Fresh destinations

Words by Poppy Fitzpatrick.

Here’s to Strength

Aldinga

When faced with adversity in her health and quality of life, Elise Riannen found herself with a choice: sink or swim. With incredible determination, she chose the latter, and has now dedicated her life to helping others heal and find ways to effectively take care of themselves. Here’s to Strength is designed to hold space for individuals who need help with their overall wellbeing, but don’t know where to start. Knowing that self-care is unique to each individual, and that taking the first step can be daunting, Elise wanted to create a hub that offers an accessible range of holistic options. Here’s to Strength includes a café, garden centre, florist, retail store, animal therapy zone (with chickens, bunnies and ducks to snuggle), and over 40 wellness practitioners ranging from beauty, massage and allied health, to counsellors and psychics. Elise has created a one-stop-shop community safe zone that aims to create a supportive and validating environment that makes seeking help feel less scary, for both mental or physical health.

Kookery

Old Noarlunga and Willunga

Kookery in Willunga quickly became an iconic fixture among the High Street shop fronts as a place to bring community in, as well as find a unique gift. When a space became available in Old Noarlunga, with multiple rooms, a big garden and a little more space to grow, owner Amy decided to jump in with both feet. The second store will include all of the high-quality, fun kitchenware Willunga locals have grown to love, as well as expanding to cater for food hobbyists. Kookery Old Noarlunga will have fermenting, bread making and cake decorating offerings and will also offer small events, cooking demonstrations and a cookbook club. Be sure to pop in – whichever store is closest to you – and explore a pleasing combination of Amy’s in-house designs alongside a rotating selection of other high quality wares.

Main & Cherry Chandlers Hill

Developed as a small boutique wine label in 2010, Main & Cherry has found its home in a brand new Chandlers Hill cellar door. The brand has settled in a stunning, architecturally designed building with sweeping views over the vines, gumtrees and Gulf St Vincent. Main & Cherry showcase a wide range of freshly framed Mediterranean wine varieties, as well focusing on the local McLaren Vale heroes of grenache, shiraz and cabernet – each lovingly plunged by hand. Customers are welcome to enjoy wines by the glass or take part in a casual but educational wine flight. Local beers and light food offerings are also available to enjoy on the large undercover deck or spacious lawns, while soaking up the views.

Nino’s Victor Harbor

After the best part of 45 years in Victor Harbor, iconic eatery Nino’s has had an impressive makeover. The venue’s cosy, family-friendly space has been expanded to accommodate 150 guests and refitted with a modern kitchen, bar and shiny new toilets, all complemented by stylish décor. The 1903 building facade has been lovingly restored, while the interior combines a beautiful mix of timber alongside olive green and brown furnishings. It’s the same old Nino’s we know and love – comfortable atmosphere with high-quality food and great service – just with a shiny new look. >

Noori

Port Noarlunga

Young southsider Jacob Barter has recently opened Port Noarlunga’s newest haunt, Noori. The concept behind Noori initially came to Jacob on the plane back to Australia after a two-year stint bartending in England. Jacob imagined a bar specialising in Japanese whiskey, named ‘Nori’ – the Japanese word for seaweed. After some time back in the industry on home soil, Jacob’s passion for wine grew and his vision expanded. He kept his eyes peeled for a venue, eventually setting his sights on a space in the heart of his hometown of Port Noarlunga. As an ode to the 1976 film Storm Boy, he thought an apt name for his venture would be ‘Mr Percival’, after the famed pelican sidekick. Alas, the name was trademarked which led Jacob to the Ngarrindjeri word for pelican, ‘no:ri’. It seemed fitting to bring the two words together to make ‘Noori’, with Port Noarlunga being one of the main resting points for pelicans travelling the coast down to the Coorong. Offering wine, spirits, coffee and small plates, this new hideout is taking the sleepy seaside town to a whole new level.

Ukiyo House

Port Willunga

The modern use of the Japanese word ukiyo describes the state of living in the moment, enjoying the ‘floating world’, detached from the bothers of life. Nestled on quiet Martin Street in Port Willunga, this carefully designed getaway allows its guests to do exactly that. Every corner of Ukiyo House has been thoughtfully considered, from the ‘butter soft’ mattress, to the dehydrated fruit at the personal gin bar picked from the owners’ trees. The minimalist layout is fitted out with a seamless fusion of Japanese ceramics, Italian kitchenware, vintage Danish furnishings, Indian antiques and Australian artworks. Such luxurious curation, however, hasn’t been at the expense of the earth. Built using sustainable timbers and rammed earth, the house also features a smart toilet, Tesla battery and an Ocular car charging station. Only a short walk from one of the Fleurieu’s most spectacular beaches, there isn’t a better place to completely detach.

Prohibition at Penny’s Hill McLaren Vale

Prohibition Liquor Co has called Adelaide city its home since 2017, showcasing their award-winning gins at their Gilbert Street distillery and tasting room. When the opportunity came to have a regional presence in McLaren Vale alongside Penny’s Hill Estate, the team felt it was a perfect fit. Prohibition at Penny’s Hill is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 6pm, offering their quality gins, gin flights and cocktails, alongside a selection of Penny’s Hill wines and Mad Men and Vimy Gin. A new bar fit-out and enclosed pergola is planned for 2023, where guests can also enjoy platters featuring Prohibition-infused cheese produced by Woodside Cheese Wrights, complemented by a refreshing ‘Prohibition’ drink. This new venture aims to create a wine and tourism village within Penny’s Hill Estate where families and friends can relax with a gin and tonic, wine, whisky, beer, cider, or coffee among the 200-year-old red gums.

Morocco by Mish Aldinga

Driven by their love of Morocco, mother and daughter team Mish and Bahija created Morocco by Mish. After some time charming locals on Willunga High Street, the pair have recently moved to open their Moroccan concept store in a bigger location at Aldinga’s Temperance precinct. Mish lived for twenty years in Morocco, enchanted by the ‘shweea shweea’ lifestyle – Arabic for ‘slowly slowly’ – that encourages people to stop and enjoy community, connection and the small joys of life. Morocco by Mish offers this experience, alongside conscious, thoughtful and handmade products that enrich and empower the artisans. Mish sources each gift on her own travels through village markets in isolated areas, throughout the Sahara and Atlas Mountains. Whether it’s Fatiha and her mum who crochet earrings in a small village outside Marrakesh, or Najib who makes bags deep in the souk, you’re sure to find something special in this little piece of Morocco on the Fleurieu. >

Bodega McLaren Vale

Bodega Wine Bar is a European-style wine and cocktail bar, and bottle shop in the heart of McLaren Vale. The idea for Bodega came about when a group of like-minded people came together with the idea to create a cosy, approachable space with a relaxed vibe and a touch of vintage charm. Bodega offer an impressive selection of wines sourced both locally and internationally, with a particular emphasis on varietals. Guests are invited to enjoy a wine in-house, or make a selection at the bottle shop to take away. Also on offer is an extensive list of cocktails and spirits, to be enjoyed alongside nibbles from their Australian Bites menu. Open Wednesday – Friday 4pm ‘til late, Saturday and Sunday noon ‘til late.

Salt at the Elliot Port Elliot

The iconic Hotel Elliot have recently expanded their venue to include a brand new space – Salt at the Elliot. The front of the building, featuring a wine bar with small, intimate tables and spaces to share wine, cocktails and tapas with friends, leads on to a large purposebuilt events space. The clean and modern coastal design creates the perfect setting for weddings, milestone birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, seminars and more. Salt at the Elliot aims to draw more attention to the premium locale that is the Fleurieu, while showcasing the region’s spectacular food, wine and produce. Throughout the year, the space will also host a variety of special events and performances for audiences to enjoy, breathing more life into the south coast, while also offering new hospitality training and work opportunities in the future to young locals who call the area home.