So experience has taught us to locate the hives just outside the enclosure, because the bees seem to have no trouble flying out of the hives and into the enclosure to find the blossom. On their return to the hives, however, many bees navigate by flying high and dropping down sharply on the final approach to the hive. When we had placed the hives inside the enclosure next to the blueberry bushes, it resulted in large congregations of bees on the netting above each hive, attempting, but unable to get back to the hive. Not good for the bees or the bee-keeper. Instead, by locating the hives just outside the enclosure this problem is solved, and the method results in just as many bees working the blossom within the enclosure. Result: Happy bees, happy bee-keeper and very happy berry grower.’ ... and may I add: very happy blueberry eaters! Grant and Merry can be contacted at The Blueberry Patch, Nangkita Road, Mount Compass 8556 9100.

Restaurants are interesting places. What makes them tick?

Pip Forrester talks to Emily Dowie from the Currant Shed to find out what makes her restaurant so special.

The instant you arrive at the Currant Shed you are struck by the peace of this magical corner of the Fleurieu Peninsula. The grass-carpeted lime orchard, the vineyard climbing up the hill that forms the backdrop to the property, and the pretty gardens near the buildings all play their role in creating a truly tranquil place. The second thing that hits you is the friendly greeting you receive as you enter the low-slung rustic building that was once the currant shed for this orchard. A quick glance at the menu, reinforced by a more forensic scrutiny, tells you that you are going to be in for a real treat. The menu is original and heavily influenced by produce from the local area. It is abundantly apparent that you are in McLaren Flat on the Fleurieu

Peninsula. Your drive to get there has been worthwhile. Restaurants are interesting places. What makes them tick? Why are some spectacularly successful and why do some fail? To the casual eye, some that fail have all the ingredients to be hugely successful: fabulous location, attractive fit-out, good ambience and good food. Equally, a place that is not in such a good location but is edgy and idiosyncratic can be hugely spectacular. What is it that makes the difference? The answer, I think, is the people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; their passion and their professionalism, their hard work and team spirit. When all those ingredients are in place, magic happens. A visit to the Currant Shed and a conversation with the owner, Emily Dowie, helped convince me of this view. The birth of this modest and charming restaurant came about when Peter and Anthea Hoffmann, wanting to augment their already successful cellar door and lime orchard, plunged into the restaurant game. They did it beautifully.

The Hoffmanns passed the baton on to Emily Dowie and Hamish McGuire in 2010 and the restaurant continues to be charming and busy. Emily arrived at the Currant Shed with long-standing restaurant experience and Hamish was the winemaker at the neighbouring winery; perfect credentials for a young couple entering their first joint business enterprise. As Emily says, ‘after taking over from Peter and Anthea we made only a few changes to make it feel like ours. Our aim, however, was not to change the ‘feeling’ that had been created.’ Both Emily and Hamish have a long association with the Fleurieu. Hamish has been involved with the family’s Shottesbrooke winery for a decade or more and Emily spent a significant amount of her youth in and around Port Willunga. It is important to them both that their restaurant reflects their love of the region. Their menu, using not just regional products but also local, has been finessed and there have been a few staffing changes, creating what Emily believes is a team of like-minded people. From the head chef down, they love what they do and the place they do it in. The chef, Brian Ritchot, a French-Canadian, is one of the new members of the team and already a devotee of the region. He brings a skill and experience to the Currant Shed that have contributed significantly to the continuing success of the business. Brian came to the Fleurieu via the original impetus created by the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000. He fell in love with the Australian lifestyle and having wended his way south from Sydney to the McLaren Vale, he found a place with great produce and, as he says, ‘great potential.’ For Brian, it is the ‘empty’ beaches and the fish; but most importantly, it is the dedicated Fleurieu Peninsula — and particularly the McLaren Flat — farmers who provide him with the produce on which he can build a menu that makes this such an attractive place to live and work. Emily and Brian are in total agreement that the crucial driver for their menu is the produce that they source when it is in season and at its best. > Left: Spencer Gulf king prawns with chipotle chilli, lime, coriander & corn bread. Photograph by Jacqui Way. Above: Just one look around the spectacular surrounds and it’s easy to see why the restaurant continually draws a crowd. Rght: Currant Shed owner Emily Dowie works the floor. Photographs by Grant Beed.

Both Emily and Hamish have a long association with the Fleurieu. It is important to them both that their restaurant reflects their attachment to the region.

This focus on the local and seasonal was evident on my last visit. It was difficult to choose between the Calamari with chorizo, local Beef tartare, Lamb belly or a vegetable dish featuring the new cheese wrights in the region, Kangarilla Creamery — and they were only the entrees! I could not go past the Creamery’s fromage blanc, which was a delightful, delicate and clean balance to the heirloom vegetables and hazelnut dressing. For the main course I selected lamb, for which the Fleurieu Peninsula is justly famous. It was cleverly presented with a Currant Shed twist on a classic favourite — Naravin of lamb with spring vegetables. As we would expect, limes popped up on the menu frequently, so my selection of the Lime mascarpone sable tart was inevitable and delicious. The menu is interesting and varied, suggesting a talented and skilled team in the kitchen. I discovered that Brian is supported in the kitchen by Tamara Piec, a young chef who is passionate about her craft. A local ‘product’, she has worked in a number of different kitchens in the region, but has settled very happily into the Currant Shed team. Of all the factors that make a restaurant, it is the people — those who have the passion to invest and work hard in the industry — that make the difference. The members of the Currant Shed team, the chefs and the fabulous front of house team, clearly love what they do, love the region they work in and bring it all together for their guests. We, as a result are the winners. Top: A relative newcomer to the team, French Canadian Chef Brian Ritchot has brought skills and experience that have contributed significantly to the continuing success of the business. Middle: The Currant Shed team. Bottom: The restaurant resides in a truly tranquil part of the countryside. Photographs by Grant Beed.

unspoilt island, spoilt guests

Cellar Door OPEN 7 DAYS 10AM - 5PM Signal Point, Wharf Precinct GOOLWA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Phone: (08) 8555 0810

Scenic Drive, American River Kangaroo Island SA 5221 Phone: 1800 355 58 Email: res@kilodge.com.au www.kilodge.com.au

Great Wine, Great Food, Great Views

www.shawfamilyvintners.com

Savvy summer salad.

“I’m excited. Our locally grown organic barigoule matches perfectly with The Agreement Sauvignon Blanc! EAT LOCAL this summer at The Kitchen Door, our *award-winning fine dining restaurant.” Ben Sommariva Chef

Graphic design and art direction for print and online media. www.threefiftyseven.com The Kitchen Door @ Penny’s Hill & Mr. Riggs Cellars LUNCH 7 Days • Ph: 08 8557 0840 or email: restaurant@gwg.net.au 281 Main Road McLaren Vale, South Australia

*WINNER! Best restaurant in a winery: Australia 2007, South Australia 2007, 2010, 2012

Bringing it in and blessing the harvest Story by Adam Jacobs. The Harvest Festival in McLaren Vale is a celebration of the diversity of food, wine, music and arts from the McLaren Vale region. This year the premier regional event was an epicurean extravaganza. Born in 2011, the idea for the festival came about when the original committee members, Martin Lightfoot, Vicki Vasarelli, Adam Jacobs, Ian Adam, Phillip Tanner and Joe Petrucci found themselves lamenting the lack of a family friendly festival in McLaren Vale that could rival the scope of the popular Sea and Vines Festival. ‘In my hometown of Castellino del Biferno’, says Joe, ‘we used to have a festival to bless the harvest each year’. A festival committee was formed with the following objectives in mind: • to welcome the incoming vintage of wine grapes throughout the region with a parade on the McLaren Vale oval; • to put the spotlight on local McLaren Vale wines, music, cuisine and locally-grown produce; • to ensure families are well catered for in relation to children’s activities; • to provide a friendly atmosphere for all to enjoy and to ensure that a portion of the profits from the event be donated to an elected charity each year; and in particular, in the case of last year, a much appreciated donation to the McLaren Vale Hospital. What followed in 2012 was an impressive event with some 5000 people attending and all having a great time – far exceeding goals and expectations. Organisers were astounded by this huge turn-out, and all were in agreement that the region had been in dire need of a family-focused event such as this. Plans were instantly kicked off to make the Harvest Festival an annual event, with the next planned for January 2013.

the grounds to the Onkaparinga band playing ‘The Pied Piper’, the parade will culminate at the dais for a blessing of the harvest given by priests of various religious denominations. After the national anthem and opening from the Governor of South Australia, the festivities will begin! Music from young local artists, aged between 10 and 17 from the Rock Academy in Willunga, will kick off the music component at 11am, and in the Bank SA tent, celebrity Chef Simon Bryant will present a Masterclass with a featured dish. This will be a highlight; especially if you can get a vantage point. The day will also include Masterclasses in cheese, olive oil, beer and wine and throughout the day 17 McLaren Vale wineries will be presenting their magnificent wines. The festival will be full of fantastic food stands featuring many different cuisines, ensuring something to please all. From 2-3 pm wine-spitting and pasta-eating competitions will take over. Wine-spitting, with its objective of ‘landing the longest projectile’ will see all participants (including the crowd) sprayed with McLaren Vale shiraz. The winning pasta-eater will be crowned king or queen. From 3pm onwards, the afternoon offers a more professional music program, continuing until 7pm when the festival concludes. The harvest will be ongoing throughout February, March and April, so good luck and bless all that harvest wine grapes, as well as the summer fruits and vegetables that grace our tables. See you there. For further details regarding the celebration go to: www.harvestfestivalmclarenvale.com.au

The 2013 organising committee, sees the return of founding members Martin Lightfoot, Vicki Vasarelli, Adam Jacobs, Joe Petrucci, John Phillips and Phillip Tanner along with fresh contributors, Maria Maglieri, Ute Annells, Jenni Mitton, Robin Schliebs and Karen Craggs. Together, they have developed a theme for next year’s event; ‘Fleurieu Flavours’, aiming to celebrate and showcase the region’s European heritage. Festival-goers will be able to sample the best of European culture in a fun, cosmopolitan atmosphere. The event will commence later this year on December 14th with a multimedia art exhibition that can be seen at the Stump Hill Gallery in the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre. Entitled ‘Mother Earth’s Glorious Bounty’, the exhibition will see a range of local artists exploring the idea of a successful harvest as a result of the collaboration between human toil and Mother Earth’s generous flavours. On Saturday, January 12th 2013, the festival will open at 10am with a parade of both young and old bearing local produce such as fruit, grapes, breads, vegetables and wine. After marching around

Above: Spectators are well advised to stand clear once the wine-spitting contest begins (or they run the risk of tasting the Shiraz second hand!) 23

Light, bright & sparkling ... as Jane Austen may have said ...

Merenia Vince visits a Max Pritchard-designed home on Goolwaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterfront; an eye-catching modern house joyfully decorated with a nod to the nautical setting. Photographs by Robert Geh.

Over-looking Goolwa’s beautiful Murray River waterfront, the Pattullo home has an inviting sense of light-heartedness both inside and out. The newly built, bright, white house with an all glass frontage shines and dazzles in the morning sun. A cherry-red frame highlights the double-pitched roof with a splash of potted red geraniums across the deck completing the sense of fun. Their home is so striking, the Pattullos often have people stopping for a better look or knocking at their door for details. The story of the house began when subdivided land opposite the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club became available. Spread out in front of this property is a vista to warm the heart of any sailor: the Murray River, colourful yachts moored at the yacht club, all framed by the arch of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge: a scene one-hundred percent nautical. By night this scene is equally captivating, transformed into an aquatic fairyland by the lights of the bridge and harbour. Newly-retired yachting enthusiasts, Philipa and Bruce Pattullo, knew immediately that this was the place to build their long-term home. The design process started with Bruce and Philipa’s previous home, a rented property designed by acclaimed Adelaide architect, Max Pritchard. Impressed by this house they looked no further when it was time to choose an architect for their own home.

Their collaboration with Max was easy and straight-forward, as Philipa explains: ‘Max did a tiny little sketch that we both loved on the kitchen table in front of us. Afterwards, when he sent us his first set of plans we didn’t change a thing’. The building process was troublefree, thanks to an excellent local builder, and despite the wet winter in 2011, the house was finished in a quick nine months. The Pattullos have just celebrated a full year in their new home and are thrilled. Philipa enthuses: ‘A house is for living. It’s so relaxing, and it doesn’t matter where we are it sheds light, warmth and harmony.’ This elegant steel and timber-framed home is based on four, pitched pavilions, twinned at the front for open-plan living, and at the rear for bedrooms, study, and amenities. Lofty, raked ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass to the north and south ensure the home is always flooded with light; and the extensive glazing seamlessly connects the home with the outdoors. A large, inviting courtyard, half roofed, half open to the sky, sits at the centre of the house, a masterpiece of design and the focal point of the home. The genius >

Previous page: The cherry red frame highlights the double-pitched roof of the Pattullo home overlooking the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club. Above left: Bruce’s appreciation of all things nautical is evidenced by his collection of model yachts, both modern and traditional. Above right: The striking lime green gourmet kitchen is a marked contrast to the white walls and lime-washed floors. 25

of this courtyard is the flexible layout, enabled by ceiling-height glass doors running as a transparent corridor through the centre of the courtyard. Folded back, the glass doors create one, large outdoor space — or pulled across, they divide the courtyard into two ‘rooms’. More fold-back glass doors connect the courtyard with the front living area. This gives the home amazing flexibility for entertaining; with all the glass doors folded away, the living and courtyard areas connect seamlessly to make one huge, spectacular and continuous indoor-outdoor space. As Bruce recently observed, their 60-strong house-warming party could easily have been twice the size! Decorating the house was exciting and a pleasure, Philipa recalls: ‘We enjoyed every minute of it. We always wanted a white house and to have it as light and bright as possible’. The Pattullos have also embraced their nautical setting and used bold feature colours of red, white and blue, inside and out, which highlight the clean white lines of the house. Lime-washed floors and doors also keep the feel light and fresh. Philipa explains: ‘I grew up in historical Canterbury farmhouses in New Zealand, and I’m over antiques, Persian rugs, silverware and clutter! We wanted to create a warm and loving, friendly atmosphere without an old-fashioned feel’. They have succeeded in creating a sense of cheerful relaxation. Philipa,

an experienced chef, has a gourmet kitchen in joyful tones of lime green, complete with an Italian gas and electric range in navy while Bruce’s pride and joy is the light-and temperature-controlled indoor cellar. Both originally from New Zealand, Philipa and Bruce are strongly influenced by their rural heritage and have a highly productive fruit and vegetable garden at the back of the property. To compensate for the compact space, the fruit trees — a quince, pear and two apples — are espaliered. Raised beds are laden with carrots, leeks, beetroot, courgettes, aubergines, capsicums, spring onions, tomatoes, and an extensive range of herbs. Philipa and Bruce are keenly looking forward to digging up tender ‘new potatoes’ for Christmas dinner, another New Zealand tradition. Philipa is a long time hen-lover and breeder so three adorably plump Light Sussex hens live next to the kitchen garden. Strictly pets, these beloved hens supply fresh eggs in return for their comfortable quarters. The front garden is a lush profusion of colour designed to complement the house. Red canna lilies, hibiscus, geraniums, kangaroo paws and petunias, white orange blossom and blue agapanthus continue the nautical theme and create a colourful riot.

The entire garden is irrigated with automatic drippers keeping the garden independently watered and giving the Pattullos a chance to travel at any time of the year. The couple and their architect have kept environmental responsibility to the forefront of their planning. Careful design and orientation have harnessed the benefits of sunlight, sea-breezes and crossventilation. Although the house has underfloor heating and airconditioning available, these are used minimally, thanks to the passive management of temperature. Windows only to the north and south mean the house is thermally efficient, protected from the harsh east and west Australian light. Double glazing on the north front conserves energy and solar panels on the garage mean the house is on a reduced electricity tariff. Extensive rainwater tanks supply the whole house with water. The Pattullos and their architect Max are to be congratulated on creating a vibrant, high quality house in harmony with its setting, which showcases the efficiency and lifestyle that come with good contemporary design … and all while having fun. Philipa and Bruce highly commend their builder: Nathan Jones Builder, and their landscape designer: Shane Roe of Artisan Paving and Landscaping and thank them for their excellent work.

The couple and their architect have kept environmental responsibility to the forefront of their planning. Careful design and orientation have harnessed the benefits of sunlight, sea-breezes and cross-ventilation. Although the house has underfloor heating and air-conditioning available, these are used minimally, thanks to the passive management of temperature.

Previous page: The central courtyard is enabled by floor to ceiling glass doors running as a transparent corridor between the pavilions. Once opened, a large outdoor entertaining area is formed. The blue upholstery on the furniture and umbrella comple ment the exterior wall famously. Top left: Sitting at the white-washed dining table affords a spectacular view of the yacht squadron. Top right: The highly productive fruit and vegetable garden is also enjoyed by ‘Misty’, the Pattullo’s West Highland White Terrier (and three Light Sussex hens). Below right: Detail of Bruce’s two metre long model sailing vessel in the living area.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Skye Redding shares her knowledge on the benefits of

Yoga

Yoga has become immensely popular over the last 10 or so years. However, before this popularity and acceptance, if a person mentioned that they actually stood on their head each day because it was good for their health ... as well as being fun ... they would have been thought of as a bit mad. The word Yoga was definitely not used then as it is now. In her teens Skye Redding stumbled upon a book on the subject that stimulated her to make one of the best decisions of her life. She joined a Yoga class. From that very first lesson she knew beyond any doubt that she would be practising Yoga for the rest of her life. Primarily she took it up for the health benefits and for relief from her chronic sciatic pain. Whenever she was feeling particularly stiff in either body and mind, one huge motivating factor for her was in witnessing the youthful vigor of her teacher, who was twice her age yet moved and acted like someone much younger! This encouraged Skye to persist through the inevitable times when she felt exhausted and challenged. But apart from that, she became hooked on the way she felt so totally relaxed and re-energised after each class.

Whether working to re-align posture, to relieve pain symptoms, to get into shape, or merely to look and feel good – all worthy goals in themselves – they are also the wonderful by-products of regular practice. COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS SURROUNDING YOGA ARE: You need to be flexible to practice yoga. Not true. The practice is designed to teach us how to lengthen and stretch our muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, skin and inner organs so flexibility is the result from practice, not a prerequisite. You must be or become a vegetarian to practice Yoga. Not true. Many practitioners are vegetarian, but no one need change their diet unless they want to.

Yoga is for ladies only. Not true. Yoga is for everyone. Men benefit just as much as women do.

After years of practice, some of Yoga’s more subtle effects begin to emerge. Effects like a calming of thought processes, a stilling of the mind, a lengthening and deepening of the breath, harmonising of emotions and strengthening the connection to an inner sense of spirit or personal faith.

Yoga is a religion. Not true. Yoga is simply a practice designed to connect our awareness of body and mind regardless of what our personal beliefs may be. Yoga teaches non-judgment. Health and happiness is for everyone.

Just like Skye, anyone can benefit from practicing Yoga. Gaining strength, flexibility and balance at any age improves and eases movement throughout daily activities, while developing a clearer mind enhances control of thoughts and emotions which in turn improves the ability to make good, sound decisions.

Contact Skye Redding for more info: skyeredding@gmail.com Telephone: 0407 611 244 Right: Photograph of Skye ‘striking a pose’ by Heidi Linehan.

Merenia Vince talks

Nature walks with children on the Fleurieu Peninsula

It costs nothing, it’s flexible, can be tailored to fit, and everyone benefits. One of the joys of parenthood is sharing outdoor adventures with your children, and in an age of over-the-top safety with suburbia stripped bare of wild spaces it is vital that we take the time to do this.

• stop in at the Eco Centre in Willunga and for a gold coin donation buy their coloured guidebook of local birds. It’s slim enough to take on a walk;

On the Fleurieu Peninsula we are blessed with an abundance of diverse, beautiful places to explore; and the benefits to our children are enormous.

• create a fairy bower or castle with rocks, sticks, leaves, petals, mud, water;

The importance of natural places to the health of children has been outlined by a surge of studies in the last two decades. There are the things we intuitively know: outdoor excursions offer families precious time-out, free from the distractions of daily life; unwinding, exercising, adventuring together, while surrounded by beauty. Research has also discovered that natural surroundings promote children’s emotional health: that being in nature can reduce stress and worry for children. Wild places also stimulate creative and imaginative play, with social interaction and self-esteem fostered when children get to play in natural surroundings. There are also environmental benefits. Connecting with local places, noticing the geography, seasons, weather, wildlife and plants all encourage children to treasure the planet while helping preserve precious local knowledge of the land. Science aside, adventuring with youngsters is fun! For children the magic of nature comes from discovery and exploration: the freedom to run, explore nooks, watch tiny critters – all while being immersed in the moment. Walking for fitness, covering a distance, reaching that faraway waterfall at trail’s end – these are the aims of grown ups, usually irrelevant to small children. Although they may need little encouragement, here are some ideas to help children (and adults) tune in to green places and experience the rich gifts of our peninsula:

Basham Beach Conservation Park Next door to Port Elliot, Basham Beach Conservation Park has a short trail around the headland with great vantage points for whale watching. Tiny Crockery Bay has rock pools to explore, granite boulders for clambering over and a small stream trickles onto the beach. The Cockle train puffs right through the park. The Encounter bike path runs along this coast and a few minutes level riding leads to Port Elliot and its yummy food shops.

• carry foraging baskets and gather treasures: feathers, shells, stones, leaves, seed pods. Include a magnifying glass. This is always an exciting accessory; • float stick and leaf boats, or bark canoes in ponds, rock-pools or streams;

• design a mandala on the ground with a pattern of leaves, stones, sticks ... or all of these things. • nature journaling is a way to practise observation: take a journal and record everyone’s observations about the weather, seasons, bird-life and flowers; • try a simple outdoor meditation using the senses. Seated in a peaceful place, guide your family to awareness of sounds, the touch of wind on the skin, the scents, the colours of nature – children naturally sense the magic of a place; • use nature as artistic inspiration: try a low-key drawing session with a single coloured pencil or crayon and a small pad; • link the natural world to previous stories and learning. ‘Look at that huge moon, just like the full moon in that story we read last night.’ The Fleurieu Peninsula offers diverse and beautiful landscapes, rich for discovery. Here are four destinations to suit small families, with easy terrain and distances and lots of interest along the way. They’re all accessible spots and easy to bail out from if it all goes wrong.

Kuitpo Forest Tucked away in what is mainly a plantation forest is an historic arboretum of giant eucalypts planted by the Forestry in the 1920s. The Chookarloo trail, beginning at Chookarloo campsite, is an enchanting leafy walk of thirty minutes, looping through the tall trees and magical under-story, a haven of birdsong and tranquillity.

MORE INFORMATION: Safety: www.southaustraliantrails.com go to trail users’ tips. Basham Beach Conservation Park: Very little information online, stop in at Goolwa Visitor Information Centre, cnr Cadell Street & Cutting Road, Goolwa. Kuitpo Forest: www.southaustraliantrails.com Onkaparinga River wetlands: www.southaustraliantrails.com Normanville Sand dunes and beach: www.yankalilla.sa.gov.au Read about children and nature: Last child in the woods, Richard Louv, 2010.

Top left: Kuitpo Forest. Top right: Basham Beach. Bottom left: Leaf pattern. Photographs by Anatoly Patrick.

Onkaparinga Wetlands An extensive wetland lies adjacent to the Onkaparinga River in Noarlunga Downs. Starting on River Road, almost 5 kilometres of level trails and boardwalks criss-cross the wetland, some parts of it shaded by eucalypts. Listen for frogs and insects; this is a natural frog and insect hatchery. Look out for birds; the wetland is home to many water birds, including pelicans.

Normanville Sand dunes and beach The State Heritage-listed Normanville Sand dunes form a beautiful prelude to Normanville beach. Follow the dune trail leading from Lacham Street climbing up through the pretty dune ‘garden’ and down to the beach. Enjoy a paddle. Walk along the jetty. On the other side of the jetty is the Bungala River mouth which trickles across the beach– a great spot for dams and sandcastles.

Ainsley Roscrow gives us the recipe for

Growing healthy kids One of the biggest challenges families face in this technology-rich, time-poor age is how to support and cultivate children’s physical activity. However, children’s eating habits are developing at the same time as their attitude to physical activity, so it is crucial that we expose youngsters to outdoor experiences, including sport and activity, and at the same time support them in making healthy food choices ... because healthy eating in childhood has proven benefits in later life. Many lifestyle diseases such as obesity, cancer, heart disease and diabetes can have their beginning in poor nutrition habits in early life. It has been proven that children under the age of five who are very active are more likely to stay active throughout childhood; therefore early development of good habits may form a foundation for later. Active play can include anything from rock climbing on the beach to exploring the local forest or creek. What is important is the rolemodelling; if it is meaningful to you, it will be meaningful to your children. With the Fleurieu Peninsula offering places like the Kuitpo Forest, Ingalala Falls, our numerous gorgeous beaches and the Gemtree wetlands – we are spoiled for choice! Rather than being cosseted on the couch for fear of injury or stranger-danger, it is our responsibility to engender a love of the outdoors and encourage children to take calculated risks. Preventing risky play can mean children may miss out on, or be slower to reach important developmental milestones. The development of physical and mental health, motor skills and imagination, independence and social skills, along with a sense of self-belief are all linked to children’s exposure to ‘managed risk’ in the outdoor environment.

‘Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.’

Structured or team sports also offer organised, regular physical activity and help children feel less isolated or shy as they develop a sense of belonging. The communication required for effective teamwork helps children practice and refine their communication and cooperation skills, their self-discipline, patience, persistence and an appreciation of diverse abilities. Learning to accept decisions, recognise and respect authority, develop resilience and leadership skills are other benefits of joining a team.

and growing food which is cared for by the family is an excellent way to expand young children’s palates. Often children will eat from the garden rather than from the plate!

Children learn more from what their parents do, rather than what they say, so when it comes to food choices and attitudes, actions speak louder than words! Recent studies indicate that one quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese. Studies have also shown that once children become obese they are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and therefore have an increased risk of developing diseases associated with obesity. Rushing through meal times, eating in front of the television and the rise in consumption of ‘ready-made meals’ high in salt, sugar and preservatives, are all contributing factors. However, there are some simple ways to help children discover the joys of healthy eating. Gardening with children

John F Kennedy

Including young children in planning the menu, writing the shopping list and finding items together, will all help children understand the contents of what they eat. Cooking together, setting the table and serving family members are all techniques to engage kids in a family meal. Meal preparation becomes a shared experience, where children have some ownership of what is on their plate and how it got there. Do not be discouraged if children initially refuse to try new things, but remember practice and repetition often become permanent. Keep offering the healthy choices. With older children, encourage label-reading to identify the salt, sugar and fat content of pre-packaged items. Healthy eating habits are developed over time, but with a bit of creativity and planning, family meal times can become an excellent forum for discussions about food.

Health & Wellbeing

Restoring Balance McLaren Vale SA Casual $15 Class passes also available. Monday 6 ~ 7:30, Thursday & Friday 9:30 ~ 11 Contact Skye Redding for more info skyeredding@gmail.com ph 0407 611 244

massage.yoga.meditation. reflexlogy.chakrabalancing.healing. facials.detox.gifts.vouchers. 08 8552 8229 www.thejoyfulbuddhas.com

Montessori Children’s Centre, McLaren Vale strives to provide a guiding, nurturing environment based on the Montessori philosophy. We use specific curriculum materials that enable the child to reach their individual potential. We have a genuine passion for early childhood education and our Centre provides a holistic educational experience where children can grow and develop at their own pace. Feel free to contact the Centre to arrange a visit or further information. ‘The child is both the hope and promise for mankind… our most precious treasure.’

Montessori Children’s Centre, McLaren Vale: 22 Tatachilla Road, McLaren Vale SA 5171 Tel: (08) 8323 8855 - Fax: (08) 8323 8865 ‘like us on facebook’ www.montessorichildren.com.au

Victor Harbor

Sally Wise Acupuncture & Remedial Massage Therapy Willunga 0401423814 McLaren Vale 0883238696 acupuncturewise.com.au

The vision of Tooth 32 is to be the best upmarket dental practice in the growing and prosperous Fleurieu region. Tooth 32: Shop 25a Aldinga Central Shopping Centre, Aldinga Beach Road, Aldinga Beach SA 5173 Tel 08 8557 6565 hello@tooth32.com.au www.tooth32.com.au

A river runs through it Monique Gill discovers Goolwa’s historic charm — and uncovers a few of its secrets.

Just as the water in a river is never still but always flowing, Goolwa is ever evolving – from historic river port to holiday hotspot, to cultural heart of the Fleurieu. Australia’s first ‘Cittaslow’, Goolwa is situated an easy, 83km scenic drive south of Adelaide. Nestled between the River Murray and the Southern Ocean, bordered by fields and rolling hills, its location is postcard perfect. Quaint, old stone buildings and river-trade relics tell of its rich past. Spotless streetscapes, manicured rose gardens and artfully decorated Stobie poles hint at its Tidy Towns character. Yet, like the river’s many moods, Goolwa has different guises. In winter, when the wind blows cold across the sand dunes, it’s a sleepy hollow to just over 7,000 permanent residents. Come summer, its population swells to between 18,000 and 25,000 souls. Visitors

flock here, drawn by the promise of plenty of sunshine, good food, great wine, and water ... everywhere. Gateway to the Coorong National Park, and with easy access to both sea and river, Goolwa is a dream destination for watersport enthusiasts and nature-lovers alike. But there’s more to our nation’s small-boat capital than meets the eye. Beneath its groomed exterior beats a funky, creative heart – and summer heralds a wealth of cultural events and unique festivals. What is Cittaslow? Cittaslow is a system of management for small towns that builds on the environmental and local culture of a town. The term is created from the Italian word città (for town or city) and slow (to recognise its development from the Slow Food Movement). Declared the first Slow Town in Australia in 2007, Goolwa is the first non-European town to receive this accreditation. Since then, a range of activities have been undertaken to improve the quality of life for all who live in, work in, and visit Goolwa. Centre stage The newly refurbished Centenary Hall takes pride of place in the centre of town, on the corner of Cadell and Dawson streets. It operated as a cinema from 1929 until 1960, and was operated by Percy Middleton Wells. The Chairman of the Goolwa Council, Percy had a keen interest in civic life and personally financed the building of the Hall. His was a grand gesture that revitalised Goolwa and contributed to the community’s capacity to grow into the future.

Image previous page top: The ‘Goolwa’ houseboat at rest on the river Murray at Goolwa. Photo by Alice Bell. Previous page bottom left: You can’t help but notice the many nonchalant pelicans that are abundant in and around Goolwa. Photo by Alice Bell. This page top: Centenary Hall is the only venue of its kind on the Southern Fleurieu. Photo by Country Arts SA. This page middle: Signal Point Gallery — inside the contemporary exhibition space. Photo supplied by Arts and Cultural Development, Alexandrina Council. This page bottom: Forgiveness, acrylic on canvas, Barbary O’Brien.

Similarly, the new Hall – a modern, 21st-century space that boasts state-of-the-art facilities – is giving the South Coast community the opportunity to see acts and shows that would normally be held in Adelaide only, explains Sussan Baldwin, Country Arts SA Arts Centre Coordinator. ‘This year, the Hall hosted James Morrison, Steady Eddy, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and, for local youth, metalcore band Parkway Drive,’ says Sussan. ‘Following on from the success of the Just Add Water cultural program this year, we are working on a similar program for 2013. Our first show will be celebrity hypnotist Peter Powers.’ The art of the matter Located on the historic Goolwa Wharf, with views of the Hindmarsh Bridge across the river, Signal Point Gallery is one of the legacies from Goolwa’s 2012 Regional Centre of Culture year. Formerly the River Murray Interpretive Centre, the space has been retrofitted as an impressive, contemporary art gallery. Every four weeks sees a new exhibition, showcasing artwork form around the country. ‘December plays host to the final official exhibition on the 2012 Just Add Water visual arts program, with highly respected visual artist and community arts worker Barbary O’Brien’s exhibition Braveheart,’ says Leah Grace, Arts and Cultural Development Officer, Alexandrina Council. ‘The new year will commence with a stunning exhibition by Robert Hannaford, one of Australia’s best-known realists.’ >

Whatever floats your boat! Held biennially, the South Australian Wooden Boat Festival celebrates wooden boat traditions and encourages the preservation and interpretation of River Murray heritage and culture. It also serves to promote Goolwa as a destination, says Tanya Mitchell, Manager Tourism, Alexandrina Council. Over the weekend of 23–24 February 2013, Goolwa Wharf Precinct will come alive with on-water and landbased activities, maritime displays and live music performances. Watercraft include speedboats, paddle steamers, canoes, kayaks and cruisers; water-based action includes different races, the Grand Parade and a fairy lights parade. Boaties can also enter the popular Rough and Ready boat building competition. ‘Teams are provided with materials and given two hours on Saturday to build their boat,’ says Tanya. ‘Competitors set sail on Sunday; the first team to make it back is declared the winner.’ Paddle steamer cruises on board the PS Oscar W and PS Marion will be available to get landlubbers on the water and among the boats. ‘Spectators are also able to board and inspect nominated boats, and talk to the various boat builders,’ says Tanya. ‘Follow the river, and you will find the sea ...’ French Proverb.

Above: Tsering, 1997, oil on canvas, Robert Hannaford.

Dates to remember: 8 Dec 2012 to 6 Jan 2013 Braveheart comprises a series of large, semi-abstract acrylic paintings on canvas accompanied by interactive installations. The works are bold, dynamic and elemental; and each is layered with colour, meaning and texture. 20 Jan 2013 to 14 Mar 2013 Robert Hannaford: Open Studio takes the viewer behind the scenes and into the renowned artist’s studio. It incorporates rarely- or never-exhibited work, including working drawings; sketchbooks; landscape, portrait and figure studies; and finished paintings. It is designed to reflect the diversity of the artist’s interests, as well as the evolution of his practice across a career spanning 35 years. Setting sail Goolwa’s first Regatta, in 1854, coincided with the opening of the Goolwa–Port Elliot Railway. Hundreds of spectators watched rowers and yachties vie for a handsome prize of 17 pounds. Goolwa Regatta Week 2013 is a community festival that will include activities and events on and off the water from 19 January to 27 January. Boats will compete in the Marina Challenge and various other races, including Remote Control Boat Racing. The week culminates in The Marina Hindmarsh Island Milang–Goolwa Freshwater Classic, a 50km race that starts at Milang, continues across Lake Alexandrina and down the River Murray, to Goolwa. The event, which is sailed in 9 divisions, attracts competitors from around the State. Linking the communities of Milang, Clayton and Goolwa, it also showcases the lakes and the river as major tourist attractions. 36

Another year, another accolade. In October this year, Goolwa Beach was announced State winner in the Clean Beaches Australia awards. Offering spectacular views and a long stretch of sand between Middleton to the west and the Murray mouth to the east, it’s popular with surfers, fishermen and holidaymakers. Because of the gradual slope of the beach, waves tend to break softly and a long way out; so it’s a good spot for kids to boogie board. It’s famous for its cockles (Pipi); and offers 4WD access to the mouth of the river. But there are serious rips, and Goolwa Beach carries a hazard rating of 8, says John Hurst, President, Goolwa Surf Lifesaving Club. From November until the end of March, the beach is patrolled every Saturday and Sunday, and on public holidays. ‘The conditions can be tricky, and we have a minimum of three bronze-medallion holders on duty, as well as a first-aid officer and a radio officer,’ says John. The club’s observation tower, which stands 9.6m tall, provides a great vantage point. ‘The tower, which cost around $120,000.00 to build, was provided for by Surf Lifesaving South Australia and Alexandrina Council. And, without the help of Rotary, Lions and local businesses in Goolwa, our service to the community would not be possible,’ says John.

‘A river is a mystery of distance and becoming; a mystery of source. Touch its fluent body and you touch far places. You touch a story that must end somewhere but cannot stop telling itself, a story that is always just beginning ...’ John Daniel, Oregon Rivers.

Top: First held in 1980, the 2011 South Australian Wooden Boat Festival attracted over 40,000 visitors and more than 250 boats. Photo by Dragan Radocaj. Middle: Spinnaker Yachts in The Marina Hindmarsh Island Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic. Photo by Louise Edwards. Bottom: An aerial view of Goolwa Beach and the mouth of the River Murray. Photo by Tourism, Alexandrina Council.

For more information, visit: www.countryarts.org.au www.goolwaregattaweek.com.au www.woodenboatfestival.com.au www.goolwaslsc.com.au www.alexandrina.sa.gov.au www.fleurieupeninsula.com.au

The Goolwa Page

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PENINSULA PEOPLE

“My shed looked out over a vineyard rising slightly away behind me so I was able to view the seasons changing from my door.”

Petra de Mooy talks to glass artist

Brenden Scott French about his recent work.

For a brief time in 2011/12 Brenden Scott French had a studio in McLaren Vale. ‘The studio at McLaren Vale was great. Beautiful natural light. 120 sqm, which enabled me to have multiple layouts working concurrently. It is a rather industrial process ‘composing and cutting’ to create this work. I use a water-fed diamond saw and glass cutting lathe so it was good to know that I could make as much noise as I needed to, while knowing I was not bothering anyone. My shed looked out over a vineyard rising slightly away behind me so I was able to view the seasons changing from my door.’ But why should this be of any significance for us? Firstly, because Brenden Scott French is one of Australia’s foremost and awarded glass artists. He has exhibited widely and is represented by the Sabbia Gallery in Sydney, which is the premier gallery in Australia, representing contemporary ceramic and glass art (www. sabbiagallery.com.au). He is also the recipient of several national and international awards and residencies. Secondly, and perhaps more significantly to us here on the Fleurieu, his work synthesises, in art, some of the burning issues on the minds of many people in the region who have a deep understanding of the geological significance of the area and do not wish to see the precious lands around McLaren Vale eroded into further misguided and mismanaged development. French grew up in Queensland and went to art school in Sydney and Canberra. In 1998 after moving to Adelaide to work as an associate at The Jam Factory, he started visiting the coastal areas of the Fleurieu. While French’s glass landscapes do indeed reference the Fleurieu, the work is more broadly evocative of all the coastal areas of Australia.

In the Predator series, we see a chunk of landscape being taken away on a transport truck. There is a tongue in cheek quality to this work; after all, it’s a bit absurd to imagine landscapes being removed and hauled away in giant chunks, but that is in fact what is happening to large parts of the fertile land on the Peninsula. The Tectonic Trace and Cargo series show abstract layers of earth and land. The pieces have a radiance and depth, reminiscent of old black and white photography. They have a seriousness about them that is both comforting and melancholic. The aesthetic of French’s art is highly evolved and labour-intensive. Each piece has multiple sections of flat, coloured glass which are cut, assembled, and fused together in a kiln. These smaller, fused pieces are then further cut, ground flat and fused together again to make the larger works. The works appear to float off the wall, and despite being quite heavy physically, they have a surprising lightness about them. ‘The landscapes I create are fictitious, I don’t go out and view a landscape and try to replicate it. It is an inspiration that comes about fairly randomly, but the anchor of this inspiration is the Fleurieu. The conceptual issues that I talk about in my work around buildingdevelopment and agricultural-development ... those issues are really evident here.’ ‘The Tectonic Trace works tell a story of the same, or very similar landscape over a geologic time-line. The work hints at our civilisation’s morality, and as each plate is discovered from top to bottom, draws a focus upon the consequences of our decisions throughout this evolution.’ ‘The work is about the morality and the development of land and how that reflects our culture.’ >

Previous page top left: The artist Brenden Scott French. Photograph by Julian Wessels. This page top: Cargo Dawn. This page bottom: Predator â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fictitious landscape. Photographs this page by Grant Hancock. 41

But why glass? ‘There is something that glass does that paint doesn’t. There is a translucency and depth you get in glass that you can not get from paint. I also think that the use of glass to discuss issues such as morality (within the context of cultural diversity and sensitivity, political intervention, legislation, land management, resource/material use etc) throughout a geologic time-line brings a transparency, or clarity, to the negotiation. It plays with the notion of the superficial, offering a depth to its surface by transmitting light through the medium itself. And although it is peculiarly fragile it is also extremely resilient, lasting throughout the very same geologic time-line that I create for my works’ context.’ ‘I feel there is a real pivot to this place. When you come over the rise from Old Noarlunga along the Victor Harbor Road there’s a real exaltation and inspiration in the landscape.’ Above left: Tectonic Trace — Binary 4. Image above right: Tectonic. Photographs by Grant Hancock.

The aesthetic of French’s art is highly evolved and labour-intensive. Each piece has multiple sections of flat, coloured glass which are cut, assembled, and fused together in a kiln. These smaller, fused pieces are then further cut, ground flat and fused together again to make the larger works.

PENINSULA PEOPLE

When debris becomes art

Heather Millar met potter Lesa Farrant in her garden shed studio in Port Willunga.

When Lesa Farrant is not teaching ceramics, she can be found in the shed at the bottom of her Port Willunga garden or on the nearby beach searching for ‘treasure’ – the detritus that is the inspiration for her work. Lesa works in porcelain by collecting natural objects and debris found on the Port Willunga beach and using them as the basis for a range of unique plant form-inspired art works. ‘I spend a lot of time down at the beach, fossicking for rubbish,’ she says. ‘Initially it was Neptune’s necklace and bits of driftwood and cuttlefish bone. More recently, it’s plastic I’m interested in.’ ‘I make stuff out of clay because I was never very good at maths, science and sport at school. I was good at art and craft subjects so I hung out with the arty folk in the safety of the art room. I finished high school, went to Latrobe University in Bendigo and studied ceramics … and 20 years later I’m still making stuff out of clay.’

After graduating with a Bachelor of Ceramic Design from Latrobe University she became an associate at the JamFactory in Adelaide, where she continued her ceramics practice. After that, she shared a studio space with some other ex-JamFactory potters such as Gerry Wedd, Phillip Hart and Kirsten Coelho at (the charmingly named ex-scout hall) Jamboree Clay Workshop in Welland. The trail then led from Adelaide to Banff (Canada), the UK, Melbourne, up to the top of Western Australia and finally back to Port Willunga where she now shares her life with partner Matt and their son Finn, now aged 6. She also somehow finds time to lecture in Ceramic Design at UniSA. ‘When we first came back to Adelaide we lived in the western suburbs for a short time and used to come down and camp at Second Valley on weekends, and on the way back we’d stop at Port Willunga for a swim. Then we started to think, well, we could afford to buy down here, and wouldn’t it be great to live by the beach.’ They stumbled across their Port Willunga home, bought it and built the shed to provide a space for Lesa’s studio. Both Lesa and Matt work part-time: ‘I think it’s good if you can survive on less money – and have more time … we’re just a short walk from the beach here, and we end up down there pretty much every day. It’s become a big part of our lives. Matt surfs, and the beach is a big inspiration for the work that I do.’ So it was through fossicking around on these regular visits that Lesa became increasingly interested in the rubbish she would find on the beach. ‘I’ve always been a bit of a forager and since moving to Port Willunga 9 years ago, I’ve become a secret beach-comber. Every time I go to the beach, I take a bag to collect rubbish. I began by collecting natural bits and pieces like Neptune’s necklace, cuttlefish bone and shells, but in the last few years I’ve become increasingly fascinated, slightly obsessed and a bit appalled at my interest in collecting bits of coloured plastic, containers, lids, drinking straws, and other delightful plastic flotsam and jetsam.’ >

‘When we first came back to Adelaide we lived in the western suburbs for a short time and used to come down and camp at Second Valley on weekends, and on the way back we’d stop at Port Willunga for a swim. Then we started to think, well, we could afford to buy down here, and wouldn’t it be great to live by the beach.’ Image left: Lesa Farrant at work in her studio. Photo by Grant Beed. 44

‘I spend a lot of time down at the beach, fossicking for rubbish,’ she says. ‘Initially it was Neptune’s necklace and bits of driftwood and cuttlefish bone. More recently, it’s plastic I’m interested in.’ Image top (left to right): Flotsam, Jetsam I, Jetsam II. Photographs by Grant Hancock. Image below left: Work in progress. Photograph by Grant Beed.

Her works in clay explore her fascination with detritus in our natural environment. ‘I use natural and unnatural found objects from Port Willunga beach to make moulds, then cast and make plant forms in porcelain. Initially I made local plant forms from natural objects like driftwood, shells, pebbles, cuttlefish bone etc. Recently I’ve become more interested in the plastic and the rubbish that I find dropped or washed up along the shore.’ ‘I realised there was a whole lot more rubbish on the beach than I had thought. When you look closely there are tiny little particles of plastic everywhere. I see those little bits of plastic as fascinating jewels; I find them strangely beautiful. So now I’m collecting all these bits of rubbish, and making plant forms out of them’. Lesa pins her delicate porcelain plant forms to the wall, which gives them the air of a specimen display, somewhere between botany and archaeology. Her studio shed has shelves displaying a range of cups and pots – from the simple folded mugs she is currently working on, to the cute and kitsch ‘pussy cups’, which she sells through a range of stores across Australia. Her work is exhibited both here in Adelaide and interstate. ‘I’ve just had an exhibition at Red Poles in McLaren Vale and at Light Square Gallery Adelaide College of the Arts as part of the 2012 Australian Ceramics Triennale; I’m currently working on pieces for an exhibition celebrating 40 years of the JamFactory during 2013.’ She points to the piece she is currently working on – which looks like an indigenous plant form, but is actually made from a mould which began life as a plastic drink container she found on the beach. It is likely to end up in her exhibition at the JamFactory next year.

Image above: ‘Toastie’ patrols the perimeter of the shed at all times, ensuring the safety of Lesa and her work. Images below left and right: Samples of work in proogress. All photos this page by Grant Beed.

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Kim Harding talks to Marilyn and Christopher Shopov at their

Whale of a Beach House

Driving through the town of McLaren Vale past picturesque vineyards on the road to and through historic Willunga, the scenery slowly changes on the approach to the lush dairy country of Mt Compass and Hindmarsh Valley as the road winds towards the coast — until the Norfolk Pines that frame the coastline of Victor Harbor are revealed. The journey ends in nearby Port Elliot where Marilyn and Chris had invited me to their beach ‘shack’. To call Whale of a Beach House a ‘shack’ is an incredible understatement; the scale of the building is nothing short of impressive – especially once it’s clear that it comfortably sleeps 14! The informal design and unpainted natural finish of the building allow it to blend perfectly into the landscape. Marilyn and Chris first came across their beach-front block in Port Elliot five years ago. ‘We were staying at Boomer Beach, just around the corner, when one of our sons spotted the land for sale and suggested we take a look. We had been looking for land close to the ocean somewhere between Victor Harbor and Middleton but had not found exactly what we were after. Ever since I can recall my family had a shack on the river. Being close to water has always been important for us. When we saw the land at Port Elliot it immediately ticked all of our boxes. ‘But because the land sits behind sand dunes we weren’t sure of how much view we would get, so once the project commenced we hired a cherry-picker to raise us up to the proposed

height of the building to check out the view. It was even better than we had imagined, stretching as it does from Knights’ Beach to Granite Island and across Encounter Bay.’ ‘To take advantage of the views and harness as much sun as possible, we wanted an open and informal beach house that would accommodate a large number of people, yet also function equally well with only two. I particularly wanted it to look like a beach shack. A friend suggested we use Phil Harris and his team at Troppo Architects’, said Marilyn. Phil’s philosophy, shared by the entire Troppo team, is to design buildings in harmony with the Australian climate and landscape, > Image left: One of the most impressive aspects of the Shopov ‘shack’ is the view, with the upstairs living area boasting a vista stretching from Knight’s Beach to Granite Island and across Encounter Bay. Comfortable modern decor enhances the light-filled space. Photograph by Robert Geh. Below: View of the building as you would see it riding the Cockle Train to Victor Harbor. Photograph by Jamie Gill.

Above: Open plan kitchen and dining area offers light, space and and amazing views out to sea. Recycled hardwood beams, natural surfaces and earthy hues give the large spaces a warm and comfortable feel. Photograph by Robert Geh. Below right: Access to the upper level is by means of the stairs in the massive external timber-lined atrium in the centre of the building. Photograph by Jamie Gill. Right: Generous integrated living, dining, and kitchen spaces open into the external entertaining courtyard to accommodate larger parties, with a panel fold door closing off part of the space in winter. Photograph by Robert Geh.

while using unconventional light-weight, low energy and low maintenance materials to suit the location. The land faces the Great Southern Ocean, so quite strong winds often pummel the coast. The challenge for Phil was to design a house that would capture the morning sun from the north and east and at the same time maximise the southern sea views. His response to Marilyn and Chris’s brief was to design three pavilions around a central courtyard with informal external spaces. The structures stagger along the gentle slope of the site, making the house appear even larger than it is. By teasing the pavilions apart to the very limit of planning restraints, each one is able to catch the winter sun throughout the day and also be sheltered from the prevailing wind. Defined spaces provide privacy for occupants. Each of the pavilions is designed for a specific function; like a carport plus bunk room; a laundry plus two semiexternal bathhouses, as well as self-contained entertaining, living and sleeping spaces. Project manager, Jamie Gill explains: ‘We gave careful consideration to the environmental footprint on the landscape, so local council were sympathetic to the project. The house is designed to take advantage of the natural elements, with deep eaves to block summer sun yet allow light in winter to penetrate deep into the living spaces; with the thermal mass of the block-work storing heat to be used at night. We used pale, sandy pre-coloured block-work to soften the harshness of an unpainted surface. Unpainted fibro-cement sheets cover a large percentage of the external skin of the pavilions. Recycled hardwood beams and new Cypress Pine columns feature in the internal living space, with the Tallowood used for breezeways and decks being chosen mainly for durability and its ability to weather over time into a soft grey – like driftwood. The skillion roof of

‘The design is quite complicated, with some rather exacting requirements having been put on the block when the land was subdivided. The irregular-shaped block with the prescribed 12 metre set-back line had a building height restriction. These restraints naturally influenced the form of the building.

each pavilion is linked by one, continuous polycarbonate roof above the breeze-way and decks. Polycarbonate is also used on the walls of the atrium, allowing natural light to filter through.’ The design is unconventional and has allowed no designated front or rear doors, with entry being from either side of the house on to the breeze-way which runs the entire length of the building. Huge timber, batten screen-doors measuring 3.3 by 1.8 metres assist cross-ventilation and separate indoor from outdoor living spaces along the breeze-way. Individual areas can be completely closed off in winter, with sliding glass doors featuring throughout the pavilions. Generous integrated living, dining, and kitchen spaces open into the external entertaining courtyard to accommodate larger parties, with a roller door closing off part of the space in winter. When the breeze-way doors are open almost all parts of the building take in the sea views. Semi-external bathing spaces are designed for use after a day at the beach. In these, some of the more interesting features are the mini-orb wall lining and the slatted, tallowood floor, designed to let the sand fall through into a stainless steel tray below. A section of the slatted floor can be removed and the entire floor hosed down after summer to remove the sand. Another pragmatic idea is the large storage area on the deck below the atrium steps. Behind slatted doors is a ‘must-have’ space for hiding all the paraphernalia associated with beach-side living and entertaining.

‘Our house is a wonderful place to entertain our friends throughout the year. We often spend time exploring some of the many interesting shops in the village or having lunch in one of the popular local restaurants. The walking-track between Port Elliot through to Knights’ Beach passes some of the prettiest bays on the Peninsula. Visitors love to see the old Cockle Steam Train that runs beside part of the walking track from Goolwa to Victor Harbor’. To witness whales frolicking just off shore during the annual whale migration between July and August is another good reason to take the drive to Port Elliot. Seals can also be seen sunning themselves on the rocks around the bay. Troppo Architects have a long history of awards. Whale of a Beach House won the Australian Institute of Architects SA Chapter Architect Award 2010 (Residential Category) and the Timber Design Award 2010 Western Region (WA/SA) Residential Category. Image left: The skillion roof of each pavilion is linked by one, continuous polycarbonate roof above the breeze way and decks. Several large stone artworks adorn nooks along the way, as seen here from the outdoor dining area. Photograph by Robert Geh. Below top: BBQ parties often spill into the front garden, which is just a few metres from the sea. Photograph by Robert Geh. Bottom: Pale, sandy pre-coloured block-work and unpainted fibro-cement sheets cover a large percentage of the external skin of the pavilions, seen here from the rear of the building. Photograph by Jamie Gill.

Access to the upper level is by means of the stairs in the massive external timber-lined atrium in the centre of the building. Here, a bridge between two of the pavilions passes the semi-outdoor shower. The super-sized bunkhouse has a polycarbonate-clad wall with the versatile product Danpalon used as a substitute for glass on the northern highlight windows, where together they help create a real beach atmosphere. The main living space on this level opens on to decks on the north and south of the pavilion, ensuring that at least one side will remain sheltered all year. ‘We each have a favourite part of the house. Chris enjoys looking out to sea from the small Juliet balcony opening off the master bedroom. My special place is the front deck, where on a warm summer evening I love to watch the lights flicker as night falls along the coast. The angle of the deck is just perfect. Phil had some truly amazing ideas’, said Marilyn. Several large stone artworks adorn nooks along the way and a large iron cauldron/wok, forged by a local blacksmith, sits proudly in the courtyard. Large sandstone blocks are placed randomly to be used as casual seating. BBQ parties often spill into the front garden just a few metres from the sea, so landscape design here is practical, with hardy, droughttolerant succulents and grasses embedded in pebbles. This ‘shack’ has a distinct tropical feel inside — it’s light, airy and unrestrained with an abundance of natural character. It almost speaks to all who enter, saying, ‘look at me; I stand alone, prepared for all seasons. I shall always be interesting to look at and fun to live in, you will remember me’.

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NOTE: Subscriptions must be rceived by Fleurieu Living before 5 pm on 29 March 2013 to be considered for the draw. One entry only is allocated per subscription. Date of travel is at the discretion of Fleurieu Sailing and is subject to weather conditions.

A Burning Passion Anna Butler talks to CFS volunteers about the hard work and commitment that comes with this gruelling work. It’s a little after 3am and while most of us are in deep slumber, an incessant beeping is jarring a number of locals into forced wakefulness. Clothes and shoes are hastily thrown together and the adrenaline starts to kick in. It’s unlikely these bleary-eyed residents will be returning to sleep any time soon. According to their pagers, there is a domestic house fire in progress. It takes three hours to quell the ravenous flames that are devouring the brick and tile home to smouldering ashes. Fortunately the residents are safe, albeit badly shaken. Day is beginning to break, but for these hard-working CFS volunteers there is still much work to be done. Before heading home to shower, change and start their day, they need to clean their equipment, refill the water tanks on the trucks and file their reports. Another incident could happen at any time and it’s critical that they’re ready to roll at a moment’s notice. As it happens, the next call comes in much sooner than expected. Just as the flame-proof suits are being put away and the weary crew is looking forward to heading home to get cleaned up, there is another call for help. This time it’s a road accident on the edge of town. There are inevitable sighs of resignation as the freshly stored gear is once again pulled on and the trucks, engines still warm, roll out of the station. An already long night isn’t going to end any time soon. So what drives these ordinary men and women to subject themselves to such physically and emotionally gruelling situations? For most, it’s a sense of camaraderie with their fellow volunteers along with a deep sense of satisfaction at being able to help their community. In a day and age where more and more people hide indoors behind a computer screen, there’s something incredibly appealing about this almost old-fashioned community lifestyle which is becoming increasingly difficult to find, but the Fleurieu region in particular tends to be made up of many tight-knit communities where people still chat over the fence with their neighbour and greet each other with a smile and a nod in the street. Perhaps this way of life is a reflection of the number of retirees who’ve been attracted to the idyllic lifestyle here. In fact, according to CFS Group Officer, Rob Giles, many of the local CFS brigades rely heavily on volunteers in the 50+ age group to keep the service running. While there are plenty of younger men and women willing to help, work commitments can make it difficult for them to attend call outs, particularly during the day. ‘We become very short of day-time crew during the week, to such an extent that we often assign two brigades to an incident during working hours to ensure that the community is protected’, explains Rob. 56

This same support system is used where additional volunteers are required over holiday periods when crew may be away, or even in the event of large bushfires and other emergency situations. To maintain the safety of their teams, the CFS requires their volunteers to break from duty after a maximum of 12 hours, so those brigades with members to spare will send back-up to help relieve those on the front line. Owing to this, the neighbouring brigades usually get to know each other pretty well after a while.

In a day and age where more and more people hide indoors behind a computer screen, there’s something incredibly appealing about this almost old-fashioned community lifestyle which is becoming increasingly difficult to find, but the Fleurieu region in particular tends to be made up of many tight-knit communities where people still chat over the fence with their neighbour and greet each other with a smile and a nod in the street. When they’re not actively fighting fires, assisting with road crash rescues, or helping protect homes and lives in severe storm conditions, CFS volunteers attend several hours of training a week. Many members obtain special qualifications to work with hazardous materials or use specialist equipment, but they all participate in specific drills to reinforce their teamwork and keep their skills current. It’s a lot of responsibility for these unpaid volunteers, but it’s their unflagging passion for helping their community, the satisfaction of helping save lives, and the strong bonds of friendship with their fellow volunteers which make it worth their while. It says a lot about the ‘good community spirit in small towns’—which is just another reason Rob Giles and the other highly committed CFS volunteers are happy to call this special region home.

Image at right: A lighter moment. Photograph by: Greg Pfeiffer.

Open Daily for Lunches from 12pm closed wednesday 104 Ingoldby Road McLaren Flat

08 8383 0232 enquiries@currantshed.com.au

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE COASTING TO THE FINISH LINE. COOPERS

KANGAROO ISLAND CUP CARNIVAL

FRI 15 - SUN 17 JANUARY 2013

Fashion at The Races qualifying event Fine food, wine and entertainment VIP tickets in the Eden Marquee $140pp Visit kiracingclub.com.au for more info or book your race day package at sealink.com.au

TICKET S

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You don’t need to see the bushfire for your life to be in danger. What will you do?... to Bushfire Information Hotline 1300 362 361 (TTY 133 677) www.cfs.sa.gov.au

The Dirt

James Potter goes all ‘potty’ on us and has a good ol’ rant.

Stone walling courses. Become an instant expert in this field before the other cool kids do. The days of the humble gardener are long gone — or they never were. At the risk of inducing boredom, I’m selfishly starting with a rant. (For those who prefer their garden writing on the lighter side, skip down a few paragraphs.) 100 tonne cranes, council permits, delays at customs, rooftop bars, warm white LEDs, contract law, dry ice blasting, and hot-dip galvanising are all standard landscape lexicon. For Capability Brown, Edna Walling or Otto Burle-Marx it was never just about the plants. But with landscape architecture courses devoting such meagre time to the study of plants it is no surprise that so much of the work of young graduates has a ‘built’ feel. So many ‘shade structures’ built in public gardens and parks are just horrific, crude renditions of a tree. My favourite failed tree is on Adelaide’s Riverbank Promenade — a metal slatted shade structure that I’m sure seemed like a good idea at the time. Another seemingly compulsory public landscape structure is the gabion wall. These steel mesh and stone conglomerates are fine upstanding engineering forms, but very much the poor cousins of a decently crafted stone wall. Hopefully this plague of gabion walling is a fad and at not the death knell of thousands of years of masonry skill. Either way you will be heartened to know you can form a bulwark against this dubious progress by studying traditional walling at one of the below listed courses — as part of an epic gastronomic holiday, I suggest. When you return from your holiday — with your newly acquired skills and an immediate need to halt your ascent up the body mass index scale — build yourself a walled garden. Well ok, you will need to set aside the next 43 weekends and re-mortgage the house, but never lose sight of the productive oasis you are creating.

Within your hortus conclusus you really should plant a loquat, a fig, a lemon, a nectarine and plenty of grape vines. That’s my compulsory list, the rest is up to you. Don’t feel so burdened, I’m sure you’ve followed my previous advice and invested heavily in the complex ecology of your soil, and seeds will now germinate on their way out of the packet, cuttings will strike root the day before you cut them and all manner of growth will spring forth with biblical rhythm. With all the vegetative begatting in your garden you may now have run out of room. Frustrating maybe, but keep reading as I narrowly avoid using a misguided pun about climbing the walls and direct your attention to the gorgeous stone structures around you. Planting opportunities abound in the nooks; either in the baking sun, or in its shade. From sprawling natives such as Hardenbergia, Kennedia or Myoporum, to all the aromatic Mediterranean herbs — Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram and friends. Succulents such as Sempervivum are reliable favourites ... and if you want to impress your horticulturally inclined friends give some native succulents a go. Yes folks there are no native cacti species, but in the jargon, at least 400 Australian natives are considered to have a notable degree of succulence. Have a read of Australian Succulent Plants. Published by Kapitany Concepts, this generous slab of knowledge runs to 240 glorious pages and gives comprehensive coverage to about 100 species from 40 genera. Become an instant expert in this field before the other cool kids do. Stone walling courses: http://www.peterseppeltwines.com.au (Barossa) http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/annan/tours_and_education_ programs/dry_stone_walls (NSW) http://learnxpress.linc.tas.gov.au/course/BDSW1 (Tasmania)

On Any Saturday

Leonie Porter-Nocella lets you into the know on our two Saturday Farmers’ Markets.

The Willunga Farmers’ Market was opened by David Suzuki in February 2002, since which time it has gone from strength to strength and has spawned two other excellent produce markets. One at Wayville and the other at Victor Harbor. The Victor Harbor Farmers’ Market is held in Grosvenor Gardens in Victor’s centre under shady trees surrounding the old rotunda, where live music is often featured. Brent Tamblyn is the charismatic ‘Maitre D’ here, well loved by market growers and goers alike. In all his height he can easily be seen at the information stall or next stall where he sells produce from his new love — his ethically-grown vegplot — both stalls being operated with assistance from Susan and Tessa Thwaites. Brent attributes much of the success of the market to Susan (‘my right hand person’) and Tessa (‘photographer and more’) whose enthusiasm and assistance are limitless. But let’s start ... with the yummiest of breakfasts made by Tony and Trish Peier of Nude Loaf, who also make absolutely amazing loaves of many styles. Tried some. Truly sublime. However, breakfast is rather empty without coffee ... and Pure Crema, right alongside, make a really mean coffee. Praise indeed, from a confirmed coffeesnob. But if you want even more bread choices, there’s Merry Cherry/From the Grain where Albert & Alexander sell not only fresh/ dried/juiced cherries, but their own trays of vegetarian and/or meat lasagne, as well as olive, pumpkin, fruit, rye, whole wheat and stone

ground breads — many of them sour dough and almost all organic. At Gina’s Kitchen & Honey Gina and Ian sell (not surprisingly) honey, but also strawberries, their own cordials, veg in season, lovely wholesome bikkies and soy candles. Then there’s Katrina of Green Eggs and Ham who not only sells pork-everything from her Berkshire Silvers and egg-everything from the ranging chooks, but has the most amazing-looking quiches you’ve ever seen, as well as duck egg custard tarts! Above: Willunga Farmers’ Market. Photo by Karen Waller. Below: Get ‘em while they’re hot! Photo (taken at VHFM) by Tessa Thwaite.

The Fleurieu area is a holiday destination at all times of the year, mainly since vast tracts of it are dedicated to wine production: and where there’s good wine you tend to find equally good food. However, given our many beautiful beaches summer brings even more visitors, so it’s only fair to share some of our foodie-secrets with them. Left: Fresh produce is guaranteed. Below left: Delicious treats from Four Winds Chocolates and Cakes. Below: Matt and son. ‘The Ministry of Milk’ selling Fleurieu Milk and giving the proceeds to local causes. Photos (this page) from Victor Harbor Farmers Market by Tessa Thwaites.

Still on the meat trail, we have Bob Heath from Najobe Beef who proudly touts his low-stress management techniques. Najobe is not some rare bovine strain, but an amalgam of Bob’s children’s names: Natasha, Joshua, and Ben. Meanwhile, Rachel of Scoop sells Fleurieu (to the world) along with her own-made meuslis, salads, picked leaves and edible blooms; Lyn’s Table is the market’s purveyor of extremely fine charcuterie, including pates of beef with red wine and olives; chicken with tarragon, mushroom and leek; French-style duck with green olives; smoked salmon and dill; and of course that old standard, chicken liver. Oh, and she also makes pissaladiere and French lemon tarts. Bill and Soula of Bill’s Stall are full-time growers with properties at Loxton and Berri. Theirs is the ‘hard grind farming’ we usually only read about. Their day starts at 6am and finishes at 8pm ... even later in daylight saving ... and they’ll have their luscious peaches, nectarines and plums on offer all over summer. (Bill is one of Brent’s personal heroes. A real-deal farmer.) Francesco and Sarina, Virgara’s Garden, are one of the few true market gardeners left in the state, growing more than 30 varieties of vegetables and passionate about trying new and/or unusual varieties. If in doubt about the difference, just try their humble parsnip. You’ll never go back to shop-bought again! And their orange beetroot tastes like a cross between beetroot and corn. Mmmm. (They, too, are Brent’s heroes. ... I see a pattern emerging.

Brent seems to have an extremely emotional attachment to the ‘7-days-a-week gettin’ your hands dirty’ kind of farmer.) Neil Hosking at Victorfish holds the last commercial fishing licence in the area and has been plying his small-scale trade in the same (very cute) old-school boat, ‘Temptation’, for the last 40 years. He and Stephen sell a good range of fish at the market — a mere stone’s throw from the seas they were spawned in. Trevor and Ken Rowe of KI Shellfish, based at Penneshaw, KI provide some of the best seafood you’ve ever tasted. The abalini (baby abalone) are a rarity but the boys happily pass on cooking tips. And their marron (ooohh) resemble plump 1kg crayfish ... and after 4 minutes each side on the barbie, dressed with butter and served with a beurre blanc sauce they’re totally decadent. Their oysters are equally delightful and shucked to order. But now for the most dangerous stall in the market. Four Winds Chocolates and Cakes has THE most amazing hand-made chocolates you’ve ever seen!!! In fact, each chocolate is a little work of art. Wendy and Allen Ashwin purchase most the fruit and nuts and ‘additions’ for the chocolates from the market and use them to create these miniature masterpieces — like blood orange and ... and ... (and after that I went weak at the knees and everything became a blur). True artistry: these chocolates have to be seen to be believed! Karen Parry of Gooseberry Hill produces organic seedlings, flowers and organic seed and is happy to pass on her wealth of knowledge. > 61

Finally, although an ‘on-seller’ and therefore not a producer but a ‘community stall’, there’s Matthew at ‘The Ministry of Milk’. The ‘Ministry’ bit comes from the fact that Matt (assisted by his cute 2-year-old) is a Uniting Church minister and has arrived at an ingenious arrangement whereby he: firstly, gets out from behind the pulpit and mixes it with the crowd; and secondly, sells the Fleurieu Milk produce and gives the profits to local causes. His attire is cool, but he adds ‘the collar’ so that although he looks and sounds like a ‘dude’, his vocation beams through for all to see.

Top: Some of Rooney and Margaret’s (Fleurieu Lavender) drool-worthy chocolate and lavender brownies. Warning: highly addictive! All photos on this spread by Karen Waller.

Everyone knows everyone (and their dog). Russell’s Pizza first brought Willunga to the attention of those who care about such things, but the market has taken over and kept the attention and loyalty of that same demographic. With regard to the Victor Harbor market, I’d up and left that part of the Fleurieu before the market started up, and I’ve only just recently become acquainted with it. And what a wonderful surprise it was! And what a fantastic array of edibles!

It’s just not viable to cover every single stall in the market, but don’t miss Ashbourne Avocados; Fleurida goat, yabbies, German cakes etc ... (see their story on page 96 ); Con and Harry’s fruit; Trish and Andrew White’s Pt Willunga Fine Foods; Cottonville with its wonderful sylvan-berry produce; Freshfield Mushrooms; Chomp’s brill bikkies; Illawong Texel lamb; Magpie Gully Olives; Bull Creek Bakery with their enormous (in flavour and size) pies; Hahndorf Gourmet Smallgoods ... and many, many more. Next, a visit to Willunga where Billy Doecke, hard-working Assistant Manager of the Willunga Farmers’ Market, was my guide. Although ‘Willy’ has just about everything you could want from a market, once again it is just not possible to include everyone. However, among the more notable stall-holders is the beanie-wearing Rooney Upton of Fleurieu Lavender. He runs a lavender farm on Tuit Road, at Maslin Beach. There’s not much that Rooney doesn’t know about his product, but he got into it, for the most part, owing to his son’s health issues. The Biscay on Limestone was ideal for lavender, while not fantastic for much else. Rooney grows culinary lavender for use in his brownies (tooo good) his fudge ... and over summer, his lavender icecream and lemonade (both wonderfully pure and refreshing). He also makes some of his products gluten-free, but all are made (and grown) without chemicals. In addition to the edibles, he makes shampoo, conditioner, massage oil, spritz, shower gel, face cream and soy/lavender candles. Then there’s Scotsman, Dave Boag, of Ashbourne Orchards. Dave is a walking encyclopaedia — encompassing practically everything, but specialising in apples, pears and cherries. Still, he’ll never get too carried away with himself because his sons would never let him. Ross and Andrew are locked into some kind of dad-derision contest,

Above left: There’s really nothing like taking home a freshly-picked bunch of flowers along with the food discoveries.

Above: The Harts of Meadows are always at the WFM with their amazing selection of potatoes.

with a seemingly limitless repertoire. If asking for Dave you’re likely to be told ... ‘oh, he’s out modelling for garden gnomes’ ... a ‘stature’ jibe. But Dave’s enduring passion is for heritage pears ... and in particular, the world’s best pear, the Doyenne du Comice. As well as this beauty, he grows about 12 varieties of pear; 7 varieties of quince, 8 of apples; 2 varieties of meddlars; and 2 varieties of Asian pear, one of which (the ya li) is a pollinator for the corella pear. In summer Dave’s cherries are ready to pick, and they include the Ranier (considered the world’s best) the Lapin’s, named after its breeder, the Czech Kordia and the German Regina. He informs us that ‘brix’ is the way in which sweetness is measured in the cherry. The USA’s Raniers come in at 17.5 brix ... while Dave’s come in at between 24 to 30 brix!!!

Although Mt Compass Venison has been up and running for 20 years now, the current owners, Barry Gottfried and his chef wife, Erica, have had it for the past two years. Barry has been a butcher, so the recipes for his mettwurst, peperoni, chillaroni, X-rated chillaroni, venison bacon, viennas, chorizo, gourmet chipolata and more are all his own recipes. As well as these delectable venison smallgoods, they also sell fresh and/or frozen cuts of venison. Space prohibits mention of the vast range of stall-holders here, but among them are the Harts of Meadows, who grow just about every type of potato imaginable, Brenton and Vanessa’s Kuitpo Forest Strawberries, Rebekah McCaul and her Alexandrina Cheese Company from Mt Compass, Garry’s Yankaponga Lamb ... and the list could go on. I have been a member and regular customer of the Willunga market ever since it opened and have always really loved the atmosphere and collegiality it engendered. Everyone knows everyone (and their dog). Russell’s Pizza first brought Willunga to the attention of those who care about such things, but the market has taken over and kept the attention and loyalty of that same demographic. With regard to the Victor Harbor market, I’d up and left that part of the Fleurieu before the market started up, and I’ve only just recently become acquainted with it. And what a wonderful surprise it was! And what a fantastic array of edibles! The two markets are very different in many ways and yet they strive for the same thing: to bring the best, purest and fairest food experience to their customers in a win/win undertaking. Just go and see for yourselves ... and taste the difference!

Jill and John Trewartha of Do Bee Honey began their apicultural adventure in Brighton, of all places. It began as a kind of hobby, but they soon realised that they could get bigger and subsequently lead an idyllic lifestyle by doing it. They eventually found 10 acres at Silver Sands and went for it. They use only ‘cold extraction’ to spin the honey out of the comb, and even sell a raw honey with pollen on top. The bees are taken out on ‘excursions’ in order to get the desired honey varietals. For example, St Kilda for Mangrove honey, Yorke Penisula for Mallee. Keith for Lucerne and so on. Jill value-adds by making a delicious icecream from her honey, Fleurieu milk, and their own eggs. Nothing gets wasted, so she makes bees’ wax candles from any left over wax.

Victor & Port Elliot Page

Grosvenor Gardens Every Saturday 8 am ~ 12:30 pm

Seafront Central Location Seafront Spa Rooms with balcony and views. Open for Breakfast Lunch and Dinner 7 Days from 8am House Roasted Coffee all day Ph: 85525970 21 Flinders Parade Victor Harbor www.anchorageseafronthotel.com 64

An Independent Bookstore Monday to Saturday 10.00 ~ 5.00 pm Sundays and Public Holidays 11.00 am ~ 4.00 pm Closed Tuesdays after January. South Seas books carries a wide range of literature and reading for all ages. We also carry an eclectic range of art and design books as well as art, ceramics, textiles, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gifts and stationery. Come and enjoy a coffee while browsing our books & unique gifts.

FOOD & WINE

Two cooks, one chef, three recipes - divine! Leonie Porter-Nocella checks out The Cooks, the Chef and their recipes. Photographs by Grant Beed.

Carol Harrison – cook Carol is the versatile and creative cook at 3 Monkeys in Willunga, a small, friendly cafe where she’s worked happily for several years alongside Belgian owner, Frieda de Leeuw. And no, Carol and Frieda are NOT both Frieda. Admittedly they’re both blonde and slim, but the similarity ends there! Carol was born, raised and schooled in the south (and Frieda in the northern hemisphere) and apart from a travelling stint, Carol has always worked on and around the Fleurieu. At the age of 17 Carol began to travel ... working her way up the East Coast to Queensland, working in various retail and food-related jobs along the way. She even lived on a houseboat for a year! However, she gradually became aware of her love of food and realised that she’d like to get into some form of ‘visual merchandising’, so once back home on the Fleurieu she opened Salty Lime in Port Noarlunga. But after a couple of years she felt she needed a bigger space ... so opened Cafe Lime in Goolwa (originally named Salty Lime also, but the sale of the original one necessitated a change of name). Cafe Lime was a huge success, but after more than six exhausting years she was ready to move on – selling the business to Willunga-based Roland, who is still running the cafe, which is still a success – especially since he’s had the wisdom to stick with the great staff he inherited and Carol’s very successful food doctrine. On a personal note, I’ve had Carol cater two special events for me and all my guests were totally blown away by her delicate but incredibly flavour-packed morsels. They were not only unbelievably good to eat, but looked fabulous! Carol’s favourite foods are seasonal fruits, stone fruit, figs, whiting, herbs in general, chervil and fennel ... and since her dad and brother were both keen fishermen, childhood favourites were Murray cod cutlets thrown on the barbie ... and her mum’s rabbit stew. Of her most memorable food experiences as an adult, a Lotus root and Duck salad in Vietnam and a degustation experience at Ortiga in Brisbane are both ‘up there’ Carol’s advice: eat fresh and stay away from processed food. Carol’s recipe: Mini Lemon Polenta cakes with lemon yoghurt icing.

Above: Frieda de Leeuw (left) Belgian owner of 3 Monkeys café in Willunga, with cook and ‘girl of the south’ Carol Harrison (right). Opposite page: Carol’s lemon polenta cakes with yoghurt icing. Ocean blue dinner plate, rattan charger plate and French linen – available at All That Jazz, Port Elliot.

Lemon polenta cakes with yoghurt icing. Preheat oven to 180 C (fan-forced 160 C) 275g butter, softened to room temperature 250g caster sugar 6 free range eggs, separated 175g almond meal 100g polenta (instant or regular) finely grated zest and juice of 3 unwaxed lemons Icing 1 cup of sifted icing sugar (gluten free) 2 tsps natural yoghurt 1 tsp of finely grated lemon zest Grease 1 x 12 hole + 2 holes of a second muffin pan (1/3 cup/180ml muffins). Cut out rounds of baking paper and line the bases of the pan holes.

Whisk the egg whites till they form soft peaks. Using a large wooden spoon carefully fold the whisked egg whites into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared tins, until approximately 他 full. Bake for 25-35 mins until just firm to touch and golden. Cool slightly in tins. Gently run a knife around the outside of the cakes to loosen and invert onto wire cake cooling racks, leaving the cakes upside down to cool completely. Serves 14 Mix the icing sugar with the lemon zest and yoghurt to form a thick icing. Place a teaspoon of icing on the base of each cake, spreading carefully to the edge. Can be served as they are or with fresh berries and Alexandrina jersey cream. >

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy, then add egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition. Fold in the polenta and almond meal, zest and juice until well combined.

FOOD & WINE

Cheryl Lush – cook Cheryl Lush, of Lush Pastures just loves to cook, and grow, and preserve, and cater. She first became aware of all this once she started ‘home economics’ (aka cooking) classes at primary school. Most of her adult years were spent as a Phys ed and Maths teacher ... and later as the co-owner of a mini-cab business in London. Since then she’s moved around quite a bit, owing in the main to her husband Andy’s career in the Armed Forces. However, now that they’re both ‘retired’ (for want of a better word) they’ve settled on an astoundingly beautiful property up and beyond Yankalilla at Bald Hills, built three self-contained Max Pritcharddesigned units on it and have now opened up a haven of rest whereby Cheryl caters all meals, snacks, picnics and ‘take-homes’, leaving guests to just kick back and enjoy. Sounds good to me! Cheryl’s food philosophy is not in the least bit ‘cheffy’. She prefers an easy, laid back style whereby good ingredients are not ruined by over-tizzying them. She loves all summer fruits and had Chris, from Perry’s Fruit and Nut come, test the soil, and recommend varieties most likely to thrive. So far the only thing they’ve lost is the blueberry, but the five cherries, five nectarines and six apricots are all thriving. Cheryl’s favourite summer foods are seafoods (especially prawns and oysters) her terrines and her icecreams. We think you’ll find her Roasted Pears with Gorgonzola recipe well worth a try ... and it’s so simple to try out for yourselves!

Above right: Cheryl Lush only has to wander out of her back door to avail herself of an abundance of fresh grown ingredients. She grows most of the food on offer at Lush Pastures. Below right: Three residents of Cheryl’s orchard look on with curiosity. Opposite page: Cheryl’s roasted pears stuffed with Gorgonzola, topped with honey dressing on rocket. Photographs by Grant Beed.

Roasted Pears stuffed with Gorgonzola with honey dressing on Rocket. This recipe is based on one of Valli Little’s in a 2006 Delicious Magazine. I like Valli’s approach to food with lots of flavour and little work (excuse the pun). You can adjust the flavours to suit by varying the cheese, or substituting the herbs and rocket. To prepare ahead, brush the pears with lemon juice after peeling and then prepare to the cooking stage, storing the covered pears in the fridge. Serves 4 Depending on size select one pear per person or one between two. 200gms of Gorgonzola (preferably) some other blue cheese, or a soft cheese mixed with 3 tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs. 8 rashers of thinly sliced prosciutto — again depending on the size, but enough to wrap around each pear half. 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar 4 tablespoons of honey 50gm rocket leaves. 2 tablespoons of toasted chopped walnut or pecan kernels. Heat oven to 180°c (170°c fan forced) Peel and halve pears, remove core and stuff with cheese. Wrap prosciutto around each pear half, covering all the flesh. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 – 20 minutes on a roasting tray until the prosciutto is crisp and the pears soft. For the salad dressing mix 2T oil, vinegar and 3T honey, season and toss rocket — and plate. Place roasted pear on top of the rocket, drizzle with remaining honey and sprinkle with nuts. Serve while still warm. >

FOOD & WINE

David Racher – chef David ‘chefs’ at his own cafe, the well-regarded Agatha’s in Port Noarlunga. English-born David moved here at the age of nine, with his choice of vocation being evident at quite an early age. He cites his mum as his inspiration to work in the food industry, as he loved being in and around the kitchen helping her prepare family meals and treats. At 17 he joined the navy with the express purpose of training as a chef. He wanted to be thrown in the deep end straight away and an apprenticeship in the navy seemed to be the best and most ‘hands-on’ way to do it. Towards the end of his time in the navy he graduated from the muscle-creating mass-quantity cooking for the general personnel to a more delicate a la carte style for the officers; giving him endurance, then finesse. Rounding him off, so to speak. David’s best food experiences came during a 4-week European holiday with his then fiance, Tara, now his wife ... with the culinary pinnacles being Switzerland and Florence. Back home in Australia he nominates Salsa in Port Douglas as his favourite food destination and style. The reason for this is that David is a great fan of summer and all that goes with it: dragon fruit, summer fruits, tropical fruits, seafood ... and the beach. As well as the recipe we’ve given you for the Cashew & Macadamia Crusted Barramundi, David has an amazing repertoire of tapas dishes, is all over the refinements required for great vegetarian and gluten free dishes ... and even healthy kids’ foods. This is especially worth a mention since the proximity to the sea increases the likelihood that the kids will be with you when you lunch over summer. His relaxed, comfortable, beachy attitude is reflected in the style of the venue as well as the food. A quick glance at David’s menu and you can see immediately that the navy has given him an amazingly thorough grounding in his chosen vocation. David’s Barramundi recipe sums him up perfectly. And his healthy glow and fit muscular body must also be saying something about his food!

Above: David Racher, chef and owner of Agatha’s in Port Noarlunga. Opposite: David’s Coconut and Macadamia encrusted barramundi with a summer mango salad. Provincial dinner plate, charcoal charger plate, pure linen damask table cloth – available at All That Jazz, Port Elliot. Photographs by Grant Beed.

Coconut and Macadamia encrusted barramundi with a summer mango salad (gluten free). 300 grm barramundi fillet (skin off) 50 grm macadamia nuts 25 grm shredded coconut 100 grm cornflour 2 tbsp Moroccan seasoning 300 ml vegetable oil 1 egg 100 ml milk 1/2 large mango (diced) 1/2 avocado (diced) 1/4 red onion (thinly sliced) 100 grm rocket leaves 6 cherry tomatoes (halved) 1 lime (halved) fresh dill (to garnish) olive oil

Roast off the coconut and macadamia until golden. Once theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve cooled down put the coconut, macadamia, Moroccan seasoning and cornflour into a food processor and blitz to a coarse powder. Trim barramundi fillet, then whisk egg and milk together. Submerge barramundi in the egg wash and then firmly coat it with the coconut mix. In a medium fry-pan heat the oil, test it with a pinch of flour, once it bubbles up place the fillets in the hot oil making sure they are submerged.

Once that is done place the prepared mango, avocado, rocket, onion and cherry tomato to a bowl and mix. Place an even amount over 2 plates and top it with the cooked barra fillets. Squeeze some lime over it and finish with a sprig of dill and a splash of olive oil.

Once golden brown, take them out and dry them off with paper towel. (If still not quite cooked finish them off in the oven at 180c for 3-5 mins until ready.) 71

FOOD & WINE

Gill Gordon Smith tells us why some of our Fleurieu wines are

Green at Heart ... but did you know our wines are now available in red white and green? It can get confusing as we see ‘organic’, ‘biodynamic’ and even ‘natural’ used more and more often on labelling. As interested and informed consumers we are comfortable with these labels for our food, but what does it mean when these terms are used for wine? Organic viticulture is farming without the use of genetically modified organisms or synthetic chemicals – and that includes pesticides and fungicides. These producers use natural solutions to manage pests, weeds and disease; they work to increase the health of their soils and vines and aim to be sustainable in their practice, all with the aim of producing better wines while helping the environment. Some producers extend this philosophy into the winery, following strict production and packaging rules. If they are certified by one of the accredited Australian bodies, such as NASAA National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia, or ACO, certified organic wines can use their logo, which guarantees the integrity of the product and sets limits on additives. This includes sulphur, ‘allowed’ fining agents and stabilisers (a fining agent makes the wine clearer and takes away any heavy deposits or large particles, while a stabiliser keeps the wines chemically stable so they won’t start fermenting again or have a ‘bacterial problem’ in the bottle). The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service sets the national standard that is recognised as equivalent by most other countries for export. The different types of certifications cover producers, processors and packaging, and becoming certified requires a great deal of commitment and cost.

David and Barbara Bruer, of Temple Bruer in Langhorne creek were pioneers in the region and started using organic methods in 1995. They are certified organic both in the vineyard and in the winery. As chemists they were well aware of the consequences of agricultural chemicals in the environment and in the body, so changed to a production system based on sound organic principles. They work with nature by using environmentally-friendly products instead of harsh chemicals, and look after the soil by using composts, planting cover-crops between the rows and increasing the natural vegetation around the vineyard. The cover-crops attract spiders and insects that are natural predators of the pests. They have found they now have better water retention in the soil, which leads to less water use and the right balance in the vineyard. With high flavoured fruit, everything in balance and greater attention to detail, Temple Bruer winemaker Vanessa Altman believes she is able to produce better wines. Wine shown: RRP $19.

Jock Bosworth of Battle of Bosworth in McLaren Vale produces organically grown and certified wines. His preservative-free Shiraz has won the professional judges’ award at the SA wine of the year awards three years running, as well as a slew of other accolades. A firm believer that good wine is made in the vineyard, Jock is constantly experimenting with different regimes in the vineyard to produce balanced, pure and flavour-packed wines with sense of place and ‘drinkability’. Working with nature rather than against it, he controls weeds in the vineyard by using the humble sour sob, which provides a natural weed mat as it dies off. Wine shown: RRP $20.

further in the winery, including some new and exciting small-batch projects. The list of producers choosing this approach is ever-growing, and includes wineries like Wirra Wirra, Yangarra and Walter Clappis wines. Wine shown: RRP $20.

Angove Family Winemakers have 13 hectares of certified vineyards in McLaren Vale and have an ongoing program of organic conversion. They apply biodynamic preparations at specific times during the growing season and have found the vines have a greater tolerance to pests and disease pressure, as well as yielding fruit that produces wines with unique flavour, depth and structure. As a result their organically grown vines perform better during tough growing seasons and recover more easily from stress than vines farmed more conventionally. Biodynamics is a method of organic agriculture that includes some additional techniques based on the philosophies of Rudolph Steiner (founder of the Steiner schools). While biodynamics can mean a leap of faith for some, the results in the vineyard and the glass can be outstanding. Wine shown: RRP $16.

Gemtree vineyards achieved organic certification of the vineyards in 2011 and have been farming organically using biodynamic principles since 2007. Winemaker Mike Brown attended a workshop on biodynamic wines where, during a workshop-tasting, a small number of biodynamic wines were randomly placed in a lineup. These wines stood out for Mike and he returned excited to experiment at Gemtree. Wine shown: RRP $16.

Paxton vineyards have been farmed using biodynamic practices since 2005 and recently gained full certification. From the 2011 vintage Paxton wines will be eligible to carry the ‘Certified Bio-Dynamic’ logo. Michael Paxton is pursuing this philosophy

Peter Fraser of Yangarra Estate Vineyard says: ‘We are passionate about organic and biodynamic practices because our mission at Yangarra is to create wines that represent the place in which they grew. We feel that by using bio-d practices and not introducing chemicals to the soils, they have the chance to become truly alive and healthy, and produce wines that display a sense of place.’ ‘We prefer not to disturb the soil wherever possible, and only mow under the vine. We feel that this keeps it in its most natural state, protecting and facilitating the growth of microbes and worms in the soil. Once the mown under-vine area dies off in summer it provides cover and helps moisture retention. We compost all our grape waste, and work with a local composter to make sure we are sustaining our soil activity. Another interesting compost we make is from wild Redfin fish harvested from our dams, which are then fermented using a special bacterial inoculum and then sprayed out in very low rates to stimulate plant health.’ Wine shown: RRP $32. For a number of reasons not all producers who use organics or biodynamics choose to become certified, but there is an expanding list of growers and winemakers heading towards more environmentally-friendly practices in both the vineyards and the winery. This is marking the region as one of the most sustainable in Australia. The McLaren Vale sustainable wine growing program has 87 grape-growing members with 145 vineyards. In the 2012 vintage 37% of all the grapes harvested were involved in the program, which offers assistance and support to the members. Around a quarter of the members are either certified or using low input, organic or biodynamic methods. Our producers are using less chemicals, spending more time in the vineyard and working towards a more sustainable approach to cultivation and the environment. At the end of the day the proof is in your glass, so why not start investigating the greener side of the Fleurieu. For more information contact gill@fallfromgrace.com.au 73

The Langhorne Creek Region

Home of White Cabernet Sauvignon

Love our Cabernet & Shiraz? Now fall in love with our alternative varieties. Saturday & Sunday February 9 and 10 in cellar doors throughout Langhorne Creek. www.langhornecreek.com Ph: 08 8537 3362

Cellar Door + Accommodation Langhorne Creek Road Langhorne Creek, SA 5255 T: 85373133 E: info@cleggettwines.com.au W: cleggettwines.com.au

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Wine Tasting, Regional Foods, Served 11- 5pm daily Relax over a glass or 2 of wine whilst enjoying beautiful views over the vineyard from our alfresco area. Select your favourites to take home or have delivered to your door. Angas Plains Wines, 317 Angas Plains Road, Langhorne Creek, SA. Phone 08 8537 3159 www.angasplainswines.com.au

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Rated 5 star winery by James Halliday

The name says it all!

Rusticana Wines Lake Plains Road, Langhorne Creek, SA 5255 The Winehouse represents five award winning boutique Langhorne Creek labels including Ben Potts Wines, Gipsie Jack, Kimbolton, the legendary John Glaetzer’s John’s Blend and Heartland by Ben Glaetzer. We also cater for wedding receptions, private functions, seminars and conferences. 1509 Langhorne Creek Rd, Langhorne Creek, SA Ph: (08) 85373441 W: thewinehouse.com.au E: info@thewinehouse.com.au

Cabernet, Shiraz, Zinfandel and Durif Estate grown wines Open 7 days 10-5

NEWMAN’S HORSERADISH FARM LAKE PLAINS ROAD, LANGHORNE CREEK TASTING AND SALES OPEN 7 DAYS 10-5

WITH PATIENCE COMES SUCCESS! 2010 Doc Adams GSM...

“Gold Medal” 2012 Class 23 - Cartesian McLaren Vale wine show

2010 Doc Adams Shiraz...

“Top Gold Medal and Gino Torresan Memorial Trophy for best McLaren Vale Shiraz under $25” 2012 Class 10 - Cartesian McLaren Vale wine show

Thanks to all our customers and suppliers on our recent success. For sales details please email: phil@docadamswines.com.au or visit our website: www.docadamswines.com.au

Distant Thunder Robert Godden hears the distant thunder of the Kangaroo Island Cup Day. Standing on a long, narrow footbridge overlooking a pretty, winding river with wooden shade-houses protruding over the sparkling water, it seems incongruous to be on what is, in all actuality, the fence of a racecourse. A further stroll of just a few metres reveals a deserted race-track. It’s not too hard to believe that this place could come alive with hustle and bustle, laughter, shouting, fun, fashion, galloping hooves and popping corks, but it all seems a long way off – like distant thunder. Yet within a couple of months this whole place will be totally transformed, as the Kangaroo Island racing season – three unique meetings – gets under way. Beginning with the Gourmet Gallop on Australia Day, until the Cooper’s Kangaroo Island Cup Day on February 17th, the 2013 racing season will feature 21 races, plus everything that goes along with it: which will all combine to create an extraordinarily exciting atmosphere and make the Cup Carnival itself the biggest social event in the KI calendar. It’s projected that approximately half the island’s population will turn out, along with an equal number of ‘overseas’ visitors: mostly mainlanders who will have come across by ferry or just flown in to be part of the day. Many of them will arrive in time for the first day of the Cup Carnival on Friday February 15th, have a ball at the Kingscote Street Party on the Saturday, and then turn out for ‘the big event’. With over $130,000 in prize-money on offer over the Cooper’s Kangaroo Island Cup weekend it’s likely to attract excellent horses from provincial and Adelaide circuits, as well as the odd inter-stater. Top: The race is on! Photo by Dean Wiles. Right: Fashion on the Field; Alex Hecker, Kangaroo Island Fashion at The Races Finalist for 2012. Far right: A great crown turned out to enjoy the racing. Photos courtesy www.theraces.com.au.

To transform from an empty, somewhat overgrown Cygnet River Racecourse, to the venue for SA Racing’s most unique country events will mean that an incredible community effort will have to take place over the coming few months. Lions Club. Rotary. CFS. Pony Club. Sporting clubs. Everyone will be playing their part. There are fences to move, fences to mend and grass to mow. The stewards and starting attendants for the day are drawn from locals, some of whom trace their interest back in an unbroken line to their family’s involvement in the legendary race that was the birth of the KI Racing Club – an 1883 sprint along Emu Bay.

‘We’ll work out what we want to do – and then do everything at the last minute. That’s how we do things on KI. But it always gets done.’

In 2013 the Gourmet Gallop, and the cup generally, will offer a far greater percentage of local produce. The ‘Gallop’ itself is described as a ‘Food and Wine Fair, that just happens to have six races alongside it’, and it’s harder to think of a more perfect way to spend Australia Day for foodies state-wide. In fact, virtually all Kingscote accommodation is already booked-out for all three racing dates, and nearby American River will be the next to fill up. After years of hard work, the KI cup was finally elevated to ‘full broadcast status’ on Sky Racing for the 2011 event. Then, just as it was all going so well ... the heavens opened up and the racing was washed out for the first time in living memory. The sense of relief that must have swept over the Committee members the following year as TAB radio’s Tim Edwards called the 2012 winner past the post would be hard to imagine. Roger Williams has been President of the KI Racing Club for about 15 years, after having been involved for about 30 years in some capacity or other. He’s even trained two past winners of the race. Along with Secretary Michael Linscott – 30 years in the job – and the rest of the committee, they seem to be able to move mountains! The club has about 300 financial members, and as a not-for-profit club relies as much on generosity in ‘time volunteered’, as in goods or money. ‘There’s an unseen, rarely acknowledged backbone of 20 to 30 people that do all the work to make this possible’, acknowledges Roger. Talking to Roger in the office from which he runs several local businesses, as well as taking on the Racing Club duties, it’s obvious that like many others on KI he has a superb skill in juggling all the hats he wears. ‘This year, we’ve worked very hard on the food side of things. Along with the Good Food KI organisation, we will ensure that it really is a showcase of island produce.’ Whereas for many people a sausage in bread and a few beers is the ideal racing day fare, now the options will be far wider. Renowned native foods’ chef, Andrew Fielke, formerly of Red Ochre, will again be developing a menu of exciting cuisine for a luxurious corporate marquee on Cup Day. The club also builds 20 party marquees available to private individuals who can book for either 10, 15 or 20 people with catering packages available ... and they always sell out.

The ‘Fashions on the Field’ event should also draw an energetic and competitive field again, with prizes including a stay at the world famous Southern Ocean Lodge! At the same time, Roger acknowledges Sealink for their much appreciated assistance in transporting horses and moving people across Backstairs Passage. ‘Without them, it just could not be the event it is’. It’s really hard to imagine just when the racecourse will suddenly spring into life. Several locals proffered opinions, but it was best summed up by one food producer who said: ‘We’ll work out what we want to do – and then do everything at the last minute. That’s how we do things on KI. But it always gets done.’ So even though there are only a couple of months between talking to Roger and the first of the races, he insists that improvements will continue to be made right up until the first day of the event itself. Far from resting on their laurels, there are also plans to have the Governor of South Australia declare the Friday before the Cup a local public holiday. ‘It’s a quite a process’ explains Roger. ‘We’ve obtained the backing of the Council and we’ve sent out 4000 brochures to the Island’s residents for comment, but our ultimate aim is to use a public holiday, from 2014, to build the numbers for the Friday, then work with Sky Racing to move it to a twilight meeting – starting around 2pm and showcasing KI to the nation into the evening. Nothing is too hard. The only restrictions are money and imagination.’

Sailing Charters have arrived on the Fleurieu Departing from Wirrina Cove, just 30 minutes out of Victor Harbor.

Our 75ft yacht ‘Lady Eugenie’ offers a range of sailing options from Day sails to Twilight sails – perfect for families and couples. During summer, when you book two adults for either sailing trip, two children (under 16 years) SAIL FREE. Twilight Sails $99: · 2 hour Sunset sail from 5pm to 7pm · Cheese platter to share · A complimentary beverage

Day Sails $295: · Sail from 9am ~ 4pm with opportunities to explore remote beaches · Cooked lunch, morning and afternoon tea onboard · Beverages included

Trips depart on request with a minimum of 2 guests Contact Fleurieu Sailing to arrange a sailing trip today on 0428 200 450.

2013 Coopers Kangaroo Island Cup Carnival 15 - 17 February 2013

www.fleurieusailing.com.au

Full Day Race Course Package Departs Sunday 17th February 2013 From Adelaide

From Cape Jervis

$142 per adult

$108 per adult

$88 per child

$70 per child

+ Add this to your package... Meadow Marquee all-inclusive 4-course lunch and beverages

$140 per person

Stay and Play Packages ‘Makybe Diva’ 3 Day/2 Night Guided Touring Package* Departs Friday 15 Feb. From $557 per person (twin share) ‘Might & Power’ 3 Day/2 Night Self-Drive Package*

Departs Friday 15 Feb. From $547 per person (twin share)

‘Phar Lap’ 2 Day/1 Night Guided Touring Package Departs Saturday 16 Feb. From $332 per person (twin share) ‘Black Caviar’ 2 Day/1 Night Self-Drive Package

Departs Saturday 16 Feb. From $322 per person (twin share) Visit sealink.com.au/kicup to view package inclusions. *Includes Half Day exclusive KI Food & Wine Tour with tastings at Sunset Winery and a ‘long lunch’ at Dudley Wines Cellar Door.

Call 13 13 01, visit sealink.com.au or your local travel agent 78

More to explore!

the court house food · wine · art

Normanville’s best kept secret Open for brunch and lunch 7 days Open for tapas and evening meals Thursday to Sunday

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

Fabulous food from the Fleurieu

The Court House: 52 Main Street, Normanville, South Australia Phone: (08) 8558 3532 Email: court.house@optusnet.com.au

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

Why just ‘make-do’ with supermarket teas?

ELL I OT

Quality Food & Beverage - Unmatched Customer Service Lunch - Dinner - Accommodation - Weddings & Special Occasions Like us on for Live Music Gigs

Hotel Elliot 35 The Strand, Port Elliot T (08) 85542218 F (08) 8554 2256 E: info@hotelelliot.com.au W: www.hotelelliot.com.au

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 Au Pear Restaurant, Main Road Willunga

MUSIC & BOOKS

Book Reviews by Mike Lucas.

conveys to us a real passion for his journey to continue while gradually suffusing us with an increasing eagerness to view his ultimate geographical, philosophical and romantic destinations. Exposure is a lyrical, sometimes intense, often humorous, but always engaging account of one man’s need to be free of the constraints of his own mind, even at the risk of losing his closest friend and, possibly, his life.

The one hundred year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Exposure: a journey by Joel Magarey

Published by Wakefield Press ISBN 9781862548237 RRP $24.95 Have you ever thought of just leaving it all behind and travelling the world alone? That’s exactly what Joel Magarey did in 1995. Weighed down with only what he could carry, and the complexities of his obsessive compulsive disorders, he quit his job as a journalist in Adelaide and set off in search of an answer to a question he couldn’t quite define. Throw into the mix the idealised relationship with long term soulmate and girlfriend, Penny, and the sexual restraints of a moderately strict Catholic upbringing, and you have a veracious tale of conflict and, hopefully, ultimate resolution. It is a testament to Joel that, firstly, he travelled to the extreme locations of his journey with a somewhat naïve expectation of what was involved and, secondly, he survived his perilous pilgrimage to tell the tale. Laying himself bare for the reader to witness his unconventional behaviour, Joel 80

Published by Allen and Unwin ISBN 9781743311271 RRP $29.99 Originally published in Sweden, this is a book that states, in a uniquely light-hearted and eccentric way, that old people haven’t always been old. And never underestimate

the effect they may have had on the world in which we now live. Allan Karlsson is one hundred years old today and this significant milestone is to be celebrated with a visit from the Mayor and the press. But the surprisingly active centenarian isn’t too enamoured with the idea and decides to escape from the old people’s home where he now suffers the unwelcome monotony of his days. Told in parallel with the history of Allan’s long and influential life up to the moment he climbs out the window, the dry wit and simplistic style of the narrative makes this a delightful tale. The old man’s unassuming and neutral viewpoint on many aspects of life, political, theological and moral, is the inadvertent catalyst that helps to spark the extraordinary events that unfold as he meets up, or clashes with, a host of notable characters. And, more importantly, it is exactly this indifferent but honest way of thinking that has helped to shape his remarkable life story; and, if this work of fiction is to be believed, much of ours during the past century. The momentum of the narrative in both time zones is constant and the reader also receives a semi-factual summary of some of the most important events in the history of the modern world, as viewed through the uncritical eyes of this enigmatic individual. And Allan Karlsson’s secret to a long life – probably optimism, spontaneity … and a lot of luck. Don’t judge a book by its cover – especially an old one.

Books to die for edited by John Connolly and Declan Burke

Published by Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 9781444756500 RRP $49.99 What are the important literary ingredients of a great mystery? The twisting, turning intricacies of the unpredictable plot? The dimensional portrayal of the central protagonist? An iconic setting? Or an unforgettable ending? Over one hundred and twenty of the greatest living mystery

writers, from Jo Nesbo to Kathy Reichs, choose the one work of fiction that changed their literary landscape. Authors such as Edgar Allen Poe, Daphne du Maurier and Raymond Chandler are discussed in these short, yet alluring essays. A double-edged dagger of enlightenment, the book not only reveals the inspiration of the writers who have penned the essays, but also of the authors who have helped set them on their respective roads into the realms of mystery and intrigue. The gaps in the literary family tree of detectives, inspectors, murderers and villains begin to be filled and the roots of that tree are deep-set and widespread. The often conflicting views of these authors are a revelation to anybody who thinks that there are rules to writing. Boundaries have been breached and conventions have been cast aside as new generations of writers have chosen to examine original styles and explore new horizons where mystery is the air we breathe and the land we walk on is always moving. And the answer to the first question? That, it seems, is the greatest mystery of all.

Astray

by Emma Donoghue Published by Pan MacMillan ISBN 9781447211952 RRP $29.99

What Emma Donoghue has done here is capture personal tales of migration, displacement and disconnection over the last four centuries. Under the genre of fiction, Donoghue has taken newspaper articles, biographies, family histories and research and identified with the often tragic individuals mentioned briefly within them. Departures, In transit and Arrivals – these are the three steps in the journey that takes us from the ignorance of 19th Century animal exhibitionism, through the desperate and frequently inane migration to the Yukon in search of gold, to the brutal, forceful violation of women during the American Civil War. Who were these real people that are now but words on paper? What were their reasons for departure, migration, and eventual arrival at the moment where their story has been recorded, in just a few sentences, forever? Despite each tale carrying a strong theme of change, and a sense of loss or resigned acceptance, there is no attempt to make each one appear unique within history. On the contrary, these stories seem to indicate that what happened was typical, a representation of millions of stories that could be told, each with different names and in different places. We all hold stories within us. It takes a great writer like Emma Donoghue to draw them out and let them breathe again, long after we are nothing more than a handful of words on some emotionless historical document.

Fantastic Mr Dahl by Michael Rosen

Published by the Penguin Group ISBN 9780141322131 RRP $14.99 The story of Roald Dahl as told by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake. What more could you ask for in a biographical account of this great children’s author, written for his target audience? Dahl did indeed live a remarkable life, almost, as Michael Rosen states, as if written in distinct, fictional chapters. An aircraft pilot, a spy, an inventor of a life-saving medical instrument, and above all, of course, a creator of some of the most fantastic fictional characters and story-lines ever to exist in children’s literature. But not only does this book recount his extraordinary and sometimes tragic life, it also delves into how he mastered the art of storytelling. What were the different techniques he used to skilfully fascinate and capture the imagination of both children and adults? How did he create such exaggerated characters and make themes of tragedy sound so funny that you laughed all the way to the last line? And what exactly was he like as a child? For any children who have read Roald Dahl’s books or enjoy writing their own stories, this is a wonderful, easily read biography which seems to say it all in the most whizzpopping, squiffsquiddling way. 81

Laura Hill

Jason Porter meets a young independent singer/songwriter successfully navigating the music industry. After listening to her music, you could be surprised to learn that Laura is only 29 years old. Her lyrics convey a maturity way beyond that, offering a predominantly upbeat and spirited take on life. Not surprisingly, this is also how she comes across in person. It’s easy to see why Laura’s music career is on the upswing. Laura has spent most of her life on the Fleurieu, growing up at Sellicks Beach originally, then moving to Happy Valley with her parents. These days she resides in Moana, but has spent many a summer in these parts surfing and generally ‘hanging out’ on the beach with friends. While Laura’s parents were not musicians, they were avid music fans, exposing her to a variety of genres from a young age. This has no doubt had an impact on the direction of her song-writing. Laura originally started out teaching herself how to play chords on the guitar (inspired by her father playing ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’ … over and over) but at some point she realised that if she was going to progress to a professional level she’d need to undertake some kind of formal training. This became manifest as she was walking around Glenelg one windy afternoon. A piece of paper being blown around in the gusts became lodged underfoot. As luck would have it, the paper turned out to be a flyer advertising private guitar tuition. Laura took this as a definite sign from above — and signed up for classes immediately!

Next year marks a new chapter however, as she and husband Darren are setting off to travel Australia, the UK and California. Laura hopes to literally ‘bring the music to the people.’ Having grown up on the Fleurieu, Laura’s no stranger to the many popular eateries and music venues the region has to offer. She’s a regular at The Fleurieu Pantry and Agatha’s, Star of Greece and Deep Blue Café. As for coffee, Blessed Cheese is the spot. Other haunts include Red Poles, The Singing Gallery, The Surreal Surf Art Gallery, The McLaren Vale Garden Centre and The Brewery (in Goolwa). So if you’d like to catch her act you’d better do so before she sets off (to conquer the world) next year. A heads up; you may be lucky enough to find her playing in ‘The Garden of Unearthly Delights’ during The Fringe Festival next year.

While Laura’s parents were not musicians, they were avid music fans, exposing her to a variety of genres from a young age. This has no doubt had an impact on the direction of her song-writing.

Laura can pinpoint when her career in music got started officially; after she feared she may lose her mother to illness a number of years back (which thankfully didn’t eventuate). But it got her thinking about her direction in life. She was in her early twenties and working as a personal trainer, but decided from that point on to make music a distinct career focus. She also decided that travel was a definite prerequisite for a career that involved writing about the world, so she set off to experience it. She’s a prolific songwriter, having around eighty-five songs on file. Consequently she had plenty of material to work with while recording her last album. In fact, she recorded enough material for another entire album ... and it’s due to be released around March of next year. This one she says, will have ‘... a sense of light and shade playing on winter and spring like moods and feelings.’ Laura’s released two albums so far; ‘Over my shoulder’ in 2010 and most recently (the re-release of) ‘The Guava Tree’. Not being signed to a label, these records have been independently funded by Laura. Her band, ‘The Tuesday Bandits’ are all from quite different musical backgrounds and each brings something different to the table — and not just musically. Many of the promotional photographs of Laura have been taken by keyboard player Hannah Tunstill. Bass player Craig Kelly also assists with design work.

Above: Laura’s ‘The Guava Tree’ album from 2011 has recently been re-released and is definitely worth looking out for! (Or you can download in any number of file formats from http://laurahillmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-guava-tree) Right: Singer/songwriter Laura Hill. Photographs by Hannah Tunstill.

PENINSULA PEOPLE

John Lacey Artist, John Lacey waxes lyrical to Hazel Wainwright about his art and how he just ‘has to paint.’

‘… they don’t just happen ...’ said John Lacey, ‘they start small and grow’. Talking about his artwork, John, a multi-award winning South Australian artist, lives, teaches and creates in Mt Compass on the Fleurieu Peninsula. I first encountered John’s paintings in the ‘Fleurieu Fellas’ exhibition in the Stump Hill Gallery, at McLaren Vale this year, and I was struck by his unique, graphic style. Such a wonderful myriad of daubed block colours, with an overall chiselled look, which, if you look closer, fall into descriptive

scenes. His oil paintings are bold and striking and jump out at you from across the room. Primary colours confidently combine to create striking paintings, drawing you into an eclectic landscape. Once you recognise the landscape, you seem to fall into the vista as it washes over you, as if you have been ‘captured’ by the scene. The colours envelope you and transport you to another place. The graphic nature of his paintings, are truly and wonderfully constructed.

The squareness and facet-like appearance in John’s work originates from his graphic design background. When he left school he started out as a drafts-person in the car industry; that is, in the days when every part of the car had to be initially and literally drawn by hand. He then went on to work in graphic design, where he eventually owned his own graphic design business. So when John begins a piece of artwork, he starts off with his sketchbook and is drawn to a particular scene where he sketches its simple

elements on paper. He then allows the process to begin, attempting to capture the fundamentals of the scene. He says that his work is ‘of the place’ and that he always tries to be true to himself in his work. He relishes painting outdoors and uses the plein air studies as the basis for his larger works. Admiring the late, great Fred Williams, he also cites the influence of the Heidelberg School of painting on his work. Considered the ‘Australian

Admiring the late, great Fred Williams, he also cites the influence of the Heidelberg School.

Impressionists of the nineteenth century’, the Heidelberg School, all of whom showed a keen interest in the instantaneous effects of the outside light, included artists such as Fred McCubbin and Arthur Streeton. Like McCubbin, John uses contrasting blocks of strong colour, which is a trademark of some of these early Impressionist works. What started as a hobby in 1981, has, since 2004, become ‘painting professionally’. Being

self taught, he is represented in major galleries in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. His contemporary, newly constructed home, which he carefully and mindfully designed himself, is shared by his wife Lydia and their grumpy old cat, Alley. It is also where his art Studio is, as well as the home of the Green Tank Gallery. His studio has an air of informality and organised chaos about it. This is where he combines producing his own paintings, conducting art workshops and running art classes.

Being part of the Fleurieu Art Trail, John enjoys sweeping views across Mt Compass, while adjacent to his Studio is the Green Tank Gallery. Being light and airy, the gallery displays John’s work to perfection. So where is the Green Tank Gallery? If you are going to Victor Harbor travelling on the main Victor Harbor Road, once you pass Mt Compass look very, very carefully to the right, and you will ‘discover’ the green tank. Reminiscent of

days gone by, this old, square, rusty green water tank is the mark of John Lacey’s studio and gallery. And if you pop in you may hear John talk about his work and how ‘he has to paint’ ... and listening to him, you know that this has to be true.

Previous spread: Autumn Willunga (left), Fleurieu Flyby (right). This spread: A Change of Season (left), Abstract Reflections (right).

HISTORY

Spargo House, Willunga Compiled by Faye Lush and Julie Taylor. Photograph by Robert Geh. The Spargo family home is located in Willunga, next to the old Bell tree and opposite the former Wesleyan church and cemetery. With its provincial charm, it is one of the most photographed buildings in town. But it also has a quite significant historical background. Built in 1855-56 by Robert Spargo, it was home to the semi-literate quarryman and labourer, who came to Willunga from Cornwall in 1853 with his wife Grace and their six daughters. Tragically, one of his daughters, Grace, died on the voyage ... and within a few months of arriving in Willunga another daughter, Elizabeth, was born only to die three weeks later. Then in 1855, Grace gave birth to George, their first son.

Riparian rights Another aspect of the Spargo family story adding even more interest to the cottage is Robert Spargo‘s role in the first manmade intervention to alter the flow of the spring in this area. The cottage was built on a particularly low-lying area which was prone to flooding, so when Robert built the cottage he diverted the outflow from a nearby spring onto his land, creating access for making the ‘cob’ walls and sustaining the family’s large fruit and vegetable garden. When Robert could not find work in the slate quarries or on the farms, the family relied on this produce and sold it to support themselves. But in wet winters flooding was a problem, and in dry

Built in 1855-56 by Robert Spargo, it was home to the semi-literate quarryman and labourer, who came to Willunga from Cornwall in 1853 with his wife Grace and their six daughters. Tragically, one of his daughters, Grace, died on the voyage ... and within a few months of arriving in Willunga another daughter, Elizabeth, was born only to die three weeks later. Then in 1855, Grace gave birth to George, their first son. Looking at Spargo cottage from St Jude’s Street, to the left there is a large stone and brick ‘rubble’ chimney which belonged to the small single-roomed cottage. Originally built with a thatched roof, it was later replaced with slate. To the right is a two-roomed cottage with a front verandah that was built at a later time and served as the Spargo family’s main living area. Robert Spargo built this cottage himself, using a variety of local materials to produce the ‘cob’ walls; a combination of straw, mud, and possibly gravel that was then mixed with water. A few bricks were used in the eastern wall, and some of the local bricks that framed the small-paned casement windows are still in place. In the 1920s, a rear room of brick and grey cement render was added with the addition of a new iron roof in 1937. Local slate was also used for the roof and all the rooms have floors of large slate flagging. In the summer of 1865 the family suffered yet another loss. Their daughter Eliza was drowned in a waterhole at the age of 23 and was subsequently buried in St Stephen’s cemetery on Aldinga Road. Robert’s health was in decline and Eliza’s accidental death was a terrible blow. Still he struggled on, but was finally forced to ask the Council to provide rations for himself and his family. He died in 1871, aged 57 and was buried in the Anglican Cemetery. His wife Grace stayed in the cottage until 1883, when she moved to Adelaide to be near her son George and his family. She died in 1894, aged 75 years and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery in Adelaide.

summers there was not enough spring water available to maintain the garden. This was the beginning of the controversy that followed. The Minutes of the Willunga Council meetings reveal that there was constant action being taken over the flow of spring and flood water. There was either not enough or too much water, resulting in constant competing requests for water to be diverted to or from separate properties. Disputes also arose from the impact of Council draining, which in one instance saw water being diverted from the Spargo’s land onto the property of a council member. In May 1875 Grace Spargo, now a widow, claimed through her solicitors 100 pounds in damages from the Willunga Council for having ‘deprived her of the spring water that passed over her land by having changed the course of the flood-water’. After mediation attempts by Reverend E K Miller, the action proceeded to the Supreme Court where the Chief Justice summed up in favour of the Council, but to the astonishment of all present, the Jury voted in Grace Spargo’s favour. As one of them explained, ‘it would have been very hard to throw the costs of the action on the poor old woman!’ However, the Council appealed and the case was declared a ‘nonsuit’, and Grace was forced to sell the cottage to pay her solicitor’s fees. The solicitor appears to have bought the cottage and then embarked on further proceedings against the Willunga Council; this time for damages of 500 pounds. The records are not clear whether or not this was successful, but Grace never regained ownership of her cottage, despite living in it and paying the Council rates until she moved to Adelaide.

Even today there is evidence in St Jude’s Street of the drains, channels and culverts that caused such bitterness more than 150 years ago. After a heavy rain the water runs past the cottage from four different directions: Bishop Street, both sides of St Jude’s Street, and St Mary’s Street.

Above: The Spargo family home is located in Willunga, next to the old Bell tree and opposite the former Wesleyan church and cemetery. With its provincial charm, it is one of the most photographed buildings in town.

The cottage is included on the City of Onkaparinga’s Local Heritage list and the current owners plan to conserve the cottage in its present form. SOURCES; Geoffrey C Vaudrey, Water under the Bridge: the story of Robert and Grace Spargo Willunga, 1991.

Visit Our Museums

Willunga Courthouse Museum Authentic 19th Century heritage-listed Courtroom and cells. Family and District history records. Willunga Slate Museum The story of Willunga’s slate industry and its quarrymen, their methods and tools, from 1840 Open: Sat, Sun, Tues and Public Holidays, 1pm to 4pm 61 High Street Willunga PO Box 429 Willunga SA 5172 W: nationaltrustorg.au/sa T: 08 8556 2195 E: willunganationaltrust@gmail.com

The Kangaroo Island Seaside Inn is a 31/2 star country style motel situated on the shore of the beautiful sandy Nepean Bay in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island’s largest town. The motel has 20 newly refitted rooms all with ocean views. All rooms have 32” inch digital TVs, split reverse cycle air-conditioning and new Queen and King sized beds. The Seaside Inn is 10 minutes walk from the town centre and 15 minutes drive from the airport. The restaurant is open Wednesday - Saturday for dinner and daily for breakfast. The Kangaroo Island Seaside Inn is ideally situated for touring to all parts of the island and all tour companies pick up daily from the Motel. Kangaroo Island Seaside Inn

7 Cygnet Road, Kingscote SA 5223 Telephone: 8553 2707 Web: kiseasideinn.com.au 90

Experience the quiet splendour of our modern salon. Specialising in cutting and colouring for special events and everyday style. Enjoy high quality service in a relaxed and contemporary environment.

THE GALLERY hair studio

39 Patapinda Rd, Old Noarlunga 5168. T: 8327 4554 www.thegalleryhairstudio.com

The Willunga Page

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Coffee & Cake Wednesday 10am ~ 4:30pm Thursday to Sunday 8am ~ 4:30pm Friday 6pm ~ late 27 High Street, Willunga Ph (08) 8556 2379

· French bubbly by the glass · Boutique Roasted Coffee · Eclectic wine list · Bar menu · New shipment French Teas · Beautiful Garden Tools & Trugs 44 High Street, Willunga. Tel: 08 8556 2612 Wednesday to Sunday 9am-4pm

‘Best Regional Restaurant in South Australia’

Advertiser Food Awards 2012 and Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide 2012.

Open lunch: Tuesday ~ Sunday Dinner: Friday & Saturday Bookings recommended 85564488 or www.fino.net.au 8 Hill Street Willunga

Alma Hotel Top Tucker 7 days. 11 Hill Street Willunga. www.almahotel.com.au Ph: 85562027 Beergarden, free Wi-Fi, bottleshop, TAB, SA Lotteries. “Pouring great beers for over 150 years.”

HAIR · FASHION · STYLE Opening Hours: Thurs to Sun 10-4 A celebration of all things beautiful and Interesting. 30 High Street Willunga 08 8556 4403

Welcome to our world of aromas, tastes, textures and colours ... all the things that make Tango Turtle Café a destination in itself. Hours: Wed to Sun 8:30 ~ 4 & Public Holidays We are located at: 30 High Street Willunga SA Ph: 08 8556 2735 tangoturtlecafe.com.au Visit us on Facebook.

Relax a while amongst the vines Au Pear Restaurant / Café 192 Main Road Willunga Open: Thurs ~ Mon 8 ~ 4:30 Breakfast: 8 ~ 10:30. Lunch: 12 ~ 3 8556 4005 www.aupear.com.au 91

PENINSULA PEOPLE

Chester Osborn always knew he’d be a winemaker and growing up at d’Arenberg Winery in McLaren Vale gave him the best possible beginning ... Q: What was it like growing up in a wine making family in the Vale? Fantastic. I went and stayed at friends’ places all the time, and we worked on farms. I was driving tractors at the age of seven and we even made our own car in one of the sheds. We were probably a bit reckless. We had babysitters and I would see them before I left in the morning and then come back at night. They had no idea where I was or anything. We would spend days and weeks playing in haystack houses we’d made. It was great fun. I’ve always been into cooking so we used to get rabbits and cook them. I used to get starlings and cook them. I used to shoot pigeons and cook them too. I worked in the winery from a young age. The winery was quite small so we did everything, Fix machinery, pick grapes, the lot. At age 7 I got paid 10 cents an hour. I don’t think I was worth it though ‘cause I ate more grapes than I picked. At age 8 I got a raise to 30 cents a hour which I thought was good money. Q: We hear a lot about Chester and d’Arry. Did your Mum play a part in the winery? My mother told me that as a two year old she walked me around the vineyard and told me I was going to be a great experimental winemaker one day. Q: What kind of trouble did you get up to as a kid? It doesn’t really matter now and I don’t think Dad even knows but we used to climb around in all the vats in the bottling hall and one day one of the kids said, ‘Have you ever drunk any of this stuff?’ So we snuck some out and and a few of the local kids came around and we’d bury them around the trees, so we would have a hock, a dry red, a fortified white muscat and a port and we would have a tree crawl. The kids went home and the parents would call up saying their kid had been up drinking at our place. We all told them we had been drinking the dregs out of some of the empty bottles out back and that it made us really sick. Q: Did you always know you would be part of the family business? It really happened when I was quite young that Len Evans (one of the first wine journalists in Australia) came to stay with us and I remember sitting on his knee one day and he asked, ‘What kind of wine are you going to make? ‘ and I said ‘A yummy one.’ So I was either already planning it or I was intimidated and did not want to disappoint him.

Q: Do your kids appear to have wine making inclinations? The first one couldn’t be bothered with it. The second one isn’t sure but the youngest one wants to for sure. She draws pictures and signs them off as Mia, Winemaker. She’s pretty keen on it. When I was young I was quite quiet. I used to make model airplanes and was creating stuff all of the time and that is what she is like. Q: Inspiration behind the wine names? I have a saying that I am deadly serious about the wine making up until the wines ends up in the bottle. Because really, what fun can you have after the cap goes on but play around with the names? Everyone who goes to drink it is going to have fun so why not make it more fun by playing around with the names. People ask me ‘How do you come up with the names?’ I always say ‘Never before 2 o’clock in the morning.’ Some of Chester’s Favorites: The Cenosilicaphobic Cat (Cenosilicaphobia is the fear of an empty glass.) Stephanie the Gnome with Rose Tinted Glasses Pinot Noir Cinsault Mourvedre The Swinging Malaysian Single Vineyard Shiraz. Q: Do you cook? Specialties? If you are a winemaker I think you kind of have to cook. You are working with different flavours the whole time. I make a spicy prawn thing on the barbecue. It is pretty basic: the prawns with only the tails marinated in good olive oil, ginger (lots) sweet chilli and garlic. Cook them on a really hot grill and they kind of get that caramel character which is nice. Q: I can’t be without my ... ? I would say phone but that is really boring … how about my wineglass. Q: How much wine do you produce in a year. About 300,000 dozen. Yeah and the only reason we sell wine is because I can’t drink it all!

“Yeah and the only reason we sell wine is because I can’t drink it all!” d’Arenberg’s Chester Osborn Photo by Kate Elmes

FOOD & WINE

The grit and the passion Leonie Porter-Nocella reveals the grit and passion that goes into making some of the McLaren Vale’s best wines from winemakers and 2012 Bushing Kings, Matt Koch and Andrew Locke of Rosemount Estate. We live in some of Australia’s most renowned wine growing regions; for example, at McLaren Vale the mixture of gentle slopes, steep hills and rich alluvial flats all combine with a temperate climate to produce near perfect grape-growing conditions. This year two Bushing Kings were crowned, and they’re both winemakers at Rosemount Estate. However, despite the fact that Rosemount now belongs to the Treasury Wine Estate, it is still a McLaren Vale winery, occupying the oldest winery building in McLaren Vale. The early owners of the winery produced its first vintage way back in 1888. The first Rosemount vintage was produced in 1974, giving them close to 40 years of continuous wine-making. As the cellar door is only seven kilometres north of McLaren Vale on Chaffey’s Road, the vineyard, winery and cellar door are all staffed by McLaren Vale locals; so although originally from the Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale is now very much Rosemount’s home. Angus McPherson, Managing Director of Rosemount Estate said of their performance at this year’s show: ‘The region produces great wines and is leading the charge for alternate varietals. The result bears testament to Rosemount’s wine quality and is outstanding recognition for our wine-making and viticulture team led by Matt Koch.’ When we asked Bushing Kings, Matt and Andrew what it was like working together (not to mention being crowned together) Matt replied that ‘we have worked together for 10 years now so we have a great understanding of each other’s style. In a fun way we enjoy taking the mickey out of each other ... which keeps it interesting.’

Andrew agreed. ‘It’s fun and interesting and there’s never a dull moment.’ But who actually handles the day in day out task of making the wine? ‘We handle different areas and ultimately all roads lead to the tasting bench, where, as a team we get to play creating wines for all to enjoy’. Matt and Andrew both love the last day of vintage. ‘It is the end of a very busy period – life can go back to normal and I can see my family again.’ Some of the hardest days in wine-making come during the final grading tastings; judging the quality of the vintage can mean around 120 to 150 wines per day. Although these days are the hardest, they are also the most rewarding, because all the hard work of growing and making comes to fruition with the reward being the taste. ‘The first day of vintage is hard as well, because that’s when you find out what’s working and what’s not!’ Matt loves it when he’s finally able to sit down with guests, friends or colleagues and enjoy great food and booze. Matt Koch started out in the cellar at Rosemount in ‘93, really enjoying ‘the vibe of the brand’. Andrew Locke came to Rosemount in 1998 ‘a little by accident’. He’d just come back from working in France and got a call for an interview. ‘A couple of weeks later I was working for Rosemount and I have never looked back.’

They knew they had nailed it with this year’s winning wines because of the consistency of the wines themselves. The nine trophies they received at the McLaren Vale Wine Show were for six different wines! Although Andrew knew the wines were good – great even – he was still a little bit surprised that the Mataro won the best wine. ‘My personal favourite is the GSM’, says Matt. He loves the way the three varieties interact. ‘While not unique to McLaren Vale, this style and these varieties, Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro, when blended, have the ability to champion McLaren Vale as a region.’ Andrew’s personal favourite is the Nursery Graciano Mataro Grenache blend ‘because it is so different and fresh.’ However, like Matt, he’s also very fond of the GSM ‘for sheer quality of style and value.’

‘The region produces great wines and is leading the charge for alternate varietals. The result bears testament to Rosemount’s wine quality and is outstanding recognition for our wine-making and viticulture team led by Matt Koch.’

Matt attributes his career path as a winemaker to ‘great parents who allowed me freedom to work out what I wanted to do! I studied wine-making at Roseworthy in the late ‘80s and then tried my hand at brewing, labouring, waiting, and as a bottle shop attendant before I landed on wine-making ... and haven’t looked back.’ For Andrew though, ‘the only reason I applied to study wine-making at Uni was that I had very good memories of holidaying in many different wine regions when I was growing up. It wasn’t my first choice, but I thought what the hell I’ll give it a go ... and I have never looked back either.’ IS IT IN THE BLOOD? Matt: ‘It’s in the blood now.’ Andrew: ‘It’s who I am now, and not what I do.’ HEROES? Matt: ‘The screw cap technology!’ Andrew: ‘My father, who gave me love and passion for wine, ‘and for dragging me around to all the different Australian wine regions in my school holidays as a young child.’

New faces on the Fleurieu Leonie Porter-Nocella visits Monika and Günter Bertram at Fleurida, their Inman Valley Boer Goat Stud.

‘But soon we realised that methods where yield and long shelf life took priority over quality produce, animals and sustainable practices were not for us.’ Monika and Günter’s story differs from many of our other local producers in that they actually migrated to the Fleurieu from Germany, with the sole purpose of living life the Fleurieu way! Monika’s own words are so raw and honest that we’ve included them verbatim in our story: ‘Our life style in Germany differed from the Fleurieu one totally. In the past we worked indoors – producing wood products and staircases in our factory and built them in for customers – all indoor work. Now we spend all day outside with our animals. We found on the Fleurieu what we have looked for: a new lifestyle – enjoying working in a natural environment. We want to preserve and improve the biodiversity of our property. One example of this: we fenced out the whole Inman River area, our 3 ephemeral streams and all 6 dams and regenerated these areas with indigenous species which we, the volunteer group ‘Friends of Newlands Head’ and the Inman River Catchment Group in association with the City of Victor Harbor have propagated from seed collected locally. We are so thankful that Victor Harbor has a Farmers’ Market. That connects us to the community, to customers and to other food producers. Because food was not readily available in East Germany (where we used to live) we grew our own meat, fruit and vegetables. Here on the Fleurieu we are doing the same for customers because the food tastes so much better when home grown. When in East Germany we both studied at university. Günter studied Inland Aquaculture and I studied livestock farming, animal husbandry. We worked in large-scale animal husbandry, fresh water fishing and also in poultry research. But soon we realised that methods where yield and long shelf life took priority over quality produce, animals and sustainable practices were not for us. So we changed to wood-working business. We are determined to raise our animals in a natural and healthy environment. Happy animals are healthy and the meat more flavoursome. We use organic fertiliser for our pastures and treat our animals with respect. It was not easy to leave family and friends in Germany, but we have made good friends here and everyone is helpful and friendly. For every one friend we waved goodbye in Germany, two new friends said hello here at the Fleurieu. People are so welcoming. We have visited many places in all states of Australia, but the place where we want to be is the Fleurieu with its mighty Red Gums, lush 96

Above: Monika Bertram feeds one of her Boer goats. Photograph by: Brent Tamblyn.

green pastures, rolling hills and wonderful beaches. The lifestyle is relaxed and friendly and the climate is wonderful.’ Monica and Günter’s son, Christian, had come to Adelaide as an exchange student in 1993 and was so taken by the lifestyle that he brought the rest of the family over for a visit. They in turn were so enchanted that they put their Berlin-based wooden staircase business on the market and applied for a visa to return permanently. Once here, the Bertram’s decided to breed Boer Goats – a South African Breed that is easily identifiable by its deep, warm-brown head with long floppy ears and stocky white body. They are quite unmistakable when spotted in the fields near Victor Harbor. The Bertram’s core business is to export breeding stock to overseas markets and supply the local area with a healthy meat choice. The farmed goats are usually 6-12 months old and sold (as meat) at the Victor Harbor Farmers’ Market every second and fourth Saturday of the month. Goat meat is known for being very lean, and is also high in iron and low in cholesterol. Along with the goats, Monika sells real free range eggs, her own yummy German cakes and her legendary traditional pickled cucumbers. Last season, Günter augmented this great selection when he began selling his yabbies at the Victor Harbor Farmers’ Market. Monika can be contacted at goats@fleurida.com

McLaren Vale Region Cellar Doors

‘Winemaking from the heart, it’s that simple’ Open Friday - Monday 11-5pm Open every day in January 2013 (except New Year’s Day)

184 Main Street, McLaren Vale T: 08 8323 8199 info@gemtreevineyards.com.au www.gemtreevineyards.com.au

Gaffney Road, Willunga, SA 5172 Ph (08) 8556 2441 www.battleofbosworth.com.au www.springseedwineco.com.au

“and splendid regional platters”

Olivers Road, McLaren Vale ph.+61 8 8323 9196 cellar@tapestrywines.com.au www.tapestrywines.com.au

McLaren Vale’s most stylish wine tasting experience primoestate.com.au Tel: 08 8323 6800

Taste the Paxton range of Biodynamic wines (rated 5 stars by James Halliday), wander the grounds or just sit on the deck while enjoying the view and a glass or two of the AAA Shiraz/ Grenache or the award winning Chardonnay with a cheese platter. Paxton Wines: Wheaton Rd, McLaren Vale Ph: (08) 8323 9131 Cellar door open 10am – 5pm 7 Days

Visit Yangarra’s cellar door on the northeastern edge of McLaren Vale and taste our estate wines including

The winner of the McLaren Vale Wine Show’s Chairman’s Trophy: Yangarra Old Vine Grenache 2011 Cellar door open daily excl. Christmas Day and New Years Day 10am-5pm | 809 Kangarilla Rd, Kangarilla www.yangarra.com 97

Fleurieu Weddings

Michael and Angela first met at Westminster School, fifteen years before meeting up again in ‘08. ‘We knew straight away we had found something special,’ said Angela.

Four years later Michael proposed on Angela’s birthday in January 2012, before whisking her away in a chauffeured vehicle to a beautiful restaurant for the night.

would be no need for overdone decorations, which would allow us to keep things simple’. They felt they had stumbled upon a gem.

‘He made me feel like an absolute princess and every romantic detail had been taken care of. He had kept it all a surprise and had even asked my parents’ permission prior to the proposal.’

Angela even visited the flower market on the Friday morning before their ceremony to hand-select the flowers for their centerpieces; arranging them in the many jars they had been collecting in the lead-up to the wedding. Their hard work certainly paid off.

On their hunt for a reception venue, they began looking in one of their favourite wine regions; the beautiful McLaren Vale area where they had spent many romantic weekends. One of the first locations they looked at was Penny’s Hill Winery ... and both fell instantly in love. They knew the country vibe created by the stone buildings, and the rustic surroundings would really suit their wedding ideas. ‘With an already stunning backdrop we knew there

With the support of the Penny’s Hill staff they planned their wedding over the following 9 months, keeping it simple yet elegant in detail. The couple laboured lovingly over the invitations and other details, hoping to give it that special personal touch.

The Bride wore a beautiful ivory strapless gown; the flower girl looked every bit the mini-me of her mum, the bridesmaids were dressed in classic black-laced dresses and the guys looked very dapper in their charcoal three-piece suits. The ceremony was held in the paddock behind the cellar door, in front of the stone foot bridge, looking out over the beautiful

vineyards, where even the sheep were gazing on. The signing table was a rustic wooden table and next to it was a ruby red velour lounge chair, both suggestions from Jo of Penny’s Hill. These stood out beautifully and made for some gorgeous photo opportunities. Between the ceremony, reception and pre dinner drinks, guests were treated to board games such as chess and scrabble for entertainment, while they took in the beautiful surrounds. ‘When we stepped into Drew’s verandah for the reception and were announced as Mr and Mrs White for the first time, it really took my breath away. It was even better than I had imagined it to be. The smile on my face would have completely given that away.’ Their passion for food and wine was evident in the amazing menu carefully selected from a tasting menu at Penny’s Hill. ‘We were more than happy with our choices for the night and so were our guests.’ Music, a passion shared by the couple, was provided by ‘The Shizzle’ who created a fun atmosphere that got everyone up to dance the night away. ‘Our wedding day was absolutely perfect. We wouldn’t have changed a thing. We both made sure we enjoyed the entire day, taking it all in; and what allowed us to do this was having exceptional suppliers and wonderful friends and family to celebrate with. What a day! Our friends and family are still raving about it … and we look forward to our first wedding anniversary lunch sitting there in the restaurant looking out over the paddock where we were married and reminiscing about what was one of the happiest days of our lives.’ Angela and Michael White 20th October 2012. 99

RETAIL

What to buy. SHOP LOCAL: Our small providores, cafes, wineries and boutique shops are chock full of great products. Unique and high quality items are available on your doorstep.

Holiday reading Various Prices Available at: South Seas Books & Trading 53 North Terrace Port Elliot 08 8554 2301

Dogstar Papershadow Tunic $149 Available at: Spock Sisters 30 High Street Willunga 08 8556 4403

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Holiday Trading & Co $210 Available at: House of Elliot 31 The Strand PORT ELLIOT SA 5212 08 8554 1958 www.thehouseofelliot.com.au

JOSEPH Extra Virgin Olive OIl and Vinegar $49 Available at: Primo Estate McMurtrie Road McLaren Vale 08 8323 6800

Where to buy it. The Carob Kitchen Available at: · Blessed Cheese, McLaren Vale · The Three Monkeys, Willunga · No.58 Cellar Door and Gallery, Port Elliot. www.thecarobkitchen.com.au

Hardback coffee table book. $75.00 Available at: Shakespeare’s Book & Coffee Shop Shop 3, 7 Gawler Street Port Noarlunga 08 8382 3343

Bird Made of Albesia wood Hand painted 28cm high $24.97 Available at: I Am Tall Poppy Shop 1/1 Aldinga Road Willunga SA 08 8556 2665

Artisan Cheesemakers Kit Large KIT $155 Small KIT $65 Available at: Blessed Cheese 150 Main Road McLaren Vale www.blessedcheese.com.au

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familiar possibilities, where the Welcome to a place of e that ’s as unique to provide an experienc er eth tog me co d cte and unexpe . as the destination itself ernight stay ffee can become an ov co ick qu a ere wh ce It’s a pla s hind the counter know because the person be at sunset, ne, that ’s best enjoyed a place that makes a wi s the sea. in a vineyard that kisse ww w.mclarenvale.info

Being Social: Ladies Long Lunch The McLaren Vale Ladies Long Lunch was held on the 14th of September 2012 at Yangarra Estate Barrel Shed. While the ladies enjoyed a delicious lunch, champagne, wine, fashion show and music, they raised funds for the Wayne Thomas Scholarship 2012.

Being Social: FLM Spring Issue Launch On the 11th of September 2012, FLM launched their Spring Issue at Pennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hill. Great wine and fantastic hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres from The Kitchen Door were enjoyed by all.

01: Tina Wright, Emily Sheperd and Rachel Witrow 02: Peter Ali, Doug Govan and Mike Brown 03: Libby Kentish and Julie Harry 04: Nathan Gogoll, Stephen Knoll and Charlotte Williams 05: Kaya Reeves and Shelley Torresan 06: Luke Muir and Philp Parkins 07: Alecia Dabrowski and Brendan Moriarty 08: Adam Jacobs, Phillip Tanner and Chester OsbornChester 09: Petra de Mooy 10: Sande Bruce, Charles Rubenhold, John Barker and Leonie Hick 11: Barry Clarke, Lynne Kajar, Locky Stock, Damien Smith and Geoffrey Hutchinson 12: Graham Jenkins and Andy Chaplin. 103

SOCIAL PAGES

Being Social: All That Jazz On September 23 FLM attended a Fundraising Fashion Parade at the Royal Family Hotel in Port Elliot. The event featured entertainment from Hans (aka Matt Gilbertson) and fabulous summer fashions from All That Jazz. All proceeds from the event went to arts organisation, Connect and Create – Art and Wellbeing Program at Goolwa. Despite the inclement weather, it was a packed house and a lot of fun was had by all.

Being Social: CARTeSIAN McLaren Vale Wine Show Boasting a record 700 entries this year, the Wine Show luncheon was held at Penny’s Hill Winery on the 26th of October. With a proud history spanning 39 years, the 2012 CARTeSIAN McLaren Vale Show is one of the most significant regional wine shows in Australia, culminating in the crowning of the McLaren Vale ‘Bushing King/Queen’ at the famous Winemakers’ Bushing Luncheon.

01: Jude Jackson and Liz Catchlove 02: Kelly Taylor and Lena Thumm 03: Hans 04: Mother and daughter; Jody Thomas and Elle Salvati 05: Gaenor Williams, Ariana Kiermeier and Sue Sanders. 06: Chester Osborn and Scott Hicks 07 Kendall Deane and Traci Ayris 08: Jess Hardy, Tash Stoodley and Andrea Van Zyl 09: Bruce Abernethy, Megan Leaney, Katerina Roberts and Leon Bignell MP 10: Josh Stuart, Jen Russell and Bodhi Edwards 11: Sam Davidson and Justin Dry. 104

Being Social: Eat Local On Wednesday 24th October the official launch of Eat Local was held at the Elbow Room. This is a program designed to promote the use of local food on local menus and shelves throughout regional South Australia. Eat Local is a state-wide program that will continue to grow until all regions are involved. Look out for the Eat Local sticker on the doors of participating businesses and ... eat local!

Being Social: Kink Goes Pink Kink Hair Salon in Victor Harbor, celebrated it’s 5th birthday on Friday, the 19th of October, hosting a fundraising event ‘Kink Goes Pink’ raising funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. .

01: David O’Loughlin, Jan Angas and Leon Bignell MP 02: Louise Hains, Katherine, Phil and Grier Warrick 03: Christina Belperio, Emily White, Nari Chandler and Julie Gregory 04: Margie Oliver, Steph Dutton, Corrina Wright, Kim Jackson and Nicky Connolly 05: Catherine Barnett (Food SA), Hon Minister Gail Gago MP, Nigel Rich (The Elbow Room) and Jan Angas (Regional Food Industry Association) 06: Tony Parkinson and Pip Forrester 07: John Griffen, Rob Heaslip and Ian Osborne 08: Pam Lindschau and Anthony Caggiano 09: Arora Lumsden, Emma Gilbert and Nadia Haddrick 10: Kerry Lang, Tania Heaslip and Cathy Griffen 11: Leonie Giles and Julie Evers 12: Natasha Adams and Deb Alexander. 105

SOCIAL PAGES

Being Social: Lake Breeze Wines On October the 28th, FLM attended the Annual Lake Breeze Picnic. The first wines at Lake Breeze were produced in 1987 and from these humble beginnings Lake Breeze has become one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most awarded boutique wineries. FLM was there to help them celebrate 25 years with a perfect day accompanied by great food, fine wine and music from Dino Jag.

Being Social: Cru, Cheese and Chocolate On October the 14th, FLM attended Cru, Cheese and Chocolate on the lawns at the Victory Hotel. Vale Cru are a group of high quality small batch McLaren Vale winemakers. Vale Cru producers are Brash Higgins, Ulithorne, WayWood, Battle of Bosworth, Lazy Ballerina, Rudderless, Five Geese, Geddes, La Curio, Old Faithful, Vigna Bottin, Samuelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gorge, J&J Wines, Inkwell and Maximus. Yum.

01: Heather Webster, Jackie Lin, and Connie Berg 02: Ken Follett and daughter-in-law Robyn Follett 03: (Left to right) Nikki Hodge, Gary Hodge, Jill Fischer, Paul Fischer and Liz Hodge 04: Jessica McCarthy and Carolyn Harvey 05: Rosemary, Steve and Elissa Argue 06: Dino Jag 07: Angela Cook and Derek Brown 08: Bronwyn Peterson and Fiona Stevens 09: Tim Geddes and Justin McNamee 10: Richard Leask and Lulu Lunn 11: Samantha Czajka, Andrew McLeod, Stuart Meldrum, Pete Bannatyne and Alison Forbes 12: Stuart and Charmaine Palmer.

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Being Social: Fabulous 60’s Fashion Parade Fundraiser FLM attended a Fabulous 60’s Fashion Parade Fundraiser for Friends of the Women’s & Children’s Hospital & Victor Harbor/Goolwa Auxiliary at McCracken Convention Centre. The fashion parade showcased an extensive private retro collection.

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01a ~ f: Fashion Parade Strip 02: Leonie Giles, Nadia Haddrick, Arora Lumsdea (Backstage Models) 03: Susie Steele, Rosemary McLeod, Di Dutton (organiser) - Sub Committee 04: Jane Thorogood, Leonie Giles - Models 05: Matt Harry, Mark Skanes, Chris Dutton 06: Bill Steele, Frank Ackland-Prpic 07: Cash Vincent, Dina Watts 08: Wendy Gallard, Carolyn Pratt, Sue Maxwell, Sue Kruger 09: Darren Lowe, Danna Kent.

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recommends:

AGATHA’S Agatha’s Licensed Cafe has long been a household name in Port Noarlunga. Known for its rustic, casual beach feel with great food and friendly service it is the place to be for breakfast or lunch. Enjoy tapas, fresh juices, fruit smoothies, great coffee, wines for any occasion, and now their new summer menu. Open 8.30am - 4pm, 7 days and Thurs, Fri, Sat nights during summer. 1 Gawler St. Port Noarlunga. Ph: 83844393 www.agathascafe.com.au

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

FLEURIEU CHERRIES At Fleurieu Cherries they offer the freshest of cherries, picked and sorted by hand and always picked at peak flavour for sale at the farm gate. If you prefer you may also pick your own, subject to fruit availability. Check the website for daily updates. www.fleurieucherries.com The cherry season runs from December to early January. Use Google maps to find the location. Just look for the giant cherries on the wagon!

EAT AT WHALERS ... and take in the million dollar views while breathing in the salty air and enjoying frosty glasses of your favourite beverage. Eat, drink, relax and savour all they have on offer. Tittilate your tastebuds ... as well as all your other senses. Encounter friendly faces topping up your glass, or at the next table. You’ll celebrate life to the fullest at Whalers! 121 Franklin Parade, Encounter Bay. For summer trading hours please contact them on 8552 4400 or www.whalers.com.au

VALE ALE Vale Ale is a South Australian beer company that brews the award-winning VALE/ALE, VALE/IPA, VALE/DRK ... and the most recent addition, VALE/LGR. All beers in the range are interesting interpretations of wellknown styles, designed to be enjoyed by beer aficionados and discoverers alike. And, as any good beer company would, they own an inn — the VALE/INN Taphouse & Kitchen, serving great honest food to match their versatile range of brews. 5 McMurtrie Road McLarenVale SA. (08) 8323 8769 valeinn@mvbeer.com

VICTORY HOTEL B&Bs The Victory Hotel now offers you stylish, contemporary, hosted accommodation. A stone’s throw away from the worldrenowned McLaren Vale wine region, and just three minutes from the beaches (with stunning sea views from the balcony). The B&Bs were built in 2007 and designed with couples in mind. Main South Road Sellicks Beach, SA Phone: 08 8556 3083 Mobile: 0419 034 541 Email: vichot@bigpond.com www.victoryhotel.com.au

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