Fleurieu Living Magazine Autumn 2014 by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd

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

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE www.fleurieuliving.com.au

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The town that slate built

Eat Local Embracing the seasonal goodness of the region Swamp People Janine Mackintosh Meshing art with space McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

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Key Personnel 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!

Jason Porter Jason has worked as a graphic designer and creative director both locally and overseas for more than twenty five years. When not in the office, he can usually be found in the garage tweaking some kind of hi-fi component. Leonie Porter-Nocella Ever the fantasist, Leonie sees her mission here as akin to ‘the Cleaner’ (the person summoned to clean a crime scene before the detectives arrive) ... leaving no trace of any (grammatical or stylistic) crime. She is also Oma Leonie (Monie) to Lucy! Perscia Maung After years of moonlighting as a blues singer and keeping rather anti-social hours, Perscia now enjoys her day job at FLM. This allows her to not only walk her Great Dane on the beach, but to properly take in the region she so adores.

Featured Contributors Heidi Linehan Heidi Linehan is a ‘location photographer’, working with clients worldwide. She loves photography and loves travelling − so has combined these twin loves into work. On occasion her family gets to go with her too. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it. Well ... sometimes. Her favourite shoot this issue was the Wedd/DeRosa house in Port Elliot. Every corner revealed some rich, colourful, engaging and unexpected delight. The shoot that ‘rocked the most adventure’ this issue, involved ferrying over to KI one stormy day to photograph the KI Source Cooking School. The ride was, err, ‘curly’ (to put it in the mildest of terms).

James Howe James Howe is a freelance journalist and photographer. His two main areas of expertise are fishing and surfing – but when he runs out of money and needs to work, he covers issues ranging from human rights violations in Africa to cheese making. He has written articles and photographed in such places as Botswana, Spain, England and Lord Howe Island. For this issue of Fleurieu Living he gets knee-deep with some bona fide swamp people and tails sheepdog trainers Milton and Stefan Cross. James and his wife Joanna, and kids Laura and Jesse, are currently having fun renovating their much-loved home in Port Noarlunga.

Publisher Information Zannie Flanagan AM Zannie has spent the last 30 years passionately driving the development of the Fleurieu Peninsula’s food industry. Her entrepreneurial approach to the food industry resulted in the establishment of two restaurants, a fine food export business, an award-winning regional olive oil label and a food marketing and development consultancy. In 2001 Zannie realised that the success and development of a truly sustainable regional food industry would depend on local access to the region’s produce, so she set about establishing South Australia’s first community-owned farmers’ market in Willunga and then went on to establish the Adelaide Farmers’ Market at the Wayville Showground, providing producers with two bites at the retail cherry! Zannie writes regularly for Rural Press and is a regular contributor to Fleurieu Living. In 2011 Zannie was awarded the Order of Australia for her contribution to food culture in South Australia.

Other contributing writers and photographers Quentin Chester, Billy Doecke, Pip Forrester, Robert Geh, Robert Godden, Gill Gordon Smith, emme jade, Stephanie Johnston, Mike Lucas, Heather Millar, Kathy Nicholas, Winnie Pelz and James Potter.

PUBLISHER Fleurieu Living Magazine is published four times a year by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd. ISSN 2200-4033 PUBLISHING EDITOR AND MANAGING DIRECTOR Petra de Mooy petra@fleurieuliving.com.au EDITOR Leonie Porter-Nocella leonie@fleurieuliving.com.au ADVERTISING SALES Perscia Maung perscia@fleurieuliving.com.au ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Cathy Phillips 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 POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 7, Sellicks Beach, South Australia 5174. ONLINE fleurieuliving.com.au facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine twitter.com/FleurieuLiving COPYRIGHT All content copyright Fleurieu Living Magazine Pty Ltd unless otherwise stated. While Fleurieu Living Magazine takes every care to ensure the accuracy of information in this publication, the publisher accepts no liability for errors 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

FEATURED HOME: Wedd/DeRosa House – Through the Port Elliot looking glass.

FEATURED ARTIST: Janine Mackintosh – Meshing art with space

FOOD AND WINE

MARKETS & EVENTS

BOOKS

08 Markets and Festivals to keep you busy this Autumn.

44 Book Reviews – Great picks for Autumn reading.

18 Falling from Grace: new location – same ethos.

COUNTRY LIFE

LIVING GREEN

22 Eat Local – Embracing the seasonal goodness of the region.

64 Swamp People: Tim Vale and John Gitsham give us the down low on Fleurieu swamps.

26 The Dirt – James ponders his own piece of dirt.

Chefs and Cooks – Darren Knill: A new take on Surf and Turf and Emily Salkeld: Small World, Big Taste.

73 In Season: Ode to Figs. 55 Coffee, Tea – A best of the Fleurieu survey.

32 BUSINESS PROFILE: 28 Dog on trial: Milton and Stefan Cross on ResourceCo – Recycling, repurposing their quest for a champion. and reusing. 34 KI Source: Sharing the spoils of an unspoiled island.

FEATURED TOWN: Willunga – The town that slate built

FEATURE: Eat Local – Embracing the seasonal goodness of the region.

FEATURED ARTIST: Stewart Roper – a love story of a place and it’s people.

FRONT COVER: Delabole Road Church, photographed by Robert Geh.

GROWERS & PRODUCERS

PENINSULA PEOPLE

BEING SOCIAL

14 The Scoop on fresh Fleurieu food.

74 Nadia Cusimano – Performer, artist, dancer.

60 Matchett Productions: Still micro, still locally grown, still handcrafted.

WEDDINGS 82 Sarah and Josh Fernihough December 21, 2013

46 Greg Mackie – 50 days of thinking things Fleurieu.

FLM gets out to see who was at the Summer events: · FLM Summer Launch Party · Beachside Food and Wine Festival · Harvest Festival · Love Velo · The ‘Surf” World Record Attempt · DeeVine Studio Launch

ACKNOWLEDGES

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

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Welcome to FLM The Autumn issue of FLM was created in record time. After almost two years in business and a very busy pre-summer, the team took a much needed break ... and after the kids went back to school it was all on! This issue of FLM has an abundance of food. Food producers, cooks, chefs, recipes, cafés and restaurants – even a piece on where to find top tea and coffee. As the magazine grows, we are changing and adapting to whatever comes to the fore ... and considering how much rural land we have on the Fleurieu, we think the producers are truly the lifeblood of the region. Visiting various farms, often off the beaten track, to see what happens behind the scenes gives us a greater appreciation of the hard work that goes into the all things yummy. After record breaking temperatures, extreme wind and even a late spring hailstorm, these folk need to be made of extra tough stuff. Hats off to them we say. One of our personal favourites is Floss, the dog starring in James Howe’s article ‘Dog on Trial’. We love seeing the kids getting stuck into work too. What great life experience for them – and hopefully a start to the young growers and producers of tomorrow. We also take a look at our very own ‘Swamp People’ – Fleurieu style. When the Conservation Council of SA contacted us and asked if we would do a story on swamp management on the Fleurieu, we were quite surprised to hear of the existence of this delicate eco system. And when we realised we have our own swamp people, we were ‘in’. It turns out that these guys are highly educated (and bathe regularly) ... so they were not quite the Bayou types we love to watch on television ... but interesting and swamp-knowledgeable (despite their cleanliness and education)! Enjoy! Eat! The FLM team

Letters to the Editor Dear Petra, I have been intending to drop you a line for ages – something always seems to interrupt my good intention. Christine and I wish to thank you for your efforts with the article in the current edition of Fleurieu Living. While neither of us is very good at reading about ourselves (a bit like my loathing of photos of me!) You have managed to convey the story very well. I trust you and your family had an enjoyable festive season and looking forward to Mad March. Thank you and best regards, Steve Grieves PS: We have subscribed to FLM for the next two years. Hello, Great-looking magazine with interesting content! Ara Nalbandian Hi Petra, I would like to invite you to the official opening of our brand new ‘DeeVine Studio’ in McLaren Vale on Sunday 16th February at 10am. Your gorgeous magazine is exactly the look we are going for, and is the perfect clientele we wish to promote to. We have the McLaren Vale Hospital CEO David Fechner and Leon Bignell MP to unveil the sign at the front of the building, followed by live music, henna tattoos, yoga demonstrations, tribal dance demonstration, wine, healthy food, door prizes, photo booth yogastyle! ... and other goodies. Thank you for reading, and warmest regards, Dee Reynolds Hi Leonie, Thanks for your lovely piece. Emily Salkeld (Small World Bakery) Hi Leonie, That is a great article. Thank you so much. Thank you also for the tribute to Duncan (Two Dogs). I know he loved a drink, and I loved his spirit. SA will miss this great Icon! Warm regards, Vic (Vicki Matchett Productions).

In our last issue we paid homage to the craftsmanship of Vince Scarfo and his magnificent Diana olive oil. Sadly, we now pay tribute to Vince and his brother in law, Luigi Palombo, who failed to return from their fishing trip to Cape Jervis into the often treacherous Backstairs Passage (between the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island). Both men were highly regarded in the food and wine culture of the Fleurieu and beyond. Our hearts go out to the family.

MARKETS AND 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.

Little Berry Vintage and Artisan Markets At the Rosemount Estate Cellar door on the first Sunday of every month. Browse the local vintage and artisans’ stalls with a glass in hand, or grab a bite to eat and enjoy some tunes inside. There’s always something for the kids here too!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Goolwa Wharf Market Goolwa Wharf – each 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.

Left: Native flowers for sale at the Willunga Farmers Market. Photo courtesy Alice Bell.

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. The Craft and Produce Market features 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, the temptation of 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. The Vale Market Where: McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre When: 9am to 1pm. First and third Sunday of every month. Held at the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre, the market features locally-made produce and products, wine, art and craft, and hand-made souvenirs. It is the perfect showcase of all our region has to offer. The Vale Market is family friendly, and features live entertainment by buskers and local acts.

Festivals and Events: Clayton Bay Rat Race Regatta Where: Clayton Bay Boat Club, Clayton Bay When: Saturday 22nd – 23rd March The Rat Race Regatta was born several years ago when a couple of local sailors had an impromptu race in the waters near Clayton Bay and Rat Island. The race starts in the Goolwa Channel from Clayton, continues through Snug Cove, across Marshall’s Bight, behind Rat Island and then back to Clayton. Working Sheepdog Trials Where: Nine Mile Road, Strathalbyn When: Saturday 29th – Sunday 30th March Time: 8:30am to 4:30pm both days. Free Family Event The working sheepdog trials showcase some of the best working sheepdogs and handlers in South Australia. Come and watch as the dogs work five sheep through a series of obstacles in a fifteen minute time frame. Meadows Four Day Easter Fair Where: Meadows Memorial Hall, Main Street, Meadows When: Friday 18th April – Monday 21st April Time: 9am to 5pm both days. Free Family Event The Meadows four day Easter fair will host stalls and a large treasure market with local produce, clothing, books, plants, ceramics, with animals on display and much more. Bring the family for a free outing with plenty of good country food and teas. Willunga Waldorf School Autumn Fair Where: 1 Jay Drive, Willunga When: Saturday 5th April Free Family Event

Filled with stalls, games, food, entertainment and more, the Willunga Waldorf School Autumn Fair is a fun day out for the whole family. Kangaroo Island Festival Where: Various locations across Kangaroo Island When: Thursday 24th – Monday 28th April The annual Kangaroo Island FEASTival is a six-day culinary and viticultural adventure featuring a range of pop-up dining events and experiences staged in a collection of wilderness and private locations around Kangaroo Island. Anzac Day Dawn Services Where: Victor Harbor – McLaren Vale – Yankalilla When: Friday 25th April Time: 5:45am Come and commemorate the ANZACs at a dawn service, held at various locations throughout the Fleurieu, with the Cross of Fire Sacrifice followed by a ‘gunfire’ breakfast. McLaren Vale Vintage & Classic Where: Various wineries and cellar doors around McLaren Vale When: Saturday 5th – Sunday 6th April Voted Community Event of the Year in 2011, and winner of a bronze award from the SA Tourism Awards in 2011, the McLaren Vale Vintage & Classic is a great family celebration of vintage and classic motoring. Enjoy a great mix of gourmet food, world-class wines, music and the arts in the relaxed atmosphere of McLaren Vale’s wineries and cellar doors. >

Langhorne Creek Winemakers Wine Judging and Showcase Tasting Where: The Grand Marquee, Langhorne Creek Memorial Oval When: Sunday 4th May Time: 11am to 4pm Cost: $15 Enjoy a day out and sample the best of the wine entered in the 2014 Langhorne Creek winemakers’ showcase. Food is available throughout the day and selected wines will be available to purchase and take home. McLaren Vale BankSA Sea and Vines Festival Where: McLaren Vale region When: Saturday 7th – Monday 9th June Come and celebrate the renowned wine district of McLaren Vale at the annual McLaren Vale BankSA Sea and Vines Festival where SA’s premier chefs and restaurants will feed all your senses and local wineries will open their cellar doors, wines and share stories. Willunga’s 175th anniversary celebrations – Discover Willunga Fair Where: Willunga Recreation Park, Main Road, Willunga When: Sunday 4th May Time: 10am to 6pm Cost: Gold coin donation Come and celebrate Willunga’s 175th anniversary at the Fair. The fair will showcase Willunga’s best features — its history, the present, and its future potential. In addition to the displays by clubs and businesses the Fair will consist of many ‘novelty events’, such as a Rose competition, Largest Pumpkin, Almond Cracking competition and many other such events that were a feature of Almond Blossom Festivals of old.

Right: Anyone for grapes? Photograph by Alice Bell courtesy of the Willunga Farmers’ Market. 10

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The whole idea came about from wanting to help chefs get local produce onto the menus.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Photographs by emme jade.

Heather Millar meets Rachel McMillan for

The Scoop on fresh Fleurieu food Rachel McMillan is a specialist consultant in food seasonality who works closely with both growers and chefs on the Fleurieu to deliver the freshest and tastiest produce all year round. She tells Heather Millar about how her business Scoop SA came to be, and her new venture as a grower and primary producer. It was when Rachel McMillan decided to change careers a decade ago that Scoop SA was born. After a career in hotel management that saw her become the youngest-ever General Manager of a 5-star hotel in Adelaide, she planned to return to college to study garden design. But she needed to make some cash to support her studies. It was through talking to some of her chef friends that she saw a gap in the market: there was no-one providing the direct link between restaurants and producers on the Fleurieu Peninsula where she lived. Rachel thought she could perhaps make an income to support her studies by working a couple of days a week distributing fresh local produce to restaurants. ‘The whole idea came about from wanting to help chefs get local produce onto their menus,’ says Rachel. She started talking to the chefs and identifying their needs, and making contacts with producers of fresh fine foods and herbs on the Peninsula. Then, with a refrigerated truck and a clear vision, Scoop began business. ‘From the beginning, it was consuming,’ laughs Rachel. ‘I never made it back to college!’ Ever since, the business has built through word of mouth, because ‘the chefs are passionate about what they are using on their menus, and about using local produce.’ Rachel grew up around food, hospitality and fresh country produce. Her family owned a holiday farm in the Snowy Mountains, and Rachel was used to seeing Mum cook for 40 guests. ‘She was a really good gardener as well,’ says Rachel, who honed her skills in those early days, helping her parents out. Previous page: Rachel McMillan, specialist consultant in food seasonality. Right: Rachel with Beth Busbridge (in van) and Rachel’s daughter Alexandra McKay.

Today she sources products ranging from garden-fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, artisan cheeses, oils, olives and more from all over the Fleurieu for delivery to some of the SA’s best restaurants, including Magill Estate and Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, as well as 40 or so restaurants and cafes on the Fleurieu. She also recently took over the growing operations of Herbivorous, so has become a primary producer herself. From her shade houses in Aldinga she is cultivating a selection of herbs, flowers and salad greens to supply to restaurants. ‘We’re increasing the diversity of what we’re able to supply – lots of edible flowers, wild strawberries, herbs of all kinds. We are growing society garlic, for example. Magill Estate asked me for some a while back, and I didn’t even know what it was. My neighbour on Sellicks Hill, who has just about everything in her garden, had it though! So now we’re growing that here. ‘And I can put in extra things too – that the chefs don’t know about ... Simon Bryant, who I worked with at the Hilton years ago – he’s a wealth of knowledge, and he often advises me on what I could be growing. >

‘We’ve got a bit of a permaculture thing happening as well: we can grow herbs like watercress; then when they go on to the flower stage, we can use the flower as well. We collect everything from seeds to food scraps from restaurants and there is a constant nutrient flow through the business.’ Rachel also runs a stall at the Victor Harbor Farmers’ Market each Saturday, and is the Chair of Fleurieu Food. These days she employs a number of people to help with distribution and various other aspects of the business. She also has a daughter, Alexandra, nearly four, to take care of. ‘The lifestyle Scoop provides me is great,’ she says. ‘I can be with Alexandra, and still run the business. Sure, it’s a juggle, but you make it work! I love growing things − it’s de-stressing and really therapeutic. I love living down here and seeing the seasonality of life on the Fleurieu.’ ‘Part of my role with Scoop, and with Fleurieu Food, is teaching people about seasonality. People come to the market looking for tomatoes in the middle of winter! I have to take a step back and realise most people are not in the world that I’m in. My whole life is about seasonality. I work with the chefs on their menus, and it’s appreciating that seasonality affects the availability of certain foods, and when weather conditions are affecting crops … which in turn will affect the menus.’ Rachel also works with the growers to increase the biodiversity of produce available. As consumers demand more variety, growers are able to plant a greater range of heirloom and rare fruit and vegetables, knowing there will be a market for their fine produce. ‘It’s been really interesting watching some of the Fleurieu producers grow over the last decade – like Denise [Riches] from Hindmarsh Valley Dairy. Some of the cheeses she creates are amazing.’

Above: Rachel has recently taken over the growing operations of ‘Herbivorous’.

Like Rachel, Denise likes working with chefs and creating new products for them. ‘We’ve created maybe two dozen new products for restaurants in the area. Simon Bryant was doing a special lunch at Angoves, and spoke to us about creating something bespoke for it, so Denise made a Manchego style cheese, washed in Angove’s wine. ‘It’s really encouraging as Chair of Fleurieu Food to see the amount of recognition the area is getting as a food and wine destination. In Gourmet Traveller, of the ten “recognised” regional restaurants in SA, we have four; and in The Advertiser awards for best regional restaurants, many of them were right here on the Fleurieu. “It’s also great for Scoop of course – the more popular the restaurants in the area, the more work there is for Scoop!’

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Falling from Grace:

new location â&#x20AC;&#x201C; same ethos Story by Gill Gordon-Smith CSW. Photography by emme jade.

Fall from Grace wine-education/tasting started in McLaren Vale in 2009. My own ‘fall from grace’ was leaving a very well-paid Qantas job to follow my two passions: wine and education. I’ve been extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to taste and visit many of the world’s wine regions while show-casing the best of Australian wines on Qantas. I haven’t regretted a day since hanging up my wings. I now get to live my obsession on a daily basis. After five years our wine business was offered an opportunity to move from a tiny shop next to Blessed Cheese in McLaren Vale, to High Street, Willunga. The location change gave us a bigger shop, a very supportive landlord – neighbouring artist and gallery owner Irene Dougan – a garden, and the chance to showcase some of the up-and-coming smaller producers of the Fleurieu – the Dreamers and Believers who make this region so remarkable.

Above: On Friday nights from 5-9 you can meet some of the small producers as they share their wines in a casual atmosphere.

We retail a hand-picked selection of benchmark and innovative international wines that are produced with minimal intervention – for the most part, organic, biodynamic and natural. We teach Wine Education in addition to showcasing small, exceptional, local producers whose focus is on alternative varieties. The teaching aspect includes TAFE Cellar Door courses, RSA, Italian and French wine and language courses, as well as internationally-accredited Wine and Spirit Education Trust courses, from basic to advanced levels. We enjoy providing an opportunity for the public to taste some of the Fleurieu’s innovative and emerging winemakers’ labels. From 5-8pm on Friday nights we present free tastings where you meet the producer and try something a little diverse in an inclusive, casual and educational atmosphere. On Sundays we showcase a different small producer from 11-4pm in the garden or the cellar door. We are also the tasting room for Willunga 100 wines – major sponsors of the 175-year Willunga celebration. Some of these small, unique producers include:

After five years our wine business was offered an opportunity to move from a tiny shop next to Blessed Cheese in McLaren Vale, to High Street, Willunga.

• Eccolo: Mark Day is well known for his Amarone-style wines made under his Koltz Label. With years of experience both locally and in Italy, he is producing exciting, vibrant and extremely drinkable wines from Italian varieties such as Garganega, Sangiovese and Sagrantino.

The location change gave us a bigger shop, a very supportive landlord – neighbouring artist and gallery owner Irene Dougan – a garden, and the chance to showcase some of the up-and-coming smaller producers of the Fleurieu – the Dreamers and Believers who make this region so remarkable.

• Year wines: Luke Growden and Caleigh Hunt are the young family behind this tiny label gaining momentum as well as great reviews for their hand-crafted wines. Attention to detail and integrity shape an exquisite expression of McLaren Vale old-vine Grenache. • Springs Hill: Although crafting extremely good wines, Antony and Gary Waite also grow stunning fruit and supply some of the biggest names in the business. Their own wines, made using their Cabernet, Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre, tend to be textural, concentrated and classic. >

• Bekkers Wines: Toby and Emmanuel Bekkers are a renowned viticulturist and winemaking team producing exceptional, handcrafted Grenache and Shiraz from McLaren Vale fruit. With a philosophy of excellence, provenance and a determination to produce outstanding wines from the region, their wines are age-worthy, elegant and made in very small quantities.

• Lino Ramble: The inspired work of musician Angela Townsend and winemaker Andy Coppard. With skills honed in France , Margaret River and Kay Bros McLaren Vale, this team delivers a journey back to childhood with titles like Ludo, Red Rover and Treadlie on the labels. In the bottle you’ll find delicious examples of Rhône blends with pure drinkability.

• Parous: Matt Head has worked for many iconic wineries and in his own label the focus is on meticulous fruit selection. Parous showcases traditional varieties such as Shiraz and Grenache, along with new classics such as Fiano and Tempranillo.

• Jauma: James Erskine is a soil scientist, winemaker, musician, sommelier, and has led the Adelaide Review hot 100 for the past four years. His own labels source Chenin and Grenache from Blewitt Springs, making natural, lovely wines with great drinkability. An inspiring and humble bloke. Awesome wines.

• Dodgy Bros: This label prompts many a comment, but the wine speaks of ‘place’ via well-known viticulturist Peter Bolte, grower Pete Sommerville and the judicious winemaking skills and palate of AWRI sensory analyst, Wes Pearson. Together the not-so-dodgy team has started to gain recognition for crafting their unique and very drinkable versions of the classics. • The Good Doctor: The Good Doctor’s Tonic is medicine for the heart and soul. Local doctor, Matt Brown, moonlights as a winemaker and has been doing so for some years. Wonderful, rich, lip-smacking wines. • Waywood: Waywood is the story of ex-London sommelier, Andrew Wood, who fell in love with wine and an Australian girl. He now makes a selection of wines in McLaren Vale, including a superb, savoury Nebbiolo and a wonderfully textural Cabernet Franc.

• Beach Rd: FFG is about to lose one of its favourite labels to their own cellar door in McLaren Vale, which is fantastic for them – and the whole point of FFG. Briony Hoare makes gorgeous, ‘over-delivering’ wines from classic and alternative varieties which are included among our favourites. www.fallfromgrace.com.au for a list of events, classes and tastings. Open Friday, Sat and Sun. Contact: gill@fallfromgrace.com.au Telephone: 08 8556 2590 29a High Street, Willunga.

EAT LIKE A LOCAL We know you are passionate about eating and buying authentic South Australian food. So we’ve created an easy way for you to find it on menus and in stores across the state Eat Local SA. www.tapestrywines.com.au

Eat Local SA promotes venues choosing to use South Australian ingredients - from restaurants and pubs, to cellar doors, farm gates and retail.

Views over McLaren Vale, rolling vines as far as the eye can see, and the stunning coastline beyond

Look for the Eat Local SA signs as you travel around the regions. Or plan your Eat Local SA itinerary by visiting our website and downloading our app.

Award winning wines displaying the true essence of the region

eatlocalsa.com.au /eatlocalsa Search for Eat Local SA

Enjoy our delicious regional platters served daily on the deck Come visit us today Tapestry Vineyards Pty Ltd, Olivers Road, McLaren Vale, SA 5171

HUNGRY FOR VISITORS?

Telephone +61 08 8323 9196 Fax: +61 08 8323 9746 cellar@tapestrywines.com.au www.tapestrywines.com.au

Fleurieu Peninsula venues do you serve or sell SA food? Join Eat Local SA to help attract visitors hungry for new culinary experiences to your door.

CELLAR DOOR · PLATTERS · FUNCTIONS · PICNIC AREA

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FOOD AND WINE

EAT LOCAL

Embracing the seasonal goodness of the region Story by Pip Forrester.

For those interested in matters culinary, it is good to see the increased emphasis on seasonal produce and the value placed on its local provenance. That, together with the abundance of produce in the regions of South Australia, gave birth to the ‘Eat Local’ concept. And for those of us who are fortunate enough to live on or to visit the Fleurieu Peninsula looking for a local food experience, the ‘Eat Local’ program is a fabulous guide. With dozens of participating businesses, the Fleurieu is well represented. There are food experiences to be had and purchases to be made in restaurants, cafes, providores, cellar doors and bakeries. They are scattered across the whole Peninsula, from the peri-urban McLaren Vale wine region, to the dairy country in the heart of the Peninsula as well as in the holiday playground of the South Coast. Anywhere we travel on the Peninsula we can find food establishments that give us a taste of the region. The ‘Eat Local’ program, the genesis of which can been found in the network of food groups across the State (more of this later), has been put together and managed by Food South Australia, an industry-and government-funded agency for the development and promotion of South Australian food. 22

Using ‘on the ground’ signage and a website, the initiative is designed to alert visitors and locals to businesses that feature local produce. For restaurants, the menu must have at least one dish featuring local ingredients and information about the product and the producer. For providores, they must stock a minimum of ten local products – either fresh or value-added. The objective of the program is to be as inclusive as possible and to encourage food businesses to seek and use the produce from their region. Of course, some areas have a greater abundance and variety of produce, but every region has some specialty or some product that is a pleasure to experience in its own locale. There are twelve South Australian regions covered by the program, with most listed in the categories of: restaurant; café; pub; deli; bakery; butcher; cellar door; farm gate or retail. The website, www.eatlocalsa.com.au provides background information on the regions and their specialities. It also identifies individual business details by category so we can locate the experiences for ourselves. As an alternative, the participating businesses can be identified by the strong black and white ‘Eat Local’ signs they display outside their premises. South Australia is blessed with great depth and breadth in its food produce. We know that agriculture, particularly on a broad scale, is a key driver for our economy, but the small, fresh food producer,

There are twelve South Australian regions covered by the program, with most listed in the categories of: restaurant; café; pub; deli; bakery; butcher; cellar door; farm gate or retail. The website, eatlocalsa.com.au provides background information on the regions and their specialities. It also identifies individual business details by category so we can locate the experiences for ourselves.

along with the ‘value-add’ hospitality and retail food businesses in each of our regions also form a critical element of the food landscape in the State. They, in fact, form the visible and accessible face of our food industry. It is these businesses that contribute so much to our tourism offer, provide local employment and are regularly the source of innovation and creativity.

Previous page; Local Beetroot and Woodside Cheese, complemented with Pistachio Crumble and Pistachio Sand at Serafino Wines. This page top left: Certified 100% fed antibiotic and HGP free meat at the Wakefield Grange farm gate. Top right: Fantastic scenery and food at the iconic Star of Greece.

Those of us in food businesses, who have worked collaboratively with like businesses, are always on the lookout for ways to improve what we do and let the world know what we have to offer. A key component of any culture is the way it grows, prepares and consumes its food. >

This sector is represented by a network of regional food business ‘clusters’, which formed the food group network mentioned earlier, which was nurtured and partly-funded by the State government in the early to mid-noughties. In some instances, the groups also received Federal government support through the Regional Development Offices (as they were known then) and local government, either by ‘in kind’ or financial support. Although those halcyon days are over, most of the eleven groups continue to exist in one form or another and collaborate with each other through the Regional Food Industry Association (RFIA). It is this body that conceives and develops many initiatives for the benefit of food businesses in the regions. ‘Eat Local’ is one such initiative.

It is one of the best and most memorable ways to share with visitors who we are, and for the visitors, it is an excellent way of getting to know the locals. No less importantly, food and all that it entails, is a critical facilitator for interaction within families and the local community. Food culture is very much a part of our sense of place. It seemed logical to the food groups that by encouraging a range of businesses to develop menus based on local produce and seek out stock to feature in their retail outlets was an obvious way to support the producers and grow their businesses. It was also an effective way to communicate with our customers, both local, interstate and international. The next step was to create a local initiative. The Clare Valley was the first to develop such a plan in the mid-noughties. A blackboard program across the valley identified to potential customers that the business sporting the blackboard featured local food. It was very successful. Now, a decade on, the idea has been expanded to a State-wide program that, although not based on the blackboards, which are outlawed in some regions, does none-the-less provide clear external indication of a focus on local food to entice the passers-by to stop, look and experience. At a personal level, I am thrilled that a statewide rollout of such a program has eventuated and that it was one of the RFIA ideas that have been adopted by Food South Australia. South Australians have come to understand the value of our food and wine offerings as a key tourism driver. Although wine has for some time been accepted as a valuable attraction for visitors, it was not until quite recently that is has also been accepted that food and the food and wine combination, along with the experiences offered in the regions are also of significant importance. A program like ‘Eat Local’ provides a focus for suppliers and consumers to develop and enjoy food and wine experiences.

However, in my view, this is just the beginning. The ‘Eat Local’ program does not require the businesses, either hospitality or retail, to offer exclusively local produce on their menus and shelves. As a consequence some of the businesses are only in the position to meet the minimum requirements of the program, while others offer a much more substantial regional food experience. Although the ‘Eat Local’ focus is a good one, it is not always that easy to incorporate the philosophy into a business established on the basis of different criteria. Our customers are becoming more and more understanding of the benefits of seeking out local produce, but it is not the whole market and change comes slowly. For a number of reasons local produce can sometimes be more expensive and less accessible, particularly in the more far-flung areas. Moreover, to feature local produce often requires more research, more dollars and sometimes some inconvenience for the operator. However, as our customers demand change – influenced by high profile chefs, economic and health considerations, regional pride and the influence of the media – the business rewards will become evident. I am firmly of the view that one of the best ways to develop a point of difference for a food business is to use regional ingredients and to clearly tell the story of the ingredient and its producers. We all love a story and local food gives us our unique story. So, as usual, we have a task ... and that is to visit the website to find the businesses across the State, and in particular, in the Fleurieu Peninsula, and support them. Either visit the website, or better still, when you are out and about stop where you see the sign and ‘Eat Local’.

A selection of Eat Local businesses on the Fleurieu Enjoy local produce at these fine establishments offering everything from regional platters to five course degustation, all complemented with great local beer, wine and the great characters that make up the Fleurieu.

Previous page; Seared Kangaroo fillet with coconib spice, Fleurieu asparagus, puffed wild rice, Mt Compass berries, fresh herbs and flowers from Red Poles garden and finished with a cocoa butter jus. Photo by Kristy Bone, This page top: Fresh produce from the Six Acre Grocer and Jetty Foods – Normanville and Port Elliot. Top right: Fantastic regional food at the character filled Leonard’s Mill. Above: Enjoy a platter and some regional wines at Fox Creek.

Angas Plains Wines (Langhorne Creek) AquaCaf (Goolwa) Blessed Cheese (McLaren Vale) Bremerton Wines (Langhorne Creek) Currant Shed (McLaren Flat) d’Arenberg Wines (McLaren Vale) Eat@Whalers (Victor Harbor) Ekhidna Kitchen & Winery (McLaren Vale) Elbow Room (McLaren Vale) Fox Creek Wines (McLaren Vale) The Kitchen Door at Penny’s Hill (McLaren Vale) Leonard’s Mill (Second Valley) No. 58 Cellar Door (Port Elliot) One Little Sister (Yankalilla) Red Poles (McLaren Vale) The Salopian Inn (McLaren Vale) Serafino (McLaren Vale) Star of Greece ( Port Willunga) Stump Hill Cafe (McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre) Victory Hotel (Sellicks Beach) Woodstock Coterie ( McLaren Vale/ Blewitt Springs) Retail/Providore/Farmgate Alexandrina Cheese (Mt Compass) Ellis Butchers (McLaren Vale) Home Grain Bakery (Aldinga & McLaren Flat) Jetty Food Store (Normanville) McLaren Vale & Fleurieu visitor Information Centre (McLaren Vale) Talinga Grove (Langhorne Creek) Wakefield Grange (Wattle Flat) 25

The Dirt James Potter ponders his own piece of Dirt.

I’ve a confession to make. I’ve been living a lie. A fraudulent Fleurieu-ian I’ve been. I have only just moved to the Fleurieu Peninsula to live full time. We have spent the past 4-odd years building a house and now it’s habitable and we are in and I’m now a fully-paid-up, card-carrying member of the peninsula posse. There were two of us when we started building and now we are three. The new addition isn’t pulling her weight around the house, yet demands a lot. The house isn’t technically complete and like all ambitious projects probably won’t ever be. But the garden is another thing entirely. Early fantasies included the ‘no garden at all, revert to pre-settlement grassland’ approach, but something, possibly the threat of fire, but probably bearing a striking resemblance to ego, has got the better of me and a garden in a more typical sense is planned. Planned, I use in its loosest form. The pen is yet to touch paper, ideas yet to be voiced, spouse yet to be consulted. Sod has been broken in a minor way, with some vegies and fruit trees making headway along with the Derek Jarman-inspired chicken cottage. But apart from that and the rough outline of a small dam − all we have is a half-acre of potential. A half-acre isn’t quite on the ha-ha and folly scale, but it is big enough to daunt with options. Will it be permacultural puritanism or a landscaper’s show-pony?

Irrigate with sophisticated trickery or a watering can or not at all? Should I maintain soil sanctity and sow indigenous seeds? Or mess about like Heston Blumenthal with a shovel and exotic excess? ‘But aren’t you the garden guru, that landscape guy, the Dr Karl of horticulture, able to answer any question on soil microbiology or corrosion control and companion planting?’ I hear you ask. Well I sure can play the part for most clients, but the performance lacks conviction when you’re the audience as well as the actor. I haven’t been able to convince myself to go the whole hog in any particular direction. I’ll certainly be thinking about practical sustainability and organic we will go – but I’ll need more convincing before I’m up at midnight on a waxing crescent packing cow crap into a horn. Same goes for the fruit & veg – an attempt at self-sufficiency will be made – but super-abundance in preparation for the apocalypse we won’t pursue. I’m sure I won’t be able to resist the temptation to sexit-up a bit, but it’s a private show so it won’t be garden porn. With no deadline, no budget and none of the usual constraints, it’s a rare experience and proving so far to be a procrastinator’s delight. Good things and clichés come to those who wait – but so much of gardening’s most modern incarnation has been all about cokefuelled, celebrity-endorsed, product-placed, instant success. With any luck, my little plot will be the opposite and indulge me with many years of easy evolution and simple, slow, satisfaction.

Below: Derek Jarman’s garden at Prospect Cottage in Dungeness, Kent.

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Dog on trial Throw a border collie into a flock of sheep, and she’ll start to muster. But for sheepdog trials enthusiasts Milton and Stefan Cross, the quest for a champion is anything but easy. Story and photographs by James Howe.

‘Pure instinct’. Milton Cross describes it well. We’re in his ute, roaring across a paddock towards a fast-disappearing flock of Merino sheep. Floss, a black and white bullet of bone and lean muscle explodes through the dust at the rear of the flock and on Milton’s command she zaps from right flank to left, covering a hundred metres in seconds. Floss – a border collie – is a descendent of wolves, and she’s acting out an ancient hunting instinct: head the animals off so the packmates can attack from the rear. ‘If you take it to its natural end she’ll kill something’, says Milton. But she won’t. She’s well-bred, and well trained ... well, almost. ‘Floss! FLOSS! STOP!’ he screams. Young and inexperienced, Floss is trying to bring the sheep to the ute, instead of obeying his command to herd them towards the far gate. If she’s going to make it as a trials’ dog, she’ll have to learn to override her instincts. If she can’t learn, he’ll find a dog that will. For a sheep dog trials’ enthusiast the search for a good dog is life-consuming. Milton has five adult dogs, and a litter of two-week-old pups. He looks at the pups often, wondering what the little balls of fur have hardwired into their DNA. If one of the pups has the stuff of a champion it could take him to the top – maybe even win him the Supreme.

We arrive at the sheep yards, and Floss keeps the flock bailed up as Milton opens the gate. His brother Stefan is leaning against the shed waiting for us. It’s been a long hot day on his farm a few kilometres down the road, just north of Milang, and he seem to be enjoying watching his brother doing the hard yards. Like Milton, Stefan is obsessed with sheep dog trials. The sport – which involves using specially-trained dogs to herd sheep through a serious of obstacles – has benefited from an increase in hobby farming on the Fleurieu. City-commuting professionals use everything from borrowed sheep to ducks to train their dogs. The Strathalbyn Districts Working Sheepdog Society, established in the 1970s, has ten members. This is considered to be a healthy membership in South Australia, though the club is eager to attract new members. Elsewhere in the state, especially in areas where broad-acre cropping has replaced sheep flocks, the sport is suffering. Milton and Stefan are members of the dwindling minority in the scene: real sheep farmers who train their dogs – at least in part – out of necessity. Their love for sheep dogs came from their dad Roy, who was old school when it came to working dogs. ‘When I was a young fella, most of the farmers in the district just chased their sheep with motorbikes and a barking dog – whereas dad was from an older generation that actually herded and mustered sheep with herding dogs’, says Milton. ‘We learnt from dad that you didn’t need portable yards and you didn’t need to run the sheep home to do things. We could get two or three dogs, hold

Previous page: Floss focuses on the job at hand. Above: Cooling off mid-way through a sheep muster.

them in the corner of the paddock and work with them right there’. Milton got into trials with a sheep dog his uncle had given him when he was 15 years old. ‘There was another bloke in the district who was doing it, and he said “that’s good enough to have a go” – so I did,’ says Milton. He entered what’s known as an encourage trial – which uses a simplified course … and took out first place. ‘I thought, “This is too good” – so I entered another trial, won that too, and then went for years without winning much else!’ Stefan’s story is similar: like Milton, an early win captured his heart for the sport. In 1995, he’d bought a trials’ dog to replace his expired farm dog. A trials’ enthusiast spotted the animal’s aptitude for mustering, and urged him to enter a trial. ‘I won the farm novice, which was the first thing I went into – that gets you hooked!’ says Stefan. Within four years Stefan was a member of the Australian team. On two separate occasions he came second in the Supreme Australian Championship – the biggest trial in Australia. ‘That really hurt,’ says Stefan. ‘On the one hand it’s something to be proud of, but on the other hand, to finish second twice …’ The loss was made even harder to take by the fact that Stefan missed out on the top position by just two points out of 300. Milton says a narrow loss often comes down to bad luck. ‘Even if the sheep puts its nose down the side of the obstacle, lifts it up, then puts its nose back down the side of the obstacle – that’s your two points,’ he says. >

Top: Sheep dog trials enthusiasts Stefan (left) and Milton Cross (right), with dogs Sandy and Floss.

‘As soon as the sheep come out, the dog will be watching them,’ says Milton. ‘Right from that second, they’re assessing which sheep’s the leader, and which one’s going to give them trouble.’

Of course, when you’re working with animals – both sheep and dogs in this case – things go wrong. Once Milton was running a dog in at a trial in Barmera. He made it to the finals, but then suddenly the animal’s composure fell to pieces. ‘He just went weird, and wouldn’t do a thing I said,’ says Milton. ‘I’d never been so disgusted in him in all my life.’ Reluctantly, Milton threw in the towel and drove towards home. Shortly after leaving, an electrical storm sprang up – and Milton suddenly remembered his dog’s mortal fear of thunder. ‘I’m certain he could hear the thunder and I couldn’t,’ he says. But more often than not, Milton and Stefan find themselves in a state of awe at their dogs’ natural intelligence and instinct for mustering. ‘As soon as the sheep come out, the dog will be watching them,’

says Milton. ‘Right from that second, they’re assessing which sheep’s the leader, and which one’s going to give them trouble.’ This year, between September 22 and 28, Strathalbyn will host the Supreme; the first time it’s been held in SA since 2009. Milton and Stefan will both enter the competition; though neither reckons they currently have a dog capable of winning. When it’s over, they’ll go back to their quest for a champion. But as driven as the brothers are, there’s no mistaking their genuine affection for their animals. Unusual among working dogs, theirs can look forward to a long, peaceful retirement. ‘They end up sleeping at the front door, deaf and a bit of a nuisance,’ says Milton. ‘They’re a tool of our trade, but they’re also our mates.’

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Great Southern wasteland: re-cycling, re-purposing ... and re-using

Heather Millar wondered what goes on in that cavernous and hilly place on the corner of Tatachilla and Main South Roads. Above: The purpose built shed at Southern Waste ResourceCo on South Road.

Answer: It’s where the construction and demolition waste from projects such as the new Royal Adelaide Hospital goes to be treated and/or disposed of. When work began on the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, RecourceCo swung into action on the management, disposal and logistics of waste and contaminated soils from its construction. The project consisted of over half a million tonnes of excavated concrete, asphalt, soils and fills. Materials from the site were sent to several ResourceCo sites including Lonsdale, Dry Creek and McLaren Vale. Southern Waste ResourceCo, situated just near the corner of Tatachilla and Main South Roads, is a joint venture between ResourceCo and Southern Waste Depot. It is one of only two sites in SA with the waste treatment capabilities to receive and treat high-level contaminated waste to enable disposal. The site contains the first lined landfill cell in South Australia offering an ‘end-of-life’ solution for waste that cannot be recycled. The cell takes the residual waste from which all reusable and recyclable material has been extracted, or waste that exceeds EPA contamination criteria for standard landfill. Site Manager Brett Jarvis said 14,000 square metres of high-density polyethylene was used above a double clay base to construct the landfill cell. ‘Following our usual practices, the new, lined cell has been engineered to a standard to allow disposal of contaminated solids, along with commercial and industrial waste,’ Mr Jarvis said. ‘The engineering 32

is well above requirements for general waste streams and has a maximum fill depth of 25 metres.’ The new cell will have a life of several years, while the landfill site itself will have a life of up to 50 years.The site also has a contaminated soil treatment shed, which allows the facility to treat soil above disposal criteria and also treat materials for re-use. The 800m2 shed has a 4000m2 footprint that includes a concrete apron around the shed. ‘It’s a purpose-built facility constructed to comply with EPA requirements, which represents a significant commitment to our clients in the civil construction and remediation industry,’ said Mr Jarvis. It can receive soil for storage with customers coordinating their own treatment services, storage and disposal options, right through to a full soil storage, treatment and disposal or re-use option through Southern Waste ResourceCo. Another ResourceCo project, the Harris Scarfe building, has ‘green’ foundations, built from ResourceCo-supplied materials. ResourceCo worked closely with the client, McMahon Services, with some of the demolition and removal work carried out after hours to avoid disruption to city traffic and shoppers. Demolition concrete and heavy materials were taken to ResourceCo’s Wingfield site, where it was crushed and recycled and then returned to the site in the form of base material and as aggregate in concrete. The result is a dramatic reduction in the carbon footprint of the project. This ‘closing the loop’ regarding waste management also diverts material from landfill. ‘This project is a great example of what businesses are doing to

Avove: The ResourceCo South Road site seen from above.

reduce their carbon footprint,’ said Simon Brown, Managing Director of ResourceCo. ‘ResourceCo offers a full-circle solution to businesses, taking care of all their needs from removal, recycling and supplying construction materials.’ ‘It’s great that recycled materials from this site could be returned for re-use,’ said Mark Polec from McMahon Services. He said that ResourceCo supplied all the concrete for 665 piles, which were constructed by McMahon Services. ResourceCo also worked closely with McMahon Services on the iconic Adelaide Oval project, to demolish and remove approximately 20,000 tonnes of material from the site. McMahon Services demolished the Adelaide Oval grandstands to ground level and recovered all salvage items in just 18 days. ResourceCo received the waste, ensuring that the project was able to meet one if its core objectives of exceeding the target of 95% of materials to be recycled. McMahon Services achieved 98% recycling of the demolition materials. Follow-on contractors, such as the civil works and services trades on the project, imported recycled product from ResourceCo, such as rubble for re-use in the construction works. This recycled product contains the crushed concrete and brick material that was demolished by McMahons and sent to ResourceCo for recycling.

ResourceCo recycles in excess of 95% of all incoming materials. At ResourceCo’s Lonsdale site, you can buy recycled rubble and road base. And when you bring waste to Southern Waste ResourceCo, there are designated areas in the sorting shed for green waste, cardboard, e-waste and general waste. Combustible waste is sorted and sent to the Wingfield plant and turned into alternative fuel that is consumed by Adelaide Brighton Cement at their Birkenhead Kiln and is a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Did you know? • Around 40% of all of the world’s waste is from construction and demolition. • Twice as much concrete is used in construction around the world as all other building materials (wood, steel, plastic and aluminium) combined. And it is growing at an alarming rate. • Poorly managed waste has a significant impact on our health, local and global environment and the economy. Sources: What a Waste, a Global Review of Solid Waste Management, Urban Development & Local Unit, the World Bank, March 2012. The Cement Sustainability Initiative – Recycling Concrete, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, July 2009.

ResourceCo started in 1993 as a mobile crushing business for concrete and construction materials. It has quickly grown into a diverse business offering a wide range of services designed to reduce, recycle and reuse a broad range of materials and outputs. 33

This page top left and right: Products on display at the KI Farmers’ Market. Bottom left: The class enjoy the spoils of the day.

Sharing the spoils of an unspoiled island

Petra de Mooy spends the day at KI Source. Photographs by Heidi Linehan. It often surprises me when someone from Adelaide tells me they have never been to Kangaroo Island. As a relative newcomer to the area (not to mention to Australia) it was high on my list of places to visit before I had even moved here, so almost ten years ago my husband and I spent our first anniversary there – hitting all of the highlights the island offers: Remarkable Rocks, Seal Bay and Admirals Arch − all spectacular and each warranting repeat visits in following years. When overseas guests come to visit they are not allowed to leave without a trip to KI ... and as luck would have it, I have now become a bit of a seasoned regular – visiting not only the tried and true favourites, but exploring many a dirt track, artists’ studio and some hidden lagoons along the way. On later visits I have also discovered dairies, vineyards, a eucalyptus refinery, honey farms, organic and free range egg producers, as well as some great architecture. In short, I have found the island to be rich not only in natural beauty, but also in growers, producers and culture. On a recent trip we were treated to a cooking class at KI Source. As the name suggests, the owner/operator Kate Sumner utilises local produce to create the products she sells at the local farmers’ markets, but also make up the menu items for her catering business and cooking classes. 34

This excerpt from the KI Source website says it all: ‘Kangaroo Island Source was established by Kate Sumner on her farm-based kitchen overlooking the picturesque town of Penneshaw. After returning to Australia from London, Kate fell in love with the pristine natural environment of Kangaroo Island and developed a vision to create a food business that connected people with the clearest, cleanest, most natural expression of the Kangaroo Island region. Kangaroo Island Source feeds not only the body but also the mind.’ Her 125-acre property incorporates an impressive vegetable and herb garden, olive trees, figs and berries, but is also home to Hereford cows, Suffolk lambs and free range chickens. With this home-grown approach, Kate has created a range of spice pastes, rubs and relishes – all of which are produced onsite. If you have never been to KI they offer a very reasonably-priced KI experience at only $135 – including walk-on ferry passage, a guided tour of the farmers’ market, a drive up to the very well-appointed KI Source kitchen, and the cooking class itself – topped off with the pleasure of sitting down and enjoying your hard-earned culinary preparations. The Penneshaw Farmers’ Market is held on the first Sunday of every month and still quite small as markets go. It had a little bit of everything and was a great opportunity to meet some of the local

This page left: Twice baked Manchego souffle. Above right: A flurry of activity in the kitchen. Below right: KI Source proprieter Kate Sumner (right).

The highlights for me were the wild olives – small, but packed with earthy flavour – and the coffee from Island Pure Sheep Dairy (no they did not use sheep milk, but the guy was one mean barista)! growers and get a feeling for the community. The highlights for me were the wild olives – small, but packed with earthy flavour – and the coffee from Island Pure Sheep Dairy (no they did not use sheep milk, but the guy was one mean barista)! After sourcing all the products for our menu, and enjoying a KI Source complimentary breakfast of grilled haloumi and beetroot relish on sour dough toast, we headed up the hill to KI Source headquarters with a small group of ten ready to get stuck into cooking the menu of twice-baked Manchego soufflé, South Rock lamb Wellington, Paris mash, and Lemon custard pudding with honey Anglaise. After a brief sit down to examine the recipes, we were split into smaller groups to start the cooking component, and with Kate’s laid-back and helpful guidance we all managed to make a lovely meal, along with hearing about the ever-evolving food scene on KI, enjoying the companionship and banter of the kitchen. The meal was served on Kate’s large, sheltered verandah and complemented by KI wines. But before we knew it, it was time to catch the ferry back to Cape Jervis. A truly great day out. If you just want to experience the farmers’ market on KI without the cooking classes, it is also possible to park at Cape Jervis and walk onto the ferry on Market day for the reasonable sum of $40 pp.

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The town that slate built

175 years down the track and Willungaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idiosyncratic slate industry continues to serve and enhance the district. Story by Stephanie Johnston. Photographs by emme jade.

Previous page: An extracted slab sits atop the pile at Willunga Slate Quarry. Above: The carved mantlepiece at Three Monkeys.

The story of Willunga slate begins in 1840 with its discovery in the hills behind the newly settled township. ‘A farmer, Edward Loud, was out shooting quail with his friends when he came across an outcrop of slate on his land’, says Julie Taylor, who worked with the local National Trust to establish the Willunga Slate Museum, housed in the stable building at the back of the heritagelisted Courthouse Museum and Police Station at the top end of High Street. Julie shows me around the museum on a day of celebration to mark Willunga’s 175th birthday. She explains that when the slate at Loud’s quarry proved to be of inferior quality, operations ceased. Happily more slate was discovered on adjacent land at Delabole, where a small village was built to house the Cornish quarrymen and their families, who flocked to the district to work the quarries. Martin’s, Bastian’s and

Bangor quarries soon followed, and by the 1870s the slate industry was a vital part of the district’s economy, with 20,000 roofing slates shipped out from Port Willunga jetty each week. Important buildings that were roofed with Willunga shingles include the Adelaide GPO and Town Hall, St Peters Cathedral, St Georges Cathedral in Perth and numerous public buildings in Sydney and Melbourne. The introduction of galvanised iron roofing diminished demand for slate later in the 19th century, however World War I shortages of iron revived the industry, which became more mechanised with the arrival of the train line to Willunga in 1918, and the introduction of steam power to the quarries in the 1920s. Slate comes in a variety of colours, textures and quality. Willunga slate was easily laminated into very fine shingles particularly suited to roofing. It was also used for fencing, water troughs, vats and tanks, and decoratively for headstones and carved mantlepieces, such as the one at Three Monkeys cafe in Willunga. Today only one quarry remains in production. Encompassing the original Martin and Bastion quarries, Willunga Slate Quarry opens Fridays and Saturday mornings under the supervision of local resident Ken McAllan. The road to McAllan’s quarry is heavily populated with >

Above left: Jisiah Dowie eases off a giant slab. Above right: Doug March is the man to call for specialist slate work. Seen here on his property with an Andy Goldsworthyinspired stone pod.

slate, from remnant ruins and roofs, to quirky slate signposts marking entire buildings of slate, and culminates in the dramatic walls and piles of slate in all shapes and sizes on display at the quarry itself. I ask Ken how he got into the business, which remains a sideline to his day job working in machine maintenance at a winery on the Fleurieu. ‘Originally our house near the golf course had a slate roof. We went to buy some slate tiles and the man said he was closing the quarry, so we bought it.’ That was Bangor, which Ken worked for several years, before moving on. His current site yields more of the lighter, prettier, coloured slate his customers were after, and it’s also a safer proposition than the very high, perpendicular walls and dangerous overhangs at Bangor. Ken tells me that while he uses an excavator to remove the dirt and uncover new pieces, the slate itself is removed by hand: ‘If you blast you do too much damage to the stone. Even when you use the excavator you tend to do damage’, he explains. ‘So we find the flaws in the stone and use a crow bar or sledgehammer to peel off what we want by hand’. The business provides slate for garden landscaping and paving. There are also thicker pieces of stone for newly-fashionable drystacked walls, and much larger slabs for bigger landscaped areas.

Slate from McAllan’s quarry was used for the town square design for Willunga Farmers’ Market, and for extensive landscaping of the Aldinga Arts Eco-Village. Ken explains how different customers seek different standards of landscaping. ‘If they want a top class job I send them to Doug March’, he says. A few days later I join Doug for a cup of coffee in his slate-adorned garden high up on the Range. It is the most beautiful summer’s morning, and this unassuming man quietly reveals a life steeped in slate. Doug was a general landscaper who ‘swung over’ to working with slate about ten years ago, when water restrictions started impacting on his work installing irrigation systems. ‘It’s just easier’, he says. ‘Less gear, less tools.’ Doug occasionally uses a powered saw to cut the material, but works mostly with hammers and chisels. ‘Slate isn’t very forgiving’, he explains. ‘You can’t play with it like you can with sandstone.’ He sometimes gets the pieces he needs by dropping larger pieces on other pieces to split them. ‘All it takes is persistence, and a bit of method’, he says. ‘And getting to know the material, and what the material will do. You need to allow the material to dictate the terms, rather than the other way around.’

Above left: The old church on Delabole Road in the 60s before it was purchased and lovingly restored by heritage architecht Richard Wood. Above right: Jisiah Dowie stands in the frame to give a sense of the scale of the slate walls at the Willunga Slate Quarry.

Doug describes how Willunga slate differs from Mintaro slate. ‘The Mintaro is more like stone. It doesn’t have that laminating effect. A lot of places down here have steps made of Mintaro, and you’ll see the curve in them, worn down over time.’ Willunga slate, on the other hand, peels off leaving holes in the surface. According to heritage architect Richard Wood, the local slate has a shelf life of around 100 years before it starts turning to dust. That wasn’t good enough for elements of his thirty-year personal project – the restoration of the old Delabole Chapel and its surrounding landscape into a unique weekend getaway. In what seems like sacrilege at the very altar of the local slate industry, Richard imported more durable shingles from Spain for the roof!

Ken tells me that while he uses an excavator to remove the dirt and uncover new pieces, the slate itself is removed by hand: ‘If you blast you do too much damage to the stone. Even when you use the excavator you tend to do damage’, he explains. ‘So we find the flaws in the stone and use a crow bar or sledgehammer to peel off what we want by hand’.

All is forgiven when you check out the impeccable result. Perched on a hilltop above the original Delabole quarry, the tiny chapel stands as an understated shrine to slate in the rehabilitated landscape. The pièce de resistance is the fabulous slate terrace with a breathtaking view all the way to Mount Lofty – constructed in a pattern of giant crazy-tiled pieces, made possible by the use of a forklift, and the peculiar partnership of McAllan and March.

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upcoming events at the

WEDNESDAY MORNING MATINEE SERIES

Me ‘N Me Mates Wednesday 12 March, 11am Australiana songs, stories & yarns

ALL SHOWS

$15

Fusion Pops Orchestra Wednesday 16 April, 11am A fusion of popular music with symphonic arrangements and vocals

I Love Being Here With You Wednesday 14 May, 11am

• PRODUCE

A tribute performance by songstress Sandi McMenamin and Jan McAskill

• BAKED & SMALL GOODS • ARTISAN CRAFT

SCHOOL HOLIDAY SHOW

Hocus Pocus Monday 14 April, 11am

$8 *

first & third Sunday of each month

Mia thinks she’s a normal little girl until she discovers something mysterious in her nonna and poppa’s market garden. Follow Mia’s spell binding discovery that leads her to find out that she is no ordinary little girl.

9am–1pm

* Parents and children under 3 years free

THE FLAMING SAMBUCCAS PRESENT

ABBA Gold Saturday 5 April, 8pm

• MUSIC & MORE!

$ 30 Conc. $2 5

The Flaming Sambucas are back to perform all the greatest hits of the famous 70s Swedish supergroup. Terry Nicholas on keyboard, Michael Potter on guitar with Jayde McSeveney and Michelle Gorgula on vocals. Come along, bring your friends and have some fun 70s style. Prizes for best dressed. Be prepared to boogie!

TICKETS & INFORMATION

Held at the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre, the market features locally made produce and products, wine, art, craft and handmade souvenirs. The market is the perfect showcase of all our region has to offer. Enjoy a family friendly atmosphere featuring live entertainment and free children’s activities.

(08) 8323 9944 www.thevalemarket.com.au

Contact the Arts Centre on (08) 8326 5577 or visit www.onkaparingacity.com/arts

ARTS CENTRE, GAWLER STREET, PORT NOARLUNGA

Main Road, McLaren Vale

MUSIC AND BOOKS

Book Reviews by Mike Lucas.

insignificant, as the main thrust of the novel is germane to our own individual definition of humanity. Heartbreaking, horrific, fastpaced and self-contemplating, this story will intrigue, surprise, shock and hook the reader. It may, however, turn away anybody who cannot open their mind to a new way of thinking.

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

Published by MacMillan ISBN 9781447257516 $32.99

The girl with all the gifts by M R Carey

Published by Hachette Australia ISBN 9780356502847 $29.99 Ten year old Melanie lives in her cell, strapped to a chair and wheeled out to the classroom under armed guard on a daily basis, where she and others like her are taught facts about the world that may or may not exist outside her limited world. She knows nothing of her past except for the monotony of days that has preceded the beginning of this astoundingly avantgarde tale. But Melanie’s view of the world is soon opened up with startling, savage momentum when she is forced to flee the compound with a handful of her captors. The Girl with all the Gifts is a crossover novel, combining elements of different genres to create a singular novel that purposely throws any empathy the reader has for its characters off balance. The book seems to be constantly asking, ‘What would you do?’ and, ‘Which side would you take?’ And the questions are not

here. But this book isn’t just about the launches, the experiments, the spacewalks, the landings … this is about life’s goals and challenges, about how to get to where you want to be successfully while enjoying the journey. Sometimes opposing conformist approaches (Chris explains why it is important to sweat the small stuff and explains the positive side of negative thinking), the ingrained methodology that Chris Hadfield has had to apply to his life in order to not only exceed and excel, but also to survive in the extreme environment of space is undeniably a successful one. More recently, Chris has become an internet sensation with his in space version of ‘Space Oddity.’

When Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon in 1969, Chris Hadfield, a nine year old Canadian, took his own first step to becoming a seasoned astronaut in his own right. The journey in between was a long one: Chris has been an engineer, a fighter pilot, a test pilot and has spent most of his life either learning new skills or teaching them to others, with his family always behind him. His dream was realised in 1992 and since then he has held too many positions in NASA to be able to mention

Season to Taste by Natalie Young

Published by Headline Publishing Group ISBN 9781472209368 $29.99 The sub heading to this macabre, Dahlesque novel, How to Eat Your Husband, will dispel any notion that this is a book that can

be filed under the classification of Food and Drink. That said, Natalie Young has obviously researched various culinary skills for her main character, Lizzie Prain, to try out in her momentous, grotesque task of disposing of her husband’s body after she has killed him in the garden with a spade. Lizzie approaches the project as if the undertaking is a recipe itself, seeing her chosen solution to the problem at hand as the only respectful way to honour her dead husband. Trivialities of everyday life mix with the somewhat serious task at hand to create a novel of black humour and bathos. The supporting characters always appear a little removed and off kilter, whereas Lizzie Prain, killer and cannibal, comes across as level headed and logical. This gives an irony to the story which is matched by the innocent and uncomplicated style of writing that makes this book all the more sinister. And, if you don’t enjoy the anatomy of the novel as a whole, you can at least pick up some great cooking tips.

The Moon Field by Judith Allnatt

Published by HarperCollins ISBN 9780007522941 $29.99 In the centennial year of the start of The First World War, there is already a significant amount of novels set in this era lining up to be placed on bookshelves. This particular novel contrasts the simplicity of life immediately before the war with the horrors of the battlefield and the subsequent complications for those who returned with significant injuries. George Farrell, a postal assistant, is swept along with the propaganda of conscription after having his heart broken by Violet, who resides at the local Manor House. Leaving his best friend, Kitty, and against the advice of his religious father, George finds himself at the Front, under the command of Violet’s fiancé. What transpires fractures the lives of all those who surround him, and George has to deal with the shallow prejudices held against him and the guilt of the emotional damage he

a ride on a bike that goes like dynamite; or follow the adventure of a hang-gliding spider. These are read aloud poems; read by yourself poems; read and chuckle poems; read again and again poems. And, when you’ve worn the book down to a threadbare skeleton, there’s a space at the back where you can write your own. Because, above all, these poems will inspire you to write your own in the hope that one day it might be included in such a colourful collection.

has caused to others. This is a story of love at the time of war and of the psychological shrapnel thrown out by the explosion of conflict, damaging all those within the danger zone. The narrative is exquisitely crafted and the era is finely reconstructed to ensure that the reader breathes the same air as the characters.

Tadpoles in The Torrens by Jude Aquilina

Published by Wakefield Press ISBN 9781743052464 $14.95 As a tribute to the late local author, Max Fatchen, this compilation of fun poetry for young readers features work from some of South Australia’s best poets and children’s authors, including Max himself. Sean Williams, Janeen Brian and Phil Cummings have also contributed work, and the diversity of theme and style ensures that there is something for everybody. Some poems rhyme, some don’t. Some have metre, some haven’t. Metaphors are multiple and alliteration is abundant. Read about the various, innovative uses for echidnas; take 45

50 days of thinking things Fleurieu Winnie Pelz meets with Greg Mackie to learn more about his big ideas: generating them, discussing them and making them happen. Fifteen years ago he introduced the concept of a ‘Festival of Ideas’ to Adelaide. The intent was to provide a forum for deep and civil discussion of issues and ideas. Not necessarily the issues that grabbed media attention or promoted political posturing, but matters that were in the public interest, explored ethics and values, and informed public policy. The concept took off and now every capital city in Australia has a Festival of Ideas. His contribution to Adelaide’s cultural capital has been significant. As co-proprietor of the iconic Imprints Booksellers and a key player in Writers’ Week in the 1990s, he helped shape the reading habits of many South Australians. As a board member serving arts and cultural organisations he helped inform and enact government policy. 46

After a term as a member of the Adelaide City Council, nine years at the helm of ArtsSA and as Deputy Chief Executive in the Premier’s Department, Greg’s career took a right-hand turn. He left the public sector and took on the role of CEO of Place Leaders Association: an organisation that aims to develop leadership, form global alliances and promote the exchange of knowledge for the creation of successful public places. They are bold aims, and Greg is in his element when driving such ideas. In a coincidental parallel with Place Leaders, he now works as a consultant in place-shaping, and it is in this role that he was engaged by the Yankalilla Council to advise, to lift the sights and aspirations and to inject some new thinking into exploring a better future for the region.

His contract was for six months, two days a week − which translates to a mere total of 50 days. But he is determined that this ‘50 Days of Thinking Fleurieu’ won’t stop when his contract expires. The Western Fleurieu might not be in his blood, but it’s certainly in his soul. With his partner Jonathon he owns 43 acres studded with yakkas and pink gums, overlooking Backstairs Passage towards Kangaroo Island. The views are spectacular and provide a poetic vista of land’s end, amazing sunsets and sensational storm-clouds. He loves the big sky and the ‘room to breathe’. And it provides the space, the time, and the place to think. One of the projects that drew inspiration from this environment and has now become a reality is the ‘Fleurieu Four Seasons Prize for Landscape Photography’. A $15,000 prize is being offered for images that capture the essence of four seasons in the Western Fleurieu region. In recognising that the landscape and coastline of the region is one of its most valuable assets, the prize has the potential to create stronger links between the arts, tourism and business − and these are the links that Greg believes are vital to the future growth and development of the region. When asked what he had achieved in his role with the Yankalilla Council that might leave a lasting impression, his response is thoughtful and measured. He recognises that there are four critical groups in the local community: the farmers, the permanent residents, the business operators and the weekend or part-time residents. ‘The first and last of these are actually the backbone of the local economy − and also the most under-valued’ he says. ‘And none of these groups connects all that successfully with the other’. Enabling a diverse community to better connect is a key priority in his view − and it is an area where he believes investment by Council will effect huge improvements. He sees information access as vital to any endeavour – ‘You can’t grow a prosperous economy without being able to connect the main groupings in the community.’ Further, he feels that the unrealised potential is in finding the common ground where interests lie, and whether those interests have a financial, social or emotional connection to the region. ‘We need to recognise and value the “communities of interests”, and then ensure they can communicate affordably and easily. Then you can grow the local community and a local economy grounded in a pride of place.’

With his partner Jonathon he owns 43 acres studded with yakkas and pink gums, overlooking Backstairs Passage towards Kangaroo Island. The views are spectacular and provide a poetic vista of land’s end, amazing sunsets and sensational storm-clouds. He loves the big sky and the ‘room to breathe’. And it provides the space, the time, and the place to think. Juggling several projects simultaneously keeps him energised, and as his continuing contribution to the region and to the arts, he has taken on the Chairmanship of the Leafy Sea Dragon Festival, now heading towards its seventh event in 2015. The new board is keen to lift the profile and he is acutely aware of the need to secure a higher level of community and business support. He would like to develop a ‘decent event marketing platform’ through which local artists and performers can reach a wider audience, and he states: ‘I would love to see an ideas-based forum focusing on matters environmental, scientific and ecological in parallel with the arts festival’. This was the original concept on which the Festival was based, but it has not been realised to date. Maybe the 2015 festival will see a new direction emerging which can further differentiate this event and make it a stand-out in the Festival State. When asked ‘who’ and ‘what’ have shaped him into the person he is today, Greg cites several key figures: among them are Don Dunstan and Paul Keating for their courage and vision, along with his stepmother Gayle Miller who impressed on him that to build a successful business takes more than just money. It also requires integrity and vast modicums of generosity. He then adds that 25 years in retail business taught him both dignity and the value of service − together with a sense of urgency. Courage, vision, integrity, generosity and urgency – all qualities that if brought to bear, would indeed create a robust base for building a stronger community and local economy.

He also believes strongly in the potential for the area to differentiate itself through high quality niche brands in food production and tourism … and points to the example of Kangaroo Island Pure Grain, which specialises in the production and export of premium quality grains, and has been one of several outstanding success stories. In his view, there is scope for many more.

Through a Port Elliot Looking Glass Zannie Flanagan opens the green â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;corroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gate to the world of artists Gerry Wedd and Chris de Rosa. Photographs by Heidi Linehan.

Previous page: Gerry at work on a large urn. Above: Chris with her supplies, collections, inspirations and artwork in the studio.

I make my way down the garden path to the front door and am at once enchanted and enthralled by the seemingly haphazard visual vignettes of artworks and artifacts that draw my eye in every direction. Standing guard at the front door is a larger than life wooden sculpture with a couple of whale vertebrae propped at its feet, large leftovers from a friend’s garden that once had an arbour made from the whale’s ribs! DeRosa welcomes me in and we head inside for a cup of tea. There is a sense of fun and irreverence in the air and a contagious sparring of wit and intellect between DeRosa and Wedd that provides an amusing soundtrack. They tell me they like to visit the ocean every day where Wedd, who learnt to surf growing up at Port Noarlunga, still likes ‘to fit in a surf’ and DeRosa swims. It is obvious the life and work of both artists is unmistakably influenced by their proximity to the sea. They explain what led to their Port Elliot sea-change. Wedd grew up by the sea at Port Noarlunga where he spent most of his spare time freely roaming the tracks and backyards of what was then a small seaside holiday spot. It’s where his love of surfing originated and where this seven-time South Australian State surfing champion honed his considerable surfing skill.

The couple met many years later when Wedd was lecturing in Design studies at Underdale campus. DeRosa, a print maker at the time, was living in an old villa in near the campus that had previously belonged to a set designer. DeRosa was very attached to the property; having restored the garden to its former glory based on a set of old diaries she had found that had disclosed the garden’s historical plans and plants. Later, after the arrival of their two sons, Darcy and Henry, they made regular weekend trips to Port Elliot to stay with friends. Before long they began to find returning to the city more and more difficult. Wedd’s nostalgia for his own idyllic youth finally led to the inevitability of the family moving to the south coast. DeRosa admits it took quite some persuasion for her to leave her adored Underdale property, but she eventually agreed to make the move. ‘It was really Gerry’s idea to move here at the time but it was a good decision and now I’m glad we did’, she recalls. Though this was not the first property they bought in the region, they both agree their current home suits their lifestyle perfectly. We drink our tea at a large communal table adjacent to the kitchen – the home’s domestic centre. Their respective studios are in close proximity. Artwork is everywhere and small personal collections of this and that decorate the entire space. Their styles, though uniquely independent, are complementary and DeRosa’s eye for textiles and patternings play happily along side Wedd’s sculpture and domestic pottery. The eclectic collections all have a story to tell. 49

Above left: The house has collections and interesting artefacts everywhere you look. Above right: A wooden sculpture by Martin Johnson stands guard next to Gerry’s urns.

After tea, I’m led out the back to Wedd’s studio. I notice his work is heavily embodied with surfing iconography reflecting his lifelong passion for the sport. In the garden and on the verandahs of the house some of Wedd’s large Greek-inspired urns are on display. I later read a Wedd-interview that explains the connection between his urns and surfing. It reads, ‘Old Greek urns had mythology, heroes and the everyday painted on their surfaces. I’m updating this idea and applying it to surfing.’ This explains the unorthodox pairing. I spy a familiar beach icon that has also had a Wedd makeover. A sculpted clay thong is lying on a log in the garden and is decorated in the style of the ubiquitous blue and white of the Chinese willow pattern. One of his ‘thongs’ is depicted on the cover of Mark Thomson’s book about the artist, amusingly entitled ‘Thong Cycle’. Thomson describes Wedd’s work as ‘fearlessly sardonic yet with a whimsical warmth’. I know what he means, his playful irreverence is evident everywhere. I am also reminded of Wedd’s artistic collaboration with the cult surfing brand Mambo when I notice a few artistic remains from that period dotted around the pottery-like detritus found at an archeological dig. I am surprised to learn that his association with the company lasted for over fourteen years. We walk through the garden at the side of the house to visit DeRosa’s studio. A small, slightly dilapidated shed is situated among the foliage and I ask what it is used for. ‘Oh,’ says Wedd, ‘that’s my old jewellery-making shed. It’s recently been colonised by my son Henry who’s been making guitars in there!’

I am also reminded of Wedd’s artistic collaboration with the cult surfing brand Mambo when I notice a few artistic remains from that period dotted around the pottery-like detritus found at an archeological dig. I am surprised to learn that his association with the company lasted for over fourteen years.

We pass a collection of old bones arranged on a board in the shape of a skeleton and walk on to the safety of DeRosa’s studio. Apart from a shelving unit displaying a collection of ceramics, the space is a vibrant, visual diary of DeRosa’s art practice. The studio walls are covered in old pieces of patterned linoleum, kitsch floral tea towels, old doilies and sea sponges verifying her eye for the particular. The scene is a visual mind-map curated according to current themes of interest. Recently, sea sponges seem to be her thing … and DeRosa explains why. ‘I was interested in the structure of sponges. They are brown and decaying, and I wanted to reinvent them. So I have taken those dried up pieces and reconfigured them, photographing and scanning the images and then playing with them on the computer.’ There is a clear overlap in interest between flora both above and below the sea.

Above: The lounge room has an eclectic mix of furniture, books and fabrics – and features art works (in view) by Chris, Gerry and Helen Fuller.

Above: Inrteresting colours, textures and patinas pervade the eclectic home.

Top: Gerry’s custom made tiles and basin adorn the the family bathroom. Above: The large kitchen / dining area again is full of colour, collections of ceramics, artwork and a mixture of furniture. An African Asafo flag hangs above the bookshelf.

Large clouds of coloured expander foam hang ominously from the ceiling mimicking the shapes of the sea sponges. I ask DeRosa where she was going with that idea. ‘Oh, that was just a bit of silliness, play-making things for a friend’s hairdressing salon, but it didn’t really work. It always leads to something else though’, she 52

muses. Examples of Italian rag paper, painstakingly picked out to reflect the lacework of seaweed, lie abandoned on the floor adding yet another layer of patterning to the studio’s interior. Some of her seaweed-paper works were included in the Heartland exhibition held last year at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Top: The home is filled with lovely natural light, texture and colour. A trio of Barbara Hanrahan prints above the mantle sit adjacent to a Tongan bark Tapa. Above left: The green and red cabinet came from a local second hand shop and houses Chris’ collections of bakelite and tin cannisters. Above right: Retro furnishings and pillows are complemented with modern art, including a series of small paintings by Jiri Tibor Novak.

As I prepare to leave, a playful arrangement of objects decorating the stucco wall of the front porch catches my eye. It seems to reference the Mexican ‘Day of the Dead’, reminding me of an earlier conversation about a family trip to Mexico. Although it’s mildly macabre I find myself smiling as I make my way back out through

the green gate emerging like Alice from a wonderland. Later this year the green ‘corro’ gate into DeRosa and Wedd’s garden will be open to the public – on September 21 from 10 - 4 pm – as part of an open garden program featuring four properties in Port Elliot. It’s an opportunity not to be missed. 53

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FOOD AND WINE

One more for the road Story by Robert Godden.

‘Let’s traverse the Fleurieu and fit in as many teas and coffees as we can between breakfast and dinner.’ As challenges go it didn’t sound too difficult, so we set off. The task: to drink our way across the Fleurieu. A day of buying local; eschewing the city hotspots for our own back yard. High quality coffee. Great loose leaf tea. Owing to some of our party being in the tea and coffee trade, we decided not to identify any of the teas or coffee brands. We can’t play favourites! We started with breakfast at Strathalbyn – Jack’s. The breakfast was a pre-existing commitment so we got off to a flying start with their coffee offering, which was smooth … if a tad mild. Tea next! On we went to McLaren Vale, passing through Meadows – where we found several loose leaf options. We first considered the Main Street, because there are several options, including local institution Blessed Cheese. We’ve been many times before and we already know how good it is, so instead we opted for a novel experience – up Chalk Hill Road to Café Britannia. Britannia, formerly known as Café MESO, has an extensive menu of locally-blended tea and we were all up for that. Well-presented and made, we sipped contentedly before heading off to Willunga. We took a short diversion though, stopping just short of Willunga at Au Pear. They, too, offer locally-blended tea, but offer local coffee as well. As we’d arrived at a quiet time, we were able to really take in the great décor and garden. The surroundings are the real winner here, along with very pleasant service and faultless beverages. Half the party went with tea, the other coffee, and all members of our group were very happy with their choices. To be honest, we were so engaged in lively conversation with the owner that we neglected to take notes! So far we seemed to have done well by ourselves. Every cup had been excellent. Good beverages and good conversation made the morning go fast, so we were soon back in the car and off to lunch. One minute away was Three Monkeys, in the High Street of Willunga. There was a carrot and quinoa salad with gluten-free polenta bread on the blackboard, which we washed down with some South Aussie coffee. The coffee was well made; the milk silky smooth. Coffee-wise it was a highlight. Since we’re still in Willunga, a quick one at La Terre seemed to be a good idea. Coffee again seemed the better option. Clearly the cup started with good beans, but the creation of both a latte and a long black was not only skillfully executed but perfectly balanced. The day was getting very hot – nearing the 42 degrees predicted – so the cool of the car’s air-conditioner helps ready us for our next beverage further south.

Arriving in Victor Harbor, we selected The Anchorage. There the coffee is incredibly local – in as much as the proprietor’s son actually roasts it himself. And it’s good coffee. Really well balanced. The day is fast disappearing – much of it in bathroom breaks at this stage – and we had an appointment in Port Noarlunga. So with one last drive we found ourselves at a quarter to four surrounded by four coffee and tea shops and a bookshop that has coffee. We knew that if we went anywhere near the bookshop we’d lose three hours happily browsing, so we perused the coffee shops. Two had closed early – because of the heat, we guessed. The signs on the door suggest they should be open, but they aren’t. As we arrived at Fleurieu Pantry in Port Noarlunga the staff made noises about leaving early, but after politely pointing out that we were meeting someone based on the times available on their website, we managed to get a table. Here they stock both tea and coffee from Byron Bay. It was good tea and coffee, well presented and served – and a fitting finale. An hour later the click of the door behind us indicated the end of our day. It hadn’t been easy and we know it wasn’t comprehensive. There are so many delightful little places that we missed, were unaware of, or were not open on the day. After 262 kilometers, 3 hours driving time, about 6 hours inside tea and coffee places downing a minimum of 8 beverages each, it’s hard to pinpoint the best. Surprisingly, we really didn’t experience any ‘real shockers’. After much haggling among our little group we came to the conclusion that you should really try them all. As well as any others you find that seem to put a decent degree of thought into their tea and coffee. SIDE NOTE: It was great to find so many establishments using Fleurieu Milk. It’s fast becoming the standard for quality cafés on the Fleurieu. In particular, their skim seems to be very conducive to a great coffee, and a dollop of their Premium Jersey with its few scattered bits of cream really adds richness to a nice black tea.

Quentin Chester speaks with Janine Mackintosh about

Meshing art with space

Janine Mackintosh is one of the most orderly artists you’ll meet. Her Kangaroo Island studio is as trim as a jewellery shop. Instead of brushes, clutter and paint-spattered easels you find neat towers of white boxes of the kind used for cakes and takeaway noodles. These containers brim with leaves, twigs, seed pods and shards of bark – each from a particular plant species. This trove of earthy debris powers Janine’s art. With quick, bright eyes and busy hands she stitches and glues these materials into immaculate forms on white canvas: mandala shapes, quilt-like patchworks and intricate, mind-spinning whorls of shells, bark slivers and all sorts of leafy matter. There’s no small irony here. Somehow out of the mess of our native scrub – that scratchy tangle of fallen branches and leaf litter we often struggle to walk through – Janine creates assemblages that stop you in your tracks with their control and sheer graphic verve. This immediate allure has won Janine a legion of followers and a swag of prestigious People’s Choice prizes: the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize in 2008, 2009 and 2011, the 59th Blake Prize, 37th Alice Prize and the 2012 Heysen Prize. Yet her art is much more than wily exercises in aesthetic charm. When you stand before one of Janine’s big mandalas you’re not gazing at just any old leaves. Each work is considered with a taxonomic rigour that would make a botany professor glow with pride. Thus her creations are typically an expression of an individual plant or tree species and the myriad connections humming within its wild domain – including the changes wrought by time, decay, leaf-munching beetles and other organisms. ‘I’m trying to show people the incredible natural detail of these places and the outrageous complexity that keeps it going’, says Janine. ‘Each picture is a distilling-out of how important it is to conserve every small ecosystem.’ > Previous page: Wreck, 2013 Acacia uncifolia (Coast Wirilda) leaves and seeds, harness ring, linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas. This page top: Venation, 2013 Banksia marginata (Silver Banksia) leaves (underside) and twigs, linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas. Middle: Winter’s End, 2013 Eucalyptus cneorifolia (Kangaroo Island Narrow-leaved Mallee) leaves, linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas. Bottom: Heat of the Moment, 2013 Acacia longifolia (Coastal Wattle) twigs, charcoal, found pottery, glass and rusted lid, linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas 57

In other words, these works pack a punch. Each is an ardent marker of place at its most granular. Look closely and this artist’s extreme devotion to creating balance, intrigue and visual harmony kicks in as a metaphor for the intricate inner workings of a habitat – the natural order that sustains all living things. And increasingly, the habitats under the microscope are on Janine’s home patch. She and partner Richard Glatz moved to live full-time on Kangaroo Island in 2012. Their hilltop home overlooks a sprawl of farm paddocks and several hundred acres of pristine bushland with distant views to D’Estrees Bay. You only have to spend a few minutes with Janine burbling away about the delights of their mallee scrub, lagoons and banksia heath to sense the gratitude of someone who has arrived. After years of commuting to and from the island – and having to drag materials back to their city digs – she can’t quite believe her good luck. ‘Here I’m just in this dreamy creative state’, she waxes. As art projects go, Janine’s has the authentic feel of a culmination. She and Richard both grew up as country kids in SA’s Riverland. ‘I had parents who were field naturalists, and we’d go bush camping with friends or visiting parks and native gardens. So I always had this passion for plants’, says Janine.

In the wake of early exhibition success on Kangaroo Island, Janine’s key breakthrough came early in 2008 when Southern Ocean Lodge commissioned her to create a series of mandalas as the major artwork for their ‘Great Room’. Six years on and her wondrous assemblages continue to garner a widening national and international audience. Another milestone beckons later in 2014 with her first major solo exhibition at Adelaide’s Hill Smith Gallery. There’s a teasing paradox here. An artist on song – delving ever deeper into the minutiae of her very own backyard. An artist producing work that is resolutely true to its site and provocative in its pitch. Yet at the same, conjuring art objects that reach out with a mystique and universal appeal all their own. Such is the joy of seeing an artist who’s arrived. ‘I have this feeling here that it’s endless’, says Janine gazing out across her beloved bushland. ‘It’s the old infinity in a grain of sand thing. I just know I could confine myself to this patch and never run out of ideas.’

Even as a youngster she was an inveterate sorter. From shells and pebbles to her grandmother’s button collection, there was a knack for working with materials to collate and winkle out patterns. ‘I also loved trips to the dump to rummage for stuff,’ she confesses. ‘It’s partly because these objects give me a starting point. There’s already colour, texture and form. And it’s my thing – I have to assemble.’ That organisational gift prompted Janine to study graphic design and launch into a 15-year career in Adelaide’s advertising industry. For his part Richard pursued his fascination with insects to be a leading SARDI entomologist. A shared love of nature untrammelled led the pair to Kangaroo Island. In 2000 they bought Boobook Hill, 200 acres of heritage scrub near the southern shores of Dudley Peninsula. As they fossicked together through this, their first investment in mallee woodland, Richard would gather specimens for his ever-expanding insect collection. Meanwhile Janine started gathering plant material from the property, using conventional pressing and drying techniques to create a herbarium. For someone with her design chops it was a short skip of faith to elaborate these techniques to larger wall pieces that enticed the eye and bridged into the realm of abstract art. 58

Top left: Our Patch, 2013 168 botanical materials (all from our property), goanna skin, found metal, linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas – 2013 Fleurieu Water and Environment Prize, Goolwa. Top right: Lagoon, 2013 Melaleuca halmaturorum (Swamp Paper-bark) bark, sprigs, seedpods and charcoal, Gahnia trifida (Cutting Grass) stems, linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas. Above: The artist, Janine Macintosh.

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Enter the inaugural Fleurieu Four Seasons Prize for Landscape Photography

Photo courtesy Heidi Linehan

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From windswept winter vistas and brooding cloudscapes, to the green renewal of spring. From thirsty landscapes under summer skies, to the softening hues of autumn. Over the coming year capture the essence of four seasons in the forests and farmland, bays and bush-lands of South Australia’s spectacular Western Fleurieu Peninsula. Main prize $15,000 and People’s Choice Award $2,000. For further information and to register; www.fleurieufourseasons.info

Still micro, still locally grown and still handcrafted Leonie Porter-Nocella gets re-acquainted with her â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Queen of Tartsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Photography by emme jade.

Vicki grew up in Auckland NZ (which can be validated as soon as she opens her mouth). However, because she was ‘a wayward child, with a dislike of city life’ she was sent off to a boarding school for girls in Hawkes Bay – which she loved, claiming that it was the making of her. Immediately after leaving school she studied Agriculture, training in kiwifruit orchard management and subsequently (as you would) working on NZ’s ‘second largest dairy farm’. After migrating to Australia she worked on a Cattle Station in QLD, going on to work for an oil exploration company in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia.. There followed a period of extensive travel in her 20s, which included Europe where she worked as a cook for a Chinese Charter tour, a seven-month stint in a fish factory in Iceland and working in a variety of London pubs and restaurants, as well as in Aberfeldy, Scotland. Still lusting for adventure she hiked throughout Africa from Nairobi to Cape Town, visited the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, passed through Uganda where the unnerving machine-gun fire of the Idi Amin Uganda–Tanzania War freaked her out ... and on to Tanzania where she caught a boat across Lake Victoria. By now she was well and truly suffering from culture shock. But at about this same time she also suffered a succession of family tragedies, with the sudden loss of not only her father, but her grandmother, and brother in law as well. This proved to be a great motivating factor for her to succeed in life and make the most of her career. Returning to NZ to settle her father’s estate this new resolve saw her become more serious about following a profession in hospitality. She had developed a love of food while still a youngster working in canteens alongside her grandmother – an Industrial Caterer. She’d never really lost that interest engendered so early and lovingly, so began study at Le Cordon Bleu School, going on to train as a Chef at Auckland TAFE. In Auckland she worked anywhere and everywhere that she could get experience, but as the ongoing struggle with her sexuality intensified, she returned to South Africa to work in Johannesburg. However, she realised that apartheid was still very much alive and thriving and for this reason could no longer endure being there. South Africa’s loss became Adelaide’s gain when in 1989 she ‘made it her home’. She bought, owned and operated Rapp’s Restaurant in Hutt Street but ‘got smacked about by the recession of 1992’. Business lunches suddenly attracted Fringe Benefit Tax, thereby crippling lunch time trade. That was when she transformed the restaurant into the Queen of Tarts. ‘People thought I was mad! I saw an opening to cater in-house for businesses with boardrooms. No-one was eating out any more, but I saw an opportunity for the average punter to grab restaurant-quality grub and have dinner parties in their own homes. It was a hit.’ >

Matchett Productions has grown to what it is today ... still micro, still locally grown and still handcrafted, but now sending their goods out across Australia to quality providores and independent grocers. Previous page: Fresh potatoes and garlic picked on the 31-acre property.. Above: Fiona Watson and Vicki Matchett with a couple of cute companions.

Vicki first crossed my own path in the early ‘90s when she opened the Queen of Tarts. At that time some young, artistic male friends got tremendously excited about the concept – especially the name. Anyhow, I checked out the Q of Ts on my way home from the city one day and found to my utter delight that there was much more to the concept than just the name. Everything was mind-blowingly delicious and there was a really good vibe to the place. And there was Vicki … authoritatively presiding over the operations behind that huge smile of hers. Ever the astute business-woman, and due to the still-high rent in Hutt Street, she decided to employ a baker to bake throughout the night producing water crackers and condiments to launch onto the national market. ‘They went berserk. Cottage industries were just beginning to evolve. It was at this point the idea came to me that we should create a network of like-minded food producers to unite and information-share.’ Flavour South Australia was born, collaboration formed and they were off to promote their wares interstate. Original members included Maggie Beer, *Duncan MacGillivray’s Two Dogs Alcoholic Lemonade, Australian Native Foods, Mexican Express and Barossa Fine Foods. More recently Flavour SA merged with PIRSA to form Food SA. After several years Vicki sold the Queen of Tarts and did a short stint as Chef de Partie, working mostly in the conference catering area at the Adelaide Hilton – at the time of Bethany Finn and Cheong Liew – ‘with Simon Bryant rattling the pans in the Grange’. But by 2000 the call of the country life returned and she bought 31 acres on the Fleurieu Peninsula and has been revegetating ever since. At about this time she took a break from cooking and worked on several vineyards to learn ‘the operations’. However, you can’t keep a good chef out of the kitchen, so she allowed herself to be lured back to the hospitality game by way of lecturing at Noarlunga TAFE ... and working casually at most restaurants on the Peninsula. She also began catering for weddings and functions and before long was making condiments and selling them at the local markets. Matchett Productions has grown to what it is today ... still micro, still locally grown and still handcrafted, but now sending their goods out across Australia to quality providores and independent grocers. We now see her at the Willunga Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings whenever her frenetic lifestyle sees her back on the Fleurieu. If nothing else, Vicki has a rare and formidable, (read ‘driven’) work ethic, accounting for the recent appointment of her very first ‘Micro Business Marketeers’ in the ACT.

Above: Vicki And Fiona get busy in the kitchen.

They’ve set up a market stand and represent Matchett Productions, in addition to handling the distribution. She hopes to duplicate this business model across Australia. However, not one to ever sit back and rest on her laurels, Vicki hopes to set up yet another initiative – which cannot be revealed here due to pending approval – but she does reveal ‘that it would be an asset to the Southern Fleurieu in the area of education and tourism’. Hmmmm ... watch this space!

*Post Script: sadly Duncan MacGillivray recently died while holidaying in Bali with his family. Farewell Duncan and our condolences to the family.

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Swamp People

What’s it like being a real-life swamp person? James Howe wades into a bona fide Fleurieu swamp to find out. I’d sooner face an angry alligator than one more goddamn fly. We’re walking into the Stipiturus swamp 10km from Mt Compass, and a legion of the beasts is invading. Perhaps they’d back down if they understood one of their comrades buzzed down my oesophagus a few seconds ago. But they probably wouldn’t. It’s death or glory for flies. Swamp people, John Gitsham and Tim Vale don’t care. They’ll take swarming insects, snakes and thigh-deep goo for the bliss of being in a Fleurieu Peninsula swamp. ‘Like a kid in a lolly shop,’ is how John describes the feeling. If swamps are lolly shops, then Stipiturus is Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. It’s the biggest protected swamp left on the Fleurieu and Tim and John are obviously enthralled by it – they’ve barely spoken anything but Latin since we left the car. ‘Drosera binata!’ exclaims Tim, lapsing once again into botanical Latin. He’s crouched over a colony of forked sundew, a carnivorous species that uses glistening sticky branches to snare insects. The plant is one of 200 to call Fleurieu swamps home. ‘About 40 of those are endemic to the Fleurieu, so they’re really only found in swamps in this area,’ Tim says. What, you may ask, is a Fleurieu swamp? Tim and John assure me it’s not a large body of water populated by alligators and redneck Americans. ‘A swamp is an area of permanently boggy ground: there’s

very little open, standing water,’ says Tim. ’Typically, they’re populated by dense vegetation with few or no trees.’ Tim and John – charged with monitoring and conserving the Fleurieu Peninsula’s swamps – have been working in them for eight years and one year respectively. They stumbled into the swamps via very different paths. John was a corporate and fashion photographer prior to taking his current role with the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association. ‘I’ve always been a nature nut,’ he says. ‘When I left school I wanted to be a zoologist but my maths was rubbish and I couldn’t get into uni, so I went to art school instead.’ But 20 years ago, burnt out by photography and in need of a change, John decided to have another go at pursuing his passion. ‘I reinvented myself and got into the environmental business,’ he says. ‘I went to uni and did a science degree in conservation biology.’ He then worked for a time as a park ranger before taking the swamps job, conveniently based close to his home in Macclesfield. Ian, who lives in Strathalbyn, started out selling liquor in Melbourne before branching into environmental work and eventually landing in the swamps as a habitat protection officer with Conservation Council SA. Today he takes care of the swamps on the western side of the Fleurieu, while John looks after the eastern side.

The more time Tim and John spend in the Fleurieu’s swamps, the more they’re captivated by them. Fleurieu swamps aren’t particularly dramatic (compared to European peat bogs, where 2000-year-old dead bodies frequently turn up) but they do reveal the occasional oddity. ‘I’ve seen dead cows in swamps – they’ve just wandered in and got stuck,’ says Tim. ‘I’ve been up to my hips – there are some really sloppy bits, and the vegetation gives way and you just go down.’ But apart from the odd dumped car and an occasional drug-growing operation, most of the intrigue of Fleurieu swamps is wrapped up in their rare flora and fauna. Tim says farmers are often astounded to discover the richness of life inhabiting their swamps. Often they’ve had the property for 10 or 15 years and never actually gone into their swamp,’ says Tim. ‘And they’ll come with me and just be blown away.’ Before white settlement large parts of the Fleurieu Peninsula were swamp-land. But from the earliest years of colonisation, Fleurieu farmers have zealously drained and cleared their swamps. By the time the Native Vegetation Act 1991 limited the destruction, the vast majority had already been destroyed. Today only 800 isolated pockets remain, at an average size of about four hectares. Although John and Ian bemoan the widespread loss of the swamps, they take their hats off to the stoicism of the pioneering farmers who cleared and drained them to make way for agriculture. ‘From the air you can actually see the old drainage channels,’ says Ian. ‘When you read the local history of this area and see what they did with just their bare hands and a shovel, it’s just amazing how tough people were.’ Even today, farmers are allowed to continue grazing and draining their swamps – if they were doing so prior to 1991. Much of Tim and John’s work involves negotiating with landowners, who are eligible to receive government incentives if they take steps to conserve their swamps. John says talking farmers around on the subject is easier than it sounds. ‘Once they realise what they’ve got, they really value it,’ he says. Reduced in number though they are, the Fleurieu’s swamps still support myriad insects, reptiles, fish, amphibians and birds. But some species are struggling. Perhaps the most endangered is the Mt Lofty Ranges’ southern emu wren, which numbers only 400 birds in the wild. ‘We have two main populations – one at Deep Creek and one at the bottom of the Tookayerta (River),’ says Tim. ‘There’s a lot of effort going into getting those two populations heading towards each other.’ Introducing isolated populations of wrens to each other may be vital to their survival: many of the swamps on the Fleurieu are tiny, which brings a risk of inbreeding and the eventual collapse of the population. Even Stipiturus, which is one of the region’s healthiest swamps, has seen a decline in wrens in recent years from 15 pairs >

Reduced in number though they are, the Fleurieu’s swamps still support myriad insects, reptiles, fish, amphibians and birds. But some species are struggling. Perhaps the most endangered is the Mt Lofty Ranges’ southern emu wren, which numbers only 400 birds in the wild. Previous page: Tim Vale (left), Habitatat Protection Officer and John Gitsham (right), Fleurieu Swamps Project Officer. Photograph by James Howe. Above: Mt Lofty Southern Emu Wren. Photograph by Duane Paton.

‘They’re really weak fliers, so they can’t fly 300 metres across an open paddock to another habitat – they’ll get pinged off by a bird of prey, or just drop dead from exhaustion,’ says John. to only two, possibly because of inbreeding. ‘They’re really weak fliers, so they can’t fly 300 metres across an open paddock to another habitat – they’ll get pinged off by a bird of prey, or just drop dead from exhaustion,’ says John. He and Ian are working to aid translocation between pockets of wrens by introducing vegetation to the fringes of swamps so birds can get to bush-land corridors without crossing open spaces. If this doesn’t improve the situation, Tim and John may need to capture wild wrens and shift them into isolated populations to strengthen the gene pools. I ask them if they’re considering the use of boats and lassoes for this work. They’re not.

Above: A carefully constructed nest belonging to the Mt Lofty Southern Emu Wren. Photo courtesy of the Conservation Council of South Australia.

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Palya

Zannie Flanagan shares Stewart Roper and his love story of a place and its people.

Previous page: Tjanpi in association with Kurkapi, the Desert Oak in sandhill country. Above: Despite the intense competition, boots are optional accessories. Below right: Palya: means Good (front cover design).

In October 1990, Stewart Roper resigned from his position as a biology lecturer to take up a new career as a community nurse in the Pitjantjatjara community of Amata in the far north west of South Australia. With a swag and the rest of his belongings stowed in the tray of his Valiant ‘ute’, Roper set off on a 1,500 kilometre journey that would take him to one of the most remote places in the country.

Only someone who was intimately connected to, and who had the complete trust of his subjects could capture community life so convincingly. As the years went by Roper often talked about his dream of publishing a selection of his more iconic photos in book form ... and finally in 2010, after obtaining the permission of community elders, he began a project that was to take him three years to complete. The wait has been worth it. The eagerly anticipated finished product arrived from the printer in August last year and the result is a beautifully produced book that portrays Aboriginal life in >

Many of his friends were doubtful he would make it, especially considering that at the time he’d never been further north than Port Pirie. The Scots are a tough lot though, and Roper not only made it, but was to spend the next two decades working in the region, photographing the landscape and its people in his spare time. On his leave trips home Roper would entertain neighbours and friends with slide nights by showing a small selection of carefully curated images, usually accompanied by a very funny running commentary. I remember one photograph of a close-up of a goanna’s decorative taloned forearm set against a vibrant background of red earth. When I asked how he’d been able to take such an amazing close-up, he said with a wry smile, ‘Easy really, the rest of the goanna was pinned under the wheel of my car!’ Each time Roper returned to Amata after leave in Adelaide, he would take with him the latest photos he’d developed and enlarged to post on the Community Health Centre notice board. So popular had these little exhibitions become that when his Toyota Land cruiser, that had replaced the Valiant, was spotted driving along the dusty roads into Amata, a trail of excited children would follow, eager to see if their photo would be displayed. Roper soon had community members willingly posing and performing for his camera, providing him with some unique and often humourous photographic opportunities. 69

21st Century outback Central Australia that illustrates Roper’s deep connection with the region and its people – two sides of the same coin. Each photo has been carefully selected and all plants and animals identified by scientific, indigenous and common names. Every person whose photo appears in the book has given permission for the image to be included. Roper’s joyous and respectful photos show a different side of community life than the one usually depicted in the media; but his text doesn’t shy away from the difficulties and challenges of delivering health services to the region. While he commends 70

successful anti-petrol sniffing initiatives and other collaborations that have delivered positive health outcomes: such as the dramatic decrease in infant mortality and infectious disease and the rise in child immunisation rates that are above the national average, he also notes that more needs to be done to combat poverty. ‘To keep these achievements in perspective it is still relatively common for health staff to be called at night to attend a sick child lying on a sheet of foam for a mattress in a house with no furniture and bare cupboards. Such poverty severely curtails chances for improving health and education outcomes,’ he notes.

Previous page top: Kids playing in Amata. (1996) Bottom: Marcia Williamson and daughter Phylis collect Kampurarpa, the bush tomato (1993) This page top left: Amata viewed from high in the Musgrave Ranges. Top right: Kakalyalya (Major Mitchell or Pink Cockatoo). Bottom left: Dulcie the red heeler and Trevor the joey on the road. Bottom right: Stewart Roper in front of a spinifex.

Roper’s joyous and respectful photos show a different side of community life than the one usually depicted in the media; but his text doesn’t shy away from the difficulties and challenges of delivering health services to the region. In direct contrast to his beautiful desert landscapes, Roper also points out the rapid and devastating changes to the environment. ‘The arid central landscape is increasingly over-run with feral populations of camels, horses, donkeys, foxes, cats and dogs that decimate the native flora and fauna.’ However, Roper’s final message is clear. ‘The vast and endemic flora and fauna of the region and the oldest continuous surviving culture on the planet is a rich heritage that should be admired, respected and supported.’

Roper is currently living with his wife Rita Reitano in Port Willunga, from where he now works remotely for the Nganampa Health Council. He still makes regular trips up north to take up locum positions for a few weeks at a time each year and he continues to document his unique relationship with the people and places of the region through his lens. The legacy of his extensive photographic work is yet to be realised, but that could be about to change. Last year a group of indigenous Seymour College students went on cultural exchange to the USA and they took with them a copy of Palya to present to President Obama. 71

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Things you need to know about the not-so-humble fig Story by Leonie Porter-Nocella. (Well, maybe ‘need’ is a bit too strong, but it is interesting!) Figs grow on the Ficus tree (Ficus carica, which is oddly enough a member of the Mulberry family). The average fig has about 37 calories, has a ‘medium’ GI, contains fibre, vitamin B, potassium, copper, iron and traces of manganese … and in some cultures even the leaves are part of the menu ... for good reason: they have antidiabetic properties and can actually reduce the amount of insulin needed by those with (injection-dependent) diabetes. Despite dried figs being available throughout the year, there is nothing quite like the unique taste and texture of a fresh fig. They are extraordinarily yummy, lusciously sweet, with a texture that combines the chewiness of their flesh, the smoothness of their skin, and the ‘pop’ of their seeds. In addition, since fresh figs are so delicate, surely some of their mystique must come from their relative scarcity (unless you are fortunate enough to have your own tree … and then it becomes all about fighting with the birds over just who manages to get most of the delicious morsels once they’re ready. But since the birds aren’t as fussy over ripeness as we are, they’re all too often the victors!) If you do not grow your own (or even if you do) ripe figs should be kept in the refrigerator where they will stay fresh for about two days. Since they are so delicate they can bruise quite easily, so you should store them carefully on a paper towel-lined plate. They should probably also be covered to ensure that they don’t dry out, get crushed or pick up odours from other foods. Before eating or cooking figs, wash them under cool water and then carefully remove the stem. Gently wipe dry. Some historians will even insist that the fig was actually the original temptress in the Garden of Eden – the true forbidden fruit. Over the centuries literature has almost always associated the fig with sexuality, or more specifically, female genitalia. Even now, Italians refer to that part of the anatomy as ‘fichi’ (figs). Figs can trace their history back to the earliest of times with mentions in the Bible and other ancient writings. They are thought to have been first cultivated in Egypt. They spread to ancient Crete and then subsequently, around the 9th century BC, to ancient Greece where they became a staple foodstuff in the traditional diet. Figs were also revered in ancient Rome where they were thought of as sacred. According to Roman myth the wolf that nurtured the twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, rested under a fig tree. Even during this period of history, at least 29 varieties of figs were already known! Figs were later introduced to other regions of the Mediterranean by ancient conquerors and then brought to the Western Hemisphere by the Spaniards in the early 16th century. And we are now the beneficiaries!

Above: Fresh figs at the Willunga Farmers’ Market. Photpgraph by Alice Bell.

Honey, thyme roasted figs Recipe by Billy Doecke, Assistant Manager of the Willunga Farmers’ Market. The start of Autumn is always heralded by an abundance of figs. Here’s my favourite way to serve figs, aside from gobbling them up warm and straight off the tree. This recipe is so simple … and oh so good! Ingredients: (from Willunga Farmers’ Market} 6 figs, gently washed 6 tbsp runny honey Handful fresh sprigs of thyme olive oil small container of goat curd Preheat oven to 200˚C Lightly coat the figs in olive oil and pack gently into a small oven tray so they hold each other upright. Sprinkle thyme leaves over the top of the figs. Roast for 10 minutes, then place in serving bowls. Drizzle with honey and goat curd. Serve immediately.

New faces on the Fleurieu

James Howe tries to enter the driven thrust of Nadia Cusimano’s mindset.

Nadia Cusimano and I catch up in a glitzy new café on the foreshore at Christies Beach, the suburb that became home to her and husband Paul Gazzola three years ago. ‘Look at all of this,’ she says, waving a hand at the gleaming stainless steel and concrete apartment block above us. ‘It all looks fake to me – the plants, the furniture, those little plastic seagulls. Does that look real to you?’ It does – but then again, I’m not Nadia. Within minutes, it’s painfully clear that my mind lacks her agility in the language of art. She’s explaining her latest project – an art installation in Sydney – which seemingly involves dance, sculpture and, I think, food. I can’t be entirely sure. ‘It happens around a table, but it’s not a dinner,’ she says, by way of an explanation. ‘It’s about bringing food, and at the same time working on the choreography of it all ... and telling stories with that.’ The problem, when it comes to trying to get your head around Nadia, is that her life and career are as fluid and difficult to define as the arts she practises. Take, for example, her role in the contemporary dance scene. Her journey into the genre began in her childhood in Milan, where she learned classical ballet and jazz dancing, before a chance encounter later on in life introduced her to the more flowing, intuitive style of contemporary dance. ‘I met a friend of mine who had just come back from France, and she started to show me all these dances that had a lot to do with rolling on the floor – which was totally new to me,’ she says. Nadia was captured by the style, and soon afterwards she left Milan for Holland, where she did a BA in contemporary dance. Immediately upon finishing her degree, she joined a Berlin-based dance company and toured the world. Today, her natural creativity has morphed her dancing into a mishmash of genres: she’s just as comfortable singing the songs as she is moving to the music. ‘Everything cuts into everything a little bit,’ she says. ‘There is theatre, but there is dance, but there is performance, but there is installation work. (For example), I have started to collaborate with a friend of mine who lives in Belgium, and our work is about writing and singing, and playing with words and meanings, turning them into songs, then back into the meanings …’ Today, much of Nadia’s income comes from teaching Pilates and Body-Mind Centering classes, which she runs out of her home in Christies Beach (she studied these disciplines in Berlin after a temporary injury forced her to stop working with the dance company). Her dream is to one day open a permanent Pilates studio on Beach Road, which will allow her to lead a more sedentary life.

Above: Nadia Cusimano; artist, dancer, Fleurieu resident.

Although she spends a large chunk of her time performing in Sydney, she feels a strong emotional tie to the Fleurieu. ‘My connection to here comes from the south of Italy,’ she says. ‘There’s not as much wine there, but the olive trees, and the ocean and the colours are very similar … there’s a familiarity in that sense.’ Two years ago she became involved in a project run by the City of Onkaparinga called ExpressWay Arts, which was designed to engage young people in art. Her role was to interview 10 to 26-yearolds, asking them what culture meant to them and inquiring into what they’d like to see happen in the region’s art scene. In May last year, an offshoot of the project saw Nadia establish a temporary art gallery in a vacant former pet shop in Noarlunga’s Centro Colonnades and invite people from the area to bring in cultural items, along with the stories bound up in them. There was a big response from local residents – a range of artefacts were delivered, including paintings, photos and archaeological items such as pieces from the old Port Noarlunga hotel and a 1970s pogo stick. The gallery was such a success that Nadia plans to do a repeat this year, though in a country region yet to be decided on. Wherever she ends up, one thing is certain: she’ll be bringing some colour to town.

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FOOD AND WINE

Fleurieu surf and turf Leonie Porter-Nocella visits the kitchens of The Barn’s Darren Knill and Small World Bakery’s Emily Salkeld. Darren provides entrée and main while Emily gives us her dessert recipe. Photographs by Heidi Linehan.

Entrée: Tommy Ruffs with Romano and Kalamata stuffing, and avocado and verjuice aioli. (bracketed are Darren’s Fleurieu-sourced choices) 4 Tommy Ruff fillets (butterflied) 1/4 bunch fresh oregano 20g Romano cheese (Alexandrina) Cracked black pepper Murray River sea salt 100g bread crumbs 60g Kalamata olives (Brian’s) 30g chopped mixed fresh herbs (your choice) 4 free range eggs 100 ml verjuice (Coriole) 1 clove fresh garlic 100ml olive oil (Diana) 1 avocado 100ml veg oil

This issue we’re featuring Darren Knill, head chef at The Barn Bistro on Main Road, McLaren Vale, whose passion lies in the preparation and cooking of steak. He is also very fond of Hogget – the much-maligned, almost forgotten older version (sibling, perhaps?) of Lamb. Once upon a time absolutely everyone ate hogget: it was the mainstay of the Australian family diet (in the old meat ‘n’ three veg times). Now, few people have even heard of it. Which is a great pity, because in the taste and character stakes it leaves lamb way behind – and Darren’s right onto it! It’s always interesting to discover why people go into this most stressful line of work, because as much as you may love to cook, the commercial version is nothing like the peaceful, sometimes cathartic pottering about with pristine little pots and pans in our own kitchens: it’s hard work with very tight timelines. Darren’s reason is as straightforward as he is: in Year 11 he chose two fields in which to try work-experience – sign writing and cooking. And once inside the kitchen he decided that was it! His means of balancing out the crazy hours and stress is equally as straightforward: he just jumps on his bike and takes off! When Darren announced that his recipe for the ‘main’ was to be that commonplace, almost universal old standby ‘surf ‘n’ turf’, I have to admit to a sinking sensation of disenchantment; however, having cast an eye over the recipe it seems to be a surf ‘n’ turf with an interesting, almost perky difference. But first, the entrée: 76

Method Stuffing: In a mixing bowl add grated Romano, chopped garlic, oregano, cracked black pepper, sea salt, breadcrumbs and Kalamatas. Mix it to a firm consistency then stuff each fillet with approx 50g of stuffing. Aioli: In a food processor (or whisk and mixing bowl) add egg yolks, verjuice, crushed garlic, sea salt and avocado. Slowly add olive oil and veg oil to form aioli. Season to taste. Cooking: Heat medium size heavy base pan with olive oil, sear fish each side to golden brown and place in moderate oven for 10 minutes. Plate with avocado and verjuice aoli, garnish with mixed fresh herb and extra virgin olive oil. >

Main: Fleurieu Surf and Turf, leek and Gruyere croquette with confit garlic and almond sauce. Per portion 240g eye fillet (Coorong Black Angus) 2 x SA Gulf king prawns (deveined) 1 medium boiled and cooled potato 50g grated leek 10g butter 20g Gruyere cheese 1 egg 1 cup flour 1 cup bread crumbs Method SautĂŠ leek in butter until golden brown and mix with grated potato, Gruyere, butter. Season and form croquette. Flour, egg and crumb. Sear eye fillet steak in a hot pan and place in moderate oven for 78

8 minutes. Remove and rest. While steak is resting cook croquettes to golden brown then place on warmed plate. SautĂŠ prawns quickly in a hot pan with a touch of butter and season. Place sauce and assemble on plate as shown. Sauce 10ml vinegar 200ml chicken stock 40g toasted almond meal Bread if wanted 1 tablespoon crushed garlic white pepper plus salt Put all ingredients in pan and cook to boil. Blend to a smooth consistency and season with salt and white pepper.

Small world, big taste Now for dessert, Leonie Porter-Nocella talks yeast (the wild variety) with Emily Salkeld of Small World Bakery. Small World Bakery in Langhorne Creek is just that: Small. Although they don’t have a bricks ‘n’ mortar presence, they do have quite a presence in many restaurants and cafes … and now at the Willunga and Prospect Farmers’ Markets. Emily Salkeld began her experimentation with sour dough using the ‘wild sour dough starter’ method whereby organic flour, fine sea salt and filtered water are mixed in a glass bowl, placed in a stable temperature and left to grow their own culture. This mixture then needs constant care and feeding (like any new addition to the family). The resulting culture is ‘wild’ in that it is generated without added yeast – only that produced naturally by the three ingredients and the air (which itself is filtered by the placement of a clean cloth over the glass bowl). Eventually Emily’s husband, Chris Duffy, got into the act by building a large wood oven. This was the turning point: taking the step from home- into commercial-baking. At first they were supplying only the better restaurants and cafes ... but since the wood oven is limited by its very nature, and with the wood to fuel it becoming increasingly difficult to source, they decided to take an even bigger step to expand by building a dedicated bakery with a big commercial oven. This was also the cue for Chris to join the business full-time by taking care of the books and making deliveries, leaving Emily to concentrate entirely on the baking. In turn this meant that apart from expanding the business, she could also expand the range. The range is all sour dough from the original starter and includes: Ciabatta, ciabatta + olive, white, rye, multigrain, whole-wheat + seed, fig + fennel, square rye loaf, fruit rye, and honey-sweetened brioche loaf (which is the star ingredient in Emily’s dessert recipe). For the past decade the family has lived a quiet but fulfilling life in Langhorne Creek where their two boys attend the local primary school and participate in that essential part of life in a country town: sport – the mesh that helps transform a small town into a community. >

Emily’s Brioche French toast with roasted rhubarb and strawberries (serves 4) Roasted rhubarb and strawberries 1 bunch rhubarb, sliced into 5cm lengths 250g strawberries, hulled and halved 60ml (1/4 cup) honey 60ml (1/4 cup) dry white wine French toast 2 free range eggs 125ml (1/2 cup) milk 1 tablespoon brown sugar Zest of 1 orange, finely grated 4 thick slices Small World Bakery brioche 60g unsalted butter To serve Goat curd or sheep’s milk yoghurt Torn mint leaves Honey Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius In a bowl toss fruit with honey and wine, and then tip into a lined baking dish with sides to catch the juices. Roast in the oven for about 20mins, until the rhubarb is soft. Set aside. 80

Beat together the eggs, milk, sugar and zest in a large bowl. Melt a knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat, and dip 2 slices of brioche in the egg mixture to thoroughly coat them. When the butter is nicely foaming in the pan remove the brioche slices from the bowl, allowing the excess liquid to drip into the bowl before frying the brioche in the pan. Repeat with the remaining brioche. Place a slice of French toast on a plate, top with fruit then curd or yoghurt, then drizzle with the syrupy juices, honey to taste and a sprinkling of mint. Notes: Just about all the ingredients for this dish are bought at the Willunga or Prospect Farmers’ Markets. We use other soft fruit when in season, like wedges of plums, peaches, nectarines and apples. The Small World Bakery brioche is fragrant with organic olive oil and honey, used in place of the usual butter and sugar. The brioche is not particularly sweet, however, at the end of a busy baking week the boys enjoy a treat such as the Brioche French Toast, or a toasted bacon and egg brioche sandwich. We like to use our different breads for various dishes when we relax on the weekend with friends and family. Not only does this inspire combinations of grains and flours in our doughs, but we are continually driven to develop and improve our breads to best reflect the qualities of the core ingredients.

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Garden Delights

WEDDINGS – ENGAGEMENTS – PORTRAITS – EVENTS

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Josh and Sarah spent just two years together before Josh, from Liverpool, knew the time was right for him to propose. Photography by Truly Madly.

Fleurieu Weddings He spent months preparing his daring ‘amazing-race-themed’ proposal, setting Sarah off on various challenges and clues to complete the course, ending with a momentous finale incorporating close friends and family who had gathered at the finishing point. The engagement story can be viewed online via Vimeo. In December 2013, on their third-year anniversary, they decided to tie the knot and celebrate with family from both Adelaide and England. Sarah and Joshua were married at Serafino’s McLaren Vale in the old church, where they also held a reception for family and friends. This location was chosen as it was down south where they first met and began their relationship. Nothing could prevent the day from being special to them; not even the crazy weather, which forced them to hurriedly change the venue from outdoors to indoors ─where they were surrounded by wine barrels, which imbued a wonderful aroma of wine into the already beautiful venue.

Josh had family members fly over from Liverpool, with his mother, step-father-in-law, sister, bother-in-law and the friend who married them arriving a week early to refine the details before the big day. The day was captured by James Knowler of Truly Madly Company, and included a range of photographs taken in the garden alongside the lake at Serafinos in McLaren Vale and also at Port Willunga. Sarah and Josh’s bridal party was made up of close family and friends. Sarah had her three sisters, her now sister-in-law and her two best friends. Josh had his best mate, brother-in-law, brother-inlaw’s brother, cousin and leader from church. Their gorgeous little page boy was the son of Sarah’s Maid of Honour (Sarah’s nephew) with Sarah’s little sister as the beautiful Flower girl. Sarah wore a gorgeous princess-cut dress designed by Angeline, with a detailed flower belt being Sarah’s own final touch. All the dresses in the wedding were exactly how Sarah had dreamt and imagined. Josh and his Groomsman were dressed by Connor and they looked smashing in their suits … along with the page boy, who was dressed by Bardot Junior. >

Many members of both families took part in this special day. Both of Sarah’s brothers helped: with bible reading and with one of them chauffeuring the bride and groom in his Chrysler 300 while the remainder of the bridal party travelled in Daimlers. Josh’s cousin played for the night, backed up by a talented bunch from Josh’s family who sang the night away. Sarah and Josh demonstrated talent in designing ‘the rustic look’ of the wedding, spending many nights together with family and friends putting it all together. Using hessian, oiled woodcuttings, photo booth props, scrabble text and custom engravings, with many suppliers found online through Etsy. This themed décor is nicely captured by James in their wedding photography. The couple is planning to honeymoon on the Gold Coast in April. Josh and Sarah wish to thank their family and friends for all their love and support in making the day so very memorable.

In December 2013, on their third-year anniversary, they decided to tie the knot and celebrate with family from both Adelaide and England. Sarah and Joshua were married at Serafino’s McLaren Vale in the old church, where they also held a reception for family and friends.

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SOCIAL PAGES

Being Social: Beachside Food and Wine Festival On November 30 FLM was invited to an exclusive Cocktail Event on the foreshore of Christies Beach. The event was hosted by the Onkaparinga Council and guests were treated to canapes and wine from the private function room upstairs at the at the Surf Life Saving Club while overlooking the International Sand Sculpture exhibition and the popular Beachside Food and Wine Festival.

Being Social: FLM Summer Launch On December 5th FLM launched their Summer Issue with guests treated to an amazing event at the Elbow Room. Jointly hosted by Shingleback Wines and Nigel Rich at the Elbow Room â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the food was fantastic and the wine sublime. It was a great crowd and we received very positive feedback from all in attendance.

01: Haydon Manning and Hazel Wainwright 02: Adrian and Nadine Skull, Mark Dowd and Sparky Marquis 03: Rod Brown, Kirk Richardson, Heidi Greaves and Alison Hancock 04: Brianiee Albrighton, Deirdre Albrighton and Kirra Comley 05: Andrew Buttery, Mr. Su Jingwen; Mayor of the Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Government of Changi County, Pip Forrester and Zelia Zhu 06: Rachel McMillan and Perry Walker 07: Mel Anderson, Zannie Flanagan and Stephanie Johnston 08: Susan Craig, Emma Craig and Shanti Van Vliet 09: Jos Roper and Mark Simpkin 10: Rebecca and Adrian Nicholson with Julie Weir 11: Kim Harding and David Pegram 12: Nigel Rich and Cheri George.

Being Social: Harvest Festival McLaren Vale On the weekend of January 18, FLM enjoyed two Harvest Festival Events. On Friday night a great crowd was in attendance for the Gala Fundraising Dinner at Serafino Wines. On Saturday at the McLaren Vale Oval brought another fantastic day out with celebrity wine spitting, music, dance ... and of course, great food and wine. Funds raised from both events went to the McLaren Vale Hospital.

01: Greg Rubenhold, Nicki Hunt, Sarah Taylor and Peter Wadewitz 02: Nick Condon, Lauren Lang, Annie Mitchell and Emma Johnson 03: Jurateza Zaukelis, Cheong Liew, Judith Barr and Jenni Mitton 04: Lisa McCarthy, Sue Adam and Alison Blair 05: Lucy and Matt Koch with Karen Galletly 06: Steve and Joanne Kelly 07: Lucy Porter negotiating the climbing wall 08: Lisa Wolstencroft warming up for the wine spitting challenge 09: Cathy Phillips, Tricia Catford, Simone Baldock and Karen Williamson 10: Claire Suckling 11: Casey and Matt Price with daughter Indigo.

SOCIAL PAGES

Being Social: The ‘Surf’ World Record Attempt On December 14 FLM headed down to the Port Noarlunga foreshore to witness the World Record attempt at creating the longest line of surfboards. After the final count, the record wasn’t just set, but almost doubled! Representatives from Guinness World Records declared that there were 398 boards in a 783.5 metre-long line in the sand along Port Noarlunga beach. A truly great achievement!

Being Social: DeeVine Studio launch McLaren Vale On February 16, FLM attended the launch of DeeVine Studio in McLaren Vale. The comprehensive new studio offers a range of services and classes, creating an open and welcoming environment for the whole community from young to old. All needs are met, with a creche, after school classes for kids, beginners and advanced yoga classes, pilates, massage, acupuncture and even a lovely little retail store.

01: Megan Strydom, Grace Roberts, Andre and Joshua Strydom 02: Netty Jacobs, Paul Jenikinson, Bev and Steve Hallifax 03: Greg, Michaela and Caleb Wait 04: Bridget Fenoughty, Katie and Clarie Same with Liz and Maddy Rhodes 05: Barry Dellow, Nisa Schebella, Peter Cox, Erika and Darren Oemcke 06: Curtis and Grant Senior 07: Tammy McGrath, Lynda Mitchell, Dee Reynolds and Hayley Crowley 08: Kylie Tremayne and Mel Huge 09: Sharyn Zrna with Alyssa and Rachel Lovelock 10: Kristy Hemlin and Fiona Cross 11: Leon Bignell, Dee Reynolds and David Fechner 12: Tribal belly dancers Cathy Phillips, Melissa Puust and Donna Chess.

Being Social: Love Velo Seaside On Friday 24th January the City of Onkaparinga took over the southern end of the beach at Port Willunga and hosted 500 people to SA’s longest silver service dinner. The tables were set beautifully and the guests were treated to fine wine, entertainment, roving fire jugglers and light projections over the cliffs. A stunning event.

08 01: Amanda Duggan and Gary Musolino 02: Adam and Samantha Hambour with Surahn and Jessica Sidhu 03: Melissa Brown, Emma Loretan, Lucy Koch and Julie Day 04: The PTA; Sarah Adams, Jacqui Good, Mel Amos, Brenda Pearson, and Kerstin Holata 05: Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello, Mark and Tory Bickley, Sam Costello 06: Ali Begg, Claire Stanley, Rebecca and Roger Cranswick, Steve Hooker 07: The table set for 500 diners spanned the length of the beach 08: One of the fire jugglers keeping diners entertained throughout the evening.

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MYPONGA MARKET At Myponga Market you can browse unique stalls selling retro furniture, vintage tools, collectibles and rare vinyl recordings. Enjoy coffee and cake at the cafe. Come and enjoy the new Cool Room art gallery. Market open Sat, Sun and most Public Holidays. 46 Main South Road, Myponga. T: 8558 6121 W: mypongamarket.com F: facebook.com/mypongamarket

DEEVINE STUDIO In picturesque McLaren Vale sits a peaceful oasis – DeeVine Studio, which has been created as a sacred space for you to nurture your mind and body. They offer holistic wellness including yoga and meditation classes, and a comprehensive team of allied health practitioners. T: Dee 0419 035 344 E: deevine@chariot.com.au W: deevinestudio.com.au

EAT AT WHALERS “From dawn to dusk as the sky changes hue, we continue to marvel at our stunning view. Come share it on the deck or at an indoor table, we’re called Eat at Whalers and we’re more than able. We’re cuisine by the sea –fare from grower to plate, changing with the seasons with a menu first rate. Our vista is gorgeous and so’s the local wine, not surprising that the critics say we’re utterly divine!” 121 Franklin Parade, Encounter Bay T: 08 8552 4400 or W: whalers.com.au

SMILING SAMOYED BREWERY Try Smiling Samoyed Brewery’s beers, right where they are made while enjoying a beautiful view over the Myponga Reservoir. Wood oven pizzas available weekends and live music every Sunday.

IBIS SIDING GARDEN CENTRE Ibis Siding is a large nursery situated in Goolwa. It has been owned by the Gilbert family since 1989, is spread over 4 acres and specialises in coastal plants, natives, exotics, indoor plants, tube stock, natural products, fodder, chickens, pots, fish and aquatic plants.

GREEN TANK GALLERY If you love art, visit John Lacey’s contemporary gallery/studio and meet this award winning artist. Enjoy the diverse range of quality impressionistic and expressive landscapes.

48 Main South Road, Myponga (enter off Hansen St) T: 8558 6166 E: info@smilingsamoyed.com.au W: smilingsamoyed.com.au F: facebook.com/mypongabrewery

Corner of Kessell Road and Goolwa Street, Goolwa SA 5124. T: 08 8555 1311.

Located just south of Mt Compass and 400 metres from the Victor Harbor Road. Open most days 11am - 5pm 41 Woodcone Rd Mt Compass. T: 8556 8388 M: 0419 823 708 W: johnlacey.com.au

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The town that slate built

Eat Local Embracing the seasonal goodness of the region Swamp People Janine Mackintosh Meshing art with space McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island