T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D
FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE
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Key Personnel
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Contributors
Petra de Mooy Petra is a publisher, an interior designer, a furniture maker and a devotee of good food, good design and good stories. She is also mum to Lucy!
Heather Millar Heather arrived on the Fleurieu Peninsula eight years ago, by way of London, Melbourne and Hobart. She runs a freelance editorial consultancy from Willunga, and enjoys the spoils of life amongst the sea and vines. www.zestcommunications.com.au
Jason Porter Jason has worked as a graphic designer and creative director both locally and overseas for more than twenty five years. What he lives for most these days however, is having the house to himself so he can tinker with his hi-fi system.
Anne Drury-Godden Anne is a director of specialist anxiety assistance agency, People Magic. Her blog www.anxiousshmanxious.com offers new perspectives on this issue.
Leonie Porter-Nocella Leonie is a survivor of decades of academic editing and ghost writing. She quite fancies herself as a food, coffee and wine connoisseur and an animal rights advocate. Editing FLM brings a little light into her life after all those mind-numbing PhDs.
James Potter Allegedly conceived in a hot-house, James believes all gardens are improved by a drink and a gentle dig. He works, sometimes, as a garden designer.
Brenda Pearson Brenda settled in the Fleurieu Peninsula from Canada with her family four years ago. She thinks it rocks!
Adam Jacobs In 1994 Adam came to McLaren Vale as a viticulturist. It wasn’t long before he experienced the wonders of its wine region. He now owns and operates Doc Adams Wines in Willunga, which has wine markets all around Australia and overseas.
Alexandra Paxinos Alexandra is a twenty-one year old marketing graduate and occasional blogger. Her position at Fleurieu Living exposes her to all the things she loves: food, fashion and social events.
Pip Forrester Pip Forrester is a McLaren Vale-based foodie who has a long and strong commitment to regional food, the importance of using local produce; and the role food partnered with wine plays in both the local community and in the tourism experiences the area offers.
Robert Geh Robert Geh can’t remember who to blame for his descent into photography, but he has been a purveyor of fine commercial photography servicing many clients over the last two decades.
Alice Bell Alice is an award-winning, modern and innovative photographer based out of her eclectic studio space in the heart of Port Elliot. Her photographic style reflects her own zest for life while incorporating her artistic flair.
Grant Beed Grant has recently moved to Port Willunga with wife Lisa and their four boys. After working in the film and television industry in Sydney for over ten years, they have now opted for a wholesome beach side existence on the Fleurieu.
Paolo Nocella Born in Monteverde Vecchio in the old part of Rome, immersed in history at every turn. has left Paolo with an abiding passion for history in any form along with an undying delight in Latin.
Publisher Information Merenia Vince Merenia is a New Zealander who has wandered far afield to Sydney, London and now Adelaide where she is raising her small children. She loves writing, cooking and her husband. In her spare time she is also an occupational therapist.
PUBLISHER Fleurieu Living Magazine is published four times a year by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd. ISSN 2200-4033
Zannie Flanagan Zannie has been helping to drive South Australian food culture for over 30 years, particularly the food culture of the Fleurieu. She contributes to a number of publications and presents regular seminars & workshops on the development of the regional food culture.
EDITOR Leonie Porter-Nocella
Heidi Linehan Heidi owns ‘heidi who? photos’ and specialises in location photography. Photographing everything from compost bins to glamorous five star resorts. She is based on the Fleurieu, South Australia, but works across the globe. She is also mum to Belle and Ashton. Mike Lucas The right side of Mike’s brain has enabled him to be a children’s author and owner of Shakespeare’s Bookshop in Port Noarlunga. His left side has qualified him as an engineer. He is cognitively ambidextrous. Stephanie Johnston Stephanie Johnston is a former book publisher turned town and country planner. She is interested in how good planning and design can harness and enhance the ‘core drivers’ of a community – culture and commerce. Louise Pascale Louise is a journalist and producer based in Adelaide. Her love of the Fleurieu began years ago when her parents bought a property in Carrickalinga. Louise takes every opportunity to head south where her mobile is out of range and only her mum knows how to find her. Neil Charter Neil is a creative writer and communications strategist with a passion for fly fishing and the environment. Nearly thirty years of surfing, fly fishing and kayaking the South Coast and Coorong have his interests firmly focused on protecting the future of the Fleurieu.
PUBLISHING EDITOR AND MANAGING DIRECTOR Petra de Mooy
ADVERTISING SALES Brenda Pearson EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Alexandra Paxinos GRAPHIC DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Jason Porter jason@fleurieuliving.com.au PRINTER Graphic Print Group DISTRIBUTION Integrated Publication Solutions SUBSCRIPTIONS www.isubscribe.com.au ALL ENQUIRIES Petra de Mooy petra@fleurieuliving.com.au POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 7, Sellicks Beach South Australia 5174. ONLINE www.fleurieuliving.com.au www.facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine COPYRIGHT All content copyright Fleurieu Living Magazine Pty Ltd unless otherwise stated. While Fleurieu Living Magazine takes every care to ensure the accuracy of information portrayed in this publication, the publisher accepts no liability for errors contained in editorial or advertising copy. The views of the contributors are not necessarily endorsed by Fleurieu Living Magazine. Printed on paper from well managed forests using environmentally friendly vegetable-based inks.
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Contents
64 FEATURED DESIGN: Angove Family Winemakers blend old and new into one of McLaren Vale’s most sophisticated cellar doors.
60 FEATURED ARTIST: Chris De Rosa’s ethereal underwater memories.
FRONT COVER PHOTO: Angove winery photographed by Robert Geh.
FOOD AND WINE
MARKETS & EVENTS
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
70 Chef & Cook – Allister Parker serves up our entrée and main while Karena Armstrong dishes up dessert.
10 Diary Dates and Events to keep you busy this winter.
35 KI Honey and Lavender.
OCEAN / COUNTRY LIFE
GROWERS & PRODUCERS
82 Fly fishing Fleurieu style – Neil Charter ties some flies and heads up creek.
12 Cheesemaking on the Fleurieu.
42 Fino – Now twice as nice. 50 Seafood Chest – Fresh Feesh!!! 22 Oliver’s Taranga shares a Once in a Lifetime McLaren Vale Experience.
52 Dolphin Watch – Tony and Phyll Bartram; the Ocean’s watchdogs. 16 The Fruits of their labour – John Petrucci tells us why we still pick grapes old-style.
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20 Doc’s Diary – Harvest.
HOLIDAYMAKER 88 Marion Grasby on her journey from Sellicks Beach resident to world traveller and celebrity cook.
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28 FEATURED HOME: Yangoora – evolving, organic and timeless.
FEATURED PRODUCERS: A glowing feature for our local cheese industry.
56 FEATURED TOWN: Port Elliot – sophistication and charm on the Southern Fleurieu.
LIVING GREEN
BOOKS
PENINSULA PEOPLE
77 The Dirt – James reveals and revels in his early roots as a gardener.
46 Book Reviews – Winter reads.
24 Andréa Van Zyl – South Africa to South Australia with love.
WEDDINGS
BEING SOCIAL
90 Sarah Fullgrabe and Philip Edwards 23 February, 2013.
93 FLM gets out to see who was at the events: · Paxton Family Fun Day · FLM Autumn Launch Party · Langhorne Creek Winemakers’ Luncheon · Buenos Aires Tango Festival · Willunga Waldorf Autumn Fair.
FASHION 86 Shopping Local – What to buy. Where to buy it.
36 Meredyth Cilento – reveals the hidden beauty in some gnarly wood. 41 Father Tom – connecting with nature and earth. 54 Don Bailey – Longtime Victor resident and doing great things for local business.
HISTORY 48 The Normanville dunes. 78 Kay Brothers – what is old is just as new. 5
ACKNOWLEDGES
A special thanks to the advertising partners that have made a long term commitment to FLM.
designed for living
Welcome to FLM We made it. Our first ever second winter edition! They say the first two years in business are the most demanding and I think I have to agree. It has been challenging but incredibly rewarding as well. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have and that you will continue to grow with us. This winter we anticipate hanging out at the newly refurbished Salopian Inn with chef Karena Armstrong presiding over the kitchen (on page 70). After numerous requests to include some fishing stories, we have Neil Charter (on page 82) giving us the inside scoop on fly fishing on the Fleurieu. Louise Pascale had the opportunity to spend some time with the group ‘Dolphin Watch’ on Kangaroo Island – and learned how a small group of determined individuals is making a difference to both human and dolphin populations. In this issue we also take a very thorough look at grape harvesting and winemaking practices old and new. With a rich history of winemaking families and tried and true traditions, we find the McLaren Vale region is rich in cultures both past and present. Now onto our first ever second Spring edition! The FLM team
Letters to the Editor “Hi Petra, I bought a Fleurieu Living magazine yesterday which I very much enjoy reading and finding out about the area. I was very excited when I found the article on Brian O’Malley. I was his Art teacher when he was in Year 12 at Blackwood High School and remember him as a student who was very passionate about art and spent many hours in the art room learning as much as he could about drawing and painting techniques. I retired from Art and Design teaching last year after 40 years teaching in Secondary schools around the state and have now taken up residence in Yankalilla where my husband and I built a house which includes an art studio. I now spend wonderfully relaxing days working on my own painting, having exhibitions and teaching art to ladies in the community. I would really love to make contact with Brian again after all these years and visit him in his studio. Regards Barb Pettigrew” “Fleurieu family living in New Zealand at the moment. Wow great magazine! Love looking at the photos though it makes me very home sick for our beautiful beaches. Would love to see some pictures of Christies Beach and Port Noarlunga. Once again, congrats on an awesome magazine. Nymph Traveller.” “Hi Petra, Love your magazine which lets everyone know of the lucky lifestyle we have living on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Myself and my family have lived on the Fleurieu Coast for over 35 years and are very fortunate to live overlooking the Onkaparinga River Estuary out over the sand hills to the sea. You did a lovely article on Toby and Emma Bekkers who have been family friends for 30 years. Our company actually sold them the property – the photo where your photo was taken. Once again, great magazine. Kind Regards, Raylene Main.” “Hi Petra I wanted to say thank you for putting on such a lovely and generous evening last night. You and your team have created a genuine culture around the magazine and your business and that is sincerely refreshing. I fully appreciate the challenges of starting such a venture but I can see that you are responding with great style. Stephen and I will continue to support FLM in any way we can. Looking forward to getting the latest addition in the store. Kind Regards Peta @ Jetty Food Store.” “Hi Petra, My wife and I are expat South Australians living in Far North Qld. However, our hearts are still strongly connected to the Fleurieu region. We have recently purchased a block at Goolwa Beach and subscribing to FLM gives us great ideas and inspiration for the life that we will someday build there. So congratulations and thank you for a great magazine! Regards, Tom.”
Image at left: A morning walk along the beach at Goolwa.
Hello Petra! I was briefly at your magazine launch last week at Whalers with my partner and our little baby girl and since then have had recurring references to your magazine causing an undeniable urge to send you this e-mail. I am just blown away by your magazine and everything it encapsulates. I grew up in Victor, though have left and lived around Australia, which has given me a broader perspective on places and people but I have always been drawn back to our wonderful piece of paradise. Care Vaughan.”
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MARKETS & EVENTS
Diary Dates Markets, Festivals and Events.
Markets: Willunga Farmers’ Market In the Willunga Town Square every Saturday from 8am to 12.30pm. The Farmers’ Market has a real buzz, is wonderful for regional produce — and you just know that all the diehards will be there each week, come rain or shine. Willunga Artisans’ Market In the Willunga Show Hall (opposite the Willunga Farmers’ Market) on the second Saturday of every month. Local art and craft, with a little bit of something for everyone. Victor Farmers’ Market At the Grosvenor Gardens, Victor Harbor every Saturday from 8am to 12.30pm. Over 32 stalls, with locally caught seafood, organic vegetables, seasonal fruit, local honey, mushrooms, fresh flowers, Fleurieu regional wines and much more. Well worth the visit. Goolwa Wharf Market Goolwa Wharf — every first and third Sunday of the month from 9am to 3.30pm. With around 80 stalls there is a myriad of goods on offer. Bric-a-brac, collectibles, plants, books both new and old, and hand-crafted goods. Kangaroo Island Community Markets Lloyd Collins Reserve, by the beach at Penneshaw — first Sunday of the month from 9.30am to 1.00pm — with Kangaroo Island’s top food producers selling a range of fresh local produce in a great village atmosphere. Meadows Country Market Meadows Community Hall on the second Sunday of the month from 9.00am to 3.00pm. Local produce, crafts, collectibles, plants and bric-a-brac. A true country market. The Original Open Market Beach Road, Christies Beach first and third Sunday of the month from 9 to 2pm. Bric-a-brac, second-hand goods, fruit, vegetables — they have the lot!
Willunga Quarry Market Adjacent to the Willunga Oval, every second Saturday of each month, rain or shine! A real gem, from fantastic coffee, tarot readings to that hard to find plant and local produce — it’s not to be missed.
Strathalbyn Market In Lions Park, South Terrace, Strathalbyn. On the 3rd Sunday of the month from 8am to 2pm. Bric-a-brac, produce, coffee, pies, apples, plants, soaps, jewellery and much more in wonderfully historic Strathalbyn.
Port Elliot Market At Lakala Reserve Port Elliot, on the first and third Saturday of each month. A typical country market with plenty of fresh local produce on offer as well as a good mix of other goods such as bric-a-brac, books, fishing gear — even a $2 stall! There is sure to be something here for everyone.
Yankalilla Market In the Agricultural Hall, Main South Road, Yankalilla on the third Saturday of each month. Craft and Produce Market featuring goods from the local area. You’ll be surprised at what you may find!
Aldinga Bay Art, Craft and Produce Market 8am to 1pm on the fourth Sunday of every month at the corner of Aldinga Beach Road and Pridham Boulevard. Arts and crafts from local artisans and fresh local produce.
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Festivals and Events: Fleurieu Festival for Performing Arts Where: Port Noarlunga Arts Centre, 22 Gawler St, Port Noarlunga When: Friday 14th – Sunday 16th June Time: 8pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 2pm Saturday and Sunday. Cost: 8pm $12 for adults; $10 for concession; $10 for group bookings of ten or more; 2pm matinees all $6. Program includes; short plays, bands, choirs, comedy, orchestra, modern & classical dance, musical comedy.
Homebrew CD Launch Concert Where: Centenary Hall, Goolwa When: Saturday 3rd August Time: 7:30pm Cost: A $15 / $12 Homebrew is about the flows of life on the SA coast through the use of music. Come and support the Homebrew Songwriting and Open Mic recording project by coming to the official CD Launch Concert.
43rd Willunga Almond Blossom Festival Where: Willunga oval and town halls. When: 27th July – 5th August Every year, the Willunga Almond Blossom Festival takes over the town to raise money for their Recreation Park facilities. There’s entertainment galore for all ages including show rides, food stalls, markets and so much more. www.almondblossomfestival.com.au
Strathalbyn Collectors, Hobbies & Antiques Fair Where: Various venues around Strathalbyn. When: 17th – 18th August 2013 Time: 10am – 4pm Cost: Gold coin donation The Strathalbyn Collectors Fair takes advantage of the town’s heritage buildings and scenic views and brings together exhibits of china, glass, antique jewellery, linen, lace, silver, toys & much more.
SALA Festival Where: Various venues across SA When: 2nd – 25th August Cost: Free Come along to one of the many events of the SALA Festival, established in 1998, and immerse yourself in the artistic talent of Visual artists in South Australia. www.salainc.com.au
Targa Adelaide Where: Adelaide Hills Region When: 21st – 25th August The Targa Adelaide Rally is an international event featuring up to 200 of the world’s best touring and classic cars. The rally is held over five days in the Adelaide Hills Region and closes with the Norwood Parade Street Party on Sunday 25th August.
Forecast for Aldinga:
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Zannie Flanagan meets up with local cheesemakers to discuss
A Glowing Future
It seems that the one thing cheese makers have in common is rosy cheeks! Whether this is due to hard work in the proximity of lactating animals, or just from living and working in the country I don’t know, but all the wonderful women I interviewed for this story display a very healthy glow! The first cheesery I visited was Hindmarsh Valley Dairy located just off the Victor Harbor Road and driving into the milking yard on a spectacular autumn day, I found to my delight the first of the season’s newly born kids being hand-fed in the sunshine. A couple of lazy cats were sniffing the new arrivals with great interest while in the surrounding paddocks, just starting to display the benefits of recent rains, the rest of the goat herd was quietly enjoying the last of the warm weather. It was an idyllic scene belying the constant hard work that occurs here every day.
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The 190-strong goat herd is milked twice a day, producing over 400 litres of milk that has to be either bottled or made into yogurt, buttermilk, butter … and of course cheese … in the cheesery directly adjacent to the milking shed. The Hindmarsh Valley Dairy enterprise has been a labour of love for owner operator Denise Riches for years now. ‘I have only recently had my first holiday in six years, when I went to Singapore for a week,’ admitted Denise. ‘It was the first time I have been off the property overnight since we first started here!’ Watching the goats standing quietly in the afternoon sun, Denise assured me that goats were much like us, preferring to be dry and warm rather than cold and wet. ‘They’re quite social animals, and we only give male kids away in pairs! They would fret if they were on their own,’ she says. Unlike most dairies, Denise also prefers to keep both males and females in the same paddock. The benefits are two-fold – not only does it keep the herd quieter and stops the males damaging fences to get to the females, but it also means the females kid throughout the year, providing for a more constant milk supply that helps prevent a long drawn-out dry season. ‘We are the only dairy in the state licensed to sell bottled raw goats’ milk,’ explained Denise. ‘Our milk goes through a complex process of filtering and testing to ensure it is safe to drink. Though the goat’s milk market is relatively small, we have been able to filter and bottle here since 2008.’
As well as producing raw goats’ milk, the dairy has recently been making and maturing raw goats’ milk cheese. Rounds of the cheese have been quietly maturing in the cool-room cave at the entrance to the cheesery while undergoing a rigorous testing regime, before finally getting the all clear from dairy authorities. With most of the hurdles now jumped, it is expected that the cheese will soon be available for retail sale. In anticipation, I needed little encouragement to taste test! I can report that it is a deliciously well-balanced nutty and complex cheese with lovely length of flavour and I have no doubt the cheese will be a firm favourite on the region’s cheese boards in months to come. I left the dairy with pats of freshly wrapped salted and unsalted cultured butter made from lightly soured cows’ cream sourced from the Cadell Prison Farm Dairy, a bottle of buttermilk and of course a piece of the Emme matured raw milk goats’ cheese, to head back up the road to Alexandrina Cheese to say hello to my old friends the McCauls. I first met this rosy-cheeked family when I was drumming up stallholders for the opening of the Willunga Farmers’ Market more than 11 years ago now. Alexandrina was one of the first dairy farms in South Australia to see the wisdom in value-adding to their own milk supply in order to survive the deregulation of the Australian dairy industry, as >
Unlike most dairies, Denise also prefers to keep both males and females in the same paddock. The benefits are two-fold – not only does it keep the herd quieter and stops the males damaging fences to get to the females, but it also means the females kid throughout the year, providing for a more constant milk supply that helps prevent a long drawn-out dry season. Previous page Top: Two day old kid. This page Top: Denise Riches at Hindmarsh Valley Cheese. Above left: Goats cheese selection. Above right: Goats. All photographs by Heidi Linehan.
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Above left: Alexandrina Cheese Company: Jersey cow, Erica is employee of the week at Alexandrina Cheese, making rich, creamy milk for the cheese room. Photograph by Keturah & Morne De Klerk. Above right: Dan McCaul in the cheese room, gently pulling cheese cloth from Mt Magnificent Gouda. Photo by Keturah & Morne De Klerk. Below right: The Cheesery is open to visitors daily for tutored tastings and farm-gate produce. Photo by Nick Clayton.
announced in 1999. Many years later, the McCauls are quite positive that they’ve made the right decision to change the way they did business in order to stay in the industry for the long term. They now produce a range of fresh milk and value-added products under their own very successful Alexandrina Cheese brand. Farm-gate visitors are left in no doubt as to the pedigree of this family business as they view happy cows chewing their cud through the window of the farm’s direct sales outlet; or as they watch Dan McCaul hard at work cutting curd through the cheesery viewing window. Alexandrina is a template for ‘paddock to plate’ success. The latest pair of rosy cheeks to join the cheesemakers of the Fleurieu belong to Alison Paxton, who operates the Kangarilla Creamery. Still in its infancy, this one-year-old business is doing a steady trade selling direct at local farmers’ markets and through local wineries and restaurants. A self-proclaimed cheese obsessive who admits she often dreams about making cheese, Alison, together with help from husband Ben, launched the new enterprise a year ago. ‘I had been playing around with making cheese for over six years in my kitchen and sharing the results with friends and family. Eventually we decided to go the next step and build a small cheesery,’ recounts Alison. Despite having been a dairy farm manager in her previous life, and therefore accustomed to rising early for milking, Alison’s new business 14
venture doesn’t have the added complication of having to milk a herd to secure milk supply. Instead, she buys her cows’ milk from the Thorpe family dairy just down the road and ‘buckets’ the milk back to the cheesery. Her goats’ milk is sourced from a farm near Mypalonga. With supply assured, this micro business is currently producing around 50 kilos of predominately fresh goat and cow milk cheeses a week when milk is plentiful. As I peered through the window of Alison’s tiny, specially-built cheese-making facility just a few steps from the family home, I was reminded of the centuries’ old tradition of regional farmhouse cheese production throughout Europe. Happily, it seems as though more of that tradition will be making its way to the Fleurieu very soon. Alison’s passion for blue cheese production has won her an internship at renowned English specialist cheese makers ‘Stichelton Dairy’ (after the old English name for the nearby village of Stilton), which was set up on a small farm in north Nottinghamshire in the UK in 2006, specifically to revive the tradition of making Stilton from unpasteurised raw milk. The opportunity to work in a place that has such strong links to the production of one of the world’s most famous blue cheeses has Alison in an understandable state of excitement. It is yet another indication that artisan cheese making on the Fleurieu is set for an even more glowing future.
Subscribe now to FLM and go in the draw to WIN a lunch worth $120 at Fino!
Subscribe to Fleurieu Living Magazine for one or two years and go in the draw to win a lunch at Fino worth $120. Competition closes on 6 September 2013. The winner will be contacted by phone or email and announced on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine by 13 September 2013. A voucher for $120 will be mailed to the winner. This will be redeemable at the restaurant until 15 December 2013. You can also subscribe online at: www.isubscribe.com.au/FleurieuLiving or by filling out and mailing in the subscription form bound into the magazine. Good luck!
Terms and Conditions: Subscriptions must be received by Fleurieu Living before 5pm on 6 September 2013 to be considered for the draw. One entry is allocated per subscription. The winner must be over 18 years of age.
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The fruits of their labour Petra de Mooy talks to the hardworking John Petrucci and his gang during the 2013 grape harvest. Photographs by Grant Beed.
During the hot months of February and March McLaren Vale is a busy place. Backpackers flood in from all corners of the world and take up the seasonal work of grape picking. It is important. The culmination of what all viticulturists and winemakers strive to achieve – a good harvest and a good vintage. These days most grapes are harvested using a machine but for smaller vineyard blocks, old vines and boutique growers they are often picked by hand. The gentle picking over of the fruit by hand results in a higher yield and less damage to the actual fruit and plant. You can see the difference in the vineyard between the hand picked and machine harvested vines, the latter being broken and stripped by the aggressive machinery. The crews, organised through local employment agency, Madec, are called picking gangs. I met one of McLaren Vale’s biggest picking contractors, John Petrucci, to discuss how it all works. ‘The reason I got started, probably 11 years ago, was because the Grape, Wine and Tourism Association approached me to get involved in their committee to try to clean up the industry because what was happening was, there were a lot of cowboys. The area was getting a bad name because there were pickers not getting paid, etcetera. So they came up with a new system whereby if growers wanted contractors, they’d get in touch with the association and all of the picking contractors have to be registered, you know with work cover and so on. I thought twice about it because it’s a lot of work, but then I thought, oh look, why not, I wanted to show those cowboys how to do it. The commitment that I’ve always made is that I will never let the grower down. If you booked me to do your pick next Tuesday, I’ll be there next Tuesday.’ The rate of pay for picking used to be done at a fee per bucket – so you get paid for what you pick, but about 4 years ago, the government brought in a minimum hourly rate. John preferred the old system. ‘The new system really doesn’t work. Now you have to 16
be more on their backs, have more supervisors etc. whereas before, if they weren’t working hard enough or going slow, it didn’t bother you because you were only paying them for what they had done’, says John. ‘The picking season goes for between seven and twelve weeks. If the season goes for twelve weeks it means the weather is not that hot and it takes longer for the grapes to ripen. The picking starts with the whites, and then you have a break for about a week or so and start picking the reds. This season was short because it was hot and everything ripened at the same time so straight after the whites, they got into the reds.’ The crews that John Petrucci manages meet in the parking lot at McLaren Vale Central early each morning. About seventy percent are back packers and the others are regulars made up of, seasonally employed, long term unemployed, and retirees looking to make an extra bit of money. ‘I normally get locals to come back with me. I’ve got about twenty to thirty locals that have been picking with me for over ten years. They look forward to picking season and during pruning season they’ll do some pruning as well,’ says John. Marianne Chambers has lived at Seaford for close to 35 years. At 58, she is what one might call a seasoned seasonal worker. In the summer she picks grapes, in autumn she prunes vines and for the rest of the year she works for a plant wholesaler at Blewett Springs, managing the orders for Geraldton Wax flowers. You would think that this kind of work would have a high burn out rate – it is very physical, they work rain or shine and they often need
to be up before the crack of dawn, but Marianne enjoys the work and gets a bit stir crazy if she has too much down time between seasons. Marianne likes the company at work and prides herself on a good work ethic. ‘I try to pick more than my bucket rate, some people are really fast and pick lots of buckets but other people aren’t motivated because they know they can’t earn any more money by picking more buckets so they just go really slow.’ She also has a pet peeve for grapes being left behind. ‘Some days when it is really hot, I can’t do more than five hours. I just start to cramp up and John lets me go. Then when I show up the next day they always check in with me to see if I am okay so they are really good that way.’
You would think that this kind of work would have a high burn out rate – it is very physical, they work rain or shine and they often need to be up before the crack of dawn, but Marianne enjoys the work and gets a bit stir crazy if she has too much downtime between seasons.
Another seasoned veteran picker is fifty-year-old, Anthony Baker. He has lived down south his whole life and started picking in the early 90s and has also helped to build hundreds of acres of vineyards – digging posts, setting wires and training vines. Anthony is a plumber by trade and the work in the vineyards fills in time when the building trades are slow. >
This page top: John Petrucci and his picking gang. Above left: Local, Marianne Chambers is a regular on the gang. Above right: Local, Anthony Baker.
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Top left: John Petrucci. Above: Bucket boys. Above right: Back packers Laura and Anna Hoelzen.
I asked Anthony why he does it and he said, ‘I like to work outside. I like people to feel comfortable and make the visitors (backpackers) feel good about it. Years ago it was hideous, people just used to be yelling and screaming at each other. I like it to be kept civilised and polite so they leave feeling good about their experience in Australia.’ The backpackers are mainly young, fit and overly tanned due to the amount of time they spend outside and a lack of local knowledge regarding the dangers of the Australian sun. They are lucky to meet home towners like Marianne and Anthony. Contact with residents makes for a richer cultural experience – ‘we help them out a bit when need be or pull them up if they are not pulling their weight.’ ‘A lot of German pickers come and pick for me. And French. I always make a commitment so they know how much work they will be getting. I meet them in the morning at the car park then they all follow me and we go to the job then I get the gang bosses to take over and I leave them with the supervisors and I keep checking up on them during the day,’ says John Laura and Anna Hoelzen are 19-year-old twins from Germany. ‘We did come with the intent of grape-picking. We had heard about a lot of people doing that, so we got a working holiday visa which is for one year but we can extend if we do 88 days of farm-work. We started in Brisbane just waitressing then we bought a van and picked blueberries, flowers, tomatoes and cucumbers close to Coffs Harbour and then we came to South Australia to try to get some work. At first they said they did not have enough work so we went to the parking lot where the pickers meet and they saw our sad faces and John said, ‘okay, come on guys, so John’s really nice, and working for him – it is all kept very fair.’ For the pickers the days are unpredictable. Some days you get up really early to meet the gang and then you may only get an hour of work – other days you work really hard. ‘Five hours is a really long 18
stretch to work at picking on a hot day. Two or three hours is best because then you don’t get as exhausted,‘ says Anna. ‘Some days they work in the rain and you have to bend over and the water goes down your back and the vines are wet so that is not the best either,‘ says Laura. For the locals, the influx of these somewhat transient tourists poses some problems and unfortunately they do not do a lot to stimulate the local economy. We don’t go out,’ says Anna. ‘we shop at Coles and Woolies and cook out of the back of the van.’ When they have down time they meet the other picker packers down at Maslin Beach, or if it is raining they meet at the Bocce Club Oval where there is a large undercover area. People will sit around playing instruments and just hang out. On Cheap Tuesday they might all go in together and order 40 pizzas. ‘It is only $6 a pizza. As travellers eating from our van, it’s not always so healthy, it depends ... it’s not that bad, we do curries and stuff like that and a lot of pasta, a lot of rice ... the worst is showering outside when it is cold.’ At the end of the day, for the backpackers – although the picking does help them to continue their travels – what it does for them on a deeper level – is that it gives them an overall cultural experience where they get to integrate into a community and become a part of day to day working life and for us locals they form an interesting facet to the culture of the region. When the picking slows down and there is time to reflect, John Petrucci does not evaluate the success of the season based on anything financial, he says: ‘We always have an end of vintage BBQ and people come up to me and give me a hug and tell me they really enjoyed their experience, and based on that, it was a great year.’
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FOOD & WINE
Doc’s Diary: Hope and high prospects for the concluding 2013 grape harvest Story by Adam Jacobs. Photographs by Grant Beed.
As the 2013 harvest concludes with a baton change from grape growers to winemakers, another grape harvest season is racked up. From the commencement of February 2013 the typical 33 to 40 degree Celsius days with northerly winds were evident, causing sugar levels to rocket sky high. This triggers much concern as many still recall the 2008 harvest when a 15-day heat wave with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius caused havoc with high sugar and alcohol levels. However, some cooler days with more moderate temperatures did eventually arrive, slowing ripening levels and resulting in a more bearable harvest program. For the majority of the season the weather was kind and the lead into harvest was brilliant. A major consideration was the condensed nature of the 2013 harvest to approximately 4 weeks instead of the usual 8 weeks. The 2013 season raised many questions for the industry: 1. Are our varieties ripening earlier? 2. Will it bring a shortened, condensed vintage program each year? 3. Are the seasons with their distinct weather patterns changing or affecting our management? Growers have lived for 364 days of the year nurturing their fruits through rain, hail, thunderstorms, intense heat and howling winds while managing dreaded pests and diseases that have the power to ravage crops. The 365th day brings anxiety, hope, joy or despair – pending the tonnage that will remunerate the past season’s spending and to fund the next one. Hopefully with enough return for the family also. The 365th day brings machine harvesters by the plenty across the floor of the region and the sound of rattling harvester-beaters at night is the dominant sound in the vineyards. They too, have been waiting for their day to perform before returning to their cold, dusty sheds. Winemakers have had the year to market the previous year’s wines by travelling the world and spruiking the word about their wonderful wine region and wine styles, while making decisions about oak selection and handling and all that goes with wine production from the previous year. Anxiously waiting for the incoming grapes to arrive, the crushing commences and they go about the challenge of making wine. The discussions about the grapes commence, ‘were the grapes too high in sugar? Was the crop too large to produce great wine? and ‘will we make a great wine from this patch or just a good wine?’ For the best part of this vintage the discussion has been very positive with comments made such as ‘wow, what colour in that Shiraz!’ and ‘the season has produced some fantastic results.’ Just as a painter creates at an easel, the winemaker is now left to ponder the kind of wine they wish to create for their consumers. For now, the quest to perform at their best and finish off the wines from 20
Above: Machine harvesting at Shottesbrooke WInery.
this wonderful season is all-pervasive. While all this is happening the grower sighs with relief that the crop made it to the winery, and all are pleased. The decision to take a week off to rest before starting to plan for the next year’s crop and then the debriefing of a job well done … or whether we could have done a better job occurs. Overall, the team effort from vineyard to winery is intense, stressful, enjoyable, tiring and cyclical; but as a new season beckons the old one fades and leaves hope and high prospects that we all look forward to in the glass. So far the wines of McLaren Vale 2013 are unbelievably colourful, intense and staining the tasting glass, while showing the great regional character of liquorice and spice with Christmas cake and lingering fruity flavours. I can’t wait for the first wine to be released next year.
The McLaren Vale Page If you’re after a unique winery experience, or just need transportation in Willunga, McLaren and Southern Vales, Call Chook McCoy. T: 0414 922 200. Bookings essential.
chookslittlewinerytours.com.au
Hosting friends or clients? We cater for wine groups & cellar doors. Call All Fired Up mobile catering and leave a great impression!
W: allfireduppizzas.com.au E: info@allfireduppizzas.com.au T: 0410 477 763. Follow us on Facebook.
Lunch at Producers’ Restaurant with spectacular vineyard views. Relax fireside in the dining room or al-fresco in the sheltered courtyard with some of the best views in the region while enjoying delicious farm fresh dishes. Now located on lower level Coles Shopping Centre Main Rd McLaren Vale. Open Mon. to Fri. 8am~6pm. Sat 8am~3pm. Closed Sunday. Suppliers of fine local meats & hand made small goods.
67 Branson Road McLaren Vale Lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Bookings 8323 0060 info@producers.net.au www.producers.net.au
“and splendid regional platters”
Olivers Road, McLaren Vale Phone.+61 8 8323 9196 cellar@tapestrywines.com.au www.tapestrywines.com.au
We welcome you to join our unique and interactive cooking classes. Bookings are essential Rojina McDonald 0401 956 546 Mapule Thinane 0437 993 469 Email: atasteoftheworld@outlook.com
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On finding the bearded bottle Petra de Mooy gets the first word on the Spoelstra’s ‘Once in a Lifetime McLaren Vale Experience’. Wineries are always seeking innovative ways to market their products to distinguish themselves in the growing crowd. Oliver’s Taranga has been established as a McLaren Vale winery for over 171 years and celebrating their past has been one way they have enjoyed sharing the unique heritage of their winery. Some of their archival photos have included a few very bearded ancestors; so with the current, all-female, younger and un-bearded team at the helm, they hatched a cheeky plan that involved hiding a ‘bearded bottle’ in a case of their new release Shiraz. The person to find the bottle in their collection would win a ‘Once in a lifetime McLaren Vale experience’ for themselves and four of their family or friends. The plan was borne from a passion for wine, client relationship development and to communicate an imaginative point of difference. To help them achieve this through photos, film and marketing collateral, they employed local designer Chris Harris from Harlee Design and video artist Luke Eblen from Mad Pantry. The message to ‘find the bearded bottle’ and the prize was communicated through a slap-stick silent film in which everyone at Oliver’s sported a beard – even the dogs. (This film can be still viewed on YoutTube or on Oliver’s own website at www.oliverstaranga.com/bearded.)
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The eventual winners, Harry and Eleri Spoelstra from Victoria, were already well-known to Oliver’s Cellar door staff. As Eleri says, ‘we discovered the Oliver’s Taranga Cellar Door during our first visit to the McLaren Vale wineries in 2007; it was ‘love at first sip’ and the love affair has gone from strength to strength with each vintage. We have a penchant for reds, but recently we’ve been enjoying the Moscato and Fiano; although we’ve recently discovered that Vermentino with seafood is a match made in heaven. When we first tasted the 2010 Shiraz at the cellar door we just looked at each other in amazement. We initially bought half a dozen and opened a bottle that night for dinner ... and wow ... the next day we rang up and ordered another dozen. We decided to just ‘test it’ again that night; and yes, it was a definite wow ... so the next day we rang and ordered a further two dozen. We discovered the Bearded Bottle nestled in the third carton and were so excited that we immediately grabbed the phone, took a photo of ourselves holding our prize and emailed it off to Oliver’s.’ The ‘Once in a lifetime McLaren Vale experience’ was claimed in April and Harry and Eleri shared the experience with their three children, Clare, Anna and Mark along with his partner Tali Falzon.
Previous page Top left: The Oliver family. Top right: The Spoelstras preparing for flight. Middle left: Bearded tourists. Bottom right: Waco bi-plane in flight. Bottom left: Breakfast at Willunga Farmers’ Market. This page Top left: Fine dining. Left: Anna Spoelstra prepares for take off. Above: Harry Spoelstra reels in the catch of the day.
When people travel to our region they rarely get to organise the fantastic itinerary the Spoelstra family was treated to, and as luck would have it they were also treated to idyllic Autumnal weather – making all of the planned excursions a breeze to negotiate.
seas below, showcased the McLaren Vale region at its best. The open cockpit, the leather helmet and the intercom added to the excitement and the ‘wing-over’ manoeuvre by Martin, the pilot, was guaranteed to induce multiple involuntary screams.
The ‘experience’ was spread over two days and included door to door service from Chook’s Little Winery Tours, accommodation at the McLaren Vale Studio Apartments, a private dining experience hosted by the Oliver’s at their cellar door – catered by Chef Steele and complemented with Oliver’s wines. The next morning it was off to breakfast at the Willunga Farmers’ Market, followed by a scenic flight with Adelaide Bi-Planes, a rest … and then dinner at Fino of Willunga. On the Sunday the Oliver’s hosted a fishing trip from Silver Sands and finished their wonderful weekend with lunch at the Star of Greece.
We had heard glowing reports about the food at Fino, and the beautiful stone restaurant certainly lived up to its reputation. It was a balmy evening and we had dinner in the covered courtyard looking out onto the lovely garden. We chose the ‘shared’ menu which was superb ... my personal favourite was the pork and crackling! It was a treat for all of us to be able to enjoy the wonderful Oliver’s Taranga wines, knowing that we had Chook McCoy from Chook’s Little Winery Tours as our designated driver.
Eleri provided some of her own impressions: ‘The Willunga Farmers’ Market is a thriving local produce market and a wonderful place to just promenade. It has a real community atmosphere; we even met a local politician. There are lots of places to enjoy breakfast and we had bacon and egg rolls, with coffee, which we ate at rustic tables in the warm autumn sunshine ... idyllic. We bought lots of local produce such as dried figs, fresh pistachios, strawberries, fruit scrolls … and last but not least a lavender chocolate brownie ... awesome. The bi-plane ride was a first for all of us. The open cockpit WACO bi-plane looks ancient, but it is in fact, a reproduction and was built relatively few years ago. The autumn colours of the vines, with the
Luckily we weren’t relying on their catch from the fishing trip for lunch! The Star of Greece had plenty of fish for us all. Set up on the cliffs, the view was as amazing as the food, with the Salt ‘n’ Pepper Squid and the King George Whiting being particularly popular. Finding the Bearded Bottle and having the opportunity to meet and spend time with the people who actually make the wine was a truly magical experience for us, and will give us an added dimension to our already great enjoyment of their superb wines.’ Nicky Connolly from Oliver’s reflects: ‘In many ways the experience cemented our resolution to continue extending our business and friendship out to our customers by giving them a snapshot (however small) of the truly great place in which we live.’
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PENINSULA PEOPLE
New faces on the Fleurieu
Alexandra Paxinos speaks to winemaker and marketing assistant, Andréa van Zyl, about her move from South Africa to South Australia.
Andréa never pictured herself moving away from South Africa – the country where she was born, bred and called home for twenty four years. It was a typical ‘boy meets girl’ story that brought her to McLaren Vale on the Fleurieu, which luckily enough for her, just happens to be ‘one of the greatest wine regions in Australia,’ famous for producing some of the best wines in the world. At the age of just 16, Andréa chose to do a wine course through school which sparked her interest in winemaking. But don’t worry … I asked and she said it wasn’t so that she could drink underage! ‘My best friend’s dad was in the wine industry so I’d heard a lot about it and I’d been to cellars and there’s just something about the smell of the cellar ... it’s just great. The person who was teaching the wine course was one of the professors from the University of Stellenbosch and we tasted three wines and when he described the wines you could just get all the smells and aromas; I just thought it was amazing that you could do that and I wanted to do it too!’ After completing school, Andréa went on to study a Bachelor of Oenology and Viticulture at the University of Stellenbosch, working in the industry in South Africa before moving to Australia. She started off in winemaking where she did two vintages before moving into a sales and marketing role for a different company. In 2011, she met Jeremy through mutual friends while he was in South Africa doing a vintage at a prominent local winery, and after some months of back and forth communicating and romance blossoming across countries, the two decided to pursue their relationship further. Jeremy, whose family owns and operates Maxwell Wines, has the ties to McLaren Vale, so in November 2011, Andréa made way for Australia with a strict schedule ahead. She arrived on the Saturday and started working at her pre-organised job with Coriole Vineyards on the Monday, still jet-lagged from her 13-hour flight. The vintage for Coriole lasted about four months, after which Andréa started working at Pertaringa, initially on a part-time basis but moving into a full-time role soon after. Her current role there encompasses a variety of tasks from logistical duties and subscription management to working in the cellar door, allowing her to explore the best of both worlds. Aside from the absence of familiarity which she hopes will come with time, Andréa feels she has had a wonderful transition into Australia which has been assisted by an abundance of cultural similarities
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Above: Andréa van Zyl moved from South Africa to South Australia and is enjoying both the lifestyle and the local wines.
between South Africa and South Australia. ‘There are a few things that are different; it’s a lot safer here. It was really funny at first when I came here, I used to lock my car and lock all the doors because that’s what you’re used to. There’s a lot of crime in South Africa, whereas Australia in general is safer so that’s really great. Jeremy used to laugh at me all the time and he was like, “just stop, stop locking everything!”’ One of the biggest cultural similarities Andréa has found so far is that South Africans, like Australians, have a barbeque culture, except in South Africa it’s called ‘braai’. The people of both cultures are also very much alike in that they are friendly here, as they are in South Africa. ‘I love the McLaren Vale region as a whole, because it feels like country and you’ve got these beautiful vineyards and the most amazing wineries but then you’re only 40 minutes away from Adelaide. Everyone has been really welcoming here too. I work for a really lovely family and Jeremy’s family are wonderful too. They’ve all just been so warm and welcoming so I can’t complain; I’ve really had a wonderful transition into Australia.’
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Fleurieu Living Magazine to be a major sponsor for the 10th Fleurieu Fiesta! Olive Awards Register for the event and submit your oils and olives by October 15 for the opportunity to have your oil featured in Fleurieu Living Magazine! This year Fleurieu Food is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Fleurieu Fiesta! Olive Awards. The olive culture of the Fleurieu has grown considerably during the last decade and the Awards celebrate the best oils of the region and judge them against oils from around Australia. This year we are proud to announce the Fleurieu Awards partnership with Fleurieu Living Magazine to raise the profile of regional producers by featuring the competition winners in an article to be published later in the year. The regional winners will be available at the Willunga and Victor Harbor Farmers’ Markets where they will go into the running for the Punters’ Pick Award. Our handpicked, accredited and industry-expert judging panel will be looking for olives and oils that showcase the best the industry has to offer. Entries are open to all producers of quality Australian extra virgin olive oil and olives, with categories for small batch producers and commercial growers. The EVOOs are blind tasted by our panel of expert judges and regional chefs, ensuring the winning oils are put
under the noses of some of the best chefs in the region. Participants will also be given an opportunity to meet the Fleurieu Living publishers at the annual Fleurieu Olive Awards’ dinner that will again be held at the Elbow Room in McLaren Vale. Guests will be served a special olive inspired menu designed for the event by Nigel Rich. A special 10th anniversary prize sponsored by Fox Creek will be offered to the producer who wins Best Oil in Show. The Awards are promoted in local media, via social media, on our website and within South Australian restaurants. Support our Fleurieu Olive Industry and be in it to win it!! Entries close 15th October 2013. For information on how to submit entries for the 2013 Awards contact Rachel McMillan, Chairperson Fleurieu Food Inc on 0405 264 381 or email rachel@fleurieufood.com.au.
Join us in our 10th year to celebrate Australia’s longest running regional olive awards recognising and celebrating varietal and regional characteristic of oils Entries are open to all producers (large or small!) of quality Australian extra virgin olive oil and olives. For more information and entry forms contact Rachel McMillan on 0405 264 381 or rachel@fleurieufood.com.au 26
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Merenia Vince discovers a place
Where nature and art are woven together
Photographs by Grant Beed
Yangoora, the country home of Alan Learmonth and Catherine Christie, is a green sanctuary of native bush; alive with wildlife, a place of natural beauty. Yet it hasn’t always been so. In 1986 when the couple bought this 50 acres of ex-dairy farm near Meadows, it was a striking landscape of steep hills, valleys and vistas, but largely bare. The exposed paddocks turned into baked, inhospitable terrain over summer, save one narrow strip of remnant native scrub. Alan and Catherine’s plans were pretty bare and hazy too – all they sought was a rural way of life living permanently on their land … perhaps growing some trees for firewood. Inspiration came from the precious native bush on the southern edge of their property. They noticed this was a lively ecosystem, host to numerous native birds and animals ... and they began dreaming of habitat restoration elsewhere on their land. It was truly an act of faith though, to visualise lush bushland on their steep, wind blasted paddocks. And in 1986 the couple were way ahead of their times: the concept of bush regeneration was still evolving and Natural Resource Centres and the Landcare movements didn’t exist. Alan and Catherine gleaned their knowledge from like-minded people, the few books on the subject, and most essentially, Trees for Life, who were newly established but already very effective. When the couple set about establishing 4000 native plants from seed supplied by Trees for Life, locals scratched their heads in bewilderment. However, family and friends sometimes lent a hand and over several years they planted out embryonic woodland from tiny seedlings. Taller trees were established first; blue, stringy bark and manna gums, banksia and casuarina followed by an understory planting of acacia, melaleuca, dodonea, pultenaea, leptospermum >
Top: The Yangoora home nestled in the hill. Above: Catherine and Alan tending their native bushland.
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Alan and Catherine’s home overlooks verdant woodland, sloping into an enchanted centre gully where koalas, echidnas, lizards, frogs, bats and the odd kangaroo are at home. and native grasses. The couple endured trial and error, rabbit and grasshopper plagues and needed plenty of hope in addition to their hard labour. Their effort and engagement rapidly earned them the respect of the local dairying community who initially regarded tree planting on ‘cleared’ land as almost retrograde. Re-establishing Yangoora’s natural habitat, although immensely rewarding for Catherine and Alan, was and still is hard work. Along with the fencing and planting, a big part of bush regeneration is in the weed management, and Catherine and Alan still spend hours on their knees, hand-weeding to eradicate exotic grasses ... along with brush cutting to protect young plants. As the canopy and understory have grown, a degree of natural weed control has resulted from the shade, and to their credit, Alan and Catherine have rarely resorted to using herbicide for weed management. Nearly 30 years on, Yangoora, an indigenous name for stringybark, is a flourishing ecosystem of harmony and beauty. Alan and Catherine’s home overlooks verdant woodland, sloping into an enchanted centre gully where koalas, echidnas, lizards, frogs, bats and the odd kangaroo are at home. The bush is alive with delicate birdsong and is a haven for birdlife as diverse as blue wrens, robins, kingfishers, wedgetailed eagles and black cockatoos. A micro-climate has also developed; re-vegetation has made the whole property cooler for wildlife and humans alike over summer, harsh winds are now filtered, the soil is replenishing and water run-off is far less. The couple delight in their vibrant surrounds and Catherine shares: ‘it’s still fresh, there’s plenty happening, we never get tired of it’.
Catherine and Alan have also created a productive domestic section in the lower half of their property. Here there is a sustainable fuel supply of fast-growing Eucalypts for their wood-burning stove. Extensive vegetable gardens and a spacious orchard provide abundant year-round produce, a steady supply of preserves and fresh food to share with others. The farmlet is also home to free range hens; and Catherine’s pride and joy, a flock of very tame English Leicester, Border Leicester and Finn sheep. These beloved sheep, some of them 12th generation and all of them named, keep Catherine in lustrous white and blue-grey fleeces for her yarn-based business, ‘Wild and Woolly’. Alan and Catherine only turned to building a home on their land once the revegetation program was several years along. As with the outdoors, they put their heart and soul into it, doing much of the designing and building of the house; employing builders only to help with the exceptionally heavy work. Aiming for a home in harmony with the natural setting, they chose a natural rock ledge near the top of the property as their site, allowing marvellous views across the district. By good fortune they sourced reclaimed Jarrah and Karri timbers, some of them over 8 metres in length, salvaged from a Port Adelaide warehouse. These became the frame of their house, in-filled with mud-bricks. Finished with a glowing blush-coloured render and surrounded by delicate native gardens and frog-ponds, the house knits easily into the landscape in texture and colour. > Opposite page: Spare wooden furnishings blend beautifully with the earth tones of the home. Above left: The main living area. Above right: Alan in the loft library. 31
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In her lofty upstairs studio, with its distracting views, Catherine creates her artisan wool products; soft as a feather hand-spun and woven throws and shawls, needle-felted hangings, felted tote-bags, woven clothing, and hand-dyed fleeces and yarns in delectable colours. Previous page top: Baaaah. Previous page bottom: Catherine’s loft studio. This page top left: Catherine’s hand felted bags. Top right: Detail of the loom’s heddles. Left: Catherine at her loom.
Indoors the finishes and decor are soft and organic: the couple joyfully dismissed the hard-edged minimalism so fashionable in the nineties, when they were building. The reclaimed timbers give a lofty organic feel to the indoors and the rooms are finished in naturallycoloured traditional cow-manure and river-silt render. Hard-wood joinery, including the staircase, is another feature, hand-made by Alan, a retired Airline pilot and man of precision. Drawn to nature, the couple have a mixed collection of Australian botanic, indigenous and landscape paintings, and of course every window provides a changing portrait of the natural world. Woven throws and wall hangings made by Catherine add soft tones, reflecting her love of sky and water colours. The couple emphasise that creating a unique house from start to finish has been a huge project, requiring determination and patience. Perpetually ahead of their times, they were in uncharted territory with the many energy-saving features of their home, including their underfloor heating system incorporated in the slab ‘before anybody did that sort of thing’ here. Although it is inviting and comfortable, they confess they are still working on the house in parts, whenever a new burst of energy and interest strikes.
In her lofty upstairs studio, with its distracting views, Catherine creates her artisan wool products; soft as a feather hand-spun and woven throws and shawls, needle-felted hangings, felted tote-bags, woven clothing, and hand-dyed fleeces and yarns in delectable colours. She has literally and artistically had a feeling for wool since ‘holding and sniffing a handful of raw wool’ brought home by her father when she was eight. And at Yangoora her passion for wool and yarn products has been fully realised; because here she can oversee the entire creative process from hand-rearing her sheep, selecting the perfect fleece for a task, then dyeing, spinning, weaving, felting or knitting her designs into life. Although diverse, all Catherine’s work is gently coloured, soft, and pliable, reflecting the serene spirit of her surrounds. Alan and Catherine revel in their busy yet peaceful existence ... dictated by the seasons, their animals, and the land, finding great purpose and reward in living so closely connected with the environment they’ve restored. Alan sums up their life at Yangoora: ‘we have grown into it as it has grown around us’. Indeed, they have forged a place of vibrant harmony.
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This winter, don’t let things pile up.
Clear around your property now for a safer summer. To find out how you can use winter time to reduce the risk of bushfire next summer visit www.cfs.sa.gov.au
Bushfire Information Hotline 1300 362 361 (TTY 133 677)
We’re uncorking some old favourites!
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In pursuit of better health Anne Drury-Godden contemplates the spoils of an unspoiled island.
As a destination, Kangaroo Island is a popular place to pursue better health and a better life; it almost seems to offer the legendary fountain of youth, either as place to move to, or just grab a few quiet days in an otherwise hectic life. The peace, tranquillity, habitat and natural resources make it an easy place to relax and feel great. Much is written of the island’s stellar retreats, from the rustic and basic hideaways to the internationally renowned Southern Ocean Lodge. However if you feel the need for a rejuvenating retreat that will not break the bank ... you can do-it-yourself – a DIY relaxation journey obtained by travelling just a short distance here and there, from one unique experience to another. Twenty kilometres south of Kingscote, alongside the Birchmore Lagoon on Bomb Alley Road is the KI Lavender Farm, run by John Merlo and Bronwyn Smith. Fragrances and lotions adorn the shelves at the farm, from hand lotions to bath potions and everything in between. With multiple clinical studies showing lavender’s benefits from assisting sleep and reducing anxiety to wound care and even fighting cancer, this highly effective and soothing herb is also quite delicious. The homemade lavender fudge and lavender scones offer an unusual floral accent to these otherwise traditional offerings. The provincial decor is suitably C’est La Vie, and the scent in the air is divine, immediately reducing your heart rate. John is always willing to give you a quick guided tour among the lavender fields, containing 90 varieties. Highlights of the tour include the still and the original thunderbox loo from the site’s previous incarnation as a golf course. Beyond that, the Birchmore lagoon is currently being rehabilitated: it is a beautiful lake filled with black swans and other birdlife, lined with meandering pathways. You can feel your troubles melting away. Around the corner and along a rural track called Hog Bay Road, the iconic Clifford Honey Farm has a reputation for its honey ice-cream, skin products, honey goat’s milk soap and moisturiser. The bees farmed on Kangaroo Island are the famous Ligurian bees, which are believed to be the last remaining pure strain left in the world, and
naturally they produce amazing honey of varying flavours. Their famous honey ice cream has even been featured on Masterchef. Who would want to use harsh chemicals when the sheer diversity of honey and its many uses is so wonderfully therapeutic – bacteria cannot tolerate honey and so it is effective in dressing both wounds and burns. It is soothing on the skin – Clifford Farms have a range of lip balms, including Honey and lemon. Even though it seems a simple, natural product, there is currently research in New Zealand showing it may even be effective against the so-called ‘super-bug’ bacterial infections. A few more twists and turns around the island’s roads and you are at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus and Craft Gallery on Willson Road – South Australia’s only eucalyptus oil distillery. Combining their own oil with other natural products like emu oil, tea tree oil and the local honey, Emu Ridge offer a range of products from cosmetic to therapeutic and more. Eucalyptus has long been used to soothe a cold and these days we know that the oil contains compounds that destroy nasty bacteria in the respiratory system. But it’s been used for hundreds of years – and is a natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent. Long before sophisticated anti-bacterial hand washes, eucalyptus soap was doing the job. Emu Ridge eucalyptus also has Rosie, an orphaned kangaroo joey. She is quite the star attraction for tourists, sitting in her own basket and generally overseeing all transactions! There are, however, the more physical aspects of wellbeing. If you get a sore neck or cramped back from driving around KI and continually consulting your maps via your laptop or your GPS, Gail Jardine of Kingscote describes herself as a ‘physical rejuvenator’. She specialises in relaxing massage for people who live on the island and for tourists who have spent too much time in front of the computer. An all too common scenario these days. ‘When people have stored up emotions a massage can act to release those emotions as well as banishing the aches and pains, says Gail, who also offers Reiki. Apart from all of the rich products and services on offer, just parking yourself at any of the many beaches and appreciating the island’s awesome coastline is a form of Nirvana in itself. That is all certainly part of the ‘KI-as-destination’ philosophy of people with a belief that keeping youthful can be achieved by simply changing perceptions and connecting to the natural world.
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Meredyth Cilento, Hemingway, Heller and the Hegner Story by Leonie Porter-Nocella. Photographs by Robert Geh.
To describe Meredyth Cilento as fanatically tenacious, and an obsessive, possessed perfectionist with maniacal overtones would be an absolute understatement! And if you think this is a bit overstated, one look at her work would soon corroborate this view. Just look at her collection of trees on stately display in the hallway entrance of her home, for example. However, before we get into detail let’s look at where it all began. Meredyth was born into the rather privileged Cilento family, and describes herself as being ‘fortunate in her choice of parents’ ... in that she was exposed to arts and culture early in life and actively encouraged to dabble. She dabbled in painting, linocuts, etching, sculpture and photography ... ‘and while thoroughly enjoyable, none of then grabbed me by the throat. Then one day I was walking through a hardware store where someone was demonstrating a band saw. I was attracted by the smell of freshly cut pine and stopped to watch. Having had both a father and a husband who were impractical, this was my first exposure to woodwork.’ So she bought the band saw, took it home, spent ages setting it up ... only to become increasingly frustrated, since each time she wanted to ‘go around a corner’ the blade fell off.
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She soon discovered that ‘if you want curves you need a scroll saw’, so she went out, found one, played with it a while and fell instantly in love. And so it came to be that the wonderful German-made Hegner went home to live with her ... (happily ever after). After trying out jigsaw puzzles and small animals that she sold at the Willunga Quarry Market, she realised that she could combine her love of writing with esoteric art works that could tell a story equally well, but without words. Just Meredyth and her Hegner. This dabbling in the various art forms came to Meredyth a little later in life owing to how things were ‘in the day’. She was in her 40s by the time she had discharged her womanly duties — like graduating from Nursing only to marry almost straight away and start a family — so it was only when she had finished parenting that she felt she could treat herself to a little ‘me-time’. Hence the dabbling ... being seduced by the smell of freshly cut pine ... the band saw ... and finally, ‘the Hegner’. Part of the joy of this new passion was in rooting out interesting bits of wood. She rarely colours the wood, but shapes her work around the various colours, patterns and even faults in the various pieces, finally preserving them with three or four coats of Cabot’s Danish oil meticulously applied then dried with a tiny brush ... and pressurised air to remove any surplus oil that may have been caught in a miniscule gap.
Who in their right mind would choose a gnarly old piece of wood that’s going to fight you every inch of the way? Predictably enough, Meredyth favours redgum. So I should add the descriptor, ‘masochistic’, to the above list. Who in their right mind would choose a gnarly old piece of wood that’s going to fight you every inch of the way? I’m guessing just Meredyth and Hemingway’s old man and the sea! Having said that though, the wood is a beautiful colour and it does have amazing textures, that, as Meredyth has shown me in various of her pieces, have inspired a story simply by suggestions concealed in their pattern and form. The trouble was though, that as the works increased in quality, her disinclination to sell them increased along with it! In her own words, ‘ ... anything that was good enough to sell was too good to sell’ ... a phenomenon not unlike Yossarian’s ‘catch 22’ dilemma. However, it seems that anything that has been commissioned is exempt from catch 22. Fair enough. > Previous page: 10cm high Bonsai trees. Top left: Part of a ten box autobiographical piece. Top right: Merdyth Cilento in front of her autobiographical works. Photograph by Heidi Linehan. Left: Detail of one of the ten boxes.
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Top: Local trees drawn during walks. Above: Detail from the piece at top.
A few years ago she was approached to prepare an exhibition of wooden crosses for St Peter’s Cathedral. This proved to be so popular that she not only sold a good deal of the exhibition, but had many orders for pieces similar to those that had sold — as well as a commission for a seven-foot processional cross for St Margaret’s Anglican Church at McLaren Vale — quite a challenge after the 4-10 inch ones!) This in turn led to an invitation to exhibit wooden crosses at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane. While Meredyth herself is not a religious person she is very proud of a piece she calls ‘Universal Suffering’, which is a highly stylised cruciform (the other crosses are sans body) which may not particularly be Christ, but is loosely representative of Everyman’s tortured journey through the darker aspects of life. This may have been Meredyth’s intention when creating this piece, but it’s what I see when I look at it.
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This is another thing about the body of her work. A great deal of it is involved with humanity ... sometimes represented as animals or insects ... often alluding to feminist ideas or experiences ... but always wide open to various interpretations by the viewer, dependent on each viewer’s personal journey. Such is her fanaticism, that once she discovers a piece of old stump with exciting potential she’ll walk past it continually, imagining all that is hidden within. Then, once she manages to inveigle it from whomever or wherever it’s been lying half-in half-out of a golf course or other such locus, she’ll get it home and start bringing it to its potential. Sometimes this will involve finely sanding ravaged bits then fastidiously collecting the wood dust to mix with expoxy resin to fill in the splits or gashes to keep it firm once she begins carving. This process is repeated until the piece is stable enough to withstand a scroll saw ... and then the extraction of a story begins.
the court house food · wine · art
Starting point of the McLaren Vale Cheese and Wine Trail, Blessed Cheese combines a specialist artisan and farmhouse cheese shop, licensed café and providore. Pack a picnic or dine in our casual café for a regional breakfast, lunch, coffee or cake and of course ... cheese.
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Merenia Vince gets acquainted with Father Tom and learns that
Love is everything This autumn I visited Father Tom Gleeson, beloved Catholic priestin-residence of Willunga, at Parish House and sat with him at his cluttered kitchen table drinking Green Gunpowder tea (Temple of Heaven brand). We talked for two hours while magpies warbled and the morning sun took the chill off the stone of his house. Father Tom is a complex man of many facets. On the one hand, there is the roguish down-to-earth Father Tom; a one-time football player and sheet metal worker of Tipperary-Irish stock, famous for conducting Mass unshod and dropping the odd good natured ‘bloody’. Just as authentically, Father Tom is a wise, intuitive, and deeply spiritual person with a certain timelessness to him. Meditation is the centring point in his life and he routinely goes ‘outback’ to connect with the Earth and the Divine. What truly defines Father Tom though, is love. Love is his essence and he meditates three times a day to connect with what he calls the ‘fire of love that abides in us all’. In turn he tries to embody that love; and indeed, Father Tom radiates an inner beauty. He is widely loved in the Willunga and Fleurieu communities by people of many faiths and journeys, well beyond the scope of his Catholic parish, who are all drawn by his open heart and come to count him as a friend. Father Tom’s love is large and inclusive, overriding boundaries of faith, creed, culture and race. He considers that we belong to one human family and share one origin and one destiny. He respects other world religions and sees them all as ‘major rivers running to the same ocean: the ocean of love’. A world traveller, he has connected with people of many faiths and found the common ground of love unites him with everyone. His universal perspective of God means he uses many names for the divine: the Beloved, the Presence at the heart of things, the Mother Earth, the Fire of Love, the Spirit, the Hidden Fire, the Spirit of the Land, the Spirit of the Dreaming, the Mother, the Father. Father Tom has a deep spiritual connection to the Fleurieu. While holidaying in Adelaide some years ago he visited Noarlunga beach and sensed sacred energy which he found was related to the local
Tjilbruke Dreaming trail. Moved by the Tjilbruke story, Father Tom walked the entire trail over 26 days, following the rugged coastline from Seacliff to Cape Jervis, round to Victor Harbor and circling up the centre of the peninsula to Kanmantoo. He developed a oneness with the land, the elements, and the wildlife and felt the presence of the Hidden Fire, an essential part of the Dreaming. He also recognised the spirit of the Hidden Fire as the same Spirit of God in the Christian world. The Fleurieu stayed in his thoughts, even in dreams, until several years later he accepted an invitation from the South Australian Bishop to become priest at Willunga ... right in the centre of Tjilbruke Dreaming country. He has a unique ‘brief’, which is ‘to foster spiritual journeying in less traditional ways’. He leads multi-faith meditation sessions daily, as well as a contemplative prayer community, and has a strong relationship with the many indigenous groups in the region. Father Tom sees the earth as sacred and alive with the ‘Beloved’, containing a living fire. He goes barefoot to be fully in touch with the earth, which he calls ‘Mother’. He believes all life is interconnected, and grieves for the violence we do to the earth, and to each other. He suggests that ‘illness, suffering and disintegration of community are reminders that we are out of touch with the earth, each other and the ‘Divine’. He honours the wisdom of indigenous Australians and considers it a tragedy that their ‘great treasury of knowledge of the land’ goes unrecognised and unvalued by all Australians. The week that I walked and talked with Father Tom was a heartbreaking one in the world: the funeral of the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, reigniting bitter division in British society; the waking nightmare of Syria ground ever deeper; the Boston Marathon was overtaken by a bewildering act of terror. It gave me pause to think of Father Tom fostering harmony and love in our peninsula. Tom Gleeson: man of God, man of Love. The world needs more people like you. Portrait of Father Tom by Heidi Linehan.
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Leonie Porter-Nocella stops in at Fino in Willunga and finds out it’s now
Twice as nice Photographs by Grant Beed.
Since Sharon Romeo’s late teens she supported herself by working in many of Adelaide’s best coffee and/or eating establishments while studying for a BA in psychology and sociology. My own recollections of her in this era are of a tiny, shaven-headed little dynamo scuttling around the (then) fashionable Italian-styled coffee cafes with up to half a dozen coffees, perhaps even more, balanced along her arms, single-handedly delivering swift and stylish service while a squadron of young (similarly employed) Italian bucks chatted among themselves and posed for admiration. Since those days she went on to grace the floors of many up-market restaurants, and finally, rather than pursuing the career for which she studied, she chose to follow her love of good food and wine by joining the very talented Mr Swain to start up their highly-accoladed restaurant, Fino. This has been a great pairing, since he creates food to complement the wine she chooses ... and she is recognised as one of the finest ‘noses’ in the business! Her obvious talent and passion for wine – especially the more creatively experimental wines of the region – have seen her win the National ‘Best Small Wine List Awards’ no less than four times. She is also driven to keep the food culture of her Italian parents alive and relevant. These days Sharon lives in Port Willunga with her dearest and closest friend ... along with Devon Rex ‘Blix’, and Lilac Burmese ‘Orlando’ for feline palliation.
and legendary Barossa wine destination Seppeltsfield, as part of Seppeltsfield’s major redevelopment, designed by Max Pritchard and opening later this year’. There will, naturally, be differences in the two Finos. The Barossa version will offer all day bar food and al la carte dining seven days. I would imagine that the wine list will reflect the terroir, just as the Willunga one is skewed to the more experimental and newer grape varieties of the McLaren area. The Willunga Fino will undoubtedly continue to promote its ‘shared dish’ philosophy as well as a la carte dining. For further information on opening hours, menus, wine lists and breaking news, go to fino.net.au.
Left: Sharon Romeo, one half of the management team at Fino. Below: The original Fino in Willunga.
David Swain, on the other hand, is peacefully married with two boys and over the years has successfully headed up various wellrespected restaurants on and around the Fleurieu. In my visits to the many fine establishments we have here on the peninsula I meet numerous chefs and restaurateurs, many of whom have worked with or under David, and each one, without exception, has enthusiastically sung his praises. He is apparently a consummate gentleman, never ‘loses it’ (quite a rare but welcome attribute in a chef) is able to create well-balanced and inventive menus using seasonal and harmonious produce ... and keeps dishes steadily leaving the pass while barely breaking into even a semblance of a sweat! Attributes that his colleagues, co-workers and past associates have all greatly admired! But now, just after celebrating their 7th year of existence, just as we’ve all claimed Fino as our very own Fleurieu fixture, they’re going to replicate themselves IN THE BAROSSA (of all places). What a shock! However on closer questioning, it won’t really be so much a replication as a presence in a different wine area – described by a reviewer as ‘a collaboration between the much loved Fino team 43
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ALDINGA BEACH
MILE END
OLD NOARLUNGA
MUSIC & BOOKS
Book Reviews by Mike Lucas.
bonds of the boys’ friendships are tested at that age when few remain intact. The novel explores the resigned acceptance of a victim to a violent way of life, how that violence is perpetuated between generations and the perceived justification of the crimes committed.
The Tower Mill by James Moloney
Published by University of Queensland Press ISBN 9780702249327 $29.95
Me & Rory Macbeath by Richard Beasley
Published by Hachette Australia ISBN 9780733630309 $29.99 Me and Rory MacBeath is a story that thrives on the poignantly effective narrative of a teenage boy coping with fading innocence, inner confusion and a violent event that catalyses him into adulthood. Set in Adelaide in 1977, three boys from very different families play, fish, swim and test the boundaries of rebellion. Around them, parents, neighbours and other children from the street provide an ever moving backdrop for Jake, the thirteen year old narrator, to view, contemplate and speculate on what may be going on behind the street’s closed doors. Harry, his single, hard drinking, chain-smoking mother is a barrister of contradictory personality; with an open minded, realistic, view of the world, she makes time to involve and be close to her son and care for her neighbours. When the violence occurs, Jake and Harry each cope with the situation in their own necessary ways; both together and apart, and the
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James Moloney’s first adult novel deals with political tensions, stolen possibilities and the slow, smouldering anger at a preconceived future being forever changed by the actions and ignorance of an intolerant government institution. The facts are that in 1971 the Springboks toured Australia, causing widespread anti-apartheid demonstrations. In Queensland, the then Premier Joh BjelkePetersen issued a state of emergency and used a police show of force to quell such a demonstration as that at The Tower Mill in Brisbane. These real political events create the rising action and the conflict for Moloney’s fictional characters to engage with over the next thirty years. As one of the demonstrators at The Tower Mill, a split second decision sets Susan’s life on a very different path to the one she had planned for herself and her boyfriend, Terry. Three decades later, the reverberations of the events of that night are still being felt by the guilty and the innocent, the perpetrator and the victim, the mother and the son. Partly recounted by Susan, partly by her son, Tom, this is a story of family turmoil, political corruption, grief and resentment. It is a story that may very well be out there in the land of reality, and the real skill of this author is blurring that line between the true events and his own fictional creation.
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Published by Pan MacMillan Australia ISBN 9781742612829 $32.99 Adelaide author, Hannah Kent, is set to become the name on the literary lips of Australia with this wintry tale of a condemned woman’s house arrest on a family farm in early nineteenth century Iceland. Based on a true story, this chilling account of Agnes Magnúsdóttir’s incarceration for a ruthless murder builds the realism and drama upon its unembellished characters, bleak settings and detailed historical research. When Tóti, a young reverend, is requested by Agnes to be her spiritual guardian in preparation for her execution, he has to question whether his training has prepared him for such a dark task. And as Agnes recounts her story of love and betrayal in a deeply metaphoric narrative, both the reverend and the family begin to see the bare bones of the desperate existence that has brought her into their lives. This is a human story of tragedy and suffering, a tale of accepted hardships
and dark superstitions, and a lesson in truth versus rumour. When you turn the pages, you are there in the moss covered farmhouse; the harsh landscape devours you; the suspense broods over you like the snow clouds covering the mountains. And in the midst of it all is Agnes, guilty or innocent, but alone.
The Big Dry by Tony Davis
Published by HarperCollins ISBN 9780732297633 $15.99 A post-apocalyptic story for readers aged ten years plus. In an unspecified region of Australia, where water is a traded commodity, and heat, storms and starvation constantly threaten, a thirteen year old boy waits for his father to return. When this doesn’t happen, George is forced to take care of himself and his six year old brother, Beeper. The unwanted arrival of a mysterious girl into their ramshackle house unearths enmity from George and jeopardises the bond between him and the only remaining member of his family.
Desperate, menacing, confused and resigned characters cross the boys’ paths as they attempt to endure a world where parents disappear, where rain is no more and where sudden, deadly dust storms clog throats, cover buildings and blow away what little possessions people own. Themes of isolation, survival and family duties are wound around the larger subject of environmental damage; and the idea of children surviving in a parentless world will excite and concern the target reader. Nothing in this story will cause any doubt that these events could really happen, so close to home, and it is this that will make this book a hit with children when it is published in July.
Hemingway’s Boat by Paul Hendrickson
Published by Random House Vintage ISBN 9780099565994 $19.95 This isn’t meant as a biography, writes Paul Hendrickson in the prologue to this colossal account of Hemingway’s life from 1934 until his tragic, but not unexpected suicide in
1961. Hemingway stated on many occasions that he had three loves in his life – fishing, shooting and writing – and it is the first that Hendrickson bases his study upon. That’s not to say the other two are overlooked in favour of the multi-faceted and often astounding tales of Hemingway’s outings on his cruiser, Pilar, but instead Hendrickson gives credence to the idea that each of his passions were incessantly linked. Hemingway is one of the most broadly analysed authors of the twentieth century, loved and derided, his books often a mimicry of his own life. He was a master fisherman. He was a bare knuckle fighter. He was a husband four times over. And he was a father to three boys, all of whom resented him, at times, for the other things that he sometimes became. Hendrickson has lived Hemingway. He has interviewed surviving family, acquaintances, anybody, it seems, who has crossed Hemingway’s path. And through these people he has provided a bittersweet, balanced truth of a tormented man who drowned himself, and often those closest to him, in anguish. Amid so much ruin, still the beauty.
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Dune
Paolo Nocella sheds some light on the Normanville sand dunes.
Having lived directly behind the shelter provided by the Normanville Sand Dunes for several years, it was always a source of amazement that these particular dunes remained, albeit in a much reduced version, while others had simply diminished over time into obscurity ... virtually unobserved. Few, if any at all, of the many thousands of enthusiastic visitors to the beautiful beaches stretching from secluded Myponga to the more open vistas of Carrickalinga, Normanville and Lady Bay would take a second look at the white dunes separating the waters of the Great Southern Ocean from the inland hamlets, shacks, holiday homes, camping grounds and caravan parks where they’ll spend the day, a week or a month holidaying. And yet those dunes deserve to be recognised and appreciated for the valuable function they perform in storing and stabilising the sand that nourishes the beach and
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preventing erosion. This environment also hosts a large number of flora and fauna not often found elsewhere in the State; as in the case of the vulnerable Thinornis rubricollis (the Hooded Plover) and the rare Neophema elegans (the Elegant Parrot). The Normanville sand dunes are estimated to be around 6,000 years-old and represent the last major remnants of dunes that had existed right along the entire coast of the Gulf of Saint Vincent. Sadly though, they currently extend a mere 2.5 km either side of the Bungala River from Carrickalinga to Lady Bay. In their original pristine form the dunes used to provide a natural, protective barrier of varying width, between 50 and 100 metres, at an average height of about 10 to 15 metres. Pure silica white Holocene sands and quartz are the substances of which the dunes are formed; yet it is this unusually high silica and quartz content of the sands that was the main contributor to the demise of the dunes, since this composition renders the sand especially suitable for the manufacture of glass. For this very reason, between 1969 and 1988 the northern section of the dunes were heavily mined by Australian Consolidated Industries (ACI) — Australia’s major glass-making company. Their plant was situated in the Carrickalinga Sands precinct. As a result of this industry the dunes are now extremely vulnerable to erosion due to the loss of vegetation.
For thousands of years the sand dunes and coastal plains of Yankalilla Bay were home to the Kaurna and Ramindjeri people, the indigenous communities of the area. Several significant sites located in and around the dunes include middens, mounds or deposits containing shells, animal bones and other refuse that indicate the site of human settlement. The Normanville Dunes are now recognised as having National Heritage significance and were consequently listed on the State Heritage Register on 11 April 1996. The Yankalilla council works in collaboration with an active Dune Care group and its own Council Dunes Advisory Committee to ensure the future sustainability of the dunes. Most notably, the Dune Care group constructs drift fencing to trap and keep the sand in damaged areas; they propagate and plant thousands of native plants; build walkways by which to access the beach while inflicting as little damage as possible; they erect signs to protect sensitive areas. They also keep weeds and pests under control and raise community awareness regarding dune issues. By educating the local and visiting community of the important function of the dunes it is hoped the dunes can be protected for the enjoyment of present and future generations. The dunes also provide a back-up supply of sand for storm situations and are nature’s defence of the land behind, as well as providing shelter from salt spray and wind – something of vital importance in the newly anticipated scenario of rising seas to be brought about by the massive climatic changes predicted for the rest of this century. However, those who may be tempted to use the dunes for sand boarding or for hooning in dune buggies should keep in mind that the dunes not only provide a unique habitat for the rare and delicate native flora and fauna, but the plants hold the dunes in place. Without the plants, the dunes would soon be blown away by the wind or washed away by waves during storms. And another very valid and hopefully persuasive reason for not sand boarding or driving sand buggies on the dunes should be the heavy fine that is likely to be slapped on you by the Yankalilla Council in accordance with by-laws designed to protect these dunes and the environment. The Yankalilla Council by-laws, in addition to prohibiting sand boarding, also prohibit the removal of flora and fauna from the dunes; fires cannot be lit in the dunes at any time; materials or nonindigenous flora and fauna cannot be dumped in the dunes (and this even includes lawn clippings) with horse-riding allowed only in designated areas and camping not allowed in any areas outside designated sites.
Top: A pair of hooded plovers (Thinornis rubricollis). Bottom: A lone Elegant parrot (Neophema elegans).
This environment also hosts a large number of flora and fauna not often found elsewhere in the State; as in the case of the vulnerable Thinornis rubricollis (the Hooded Plover) and the rare Neophema elegans (the Elegant Parrot).
Paolo wishes to thank the Yankalilla Council for its assistance in the preparation of this article.
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Leonie Porter-Nocella senses
Something decidedly fishy at the ‘about to be expanded’ Seaford Shopping Centre. Peter and Billy Moularas belong to an increasingly endangered species: ‘the rare, local fishmonger’, operating from their array of ‘Seafood Chest’ counters opposite Drake’s Foodland. The way in which this father and son business operates differs from other, larger purveyors of fish is that they get up early each morning, set off for the Safcol seafood auction, bid for whatever takes their eye at the time, then bring it back to their shop to be cleaned, filleted and prepared in the back work area for sale that same day. They cut and prepare only as need dictates throughout the day, which is yet another step in the provision of freshness. The sale of seafood in the larger chains; that is, those who sell fish along with a myriad of other comestibles, cannot possibly match that of the dedicated fishmonger for freshness and attention to detail, mainly owing to the fact that the fish they buy does not come directly from the daily auction process, but is accessed through a ‘chain’ of various seafood dealers who process it along the way. For example, at The Seafood Chest the potentially dangerous practice of mixing fish flesh, molluscs and shellfish together to make a convenient ‘marinara’ mix for use in pasta, paella or risotto dishes is safeguarded by draining excess water from the preparation, then vacuum-sealing convenient meal-sized portions of it. As many of you would probably realise, it’s the excess liquid that tends to ‘go off’, thereby risking contamination of an entire tray full of otherwise freshly fragrant fish. The know-how of making seafood the attractive food source that it undoubtedly is really needs to be undertaken by a dedicated expert in the commodity. Peter has been in the seafood industry ever since he was a young thirteen-year-old boy, taking the bus from Kurralta Park to spend 50
each weekend at his uncle’s Port Adelaide fish shop. Fish must have found its way into his blood, because he later went on to open his own business in Old Reynella; then after marriage and a few other ventures, he finally opened The Seafood Chest at Seaford. But that’s not where it ends. He has now purchased the shop that formerly housed ‘Cooinda Blinds’ in the group of shops at the McLaren Vale turnoff from Victor Harbor Road, where he’ll have much more room for the preparation work and all the other fishy business, as well as an outlet in the front selling not only seafood, but condiments and other related add-ons and items. Meanwhile he’ll cut back on the space he occupies at Seaford, since he’ll no longer need a space dedicated to ‘prep’. My interview with Peter was going along in a quiet, restrained vein ... until we hit on the subject of ‘the good ol’ days’ – when the conversation shifted gear sharply from ‘sedate’ to wild enthusiasm. What’s more, I knew exactly where he was coming from, since I, too, fondly remember the days of the horse-drawn ‘rabbitoh’ with his rows of rabbits hanging for housewives to view before buying ... and the milkman’s horse-drawn van that stopped at each house in the cool, dark of the early morning so that the ‘milkie’ could ladle milk from a huge can into each person’s lidded billy-can. The beauty of this was that the milk was ‘real’ and unprocessed, and as a child I was always enchanted by the way the horse knew to walk a few steps then stop, thereby allowing the milkie to keep abreast of the van so that he could jump in and top up before jumping through to deliver to the house across from the last – with the added bonus of horse poo for the roses and strawberries! Then there was the greengrocer’s van ... and the iceman who ‘cameth’ to deliver huge blocks of ice, depositing them into the top of the ‘ice-chest’ to cool the food stored in the compartment below. Over summer the
iceman came more frequently. The back of the open tray carrying these huge blocks was covered in hessian, presumably to keep the ice from sliding around. The real delight of the iceman’s visit was in leaping up onto the tray, and sitting on the hessian to suck on chips of ice created by the huge ‘ice-grabbers’ chipping off chunks as they grabbed each block. Aaah ... the joys of childhood lived in a simpler time. Children today will never know the thrill of jumping ‘surreptitiously’ on to the back of a truck to steal ice chips before they melted in the heat. Poor dears have to make do with sugary, artificially coloured and flavoured ice on a stick, without even risking life and limb in the process! Those were the heady days of childhood! Anyhow, the point of this digression was to set the scene for Peter’s own reflections on changes he’s seen over the years in the way we buy or source our food. He, like so many other ‘new Australians’ lived right in Adelaide. His family lived in Sturt Street at a time when very few people had cars. The kids played quite safely in the middle of the street in the middle of Adelaide and everybody knew everybody else. The shopping was all done locally and they went to the butcher for meat, the fruiterer for fruit and veg, the haberdasher for haberdashery, the newsagent, the coffee bar, the tobacconist, the barber, the chemist, the fishmonger ... and each of these people was well-known to each family and each of these people specialised in their own field and were responsible for ensuring that their customers received the very best in goods and services ... otherwise they’d soon know all about it!.
He sources only local fish since it’s always far better quality, and, as we’re all coming to realise, local is better for many more reasons than just quality and freshness. The only thing that concerns him these days is that other states have also realised the quality of our fish and their buyers tend to push the prices up for us, since they’re prepared to pay top dollar to get their hands on it. But despite all the fluctuations in price, Peter, who is very ‘old school’ when it comes to quality and service, is determined to stick with it, eventually pass the business on to Billy, and keep on flying the flag! And so say all of us! Previous page: Fresh salmon on ice. Above left: Peter Moularas. Above right: Garfish aplenty.
This is the reason Peter sticks to small-time fish mongering at a time when many have thrown in the towel, having been defeated by bigger markets. He sources only local fish since it’s always far better quality, and, as we’re all coming to realise, local is better for many more reasons than just quality and freshness. 51
COUNTRY LIFE
The Ocean’s watchdog Louise Pascale updates us on the activities of Kangaroo Island’s Dolphin Watch.
Above: Youth Connects Dolphin Watch field survey at Dashwood Bay. All photographs Phyll and Tony Bartram.
One of the joys of being on the Fleurieu is sitting on its shores and watching pods of dolphins go by. It happens so often in these parts that it can be easy to take it for granted. Yet when they wash up dead on our beaches it brings home to us how fragile they really are. ‘As a key-stone species they are like canaries in the coal mines in that they actually give you indicators on how things are going,’ says Tony Bartram of Kangaroo Island’s Dolphin Watch. ‘Remembering we are looking at statewide fatalities and wondering why that is happening. So perhaps this key-stone species is tapping us on the shoulder and warning, “Watch out!”’ He believes there are a myriad of threats facing our dolphins. Agricultural runoff has seen fertilisers enter the water along with sewerage from effluent ponds. Then there are bi-catches, commercial netting, general deterioration of the environment, algal blooms and rising sea temperatures. In fact Dolphin Watch recorded water temperatures as high as 32 degrees last summer. And it does not stop there. Kangaroo Island locals are now fighting mining exploration in the Kangaroo Island Pools. This exploration could see seismic surveillance disrupting dolphin habitats on a constant basis. Yet in order to protect the mammals we need to know more about them, and that is the focus of Dolphin Watch. Using ‘citizen science’ Tony and his wife Phyll, take volunteers, scientists and students out to collate data and information about dolphin pods around the Island. In all there are 11 sites on land and sea where they are photographed and counted. Each dolphin is identifiable by its unique dorsal fin, and once photographed is added to the extensive catalogue. To date this catalogue contains 200 dolphins, each with its own name. The data they collate are input directly online at islandmind.com.au … and they use Google mapping to show in real time exactly where around Kangaroo Island and Victor Harbor they have been recorded.
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After each expedition they are able to determine who was within which pod and track their movements around the Island. This information has been collated for seven years over 136 trips and is shared with the scientific community worldwide. They also have a committee of scientists who provide them with feedback and answer any questions they may have. Tony believes that owing to the fact that they are constantly inputting to the available data and are working from a natural habitat, they are in a position to show people the animals’ natural behaviour. In fact it was one volunteer’s observations and photographs that helped to clarify to the scientific community that dolphins actually exhale through their blowhole underwater. Until then it was often believed they only did this once they came to the surface. Dolphin Watch monitors primarily bottlenose dolphins. They are able to do this through their community and schools’ engagement program that sees them also undertake monitoring in Victor Harbor, and through project partners Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the Upper Spencer Gulf and Townsville. Tony explains, ‘the fact that we are looking at connectivity statewide, the fact we have centres elsewhere, means we will be able to actually advise the authorities about particular issues related to each of those centres’. Kangaroo Island Community Education, St Peters College, Whyalla High School and John Pirie High School are just some of the schools that have taken part in the program, and while their work has benefitted the scientific community the personal benefits are immeasurable. ‘It’s good to know that we’re breaking new ground,’ says one of the students involved in the program. ‘People haven’t done this before. It’s really important that we do it now so future generations can keep hold of what we’re doing.’
“As a key-stone species they are like canaries in the coal mines in that they actually give you indicators on how things are going.”
Above left: Dashwood Bay pod January 25th 2012 Above right: Female and calf Dashwood Bay January 2011.
Using ‘citizen science’ Tony and his wife Phyll, take volunteers, scientists and students out to collate data and information about dolphin pods around the Island. A retired schoolteacher, Tony knows how hard it can be for some students to stay engaged in a classroom all day. Yet through Dolphin Watch they are given a chance to learn about marine science in the marine environment. Unsurprisingly, it is the most disenfranchised students who gain the most out of this process. Because Dolphin Watch is a multilayered program where any person at any skill level can come in to it and be a success, they are the ones who often become leaders and helpers. Taking this model and approach they have also worked with ‘young people at risk’. Here they have taught them not only how to monitor the dolphins, but about photography and relevant software they can use to crop and manage their own images. Also, through Youth Connect, Tony and Phyll tapped in to a group of volunteers on the Island who continue to give up their time for this work. Education about the importance of dolphins in the marine environment is another arm to the organisation, and one they are very passionate about. They regularly present talks nationally and internationally, hold community forums and work with the media to communicate what they have learnt and the importance of marine conservation. According to Tony, one in three people on Kangaroo Island has had some connection to Dolphin Watch.
While being out on the water watching dolphins in the wild serves an important purpose, there is no denying that it is also a truly amazing feeling. Often they have more volunteers than opportunities to go out. Trips to collate data are intentionally adhoc; for two reasons. Firstly to keep the data random, and secondly to work around the skippers who charter their boats at cost. The work of Dolphin Watch has not gone unnoticed. Over the years they have won numerous awards, including the Premier’s Science Excellence Award, the Women’s Weekly Environmental Heroes Award, and most recently, the International Fund for Animal Welfare Animal Education Action Award. Tony reflects that although awards can be ‘funny things’, they tend to be good for funding and attracting the attention of other people, which in turn may draw more attention to the program. Another advantage of going for an award is that it involves a review of processes, so by undertaking the award process means that processes are constantly being reviewed, giving all concerned a means by which to evaluate and improve what they do. Tony also feels that the awards ‘only mean something if they reflect upon the volunteers’. But all the accolades in the world won’t mean anything to Tony until he has reached his real goal. That is to have a marine science centre built on the wharf in the centre of Kingscote. This centre would be available to scientists and universities from around the world who would come and study the dolphins in their natural habitat. While Tony may indeed be retired, this project is one he is not retiring from soon. For Phyll and him there is still a long way to go. ‘You never leave the battlefield until the war is won’, Tony implores. ‘It is getting to that stage with these creatures and they are the cream of the crop in terms of the marine environment, and there’s a hell of a lot more out there.’ 53
BUSINESS PROFILE
A reputation well built FLM asked Mike Lucas to write a piece on ‘Don Bailey, an honest and decent businessman.’ Photographs by Heidi Linehan.
Now there’s a statement that sets itself up for cynicism. But take a look at Bailey Homes’ written testimonials, spend time talking to Don, and you’ll find that this much desired reputation is quite well founded. I met Don and his wife, Carolyn, at their recently renovated offices in Victor Harbor. But before I did, I was greeted by the cheery smile of their receptionist – who conveyed a professionalism that immediately indicated a willingness to fulfil the needs of their customers. This story is about Don and Carolyn, rather than Bailey Homes, but I soon discovered that it was hard to separate the people from the business. Your Vision… Our Passion is the company’s clear and direct statement, and you can not only see this exemplified in the
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way that Don deals with customers but in the industry recognition through the numerous awards they have won. Bailey Homes has grown from Don alone, twenty three years ago, to one of the most successful building companies on the Peninsula, employing a staff of sixteen plus many more subcontractors. Constructing approximately twenty new houses each year, they also carry out extensions, renovations and some commercial work. The son of an English father and a Danish mother, Don was born in South Africa, moving to Australia with his family at the age of four. Don wanted to leave school when he had just turned sixteen, and clearly remembers his dad supporting his decision on one condition: he must get a job. So with that possibility, Don started looking for work. He enrolled in a carpentry apprenticeship in Adelaide, completing it four years later in 1980. Both Don and Carolyn attended Victor Harbor High School, but it wasn’t until 1982, when Carolyn was a local primary school teacher and Don was working as a carpenter at the adjoining church, that
Bailey Homes has grown from Don alone, twenty three years ago, to one of the most successful building companies on the Peninsula, employing a staff of sixteen plus many more subcontractors. Constructing approximately twenty new houses each year, they also carry out extensions, renovations and some commercial work.
they began ‘seeing one another’. A year later they were married. In 1985 he became one of the youngest people in South Australia to receive a builders’ license, and the couple launched their own business, DS & CP Bailey. Initially operating from home, they soon moved to their first office in Victor Harbor, and in 1995 relocated to their current premises on Victoria Street. Throughout those years Carolyn continued to work as a teacher and occasionally Don would visit the school to teach the students carpentry skills. They have lived in their own Bailey Home for 25 years, which sits on a piece of land that was owned by Carolyn’s grandparents. ‘There’s a sentimental attachment to the land,’ said Carolyn, but I felt that she was talking about more than just the actual plot. The couple have three children. Jessica, their eldest, gained a business qualification at TAFE, and now works alongside her husband, Anthony, at Bailey Homes. Their second, Josh, is an occupational therapist, whose work has taken him to orphanages in Cambodia. Janessa, the youngest, who arrived twelve weeks early after an emergency helicopter flight to Flinders Medical Centre, is in year eleven and intends to join the company when she’s a bit older. So what makes Bailey Homes so successful? Don says it’s the quality of the tradespeople and the great support of the hard working staff that shares the same passion for building homes as Don and Carolyn. But you can tell this isn’t the whole story. Don and Carolyn have put, and continue to put, all of their life into this
business. The fact that employees have left Bailey Homes and returned later is a reflection of both the quality of the company and the dedication of its employees. The company’s architecturally recognisable designs speak for themselves in terms of aesthetics, functionality and environmental sustainability. In 2009 Bailey Homes won the ‘Greensmart Energy Efficient Housing Award’. Water-saving technology, solar power and heating, natural cooling and energyefficient materials are just some of the innovative design applications that are incorporated into their new buildings. And the future for Bailey Homes? Despite Don and Carolyn remaining at the hub of the company’s operation, they are both heavily involved in mentoring the next generation of leaders in the business. ‘We’re very mindful of who we introduce into the company, and a key part of our recruitment process is finding people with the right heart,’ said Don. ‘We pride ourselves on providing our employees with long-term career prospects and opportunities to grow within the business. It’s so satisfying to know that our emerging team is as dedicated we are to helping people realise their dreams. It gives us great peace of mind,’ he concluded. Previous page: Three generations of the Bailey family. Top: The Bailey Homes team. Below: Don and Carolyn Bailey.
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Port Elliot Alexandra Paxinos rekindles her love for
Photographs by Alice Bell.
I’ve come to a conclusion. What makes Port Elliot such a great tourist destination is its eclectic mix of arts, beaches, antique shops and its diverse assortment of great eating options. Its standout point is, of course, Horseshoe Bay – one of Australia’s most beautiful beaches, packed yearround with a mix of locals and vacationers. In 1850 Port Elliot was proclaimed a Port by then South Australian Governor Sir Henry Young who named the Port after his friend, Sir Charles Elliot, Governor of Bermuda. Nestled between the other holiday venues of Victor Harbor and Goolwa, the town became the seaport for the River Murray trade which terminated at Goolwa when the Murray Mouth near Goolwa was deemed too treacherous and unnavigable. The first public railway in Australia was completed in 1854 to transport goods and passengers between Goolwa and Port Elliot; but in 1964 it came to light that Port Elliot was an equally unfortunate choice, due to a series of shipwrecks over the course of its time as a Port. The anchorage was then transferred and the railway extended to Granite Island at Victor Harbor, leaving Port Elliot to the fishermen, swimmers and surfers. Now, almost 40 years later, Port Elliot has a permanent residency population of 2700 people and is a popular coastal tourist destination along with Victor Harbor, Middleton and Goolwa. Over this time it has become a family vacation hot-spot. Naturally, the summer months are the busiest time for Port Elliot when the schools are on holiday and families make way for their seaside break. I myself remember being packed into the car on a hot summer’s day; bathers in the bag and boogie board in the boot. I used to love January. My cousins, their cousins and our family friends would all meet there, ready to indulge in a weekend of relaxation, board games, shopping,
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barbeques and of course, swimming ... or in my case, getting dumped by the waves at Boomer Beach. Many permanent residents of Port Elliot have migrated for their ‘sea-change’ lifestyle having been influenced by their family adventures at Port Elliot as a child. Walking back along these streets some 10 years after the family vacations have ended; I realise there is still much that has stayed the same. Aside from the beach, the most enduring memory of coming to Port Elliot in childhood was a lucky dip at The Bargain Barn on The Strand. I never thought much about it since then but I realise now that many people who have lived in or travelled to Port Elliot as a child share this same nostalgic memory. Dean and Lyn opened The Bargain Barn 32 years ago and have always had the lucky dips as a promotion, in part to create memories for children. Lyn even says that she still gets eighteen year-olds sheepishly buying lucky dips and pretending it’s for someone else, just so that they can evoke that childhood feeling of anticipatory excitement. In recent times it has become common for groups of girls to spend the day or weekend in Port Elliot on a ‘girls’ weekend’; often starting the morning off at one of the cafés for brunch; moving on to the shopping, and finishing up for dinner and drinks either in the Royal Hotel or in the newly renovated Hotel Elliot. I can even
More recently, while there is still a gentle mix of antique stores scattered throughout the town, the opening of modern upper-end stores such as Coast, All That Jazz, Jelly, and House of Elliot has made Port Elliot the ‘boutique shopping district’ on the Fleurieu coast. remember the women in my family heading off for their shopping tours and lunch rendezvous as the men took advantage of the time they had alone to surf at Boomer before all meeting up again for dinner at the Hotel Elliot. Now, even in the winter months, the ‘girls’ weekends’ have remained an important outing for locals and vacationers alike to get out of the house, or away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Previous page: Horseshoe Bay. Top left and right: Some of the finds at ‘All That Jazz’. Above: Realistic dolls on The Strand at ‘Dr Rose and Miss Daisy’.
More recently, while there is still a gentle mix of antique stores scattered throughout the town, the opening of modern upper-end stores such as Coast, All That Jazz, Jelly, and House of Elliot has made Port Elliot the ‘boutique shopping district’ on the Fleurieu coast. The ever-favourite Dog Dragon has people from all over South Australia flowing into Port Elliot, intrigued by John’s unique handpicked Indonesian/Javanese artefacts and furniture pieces, while South Seas Books next door has a cosy set-up where you can sit on the couch, have a coffee and read a book. A more eccentric find along The Strand is Dr Rose and Miss Daisy. Miss Daisy has an everchanging window display of very realistic hand-made dolls, which, for some are a little too life-like, but for the collector and doll aficionado,
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these are a very well-crafted and reasonably priced find. And if you’re lucky, Dr Rose may have a batch of his home-made chocolates or biscuits just ready for sale.
Top left: Afternoon tea at ‘House of Elliot’. Top right: Great shopping at ‘Coast by Design’. Above: Abundant treats at the ‘Port Elliot Bakery’. Next page: The new ‘Jelly’ serving as providore, café and shop.
I remember going to the Port Elliot Bakery too. It was opened in 1989 and I never truly appreciated just how good it was because I was too young. Until recently, I assumed its far reaching reputation was solely attributed to its long-standing success … but I realised that the reason for the accolades is because of the quality of their baking and the family environment under which they operate. For a more formal dining experience, the Flying Fish along the beach-front at Horseshoe Bay boasts not only a fantastic menu but a premier beachside location. With both formal and café style eating options, it is one of the most fortuitous bits of town planning anywhere on the Fleurieu. If you need a coffee with sea views after your morning beach walk the Flying Fish is the place to go. Feel like a cone of fish & chips on a sunny afternoon? They’ve got that too. A little bit off the beaten track on Waterport Road is the No 58 Cellar Door and Gallery. Situated on the historic Waverly Estate, you can enjoy a light lunch or wander, glass in hand, around the gallery. Port Elliot appeals to me because it has its own strong culture embedded everywhere you go within the town. There is a strong sense of camaraderie and many groups organised by the people in the community for the people of the community. On Mondays the South Seas book club meets and members are often given the opportunity to meet different authors. The community hall holds Zumba classes and table-tennis classes … and many other different classes so that there’s always something for everyone.
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Port Elliot also caters for those a little more fitness-enthused. Every Friday morning you’ll see the swimmers meet at Horseshoe Bay ready for their morning swim across the bay. On a nice day (especially) the Heysen Trail, which combines rugged cliff faces and scenic surf beaches is a popular trail for walkers and photographers. For cycling, the Victor to Goolwa bike path is good for a casual ride, while Crow’s Nest Hill, a slightly more challenging route, has been dubbed by the locals as ‘the lycra hangout’. The bluestone path from Horseshoe to Knights Beach is also another popular walking trail, along with the Basham Walk, and for those interested in the heritage aspects of Port Elliot, the Historic Walk held by the Historic Society is a must-do event.
Port Elliot appeals to me because it has its own strong culture embedded everywhere you go within the town. There is a strong sense of community and many community groups organised by the people of the community for the people of the community.
The historic Cockle Train, which passes through on its way to Victor or Goolwa is another distinct cultural icon in Port Elliot. In the early days of settlement locals would take a horse-drawn train to Goolwa to collect cockles from the Murray mouth, an activity still popular today; hence, the Cockle Train’s name. Lena from All That Jazz said ‘it’s a great icon for the tourists, but even the locals feel a sense of happiness when they see the Cockle Train go past and all the passengers, young and old, waving to passers-by.’
Maybe one of the more obvious sub-cultures in Port Elliot is the surfing culture. As Brent from Jelly recalls, ‘I remember walking down The Strand, past Alice Bell’s photography studio, and her little red car would be parked outside with her surf-board on the roof-racks and her bikini air-drying from the rear-view mirror after her morning surf, and it just summed up Port Elliot so perfectly for me.’ Brent is in the process of making light lunches and coffees a feature at Jelly along The Strand, where you can also buy fresh produce grown by locals and given to him in exchange for their coffee! In a very fitting manner, Sarah from South Seas Books says, ‘Port Elliot has a very village feel and I love that,’ and the more I visit here and spend time with the locals, the more I really start to feel it myself and the more it reaffirms my love for this place.
Port Elliot is also home to a renowned arts scene. The photos for this story were taken by the award-winning photographer, Alice Bell, who also runs photographic workshops from her eclectic studio space along The Strand, with a perfect beer-garden setting out the back for her Friday night wind-down drinks with friends. Local artist, Tracey Grivell, has her artwork gracing the open space at Jelly, and Chris De Rosa, another local artist resides there with her partner, ceramic artist, Gerry Wedd.
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Un momento in time
Heather Millar finds that for artist Chris De Rosa, life’s mementos are the inspiration behind the work. Photographs by Grant Hancock.
‘I’ve had this fascination with the sponge since I found out it’s not actually a plant, but a really simple animal that is quite prehistoric. They have this really incredible cellular structure, and they are water filterers, quite significant to the health of the ocean and sea life.’
Above: Portrait of the artist by emme.jade.
Whether it be a rose transplanted from Italy, or a sponge discovered on a beach on the Fleurieu coast, Chris De Rosa has a fascination with moments in nature and time and the things we do to capture them. Chris gathers mementos, and allows them to sit in her studio at Port Elliot. She contemplates them both in her studio and on her daily ritual swim across Horseshoe Bay before putting them to use. Until her early thirties, Chris was a fulltime nurse. It was only when she did a postgraduate elective in screen printing that she discovered her true calling. ‘Nigel Murray-Harvey, who had his own practice, was the teacher of that course and he was very inspirational for me. He encouraged me to leave nursing.’ Chris took the plunge and did a Diploma of Art at the North Adelaide School of Art. Today she nurses one day a week at Flinders, in addition to working one day a week at the bookstore next to her home. She finds this interaction with people a good counterbalance to her solo work in the studio. It was 12 years ago that she moved to Port Elliot. ‘I had this beautiful house in Underdale, and I thought I would never leave. But then I met Gerry!’ she laughs. ‘He talked me into it. He was a surfer, and felt he had to be close to the beach.’ Chris, herself, had been a swimmer at the pool up in town. She found a little pool at Victor where she could continue her laps. That’s where she met a woman who invited
her join a group of people who swam across the Bay regularly in the ocean at Horseshoe Bay. These days Chris swims daily with the group. ‘Horsehoe Bay is quite murky, and you don’t see much, so it’s often up to your imagination. But on the rare days that it’s clear, it’s quite incredible ... an underwater paradise. I also surf with Gerry. But because I’m a crap surfer I spend a lot of time walking the beach, finding these brown dried-up sea sponges and seaweeds and trying to imagine what they may have been like when they were alive in the ocean.’ Chris is currently working on an upcoming exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia – large scale digital prints of these sponges. ‘I’ve had this fascination with the sponge since I found out it’s not actually a plant, but a really simple animal that is quite prehistoric. They have this really incredible cellular structure, and they are water filterers, quite significant to the health of the ocean and sea life. So I find them half crushed, brown, and discarded – and I bring them back here. I leave them for a while… then I photograph them, scan them, draw them. And then I work on them in Photoshop and manipulate them, print them out, perforate them and paint or stain them.’ Another inspiration for Chris’ art is lace. She talks about an island off the coast of Venice called Burano – famous for lace-making. ‘In the museum on the island there is a story about a sailor who is going on a long voyage. He wants to give his loved one a memento > 61
before he leaves, so he jumps into the canal and pulls out a sponge or seaweed and gives it to her. She preserves this token of his love by turning it into lace. So my idea is that instead of constructing this memento using stitching, I’m using paper and kind of deconstructing it to make a memento of what this sponge may have been like. Also, there’s a book by JG Ballard, called The Drowned World, in which he predicts water taking over the earth. So I’m also interested in the melding of land forms and sea forms under water – in light of climate change and rising sea levels.’ Chris is also interested in introduced flora – like prickly pear and olives – and its relationship to the idea of the ‘replanted’ individual. Her aunt was Lucia, of Lucia’s at the Central Markets. She was one such transplanted individual. ‘She was a migrant,’ says Chris, ‘a young woman who came to a strange, dry, stony place from a fertile land, and who, with little nurturing, took root and flourished. Apparently she brought back this rose cutting from her garden in Italy smuggled in her bra. She had this big utilitarian garden that was all about practicality and food. But she also had this rose arbour that was her memento of home transposed into Findon. In addition, she had rose-patterned lino in her home, which sparked my interest in using old lino in my work also.’ The previous owner of Chris’s house in Underdale was one Catherine Bosworth – an artist and gardener. ‘She had this large specimen garden. And I found these old garden diaries she had kept over the years. I was interested in her drawings, and old photos, and began using them in my work also. So you see, it’s the mementos of life that capture my interest – whether it be on a home level, or on a sea level.’ Exhibition Heartland is on at the Art Gallery of South Australia from 8 June to 21 September. All images this and previous page: Artificial Kingdom, dimensions variable except image below left: Digital inkjet, etching, linocut and pigment stain on perforated magnani paper. 2.5m x 1.4m. 2013.
The Port Elliot Page the general
store
Capturing the spirit, quirkiness and flavours of Pt Elliot.
The Emporium Gifts, home wares and clothing from around the world. Shop 3/33 North Tce. Pt Elliot SA 5212. Ph: 08 8554 2111.
CLOSING DOWN SALE Due to family commitments our business will close at the end of the financial year 30 June 2013. All stock and fittings must go!
SALE BEGINS: Friday 7 June 30% off Friday 14 June 40% off Friday 21 June 50% off Friday 28 June LAST DAY 60% off! Thank you to all our loyal clients. 31 The Strand Port Elliot Ph: 08 8554 1958 Open Wednesday to Sunday 10am ~ 4pm.
ELLIOT
JELLY
Quality Food & Beverage - Unmatched Customer Service Lunch - Dinner - Accommodation - Weddings & Special Occasions Like us on for Live Music Gigs
Hotel Elliot 35 The Strand, Port Elliot T (08) 85542218 F (08) 8554 2256 E: info@hotelelliot.com.au W: www.hotelelliot.com.au
Visit our experienced team to enjoy an indulgent gourmet experience. We pride ourselves on our fresh quality meats direct from local growers to your plate. Indulgent Meats 1/42 North Terrace, Port Elliot SA 5212.
in depen den t book stor e in the heart of Port Ell i ot Mon day to Satur day ² 10.00am-5.00pm Sun days an d Public Holidays ² 11.00am - 4.00p m closed Tue sdays 53 North Ter race , Port Elliot, SA 5212 (08) 8 554 ² 2 301
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From Cornwall to McLaren Vale A Journey in Wine. By Stephanie Johnston.
A brand new cellar door in McLaren Vale positions fifth-generation Angove Family Winemakers to prosper for generations to come. ‘The greatest challenge for Angove is to continue to develop our presence as a significant player in the winemaking world. We’ve come a long, long way in a fairly short time and we’ve got to build on that, so that when people think of Australian wine, they think of Angove.’ (John Angove, Chairman and Managing Director, Angove Family Winemakers.) Few family companies survive into the fifth generation. A brand new cellar door in McLaren Vale is, however, positioning Angove Family Winemakers to prosper for generations to come. Nestled into the family’s Warboys Vineyard on Chalk Hill Road, the architectural design of the building consciously embodies the three phases of the company’s history, from its simple beginnings as a Tea Tree Gully vineyard, through significant industrial expansion into the South Australian Riverland and associated distillery operations, to a modern outlook based on making exceptional wines that are elegant, expressive of the region, and sustainably produced. The journey began in 1886 when Cornish settler Dr William Thomas Angove, like many doctors of his time, began making wine as ‘tonic’ for his patients. The sandstone barn at Tea Tree Gully where he made those first wines provides the inspiration for the old-meetsnew design of the company’s new McLaren Vale cellar door, which juxtaposes a sleek glass, steel and rendered building with a bluestone replica of the old Brightlands Cellars barn. 64
As you approach the cellar door from Chalk Hill Road, abutting the bluestone you see a low, utilitarian, rendered building, which deliberately evokes the era of industrial-scale wine and brandy production, as presided over by successive generations of the Angove family from the early 1900s to the 1970s. During this time fine, still red and white wines and sherry were made at Tea Tree Gully from the fruit of surrounding premium vineyards, while brandy and fortifieds were the focus of the Renmark and Lyrup operations in the Riverland. Post-war storage and crushing facilities installed at Renmark by Dr Angove’s son Carl ‘Skipper’ Angove continue to process the Angove family’s premium fruit from McLaren Vale and the Coonawarra today. During the 1970s, urban sprawl reached the vineyards around Tea Tree Gully, and the land was compulsorily acquired by the South Australian government for housing, spelling the end of wine and agricultural business in the area. Along with other prominent wine families, Carl’s son Tom contested this acquisition by all means possible; but to no avail. The Tea Tree Gully winery processed its last fruit on site in 1979 and with the strike of a politician’s pen, the region that three Angove generations had worked so hard to develop was re-zoned to make way for suburban Adelaide. John Carlyon Angove succeeded Tom as managing director in 1983, driving all aspects of the business, including redevelopment of the 480 hectare Nanya Vineyard at Renmark, (which supplied the company’s commercial wine and brandy brands), investment in world-leading bottling technology, and the successful rebranding of the business to Angove Family Winemakers.
The loss of the company’s key Tea Tree Gully holdings led John to look for suitable replacements, and in 2008 he purchased the vineyard located on the corner of Oliver’s and Chalk Hill Roads, in the Seaview sub-region of McLaren Vale. Planted to old vine Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the old Manning Park vineyard was re-named ‘Warboys’ in acknowledgment of a vineyard located a few hundred metres down the road from Dr Angoves’ original Tea Tree Gully residence. Fifth-generation Angove family member Richard is driving the McLaren Vale business development, after clocking up ten years’ winemaking experience in Spain, the US, France, Canada and a number of Australian wine regions: ‘We are fortunate to have a fantastic vineyard with great old vines, and, through minimal intervention, and sustainable organic and biodynamic practices we hope to grow the best fruit possible each year.’ >
Nestled into the family’s Warboys Vineyard on Chalk Hill Road, the architectural design of the building consciously embodies the three phases of the company’s history, from its simple beginnings as a Tea Tree Gully vineyard, through significant industrial expansion into the South Australian Riverland and associated distillery operations, to a modern outlook based on making exceptional wines that are elegant, expressive of the region, and sustainably produced. Previous page: The cellar door nestled in amongst the Warboys Vineyard on Chalk Hill Road. Photograph by Mark Zed. This page Above: A shot taken from amid the gum trees across from the vines. Photograph by David Evans. Left: The outdoor entertaining area for those glorious warm afternoons. Photograph by Mark Zed.
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FOOD & WINE
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‘Since we purchased it we immediately began using organic and bio-dynamic viticultural practises, and we are fully certified organic and bio-dynamic’, Richard continues. ‘We believe this is an environmentally sustainable way to farm, as we hope to be working this land 100 years from now.’
‘McLaren Vale is a big part of our future plans’, says Richard, who believes the region’s Mediterranean climate makes it the most consistent and sustainable in the country. ‘It produces our favourite style of shiraz and is also very well suited to grenache, and we think this variety has a lot of potential.’
Previous page Top left: Fourth and fifth generation family members Richard, Victoria and John Angove. Photograph by David Evans. Top right: The original Brightlands Cellar barn. Bottom: Bluestone replica of the Brightlands Cellar. Photograph by Mark Zed.
Richard explains that the vineyard is lucky to enjoy two distinct aspects, with different soil profiles. The steeper south-facing slope has thin, sandy, iron-rich topsoil with a well-drained limestone base that supports the fragrant, spicy old-vine shiraz grapes, while the darker red-loam soils of the gentler sloping north-facing hill produce grenache, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and merlot fruit that is slightly more robust, and richer in flavour. Richard has also recently planted some carignan, a red wine grape from the ‘Barcelona Priorat’ region.
This page Above: A generous sized undercover function area boasting large wood oven and expansive vineyard views. Photograph by Mark Zed.
The Warboys Vineyard boasts shiraz vines planted in 1948, and grenache planted in 1964. ‘Since we purchased it we immediately began using organic and bio-dynamic viticultural practises, and we are fully certified organic and bio-dynamic’, Richard continues. ‘We believe this is an environmentally sustainable way to farm, as we hope to be working this land 100 years from now.’
‘As we started making these single vineyard wines from the Warboys Vineyard, we started to think that we really wanted a unique place >
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Above: The large tasting counter handcrafted with jarrah recycled from the Renmark winery’s 100-year-old storage vats. Photograph by Mark Zed.
Once inside a different story unfolds, as the building symbolically opens up to a sunny future. The floor to ceiling glass northern wall ensures magnificent, panoramic vineyard views and abundant natural light. to hand sell the wines and tell the story of the business, and so we started making some plans to look at opportunities to put a cellar door on the vineyard.’ The Angoves went to about five architects and selected Jamie Gladigau, of Tanunda-based JBG Architects. According to Richard, ‘He did this little scribbled hand sketch of the direction he was going in, and we were sold.’ The family wanted the vineyard to be front and centre. ‘We had thought about taking it further up the hill, but the more we came down into the gully, the more you were in amongst the vineyard, rather than sitting above it.’ Vineyard and cellar door visitors can now taste the single vineyard wines right from the middle of the vineyard where they are grown. A state-of-the-art enomatic wine delivery system serves the wine at the perfect temperature every time. The system also removes the oxygen from the bottle with sexy pneumatics, avoiding spoilage. ‘Because the system keeps wine for up to four weeks it means we always have our top wines, the single vineyard Warboys wines and our flagship shiraz ‘The Medhyk’ on tasting.’ Richard takes me on a tour of the cellar door, and we enter from the southern ‘utilitarian’ side of the building at an understated entry point. The architect’s background in designing industrial wine buildings is evident. The windows on this side are small and functional, and serve to protect against the weather, which generally comes from the southwest.
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Once inside a different story unfolds, as the building symbolically opens up to a sunny future. The floor to ceiling glass northern wall ensures magnificent, panoramic vineyard views and abundant natural light. Richard tells me that the tasting bench and much of the woodwork have been carefully handcrafted with jarrah recycled from the Renmark winery’s 100-year-old storage vats. The two soil profiles adorn the wall behind the counter, and the wine offering is complemented with regional food plates, fair trade coffee and tempting cakes. The pièce de résistance is an aeroplane-wing style roof which shades the front verandah and veers upwards over a huge outdoor wood-oven function area to the east, allowing the morning winter sun to flood into a relaxed lounge area. Jamie remembers saying to Richard ‘I think your cellar door staff will thank you for this because they’ll come into work, and they’ll step up to the counter and be greeted by the morning sunlight … It just makes the day start really well.’
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FOOD & WINE
Two top Fleurieu chefs give us their recipes! Photographs by Heidi Linehan.
Leonie Porter-Nocella prises recipes for Zuppa di pesce and Rabbit ragù with house-made pappardelle from Allister of eat@whalers, where both dishes are currently on the menu. Allister Parker Leonie says: ‘Having spent about eight years at Middleton – my first tentative venture away from the ‘almost city’ area of Unley – it felt like ‘real country’ to me, but at that time there were very few good eateries around ... as we found to our dismay once having commenced kitchen renovations soon after arrival. One of the better-known eateries, even back then, was ‘Whalers’ at Encounter Bay. I scornfully regarded it as ‘old lady ‘tea ‘n’ scone territory’ (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but it’s long suffered from that association ... and it’s this perception that Tenney and Allister Parker have struggled against.’ Eat@whalers, as it’s now been named by the Parkers, is amazing. Its north-facing fully-glassed facade has been opened up to the sea (literally a stone’s throw from the deck). The entire restaurant faces the calm waters of Encounter Bay, opening out onto a long, winding deck where tables, chairs, deck chairs, sofas and cushions have been scattered liberally. There’s even a sandpit out there with kitchen utensils for visiting sand chefs. Anyhow, the Parkers both hail from South Africa. Tenney’s from Pretoria/Cape Town and Allister comes from an unpronounceable place about 100kms inland from Durban. Fortunately, in the interest of aural comprehension, their accents have diminished somewhat since they left there back in ‘95. Following a cheffing holiday together in the UK they migrated to Australia in 2000, arriving to the chaos of the Sydney Olympics. Sydney consequently seemed a little daunting, so they tried Adelaide where Allister worked in several respected kitchens before coming to the Esplanade at Victor Harbor to own their first restaurant. They named it ‘Blues’, and after hitting on a concept of ‘getting people through the door’ by staging internationally-themed cuisine nights, they not only raised the profile of their restaurant, but showed Allister’s food to be extremely versatile and innovative. The food was authentic and the nights exciting ... and all the locals went and had a great time ... including food-snobby ol’ me! From there they moved to Middleton, taking the ‘Blues’ name with them. They were equally successful at Middleton, since by that time they had acquired quite a following. But seven years and one child later, they needed a break ... and sold. During a short stint at Goolwa
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they found that Whalers was about to become available so moved on it, albeit with a second child in tow. And that’s the story of how ‘tea ‘n’ scones’ Whalers underwent massive changes to emerge wonderfully transformed as ‘eat@whalers’. Since seasonality tends to dictate opening hours just check their website at www.whalers.com.au. Now, after placing everything into context, here are Allister’s starter and main for you to try at home.
Rabbit ragù with housemade pappardelle pasta Pasta ingredients 1 cup of 00 plain flour 1 whole egg 2 egg yolks 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon salt Form the above ingredients into a dough, wrap in film and refrigerate until needed. Rabbit stock ingredients Rabbit bones white wine 1 carrot 1 onion 1 stick of celery 1 leek 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock Roast bones in the oven until well browned. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine. Add one roughly chopped carrot, ½ a chopped brown onion, one chopped celery stick, one washed and chopped leek. Add 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock and simmer until reduced by half. Strain stock and set aside. Rabbit ragū Ingredients 2 rabbits, jointed (ask your butcher) thyme 3 cloves of garlic white wine olive oil 20g porcini mushrooms (dried mushrooms soaked in 1 cup
of warm water) 1 diced onion 1 diced tomato rabbit stock as prepared sliced Portobello mushrooms unsalted butter parsley plain flour To cook rabbit: Roll legs (front & hind) in seasoned flour and brown in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place into an oven-proof dish along with 2 tablespoons of thyme, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 cup of olive oil, ½ cup of white wine plus salt & pepper to taste. Cover with baking paper and foil (sealing well to retain moisture) Cook at 160 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. Sauté onion, 1 clove of crushed garlic with 1 teaspoon thyme, sliced Portobello mushrooms in 30g of unsalted butter. Add 2 tablespoons of plain flour to make a roux. Add diced tomato and water from the soaked porcini mushrooms. Add rabbit stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sliced porcini mushrooms and adjust seasoning as required. Add cooked rabbit and chopped parsley. Pasta Roll pasta and cut into thick ribbons by hand. Grill rabbit fillets on a skillet or in a pan for 1 minute on each side. Bring salted water to the boil, cook pasta for (only) 2-3 minutes, until tender. Drain in colander. Mix pasta through ragu, slice fillets. Divide pasta into 4 bowls and top with fillets. Serve with simple salad of shaved fennel, radish and baby kale. > 71
Zuppa di pesce (fish soup) Ingredients 2 diced sticks of celery 1 leek, washed and dried 1 small diced brown onion 1 small diced fennel bulb 1litre of fish stock 2 cloves of crushed garlic 1 tin of chopped tomato or roast tomato sauce 3 tablespoons of olive oil 12 prawn tails 12 mussels 12 Goolwa cockles 2 garfish fillets 2 flathead fillets a pinch of saffron 60ml dry vermouth 30ml pernod chopped parsley 72
Method SautĂŠ onion, leek, celery and fennel in olive oil. Add garlic and saffron, cooking until onion is translucent. Add vermouth and pernod. Add the tomato and the fish stock, then simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add mussels and cockles, cooking until they open. Add prawns and diced fish fillets. Stir through and cook for a further 1 minute. Divide equally between 4 soup bowls. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with grilled bread or baguette.
Karena Armstrong
Karena’s past experiences read like a list of some of the world’s most iconic food celebrities She provides a dessert with a surprising ‘star’. Karena’s dessert recipe is just as cutting edge and innovative as the treatment dealt out to her ‘new’ restaurant. When you read the recipe and discover that the ‘star’ is carob you may be as horrified as I was. The recipe specifies that these ingredients be sourced at the ‘Carob Kitchen’ at the Willunga Farmers’ Market … so out of curiosity I dropped in and tasted the carob on offer. Much to my amazement, this stuff (in both syrup and solid) was even better than chocolate. Bought some and can’t wait to try the recipe … that is, if it lasts that long! The 1850s stone-built Salopian Inn in McLaren Vale has had an intriguing journey of its own; but now, under the domination of youngish, vivacious and energetic chef Karena Armstrong, it’s about rise (phoenix-like) not from ashes, but from a huge gutted dust-pile that started as a renovation and ended up as something completely unrelated to any of the earlier incarnations in its long and checkered life. Karena started her journey at the Sheraton Hotel Hobart, after badgering a very serious German chef into giving her an apprenticeship. A transfer to the fine dining restaurant in the Melbourne Sheraton hooked her on a lifestyle of culinary creation, which continued at the Lake House, Daylesford, as a dedicated student of the legendary Alla Wolf-Tasker AM. The years with Alla set a remarkable foundation, defining her as a cook, teaching her to love seasonal produce and understanding the discipline required to spend a life dedicated to food. Winning a scholarship to undertake a baking pilgrimage to San Francisco gave her an opportunity to study the art of truly great sourdough bread, at the same time managing a quick stop at ‘The French Laundry’ for a glimpse at perfection watching the ‘God-like’ [my descriptor] Thomas Keller showing just how high the bar can be set. Returning to Melbourne she worked with Karen Martini (dynamic, fun) Greg Malouf (the gentleman of Middle Eastern food, inspiring a love of spice, and perhaps even him) and Cath Kalka (great Asian food) before travelling to Asia to continue the journey of new and challenging cuisines, returning to Karen Martini and Rob Marchetti (another gentleman, with nuts ‘n’ bolts restaurant nouse), Maurice
Terzini (genius of an operator focused on service), Kylie Kwong (ethical, generous and kind with amazing food philosophy). Best job ever! Finally to the Fleurieu and the Sellick’s Victory Hotel with Todd Steele and Doug Govern (he of the wicked sense of humour and infectious passion for wine); The Star of Greece at Port Willunga … and now the new and improved Salopian Inn, where Karena finally has her own kitchen to cook the food she loves to eat. Food at the Salopian Inn is eclectic – an edible story of her culinary journey and her everpersistent need to learn more, eat more and cook more; if only to show her boys, Harry 6, Sebastian 5 and Fletcher 2 ½ by example how to dream big and have a go at their own dreams. >
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Toasted Brioche, Butter Poached Pears and Carob Ice-Cream Ingredients (Serves 6) Brioche 500g hard white flour 6 egg yolks ½ teaspoons salt 90g sugar 180g unsalted butter 1 ½ tablespoon of instant yeast 1 egg for glazing Carob Ice Cream 80ml carob syrup 100g caster sugar 6 egg yolks 200ml full cream milk 400ml 35% milk fat cream 2 cinnamon sticks Poached Pears 3 large ripe pears 100g caster sugar 100g butter ½ cup water To Serve 50g soft butter 100g pure icing sugar For the brioche have all ingredients at room temperature. Place into a mixing bowl and using a dough hook or your hands mix well. The dough is wet and sticky; don’t be tempted to add extra flour. Mix for 10 minutes until the dough is stretchy and well combined, with no visible bits of butter.
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Cover the bowl with a damp teatowel and leave in a warm spot to double in size. This usually takes about 1-2 hours. Grease a bread tin and line with baking paper. When the dough is ready tip onto a floured work surface and knead well. Shape into a log and put into a tin. Whisk the egg for glazing lightly and brush the top of the loaf using a pastry brush. Leave the loaf to proof again for about an hour or until well risen. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C. Bake the brioche for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C and bake for another 20 minutes. It should be deep golden brown when ready. Remove from the tin and cool before slicing. To make the ice-cream combine the carob syrup, caster sugar and egg yolks and whisk until fluffy. Heat the milk and cream together with the cinnamon sticks, don’t boil just infuse. Combine the warm cream and egg mixture and return to a saucepan. Heat gently and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Strain through a fine sieve and cool. Churn in an ice-cream churner or alternatively use a large metal bowl and a whisk, put the mix into the freezer and every 15-20 minutes whisk vigorously until set. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Peel the pears and cut in half. Scoop out the core. Place into a small ovenproof dish; they need to be a snug fit. Add the water, sugar, and butter, and then cover with foil. Cook covered for 20 minutes then remove foil and cook for another 20 minutes or until the pears are tender and the syrup is well reduced and thickened. To Serve Put the pears into a warm oven to gently heat. Slice the brioche. Butter, and sprinkle each slice generously with icing sugar. Toast under a hot grill until golden. Serve the warm pears on the toasted brioche, scoop on the carob ice cream and pour the pear syrup over.
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Writing Competition is open! Closes June 30 • Open Theme • Langhorne Creek Theme • Poetry • Cash Prizes
Young People’s Writing Competition • Through South Australian Schools—ask your teacher! • Entries close August 30, 2013 • Literacy Day and Award Ceremony October 17
Wordshop September 21 • Shaping Up: Handling Shape and Structure in the Short Story by Carol Lefevre • Writing Poetry for Pleasure and Publication by Jude Aquilina • The Hobby That Eats - Notes on Food/Travel Writing and Blogging by Amanda McInerney
Cellar Door Performances and Muster October 13 Proudly supported by Alexandrina Council.
Enquiries to: writing@langhornecreekwritersfestival.com www.langhornecreekwritersfestival.com
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The Dirt James Potter says “... let them get filthy, plant radishes because they’re easy, cherry tomatoes because they’ll love them ...”
‘Fear not ... My people have always worked for your people,’ I often say to reassure my well-healed clients when their doubts grow – usually after my repeated, almost perfected lateness begins to chafe. I come from a long line of green thumbs – both amateur and professional, and as the picture at right attests, my personal obsession with gardening was cultivated from an early age. This has less to do with me than it does with my parents – both passionate gardeners. Children take to gardening like the proverbial. And as most attempts at child-rearing are doomed, why not struggle for something with a fair chance of success? Young children instinctively reject most things that are good for them, but they relish the opportunity to get amongst the dirt, kick piles of leaves, plant the seeds, prod the pumpkins and chase the chooks. This interest children have in the real, dirty, natural world is easy to recognise, but recently visionary types have established school programs that harness this marvel of renewable energy for the good of well ... the kids themselves. By wedging these wholesome activities firmly into the belly of the bloated curriculum, subversive types are helping to revitalise novel ideas such as playing outside; getting dirty; watching something grow; picking fruit and eating the freshest food. The best of these programs are able to integrate – what a hopeless romantic like me would consider big-ticket items – such as resourcefulness, food & cooking, the natural world, community and exploring other dangerous ideas that might just foster a generation of eco-socialists. I have been lucky enough to be involved with a few schools and their horticultural projects. Most of these schools have had students drawn from diverse cultures and with varied experiences. The programs at these schools prove the universal appeal of gardening. No one involved with kids and gardens tires of seeing children making their first tentative forays into the dirty, leafy world, let alone the pure joy of harvesting grubby handfuls of plump potatoes or coming out of the hutch carrying the first egg. It’s easy to unleash a child’s curiosity outside, in the garden – the ultimate curious world. My early horticultural education was home based, and it wasn’t just pushing the old Victa around. I took cuttings, arranged pots in the hot house, smashed old and possibly new terracotta for drainage crock, visited the garden centre and plucked at caterpillars. But after secondary education and I parted ways, a brief encounter with a formal horticultural education was the stumble that prevented the fall. As a very green 16-year-old I bussed my way to join the mature-aged life-crisis types and juvenile detention centres’ last-chancers. I felt rather young, white and middle class and quickly found the library. Even my family is dubious as to whether my early start and triumphant tertiary education have resulted in a stable, successful member of the citizenry.
Above: Young James ponders the bigger picture.
But let’s suggest I was just a bad seed and the rest of the young gardening folk out there are vigorous saplings that with encouragement will grow into larger and more successful metaphors. Even if there isn’t a guarantee of success it’s worth a try; but please have fun and take the little guys seriously! Get them into it, let them get filthy, plant radishes because they’re easy, cherry tomatoes because they will love them, pumpkins for the adventure, carrots and lettuce because it’s compulsory, and sunflowers because they’re sunflowers. Take cuttings from hand-snapped succulents and divide fool-proof herbs like oregano with a spade and a big knife ― no crappy plastic tools allowed, this is serious mum! Give them their own garden beds and make signs and labels. Get them involved from woe to go; from sowing the seeds to picking the pumpkin and making the pie. It won’t take much to encourage them to pick peaches, catch snails, pester bugs and hassle worms. You might not raise a junior Peter Cundall but that’s not the point. They will have a hell of a time, learn plenty and maybe, just maybe, one day they may thank you for it. Further Information Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/ Great site and shop http://www.gardening4kids.com.au/ Excellent ABC vegie garden app http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/resources/vegie_app.htm Biological Farmers of Australia program for schools http://www.organicschools.com.au/
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Kay Brothers;
the more they change, the more they stay the same Pip Forrester checks in on the oldest family-owned winery in the region.
A visit to Kay Brothers Winery in McLaren Vale instantly takes you back to the beginning of the wine industry in general, and this famous wine growing region in particular. The cellar door is steeped in the history of the Kay Brothers’ business, in the cellar itself the winemaking largely follows traditional methods and the vineyards reflect the initial plantings. It makes you wonder how this family business, now in its third generation, has changed to ensure relevance in the twenty first century while keeping in touch with its tradition and history. In essence, how has this family enterprise faired? Frederick and Herbert Kay were nineteen and twenty-two year-old brothers when in 1890 they purchased approximately three hundred acres of land in McLaren Vale, taking possession in early ‘91. Four years later they had built the winery and produced their first wine, a dry red Mataro, Cabernet, Shiraz. The original plantings were mainly Shiraz, Mataro, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, with small parcels of Carignan, Muscat and Chenin Blanc. By 1900, one hundred of the three hundred acres had been planted to vines. 78
The brothers settled in the region at a time when a number of names that we still recognise today had also established themselves; or, like the Kay brothers, were just starting out. Names like Wirra Wirra (Strangways Wigley), Pirramimma, Ryecroft, Reynella, and the Emu Wine Company were all beginning to make their mark on the fledgling industry. At this time the South Australian industry’s market was dominated by bulk dry red and fortified wines. Merchants such as Burgeons, Gilby’s and the Emu Wine Company were purchasing bulk wine for the British market. The Phylloxera outbreak in Victoria caused these merchants to look for a new supply of bulk wine, and McLaren Vale, with its warm climate and suitable soils proved to be a good source of the full-bodied red and fortified wines that the merchants were seeking. At this time there was no significant market for bottled wine. It was not until the 1960s that the bulk market became uneconomic, and in response to the changing market realities, the Australian wine industry embarked on production of bottle wines. As Colin Kay, the present custodian of the company and grandson and great nephew
of the founding brothers points out, in McLaren Vale the winemakers went one step further, and Cud Kay, then the leader of the family company … and others … collaborated to start labelling their wines as being wines of McLaren Vale. The regional name had a prominent position on the labels with the company name and wine style or description taking a secondary role. At that time there were only about thirteen wine companies in the region, but it was the beginning of a collaborative tradition that continues to this day, at a time when there are over seventy wine companies in the region.
Previous page The Basket Press pressing Muscat. Photograph by Emily Shepherd. This page Above left: Colin Kay tasting in the Cellars at Kay Brothers. Photograph by Emily Shepherd. Above right: Picking grapes (c1900). Bottom right: Unloading and crushing grapes (c1900). The horses drove the crusher and a water pump, which is hidden in the lean-to shed, via capstan shafts and flat belts.
A review of the differences in the conditions and practices at the Kay Brothers’ winery in the time of the original brothers and now shows that, although there has been monumental growth and change in the industry, in many ways the Kay Brothers operation has maintained many of its original operations and methods – a clear case of the more it changes, the more it stays the same. >
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Above: The Basket Press, with original baskets on new press. Photograph by Emily Shepherd. Top right: Herbert and Frederick Kay (c1920). Bottom right: Views out across the vineyard towards the distant hills. Photograph by Emily Shepherd.
In the cellar the wine is made using the traditional basket press and open fermenting methods. There are two basket presses with several baskets of different sizes, but the original Coq press, used by Frederick and Herbert, is still the favourite. However, there have been some subtle changes in the way the fruit is handled. There is now more use of oak as it can now be afforded and full advantage is taken of the improvements in the understanding of wine chemistry by trained winemakers. Despite this, extensive use of open fermenters, with all the chemical uncertainties associated with this winemaking technique, is still a hallmark of the Kay Brothers’ winery operation. There is also limited use of extended maceration; but of course, not with the company’s flagship wine, the Block 6 Shiraz. Made from fruit sourced from four acres of the original vineyard, the Block 6 is produced only by traditional winemaking methods. Most importantly, despite the considerable increase in production levels over the years, all the fruit at Kay’s is still processed by basket press. The vineyards themselves have not changed much from the original plantings, and the first varieties still form the backbone of the Kay Brothers range of wines. Small changes have been made by the introduction of a little Riesling in the 1940s and 50s by Cud, and the addition of Merlot by Colin in 1994. Over the years land has been sold, reducing the original vineyard to about fifty acres; and in keeping with changes in the region at large the Kay’s started to irrigate their vines in 1983. This key change, along with other modern viticultural practices, has allowed the company to significantly
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increase output from the vineyards. In an average year, the vineyards produce between 180 and 200 tonnes. The company has never chased volume production in the modern era and the integrity of the vineyards has been maintained as a result. Modern techniques certainly, but a reverence for the vines as well is the mantra of Kay Brothers. It is the source of continued success in the modern wine market place. Kay Brothers is into its third generation as a company that was at the very beginnings of the development of McLaren Vale as a wine region. Time has meant some changes – particularly in the way the product gets to market – but the fundamentals of growing and making the final product have remained the same. The staffing levels have remained static, the vineyards are smaller but production has seen a dramatic increase. However, this increase only reflects the growth of wine consumption in Australia and elsewhere. Kay Brothers is a relative rarity in the Australian wine industry. It is still family owned and while it pays homage to its tradition and roots in McLaren Vale, it has kept pace with broader industry developments. It would be fair to say that despite the length of time and the significant changes to the industry and to Kay Brothers, if Frederick and Herbert were to visit their original Amery cellar now, they would not feel out of place. They would recognise the basket presses, the open fermenters and the grape varieties, enjoy their spectacular view and re-read their diaries. But most of all, they would no doubt enjoy sampling the modern ‘drop’ while reflecting on their legacy to their family and to the McLaren Vale region.
Cracking winter warmers.
We love serving up a treat in winter... cracker dishes like Grilled Cos and zucchini flower with wines to warm such as Penny’s Hill Cracking Black Shiraz, my favourite all-round winter red. EAT Local at The Kitchen Door!
Open for Lunch and Afternoon Coffee Wednesday to Sunday Dinner Wednesday to Saturday
Ben Sommariva Chef
New Winter menu showcasing fresh local produce Open fires
Bookings: 8598 4184 www.leonardsmill.com.au
The Kitchen Door @ Penny’s Hill & Mr. Riggs Cellars LUNCH 7 Days • Ph: 08 8557 0840 or email: restaurant@gwg.net.au 281 Main Road McLaren Vale, South Australia
*WINNER! Best restaurant in a winery: Australia 2007, South Australia 2007, 2010, 2012
EXHIBITION: SIGNAL POINT GALLERY August 1 till September 1 Margaret Worth - Who are you? What time is it? How do you know? One River; Alluvial Connections, from source to sea. Part of the One River project from the Centenary of Canberra year of celebrations. EXHIBITION: SOUTH COAST REGIONAL ARTS CENTRE July 26 to September 1 At the Old Goolwa Police Station: Points of Contact by Michael Bryant PERFORMANCE: August 10 at 6 pm. One River; Alluvial Connections, from source to sea. Signal Point Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 11am to 4pm. Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm. South Coast Regional Arts Centre is open Wednesday to Friday 11am to 4pm. Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4pm. Phone (08) 8555 7289 Leah.grace@alexandrina.sa.gov.au
With special guests Gordon Brown and Claudia-Chan-Shaw from the ABC Collectors. Antique roadshow – book signing afternoon talk with Claudia or Gordon sales – displays – collectables. $10 admission per day to all halls Sunday Treasure Market by gold coin donation. Ph: 0427 674 620 www.slta.asn.au
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Fly fishing the Fleurieu Neil Charter enlightens us on this fine art (while not giving away any secrets).
In a quiet corner of a hidden Fleurieu valley something is going on that nobody knows about. An angler – but no ordinary angler – is poised, every muscle focused as a small but wily spotted jewel makes its way down under a Ti-Tree bush, over a sunken log and adopts a position facing upstream in a tiny tanninstained stream. The angler is a fly fisher; a character of such purpose and design that such a common word as angling struggles in the same company. They are not the type to drown a worm, or head out to sea in a boat; or to take their place on a crowded jetty. They prefer the freedom of a wild stream, river or lake far from the madding crowd where they can lose themselves in their indulgence. They touch nature as few others do and their bond is forever with the stream, the insects that inhabit it, the landscape around and the creatures that dwell within. At the centre of their attention is a very special creature, one that moves them to dedicate their life to its pursuit. There are few species of fish that have captured the hearts and imagination of anglers more than the trout. In just about every corner of our planet from the vast windswept grasslands and rugged mountains of Patagonia to the chalk downs of southern England; the tumbling rivers of the Czech Republic across the steppes of
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Russia to the wilds of Alaska and back to our quiet corner of the globe, the beauty and challenge of the trout has inspired a form of angling like no other – fly fishing. The Egyptians were the first to use fur and feather to shape what looked like an insect on a hook to catch fish. Today that same philosophy has developed into a multi-million dollar industry worldwide. It is reputed that there are more books written about fly fishing than any other recreation. Why, you may ask? Probably because you can never stop learning from fly fishing or trout. This thirst for knowledge, and never being able to truly say you have mastered the pursuit, attracts an incredibly passionate following among both men and women. None more so than here in South Australia, particularly amidst the quieter corners of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Living in the driest state in the driest continent on the planet is not a good start for any trout. These environmentally-sensitive creatures are more commonly associated with cool, clean, highlyoxygenated waters tumbling from mountain springs and snow melt. However, since their first introduction in 1879 into Fleurieu waters by ex-pats keen to pursue their love of this prized of game-fish; they have managed to maintain a presence in waterways across the Peninsula. In 1947 the South Australian Fly Fishers Association (SAFFA) established their own hatchery for public trout stocking into designated waters under government licence. So what sort of character is the fly fisher? There are a few common traits that distinguish them. Every fly fisher I have ever met is a passionate creature, yet usually quietly guarded about their love, appreciating that during many an after-dinner soiree it can be a bit of a conversation killer. The sole exception is when they are in the company of those they know share the same passion. Then you will
see them come alive as though some secret key has unlocked the vault of dreams and adventures they know you will understand and share. As an ageing surfer, one of the hardest things to try to explain to someone who does not surf is what it feels like to paddle into a wave and feel the board trim and the water hissing beneath the rails as you travel across the face. As they say: ‘Only a surfer knows the feeling.’ The same can be said of the fly fisher. Fly fishers in South Australia are an eclectic bunch. There are an estimated two hundred, and among their ranks are former Governors of SA, doctors, Adelaide Zoo vets, Anglican Archbishops, world acclaimed cranial-facial surgeons, helicopter pilots, public servants, university students, teachers, political advisors, Fleurieu farmers and others from almost every walk of life. It is a recreation with the sole requirement being passion and a commitment to mastering the skilful and rhythmic art of fly casting. Few captured such an art better than lover of fly fishing and actor/director, Robert Redford, in his film ‘A River runs through it’, starring Brad Pitt. A tale about two fly fishing brothers whose lives took very different paths, yet were forever bonded by their passion for fly fishing.
Every fly fisher I have ever met is a passionate creature, yet usually quietly guarded about their love, appreciating that during many an after-dinner soiree it can be a bit of a conversation killer. Previous page: Red spots denote a wild fish. Above left: Wild Coast fly tying. Above right: A likely spot for success. Below: Author with typical Fleurieu dam Rainbow Trout.
In the 1990s, keen fly fishers Rob Sitch and Tom Gleisner of Working Dog Productions and ‘The Castle’ fame exposed to us all the romance and wonder of fly fishing through their quizzical travel and television series, ‘A River Somewhere’. I sat with a small group of fly-fishing friends a few weeks ago and between us we established that in the past year we had collectively fly-fished New Zealand, England, Scotland, Africa, British Columbia, Greece, Ireland and even the Amazon. Fly fishing is as much about the company you share on the stream, as it is the thirst for new places, new adventures and new knowledge. >
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All of the above: The author in his element.
With any one of these elements your life will be richer, but when you achieve all of these elements, it is very close to ‘complete’. But what about that chap we left poised to cast to that trout; the one that had swum downstream and adopted a feeding position just above the log. Right now there are no iphones, ipads, androids or other allegedly ‘smart’ devices beeping at him reminding him of meetings or people he has to contact urgently. He is engrossed in a world where the heady smell of wild streamside mint and honey from
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the gum above melt him into an indulgence of colour, rare scents, sounds and shades far more than fifty and almost as arousing. The streamside intoxication of the Fleurieu, or any fly-fishing environment, is such that we really do not need to know whether or not he ever caught that trout, for that is merely secondary to the reason we fly fish. For further information about fly fishing on the Fleurieu Peninsula visit www.saflyfishers.asn.au
RETAIL
What to buy. Where to buy it.
Heavenly Vest RRP: $270.00 Available at: All That Jazz 29 North Terrace Port Elliot SA. Ph: 08 8554 3645
Contemporary Jewellery by Jane Bowring Available at: Coast by Design 34 The Strand Port Elliot SA. Ph: 08 8554 3448Â
Davines Naturaltech hair care products from $34.95 Available at: The Gallery Hair Studio 39 Patapinda Road, Old Noarlunga SA. Ph: 08 8327 4554.
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SHOP LOCAL: Our small providores, cafes, wineries and boutique shops are chock full of great products. Unique and high quality items are available on your doorstep.
Various homeware products Available at: Creative Mood 4/9 Gawler St, Port Noarlunga SA Ph: 08 8382 8116
2011 Oliver’s Taranga Shiraz RRP: $29.00 Available at: Dan Murphy’s Fine wine retailers Cellar Door Online shop www.oliverstaranga.com Seaview Road McLaren Vale SA
Bamboo Eco-certified Haircare Products Grown Responsibly & Traded Ethically from $28.65 Available at: Kink Victoria Street Victor Harbor SA. Ph: 08 8552 2268 www.kinkhair.net.au
HOLIDAYMAKER
Marion Grasby Before her television debut on Master Chef, Marion Grasby lived on the Fleurieu. Petra de Mooy asks her what she’s got cookin’ nowadays. Q: How did you come to be on the Fleurieu to begin with? I originally lived in Brisbane where I studied my Law and Journalism degree at the Queensland University of Technology. After finishing my degree I got a job at the ABC and was moved to Adelaide where I met my lovely partner Tim Althaus who worked in the wine industry. After a year of living in Adelaide, and a year of living in Renmark we moved together to McLaren Vale because Tim was working at Primo Estate. Q: How did you find the move and how did you find living down here? Originally we moved to the region because it was closer for Tim to get to work. I was a little scared about living so far from the city because I had always lived in the city, apart from Renmark, but when I got down there I loved it. We were living at Sellicks Beach and we met so many wonderful people who are still our friends; we met lots of wine people and lots of food people. It was so lovely, and I fell in love with the Willunga Farmers’ Market and all of a sudden I didn’t miss the city anymore. Q: Did you work down here? No, I actually worked in the City, so I had to do the big commute every day. I always tried to make sure I didn’t have to work on a Saturday though, because I loved going to the Willunga Farmers’ Market. I think it’s the best growers market I’ve ever been to and I like it because a lot of markets, particularly in other states, sometimes seem to be more like just a shop. The Willunga Farmers’ Market has growers; they’re right there, you can talk to them, and I think it’s a really nice community feel. Q: So if it weren’t for Masterchef, do you think you would still live on the Fleurieu? I think we would have been there for a lot longer. The only reason we moved was that business was getting very busy with my food range. Corporate events were happening all over Australia and I was travelling a lot; my record was 30 flights in 60 days so we had to move somewhere more central than McLaren Vale. I think if I hadn’t gone on Masterchef and become so busy, we would probably still be living on the Fleurieu. Q: How do you like living full time back in Asia ... and where exactly are you located? I’ve moved to Bangkok so I can work more closely with my Marion’s Kitchen producers and suppliers. It’s an absolute dream-come-true for me because I can spend more time with my Mum’s side of the family and eat as much Thai food as I want.
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Q: Can we expect to see you making any guest appearances in Australia any time soon? I have a new series for Lifestyle FOOD called Marion’s Thailand, which went to air in Australia in May. So I’m super excited about that … and I hope everyone enjoys watching it as much as I enjoyed making it. I’m also planning to come to Australia later in the year. Q: What is the biggest thing you miss about Australia? Lamb! Lamb is so expensive in Bangkok … about $60 for a small leg. Every time I come home I can’t wait to get some lamb chops on a barbecue! Q: What do you miss about living on the Fleurieu? I really miss that connection with the land. In McLaren Vale you can’t get away from the fact that the seasons change and the landscape changes and you can feel it and see it every day and it’s very peaceful. It’s not just the landscape, but the vines and the grapes and the fact that the whole community or the whole area is so tied to that one thing. When it’s harvest time, it’s harvest time; when it’s grape-picking time, everyone has to get out there and pick the grapes. Everyone’s talking about the same thing and there’s that real sense of community. Q: What’s your favourite travel destination and why? Thailand obviously is my sentimental favourite. I love it. My Mum’s from Thailand, I’ve got family there, I love all the parts of Thailand, but I actually went to Japan earlier this year and I think that is one very cool country. It’s one of the only Asian countries that I’ve been to where the locals love to drink. They have a huge drinking culture, which I appreciate, being from McLaren Vale, and they’ve got great beef. So, there’s lots of alcohol and great beef and you don’t get that in Asia very often. Q: In another life, I would be ... A cheese-maker.
Fleurieu Weddings Sarah Selby-Fullgrabe and Philip Edwards met through work and after six months of friendship (and plenty of sparks flying) they embarked on a little office romance back in 2006. In 2011 they spent a summer in Europe and after weeks of frolicking in the sunshine across France and Italy, they were engaged on an ocean front balcony, Prosecco in hand, in the gorgeous little town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast. On February 23, 2013, Sarah and Phil were wed on a glorious summer’s day in an intimate, Tuscan-inspired garden ceremony at Silvestri’s of Clarendon. The groom fittingly arrived in his father’s Porsche and the bride in a Chrysler 300C, from local 5-star accommodation, The McLaren Eye in Kangarilla, where the bridal party had spent the previous few days relaxing and being pampered in its luxuriously serene setting. Under the gorgeous sandstone arbour draped with tulle and with a stunning chandelier, Sarah and Phil pronounced their personalised
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vows before Marriage Celebrant Tony Nolan, and in front of everyone they hold dear. Sarah walked down the aisle to the Vitamin String Quartet Version of the Elton John classic, Your Song. The bride wore an elegant one-of-a-kind gown designed by Alexis George of Unley, with a sweetheart neckline, silver beaded belt and over 2 metres of cathedral veil flowing down behind her in soft Italian tulle. The groom looked very dapper in a dark grey Hugo Boss suit. The European theme continued with the bridesmaids wearing Grecian-inspired, pale yellow flowing dresses, junior bridesmaids in a sophisticated shade of black and the groomsmen in grey suits. After the ceremony, guests were treated to champagne under the cool of the trees in the garden and were able to relax in the white leather, throne chairs and French love-seats provided and perfectly positioned around the garden. The couple’s handpicked songs
resounded across the garden. After the bridal party had mingled with guests, they slipped off to take photographs under the expert eye of Kim Stevens of Panache Photography in North Adelaide. Kim made the bridal party feel at ease and they enjoyed a great deal of laughter and fun as the afternoon continued, with Clarendon and Silvestri’s providing a perfect backdrop for an extremely glamorous photo shoot. The bridal party continued to look fantastic in the heat, with flawless make-up and hair provided by Laura McBride at LSM Hair and Makeup. The guests then enjoyed drinks and canapes on the terrace and were seated in time for the bridal party’s arrival at the reception, held in the Ballroom at Silvestri’s. The room all white, with the soft glow of hundreds of candles across the room made even more beautiful by over 40 vases of exotic green and white bouquets by Justine Ellbourn, local florist, and kissing bells that continued to ring throughout the night. An antipasto platter for each guest was enjoyed while the celebrations continued, with fun sounding out across the room. A selection of either Atlantic salmon or a char-grilled fillet of steak was served for the main. Dessert was a divine tiramisu with a chocolate-fudge Frangelico shot on the side – much loved by all guests! The speeches from the bride’s father, the best man, and finally, the groom brought tears and laughter from all guests before the couple began their first dance to Ben Folds’ The Luckiest –
a song they shared their first kiss to 7 years earlier when he was here in concert with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Their guests were captivated as they watched on and the whole crowd cheered as the big finale ‘lift’ and ‘dip’ unfolded. The dance floor was packed the entire night as guests danced the night away to party tunes picked by the couple, selected especially for their fun-loving guests. The bride and groom then spent their first two nights of wedded bliss at The McLaren Eye, where they were treated to a beautiful bottle of champagne on their return, and spent the coming days relaxing with friends on the huge outdoor deck while watching the kangaroos hop past in the setting sun. The couple then jetted off on their honeymoon with a week at the Anantara Resort in the Maldives with a week in Dubai before returning home. Sarah and Phil wish to thank their parents, their amazing bridal party, friends and family for helping to make their day truly memorable.
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Overlooking sweeping views of the stunning Fleurieu region, McLaren Eye is the perfect setting for brides-to-be to start their wedding day journey. Prepare for your special day in luxurious 5-star accommodation and return following the reception as husband and wife, where you’ll enjoy complete privacy and comfort. Email: stay@mclareneye.com.au Telephone: (08) 8383 7122 Website: www.mclareneye.com.au
Willunga Portrait Co. Weddings · Portraits · Events
South Australian wedding photography specialising in the Fleurieu Region. Telephone: 0409 242 570 Email: info@willungaportraitcompany.com www.willungaportraitcompany.com
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Being Social: Willunga Waldorf School Autumn Fair On Saturday 6th April, FLM headed to the Autumn Fair at the Willunga Waldorf School and enjoyed a day out with the kids, filled with fun activities, a relaxed vibe & lots of good food!
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Being Social: Buenos Aires in the Vales Tango Festival The recent Buenos Aires in the Vales 2013 Tango Festival (19-21 April) infused McLaren Vale, Willunga and Port Willunga with the spirit of tango. The festival featured world class dance performances and workshops by Argentine tango stars Demian Garcia and Fatima Vitale and Australian dancers Adrienne and Andrew Gill and Fabian and Karina Conca. Zephyr Quartet and Aloysius Leeson enchanted audiences with live music.
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01: Rebekah Eyers and Chantelle Meltz 02: Buffy Woolcock and Keitha Haycock 03: Marc, Wilfred and Lydia Johnson 04: Anna Simpson, Charlotte Nielsen, Don Frakes, David Nielsen & Noela Maletz 05: Hilde Bijl and Mel Woodhouse 06: Wilson Beed 07: Adrienne and Andrew Gill at Our Place at Willunga Hill 08: Fatima Vitale and Demian Garcia at Our Place 09: Fatima Vitale at Our Place 10: Michelle Wheaton and James Moros and other social dancers 11: Tango dancers at Barefoot Tango at Pt Willunga 12: Zephyr Quartet performing at Tango Mystique Show. 93
SOCIAL PAGES
Being Social: FLM Autumn launch party The Autumn issue of FLM kicked off with it’s official launch at Eat at Whalers in Encounter Bay on March 12th. Wine supplied by Shingleback, d’Arenberg and Hither & Yon as well as boutique beer from Vale Ale made for a fantastic evening by the sea.
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Being Social: Paxton Family Fun Day On Sunday March 10th, FLM headed down to enjoy the food and atmosphere of the Paxton Family Fun Day. Children were amused by the lawn games and jumping castle while parents enjoyed some fine wines on the sunny day.
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01: Sam Terezakis and Alexandra Paxinos 02: Jock Gordon, Nisa Schabella and Peter (Coxy) Cox 03: Alastair Wood, Alan Colton and Colin Wood 04: Dianne Colton and Lena Labschin-Thumm 05: Mon Bowring and Campbell Haig 06: Chris Wright, Sarah Kuskoff and Suzie Vanderstelt. 07: Lachie Kwaterski, Joanne Poppe, Meggie Fuller, Tiana Fuller and Emma Fuller 08: Lachie Kwaterski, Brenton Kwaterski, Brett Bowen, Tyler Fuller and Kynan Fuller 09: Robin Anthony, Mandy Whelan, Julie Whelan and Tegan Monaghan 10: Brian, Tristelle and Baxter Ruiz 11: David, Carmen and Mitchell Gibson 12: Danielle Stephenson, Ruby Moyle, Layla Moyle, Nicole Moyle, Aiden Grayson and Michelle Grayson. 94
Being Social: Langhorne Creek Winemakers’ Luncheon On May third, FLM was invited to the Langhorne Creek 13th Annual Winemakers’ Luncheon. Winners in various award categories included Treasury Wine Estate, Bremerton and Bleasdale with a big congratulations to the Lake Breeze family for taking out the premium wine prize of Producer of the Year.
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01: Nicole & Mark Roberts 02: James Gray & Charles de Luca 03: Malcolm Leask, Jock Harvey & Roger Follett 04: Lian Jaensch 05: Roger, Linda, Greg, Robyn, Tim, Dionne, Ken and Marlene Follett (Photo by John Kruger of Hot Images) 06: Emmanuelle Bekkers, Tom Verco & Jen Verco. 07: Lucy Glaetzer, Susie Bishop & Kate Schmidt 08: Ben Guilfoyle, Peter Pollard & Damon Koerner 09: Rebecca Willson, Matt Schmidt & Vanessa Gebbie 10: Andrea van Zyl & Bec Hardy.
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recommends:
ANCHORAGE AT VICTOR HARBOR The perfect location for whale watching. Delightful heritage style accommodation with balcony rooms with sea views and spa baths. Central to shops and tourist sites. Licensed café restaurant wine bar open 7 days for breakfast lunch and dinner. Fresh house roasted coffee all day. Seafront dining on the veranda. The ideal destination for a stop over on the way to KI or a relaxed overnight stay. Free Wifi. Off street parking. 21 Flinders Pde, Victor Harbor. T: 85525970 W: anchorageseafronthotel.com
BELLI BLISS Beauty and Wellness Mclaren Vale Pregnancy, Motherhood and Beyond For mums that deserve to be yummy mum’s. With specialty pregnancy beds for the biggest of belly’s to post natal rejuvenation treatments including massage, facials, pedicures, anti-ageing, Omnilux, microdermabrasion, IPL, acne, waxing, tinting, pre-birth waxing, body toning and stretchmark treatments. T: 08 8323 8364 W: bellibliss.com.au
GOODIESON BREWERY Goodieson Brewery is a family owned brewery, brewing and bottling 100% of their product on site. They have beers for every day of the year, and a different beer for each season; all award winners! And the cellar door is right inside the brewery so you can even watch the brew house in action.
VICTOR APARTMENTS Spectacular ocean viewed boutique accommodation. Relax and unwind in one of five fully equipped apartments, retreats and townhouses. Individually, designed and decorated with elegant style. All with stunning ocean and island views in the elite area of town.
IBIS SIDING GARDEN CENTRE Ibis Siding is a large nursery situated in Goolwa. It has been owned by the Gilbert family since 1989. It’s spread over 4 acres and specialises in coastal plants, natives, exotics, indoor plants, tube stock, natural products, fodder, chickens, pots, fish and aquatic plants.
It’s hard not to fall in love with this little oasis of beer amongst the vines. Open 7 days, 11am ~ 5.30pm. 194 Sand Rd McLaren Vale. T: 0409 676 542.
Victor Harbor SA 5211 T: 08 84108189 or 0450798952 E: victorapartments@gmail.com W: victorapartments.com.au.
Corner of Kessell Road and Goolwa Street, Goolwa SA 5124. T: 08 8555 1311.
GREEN TANK GALLERY If you love art, visit John Lacey’s contemporary gallery/studio and meet this award winning artist. Enjoy the diverse range of quality impressionistic and expressive landscapes. Located just south of Mt Compass and 400 metres from the Victor Harbor Road. Open most days 11am - 5pm 41 Woodcone Rd Mt Compass. Ph: 8556 8388 Mob: 0419 823 708 W: johnlacey.com.au
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Wild and woolly Weaving art and lifestyle together After the harvest – Comes the Wine
McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island