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
Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our
SUMMER 2018-9
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An attitude of gratitude: a Middleton home with heart Fleurieu fresh: new locales of the Fleurieu Wine dynasties Create your escape: Fleurieu Coast Lands End: Cape Jervis home Fashion: It’s a good day to have a good day! d’Arenberg deconstructed Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations
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It’s a Fleurieu Summer-time ... and the living is easy
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STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS
Key Personnel Petra de Mooy Thanks to our team, all of our collaborators, Fleurieu Leaders family and friends – 2018 was awesome! Here’s to a great 2019!
Jason Porter Jason has worked as a graphic designer and creative director both locally and overseas for over thirty years. When not in the office, he can usually be found tweaking the crossover filters on his ridiculously over-the-top hi-fi system. Esther Thorn Esther Thorn is a storyteller. She has worked as a journalist for twenty years in print, radio and television. Esther believes small things, like commas and apostrophes, are important. This makes her an irritating dinner guest but a good editor. Holly Wyatt A self-described ‘city-escapee,’ Holly moved to the Fleurieu chasing wide-open spaces and the spoils of semi-rural life. Those spoils include a good coffee in the morning, a glass of wine in the evening and a bountiful supply of inspiration for her art, music and work. Lulu Our company mascot Lulu started appearing in way too many of our Instagram posts – so now she has her own profile (sad, we know) where you can follow her charmed life. Search for ‘miss_majestica’ if you’re so inclined.
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Featured Contributors Elise Cook Elise grew up on the Fleurieu, before moving overseas and interstate to study journalism and photography. Upon returning to South Australia, she and husband Domenic moved back to the Fleurieu Peninsula and fell in love with the region. The newly weds started Down The Rabbit Hole Wines, which consumed a great deal of their time and energy. So, to unwind inexpensively, they bought a van for mini weekend trips. After two years traveling close to home they decided to explore the entire country in the van they affectionately call Scout. They recently returned home and despite their many adventures, maintain the Fleurieu is their favourite place to be.
Kimberley Goodman Growing up in Meadows once posed a challenge for this active socialite. But Kimberley eventually realised there is more to the rolling green hills and country roads that surrounded her, it provided the perfect nourishment for creative thought. With a pair of rose-coloured glasses planted firmly on her head, this twenty-one year old journalism graduate says she feels ready for her career of choice. Kim is continually surprised by the scope of local talent and beautiful places that surround her, and plans to live a life filled with good conversation, road trips, and more furry friends than most sane people could handle.
Publisher Information Marcus Syvertsen Marcus is a stylist, interior designer and homewares curator. His business, Little Road Home, provides a range of design services, along with a highly curated online homewares and lifestyle store. Marcus is a regular stylist for FLM, with a portfolio that includes residential interior design and styling projects. He is a proud founding member and trustee of the Awesome Foundation Fleurieu, an exciting micro philanthropy group supporting ideas on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Living in Willunga with his wife Megan and two young daughters, he loves the Fleurieu for its rolling hills, fine wine, farmers’ markets and people.
Other contributing writers and photographers Mel Amos, Evan Bailey, Alex Beckett, Annabel Bowles, Jake Dean, Nicola Gage, Robert Geh, Gill Gordon-Smith, Leonie Hick, Nina Keath, Ron Langman, Mark Laurie, Kate LeGallez, Heidi Lewis, Angela Lisman, Kitty Magee, Deb Saunders and Corrina Wright.
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 Esther Thorn ADVERTISING SALES Holly Wyatt holly@fleurieuliving.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jason Porter jason@fleurieuliving.com.au PRINTER Graphic Print Group DISTRIBUTION Integrated Publication Solutions SUBSCRIPTIONS Print: isubscribe.com.au Digital: zinio.com ALL ENQUIRIES Petra de Mooy petra@fleurieuliving.com.au POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 111, Aldinga, South Australia 5173. ONLINE fleurieuliving.com.au facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine instagram.com/fleurieulivingmagazine/ COPYRIGHT All content copyright Fleurieu Living Magazine Pty Ltd unless otherwise stated. While Fleurieu Living Magazine takes every care to ensure the accuracy of information 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 and controlled sources using environmentally friendly vegetable-based inks.
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THIS ISSUE
Contents
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FEATURED HOME: Middleton Home: An attitude of gratitude.
FEATURED VENUES: Fleurieu Fresh: New Locales of the Fleurieu.
FRONT COVER PHOTO: by Robert Geh.
FOOD AND WINE
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
112 Uncorked – wine reviews by award-winning Gill Gordon-Smith.
25 Summer festivities. Our pics for long Summer days and nights.
104 From fleece to fork: Fleurieu Prime Alpaca.
74 Milang to Goolwa Freshwater Classic – 27th January 2019.
48 Coming up rosy: Go the pink drinks!
50 Fleurieu Film Festival 2019 – February 9 at S.C. Pannell Wines.
106 A taste of Summer: Food & wine matching by the Fleurieu Kitchen. 26 d’Arenberg deconstructed.
HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
88 What’s in a name? FLM discusses what makes a dynasty with four Fleurieu wine families.
102 Gab Fantner: Operation Flinders. 118 Awesome Foundation Fleurieu. 70 All hail the halls – reimagining community spaces.
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FEATURED ARTIST: Heart and home: Indigenous artists, Cedric Varcoe and Amanda Westley.
FEATURED ESCAPE: Fleurieu Coast.
64 FEATURED HOME: Featured Home: Lands End, Cape Jervis.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
GREEN LIVING & DESIGN
ART AND DESIGN
114 Biodiversity McLaren Vale – Cleaning our creeks.
94 Investigator College: Investigating the creation of a sustainable future.
60 The magic of Green Bay.
FASHION
PENINSULA PEOPLE
30 It’s a good day. Models: Elise Cook and Domenic Palumbo.
120 Ask A Local.
WEDDINGS 122 Joel and Jessica Dry – 24th February 2018 – Woodburn Estate, Langhorne Creek.
22 Home: Annabel Bowles. 76
WHO WE ARE: Jessica and Surahn Sidhu Sam and Yasmin Whitehead Henry Jock Walker Alex Beckett.
DIARY DATES
BOOKS AND WORDS
12 A Summer full of fun in the sun with evenings of delicious food, local wine, film, art and song.
116 Great summer reads by Mark Laurie of South Seas Books at Port Elliot.
100 Boutique and Unique: Katie Shriner – The paintbrush bearing passenger.
BEING SOCIAL 125 FLM sees who was out and about at: · Fleurieu Film Festival launch – Star of Greece · Faces and Food of the Fleurieu Launch · Field Good Festival · Green Bay Exhibition - Strand Gallery · Fleurieu Future Leaders – Normanville · Ideas on the Fleurieu – Wharf Barrel Shed · Handpicked Festival – Lake Breeze Wines
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ACKNOWLEDGES
Our advertising partners A special thanks to the advertising partners that have made a long term commitment to FLM. GOLD PARTNERS
BRONZE PARTNERS
il (Bookings 03 9005 7750) ad, Goolwa on 8 and 9 April ographic Exhibition at wa from 9 to 23 April Mike - Kids Magic y Hall, Goolwa on 17 April den Boat Festival at the n 22 and 23 April el Griffiths at Centenary
Silent Disco 4 Kids Party at Strathalbyn Library Community Centre on 27 April *Sista Girl, at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 5 May Our Mob 2015, Aboriginal arts at Signal Point Gallery, Goolwa from 5 May to 11 June Good Things Small Packages, at South Coast Regional Art Centre, Goolwa from 5 May to 18 June *Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - The Elton John Tribute Show at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 20 May * tickets/ booking required
ll Council’s Visitor Information Centre on 1300 466 592. Alexandrina Council a copy online for more events in the region, www.alexandrina.sa.gov.au
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Brand culture As a thankyou to our advertising partners, we would like to showcase these amazing enterprises via a short introduction to their respective businesses. Each issue will offer some insight into three of our partners.
Salopian Inn In the heart of the Fleurieu sits the Salopian Inn. A trip to the wellknown and equally well-loved McLaren Vale restaurant is always an experience of indulgence and first-class hospitality. The Salopian Inn is also renowned for its two-hundred-plus varieties of gin and its celebrated selection of wine, both of which are carefully curated by Innkeeper Alex Marchetti. Head Chef Karena Armstrong is passionate about seasonal, local produce. Indeed many of the ingredients are grown in her own kitchen garden. Word of mouth has built Salopian Inn’s reputation for amazing quality and service, attracting both locals and visitors from far and wide. Karena also believes in taking care of her staff and ensures they too get their fair share of fresh produce and love. ‘Hospitality isn’t known for work life balance but we try,’ she says. ‘We love new babies, new love (yes we have had a few staff fall in love), new staff and old staff and we try to include family in all our gatherings.’ It’s a recipe for success, with the Salopian Inn winning Restaurant of the year at the Advertiser Food Awards 2018. Bailey Homes With over thirty years designing and building award-winning homes on the Fleurieu, Bailey Homes understands the importance of a personalised approach. It’s this attention to the expectations and needs of each individual client that has built Bailey Homes’ reputation of reliability, professionalism and integrity. The company’s work ethic, shared by all of its highly trained staff, reflects a genuine interest in teamwork and problem-solving; values required in
delivering quality, custom-built homes. As a family-owned business, Bailey Homes makes its mark not only on the lives of its customers, but on the broader community. From its inception, the business has had a strong involvement with local clubs and committees, including Women’s and Children’s Foundation Beach House Project, Encounter Bay Cricket Club, Sculptures By The Sea and Business Victor Harbor. Community engagement combined with quality service reflects the heart of Bailey Homes, which shines through in every uniquely designed home and renovation. Sealink Established in 1989 as a single ferry business, SeaLink Travel Group has grown into a successful national enterprise now operating 79 vessels and 60 coaches in SA, NSW, QLD, NT, WA & TAS across a number of brands including Captain Cook Cruises, SeaLink Ferries, Adelaide Sightseeing, KI Odysseys, KI Adventure Tours, Vivonne Bay Lodge, Kingfisher Bay Resort and Australian Holiday Centre. Each business has its own unique offering and target market and is committed to providing exceptional service to their customers; local, interstate and overseas. SeaLink Travel Group attributes its success to its business ethos that: ‘Our people are what makes our products shine’. Its team of over 1600 staff is led by managers who ‘are very much in touch with the day-to-day operations, as well as the ‘big picture’. SeaLink Travel Group remains committed to supporting the communities they work in through sponsoring many local organisations and events.
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Harcourts South Coast RLA 228117
Experience Fleurieu Living Real estate sales Property management Holiday accommodation
South Coast Victor Harbor 8552 5744 | Goolwa 8555 1199
Encounter Bay
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Hayborough
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Port Elliot
www.southcoast.harcourts.com.au
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Hindmarsh Island
Welcome to FLM From the FLM team
From our readers
Issue 27 and moving towards 2019 at speed! Here’s hoping 2019 is as surprising, rewarding and enlightening as 2018!
Hi Petra, Thank you so much for taking the time to put together this beautiful editorial. It really reflects the essence of who Greg and I are and how we live our lives. We both love and resonate with the headline ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ as this has been our family motto and one we practise daily.
If you don’t read anything else in this issue (though we urge to to absorb it all), be sure to take in ‘Home’ by Annabel Bowles — especially if you are a Fleurieu local. At just twenty-one this young woman has travelled the world and come back loving where she lives even more. In her story ‘Home’ she reflects on all of her experiences with wisdom well beyond her years. Annabel started out with us as an intern, but has grown in leaps and bounds and has recently been appointed editor of the UniSA student magazine, Verse. Last year our advertising manager Holly Wyatt completed issue one with us as a newcomer to FLM and to publishing. Our summer issue last year was our biggest ever, so Holly went in at the deep end and emerged with the expertise of someone who has been working in the industry for years. As she celebrates one year with the magazine we cannot begin to explain the myriad of ways in which this kind and creative, yet tenacious soul has influenced the magazine. First for her stellar gifts with our clients; I was out the other night and someone said to me; ‘I just love Holly.’ We concur. Holly is a fantastic sales rep, but she is also insightful, caring and committed to everything she puts her heart and her hand to. In her limited spare time while wrangling a toddler, she has even put her hand up to help rejuvenate the languishing Myponga Town Hall. Read about it on page 70. Thanks Holly! Jason, our designer, is still explaining to us the importance of high quality photography and design. It is this eye for detail that makes us proud to be the purveyors of this fine publication. After taking maternity leave and staying at home to care for her growing family, our editor Esther Thorn is also back on board, casting her keen eye over our content. Great to have her back! Esther cares about the magazine and its content a lot and her insights are invaluable. Thanks to Nicola Gage and Kate LeGallez for stepping in, in her absence. This year our publishing editor Petra de Mooy participated in the Fleurieu Future Leaders Program. ‘It is impossible to encapsulate what we learned in a sentence or two, but it was so much more enriching than I could have anticipated,’ she says. Thank you Charles and Janice Manning and the twenty participants. Brave and talented people one and all.
When we met I wasn’t aware that you and Jason are the coowners of the magazine and now knowing this I feel even more privileged that you spent so much time with us. I am definitely in awe of your bravery and commitment to bring your vision to life. FLM is an extremely beautiful, stylish and thoughtful publication that showcases our region at its best — an absolute credit to your professionalism and entrepreneurship. Sharing our story has taken a great deal of courage on my part. It has definitely challenged me as I am (historically) a very private person. This process has required me to expose myself emotionally, to be vulnerable and to relinquish control; to trust. Thank you for the care and respect you, Jason, Marcus and Rob have shown us throughout this process. Regards Jen Each issue we send out a few Q&As to local business owners. Some of that content appears in editorials but here are a few titbits that we couldn’t fit it: Richard Angove — Angove Wines: We often use the term ’seriously relaxed’. We are serious about grape growing and winemaking but at the end of the day when it comes to experience we want our customers to be seriously relaxed. Shana Dunn – Port Burger: The incredible produce and landscape of the Fleurieu is inspiring and the community connections that have been built and respected allow our crew to develop skills and be creative. We love all of South Australia and what it has to offer and have hopefully added a little bit more. Loren Kate – Cooee Arthouse: The word ‘Cooee’ originates from the Dharug people in NSW which means ‘come here’ and that is my vision for Cooee, a community meeting place. A place to enjoy accessible and affordable concerts, films and workshops with like minds.
With all of this to give thanks for we wish you all the best for the summer season and here’s to a top notch 2019! Celebrate with some local wine.
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MARKETS & EVENTS
Summer Diary Dates LOCAL MARKETS: Aldinga, McLaren Vale and Willunga Aldinga Bay Art, Craft and Produce Market On the fourth Sunday of every month at Central Way, Aldinga Central Shopping Centre from 11am – 3pm. Arts and crafts from local artisans, as-well-as fresh local produce. Willunga Farmers Market In the Willunga Town Square every Saturday from 8am – 12.30pm. You must go just for the seasonal fruit. Oranges, persimmons, pears and apples – the freshest you’ll find! Don’t forget to buy a membership and receive discounts on all the fabulous local food. Willunga Quarry Market Adjacent to the Willunga Oval, on the second Saturday of every month, 9am – 1pm, rain, hail or shine. Come and browse an eclectic mix of everything, ranging from secondhand tools to plants and craft. There’s always something new to see. Willunga Artisans & Handmade Market In the Willunga Show Hall (opposite the Willunga Farmers Market) on the second Saturday of each month, from 9am – 1pm. Local art and craft, with a little bit of something for everyone. A great place to buy a unique, handmade gift.
Goolwa, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor Goolwa Wharf Market The Goolwa Wharf Market is held on the first and third Sunday of every month, from 9am – 3pm. With around 80 stalls, there is a myriad of goods on offer. Bric-a-brac, collectibles, fresh local produce, coffee and food, plants, books both new and old, and hand-crafted goods. Port Elliot Market At Lakala Reserve, Port Elliot, on the first and third Saturday of each month from 9am – 2pm. A typical country market with plenty of fresh local produce on offer, as-well-as a good mix of other goods such as plants, bric-a-brac, books, fishing gear, and even a $2 stall. There is sure to be something for everyone. Victor Harbor Farmers’ Market At Grosvenor Gardens, Victor Harbor, every Saturday morning from 8am – 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.
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The Victor Harbor Artisan Market Railway Terrace in Victor Harbor, Saturday December 8 and Saturday January 12 from 10am – 4pm. Enjoy a showcase of talented visual, musical and performance artists, or watch as artists complete their work onsite.
COUNTRY MARKETS: Kangaroo Island Farmers’ Markets Penneshaw Town Oval on the first Sunday of every month from 9am – 1pm. Kangaroo Island’s top food producers, selling a range of fresh local produce in a great village atmosphere. For special SeaLink Ferry fares and cruise ship market dates, visit sealink.com.au. Meadows Country Market Held at the Meadows Memorial Hall on the second Sunday of the month from 9am – 3pm. Up to 70 stalls of local produce, crafts, collectibles, plants and bric-a-brac. A true country market. Myponga Markets In the old Myponga Cheese Factory, next door to Smiling Samoyed Brewery, every Saturday, Sunday and most public holidays from 9.30am – 4pm. Enjoy browsing a variety of stalls, including art, books, fine china and glass, toys, local leatherwork, coins, records and fossils. There are also waffles and gelato for those with a sweet tooth. Strathalbyn Markets In Lions Park, South Terrace, Strathalbyn. On the third Sunday of every month, from 8am – 2pm. A quaint, country-style market with 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 from 9am – 1pm. Craft and produce market featuring goods from the local area. You’ll be surprised at what you may find!
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS: DECEMBER Kids Community Market Yankalilla Showgrounds Sunday December 9, 10am – 1pm Come and support budding entrepreneurs and their creations. A unique market that captures creativity and learning with all stallholders being school-aged children. Fleurieu Heritage Experience Victor Harbor and Goolwa Take a trip back in time with the Fleurieu Heritage Experience during December. Setting out from Victor Harbor, participants will travel to Goolwa aboard the scenic Cockle Train. They can then cruise from the historic Goolwa Wharf on wood paddle steamer Oscar W, before once again taking the train back to Victor and boarding the horse-drawn tram to Granite Island. Contact the Victor Harbor Visitor Centre for details of how to book. (08) 8551 0776 bookings@victor.sa.gov.au.
JANUARY Normanville New Year’s Eve Pageant Normanville Foreshore Sunday December 31, from 7.30pm Locals and tourists alike cheer on the colourful floats as they wind their way to the beautiful Normanville foreshore. A fun-filled, family evening on the beachfront with music, amusements and fireworks at 9.45pm. Sustainable Living Expo Yankalilla Community Centre & Library January 8 - January 24 Jam-packed full of events and activities for kids of all ages. There are circus skills to be learnt, craft to be made, games to be played and a whole heap of adventuring fun when the Mobile Junkyard Playground returns. Check out the full program at visitfleurieucoast.com.au Original Storm Boy Screening Centenary Hall, Goolwa Saturday 12 January - 7pm, Monday 14 January - 3pm, Wednesday 16 January - 4pm In celebration of the Storm Boy film release in cinemas on 17 January 2019, Alexandrina Council is screening the original 1976 Storm Boy film. Based on Colin Thiele’s 1964 novel and filmed around Goolwa and the nearby Coorong National Park, come and see where it all began. For more information www.visitalexandrina.com Left: In preparation for the new Storm Boy film release on 17th January, refresh your memory of this Australian classic by watching the original again. Right: Stage 5 of TDU will wind up at Strathalbyn where the town will come alive with local food and entertainment.
Bungala Bridge Fun Run Bungala Park, Normanville Sunday January 14, from 8am Take part however you like – run, jog, dance, roll or walk your way around the course. Random prize giveaways, a kids’ race and an idyllic location makes this a fun day for the family and seasoned runners alike! Santos Tour Down Under (TDU) January 10 – 20 Professional cyclists from around the world participate in the Santos Tour Down Under. Cheer them on and take part in the activities across the region, including McLaren Vale, Myponga, Willunga, Aldinga and Victor Harbor. Information at www.tourdownunder.com.au SPECIAL TDU TOWNSHIP EVENTS Summer & Spokes in Strathalbyn January 19 Stage 5 of Santos Tour Down Under starts in Glenelg and passes at high speed through the townships of Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Middleton and Goolwa and onto the stage finish in Strathalbyn where the town will come alive with local gourmet goodies, live entertainment and family friendly activities. For more information visit www.tourdownunder.com.au Night by Light 281 Main Road, McLaren Vale Friday January 18 to Sunday January 20, 9 – 11pm Stunning landscapes and buildings transformed at night through artistic light. A free event. Porch Sessions on Tour Secret Garden Location - Normanville Sunday January 20, 3pm The wizards and the Porch Sessions are bringing Jack The Fox, Harrison Storm & Alana Wilkinson along with some ring-a-ding good vibes to a gorgeous backyard on the Fleurieu Coast as part of their East Coast tour. Pick up tickets at Moshtix and the secret location will be revealed closer to the date. >
MARKETS & EVENTS
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS cont: Compass Cup Main Oval, Mount Compass Saturday January 26, gates open at 11am Be a part of Australia’s only cow race! It’s a fun, exciting, unique family day. Loads of entertainment, sideshows, food stalls and crowd-participation events. Adults (14+) $8, Children under 14 gold coin donation. > Milang to Goolwa Freshwater Classic Lower River Murray, Goolwa Sunday January 27 The iconic race takes in 50 kilometres from Milang across Lake Alexandrina to Port Sturt and down the River Murray, past Clayton to the river-port of Goolwa. For a full program visit: www.goolwaregattaweek.com.au Free family event. Electric Gardens Adelaide Serafino Wines, McLaren Vale Sunday January 27, 3 – 10.30pm Showcasing the world’s very best electronic music on sunny Sunday afternoon (Monday the 28th is a public holiday - so no excuses!). Line up includes Underworld, Erick Morillo, Eats Everything, Bag Raiders and Set Mo.
FEBRUARY Strathalbyn Cup Strathalbyn Racecourse Sunday February 3, 10.30am – 5pm Where the city and country meet. Get your best frock on and head to Strathalbyn for a day at the races. Fashions on the field and quality racing. There is something to do for the whole family. General Admission: $20 per person A Porchetta Party Oliver’s Taranga, McLaren Vale Sunday February 3, 12 – 4pm Hang out on the deck and lawns at Oliver’s Taranga and take your taste buds for a spin at one of the very popular Porchetta parties. A three-course Italian-style lunch, matched with Oliver’s Taranga Wines. If you don’t get in for this one, check the website for other dates throughout 2018. All-inclusive tickets: $100 from www.oliverstaranga.com/events or 08 83238498. Email: nicky@oliverstaranga.com. Fleurieu Film Festival SC Pannell Wines, McLaren Vale Saturday February 9, 6.30 – 11pm An amazing evening under the stars. Bring along your rug and bean bug and watch the ten finalist films based on this year’s theme: ‘Climate Change - Hot Topic/Kool Films’. Enjoy delicious food and wine provided by SC Pannell Wines and other food vans. Entertainment by the Young and the Wrestlers. Tickets & information available at: fleurieufilmfestival.com.au.
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SeaLink Kangaroo Island Racing Carnival 2018 Cygnet River Racecourse, Kingscote & Dudley Wines Cellar Door, Penneshaw February 15 – 17 Join a crowd of over four thousand people for racing, fashion and entertainment in true country racing spirit. The best horses will come from far and wide to compete in Kangaroo Island’s biggest race. For Cup Day packages, Long Lunch Marquee, travel and accommodation bookings contact SeaLink on 131 301 or sealink.com.au. Fleurieu Fringe 2018 Sauerbier House Culture Exchange, Port Noarlunga February 16 – 25, Fridays 5 – 9pm, Saturdays 5 – 10pm, Sundays 11am – 3pm Adelaide’s Southern Outdoor Fringe Hub over two massive weekends. Featuring world-class live music, performing arts, children’s activities, art installations, food trucks, bars and artisan markets at this Adelaide Fringe Award winning event. Experience a magical evening ‘Down South’ by the river and the sea. Fridays and Sundays: Gold coin entry. Saturdays: tickets from $20 via FringeTix full details: fleurieufringe.com
ONGOING Feasts & Beats Serafino Wines, McLaren Vale Every third Friday from November to March, 6 – 10pm Enjoy free entertainment with delicious local food and wine, while the kids enjoy the bouncy castle and beautiful green lawns. Summer Sessions at Wirra Wirra Wirra Wirra Vineyards, McLaren Vale Friday December 28, Friday 4 January, Friday 11 Jan, 5 – 9pm Wirra Wirra’s Summer Sessions are always a hit over the festive season. Bring along a chair or picnic blanket, settle in at their Cellar Door and enjoy live music as the sun sets. Wirra Wirra wines and local food trucks available. Family-friendly events with free entry. Fridays after Five Old Coach Road, Aldinga Every Friday from November to April, 5 – 10pm Join the ever-increasing buzz along Old Coach Road and enjoy local market stalls, an array of food and wine and a good community vibe. Different local music acts will play each week, so bring along a picnic rug and nestle in for the night beneath the stars.
Turn your dream into a reality. Celebrate your lifestyle with a beautifully crafted home. Envisage a new living experience created as an expression of your individuality. CALL NOW TO ARRANGE A PERSONAL VIEWING OF OUR LATEST CREATION. jamesmichaelhomes.com.au
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An attitude of gratitude Story by Petra de Mooy. Photography by Robert Geh. Styling by Marcus Syvertsen.
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Page left: The large sliding doors can be pushed into a concealed cavity in the wall to open the room right up. It is a beautiful arrangement, with the large deck doubling as seating. This page: The neutral blacks and browns are offset with a warm recycled wood floor and wooden accents.
Jenny Vonic-Joyce is sure about one thing when it comes to her Middleton home. ‘I don’t like colour,’ she tells me. When she shared her Instagram account with me so I could have a look before my first visit, it was precisely this aesthetic choice that appealed to me. When I pull up outside the property, the front belies the amazing extension and outdoor entertaining sanctuary at the back. ‘I always wanted that differentiation between the old and the new.’ says Jen. In 2004 Jen and her husband Greg Hatcher bought the property after Greg’s children from his first marriage moved to Victor Harbor. Jen and Greg decided to buy a weekender somewhere close by and found the Middleton property. ‘It was perfectly functional and practical and mainly came down to cost,’ says Jen. ‘I typed the dollar figure of what we could afford into the search engine and this was the place that came up.’ The couple had met eight years earlier in the Riverland, where they were both the single parents of two young children. After a short time they married and happily became a blended family. Greg and Jen had visited the coast on holidays with their kids for years so they had fond memories of the Fleurieu before they bought there. They liked the small seaside town of Middleton. ‘We wanted
to have a space where the kids would feel a sense of place, but we never expected that it was going to be our forever home,’ says Greg. However, after nearly a decade back and forth visiting their home away from home on the weekends, the family had grown to really love the region and, though the kids were mostly grown up, the couple decided to move to Middleton full time. ‘We had no jobs or connections. Very foolhardy really,’ says Greg. But challenge and change are not strangers to this intrepid couple, so move they did. The back roads of Middleton are a mixed bag of holiday homes and permanent homes in weatherboard and brick, along with a few two-storey places, which capture a view of the beach. It is quiet here. ‘Most of our neighbours are holidaymakers,’ Jen tells me. ‘So we kind of have the place to ourselves.’ Back in the Riverland the couple lived on a twenty-five acre organic vineyard, so it was a new experience living in Middleton and having neighbours. ‘When we moved here permanently we wanted to sell > 17
Above left and right: The large entertaining area is super stylish and filled with light despite the dark hues of the walls and cabinetry. The large anodised aluminium pendants are a standout feature. Small house plants by Charlie & Jack.
The vaulted ceilings and large sliding glass doors make the outdoors an extension of the room. It feels grand and expansive, but incredibly warm and inviting at the same time. this place and buy a property with more land,’ says Jen. ‘However our kids advocated to keep the house as they felt it was the place where the whole family had come together over the years and it held great memories.’ This sentimentality, listening to everyone’s points of view and the close proximity to the beach made their decision to stay pretty easy. Initially the timing to renovate wasn’t right, but Jen says she knew that eventually she would build the kitchen of her dreams to replace the original small and outdated one. Two years ago Greg and Jen began to plan their addition with a young, recently graduated architect, who was a friend of the family. They wanted to keep a clear distinction between the new extension and the original home, which has lower ceilings and is decorated in neutral tones, true to Jen’s neutral palette. Only as you walk down the corridor do you begin to see the scale of the room at the rear of the property, which creates a sense of anticipation. The transition is emphasised by the cabinetry, creating a mini-corridor into the new space, which feels like a warm hug. The vaulted ceilings and large sliding glass doors make the outdoors an extension of the room. It feels grand and expansive, but incredibly warm and inviting at 18
the same time. The neutral blacks and browns are offset with a warm recycled wood floor and wooden accents. The cabinetry is made from repurposed compressed cardboard. The walls are created from crushed concrete and all are non-toxic. Jenny co-ordinated with her cabinetmaker son-in-law to create her ideal kitchen. The granite countertop was bought from a memorial maker in the Riverland twenty years ago. It was an offcut from a larger installation, and Jen could see the potential so it started its new life as a table, the base of which was made by Greg. But Jen always knew it would end up as an island bench in their dream kitchen. ‘Our vision for the extension was for something rustic, with the beams being a bit more rough hewn, but when the recycled wood arrived it was a bit more slick and finished looking, so the design evolved around that,’ says Jen. Jen previously worked as an interior designer in the Riverland and had a very strong vision, but she and Greg have great adaptability and took the changes in their stride. ‘I always wanted this connection between the outdoors and indoors because this stunning environment really lends itself to living outside as much as possible,’ says Jen. The large floor-to-ceiling sliding doors can be pushed into a
Above left: The granite countertop was bought from a memorial maker in the Riverland twenty years ago. Above right: Greg’s artistry is showcased in the various sculptures and artworks seen around the property.
Home is where they relax and share and they are very grateful for what they have. They are still working to create social change, but are slowing down a bit to sit on the deck and muse about their loves; family, community, environment and creativity. concealed cavity in the wall to open the room right up. It is a beautiful arrangement, with the large deck doubling as seating and the rustic outdoor room made from salvaged odds and sods, creating a nice counterpoint to the slicker extension. Greg’s artistry is showcased in the various sculptures and artworks seen around the property. The underpinning of all these aesthetic decisions however, is the idea of family, and how to best use the space to enhance their lives. Greg and Jen are deeply committed to community. Both have spent years working with disadvantaged youth through programs like Operation Flinders and Flexible Learning Options (FLO). They followed very different paths to arrive at this career point. Greg had been working as a mechanic and was approached about training young people wanting to learn a trade. Jen had been a policewoman and had identified she wanted to find a way to rehabilitate and restore the youth she was coming into contact with. ‘I had a real values issue with arresting some of the young people and sending some of them to prison, I didn’t feel comfortable with this punitive approach,’ she says. ‘I felt many of them needed an opportunity to repair harm, restore relationships and be supported to re-integrate into their community, school and families.’
Prior to meeting Greg, Jen had been approached to work with the Operation Flinders Foundation. It appealed to her, but at the time it was a bit challenging to leave her young family and her organic vineyard to lead a group of at-risk youth on the wilderness therapy program. However, when Greg and Jen met they supported each other to take the time to get involved. Greg had a similar value system and moral compass around working with young people, and they saw the value of the organisation. ‘From our perspective being out in the field in this capacity is one of the most amazing experiences that we have been part of,’ says Jen. ‘Having both recently studied Positive Psychology, we now realise that when we are in the bush working with the young people, we are in our ‘flow’ state, where we definitely experience a high degree of self actualisation. To see how over the course of the trek, the young people go from feeling hopeless to hopeful, is extremely gratifying. The wilderness experience helps the young people gain a better understanding of who they are and how they can be in the world, it helps them to acknowledge and practise gratitude and to build resilience – all of which will help them to better navigate their lives when they return home.’ > 19
Above: The rustic outdoor room was made from salvaged odds and sods, creating a nice counterpoint to the slicker extension and serving as a fantastic entertaining area at all times of the year.
Through their work with Operation Flinders, the couple became deeply committed to this approach in youth work and established, and managed, various programs in both the Riverland and now the Fleurieu. Greg and Jen have worked hard and have found ways to carve out careers for themselves that support both their family and their ideals. 20
Home is where they relax and share, and they are very grateful for what they have. They are still working to create social change, but are slowing down a bit to sit on the deck and muse about their loves; family, community, environment and creativity.
Porchetta Party | oliverstaranga.com/news-events
ENJOY A TASTE OF
246 SEAVIEW RD
McLAREN VALE
OLIVERSTARANGA.COM
Home Story by Annabel Bowles
Sitting on the grass amongst the settling amber haze, I felt completely and utterly grounded. I don’t quite believe in fate, but I believe that a lick of intuition goes a long way in manifesting exactly what the universe intends for us. Following these more humble paths led me to encounter some incredible places and people. There was the more-than-middle-aged Italian man I’d met an hour before he took me for a sunset cruise on his Vespa around the Meteora cliffs. Then the pair of Scottish lads who ordered us a hackney carriage to the casino just two-hundred metres down the street. And I’ll always remember the endearing Turkish woman, who woke me at midnight to go out for ice cream and exercise at the local park amongst boisterous kids.
Previous page: Annabel’s family farm as seen from the air. Photograph by Jason Porter. Above: Annabel at Cima Cristo Pensante, the peak of Passo Rolle in the Dolomites.
The Mount Compass hills have always been my home. I still live on the farm I was raised on, and nothing much about it has changed. Our front yard has a fig tree, a cherry plum tree and a tyre swing under an enormous oak. Sheep are dotted on distant green pastures like dandelions in a field, and birds sing at all times of the day. I probably didn’t realise how special this quiet little corner of the world was to me, until last year, at nineteen years old, I decided to stuff my belongings into a backpack to head overseas. Armed with more luggage than common sense, I said ‘catchya’ to the only home I’d ever known. I wasn’t sure whether I would be away for four, six or ten months. But after just a few weeks, I soon realised that ‘home’ didn’t mean quite the same thing to me as it always had. I was in Italy, in the Dolomite Mountains. After hiking to the top of the sixteen-hundred-metre peak of Passo Rolle on a crisp August afternoon with a couple of friends, I hung back for a moment alone at the mountain’s base. The rolling hills, blanketed in golden orchard grass, bathed in summer’s last light. Sitting on the grass amongst the settling amber haze, I felt completely and utterly grounded. Had I not known better, I could have been on my family’s property. But its uncanny similarity to home wasn’t the only reason I felt a deep connection to that place. I felt as though I was meant to be exactly there and nowhere else. The next eleven months abroad had more than their fair share of peculiar moments. Backpacking through seventeen countries and staying in sixty-five different places wasn’t the least bit luxurious. I spent many sleepless nights cramped in an impossibly small bus seat next to a stranger. Some days I ate nothing but carrots and hummus.
I felt this same sense of ‘belonging’ in those who welcomed me so generously with a bed/couch/patch of floor, a meal and a hot shower; those who walked with me along coastlines, through foreign cities, to mountain peaks and across borders; in those with whom I shared a couple of beers, questionable home brews and a bunch of fun times. My heart and my home are now scattered across the world and they’ll never be whole again. The bittersweet reality is that I’ve had to say goodbye to every one of these people. Yet, I’ve come to understand that travelling is as much about letting go as it is about connecting. The connections I’ve shared with many are irreplaceable. Their brevity is poignant, but that is exactly what makes them so special. I could have happily stayed much longer in many of the places I went to, but there’s always another road to follow, another new place to see, another person waiting to change your life. Fleeting moments of connection that teach you something about life and yourself are what travelling is about; what living is about. As much as I soaked in every new experience, my thoughts would often come back to home and the hills of Mount Compass. I didn’t long for them, but more found comfort in their humble existence, patiently waiting for me to return. Although, at first returning home wasn’t as rose-tinted as I’d imagined it to be. After overcoming the novelty of sleeping in my own bed and eating a loaf’s worth of vegemite toast, I craved the feeling of spontaneity and unfamiliarity I’d become accustomed to. So as I did last year, I packed a backpack (this time just a day-trip size) and went outside. It didn’t take long to realise that true exploration doesn’t have to begin with an expensive plane ticket. From plains blanketed in vines, pines and gum trees; to rugged landscapes that roll into an impossibly clear ocean, there’s so much to discover here at home. How many can say they live among untouched nature just an hour’s drive from one of the world’s most liveable cities? And I don’t even need to go into the fantastic people and businesses that make this region truly unique. This magazine stands as a testament to that. Go and find your many places to call ‘home’, but also explore the one you’re in right now. Discover something, no matter how big or small, and open your heart to all this world has to offer. In doing so, ‘home’ will never mean the same thing to you again.
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Visit Historic
OXENBERRY FARM - Est. 1840
• Cellar door boutique regional wine production • Unique Grapple Ciders • Daily Café
• Barista coffee • Event facilities • On farm accommodation
26-28 Kangarilla Rd McLaren Vale, www.oxenberry.com Ph: 08 8323 0188
SCARPANTONI Estate Grown - Family Made Est. 1979
Scarpantoni Estate wines are classically ‘McLaren Vale’ in style, particularly the reds - being generous, mouth-filling, full of ripe fruit flavours and regional characteristics. Our range of wines covers a wide spectrum, from crisp, dry sauvignon blancs, chardonnay and rosé, to full bodied shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and fortified wines. Over the past five decades the wines have amassed an enviable collection of hundreds of wine show awards, including ‘The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy’. The Great Australian Shiraz Challenge, Winestate Shiraz of the year award and The Great Australian Red award. Visit our cellar door and winery, experience the fascinating range of varietals and wine styles that we produce exclusively on site.
Tel:(08) 8383 0186, Scarpantoni Dr, McLaren Flat SA 5171, www.scarpantoniwines.com
Sensational Festivities for Summer nights and Summer days
Above: Get along to the Summer Sessions at Wirra Wirra.
Oxenberry Farm Fridays at the Berry Every fortnight beginning December 14 6 - 9pm Wine, Tapas, Live music. facebook.com/OxenberryFarmCellarDoorCafe/ Mystery Cellar Door Bolt Hoban Estate – Mt Compass Weekends from December 15 and through to January 13, 11am - 6pm A unique blind tasting experience from four collaborating winemakers Charlotte Dalton, Delinquent, Skew and The Stoke - by removing their labels and prices. Trust your taste buds in a relaxed family friendly affair with live music, wines by the bottle and glass and cheese platters. The Sailing Club Soldiers’ Memorial Gardens, Victor Harbor Saturday December 29 – Monday January 1 Day one will kick off with home-grown international pop sensation, Tkay Maidza, followed with a chilled-out second day of activities and entertainment for children of all ages. Day three will wrap up 2018 with live music and fireworks. The ultimate summer food, wine and music festival along the foreshore.
Wirra Wirra Summer Sessions While the sun sets the cellar door stays open a little longer, with live music, food and wine. Dec 28, January 4 and January 11 5–9 PM wirrawirra.com Oliver’s Porchetta Party A Porchetta Party Oliver’s Taranga, McLaren Vale Sunday February 3, 12 – 4pm Hang out on the deck and lawns at Oliver’s Taranga and take your taste buds for a spin at one of the very popular Porchetta parties. A three-course Italian-style lunch, matched with Oliver’s Taranga Wines. oliverstaranga.com/events Alexandrina Summer Swell Outdoor Cinema Horseshoe Bay February 16 ‘Herbie & the Love Bug’ screening. alexandrina.sa.gov.au
d’Arenberg deconstructed Story by Corrina Wright.
Left: d’Arenberg Cube. The food is theatrical, expertly made, delicious – and lives up to the amazing building in which it is served! Above: d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant now incorporates Polly’s WIne Lounge and has sweeping views of McLaren Vale..
Being a close neighbour to d’Arenberg has meant I’ve had a front-row seat to the transformation happening during the ambitious build of the new d’Arenberg Cube. Seeing the progression from an idea in owner and winemaker Chester Osborn’s magnificent brain, to a 3D model he built many years ago, to watching the frame go up, the twisted glass Rubik’s Cube form come to life, and now, seeing the curious crowds flow in. The helicopter traffic over my house and vineyard has certainly picked up over the last eleven months, much to my small son’s delight! And it hasn’t taken long for the dining experience at the Cube to become the talk of the town and country. d’Arenberg is already famous for d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant, which has been run by the dynamic duo of Peter and Jo Reschke for the past eleven years. Open for lunches daily, ‘The Verandah’ has racked up more awards than I can list here, and the views out over the McLaren Vale vineyards are stunning. A fine dining experience which is as famous for Peter’s delectable signature dish, ‘Crab and Lobster
Ravioli’ as it is for Jo’s flawless hosting. Having eaten there countless times over many years I have never been disappointed and have often lobbied (unsuccessfully) for it to be open every evening, so I’d never have to cook again. Then along came the d’Arenberg Cube, and with it, two more dining experiences. Firstly, the old cellar door, right next to d’Arrys Verandah, has now been converted into ‘Polly’s Wine Lounge’. Here guests can order wines by the glass or bottle, along with a selection of cured meats, cheese, local olives, almonds, bread, fruit and pate. Polly’s is a clever addition to the dining experience, not requiring bookings, and allowing guests to enjoy their selections at their own pace out on the lawn, on the deck or in front of the fireplace inside. On my visit, with friends from London in tow, the weather kept us in the cosy armchairs by the fire, sipping Grenache and catching up, over a selection of local goodies. The second, and let’s be honest, significantly more ambitious dining experience, is the Cube Restaurant. Located on the fourth floor of the d’Arenberg Cube, the restaurant itself is an explosion of colour and texture, with expansive views across the region from every angle. The chairs are multi-coloured thrones, the tabletops made from the staves of old oak barrels. Chester’s extensive private collection of tribal art fills walls and tables. Even the ceiling is a piece of art itself. Chester is on record as saying he wants the Cube to take people > 27
Above left: d’Arry’s Verandah chef Peter Reschke (left) and Cube chef Brendan Wessels (right). Above right: Platters at Polly’s. Bottom left: At the Cube, these ‘bush coals’ are actually Barramundi. The eleven-course degustation menu is a food-lovers sensation like no other. Bottom: The ‘chef’s table’ gives diners an opportunity to watch the Cube team create their magic.
‘Giving us permission to explore food and what we can create without any boundaries is so seductive and exciting.’ out of their comfort zone, and, in my opinion, he succeeds. Upon walking into the restaurant, my eyes are spinning in so many different directions, I forget to take in the breathtaking view outside (and check whether patrons can possibly see me hanging the washing on the Hills Hoist in my backyard, thus forever rendering goodbye to my pyjama wearing washing days). The degustation that you embark upon is unexpected, theatrical, irreverent, textured, tricky and a feast for your eyes and senses. Each dish is presented by attentive staff as an individual piece of art. And, even more importantly, each dish is exceptionally delicious. Even the cylinder of butter is cut with flourish at your table via an ancient cast iron machine that looks like it may have made salumi in a previous century. Considered wine matching adds to the experience, and I understand the Cube Restaurant is one of the few places in Australia that has Louis Roederer Cristal Vintage Champagne on pour. Spoilt. My guests and I went the whole hog, and sommelier Josh Pickens matched two wines with each course, one from the large d’Arenberg stable, and another from elsewhere. In chatting to the team at the heart of the kitchen, husband and wife Brendan Wessels and Lindsay Dürr, it is easy to see why the Cube Restaurant is already the recipient of a myriad of awards in such a short time. When I ask Brendan and Lindsay what drew them to such an ambitious project, they wholeheartedly credit visionary Chester Osborn. ‘He removed any rules, and allowed us complete freedom to create and grow,’ Brendan enthuses. ‘Giving us permission to explore food and what we can create without any boundaries is so seductive and exciting. And we have only just begun.’ 28
The South African couple has worked in some stellar kitchens in the past, including The Lake House in Daylesford and Leonards Mill in the Fleurieu’s Second Valley. But never before have Brendan and Lindsay had a 3D food printer in the kitchen. A late night phone call from Chester after he had been doing some intense ‘Googling’ set the ball in motion, got the creative juices intrigued, and the decision was made to purchase one. The 2018 Masterchef Australia contestants were challenged to recreate the incredible deconstructed lemon-meringue dessert developed by Brendan and Lindsay using the 3D printer, causing social media to go into meltdown. The perfection of the dessert is mind-blowing. Brendan and Lindsay say that there is no lack of new and exciting things happening next year at the Cube. They have recently started the ‘Chef’s Table’ option, where guests can sit in the second floor, right next to the kitchen, watching the team create. ‘Peter and Jo, from d’Arry’s Verandah, were our first Chef’s Table guests, and we were so honoured,’ Brendan says. ‘Peter has probably forgotten more about food than I have learnt, so it is wonderful to have them as part of the greater d’Arenberg family.’ I will be saving my pennies so I can continue to enjoy all of the world-class food experiences at d’Arenberg, and encourage you to check them out if you haven’t. In the meantime, there goes another chopper overhead … and there goes my son on his PeeWee 50 chasing the shadow through our vineyard. Corrina paid for all her own meals at d’Arenberg. This is not a sponsored article.
For 25 years, Bennett Design Architect has been creating beautifully tailored, sustainable, award winning solutions. By drawing inspiration from nature, we pride ourselves on designs and material selections which coexist harmoniously with the surrounding land. Using this method, we work closely with our public and private clients to produce designs for a range of applications including wineries, homes and everything in between.
Bennett Design Architect Pty Ltd · 107 Main Road McLaren Vale SA 5171 · (08) 8323 7737 · contact@bennettdesign.com.au
Seek your fresh horizon in 2019 Enrolment vacancies are now available for your child in Reception, Year 1, Year 5 and Years 7-12 in 2019. To join us for our next tour on Thursday 28 February at 6pm, register online. A fresh horizon awaits. | tatachilla.sa.edu.au
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Styled by Beaches Apparel with Ray-Bans from the Sunglass Hut. Sandy Stripe Jumpsuit – Cool Wip.
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It’s a good day For the past two years, the husband and wife team behind Down The Rabbit Hole Wines, Elise and Domenic, have been on a happiness journey – travelling to the farthest reaches of Australia in their beloved VW Kombi, Scout. Now, they are very happy to be back on home turf, building a home and cellar door in the McLaren Vale wine region. Photography by Heidi Lewis. All clothing and homewares from Vicinity Colonnades.
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Styled by Ally Fashion. Maxi Skirt – Boho Print Yellow paired with a Tie Front Top in White. Homewares from Canopy Home Fashion.
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Styled by Lorna Jane Align Sport Bra – White paired with Rapid Print Core Tights.
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Styled by Ishka Top – White Tie Front Broderie Anglaise Skirt – Mini-frill with Green Paisley Print
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Styled by Beaches Apparel Firefly Dress – Cayenne
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This fashion shoot took place on a sparkling (but windy) day at Sellicks Beach.
Top right: Homewares from Canopy Home Fashion.
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RETAIL THERAPY
Summer Solstice
Coastal drives, floral elixirs, spritzy drinks, live music and belly laughs. These are a few of our favourite things ...
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01. QBD book store: Lonely Planet Wine Trails $34.99 02. Canopy Home Fashion: acrylic wine glasses $8.95 ea, tumblers $6.95 ea and jug $42.95 03. Beaches: Reef women’s slides $50.00 04. CIBO Espresso: Keepcup reusable coffee cup $24.00 05. Canopy Home Fashion: Davis & Waddell serving ware $34.95 06. Dusk: outdoor candle – tea tree and lavender $39.99 07. Canopy Home Fashion: Davis & Waddell bamboo cheese knife set $16.95 08. The Body Shop: Oil of Life Serum $55.00 09. Canopy Home Fashion: Davis & Waddell set of dip spoons $11.95 10. Typo: metal drink bottle – monsteria leaf $29.99 11. The Body Shop: Matte Lip Liquid $14.00 ea 12. Typo: A4 notebook $9.99, Flora Zen postcard book $9.99 and Welcome to the Jungle postcard book $9.99 13. Ishka: woven basket $119.95 14 Typo: laptop folio $49.99 15. Hairhouse Warehouse: Nak Structure Complex products $29.95ea.
Colonnades Shopping Centre | Noarlunga @colonnadesshopping 37
E V E R Y FA M I LY HAS A SECRET
rs u O r e v o c s i D
AWARD WI NNI NG W INE
GREAT LOCAL FOOD
CORPORATE
HOSP ITALITY
Experience our new ‘Wine Flight’ matched with local chocolates and cheeses
Angove McLaren Vale Vineyards & Cellar Door 117 Chalk Hill Road, McLaren Vale 5171 Phone 8323 6900 www.angove.com.au @angovewine
Start your Summer at Aldinga Central Shopping Centre www.aldingacentral.com.au
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Linger a Little Longer
Explore our historic cellar door, providore style café, lush grounds or book a behind the scenes tour Call us on 08 8323 8414 or visit www.wirrawirra.com
Set course for an idyllic lifestyle. L AND G S E L LIN NOW!
WORLD CLASS
WATERFRONT ESTATE AND MARINA Upriver from the Coorong and Lower Murray Lakes at Goolwa, South Australia. Marina Berths · Caravan Storage · 24/7 On Water Fuel Dock · Handstand Storage
Call 85557300 to discuss your future. www.coorongquays.com.au
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DESTINATION FLEURIEU
Create your escape > Fleurieu Coast
‘The hilltop journey is a seemingly endless sea of untouched green and blue that represents the clean, sustainable conscience of many locals.’
Above: Deep Creek Conservation Park is full of beautiful roads, spectacular hikes and wildlife abounds.
The Western Fleurieu showcases nature at its finest, with rugged cliff faces, roaring waves and spectacular beaches. Stop off at one of the charming townships along the way for a bite to eat or an overnight stay and be greeted by locals’ genuine hospitality and desire to share their little piece of paradise with the world. The possibility of adventure awaits around every curve of the road, as well as fine wines, culinary delights and beautiful beaches. 40
EAT: While cruising down the main street of Normanville be sure to stop off for the gastronomic experience that is One Little Sister. A combination of fruit, veg, grains, slow-cooked meats and woodoven bread will leave you spoilt for choice. Locals rave about the coffee, and if you’re after a little afternoon sweet treat, have a peek in the cabinet to see which house made tarts or daily dessert specials take your fancy. Just down the road in Second Valley is Leonards Mill, where a paddock-to-plate menu awaits, featuring some of the Fleurieu’s best produce. There’s a new lounge, with an inspiring bar menu for more casual dining. The renowned a-la-carte menu is also available for the eager gourmands. Menu options change regularly according to the season and availability of produce. Owners Hayley and Iain have carefully created an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication.
Above: The new lounge area at Leonards Mill has a tasty bar menu and many delicious local wines, beers and tipples to choose from. Above left: Always a welcome at Smiling Samoyed Brewery. Above right: One Little Sister in Normanville is always a big hit. Below: The sweeping views of the valley at Allusion Wines. Platters and wine in a secluded venue. All photos this page (apart from Little Sister) by Heidi Lewis.
DRINK: True to its name Smiling Samoyed Brewery in Myponga is home to excellent local beers and a few smiling furry faces. The business was established in 2012 by husband and wife Simon Dunstone and Kate Henning. The tale is one of unbridled passion, and an equally driven love for their pups. The business is positively endorsed by locals, so drop by and taste-test the ’12 Paws’ Pale Ale to experience an award-winning beer. Enjoy the relaxed ambience overlooking the picturesque reservoir while the kids enjoy the playground.. As you wind your way through the picturesque hills outside of Yankalilla, you’ll stumble across the hidden gem that is Allusion Wines. Enjoy a delicious platter on the deck overlooking the valley, complemented by a fine selection of wine. The impressive view expands all the way down to the ocean. >
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Top: Check out the pet-friendly and stylish accommodation at ‘The Lobster’ (left) in Normanville, or the nature-lover’s paradise at the Southern Ocean Retreats (right). Bottom: Maudie & Fox offers a cleverly curated selection of gifts, clothing and homewares. Photo by Heidi Lewis.
If you are leaving or arriving via the Myponga Dam, stop off for a beer at Forktree Brewery. This rustic venue was once an old shearing shed owned by brewer Ben Hatcher’s parents. While retaining the character and charm of the original building, the brewery now boasts a corrugated steel exterior and large wooden beams, which support the tall ceilings. Sit down to take in the 180-degree view from Carrickalinga to Kangaroo Island, and enjoy a moreish burger washed down with one of Forktree’s own craft beers. STAY: Normanville is home to The Lobster; a two-storey, double brick holiday house in the classic 70s A-frame style. This house was designed to help families enjoy long, relaxing days at the beach and create lifelong memories. The Lobster welcomes four-legged friends, so your pets can also enjoy this luxury getaway. Southern Ocean Retreats is a nature lover’s paradise and is well worth the drive to Deep Creek. Nestled amongst the Stringybark 42
Forest are the award-winning Ridgetop Retreats. These contemporary and eco-friendly hideaways set the benchmark in design excellence for nature-based holiday accommodation. Explore one of the many nearby walking trails or surf the swell at Blowhole Beach. SHOP: Maudie & Fox offers a cleverly curated selection of gifts, clothing and homewares. Each item has been personally selected by the shop’s owner. There is something for even the most discerning shopper with antique and contemporary styles on offer. The store is in full festive mode with stunning handmade trinkets lining the shelves and bringing an elegant display of Christmas cheer. New to the main street of Yankalilla, A Little Piece of Byron brings a fresh wave of fashion to the Fleurieu. Popular brands like Thrills and Auguste offer a stylish solution to any wardrobe blues. Stop by to browse through the gorgeous bohemian clothes, accessories and
Top left: At Little Piece of Byron, popular brands like Thrills and Auguste offer a stylish solution to any wardrobe blues. Top rightight: At Atma Bala a variation of vinyasa yoga techniques are taught at both intermediate and advanced levels by a group of passionate teachers. Bottom: The Jetty at Normanville.
homewares, which have been handpicked to reflect the essence of coastal living with a nod to Byron Bay. EXPERIENCE: Atma Bala is all about creating synchronicity between movement and breath to enhance relaxation, strength and balance. A variation of vinyasa yoga techniques are taught at both intermediate and advanced levels by a group of passionate teachers. The studio is located at the Stables in Leonards Mill; a peaceful location to connect with one’s true self or ‘atma’. SEE: Wind through Myponga Reservoir to experience some of the best panoramic views in South Australia. The hilltop journey is a seemingly endless sea of untouched green and blue that represents the clean, sustainable conscience of many locals. Normanville is the largest coastal settlement on the Fleurieu Peninsula, and the jetty
has become iconic to the region’s image. While it’s occasionally buried by the strong king tides, when the waters are tranquil during the summer months they make for great snorkelling. The vibrant community is welcoming of both visitors and passersby. Second Valley is no doubt a highlight of the Southern Ocean Drive. It’s best known for its colossal cliffs and unique geological formations which appear to rhythmically dance along the water’s edge. Fur seals and leafy sea dragons are frequent guests to the shallows, so be sure to arrive with your camera at the ready. Keep an eye out for wedge-tailed eagles, which are often spotted around the hills of Yankalilla. Cows, sheep, birds and other wildlife give life to the fields that span either side of the road. A new lookout near the entrance of Carrickalinga offers prime photo opportunities of the ocean against the rolling green hills.
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Fly the Fleurieu This photo was taken at Basham Beach.
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The Fleurieu Coast
ASHTANGA VINYASA · HATHA FLOW · VINYASA · SATTVA VINYASA YIN YOGA · YINYASA · RESTORATIVE · KARMA YOGA
HOLIDAY RENTAL · NORMANVILLE · www.thelobster.com.au
Maudie & Fox offers a carefully selected range of stylish home wares, womens clothing & accessories, quality home fragrance and giftware 2/85 Main Street, Normanville SA 5204. Tel: 0437 879 179
98c Main South Road, Yankalilla SA 5203 alittlepieceofbyron.com
LOCALLY CRAFTED BEERS & FOOD WITH EPIC VIEWS Fri & Sat : 11am - 9pm · Sun : 11am - 5pm Check social media for Summer opening times Bookings recommended on 0423 697 566 935 Forktree Road Carrickalinga · Social media @forktreebrewing
Shop 4/48 Main Street Normanville, South Australia www.onelittlesister.com.au
ALLUSION WINES
127 Smith Hill Rd, Yankalilla, SA 5203 T: 08 8558 3333 W: allusionwines.com.au 46
Unwind at our self-contained cottages or architectural retreats inside Deep Creek Conservation Park.Phone: (08) 8598 4169 Email: stay@southernoceanretreats.com.au www.southernoceanretreats.com.au
Open for Lunch Wednesday - Sunday Dinner Friday & Saturday nights from 6pm ph: 08 8598 4184
www.leonardsmill.com.au 7869 Main South Road, Second Valley SA
SMILING SAMOYED BREWERY Open for lunch every day and dinner on Fridays (with free quiz) Hansen Street, Myponga. Telephone 8558 6166 bookings@smilingsamoyed.com.au www.smilingsamoyed.com.au 2018 Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards: Champion Small Brewery Dark Ale - Gold Medal Kolsch - Gold Medal 12 Paws - Silver Medal IPA - Silver Medal
Craft Beer • Delicious Food · Friendly Atmosphere · Fabulous Functions 47
FOOD & WINE
Coming up rosy
Hither & Yon – Rosé 2018 An array of varieties that reflect the diversity of McLaren Vale – Carignan, Muscat Rouge, Nero d’Avola, Grenache and Touriga – blended to make an exciting Rosé. Hot pink in colour, bold yet elegant, and so very tempting. Featuring watercolour label artwork by Amanda Brown in New York, and musk, pink flower and raspberry aromas, the 2018 Hither & Yon Rosé is a delight for all the senses. Best served chilled on a summer’s day. hitherandyon.com.au Down the Rabbit Hole – Friends & Lovers Sangiovese Rosé 2017 Bursting with summer berries and apricot and ending with a long, dry finish, this fresh, dry Rosé, has enough vibrancy to beautifully represent McLaren Vale. The wet winter and spring of 2017, led to a late harvest, with a long ripening season. This proved to be the ideal condition for concentrated flavour development and acid retention. After crushing, fruit was left on skins for about twelve hours, which allowed beautiful colour development. downtherabbitholewines.com.au Shingleback - Red Knot Rosé 2018 As warmer weather arrives a chilled bottle of Rosé will enhance any celebration. Handcrafted from a blend of Pinot Noir, Shiraz and
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hand-picked bush vine Grenache, Red Knot Rosé is pale pink in colour. Floral notes highlight the fresh aromas of cherry and crushed cranberry. Bright flavours of ripe summer berries fill the palate, balanced with a natural acidity. This moreish, dry-style Rosé suits most occasions, but especially complements the spiciness of Asian dishes. shingleback.com.au Settlers Spirits – Pink Gin This small batch, artisan pink gin boasts wonderful aromas of rose petals and raspberries, followed by luscious fruit before finishing with crisp acidity. The fluorescent hot pink colour hints of its freshness and liveliness. Garnish with a strawberry, mint leaf and a slice of lemon, or add it to Prosecco for a pink gin cocktail. And because it’s pink, part of the proceeds from each bottle is donated to cancer research. settlersspirits.com.au The Stoke – ‘E’ry Berry Pétillant Naturel 2018 2018 ‘E’ry Berry’ Pet Nat is the first ever Pétillant Naturel wine made in Kangaroo Island, the land of bare feet and salty skin. Bottled with a small amount of natural sugar and completing ferment in bottle, it has a light fizz and crispness on the palate. With strawberries and cream on the nose, this wine is refreshing and zippy, yet soft to taste. Very summery and very drinkable. thestokewines.com
The Fleurieu has an array of creative winemakers, brewers and distillers – offering a diversity in rosy beverages like never before. Infused with distinct botanicals of hibiscus and honey – and unique grape varietals, we encourage you to fill your glass with something a little special this summer.
Wirra Wirra – Mrs. Wigley Rosé 2018 Colour is one of Rosé’s most enticing features, and with so many tones in this bottle, each sip is a surprise. Wirra Wirra’s 2018 Mrs Wigley Rosé boasts a vibrant palate of strawberries and guava, before finishing with a refreshing musk, dried herb and sweet spice taste. This all-Grenache based wine, pale pink with a bright clear rim and an irresistible Turkish Delight fragrance, pairs perfectly with mildly spicy cuisines and seafood. wirrawirra.com Bremerton – Racy Rosé 2018 Produced from one-hundred-percent estate-grown fruit, our Racy Rosé is a blend of predominantly Cabernet and Shiraz red grapes, which are grown specifically for our Rosé. They are picked when the flavour profile and ripeness matches the savoury dry style we aim for. On the palate the wine is racy and moreish, with savoury fruit, textural notes and a fine, dry finish. A great summer wine which pairs well with panzanella salad. bremerton.com.au Paxton – Rosé 2018 Paxton’s certified organic and biodynamic 2018 Rosė reflects its environmental influences, as any good wine should. The handpicked, bush vine Grenache grows in an old dam, which was filled in many moons ago. However the vines still have access to water from
the original spring. The Shiraz grapes sit beside an old strawberry plot, which gives the Rosé invigorating strawberry, rose petal and watermelon aromas. It’s the perfect summer drop with cherry, plum and guava palates and a vibrant ocean trout colour. paxtonwines.com Sunlight Liquor – Gums and Roses Australian Mead Gums and Roses is our native ingredient homage to a sparkling Rosé! This modern Australian mead is made from mixed-flora gum honey paired with Strawberry Gum leaves to deliver a delightful fragrance of sweet berry and tropical fruits. Organic hibiscus flowers are infused to add a little pink colour and a gentle acidity to balance this amazing drink. Booze from the bush! sunlightliquor.com Smiling Samoyed – Hibiscus Saison Belgian Summer Ale Hibiscus has been used around the world for centuries. It has a long history of medicinal use for its uplifting character, but the herb is perhaps most noted for its vibrant magenta hue that is cast upon everything it meets. With more than ten kilograms of dried organic hibiscus flowers in the mix, Smiling Samoyed’s Hibiscus Saison is tart, floral and refreshing. This beer is perfect on a beautiful Fleurieu summer evening. smilingsamoyed.com.au
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Above: Last year’s festival drew a large crowd and the weather was perfect for a night of film under the stars,
Fleurieu Film Festival 2019 – February 9 at S.C. Pannell Wines A passion for short film and a desire to support filmmakers inspired the first Fleurieu Film Festival in 2015. Since then it has established itself as one of the region’s flagship events. It’s become known by local, interstate and overseas film enthusiasts as a ‘feast for the senses beneath the stars’, with past events held at Penny’s Hill Winery and Serafino Winery. The 2018 event at Serafino welcomed over six-hundred guests. In 2019 the prestigious festival will again take place under the night sky and among the vines, and will be further enhanced by a menu featuring locally sourced and sustainable foods. Not only is S.C. Pannell one of McLaren Vale’s most picturesque settings, it’s a fitting location for this year’s theme of nature and climate change. ‘Climate Change — Hot Topic/Kool Films’ encourages filmmakers to transform science to art, with films that underline environmental issues affecting the Fleurieu. These include sea level rise, urban prevention, flood control, biodiversity, conservation and coastal erosion.
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The eight-minute long films at FFF will creatively communicate science and hopefully impact on people’s values and attitudes in order to respond to these pressing issues. Through a unique partnership with the City of Onkaparinga, filmmakers have been given access to data usually used by the council to manage the impacts of climate change. This information includes a 3D computer model of the Onkaparinga’s stunning thirty-one kilometre coastline. Patron and renowned Australian actor Erik Thomson says this year’s theme is an opportunity to shine a light on all the creative solutions and ideas tackling the ‘enormous issue’ of climate change. Professor Chris Daniels, another patron of the festival, is excited to see filmmakers approach climate change in a ‘unique’ and ‘engaging’ way. He believes climate change is a people’s problem and it will be people who fix it. The topic of climate change is one which S.C. Pannell is particularly drawn to. Its team of grape growers has adapted the vines to suit the changing climate, with a mindset of sustainability. Growers are moving away from traditional Shiraz to lesser known varieties such as Grenache, Tempranillo, Touriga, which are more conducive to the region. This has paid off tenfold, with S.C. Pannell being recognised as Bushing King again in 2018. In recognition of a growing interest from younger audiences there will be a Young Filmmakers Award and a mentoring partnership with the South Australian Film Corporation on offer. For more information and tickets visit fleurieufilmfestival.com.au
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INSPIRED LIVING
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Above left: Rosie Beach at the soon to be opened Beaches Organic Café at Port Elliot. Rosie wears linen overalls and jewelry from South Seas Trading, Port Elliot. Above right: The Flower Cellar Door – Fresh flowers, delicious food and a great array of hot and cold drinks! Photos by Angela Lisman.
Fleurieu Fresh Story by Jake Dean.
Onkaparinga Council’s latest visitor figures show spending – from There has never been a better time to tourists and locals alike – has almost doubled in the past four years, wine, dine, shop or stay on the Fleurieu. and increased by thirty per cent from 2015 to 2017 (from $160 million Over the past fifteen years the region has to $210 million). And the outlook is even brighter with SA Government transformed from a handful of restaurants figures predicting visitor spending on the Fleurieu, worth $437 million in 2017, could rise to $683 million by December 2020. and just a smattering of cafes, to a Meet some of the passionate entrepreneurs behind the impressive fully-fledged foodie destination, with a statistics to find out what makes them tick and why they’ve broken smorgasbord of eateries, coffee, craft new ground on the Fleurieu. beer and distilleries to accompany its Food already world-renowned wineries. In Beaches Organic Café, Port Elliot the past year alone, FLM has counted Born-and-raised Port Elliot local Rosie Beach says North Terrace’s close to thirty new businesses (including newest eatery fell into her lap. Her family, which owns Indonesian accommodation and retail) opening on the furniture shop Dog Dragon, planned to expand next door for years, Fleurieu, with plenty more to come. and when they finally pulled the trigger, Rosie knew it was the perfect spot for a café. ‘I’ve worked in hospitality since I was young and love chatting to customers and building relationships and friends through 52
Above left: Tealicious Cakes: serving an array of sweet and savoury treats at their delightful setting in Willunga. Photo by Angela Lisman. Above right: Port Burger at Port Noarlunga – for a great burger (with all the trimmings) in a very family-friendly environment. A hit!
‘... visitor spending on the Fleurieu could rise to $683 million by December 2020.’ work,’ she explains. ‘I’ve always had a strong interest in making healthy food. Combining them sounded like a dream.’ The café serves vegetarian food, including grilled haloumi burgers and house-made granola, with a focus on local produce, and the Troppo Architectsdesigned building – filled with Dog Dragon touches – is a delight. Flower Cellar Door, Whites Valley While every business strives to be unique, few can say they truly are. Flower Cellar Door, however, can safely boast to be the Fleurieu’s only flower farm and café experience, from the unlikely location of a converted shipping container and deck made from recycled milk bottles. The Cellar Door sells fresh-cut flowers from its adjacent farm and offers coffee/tea, cake, breakfast and lunch, and customers can also walk through fields of flowers and learn about sustainable farming practices. The Cellar Door is the brainchild of Colin Carpenter – owner of Willunga Plains Flowers – who grew up on the farm, and Californian partner Kyra Kahan, whose passions include nature, environmental causes, cooking and entertaining.
Port Burger, Port Noarlunga If you’ve visited Porties in 2018, chances are you’ve seen the slowly-transforming black shipping containers on Saltfleet St. What initially resembled a storage facility eventually spawned an attractive deck, pergola and family-friendly lawn (complete with volleyball net and sandpit), and Port Burger was born. ‘Chef-crafted burgers with classic sides to suit our relaxed industrial-style eatery, based on a ‘permanent food truck’ theme,’ says co-owner Ryan Thorpe of Port Burger’s vision. ‘Our thought is to support local musicians, breweries and wineries and add a point of difference to this busy strip.’ There’s something for everyone (including multiple vego options) on head chef Shana Dunn’s menu, with a host of sides, loaded fries and share platters complementing the burger bonanza. Tealicious, Willunga Visits to the grandparents are treasured treat-filled memories for many, but for Natasha they went deeper, fuelling a dream to open a cake shop and tearoom in her Nan’s honour. ‘My love for baking and all things beautiful and elegant were inspired by my dear Nan,’ > 53
Top: The new wine lounge at Angove’s cellar door in McLaren Vale oozes comfort and style. Above: Head to Shifty Lizard on the High Street in Willunga for ‘Good. Fun. Beer!’
says Natasha. ‘She’d make the most exquisite little sweets and had the most beautiful house, full of elegant fine-bone china.’ Walking through the shop’s pink pastel entrance, it’s clear Natasha has realised her dream, with glittering chandeliers and a pretty pink coffee machine. Your eyes won’t linger long on the bright and airy décor though – shelves are stacked with mouth-watering cupcakes, biscuits, scones and macarons that are perfectly complemented by the shop’s extensive tea and coffee menu. Victor’s Place, Old Noarlunga Victor’s Place is the ideal place to welcome visitors to the Fleurieu. It produces its own beer, wine and food using local ingredients, and the list of suppliers, growers, farmers and craftspeople it collaborates with is a who’s-who of the region. The winery/kitchen/brewery occupies a renovated barn near the start of Victor Harbor Road. The historic property made a lasting impression in the minds of former d’Arenberg winemaker Alan Varney and his wife Kathrin Dressler. ‘Driving past for a decade on my commute meant lots of time to dream about turning the derelict property into a showcase for the region,’ says
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Alan. ‘When it came up for sale there was no turning back.’ The menu has a distinctly Fleurieu flair – smoked kangaroo loin, yellowfin tuna and Onkaparinga Goats Cheese. House-crafted beers and wines rub shoulders with neighbours, including Year Wines, Sunlight Liquor mead and De Groot coffee.
Drinks Angove McLaren Vale Cellar Door, McLaren Vale Angove perfectly straddles the line between the old and the new. The fifth-generation SA family business has made wine for over a century and its Warboys Vineyard hosts some of McLaren Vale’s oldest Shiraz and Grenache vines. But it also has its eyes firmly squared on the future. As a national leader in sustainable and organic winemaking practices, it aims for all of its vineyards to be organically certified by 2020. The cellar door’s revamped lounge and library is an ideal spot to experience the past and the future, with impressive views of the organic and biodynamic vineyard and shelves stacked with family heirlooms dating back to the early 1800s.
Above left: Victor’s Place at McLaren Vale. Head to the soon-to-be-opened ‘Down the Rabbit Hole Cellar Door’ in early 2019 for wine, food, coffee and more. Above right: Also soon-to-be-opened on Kangaroo Island is a cellar door for Springs Road Wines (another great offering from the team at Battle of Bosworth).
Springs Road Wines, Kangaroo Island The folks behind McLaren Vale’s Battle of Bosworth and Spring Seed Wines are taking their product overseas – to KI, that is. ‘Joch (Bosworth – owner of Battle of Bosworth and Spring Seed Wines) found the location in the KI real estate office when he was taking the vintage crew there on their end-of-vintage party,’ explains Marketing and Sales Director Louise Hemsley-Smith. They’ve been organically farming the vineyard – located on a small sheep property about ten kilometres west of Kingscote – since 2016 and are set to reveal the Springs Road Wines cellar door in summer 2018/19. ‘Like many South Australians we have a soft spot for the island after visiting over the years,’ says Louise. ‘We aim to make the best wines we possibly can.’ Shifty Lizard Brewing Co., Willunga When lifelong mates Lee and Danny spotted 33 High Street for sale, they knew they couldn’t pass it up. The Shifty Lizard co-founders were looking for a place to expand their cold-room storage, but the property made them fast-forward their business plan. ‘It was the perfect fit for our brewery and gave us the option to install a taphouse,’ says
Danny. Operating under the mantra ‘Good. Fun. Beer!’ the cosy taphouse offers exactly that, allowing punters to chat with brewers while sampling award-winning small-batch beers fresh from the tap. Pizzas are available via The Redwood Oven, and jaffles, kranskies and paninis are made on-site. Sit outside if it’s sunny and take home a six-pack for the fridge. Down the Rabbit Hole Wines, McLaren Vale Down the Rabbit Hole burst onto the scene with highly-regarded drops in the early 2010s. But despite a passionate following and lauded events, they’ve never had a cellar door – until now. Owners Domenic and Elise discussed their dream space for years, but it was only after a car breakdown that they saw it. ‘It felt like divine timing as the property was soon to be sold,’ says Elise. ‘Funnily enough, it backs on to the vineyard – we’d just never seen it.’ Elise wants every visitor to the cellar door – offering tastings, food, coffee and an organic store from early 2019 – to leave feeling a little happier. ‘We believe a great bottle of wine, shared with friends, family and lovers, has the ability to transform a seemingly ordinary day into something special.’ > 55
Above left: At Botanista in Port Noarlunga you can choose from a fantastic array of plants and terrariums – or make your own! Photo by Angela Lisman. Above rIght: Buds & Blooms Reynella – for all your floral needs; single bouquets or special events.
Homewares, flowers and plants Botanista, Port Noarlunga Sustainability and locally-sourced products are at the heart of boutique tea and plants store Botanista. An extension of online shop Fleurieu Gifts, Botanista embodies everything owner Charlene Maney is passionate about; ‘beauty, local materials and community’. ‘Sourcing and stocking sustainable products is one thing, but community sustainability – sourcing materials locally and stocking products from local businesses because it helps them stay viable – is also behind everything we do,’ Charlene says. ‘The majority of our plants are sourced from local growers (and) our teas are from local companies. Our signature Botanista teas are even named after local areas.’ Join a plant-based workshop to learn new skills, such as growing succulents, making terrariums and macramé. Buds & Blooms, Reynella Plants are woven into the DNA of Buds & Blooms. Debbie and daughters Melissa and Renae manage the family-owned florist (est. 1989) and their love of nature was fuelled by life on a property 56
surrounded by native gums, pines and horses. ‘We were blessed to have an upbringing where nature was so prevalent,’ says Melissa. They moved shop to Reynella after outgrowing their Morphett Vale outlet in July, and continue striving ‘to create beautiful arrangements at high quality for each individual customer’s needs’. ‘We’re looking forward to expanding with workshops by collaborating and supporting other local businesses as well,’ says Renae. Many of Buds & Blooms’ products are sourced locally and they’re focused on sustainability, with a stringent recycling regime and biodegradable floral foam meaning little waste goes to landfill. Charlie & Jack, Victor Harbor Charlie & Jack is the happy result of a 3am epiphany. Owner and confessed indoor plant obsessive Kristy was made redundant from her job in 2017 and, while tossing and turning in bed, decided she should share her passion. ‘I stole my son’s man-cave at our property and the whole family transformed the dingy shed into Charlie & Jack in a month,’ Kristy says. The store sells indoor plants, ceramics, planters, homewares, jewellery and select gardening and beauty products. But invaluable advice comes free. ‘By helping customers
Above left: At Cooee Arthouse in Aldinga you will find an intimate live music, arthouse film and community workshop venue. Bottom left: Meeting Place MV (McLaren Vale) is a space to work, network and mentor each other – ‘underpinned by a hell-of-a-good coffee and a decent menu.’ Photos by Angela Lisman. Right: Charlie & Jack at Victor Harbor has become a fast favourite for plants and gifts. Photo by Heidi Lewis.
choose the right plant and providing ongoing advice, my goal’s to make it possible for anyone to create a space that’s not only more beautiful and calming, but healthier too.’
Community spaces Cooee Arthouse, Aldinga Loren Kate dreamed of creating an idyllic café and music venue ‘accessible to all walks of life’ since she was a teen. Last year, after rediscovering the plans she’d drawn as a 14-year-old, the touring musician decided it was time. She found a space – a former opshop – and started raiding building site bins and collecting unwanted materials from friends to transform it. Cooee Arthouse is an intimate live music, arthouse film and community workshop venue, with Cooee (from the Dharug people in NSW) meaning ‘come here’. ‘That’s my vision – a community meeting place,’ Loren says. ‘Part of my drive was also to build my community, to attract people who haven’t found theirs yet and are looking for like-minded people to share life with.’
Meeting Place MV, McLaren Vale Co-working is revolutionising the workplace. A recent Knight Frank report found the number of spaces in Australia grew almost threehundred per cent between 2013-2017, as freelancers and corporate giants alike chase more flexible working arrangements. Meeting Place is McLaren Vale’s take on co-working, and owner Mark Potter says it allows businesses and sole traders to grow the local economy by providing a space to work, network and mentor each other – ‘underpinned by a hell-of-a-good coffee and a decent menu’. You can become a ‘resident’ for a more permanent working space and increased access to office facilities, or simply rock up with your laptop to enjoy a cuppa, a meal and/or the free wifi. The space is also available for events in the evenings and weekends. >
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Top: Oxenberry Farm Darina House and Colton B&B, McLaren Vale. The first homestead in the Vale is now a stylish B&B with gorgeous courtyard gardens front and back. Above: Ben Hewett and Winnie, his shop mascot, at Yeo Haus – Shop of Gentle Goods, Port Elliot. Photos by Angela Lisman.
‘... the region has transformed from a handful of restaurants and just a smattering of cafes, to a fully-fledged foodie destination ...’ Accommodation
Clothing/surf
Oxenberry Farm Daringa House and Colton Cottage B&B, McLaren Vale Oxenberry’s new bed and breakfast was three years in the making – but its inception dates back much further. Owners Michael and Filippo Scarpantoni were born and raised on Oxenberry Farm, which was established in 1840 by Devonshire farmers William Colton and Charles Hewett – McLaren Vale’s original settlers. When the homestead went up for sale in 1998 the Scarpantoni brothers knew they had to buy it. The acquisition kickstarted a 20-year project to restore the property’s almost-forgotten significance to the region, and today it boasts a cellar door, café and Pedler Creek B&B. The site of the new bed and breakfast however, has even greater significance; Daringa was the first house built in McLaren Vale, offering guests a chance to experience the town’s history first-hand.
Yeo Haus – Shop of Gentle Goods, Port Elliot Fleurieu surf label Yeo Haus is making waves again. Having kept his eyes on The Strand for years, owner and designer Ben Hewett pounced when he saw a shop moving out earlier this year. Previously Yeo Haus had been trading out of Port Elliot’s Factory 9 business precinct. The new location on Port Elliot’s main strip has allowed Ben to operate more regular opening hours, attracting new fans to his homegrown apparel, surf hardware, wetsuits and an outstanding hangout spot. Another new addition to the Yeo Haus stable is its Hemp Wear collection, which is made in collaboration with Adelaide’s Hemp Clothing Australia and aligns with the brand’s sustainability focus.
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BEEFSTEAK & BURGUNDY CLUB
Do you have a passion for food & wine and meeting new people? McLaren Vale Beefsteak & Burgundy club has Membership Openings. Men & Women welcome! Contact: mclarenvalebandb@gmail.com
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The magic of Green Bay Story by Kitty Magee.
Above: Christobel Kelly’s ‘Golgotha’ 2018, oil on canvas. Created for the ‘Green Bay’ exhibition held at The Strand Gallery.
Somewhere out there, scattered across the world, are thousands of paintings, sketches and photographs of a modest little beach in Port Elliot, simply named Green Bay. Some of the works are by professional artists, housed in public and private collections. But many are by amateurs, hidden in sketchbooks and journals, tucked away in drawers and boxes. The urge to secrete watercolours into a backpack on a visit to Green Bay is persuasive and seductive. What is it about this tiny cove that makes it one of the most painted bays in South Australia? For thousands of years the natural landscape of the Fleurieu Peninsula inspired the Ngarrindjeri in their traditions of weaving and carving. Traditions that celebrated and reinforced millennia of spiritual and practical connections to the sea and land. 60
Then, in 1837 William Light, the great surveyor and designer of Adelaide, painted Encounter Bay and Cape Rosetta, not for their intrinsic beauty, but as the location of the South Australian Company’s fishing station. Light recorded the sites of colonisation, using topographical detail and visual information to assist in decision making about where to settle, where to fish and what to build. Later artists were lured by yearnings less easily defined. Hans Heysen painted breakers crashing over Chiton rocks, very near Port Elliot. Heysen was fascinated by the effects of light on land and sky, and on the apparent weight or weightlessness of natural objects. Victor Harbor and Encounter Bay were among his favourite painting locations. For Heysen, it was all about the power of nature and the play of light across the landscape. To this day, Green Bay is a tiny snapshot that encapsulates all the elements of this stretch of coast: calm, storm, revolving colours, changing light, rips, rocks, sanctuary and danger. Heysen may be the most famous artist to have painted in the area, but many others have been unable to resist the magnetic pull of
This page: Black and white images of Green Bay from days gone by. Bottom image attributed to William Jones,1914. Courtesy of State Library of South Australia.
‘To this day, Green Bay is a tiny snapshot that encapsulates all the elements of this stretch of coast: calm, storm, revolving colours, changing light, rips, rocks, sanctuary and danger.’ Green Bay over the years. Ruth Tuck and her husband Mervyn Smith painted Green Bay more than once, each in their distinct, but mutually influential styles. They responded to the extraordinary blues and greens of the sea in watercolour, but each expressed their visions so differently. Tuck produced bright watercolours of the bay below, glimpsed from the coastal path, through the rocks and foliage. Smith took a more muscular approach, painting from the sands of the bay itself, with great daubs of intense, flowing watercolour, wielded like oil paint, hardly a drop of water on the brush. Painting together, one above and one within the bay, they responded so differently to their environs. Smith’s bay was passionate and dangerous. Tuck’s was a softer, safer place. Tuck was greatly influenced by Dorrit Black, another frequenter of the Fleurieu Peninsula and Green Bay. Black travelled widely, studying in Sydney, London and Paris. However, it was the coast around Port Elliot and the Fleurieu that captivated her again and again. In the hills and coasts of the Fleurieu, Black observed sensuous female forms, rendered eloquently through the lens of her modernism. One of Black’s most successful and dramatic paintings is Rocks and
waves, Green Bay, Port Elliot (c1949). She responds emotionally to the bay, becoming spiritually absorbed into the rocky amphitheatre and its churning contents. Black expresses the unpredictability of deep, channelled waters moving deceptively and unexpectedly. Black was an enthusiastic motorist, tootling along the coast from one painting to another. However, for almost a century, 1884 to 1984, Adelaide artists travelled to Port Elliot by train. Many stayed for months, not days, during the drowsy, hot summer. Frequent visitors included Jeffrey Smart, William Donnithorne, W.E. Drewett, Rose Lowcay, John Giles, Richard Hayley Lever, and Emily Wilson. Some, like Lowcay, eventually moved there to live. Many holidaying artists paint more at Port Elliot than at home. The natural beauty and the light of Port Elliot is captivating. But also, it is a holiday town with a feeling of freedom and separateness, lookingglass moments outside the rest of life. James Ashton holidayed frequently in Port Elliot, where he’d work from six am until dusk. On one trip to Victor Harbor and Port Elliot over Christmas 1892, he completed enough watercolours for an entire exhibition at Norwood Town Hall. With his passion for the > 61
Top image: Doug Gibson, Green Bay, 2018. Bottom left and right: Postcard prints of Green Bay from the collection of Paul Heywood-Smith.
sea, he was seduced by the remarkable changing colours of the waters around Green Bay. Ashton painted Green Bay many times; most successfully on a summer holiday in 1893, in a work that was praised as his best painting ever. Ashton, like his student Hans Heysen, and the later modernists Dorrit Black, Ruth Tuck and Mervyn Smith, were in thrall to the powers of the ocean, the coast and the forces of nature. For some, the pull was spiritual; for others, like Ashton, perhaps more sentimental. Green Bay encapsulated much of what lured these artists to the Fleurieu: the embrace of rocks creating a secluded sanctuary, free from the wind; the danger and unpredictability of the sea, with rips and tides that disobey the rules of the ocean.
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Green Bay presents us with the tension between wild sublimity and quiet seclusion. The extraordinary colours of the sea shift and kaleidoscope, daring anyone with a brush to capture them. Artists return year after year to this singular and tiny site. It yields so many views, differing moment to moment. Quiet, calm seclusion juxtaposed with exposure and lashings of water; calm seas and buffeting winds; and the private intimacy of a solitary stroll with the meet-and-greet of friends walking their dogs. This tiny cove rewards solitary visitors with a powerful connection to land and ocean. It is the seduction of spiritual union and invigorating, overwhelming physicality. And always the compressed colours of the sea and sky, firmly embraced within the rocky arms of the bay.
Throughout January we will be exhibiting new work from the renowned artist John Lacey
Weekends 10.00 til 4.00 Weekdays please call Sonya Hender on 0419 501 648 Shown at left: Summer Colour oil on board, 40 x 40.
Currency Creek · Goolwa · Victor Harbor Early Learning – Year 12 investigator.sa.edu.au · Enrol now on 8555 7511
Providing the opportunity for you to be
YOUR BEST SELF 63
Lands End
Story by Petra de Mooy. Photography by Robert Geh. Styling by Marcus Syvertsen.
‘I would look at this piece of land and think that I’d like to buy that property and eventually build a house there. And I guess I have been lucky enough to do it.’
Left page: The skillion roof overhangs the main pavilion, allowing winter sun in, but shielding the interiors from the summer sun. Above: The main living area encompasses ‘Gwen’s View Room’ where one can unwind and watch the world go by.
Luke and Thip Royans own a little piece of the Fleurieu Peninsula called Lands End. It sits at the very tip of Cape Jervis and it is just what it proclaims to be. If you walk out of the home in most directions you will inevitably meet the sea ... quite quickly in fact. Luke grew up at Cape Jervis and attended local schools until going to boarding school at Immanuel College in Adelaide from grade eight. Luke enjoyed rural seaside living and had the best of both worlds. ‘Lots of activities outside,’ he tells me. ‘Climbing trees, running, swimming and sandpits.’ It was a traditional sort of country childhood, made better by the family’s proximity to the ocean. Luke’s father Chris Royans worked for the government, but had been a recreational fisherman. Soon he saw an opportunity to make a living at fishing abalone and obtained a commercial licence to pursue it full
time. Straight after high school in 1994, Luke started working in the fishery as well, splitting his time between Port Hughes on the Yorke Peninsula, the Southern Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island. ‘We are on a quota-based licence that runs over a year,’ says Luke. Going to where the fishing is most abundant, reading the seasons, the tides and knowing where to go for the best yield is what their lives are about. Cape Jervis and fishing are in Luke’s blood. ‘I guess I’m a local,’ he says. ‘When I was working out of Fishery Bay at Cape Jervis I would always be coming past this property (referring to Lands End). I would look at this piece of land and think that I’d like to buy that property and eventually build a house there. And I guess I have been lucky enough to do it.’ Luke’s extended family lives at Cape Jervis as well. ‘My parents live here, my grandma, my uncle and aunt and my sister and her kids,’ he says. The fishery business is a family business and all of the family members have been, or still are, involved. When they run out of family members they employ locals. ‘I know all of the locals,’ says Luke. And when I ask what he does in his spare time he tells me: > 65
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Page left: The home has a grand entrance with the sea view maximised by a double-width hallway framing the ‘view room.’ Top: The home is essentially three pavilions with the large living area and two smaller wings to either side, split between an adult retreat and the kids’ space on the other. Bottom: A neutral white and off-white kitchen with a large walk-in pantry is perfect for the family who wanted to have something that wouldn’t date too quickly.
‘There’s not a lot here really. We go to the tavern and to the shop for coffee in the mornings sometimes, but we have to go to Victor or Normanville to shop.’ But Luke isn’t someone to be deterred by a lack of amenities. So when the foreshore property he had eyed-off for years came on the market in 2008, Luke jumped and bought the land with his parents. They weren’t ready to build straight away but the family has utilised the land to grow hay. A couple of years ago, after Luke and Thip started their own family, they began the process of planning their build. The ever-practical Luke did a Google search and found a company he liked. ‘I liked them because they are designers and builders,’ he says. Luke wanted to work with one company for the whole job. James Michael Homes is a bespoke building company, which only builds a small number of homes per year ‘to allow a hands-on approach and
to maintain outstanding quality.’ Luke and designer James Rippon met onsite, where Luke presented a rough sketch of what he had in mind. ‘I first met Luke at the local petrol station/deli,’ remembers James. ‘I had driven down there and after waiting awhile I thought; ‘great all this way and no client’. Then a ute with fishing containers in the back swings into the deli. Luke jumped out with grease all over his hands and said ‘sorry mate, I can’t shake your hand, I’ve been under the Bobcat all morning.’ Then we jumped in the ute to take a look at ‘the block’.’ James says his first impression of the block made the wait worthwhile. ‘I thought; wow, this is a once-in-a-lifetime block to design on and Luke had wanted to build on it since he was young so we had to get this right!’ Luke and James discussed where the house would be and what the best aspect was. Luke said he only wanted to build a house > 67
Above left: The large sandstone fireplace is framed by windows looking out to the ocean and Kangaroo Island. Right: The master bedroom with koala bed was styled for this shoot by Marcus Syvertsen of Little Road Home. Wall-hanging from the Fleurieu Arthouse is by Rebecca McEwan.
The finishes are tied together with limestone brickwork inside and out. A neutral ceramic tile is also seamlessly carried through all main living areas, which are softened with rich wall-to-wall wool rugs in the bedrooms. once, and he wanted to do it right. Luke and Thip had the time to make the effort to achieve this, especially with their growing family and Luke’s desire for a big shed. ‘Every man needs a shed and the bigger the shed the better,’ says Luke. They also specified lots of space, inside and out, and making the most of the views to the north and to Kangaroo Island. Luke describes it this way: ‘The house points from blue to blue, you know what I mean, so where the horizon starts on one end and where it ends on the other, that’s where the house points so we get all of the sea view.’ Here they were lucky because not only do they capture this view but it faces north so you get the passive solar benefit making it achieve a very high energy rating. This aspect coupled with maximum insulation, high ceilings and cross flow ventilation means they use winter sun to heat the house and summer sun is minimised by large oversized eaves. Luke liked working with James Michael Homes. ‘James is a good reader of people and a good listener, so he came up with a good design,’ says Luke. ‘The design process was quite lengthy and during construction we would meet on site as often as possible. I was confident with the work and all of the tradies were good. As the process goes along you get more and more confident.’ The house is essentially three pavilions. The central pavilion incorporates the expansive kitchen, dining and living area. It has a grand entrance with the sea view maximised by a double-width 68
hallway framing the ‘view room.’ There are two smaller wings to either side, split between an adult retreat and the kids space on the other. The skillion roof ties them together and a neutral white and off-white palette creates a wonderful sense of calm. ‘You can hear the wind a bit,’ says Luke. But the double-glazed windows do a lot to buffer the ocean sounds. ‘The location can have some bad weather so we needed to tie this house down and we made it cyclone proof,’ says James. ‘We built over and above the building code for the area.’ The magnificent seascape can be viewed from all of the living rooms and bedrooms, with bathrooms, pantry, laundry and utilities at the back of the home. The finishes are tied together with limestone brickwork inside and out. A neutral ceramic tile is also seamlessly carried through all main living areas, which are softened with rich wall-to-wall wool rugs in the bedrooms. ‘The house is fantastic and it is what we wanted,’ says Luke. ‘It is super functional and we love the layout.’ In the process, however, a few amendments to the design were made. For example, ‘Gwen’s View Room’ was added later. ‘The front of the main house was all glazing and Luke’s grandma Gwen made the suggestion of making the living area bigger and they decided to add the view room,’ explains James. ‘It’s where one can sit and watch the world go by.’
More than a Wine Shop SHOWCASING OUTSTANDING REGIONAL SMALL PRODUCERS AND FOCUSSED TASTINGS Our unique retail cellar door and tasting bar specialises in Artisan Local Producers, Organic, Bio-dynamic and International wines and more. Our Summer tasting series is a great way to try new things and talk with the producers. Want to learn more about wine and spirits? All our people love what they do and are here to assist you. Gill is 2017 WCA Wine Educator and Communicator of the year. Our wine education workshops are affordable, inclusive and empowering and for all levels of knowledge. Cellar door open Friday 5pm - 9pm with the Summer Tasting Series from 6pm, showcasing outstanding wine tastings from a different winemaker each week.
South Seas Books
South Seas Trading
53 North Terrace, Port Elliot P: 8554 2301 www.southseasbooks.com.au
56 North Terrace, Port Elliot P: 8554 3540
is an independent bookshop on the Fleurieu’s south coast. South Seas will ignite your imagination.
offers a selection of vintage art and design pieces · clothing · jewellery · giftware and books in an evolving Arcadian haven.
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All hail the halls Story by Nicola Gage. Photography by Alex Beckett.
Above: Kate Furler is part of a dedicated committee caring for the Inman Valley Memorial Hall.
There is a groundswell of activity taking place across the Fleurieu, as dedicated locals dust off the cobwebs in their local town hall and breathe new life into a long forgotten building. The initiative is being led by a group of young women thinking outside of the square and seeing an opportunity. And while they are working independently (with the help of family and volunteers) they have ever-so-gently started to an unofficial movement; a digital-to-analog conversion.
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As I make my way through Blewitt Springs to Kuitpo Hall, on the edge of the densely wooded forest, I have the road to myself. In contrast to the quiet dive, I arrive to find a bustling community, energetically working away. Owner Jade Seskis is racing around, cleaning up after last night’s festivities. Rugs are being piled up, lighting brought down and crates stacked for removal. Jade tells me it’s been this busy since she bought the property on Christmas Eve three years ago. ‘It’s a lot of work but to me, it’s worth it,’ she says. Town halls are historically considered the hub of a community; an epicentre for events and festivities, where people can come together and share life. Kuitpo is no different. Countless memories are frozen in time here, wedged inside each dent on the original timber floor. At one stage this place was even a school. ‘They had weddings here and birthdays — it was such vibrant spot,’ Jade tells me. ‘But when you lose members of a committee (looking after a hall), these things don’t survive unless young people keep coming through to run them.’
Top: Kuitpo Hall: After major renovations by Jade Seskis and family the old stone building looks loved again. Bottom left and right: Myponga Hall has been revitalised by locals. Debut event featuring Valentine (WA). Photo by Jack Fenby.
In the decade before Jade bought the divine stone building, it had pretty much fallen into disrepair. ‘It was a mess,’ she explains. ‘Structurally there were a lot of things we had to do to make it safe again. Outside there was no driveway, it didn’t have a gate, it was just a barren paddock.’ After major renovations and a huge cleanup, the old stone building looks as loved as it did after committed locals raised money to build it back in 1926. The hall is again a hive of activity; a community space with a heartbeat. Although the Kuitpo Hall was sold to Jade’s family in 2015, the funds from the sale were allocated to aid in the rejuvenation of other community venues, including the Yundi, Range, Dingabledinga and Tooperang Halls. Jade also volunteers her time to help realise visions for these spaces, and invests back into creating free community events at the hall. ‘I’m overcome by the continual gratitude expressed by the community and people contacting me to share their part of the story,’ she says.
A short drive away at Myponga, a similar groundswell of passion is reinvigorating the old town hall. It began when local resident Holly Wyatt had a yearning to bring music events and ‘good times for all ages’ to her community. Complete with Art Deco cinema chairs, an elevated stage with pleated teal curtains and a half grand piano, the hall seemed the perfect spot. Despite the potential, only the local ping pong team was regularly using the space. While it is in need of some renovations, the historic building is the keeper of countless community memories. ‘When I’m at the hall, I can almost sense the people who’ve been there before me,’ Holly says. ‘We travel the world to look at ancient buildings because we’re intrigued by their history. This space is part of our town story that was written by the generations before us.’ Sharni Honor runs a travelling music festival called Porch Sessions and has focused her attention on the Fleurieu in recent years, holding events in community halls. ‘When we began to sell out shows in Adelaide it gave us the flexibility to start pushing the boundaries and experimenting with spaces that are largely untouched and unused,’ > 71
Top: Hindmarsh Valley Memorial Hall. Bottom: The Range, War Memorial Hall.
The rejuvenation of these spaces, led in force by passionate younger generations, is both refreshing and important. Sharni says. ‘We want people to walk from their houses and bring their kids and their grandparents to see music, and bring these spaces to life.’ Another young woman with a similar vision is Kate Furler who, as part of a dedicated committee, is caring for the Inman Valley Memorial Hall. She tells me the property is currently being improved to make it more ‘renter friendly’. This has come about partly through the community wanting to see it better utilised, and also an increase in demand for the disused building. For Kate the hall is more than just bricks and
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mortar, it’s a special place that embodies the community’s spirit. ‘I have heard many stories of families that were involved in the building or maintenance of the hall,’ she says. ‘The personal stories are what makes community history. And it’s a pleasure to get to hear them from people we encounter.’ The rejuvenation of these spaces, led in force by passionate younger generations, is both refreshing and important. It’s turning the clock back on how we engage as a community, and is creating modern-day memories in the process.
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The boat race that began with an argument MILANG TO GOOLWA FRESHWATER CLASSIC – 27th January 2019. Story by Annabel Bowles.
Fifty-two years ago Goolwa greats, the late Bill Appleby and the late Bill Ballard, argued they each had the fastest boat. They finally decided to settle the debate by racing their yachts, Esther and Edith, from Goolwa to Milang. The friendly rivalry soon attracted other sailors, and from 1974 the annual race was adopted by the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club and established as a yachting classic.
The event continues to grow in popularity and attracts yachting families from across the country. In 1986 the number of competitors reached 584, making the Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic the largest of its kind in Australia. While most yacht races take place offshore, this unique event allows visitors to watch in closer proximity either onshore or from their own boats. Each year locals and visitors gather along the course’s various vantage points of low-lying cliffs, farmlands and riverbanks. Point Sturt, the course’s turning point, is a particularly great spot for spectators with its 360-degree view of the entire yacht fleet.
Just two years later the direction was reversed from Milang to Goolwa due to safety concerns. Unlike the channels of the Lower Murray River, sailing through Lake Alexandrina can be difficult with some shallow waters and sharp and choppy conditions. It can still be a challenging race for sailors, with weather conditions that have seen 25 knot-winds and 40-odd-degree temperatures.
The event continues to be a resounding success due to the support shown by Milang and Goolwa locals, who accommodate thousands of visitors, as well as sponsorship from Finniss River Vineyard, Coorong Quays — Hindmarsh Island, the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club and a number of other businesses. Alongside the race, the Goolwa Regatta Week and its full schedule of activities has something for yacht racers, casual sailors, or anyone wanting to holiday in SA’s best water playground.
Since 1976, the race has begun in the historic port town of Milang, and proceeded across SA’s largest inland waterway, Lake Alexandrina, to a turn at Point Sturt, and downstream past Clayton Cliffs to the finish at Goolwa. Last year almost 200 boats and more than 1000 competitors raced the total distance of fifty kilometres. There will be eight divisions in 2019 with mostly Trailer Sailor boats, but also a number of River Boat, Catamaran, and Dinghy classes. 74
Louise Edwards, Commodore of the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club, says the Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic showcases and celebrates the history of the region and the strong local maritime community.
Goolwa Regatta Week begins on Saturday, January 19 and the Milang to Goolwa Freshwater Classic will be held on January 27. For more information visit: goolwaregattaweek.com.au
Visit Alexandrina Get into the swing of summer, stay and explore the region. Upcoming events....
‘Summer & Spokes in Strathalbyn’ festival of activities for the Stage 5 finish of the Santos Tour Down Under and Challenge Tour. Before an exhilarating stage finish in Strathalbyn, the race passes through Port Elliot, Middleton, Goolwa and Currency Creek on Saturday, 19 January 2019 Chamber Philharmonia Cologne* at St Andrews Church, Strathalbyn on 13 January 2019 Yesterday’s Power Rally at Milang Oval on 19 and 20 January 2019
* tickets/ bookings required
For bookings, enquiries and more events in the region visit
www.visitalexandrina.com or call Council’s Visitor Information Centre on 1300 466 592 NYE Fireworks Off The Bridge at Goolwa Wharf Precinct on 31 December 2018 Storm Boy, the original film* screening at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 12, 13 and 16 January Compass Cup* at Mount Compass Oval on 26 January 2019 Mr Percival’s Pop-Up Gallery at South Coast Regional Arts Centre, Goolwa from 14 January to 10 February 2019 Summer Swell Outdoor Cinema ‘Herbie The Love Bug’ screening on 16 February 2019 at Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot Fringe in Goolwa Weekend - live music and entertainment on 8 March to 10 March 2019 at Goolwa Wharf Precinct
South Australian Wooden Boat Festival (SAWBF) 27 and 28 April 2019 ~Goolwa Wharf Precinct ~Music and fireworks ~Family activies ~On-water and on-land ~Regional food and wine www.sawoodenboatfestival.com.au 75
Casual clothing from Miss Gladys On Sea, Aldinga. Selected to reflect the earthy nature of Papershell Farm in Willunga.
Surahn wears: A Mustard Hemp tee and Neuw Lou jeans. Jess wears: Little Lies Olive green overalls.
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‘It’s a vision that expands Papershell beyond a mere almond orchard, imagining a food forest that will support, and be supported by, generations to come.’
WHO WE ARE: Jessica and Surahn Sidhu
Forest of dreams
Story by Kate LeGallez. Photography by Heidi Lewis.
It wasn’t so long ago that come late July and August, the hills of Willunga would suddenly turn pink. In seeming defiance of the grey winter, avenues of almond trees would burst into blossom signalling spring was coming. In more recent years, the almond orchards have largely given way to vineyards, but in a few pockets that lifeaffirming late-winter bloom still occurs. In early 2017, Jessica and Surahn Sidhu became custodians of one such plot. Since taking over the property, now known as Papershell Farm, they’ve started to explore a new, more harmonious way of farming. Their approach is closely attuned to the needs of their family, the community and the land itself. It’s a vision that expands Papershell beyond a mere almond orchard, imagining a food forest that will support, and be supported by generations to come. While Papershell has become home to their ambitions, Jessica and Surahn didn’t set out to buy an almond orchard. While living in Goolwa, they’d begun experimenting with small-scale native food farming. At the same time, Jessica, who’d previously worked as a landscape architect, was teaching and Surahn, a multi-instrumentalist, was (and continues to be) on a demanding international travel schedule. They started to explore opportunities to build a business they could work on together. The idea was to continue and expand the Goolwa experiment, developing a small-scale agriculture venture based on natural farming principles. ‘It was mum who said we should go and have a look at the almond farm just after we’d lost a bid for a vineyard on the same road,’ recalls Surahn. ‘That’s when we realised there’s so much potential here in this forest of dreams.’ In the nearly two years since they took over the nine-acre farm, Jessica and Surahn have been exploring just how that potential can be fulfilled. ‘The environment is informing us,’ says Surahn. ‘A lot of it
is just observation and stepping back and not thinking we can control everything. Just letting nature do its best.’ In the short term, this means no mechanical harvesting, no sprays and working towards organic certification. They now hand-harvest the 1500 almond trees, with the nuts sold and delivered in-person to Adelaide restaurants (‘we literally touch every almond’). They’ve also applied their conscious approach to reviving a smattering of existing fruit trees, alongside establishing new vegetable beds around the natural water drainage through the property. And on the side, they dabble in winemaking. So far, their light-touch techniques have shown overtly positive results, with yields up and signs of increasing biodiversity. ‘Just a few days ago, we saw three different lizards in one day,’ says Jessica. ‘And all this different birdlife is starting to come back. Ladybirds and bug life and bats.’ Longer term, they plan to continue expanding their food forest, while pushing the boundaries of what a farm can look like. Their vision encompasses a creative, community hub with agriculture at its heart. Already they’ve hosted dinners and weddings, alongside the many guests who come to stay at the onsite bed-and-breakfast. Workshops are next. Their dreams for the farm are in constant dialogue with their dreams for their family, including three-year-old Teddy and twelve-year-old Salvador. A recent road-trip offered the chance for a life audit. In observing and responding to the seasons, they realised they were creating a different kind of work/life balance. There will always be intense periods of work both on the farm and on the road for Surahn, but there’s also space for family and holidays to provide essential perspective. This intertwining of family, farm and community will continue to evolve, always responding to feedback offered by the land and the people who visit it. ‘There are a lot of things this piece of dirt can do,’ says Surahn. ‘And there are lots of ways we can set it up so that in 100, 200, 300 years it’s still providing not just food, but ideas and a safe space for everyone.’
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Yas is styled by Gorgeous Soles, McLaren Vale and Sam wears styles from Miss Gladys on Sea, Aldinga
Sam wears: Phillips Liberty floral print shirt with Ze Enzo shorts and Brixton Messer fedora. Yas wears: MA Dainty White linen overalls over a net tank top in ‘biscuit’.
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‘I was just shaking with excitement, just thinking: this is what I’m meant to be doing.’
WHO WE ARE: Sam and Yasmin Whitehead
Good gut feeling Story by Kate LeGallez. Photography by Heidi Lewis.
The journey from farm to jar for fermented goods business Gut Feeling is a short one. The raw produce travels mere metres from plots on Starlight Springs organic farm in Myponga to Gut Feeling’s onsite kitchen. In contrast, the idea that would become Gut Feeling germinated much further afield, while founder Sam Whitehead was on the shores of a volcanic lake in the Guatemalan highlands. The original seed for Gut Feeling was perhaps planted even earlier, when a young Sam was exposed to his mum’s ‘food as medicine’ approach to health. ‘She instilled in us, from a young age, to always gravitate towards a more natural way of prevention and cure of illness,’ Sam says. Years later, when he encountered fermented foods on a wanderlustdriven food trail down the west coast of America, Sam’s mind was already open to the health benefits of fermented products. It wasn’t until he met and worked with a couple running a small fermentation business in the Guatemalan village of San Marcos la Laguna that he began to think he could start a similar business home in Australia. He Skyped his mum and sister Yasmin, a chef who now collaborates closely with him in the business, to share his idea. ‘I was just shaking with excitement, just thinking: this is what I’m meant to be doing,’ he recalls. Back in Adelaide and with about fifty dollars in his pocket, Sam began making small batches of fermented foods in 2015. In the early days finding quality veggies – organic, or at least spray free – was an ongoing challenge. But a chance conversation with Ian and Colleen Francis from Starlight Springs at the Willunga Farmers Market changed that.
Ian and Colleen began growing cabbages for Gut Feeling’s range of sauerkraut and kimchi and also rented Sam and Yasmin the shedspace for a commercial kitchen. ‘It was all working really well,’ says Sam. ‘They would weigh up the amount (of cabbage) we needed and take it into the kitchen and we’d chop that very same day. Freshness is the key for our products and it couldn’t get much fresher than that.’ Then about a year ago, Ian and Colleen approached Sam and Yasmin to take over the growing. The pair has been on a crash course learning to organically grow cabbages ever since. Yasmin in particular enjoys the switch to working in the fields. ‘It’s a nice change from the stressful environment of hospitality,’ she says. ‘It’s really nice seeing the product go from a little tiny seed to a jar of sauerkraut. And it’s so nourishing and good for people as well, so it’s really something we’re both very passionate about.’ This shared passion, and the values that underpin it, is perhaps the secret to their working relationship. ‘We haven’t had a fight since we started working together, which is pretty rare for siblings but also for kitchen work in general I think; there’s always some sort of animosity or ego running the show,’ says Sam. He credits Yasmin as the palate behind their products and the creative overseer of their creations for festivals and dinners. While new products are always in the offing (there’s a small batch of green kimchi fermenting away on the day we speak), Sam is conscious of not biting off more than he can chew just for the coin. ‘It’s not really worth it, it’s not why I started it,’ he says. ‘It’s more about building a lifestyle than rocking up at work and being miserable.’ ‘We try to make sure it’s about the food and the flavour before anything else, and in terms of building a profile and that sort of thing, we don’t really care so much. It’s about making people happy, doing good-value food and being as transparent as we possibly can and having as much integrity in what we do as possible,’ Sam adds. ‘I think when putting that forward it’s hard to have too many issues.’
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Alex is styled by Miss Gladys On Sea, Aldinga.
Alex wears: Slideshow – striped cropped top. Fauve – black linen shorts and the Brixton Messe fedora.
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‘All of Alex’s development in photography has come about organically ...’
WHO WE ARE: Alex Beckett
Feeling at home Story by Petra de Mooy. Photography by Alex Beckett.
When Alex Beckett’s parents decided to shift their family of four children from Perth to Victor Harbor eight years ago, the move proved fortuitous for fourteen-yearold Alex. ‘We had been coming (to the Southern Fleurieu) for visits on holidays and my parents just really fell in love with the region,’ she says. At Goolwa’s Investigator College Alex worked hard at being a good academic student, but also studied art and design. She began to experiment with photography on her iPhone and created an Instagram account to share some of these images with friends. ‘I guess technology had just become so accessible,’ says Alex. It was easy to have immediate feedback and she had a great eye for good light and composition from the outset. Alex’s clear love of family, the outdoors and the ocean were a focus. At eighteen Alex became a vegan and she began to gain an impressive following for her food recipes and photography. ‘That’s when I went from using an iPhone to buying a proper camera,’ she tells me. Alex is incredibly level-headed when it comes to what ‘followers’ actually means. ‘You have to take it all with a grain of salt,’ she says. Alex began to recognise that she was having an influence on people that she was not 100 per cent comfortable with. ‘It’s scary how much of an influence you can have,’ she admits. ’I’m just winging it as well, just taking it day by day and doing what feels best for me. My ability to influence other people when I don’t really know what I am doing is not right. I think that is partly what started to move me away from that community.’ Though she is still a vegan, Alex has developed a holistic
attitude regarding her choice. ‘I just don’t look at non-vegan options as food and yet I still have so many options,’ she says. ‘It is amazing what you can do with plants and the list just keeps growing.’ All of Alex’s development in photography has come about organically; learning by trial and error along the way to a point where she is confident with her ability. Through her commitment, a strong personal style is emerging. ’I want to make people feel the way I felt when I took the photo,’ says Alex. She manages to distill an instant of raw emotion by being responsive and tuned in to the essence of her experiences. Of late, Alex has added to her repertoire by taking photos at live music events. ‘There is so much power in capturing someone doing something they are passionate about with something I am passionate about,’ she says. Alex is a quiet but determined achiever, and for someone her age and she is very self-assured. Alex is quick to attribute this to her family. ‘My parents always supported us in doing what makes us happiest,’ she says. ‘They have seen me pursuing photography and recognise that I enjoy it, so they encourage me even more.’ Choosing to stay close to home in Victor Harbor is also something Alex is conscious of. ‘I could live anywhere but I really like my family’s company; we all get along really well,’ she says. Feeling at home is really important to Alex. ‘I don’t think comfort zones are a bad thing — I think it’s really important to have somewhere that you feel safe and that welcomes you back after you have been out doing other things.’ Having this home base allows Alex to recuperate before she goes out on her next adventure. A growing appreciation for the natural world and the quiet stretches of beaches of the Southern Fleurieu are also big draw cards for her. ‘I think I have hit the jackpot here,’ she smiles. 81
Clothing is from Yeo Haus’s winter collection ‘Touch’ with Henry ‘Jock’ Walker’s personalised touch. Airbrushed at ‘The Ding Kings’ surfboard factory.
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‘At its most literal, Henry’s art sees him painting and surfing at the same time, while his more whimsical works include capturing surfing performance through stretching wetsuit remnants over canvas and interactive community installations.’
WHO WE ARE: Henry Jock Walker
There are surfing bananas to be painted Story by Kate LeGallez. Photography by Heidi Lewis.
Ask Henry Jock Walker what he loves about making art and he immediately starts talking about the people he’s met and the stories he’s heard. He speaks effusively about the Buddhist priest-cumSamurai he worked with on his recent trip to Japan, who carved a surfboard blank with his sword at Henry’s request. A week after we meet, an email he sends me from the Gold Coast includes a long paragraph on a man he just met named Phil Taylor who, it turns out, is a life member of the Tweed Valley Banana Festival, which happened to be on while Henry was up there. ‘There are so many incredible characters out there and I wanna keep meeting them, hearing about how they exist in the world and making art with everyone,’ he says. ‘It’s fun!’ Connecting with people is at the heart of Henry’s artistic practice. He’s a social sculptor in the tradition of Joseph Beuys, exploring the possibilities of art and surfing, painting and performance, in a socially inclusive and engaging way. His approach sees paint and canvas as a launch point, his palette and tools expanding to embrace the conventions of surfing – film, photography, magazines, even the surf shop itself – to explore the connections between art, surfing and community. At its most literal, Henry’s art sees him painting and surfing at the same time, while his more whimsical works include capturing surfing performance through stretching wetsuit remnants over canvas and interactive community installations. ‘I want to make work, but I want to make it available as well,’ he explains when we meet during his brief break home on the Fleurieu, in between the Japan and Gold Coast trips. Both of these projects build on his 2013 Henry’s Mobile Studio project, which took him around Australia in a Toyota Hiace van visiting local communities and inviting them to paint with him. The aim, as he puts it, was to learn about Australia through art.
‘I try and create a space that’s really open and as interesting and engaging as possible,’ Henry says. ‘I really like the idea of working with people so we all can use the time and space effectively for each other and ourselves.’ That said, he freely admits his methods – which might involve morphsuits or extreme paint splatter – can come across as wild, unconventional and even intrusive at times. They certainly made for some pretty interesting pub conversation as he travelled around the country. However, having spent his early childhood in Willalooka before moving to McLaren Vale, Henry is sensitive to the norms that inform country communities. His warm and genuine nature is well adapted to chit-chatting with locals and is perhaps the key to his collaborative practice. But he also leans into the opportunity to challenge these norms. ‘Even just publicly making art in a country town, that’s a nice political thing to do,’ he says. ‘I don’t have to be holding any signs up, just the act of making art in a small country town may be a little bit taboo, especially for males where it can be seen as a bit feminine.’ While Henry’s Mobile Studio allowed Henry to pursue a nomadic lifestyle, family and his beloved summer job at Port Noarlunga Aquatics kept bringing him back to McLaren Vale. It’s a connection to place and community he’s looking at with fresh eyes, after working as resident artist at Sauerbier House in early 2018. ‘It’s literally on the site where I work at Port Noarlunga Aquatics, so it was this really nice thing to be able to look objectively at what happens at Porties and think about the community,’ he explains. Henry’s now solidifying that connection in a new way, through building a studio space, and living area, on his family’s property in McLaren Vale. He’s excited to get working on it, but first there are surfing bananas to be painted and new people to meet during his Pipedream Fruit and Veg exhibition on the Gold Coast. ‘Learn more and share more,’ he smiles. ‘That’s the foundation of my practice.’ Join Yeo Haus and Jock as they’re organising a ‘spray day holiday’ at Yeo Haus’s home turf – ‘The Shop of Gentle Goods’ in Port Elliot.
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Heart and home Story by Kate LeGallez.
Page left: Amanda Westley and Cedric Varcoe at Basham Beach. Photograph by Evan Bailey. Above: Amanda with her work Ngarrindjeri Ruwi (country).
When Ngarrindjeri artist Amanda Westley was sixteen, she drew her family tree for a history class, the branches sprawling over two big sheets of poster paper. On one piece sat her great-great-grandfather William McHughes, the respected Ngarrindjeri stonemason from Raukkan, on the shore of Lake Alexandrina. She understood the importance of these connections, but many had been lost to her, remaining flat on the page. Years later, in a very twenty-first century way, William McHughes would leap off that page, carried forward through the intervening years by Facebook. In April 2018 Amanda posted a photo of William on her social media accounts, identifying her family connection to him. Among the comments on the post was one from fellow artist Cedric Varcoe, a Ngarrindjeri and Narungga man from Raukkan and Point Pearce, himself a descendant of McHughes. ‘Before that (post) I had seen she was an artist but I didn’t know who she was,’ Cedric recalls, ‘I just liked her art work and then I found out she was my mob.’ The two began chatting online, exploring the newfound connection and exchanging photos. When I meet them individually six months later, it’s obvious that their friendship, while only newly cemented in person, is all the more valued because it taps deep into their shared family roots. It’s a theme that both artists have explored in different ways through their art.
Connection for Cedric is a visceral experience. Visions carried to him by his ancestors infuse his paintings with imagery of the old ways and the Ngurunderi dreaming, spreading out over the expanse of the canvas. His latest painting leans against the wall of his garage that’s also his studio and the setting for our chat. He explains to me how it captures part of Ngurunderi’s journey after he’d speared Ponde and was continuing to chase his two runaway wives. His ancestors are also in the work, appearing as stylised characters. ‘I think about the campsites, the middens, weapons, animals, the tracks they leave, the shellfish, any bush tuckers,’ he says. ‘Trying to place it where it fits is difficult for me because there’s too much to put in there, so you gotta scatter it all around the canvas.’ Living back on country in Port Elliot after twenty years away has made this process even more meaningful for Cedric. ‘It’s more relevant here because the stories are of this country and sharing in the country is more meaningful, more powerful for me to be able to share it with people in the community,’ he explains. ‘That’s what I really enjoy. Sharing my visions so people can understand that connection to it. And why we’re still here today and still connected to our culture and to our country.’ That enjoyment comes from a deep sense of pride in his culture and in paying respects to his ancestors through his art. Painting is one way Cedric shares this, but he’s just as likely to start yarning in the coffee shop or at the local preschool. Story also infuses the weavings that he’s started focusing on more recently, both in the process of bringing a basket into being as well as in the moments of connection it facilitates with his four daughters (he also has a son), who help him weave. >
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Above left: Narrangga Dreaming by Cedric Varcoe. Top right: Ngurunderi and Pondi Dreaming making our Ngarrinderi Ruwe by Cedric Varcoe, Bottom right: Amanda with a piece of her work.
In all of these interactions, Cedric’s aim is singular: he wants to inspire connection to the land by ensuring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike internalise the stories and carry the lessons with them. ‘Once you know what it means, you see it (the land) in a different light. You respect it more, you appreciate it more,’ he says. ‘(NonIndigenous) need that connection to the country and to the culture of this country in order to feel what we feel, and the sense of caring for it as well. You belong to it and then you care for it better. You make sure nothing’s going to go wrong with it.’ Amanda’s art reflects her own experience of rediscovering that connection and sense of belonging. ‘My art has put me on that journey of reconnecting with family and getting to know my elders and my language,’ she tells me. She sees the output of that journey in her art and the subtle evolution of her contemporary dot style, which embraces the vibrant coastal colours of ocean and earth, inspired by her current home in Middleton. ‘I notice the more I study, the more I’m involved with my culture, the stronger my style gets,’ she explains. ‘The more I find out about my culture, my people, my family, my land, it’s more directed towards Ngarrindjeri land, Ngarrindjeri nation.’ Amanda’s friendships with Cedric and other Ngarrindjeri people have also emboldened her voice. She’s found greater confidence to use the platform her art offers to speak more loudly about Aboriginal culture and respectfully confront racism in the community. That confidence has grown slowly over the almost-four years she’s been back on the south coast, after being away for nearly a decade. Now she uses 86
Instagram to share her point of view, sometimes through quoting Indigenous people she admires and, increasingly, in her own voice. ‘It was scary to start off with because you’re putting yourself out there and you don’t know what people are going to really think,’ she says. ‘I feel confident to talk about those sorts of subjects, and what they represent now because I’ve got those connections, and they support me too.’ Even so, the emotional labour involved in speaking out can weigh heavily, particularly when her fair skin leads people – both nonIndigenous and Indigenous – to question her Aboriginality. She remembers how one such post almost prompted her to stop painting. ‘I was ready to stop,’ she recalls. ‘But then I was like nope, I’m not going to do that. So, I came home and I took a photo with one of my scarves that I painted, and I posted that on Instagram with a big post that just went crazy saying, there’s no half-caste, quarter-caste. There’s nothing. If that’s what you practise and identify as, then you’re one hundred percent Aboriginal.’ In this way, Amanda’s art is both the means and the product of reconnecting to family, of adding new branches to that family tree she created as a sixteen-year-old. Cedric puts it this way: ‘It’s just good to know who you are, who you’re connected to,’ he says. ‘It’s like a tree when it grows roots into the ground and flourishes when it rains, that’s the same as us and our knowledge. Once you have that knowledge you flourish.’
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What’s in a name?
FLM discusses what makes a dynasty with four Fleurieu wine families. Story by Jake Dean.
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Page left and above: Three brothers from the second generation of Olivers avoided the trials of family farming, preferring to live the ‘good life’ of drinking, smoking and gambling! Needless to say, they were banished from the family property. Above: Current Oliver descendants: Brioni, Don Oliver and Corrina Wright salute their carefree attitude.
The question I’m naively throwing around the Fleurieu is what makes the wine dynasties (that abound in the region) not just survive for generations, but thrive. Colin Kay – great-grandson of Kay Brothers (est. 1890) co-founder Herbert – cites a ‘singe-minded dogged determination’, as one trait shared by Fleurieu’s dynasties, but it’s only part of the picture. Later in our conversation at the historic Amery property, discussing Colin’s zig-zagging path to eventually join the family business, there’s another clue. ‘After I completed my oenology diploma I slipped overseas and did some crazy things,’ says Colin, 78, now retired, but sprightly and bursting with passion for the winery. ‘I rode a motorcycle all over North America, worked in winemaking in Canada, worked on fishing boats in Alaska, travelled through Europe and South America.’ This ambitious, risk-taking streak seems to run through the Fleurieu’s dynasties. For many, it can be traced back to intrepid migrants who put down roots in a strange faraway land.
Founder of Langhorne Creek’s Bleasdale Winery (est. 1850), Frank Potts, is a prime example. Born in England in 1815, Frank joined the navy at just nine and spent much of his teenage years sailing around the world, before coming to South Australia aboard the HMS Buffalo in 1836. ‘For a 21-year-old bloke to put up his hand and go to a country full of convicts…’ says Frank’s great-great-grandson Robbie, shaking his head at the seaman-carpenter’s determination. ‘He arrived at Glenelg on a stinking hot day, got off the boat and started building, and it’s not like you’ve got a Bunnings to buy your gear.’ We’re standing above the winery’s 126-year-old underground cellar and alongside its imposing seven-metre tall lever press (no longer in use), which the family believes is the only one in the world made out of river red gum. It was made by Frank’s son, Frank II, in 1892, but his dad had made a similar one in the 1850s after he and his wife established the winery, perhaps inspired by a press he’d seen in Portugal while in the navy. ‘The foresight and ingenuity he had,’ says Robbie, Bleasdale’s Brand Ambassador. ‘There’s no cranes to put it into position, it’s all hand-sawn and you actually had to make those bolts at the blacksmith shop, and then for it all to actually work!’ Words like ‘foresight’, ‘ingenuity’, ‘adaptability’ and ‘resilience’ pepper my chats with dynasty descendants as I criss-cross the Fleurieu’s verdant vineyards and cellar doors. Brioni Oliver is > 89
Above: Colin Kay with winemaker Duncan Kennedy in the cellar. Bottom left: Some of the very well-kept diaries at Kay Brothers. Bottom right: Unloading and crushing grapes around 1900.
operations manager and the leading voice of McLaren Vale’s Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards’ sixth generation, along with cousin Corrina Wright (winemaker and director). She’s not sure whether the bold decision of her forebears William and Elizabeth Oliver, to leave Scotland in 1839 bound for a wild colony, is indicative of a character trait inherited by current-day Olivers. But the more we talk inside the vineyards’ 1850s workers cottage turned cellar door, the more obvious it becomes.
Angove Family Winemakers’ story starts in 1886 with Dr William Thomas Angove, who left Cornwall, England with his wife and children. ‘Imagine spending three months on a rickety ship trying to look after five children, one of them a one-year-old,’ says fifthgeneration Richard Angove, the company’s joint managing director with sister Victoria. ‘And then, getting to Adelaide and starting from absolute scratch, it’s just amazing, really.’
‘My dad (viticulturist and director, Don) always used to say when new land came up – and even my grandpa when he was unwell – yep, just buy it,’ Brioni explains. ‘It wasn’t a case of do it no matter the cost, but it was; we’ve got to stretch ourselves and make it happen in a way that’s better for the family and to grow. I think we’ve always been like that, looking at new options, especially with trying new wines and things. It’s always; ‘let’s have a crack, try something else and go from there’.’
The Angoves’ departure from their original vineyard is another example of, not just a dynasty keeping its eyes on the future, but of overcoming formidable obstacles. The State Government compulsorily acquired Angove’s historic Tea Tree Gully vineyards in 1974, rezoning their agricultural land to residential with the stroke of a pen. But what could’ve spelled disaster for some was taken in stride by the Angoves, who’d already planted a new flag in Renmark, establishing the region’s oldest winery and a distillery producing one of Australia’s iconic brandies, St Agnes.
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Top: Bleasdale Vineyards. Bottom left: Hauling vats at Bleasdale. Bottom right: Lloyd Stanley (Sticky) Potts the youngest of eleven and second generation of the Potts family.
Another development that helped future-proof Angove was Tom Angove’s (Richard’s grandfather) invention of the humble wine cask, which he patented in 1965. Ingenuity in a box. By the time the family acquired their McLaren Vale vineyard in 2008, it was well on the way to becoming the leading organic winery it is today, adapting to consumers’ growing desire for ‘clean’ products. Oliver’s and Kay Brothers, similarly, have adapted their wineries with sustainability in mind; using only recycled, rain or bore water and state-of-the-art irrigation systems. Bleasdale, located on a low-rainfall floodplain, was forced to adapt from day one with a system of levees and floodgates to irrigate its vineyards. Other obstacles that have forced the Fleurieu’s oldest dynasties to adapt include two world wars, The Great Depression, crippling droughts, recessions, shaky export markets, online sales and the whims of public taste and drinking habits (including the seismic shift from fortified to table wines after WWII).
One curious challenge faced by the Olivers could’ve crippled the family business had it not been for the efforts of a fiercely-determined woman. ‘Pretty much the second generation of men were alcoholics,’ Brioni chuckles. ‘So Ruth (William Oliver’s daughter-in-law) ran the place. There are diaries up at Kay Brothers saying stuff like; ‘fivetonne of Shiraz and Grenache delivered by Mrs Ruth Oliver’, which would’ve been unheard of then.’ There’s surely a little bit of Ruth in Brioni and Corrina, who’ve built the Oliver’s Taranga label (est. 1990s) and cellar door (2007) from the ground up. Interestingly, Bleasdale was run by a strong family matriarch too. When Frank Potts II died in 1916, his wife Alice ran the property and winery with her ten children for nineteen years. Dynasties also continually grapple with existential questions about whether the next generation even wants to work for the family business. Colin Kay recalls receiving letters from family members >
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Top left: Current Angove family: Sophie, Victoria and Richard. Top right: The McLaren Vale cellar door is a gorgeous building set adjacent to the family’s Warboys Vineyard. Bottom left: Young Victoria and Richard hanging around at the winery. Bottom right: TC Angove, Cornwall 1927.
during his years overseas, asking: ‘Are you coming back?’ and urging him not to forget about home. Richard Angove spent a whopping nine years working at wineries around the world and didn’t plan on returning to the family business until opportunity and the pull of destiny dragged him back. Brioni Oliver struggles to find the words to explain why she and Corrina inevitably returned to the vineyard after similar travels and alternate study paths. ‘I don’t know how to describe it, but you do always have that sense of place in you and that’s what we discovered when we were away travelling,’ she tells me, the bones of her ancestors resting in the family cemetery on a hill outside the window from where we sit. History repeats itself. Corrina’s daughter, Mia, 16, has done a few days’ work at the winery during school holidays, but like her mum and second-cousin at that age, she’s not yet keen on a career in the family business. It’s too early to tell what Brioni’s 18-month-old, Hugo, will do, but given his first word was ‘tractor’, we could have another Don Oliver in our midst yet. Robbie Potts’ nephew, the sixth generation, has started doing a couple of days’ work a week at Bleasdale. 92
Richard and Victoria Angove aren’t putting any pressure on their kids to follow in their family footsteps, while pressure is a somewhat touchy subject at Kay Brothers. Colin’s daughter Elspeth, who currently lives in Canberra with her husband and two sons, is the sole member of the fourth generation. ‘My sister says don’t put so much pressure on them,’ laughs Colin. ‘There’s no pressure… not much!’ Despite the countless changes and the varietals that have come and gone, the fingerprints of past generations can be seen wherever you look. At Angove’s McLaren Vale cellar door, repurposed one-hundredyear-old jarrah timber from the family’s Renmark winery completes the space. At Kay Brothers, staff update the daily family diary, maintained since day one in 1891, and still use the winery’s original fermenters and basket press. Bleasdale produces a small fortified range (including Tawny and Verdelho) matured in its historic cellars as a nod to its winemaking past. Oliver’s ‘Ruthless Ruth’ Muscat is just one of many examples of these dynasties immortalising their storied ancestors on current-day wine labels. I wonder how the families’ future generations will celebrate these tenacious current-day custodians?
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Investigating the creation of a sustainable future Story by Nina Keath. Photography by Robert Geh.
Page left and above: The inspiring building design created by South Coast Constructions, takes many factors into account; passive solar design, indoor and outdoor classrooms – and shelter when needed.
The new Eco-Sustainability Trade Skills Centre, based at the Currency Creek Campus of Goolwa’s Investigator College, had an unlikely genesis. ‘My wife and I needed a new dishwasher and were trying to find one with a four or five star energy rating,’ Principal Don Grimmett recalls. At the time, we were making annual trips to the Philippines working with communities who made their living scavenging from massive rubbish dumps.’ Don recalls that they re-used absolutely everything, causing him to question whether a five star dishwasher was really the best he could do for the environment. As it turns out, there was so much more!
Around the time of Don’s dishwasher epiphany, the school had purchased a ten-hectare waterfront property overlooking the junction of Currency Creek and the Murray River. Don harnessed the opportunities offered by the site to explore sustainability with his students, by first establishing an Eco Centre in 2011, followed by an Eco-Sustainability Trade Skills Centre in 2018. Built by South Coast Constructions, the soaring passive solar laboratories and learning spaces are a far cry from traditional classrooms. The rammed earth buildings are oriented north to capture winter sun for natural heating. Solar panels provide more energy than the site can use, and rainwater is harvested and used throughout. Strategically placed windows capture natural light, cooling breezes and spectacular views. But learning is not limited to the classrooms. >
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Above left and bottom right: The rammed earth buildings are oriented north to capture winter sun for natural heating. Solar panels provide more energy than the site can use, and rainwater is harvested and used throughout. Top right: Students can choose from a suite of vocational education and training offerings, including Certificates in Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management and Agrifoods.
Secondary school students can choose from a suite of vocational education and training offerings including Certificates in Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management, and Agrifoods. Primary students experience hands-on learning through nature-play, citizen science projects and camping. Community groups and students from surrounding schools also make enthusiastic use of the facilities. The Hindmarsh Island Landcare Group Community Nursery and Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association (GWLAP) work closely with students to revegetate the grounds, planting and propagating ten-thousand local species each year. Other active partnerships involve the Botanic Gardens, Natural Resources SA, Murray-Darling Basin, Alexandrina Council, TAFE SA, Flinders University and local businesses. ‘What we do here is limited only by imagination,’ says Don. ‘The community has gathered around and that’s how it blooms. It’s a school initiative but it’s also a community asset and the sky’s the limit.’ Natalie Gilbert, is one of the teachers tasked with testing that limit. On the day I visit she’s dressed in sturdy boots and khaki shorts and is in charge of twenty teenaged students, who are striding purposefully
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around the grounds ensconced in overalls and protective gear. ‘These kids have done their Tafe Certificate III and know what they’re doing,’ Nat explains. ‘The whole space is managed by students and they’re now working out how to integrate their skills to plan and manage the different areas.’ A student pops by to discuss an area management plan she’s devising on her laptop. ‘These kids are doing maths without knowing it,’ Don whispers to me conspiratorially. ‘If you sat them in the classroom and said, we’re going to calculate area today, their eyes would roll back in their heads.’ Nat agrees, ‘I don’t really feel like a teacher here. It’s very much a supervisor role. I’ll warrant the kids don’t really feel like students either.’ We watch as two boys lope down the hill, whipper snippers flung across square shoulders. Heads high. Sunshine on bright faces. In the conservation and land management courses, students learn about soils, agriculture and impacts on the environment. ‘It’s very grassroots,’ Nat tells me. ‘They learn all the native plants and feel really proud being able to say to their parents, ‘Oh look at that Platylobium obtusangulum’ (the Common Flat Pea to the rest of us!).
Above: The ten-hectare waterfront property overlooks the junction of Currency Creek and the Murray River.
They know all the weeds and controls, including cultural and integrated practises that can have the least impact on the environment. I think Don’s achieved his goal of producing lots of students who will have a big impact on sustainability.’ The Endangered Yarra Pygmy Perch Breeding Program is a partnership with Aquasave, the National Resources Management Board and the Currency Creek Endangered Fish Project in which year ten and eleven agriculture students work to increase genetic diversity and boost numbers in the wild. The students gain skills in aquaculture, water-monitoring, biosecurity, ethics and animal husbandry. ‘We do some things that don’t exactly fit with the curriculum, but we do them because they’re important, and we know the kids are getting amazing learning outcomes,’ says Nat. John Freebairn is a primary teacher with a strong interest in the environment, who has developed programs for each of the primary school classes. ‘I can’t speak highly enough about his work,’ Nat says. ‘He collaborates with so many amazing experts to integrate a strong environmental ethos into the curriculum from the very start.’ The week I visit, the year sixes will make seed bombs and learn about
seeds that must go through the digestive system of an emu before they can germinate. Nat takes me on a tour of the facilities during which I’m introduced to a tribe of tadpoles, a holidaying turtle, and an angry axolotl. We visit the herbarium, the straw-bale garden, the hothouse and the shed equipped with industry-standard tools that the kids have been operating all morning. Already they’ve fixed a flat tyre unassisted. Then, as we make our way towards the campground, the belt comes off the mower. Before Nat has a chance to intervene, a boy strides up announcing, ‘Me and the boys’ll fix that! Shall I take it off your hands?’ Nat makes a quick safety-assessment, nods and we keep walking. As the boys get to work, Nat comments that some of the kids are perceived by other teachers as being ‘challenging.’ ‘Sometimes I think we can’t be talking about the same kid, but some kids just aren’t suited to traditional classrooms,’ she explains. ‘This is a challenging course academically, but because it’s so applied they can engage with it. I’ve got kids that will go on and do several degrees and others might go back on the farm or get an apprenticeship. It seems to meet each of their needs.’ > 97
Top: This aerial view shows the buildings in relation to the surrounding environment. Photo by Jason Porter. Above: The children feel empowered and take pride in helping to create the environment in which they both thrive and learn.
‘The whole space is managed by students and they’re now working out how to integrate their skills to plan and manage the different areas.’ We’ve finished the tour and stand by the creek breathing in the scent of fresh cut grass. I tell Nat I’m impressed. She stops and looks at me seriously before turning and crunching through the stubble. After a silence she says, ‘I hope you see the beauty in this. It wasn’t my intention to work in the education system, but after a while I realised I was having a way bigger impact on the environment here than I was working in the environmental field. All my life, that’s all I ever really
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wanted to do. Make a difference. And I don’t know if I ever did. But I feel like I am now. I feel like these kids can’t help but see the benefits of living sustainably. And they’re fanning out and having influences on all these other people too.’ We stand looking up from the creek towards the students busily going about their work. I can hear a mower in the distance. The belt must be fixed.
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Above: Katie Shiner’s realistic illustrations are both beautifully rendered and whimsical.
The paintbrush bearing passenger Story by Kimberley Goodman.
Katie Shriner discovered her talent early in life. The Colorado-born artist was in her first year of school when, surrounded by a crowd of awestruck five-year-olds, she added the final pencil strokes to a picture of a dinosaur. This childhood moment became an indelible memory for ‘Crafty Katie’ as she’s affectionately called.
Katie travelled to Italy and Finland, documenting her travels with sketches, smudges, and delicate strokes. This year she ventured to Canada, Fiji, Hawaii, Europe and the United States, with an open mind and her sketchbook tucked firmly under one arm. Katie’s many hours on long-haul flights have inspired a new creative style to keep her hands and mind occupied. She covers maps with soft splashes of watercolour and doodles of flora and fauna native only to her imagination. ‘That’s how I check out and relax, it’s my form of meditation,’ she says. ‘There’s something kind of hypnotic about drawing continuous patterns.’
Now aged 34, Katie is exploring the genetic history of her creativity, with a series of pieces that are a ‘tip of the hat’ to her grandfather’s artistic ability. The works are strikingly realistic, which is a style taught to her by her grandfather, who was a graphic artist. ‘When he passed away I was gifted his old pencils and sketchbooks,’ Katie tells me. ‘So I took those pencils and created the first of many pencil paintings. I look at old objects and I think about how I can turn them into something new.’ She finds many of her antique treasures in local opshops in Yankalilla and surrounding small towns.
Katie’s biggest flaw is perfectionism and she admits many paintings and portraits have been ruined by not knowing when to stop. ‘I’ve learned that a slightly underdone drawing is way better than one that’s overworked,’ she confides. But Katie also accepts that mistakes are part of the process. She laughs as she tells me of the time her oil painting was burnt to a crisp, after she attempted to dry it in the oven during the colder months. Other mishaps have proven luckier, leading to clever new methods, which reinforce Katie’s intuitive thinking.
Despite her early display of talent, Katie’s career path hasn’t been linear. In her mid-20s she ventured into the world of radio, where she enjoyed creating paintings as gifts for her co-workers more than she actually enjoyed her paid work. Understandably Katie began to have doubts about her chosen career. So, with support from her family and friends, Katie picked up her brushes and went to study art at New York’s Grand Central Academy in 2012. Since then, her creative journey has kept going, and growing.
As we sit on the back porch of her family’s Normanville holiday home, it’s clear that this is a place where Katie finds solitude and inspiration. She credits the soft light and the positive aura for stimulating her artistic drive. Specifically the coastal landscape has inspired Katie’s jewellery line: Little Pieces Of. The collection consists of enchanting glass pendants filled with sand and shells gathered from beaches all over Australia, including Moana and Port Willunga. Follow @katiemaryshriner on Instagram or visit katieshriner.com
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Operation Flinders Story by Esther Thorn.
Above: Out in the field.
‘My totem animal is a leopard,’ Gab Fantner tells me. As I watch him move effortlessly around the kitchen of his home, in the Aldinga Arts Eco Village, I’m not surprised. He gives a deft flip to the homemade crumpets browning on the stovetop, a swift knead of the sourdough rising on the bench and a determined grind of coffee beans. Our conversation moves as fluidly; the gut microbiome, chefs’ knives, the best coffee beans. It’s only when the topic turns to Operation Flinders, the purpose of this interview, that Gab settles beside me at his breakfast bar. This is a subject so close to his heart that it deserves his full, undivided attention. ‘It’s such a part of who I am that when I talk about it, it’s usually so organic’ Gab tells me. ‘I don’t really know how to start.’ So we start at the beginning. Gab was at a crossroads in his life about twelve months ago. Then, after a camping trip to the Gammon Ranges in the State’s far north, a friend mentioned that he should consider working with Operation Flinders. ‘At the time I didn’t really know what it was about, but I love the outdoors and I knew I wanted to work with young people, so I just kind of tucked the idea away in the back of my mind,’ he says. A few weeks later, serendipity intervened. Gab moved to Blackwood for a brief sojourn, and happened to glance at an online community page, where he saw an ad calling for volunteers for the next Operation Flinders exercise. 102
Gab joined and soon found himself on a hundred kilometre, eight-day trek, through one of the harshest landscapes in the country. Under his care and guidance was a group of ten teenagers, who’d been identified as at-risk. ‘I found it very hard not to be moved by these kids,’ Gab says. ‘I just saw so much potential and so much value in them, that they themselves couldn’t recognise.’ Operation Flinders was founded almost thirty years ago by Pamela Murray White, an ex-Army Cadets trainer, who recognised a need for a similar style program to benefit vulnerable school students. That first year Pam took thirty teenagers into the Flinders in three exercises, teaching them survival, leadership and self-sufficiency skills. Today Operation Flinders has grown to be a world-leading wilderness therapy program. Each year over five-hundred South Australian students are taken into the remote northern Flinders Ranges for a lifechanging experience. Victor Harbor’s Encounter Lutheran College recently sent a group of ten students on an Operation Flinders exercise. ‘For some students it was an opportunity for leadership growth, and for others it was to counter a lack of confidence, resilience or to help overcome mental health challenges,’ says the school’s principal Kelvin Grivell. ‘Overwhelmingly it was a transformative experience for all of them. The emotional and mental challenge of being away from home, and being pushed well beyond their comfort zone, was undoubtedly the greatest obstacle.’ Fifteen year-old Tamsin Spooner was one of the lucky participants from the school. She reflects: ‘I was having a hard time and feeling quite overwhelmed, so my teachers asked if I wanted to participate
Top: Gab Fantner with some of his support team. Bottom left and right: The Operation Flinders Program teaches at-risk youth survival, leadership and self-sufficiency.
in an Operation Flinders exercise. I’d never heard of it before but they made it sound really inviting so I said ‘yes’ straightaway. It was daunting getting off the bus when we arrived because the landscape was so barren. We had to hike three kilometres to our first campsite and everything was just dusty and dry. I fell in love with the country though ... and the simple way of life. At night the stars were just so breathtaking. I was shocked by how vibrant they are. When we finished the hike I just felt amazing; refreshed, recharged and in a way detached. It also gave me a new appreciation for my home life. I think it’s such a great opportunity that I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on.’ The trip was largely financed by local business Harcourts South Coast, which spearheaded the fundraising campaign. The company’s Managing Director Sam Forde wanted a way to give back to the community that would make a genuine impact. ‘Every child has the ability to achieve, but it’s the lack of opportunity and encouragement that sometimes stops them from being the best they can be,’ she says. ‘If we can help in some small way to bring out self-belief in a young person who is looking for meaning and a pathway in their life, then this is an incredible reward for our team.’ Gab Fantner has witnessed first-hand the remarkable changes in the students who take part in Operation Flinders. ‘They start to acclimatise to this new environment and they just shine,’ he says. Over the course of the seven days in the bush, he finds that it is not uncommon to see the participants shift from being disengaged youth to young people meeting their potential. ‘We give them some acceptance, some care, some attention,’ he says. ‘And they just flourish.’
Since Gab’s first Operation Flinders experience, he has been involved in another two exercises and has developed a deep understanding and respect for the amount of work that underpins the program. Operation Flinders has just eight full-time staff members but more than four-hundred volunteers. Each organised group of young people that ventures into the bush is the result of a highly planned exercise of logistics. A pre-advanced troop drops off food and firewood at all the campsites and preps for the activities, which include abseiling and meeting the custodians of the land, the Adnyamathanha people. By the time the students arrive, everything is in place so participants can move seamlessly between camps … most of the time. ‘On the second trip I did we had a couple of runners,’ says Gab. ‘They were having a hard time being away from their friends and family but I just sat with them and we talked it through and eventually they were ready to rejoin the group. They went on to have an amazing experience that will alter the course of their lives.’ Gab tells me there’s a saying Operation Flinders staff use when participants are having a personal crisis, which is: ‘Don’t just stand there, do nothing.’ Operation Flinders has also changed Gab’s life. Like his spirit totem the leopard, Gab doesn’t shy away from challenges. The-forty-year old has reinvented his career several times. His first job was as a chef, then he became a carpenter and now Gab has his sights set on becoming a youth worker. ‘I get a deep sense of hope from working with these kids,’ he says. ‘I look at this next generation and I can see so much awe and inspiration in them. I firmly believe that if we look after these kids they will make the world a better place.’ For more information about becoming a volunteer visit operationflinders.org.au 103
Above: Chris Williams of Ambersun Alpacas in Mount Compass. In just five years alpaca meat has emerged as a culinary delicacy on the local food scene.
From fleece to fork Story by Annabel Bowles. Photography by Richard Bennett.
You don’t have to look far to find something unique at the Willunga Farmers Market. From buffalo-milk cheese to rare and delicate fungi in a variety of shapes and sizes, the diversity of local goods is what makes this market unique. Niche producers, who would otherwise struggle to get a foothold, can find a loyal customer base here. Fleurieu Prime Alpaca is one such success story. While many of us would never consider the long-necked, doe-eyed camelid to be a culinary option, alpacas have been the sheep of the Andes for thousands of years. They have a long and noble history in South American culture as a major source of domesticated meat. Comparatively, alpacas were only introduced to Australia three decades ago – mainly bred for their luxurious cashmere-like wool. Chris Williams and Adrienne Clarke of Ambersun Alpacas in Mount Compass have had a successful twenty years running Australia’s third-largest alpaca farm. Throughout this time, they made sustainable use of stock with poorer wool or genetics by eating their meat. As a friend to their daughter and an occasional guest at their dinner table, I’d unknowingly eaten alpaca meat in bolognese and schnitzels quite a few times – and it was always delicious. But it was only five years ago that the Williams family took this by-product on a commercial venture,
to create Fleurieu Prime Alpaca. By coupling the meat industry with the fleece, and value-adding on all fronts, Chris says his ‘genuinely sustainable business is going from strength to strength’. Today Fleurieu Prime’s hormone and preservative-free alpaca meat is sold to a number of wholesale buyers, as well as online and at the Willunga Farmers Market. Chris loves the Willunga Farmers Market as he can expose his product to a diverse range of people. ‘We still find it challenging to get patrons to stop and listen to our story,’ says Chris. ‘But people are generally taken by it, and alpaca meat finds its way onto their dinner plates in no time.’ In just five years, alpaca meat has emerged as a culinary delicacy in the local food scene. It’s been found on the seasonal menus of highend restaurants, including the d’Arenberg Cube, Gather at Coriole and Leonards Mill. It tastes similar to a sweet veal, and heads towards being gamey, but is too mild to get there. With the lowest cholesterol of all meats, and more than twice the iron of lamb and pork, it’s a healthy alternative to more common red meat. Fleurieu Prime’s range of about forty products includes various cuts, flavoured sausages, chorizo, schnitzel and smallgoods. As an exceptionally lean protein, Alpaca meat is best served rare or braised, and its delicate flavour pairs well with stronger flavours. Chris enjoys alpaca meat cooked a multitude of ways, from ‘thinly slicing a piece of backstrap as a sashimi to slow cooking the shanks or neck rosettes.’
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Delicious food, amazing cocktails. Family friendly fare. Enjoy the fiesta! 17 - 21 Ocean Street Victor Harbor call (08) 8552 9883 or www.locomexican.com Open Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm but check extended summer trading hours on Facebook facebook.com/locovictorharbor/
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FOOD & WINE
A taste of summer
Story by Mel Amos of The Fleurieu Kitchen. Photography by Angela Lisman.
To everyone lucky enough to grow up on the Fleurieu Peninsula, summer means gloriously hot days spent at one of the region’s spectacular beaches. After watching the sun sink into the ocean, we drag our tired, salty, hungry bodies home for dinner (because all that swimming and lazing under the beach umbrella tends to make one ravenous). One of my family’s favourite summer meals would have to be sliders (that’s another word for burgers folks, just in miniature). Sliders are made for casual alfresco eating, picnics, dinner at the beach — you get the picture. Conveniently, they are a meal that can be eaten one handed, leaving the other hand free to clutch your wine, and that quite frankly, is my kind of summer meal.
Crunchy Coconut Chicken Sliders with Cucumber Pickle & Lime Mayo (makes 16 mini sliders) Ingredients Crunchy Coconut Chicken 700g chicken tenderloins or chicken breast 1/3 cup coconut cream 2 tbsp lime juice 1/4 tsp salt 120g shredded coconut, toasted 100g panko breadcrumbs 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1/2 cup plain flour 2 eggs beaten olive oil for shallow frying Cucumber Pickle 1 cup white vinegar 2 tbsp white caster sugar 2 tsp salt 2 Lebanese cucumbers 2 baby radishes 2 long red chillies 1/4 red onion 106
Now, speaking of wine, Scarpantoni’s 2017 School Block White is a perfect summer wine full of fresh lime and hints of green apple and passionfruit. Leaving a pleasant, crisp acid finish, it is exceptionally easy drinking and is the ideal partner for food with a bit of a chilli kick. And so I lead into this perfect summer pairing of my Crunchy Coconut Chicken Sliders with Cucumber Pickle & Lime Mayo and Scarpantoni’s 2017 School Block White. The sliders are easy to make and are a massive hit. Everything can be prepared in advance and in fact, you can even assemble the sliders ahead of time and transport them to your picnic destination. I like to make my own brioche slider buns (there are hundreds of recipes online), but if you are not so inclined, you can buy them at most supermarkets these days (you can always substitute with small, soft dinner rolls). Lastly, you can control the level of chilli in these according to your taste. I enjoy a good spicy kick to them, especially because it complements the wine so well.
Lime Mayo 1 cup Kewpie mayonnaise (substitute whole-egg mayonnaise) 1 lime, zest and juice Assembly 16 mini brioche slider buns 2 baby gem lettuces, washed and roughly chopped fresh coriander lime wedges Method Begin by preparing the chicken. Place the coconut cream, lime juice and salt in a bowl and mix to combine. Trim and clean the chicken pieces (if using chicken breast use the flat edge of a meat tenderiser to flatten the chicken into 5mm thick pieces and cut pieces to roughly the size of your slider buns). Place the chicken in the coconut cream mixture and stir to coat evenly. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Pour into a mediumsized bowl and set aside to cool. Thinly slice the cucumber, baby radish and red onion to around 2-3mm thickness (use a mandoline slicer if you have one). Thinly slice the red chilli and, if you prefer less heat, remove the seeds. Once the vinegar mixture has cooled, add the sliced vegetables to the mixture, cover and set aside. For the lime mayo place the kewpie mayonnaise in a small bowl and stir in the lime zest and juice. Set aside.
Once the chicken has marinated for an hour, remove from the coconut cream and pat dry using paper towel. On a large plate mix together the toasted coconut, panko crumbs, salt and cayenne pepper. Place the flour and beaten egg in separate bowls. Take a piece of chicken and dip it in the flour, shake off the excess, now dip it in the egg and then lastly coat with the coconut and breadcrumb mix. Â Repeat with remaining chicken. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over med-high heat. Add the chicken pieces (you will need to do this in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan). Cook the chicken for around 3 minutes on one side and then turn it over and cook for a couple of minutes on
the other side or until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Assembly Slice your slider buns through the middle and spread each half with some lime mayo (a little or a lot depending on your love of kewpie). Place some lettuce on the bottom half of the slider, top with a piece of chicken, some cucumber pickle, fresh coriander leaves and finally the top of the slider bun. Place all the sliders on a large platter with some extra lime wedges for everyone to help themselves. Serve with a glass of chilled Scarpantoni 2017 School Block White and you will most certainly be in a happy place this summer. 107
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Jimmy Smith’s Dairy jimmy smith’s dairy style guide
For a unique and relaxing getaway at Port Elliot: jimmysmithsdairy.com.au Ph: 0409 690 342 Mentone Road East, Port Elliot, SA (via Brickyard Road.) For a logo to be effective, it’s essential that it doesn’t change. It needs to be represented the same way over and over again. If a logo is suddenly represented in a different way (for example, a red logo suddenly becomes blue) the audience becomes confused and the strength of the brand diminishes. Repetition and consistency is the key.
This style guide is a reference for your logo, and will outline how to use elements in different circumstances.
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©JIMMY SMITH’S DAIRY STYLE GUIDE / JUNE 2013
Your Fleurieu Wedding Directory fleurieuweddingssa.com.au fleurieuweddings@gmail.com Local suppliers Giveaways Wedding Inspo rpiece! pect a Maste k Together Ex or 5657 W 16 ill 75 Sk 8) d (0 oric Township. When Love an ist H ga in ld A the In the heart of
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Six local businesses that will ensure your wedding is a
Bespoke masterpiece
Styled photo shoot with Deb Saunders Photography. Dress by She Sews. Hair and makeup: Jessica Mary. Model: Kristen Lester.
GLOW BEAUTÉ ROOM Sacha Wendt is a qualified and highly sought after makeup artist and eyelash technician working from her beautiful salon in McLaren Vale. She offers a mobile makeup service to bridal parties and groups. Sacha specialises in traditional and airbrush makeup, eyelash extensions and spray tanning. She knows the importance of making you the best version of your self on your special day. www.glowbeautyroom.com.au 0406737113 Instagram : glow.beautyroom
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TIPI LANE Based in McLaren Vale, Tipi Lane provide beautiful and bespoke Giant Nordic Tipi Hire and Venue Hire for events in the Fleurieu. Intimate weddings or an extravagant event, they will help create a magical and unforgettable experience for you, with capacity for up to 200 guests. Cherie, the owner, is a local Marriage Celebrant and is passionate about helping you to create your dream day. cherie@tipilane.com.au www.tipilane.com.au 0400 296 170
PINK TULIP Creative, fresh and modern floral arrangements – inspired by nature. The small local team will collaborate closely with brides and grooms, working with interpretation and a creative outlook. They can transform floral dreams into a beautiful, bespoke reality – and love turning every bouquet into an individual work of art. www.pinktulip.com.au 08 8384 8287
VENYU A curated collection of uniquely beautiful wedding venues. As South Australia’s only venue specialists, the VENYU team connect couples with new, unique and private properties through their digital platform and direct support services. A team of event, marketing and venue experts, VENYU support private property owners and businesses with complete end-to-end property management and offer professional services. www.venyu.com.au
DEB SAUNDERS PHOTOGRAPHY Deb Saunders Photography is a small, boutique studio, where a hands-on, can-do approach is embraced for every photographic shoot. From your wedding day or event, family photos or a small product shoot, and anything in between, you can be sure that Deb will handle everything herself, and give personalised care to your precious memories and photographs.
SHE SEWS She Sews specialises in made to measure bridal and evening wear. Megan offers noobligation quotes on creating an individual dress or outfit that fits perfectly and reflects your style. She Sews offers an extensive range of lace, silk, wool and satin fabrics. If you’ve purchased an ‘off the rack’ gown, a made to measure alteration service is also available for bridesmaids, mother of the bride and men’s suits.
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FOOD & WINE
Uncorked Wine reviews by Gill Gordon-Smith CSW FWS
Summer on the Fleurieu is always a heady mix of emotions, with the shedding of layers, more daylight hours and the imminent arrival of vintage craziness. It’s also a time for discovery, with new releases landing on the tasting bench. This edition features a mixed bag of flavours from Rosé to vermouth. The Stoke 2018 Sangiovese Rosé Nick and Rebecca Dugmore are a young couple with a wealth of experience in the industry from Bordeaux to South Australia, and from wine retail to wine making. They have travelled far and worked widely, but their passion for wine finds a beautiful expression on Kangaroo Island with a purpose-made Rosé that sings of summer. This wine is the perfect blush of salmon pink in colour, with lifted florals, strawberry, papaya and mandarin peel aromas, and a lovely pithy texture. It offers a delicious mix of exotic fruits, along with ruby grapefruit, stone fruits, spice, blood orange and a long, dry finish. This is a beautifully balanced wine that would pair perfectly with smoked salmon, Thai spices and balmy summer nights. Chill down, chill out and enjoy the ride! Watch out for The Stoke’s popup cellar door, along with boutique brands Skew, Deliquente and Charlotte Dalton, for five weeks from December 15 at Sneyd Road, Mt. Jagged. Beklyn 2016 Mclaren Vale Shiraz It’s a fact that good wine starts with good fruit. Dedication and attention to detail in the vineyard makes turning that fruit into great wine a much easier proposition. This is the first release from Fleurieu grape-growers Rebekah and Mark Shaw, who have been in the industry for over twenty years. Their vineyard at Currency Creek was planted in 1994. This McLaren Vale Shiraz sources fruit from three vineyards in the region. The Shaw’s have always had a dream to make their own wine, and the next bottling will be from fruit grown on their own vineyard. This wine is a rich mouthful of ripe black cherries, plums, savoury dried herbs with spiced oak aromas and fine, soft tannins. It is a generous, classically styled McLaren Vale Shiraz that showcases the lovely fruit, with oak used as a seasoning, not a flavour. A perfect foil for ribs, spiced lamb dishes, baked eggplant and homemade gourmet burgers. 112
Main & Cherry 2017 McLaren Vale GSM There is a real depth of flavour in this purposeful blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. Each element adds something to the mix to make a complete wine. Grenache leads the way with ripe, sweet red fruits, red liquorice and perfume. Splashes of Shiraz & Mourvèdre bring depth, just ripe plums, black fruits, dark chocolate and spice. The wine has a silky texture and a cherry ripe, decadent, fruitdriven finish. It is a beautifully balanced wine and a style that brings together all the best elements of each variety and rolls them into a complete package. I’ll be eating this with everything from rare beef salads, barbecue, duck to grilled vegetables. A delicious drop. Skew Vermouth 16.3 % ABV Now for something completely different and very delicious. I love aperitifs, and the Italian tradition of taking a little something before the meal to get the stomach juices flowing. Vermouth is an aromatised and fortified wine that has a long history in Italy and has been widely used as an aperitif, cocktail ingredient and even in cooking. It starts from a base of unfermented grape juice with different botanicals, herbs and spices added for flavour, along with a spirit. And it can be dry or sweet. Australian makers have been taking this basic recipe and adding a distinctly Aussie twist for some time. The winemakers at Skew have produced a lovely version using a base of Riesling with Geraldton wax, native violet, lemon myrtle, nettle and more. It has aromas of apricot, honey and almond, with a complex mix of vibrant burnt orange, lime marmalade, herbs and balanced with a classic long, slightly bitter finish. An absolute cracker of a vermouth that is screaming to be made into a Negroni, spritzed with sparkling water or just over ice with orange peel and a twig of rosemary. Grab a glass, mix one up and kick back in the sunshine.
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charlieandjack.com.au · Victor Harbor
PORT BURGER Crafted burgers, local beers and wine. Great vegan, vego and GF options. Walking distance from Port Noarlunga beach.
Boutique Teas · Indoor & Outdoor Plants · Terrarium Bar · Gifts · Flowers Gardening Products · Workshops
OPEN HOURS: Wed & Thurs 4-9, Fri & Sat 11-late, Sun 11-8.
Visit fleurieugifts.com.au for 2018/19 workshop dates and online orders. Open Wednesday to Sunday Shop 1, 18 Gawler Street Port Noarlunga
John Lacey
gallery studio
Fresh cut flowers straight from the farm · local products walks through the flowers · all day seasonal breakfast and freshly brewed coffee · gourmet toasties · desserts (gluten free and dairy free options) · shakes and iced drinks. Open Fri-Sun 8:30-4:30 · 300 Little Rd, Whites Valley.
W: johnlacey.com.au
Open 11am - 5 pm most days 41 Woodcone Rd Mt Compass 0419 823 708
O R I G I N A L A RT · J E W E L L E RY · G L A S S · W O O D · G I F T WA R E
Let’s talk hearing.
Healthy aging is very dependent on good hearing. We risk our social skills if we cannot communicate. A hearing test is simple and informative. Mary Trowbridge Audiologist 187 Main Rd Mclaren Vale M: 0411 779 916 mary@fleurieuhearing.com.au www.fleurieuhearing.com.au
One of the Fleurieu’s finest art galleries. Open Wed to Mon 10am-4:30pm. Closed Tues. 10–12 Hays Street, Goolwa Ph: (08) 8555 0949 Email: admin@artworxgallery.com.au www.artworxgallery.com.au
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Above: The future looks bright for future generations with the work of McLaren Vale Biodiversity Project. Photo courtesy of Emily Shepherd.
Creek crusaders Story by Leonie Hick.
The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo is a fitting totem for the McLaren Vale Biodiversity Project. The birds require large ‘hollow bearing’ eucalypts with an average age of over 200 years and the hollows themselves need to be approximately sixty centimetres deep. MVBDP was conceived as a collaboration between the community group, Friends of Willunga Basin, the Government agency Natural Resource Management, known locally as the NRM, and local industry body Sustainable Australia Winegrowing. As a dual recipient of the McLaren Vale Business environment award, MVBDP works with landowners along private creek lines from ‘The Range to the Reef’. Over a hundred volunteers help with the removal of woody weeds and, in winter, with the back-planting or replacement of indigenous grasses, shrubs and trees. They turn out on regular Sunday mornings rain, hail or shine, to give our local habitat a cleanse and a makeover. The volunteers happily glove up, don their work boots, and arm themselves with drills, loppers, shovels – and a generous serving of environmental conscience. The volunteers’ aim is to improve biodiversity, not only for the beneficial effects it will bring, but also to reduce the risk of fire. As an added bonus, the already abundant beauty of the local landscape will be further enhanced. Technical advice from the NRM office in Willunga ensures proper practise and the careful selection of species for replanting. Thirty growers from MVBDP are also working with Trees for Life to raise stocks of species such as the Drooping She-Oak. This is the food of choice for the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo and their demand is huge as one cockatoo can eat the kernels of seventy cones a day. 114
The group undertakes community training sessions with the City of Onkaparinga and licensed contractors. And, in partnership with the City of Onkaparinga’s ‘Free the Tree’ program, they help to clear feral olives from around old remnant gums that over time end up choking the eucalypts. While the local council manages public land, MVBDP, with twentysix active projects, is able to access private water courses and land tracts that would otherwise be out of reach. Environmental restoration is difficult and, quite often, private landowners put the task in the toohard basket. But, MVBDP, with its army of helpers, provides grape growers and land owners with valuable assistance. MVBDP’s goal is to restore creek networks to pre-European conditions. With this in mind, over ten-thousand natives have been planted and thousands of woody weeds have been removed. The restored creek lines have become an asset rather than a burden, thus increasing property value, aesthetic appeal and environmental sustainability. With the help of a recent community grant, the group aims to plant more than fifteen-thousand native plants. Field Days are held on the first Sunday of every month from 9am – 11am. ‘We always welcome more volunteers,’ says organiser Jock Harvey. ’And we always try to finish with a bite of something and a well-earned glass of very local wine.’ MVBDP is led by locals Dana Miles, Geoff Hayter, Ben Paxton, Robyn Groffen and Jock Harvey. With the help of volunteers the group aims to plant more than ten-thousand native plants next year. ‘Many hands make light work, and a big job is just a lot of little jobs,’ says MVBDP Chair Geoff Hayter. ‘We’re just getting on with it, one Sunday morning at a time.’
Award Winning, 4-Star Motel
Offers single storey modern, spacious accommodation for all types of travellers. Our central location allows you to explore the Fleurieu Peninsula, discover some local favourites or even indulge in our Food and Wine Regions. www.strathmotel.com.au 4 North Parade, Strathalbyn 08 8536 3311
Shop1/165 Main Rd McLaren Vale 08 83237405 ¡ gorgeoussoles.com.au
Graphic design, art direction and creative services for print and web. Preferred supplier to FLM. Telephone: 8132 1223. www.threefiftyseven.com
Need drone images or footage for your Fleurieu based winery / brewery / vineyard / farm or other outdoor operation? Start a conversation now via www.fly-the-fleurieu.com
FLY THE FLEURIEU 115
BOOKS & WORDS
Summer Book Reviews by Mark Laurie of South Seas Books, Port Elliot tendencies of the present day and extends them logically to a point of absurdity. Although absurd, the lack of imagination required to portray and picture the scenarios rendered is a cause for considerable concern. Saunders, a Canadian who has lived in Australia long enough it seems, employs a wry and good-natured tone in this highly entertaining satirical work. A must-read over summer when the hysterical screeching from Canberra briefly subsides to a dull roar.
The True Colour of the Sea by Robert Drewe Published by Hamish Hamilton ISBN 9780143782681 $29.99
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by Ken Saunders Published by Allen & Unwin ISBN 9781760631062 $29.99 A witty and thought-provoking work of fiction by a new writer, projecting Australia ten years into the future. Parking meters have become gaming machines, robotic drones swarm, and Australia Post has long jettisoned letter delivery along with any final, remnant vestiges of social conscience. Automation has claimed functions as diverse as drivers, general practitioners, focus groups and radio shock jocks while the Chinese Communist Party has incorporated, realising that real power lies with the multinational corporations. Set around a snap election, the plot circulates through the experiences of the expected key players – the Liberal government, Labor opposition, ASIO and of course the Chinese (the Greens having been placed into receivership by a conservative masterstroke) – as well as a new and unexpected force, which seeks to profoundly change the national dynamic. Subversive, illuminating and amusing, this book takes the bizarre and dysfunctional 116
Robert Drewe’s considerable success as a writer in Australia emanates largely from his portraits of our lives as coast-dwellers, perched on the edge of this large continent, seeking antidotes to its dryness. Drewe himself is a long-time resident of Perth, with interludes in Sydney and Byron Bay. Appropriately, he is rendered submerged to his neck in a sea of paint at our
National Portrait Gallery. The short stories in this latest collection are all set at the water’s edge, an uncontrolled and elemental zone, which provides space for social and psychological encounters. Characters are revealed, and transformations wrought before the ocean, which acts as setting, metaphor and muse. The human contacts described in these stories, with themselves and with others, with the past and with the present, negotiate towards the outer limits of their characters’ comprehension of themselves. The writer continues to ask questions of his readers about identity, family, art and humanity, which he began in The Bodysurfers over forty years ago. Sensual and scared, compassionate and cruel, brave and bewildered, the true colours of this cast shimmer tantalisingly before us in eleven playful and piquant snapshots of their lives.
The Girl on the Page by John Purcell Published by Fourth Estate, an imprint of Harper Collins ISBN 97814607556973 $32.95 John Purcell’s long and varied working life in the book industry has obviously been enjoyable if this new novel is any guide. His past as a bookseller, publisher and writer of erotic fiction has been channelled into this enjoyable novel, which explores the industry’s struggle to pursue what are often divergent paths; the quest for both critical acclaim and commercial success. The title, clearly referencing those runaway bestsellers of recent years Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, provides some signposting. At one level, the book is an unashamed page-turner, fast paced and laced with athletic sex, glamour and selfdestructive behaviour. Central character, Amy Winston, with all her physical and moral flexibility, is something of a fantasy figure and plays hard to her audience. However, it is elevated from one-dimensionality by the homage it pays to the great writers, through direct references and through two central literary characters, Helen Owen and Malcolm Taylor. Like great books, they offer Amy
personalities and behaviours. The charm of the story lies in the anecdotes provided within it, which convey the individual characters of the goslings and the group dynamic in these rather unique circumstances. Its lesson is to demonstrate the extent to which our modern urban lives tend to stray and become insulated from the natural world. The small joy at its heart is the ability to rediscover that world through intimacy with animals, that we are able to reawaken curiosity, observe beauty and find meaning outside of our human cocoon.
Travelling in a Strange Land by David Park Published by Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN 9781408892794 $29.99
redemption and profoundly alter her life. While essentially written to entertain, The Girl on the Page is given resonance by the wry self-parody that permeates it. The book is also given depth by literary reference points and insights, motioning us towards what great writing can be and can do.
Papa Goose by Michael Quetting Published by Black Inc. ISBN 9781760640750 $29.99 An unusual animal story, lovingly told by its scientist author of his time, with a gaggle of goslings hatched into his care. Raising them for flight-based meteorological research (there is certainly no vivisection involved here), Quetting chronicles a year foraging in a German forest, taking cold lake swims, and flying his ultralight plane, while accompanied by all seven goslings. Naturally, he grows fond of his charges and, while providing a range of quirky factual details, he abandons the tone ordinarily adopted by dispassionate science. Without anthropomorphizing the goslings, the author’s close, clear observation and conversational style allows us to enjoy their
This slow-burning story from contemporary Irish writer, David Park, describes a journey through Britain’s north on a snow-swept winter’s day shortly before Christmas. Tom, an everyman photographer, is driving to collect his son, who has fallen ill and is unable to fly home. Written largely as a monologue, punctuated by brief interactive moments, the journey is at once physical
and emotional as Tom negotiates icy roads, along with the troubled depths of his gradually-revealed past, family and self. Extraordinarily tightly written, the narrative and language leap effortlessly between the past and present, between the metaphoric and grittily prosaic, as Tom navigates a course of reclamation, remorse and redemption. The author reflects that photography incorporates ‘all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, music that you’ve heard, people you have loved’ to produce a photograph which, rather than capturing a moment, is able to set it free from time. He could equally be speaking of this book and the process of reading it. We are all travelling in a strange land, inescapably defined by the pasts we have made and were made for us, following a path into an unknowable future. This small story isolates that experience and unites us in it.
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Above: Loving all the awesome ideas on the Fleurieu are (clockwise from top): Trustees: Marcus Syvertsen, Mark Potter, Ron Logan, Rob Negerman and Ynys Onsman, Deputy dean Nina Keath, trustee Kristin McLarty, Dean of Awesome Lif Sunset and trustee Sarah Mitford-Burgess.
Awesome Foundation Fleurieu is live APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF FUNDING, WHICH WILL BE GRANTED ON 10TH FEBRUARY, 2019
Originally created in Boston a decade ago, the Awesome Foundation is an evergrowing global community devoted to forwarding the interest of ‘awesome’ in the universe. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants given out monthly. These micro-grants of $1000 (or the local equivalent) come out of the pockets of the chapter’s ‘trustees’ and are given on a no-strings-attached basis to people and groups working on awesome projects. What does it take to be awesome? Every chapter interprets ‘awesome’ for itself. Awesome projects include initiatives in a wide range of areas including arts, technology, community development, and more. Many awesome projects are novel or experimental and evoke surprise and delight. Awesome sometimes challenges and often inspires. Head to awesomefoundation.org and browse some grants on the chapter pages of this site to gain a greater understanding. Anyone is eligible for a grant; individuals, groups, and organisations alike. If you can fill out the application form you can apply.
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The Fleurieu Peninsula now has its own chapter, how awesome is that! Awesome Foundation Fleurieu (AFF) has recently been launched, with its first round of monthly funding to be awarded on 10th February 2019. It’s made up of a diverse group of passionate Fleurieu Peninsula residents working together to fund awesome projects, groups and ideas for the Fleurieu. They strive to support those who have great ideas, are energetic and are keen to make their idea a reality. They encourage diversity in the projects they fund and think that any idea or initiative that will impact the Fleurieu (and beyond) in a positive way is awesome. Arts and environment projects are awesome. Social justice projects are awesome. Flamethrower projects are awesome! Projects that can’t yet even be imagined are awesome. Got an idea? Awesome Foundation Fleurieu wants to hear about it. If they like it they’ll fund it! And if you know someone with awesome ideas that needs support, send them to the webpage: fleurieu.awesomefoundation.org to apply. Follow @awesomefoundationfleurieu on Instagram for more details. AFF is proudly supported by ten Awesome Trustees, the Fleurieu Future Leaders Program, Ideas on the Fleurieu, McLaren Vale Meeting Place and Bendigo Bank.
Taken an amazing photo on the Fleurieu lately? Send us an email or upload it to our Facebook page and you could see your handiwork in print. Each issue we’ll choose an image to publish right here in the pages of FLM: facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine. This photo of the stairs at Sellicks Beach was submitted by Tegan Monaghan.
PENINSULA PEOPLE
Ask a local
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01. Dave Bennett, Director and Senior Architect with Bennett Design
Where do you go? To eat? To coffee? To drink? I ride my bike from my home at McLaren Vale to work, and so local cafes are good. Check out Kicco, Mullygrub, Oxenberry or Blessed Cheese. Where do you shop? I’m not a huge shopper, but when I do I generally start in the Vale and then reluctantly travel outwards. What was the best thing about 2018? Our company finished a large Catholic School in Zuccoli, Darwin, which at $25m shows what regional companies can deliver when given the chance. What is your favourite place to go with friends on a weekend evening? Salopian Inn is a fave. The food quality and wine is hard to beat.
02. Elle Brown, Owner Gorgeous Soles & Brown Bulk-Haul McLaren Vale
Where do you go? To coffee? I like to share the love – Healthy Life McLaren Vale or Blessed Cheese on a weekday morning and Dal Mare Coffee Roastery on the weekend. To drink? Seriously this page is not big enough, we are so spoiled for choice here, but if I had to choose Wirra Wirra is top of the list, also Beach Road Wines and Goodieson Brewery. Where do you shop? Umm Gorgeous Soles! What was the best thing about 2018? Looking after all our wonderful customers and becoming a Nanna! What are you looking forward to in 2019? Our eldest son’s and future daughter-in-law’s wedding ... and buying lots of shoes!
03. Adam Bowden, Elders Insurance Southern Fleurieu
Where do you go? To eat? To coffee? To drink? Qahwa Coffee has a fun team and it’s a great place to take my kids, grab a coffee and eat tasty food. Where do you shop? Cellar doors! What was the best thing about 2018? We had two milestone birthdays, two milestone anniversaries and had our first holiday overseas as a family. It was a big year. What is your go to place for relaxing on a lazy weekend morning? Walking on the beach with my wife and kids does it for me every time.
04. Peter Hooper, Director and Sales Consultant, South Coast Realty
Where do you go? I like to share it around our area a little if possible. To coffee? Qahwa at Victor Harbor, Pipi at Middleton, Mother Duck at Goolwa and on our balcony with my wife, Angie, as the barista! Where do you shop? Ummm … Angie is the best shopper in our household. Her favourite places for clothes are Folly’s On Ocean in Port Elliot and Coorong Clothing, which is right next to our Goolwa Office (a bit of a trap). She also likes Charlie & Jack for fabulous indoor plants. What was the best thing about 2018? Becoming a grandparent for the very first time to little Rafael. What are you looking forward to in 2019? Taking a holiday and having another year of growth for South Coast Realty. What is your favourite place to go with friends on a weekend evening? Beach House Cafe overlooking the ocean at Encounter Bay is a great place for live music, curries and pizzas. Yum!
05. Wendy James, Kaleidoscopic Travel – Victor Harbor
Where do you go? To eat? To coffee? To drink? Yilki Store because nothing beats Ashley’s bacon and egg roll after a ride on the motorbike. Then on to Whalers for a nice Pinot Noir. What was the best thing about 2018? Growing and improving my business by getting out and about, meeting new people and creating friendships through the local Women in Business get-togethers. What are you looking forward to in 2019? A nice relaxing break in Bali with my husband, then planning our 25th Wedding Anniversary in New Zealand. What is your go to place for relaxing on a lazy weekend morning? We love to ride our motorbike over to the Sails at Clayton Bay for a fish ‘n’ chip lunch, followed by visiting a couple of wineries around Langhorne Creek. 120
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06. Erin Kelly, S.C. Pannell, Cellar Door Manager
Where do you go? To eat? To coffee? To drink? The Green Room in Willunga does a mean veggie burger and the Aldinga Bay Café for cheap, tasty Indian. The Victory Hotel is my local, with Doug Govan’s famous cellar, Coopers on tap and the best view on the Fleurieu. Where do you shop? Romeo’s Foodland for sushi and cheese, the Willunga Farmers Market for fresh produce and McLaren Vale Hotel bottle shop for my local drops. What was the best thing about 2018? The release of 2017 McLaren Vale Grenache! Enough said! What are you looking forward to in 2019? Our younger vines coming to fruition and the rise and rise of alternate varietals in our region. Exciting times in the Vale! What is your favourite place to go with friends on a weekend evening? We recently had a night out at the Salopian Inn for dinner. Great food and wine. Perfect for small or medium groups, and especially if you have a love for gin!
07. Maddison Noble, Assistant Brewer at Smiling Samoyed Brewery
Where do you go? To eat? To coffee? To drink? I frequent Myponga General Store for great coffee and meals, as well as Breeze Cafe, the Willunga General Store and the Golden Fleece. What was the best thing about 2018? The new full-time position – I was appointed to assistant brewer. What are you looking forward to in 2019? Advancing to a qualified brewer position. What is your go to place for relaxing on a lazy weekend morning? I often join friends on beachside walks at Port Willunga and also the Willunga Farmers Market.
08. Deidre Nieuwenhuis, Marketing & Interior Design Manager, Coastal Habitat Furniture Victor Harbor
Where do you go? To eat? Hotel Elliot and Thunderbird at Port Elliot. To coffee? Retro Cafe at Port Elliot. To drink? Beach House Cafe at Encounter Bay or the Grosvenor Hotel. Where do you shop? For homewares and gifts – Coastal Habitat Furniture. What was the best thing about 2018? Seeing many repeat customers!
09. Michael Schirmer, Managing Director & Designer at Goolwa Kitchens & Wardrobes
Where do you go? To eat? We are truly spoiled for fine food at Goolwa, but my pick is Hectors On The Wharf at Goolwa. To coffee? Mother Duck at Goolwa. Where do you shop? Goolwa Foodland because it’s a family-run supermarket that supports local sporting groups. What was the best thing about 2018? Designing and manufacturing beautiful, award-winning kitchens. What are you looking forward to in 2019? Sailing the Greek Islands. What is you favourite place to go with friends on a weekend night? The Australasian at Goolwa.
10. Maurice Lorenz, Goldsmith and Diamond Setter at Metal & Stone Jewellers in Strathalbyn
Where do you go? To eat? To coffee? To drink? My wife and I enjoy the atmosphere at The Victoria Hotel and also the convenience because it’s right next door to our shop! For coffee and a bite to eat it’s Appleseed Cafe at Strathalbyn. What was the best thing about 2018? Being a new business to Strathalbyn, we have really enjoyed getting to know so many wonderful people in this diverse local community!What are you looking forward to in 2019? We are looking forward to continuing to grow as a business, by creating unique pieces of jewellery that tell a special story. What is you favourite place to go with friends on a weekend evening? When we get the opportunity we love a get together with friends at The Olfactory Inn!
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Fleurieu weddings
Joel and Jessica Dry married on 24th February 2018 at Woodburn Estate, Langhorne Creek. Photography by Sam McDonald.
A transfer from regional Queensland to a Brisbane newsroom in 2012 brought Jess many new opportunities, including a new city, new job and new friends. She never expected it would also lead to a new relationship ... and eventually a husband. Jess and Joel met as journalists at Channel Nine and for many months enjoyed a relationship carried out in secret. Over time the romance was exposed; they’d moved in together and by Christmas 2016 were holidaying on annual trips back to Joel’s hometown of Adelaide. A Boxing Day drive to a Kuitpo winery took Jess by surprise. It was one of the places they visited during Jess’s first visit to Adelaide. Busy taking a photo, Jess hadn’t noticed 122
Joel get down on one knee and produce an engagement ring. Joel confessed he’d known the first time they’d been to the winery that he would one day ask Jess to marry him. Over the next fourteen months Jess led the charge in organising their dream wedding. Settling on regional South Australia as the setting, the couple visited dozens of venues before taking a chance on historic Woodburn Estate in Langhorne Creek. At the time the property, which dates back to 1864, was in the midst of a refurbishment. After meeting new owner Cindy Westphalen, they were able to look past the construction and fledgling landscaping to picture their perfect day. Cindy and her family lived up to their promise to revitalise the sandstone farmhouse and surrounding grounds by February this year. Jess and Joel became one of the first couples to be married at the property.
The ceremony was held in the unique open air chapel, once run down, but now complete with a custom arbour, rustic seating and a seagrass runner, lined with Baby’s-breath flowers, as an aisle. Joel’s best man Tom sang the bride down the aisle with an acoustic version of Ed Sheeran. The nuptials were short, emotional and featured an unplanned appearance by their dog Obi, who had escaped the farmhouse, where the bridal party got ready. Drinks and canapes around in the beautiful lawn gardens were accompanied by live music from an ensemble of Joel’s family and friends, organised in secret by his brother-in-law Brian. Jess’s wedding dream was realised when the forecast wet-weather held off and as the sun set the 120 guests sat down for dinner at long wooden tables on Woodburn’s main lawn. In the centre of the lawn was a focal floral maypole, produced by Tonic Event Design and Ivy &
Lace flowers. It was a stunning centrepiece, featuring greenery and festoon lighting that cascaded over those seated below. The wedding cake was made by the couple’s great friend and groomsman Michael Weldon. Speeches by fathers of the bride and groom, matron of honour and best man were a prelude to the event Jess and Joel were most looking forward to; their first dance to Chris Stapleton’s ‘Tennessee Whiskey’. Afterwards, almost every guest was out of their chairs and dancing to local band Proton-Pill. As the buses departed the property to take guests back to Adelaide, the newlyweds and their bridal party devoured the leftover food and danced on the lawn, as the anticipated rain made a welcome late arrival. The couple now believes in the age old adage; ‘it’s good luck if it rains on your wedding day.’ 123
SOCIAL PAGES
Being Social: Field Good Festival An abundance of all things good gathered at Almas Hem at Inman Valley on October 27 and 28. This inaugural homegrown music, arts and camping festival featured a selection of South Australian acts, including the Fleurieu’s own Zen Panda.
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Being Social: Faces and Food of the Fleurieu Launch On October 19 Rojina McDonald launched her first publication Faces and Food of the Fleurieu. The Fleurieu ArtHouse welcomed guests and hosted a smoking ceremony by Ngarrindjeri Elder Major Moogy Sumner and food by Adelaide Masterchef contestant Jessie Spiby.
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01: Jack Stokes and a member from ‘The Ethanol Blend’ 02: Gracie McDonald 03: Rosie Beach and Sarah Bradford 04: Henry ‘Jock’ Walker, Hari Koutlakis and Dave Court 05: Andre Pearson and Kelsee Pedler 06: Kate Turner, Ash and Liv Speck 07: Johanna Wheeler and Sena Chandran 08: Ngarrindjeri Elder Major Moogy Sumner 09: Josie Withers 10: Rojina McDonald, Orion Park, Dallas McDonald and Priyan McDonald 11: Steven Reeves and Rich Maxwell 12: Mandy Davies and Janice Matthews.
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SOCIAL PAGES
Being Social: Handpicked Festival Festival goers flocked to Lake Breeze Winery on Saturday, November 10 to enjoy live music amongst the vines and gum trees. The perfect weather inspired florals prints, fedoras and picnic rugs and the sunset created an ambient evening of music and wine.
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Being Social: Ideas on the Wharf The Wharf Barrel Shed hosted the Ideas on the Fleurieu on August 26. With a merry combination of wine, cheese, live music and a talented panel of speakers, this event celebrated the thinkers, makers, creators and dreamers of the Fleurieu.
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01: Maddy Adamson and Joel Van Der Stelt 02: Adam Cocks, Rafa Cocks, Brae Adams and Jess Lovering 03: Chloe Cocks, Jessika Marston, Kate Seeley and Emily Sandow 04: Sean Lang and Tanya Galewski 05: Robyn and Greg Follett 06: James Veritay, Chris Philbrook, Kelly Newstead, Brent Hill and Marianthi Livaditis 07: Alan Noble and Ben Pridham 08: Claire Byrt and Bronson Lavers 09: Sarah Flew, Becky Hirst and Petra de Mooy 10: Jan Logan and Janice Manning 11: Petra de Mooy and Nina Keath 12: Vicki Matchett and Fiona Watson.
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SOCIAL PAGES
Being Social: Fleurieu Future Leaders On October 6 the 2019 Fleurieu Future Leaders completed the last module of their program at Normanville Surf Lifesaving Club. The beautiful calming waters by the seaside made for a lovely location to mark the end of five months of learning.
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01: Nicky Connolly and Eileen Lubiana 02: Rachelle Corello and Juan Smith 03: Steven Reeves and Dana Miles 04: Sarah MitfordBurgess and Luke Schenscher 05: Jenni Mitton and Claire Neylon 06: Tristan Bryant and Charles Manning 07: Petra de Mooy and Wayne Flew 08: Joshua David and Ynys Onsman 09: Mark Koen and Lif Sunset 10: Marcus Syvertsen and Megan Harrison.
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SOCIAL PAGES
Being Social: Green Bay Exhibition The Strand Gallery proudly presented new work by artist Christobel Kelly in the opening of her exhibition ‘Green Bay’. The event launched a series of oil-on-canvas paintings that capture the beauty and mystery of Port Elliot’s Green Bay.
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Being Social: Fleurieu Film Festival Launch A VIP event was held at Port Willunga’s Star of Greece Restaurant on September 27 to announce the theme of the 2019 Fleurieu Film Festival: ‘Climate Change: Hot Topic/Kool Films’. Guest speakers included the Festival’s internationally acclaimed patrons: actor Erik Thomson and sound engineer Jon Lemon.
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01: Andrew and Kelly Jamieson 02: Dot and Christobel Kelly with Sonya Hender 03: Doug Gibson with Yohannah Westbrook with Claire 04: John and Sharon Majeric 05: Margaret Worth and Jo Eastaff 06: Michael and Barbara Woodhouse 07: Georgina Downer, Erik Thomson and Alison Alcock 08: Amelia Veale, Chris Warman and Ed Mount 09: Tom Grant and Fiona Lindquist 10: Penny Debelle and Jon Lemon 11: Karen Bubna-Litic, Holly Wyatt and Nina Keath 12: Jordan & Jan Steigrad.
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Hit the road this summer A N D E X P LO R E K A N G A RO O I S LA N D
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Photo by Isaac Forman
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The Glasshouse Luxury Holiday Rental at Middleton Point
Specialist real estate with the BIG advantage Independent – Premium Service & Local Knowledge – Community Support & Charity – Strong Fleurieu Portfolio Sales, holiday rentals & permanent property management
Call 13 13 01 or visit sealink.com.au *Conditions apply. Package price includes 1 night accommodation, twin share in a private room (share bathroom facilities) and continental breakfast with return SeaLink ferry fares for you and your car (up to 5 metres in length). See website for more details. Valid to 31 March 2019.
www.screalty.com.au | Victor Harbor 8552 3744 | Goolwa 8555 2533 | Normanville 8558 2900 | Mt Compass 8556 8318
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An attitude of gratitude: a Middleton home with heart Fleurieu fresh: new locales of the Fleurieu Wine dynasties Create your escape: Fleurieu Coast Lands End: Cape Jervis home Fashion: It’s a good day to have a good day! d’Arenberg deconstructed Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations
