HORSEPOWER

Unbeknown to many, the local equestrian community provides year-round activities for horse lovers of all ages and abilities. We explore the rich rural scene beyond our beaches in the powerful new RAM 1500 Laramie pick-up.

Experts And Beginners

From the Central Coast Dressage Association (ccdressage.org) to Watagan Equestrian Club (watagan. org.au), riders of all ages and skill levels are welcomed into the local equestrian community with open arms. With numerous clubs, stables and riding schools dotting the landscape, the region is a paradise for those who share a love for horses.

Liz Jeffrey, an avid dressage enthusiast from Holgate, finds companionship and excitement in the thriving equestrian scene, where she has honed her skills and competed alongside fellow riders with her beloved horses Barney and Max. “Our community is broadly spread across the Coast from Mangrove Mountain, Central Mangrove and north to Wyong and Jilliby. There are year-round activities, and the shows go on regardless of the weather – except when there are torrential storms, people will be out riding their horses.”

Point the RAM pick-up truck towards Kulnura, where you will have the opportunity to meet Rod Brown, the esteemed proprietor of Equus Australia. Rod’s impressive expertise in showjumping was prominently displayed during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. At Equus Australia, Rod takes great pride in breeding and training high-performance horses, as well as providing guidance to riders. His exceptional skills have garnered widespread recognition within the industry. In addition to his business pursuits, Rod is dedicated to coaching his talented daughter, Jess, who is an accomplished showjumper. Together, they form an inspiring and highly respected duo in the equestrian community. You can reach Rod via email at equusau@bigpond.com.

One of the most significant events for the equestrian community is the Central Coast Showjumping Club – Winter Championships, held annually at the magnificent Stonewall Equestrian centre in Mangrove Mountain (stonewallequestrian.com.au). This event draws competitors from across the state and is a highlight of the equestrian calendar. “Other events include dressage and eventing competitions, as well as fun days and clinics,” Liz says.

Lessons And Trail Rides

Unleash your inner equestrian amid Terrigal’s picturesque countryside at The Outlook Riding Academy (theoutlookridingacademy.com.au). Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider, The Outlook has a selection of horses and ponies to accommodate individuals of all ages and abilities. It doesn’t matter if you are new to the horse world or keen to get back into regular riding lessons, The Outlook has the team and horses for you. Prepare to be captivated as you groom and saddle your horse before embarking on a scenic trail ride.

Another haven catering to rookie riders is Matcham Valley Pony Club (matchamvalleyponyclub.com.au). Here, young children and aspiring equestrians flourish in a nurturing atmosphere that cultivates riders’ growth and hones their skills.

Experience horse-riding excellence at Glenworth Valley Wilderness Adventures, where you can take guided tours through enchanting rainforests and native bushland. With Lead Pony Rides, Gourmet Picnic Tours and more, riders of all abilities can indulge in all sorts of adventurous activities in the incredibly photogenic Glenworth Valley. glenworth.com.au

Coast Kids Horse Riding (coastkidshorseriding.com.au), near Sparks Road, Wyee, offers diverse horse-riding activities and services for all ages and skill levels. There’s a range of programs to suit toddlers to tweenies, including Introduction to Ponies for Tiny Tots. Kids can enjoy Adopt-a-Pony for the Day and Party Ponies for private events.

Immerse yourself in the wonders of the Central Coast’s equestrian offerings beyond competitions and lessons, where an abundance of trail riding opportunities awaits. One standout is the Ourimbah Creek Mountain Trail, set in a serene valley embraced by the surrounding state forest. From navigating obstacles to traversing diverse terrains, riders can test their horsemanship skills and build a deeper bond with their equine companions. ourimbahcreekmountaintrail.com

WORLD-RENOWNED STUD FARMS

Located discreetly near the bustling town of Wyong lies the worldrenowned Lustre Lodge Broodmare Farm, known for its exceptional breeding of thoroughbred horses. Although not accessible to the public, this prestigious stud farm boasts a remarkable track record, having produced in the 2022-23 racing season W.J. Adams Stakes winner Star Patrol while Economics got the money in the Petaluma Heritage Stakes.

Alongside its breeding endeavours, Lustre Lodge specialises in thoroughbred horse agistment, offering top-notch services for these magnificent creatures (lustrelodge.com.au).

To experience life on a stud farm for yourself, head to Forest Hill Arabian Stud at Wyong Creek (foresthillarabians.com). Set on 25 hectares, the property gracefully descends to the river, where it boasts a kilometre of picturesque river frontage. The stud offers exceptional facilities, including three barns, two round yards, an eight-horse walker and a treadmill. Accommodation includes various homes and apartments on-site.

Saddles And Supplies

For an equestrian store that stocks everything the discerning rider or keen beginner could possibly desire, cast your gaze no further than Aussie Saddlery in Tuggerah (02 4353 8205). This emporium of equine excellence offers the full array of prestigious brands and will have you galloping ahead with its bespoke services, including saddle fitting, meticulous repairs and clothing. Another highly recommended store is Peats Ridge Equestrian Supplies (0419 270 588).

CUSTOM-MADE HORSE FLOATS

If you’re serious about diving into the world of horse capers, then you’ll need a reliable horse float. And who better to reach out to than Peaceland Horse Floats & Goosenecks?

Based in Tuggerah, Peaceland Horse Floats (peaceland.com.au) has a strong presence in Australia and owns its own production facility in China. This allows the family-owned and operated company to control the quality, design and manufacturing process from start to finish. As a result, Peaceland constructs first-rate, custom-made horse floats at affordable prices for its customers.

The Car

Experience the all-new RAM 1500 Laramie®, Australia’s premium full-size pick-up truck. This remarkable vehicle combines the practicality of a utility truck with the luxurious comfort, spaciousness and high-end finishes reminiscent of an SUV. With the Laramie® crew cab, your journey becomes akin to a first-class travel experience, ensuring effortless accomplishment of any task at hand.

When it comes to towing horse floats, there’s simply nothing that surpasses the power and capability of the V8 RAM. With a maximum towing capacity of 4.5 tonnes, the RAM 1500 outperforms any mid-size ute by a whole tonne! Find out more or arrange a test drive at ccram.com.au

Experts in design and manufacture of high-quality, safe and reliable horse floats.

Our floats are designed with you and your horse in mind, ensuring safety and comfort. Along with an extensive range of standard models available, you can also customise your horse float or gooseneck to create exactly what you want, all at factory direct prices.

Whether you’re looking for a signature piece of furniture or special artwork, or you need your house styled from top to bottom to sell or to lease as a holiday home, Leah and Cathy are here to help.

The powerhouse duo have combined their design skills and expert knowledge of the Coast’s real-estate scene to create the Life & Style store – a combined showroom, retail store and hub for a wide range of interior design, styling and concierge services.

“Cathy and I established the store to showcase the services that we offer to our clients, and to display some of the unique brands of furniture, furnishings, homewares and collectibles that we bring to the Coast,” Leah explains.

“Generally, we stock brands that are not stocked elsewhere locally, brands that we love or brands that we use in our styling or have in our homes. We have moved towards an eclectic mix that reflects both our style and the demand that is filtering through from our clients for pieces and looks that reflect their personal style.”

The Life & Style store features sought-after collections such as Globewest, Horgans, Wisteria Design, Ferm Living and FatBoy. It stocks soft furnishings and homewares from Weave Home, The Moorish Co, Bloomingville and Walter G, select pieces by iconic brands Dinosaur Designs, Maison Balzac and Marimekko, and products from boutique makers such as Nonna’s Grocer, Pony Rider, The Foundry Home, YiaYia and Friends, Studio Roof, McMullin & Co, and Leif.

Most people today use the services of a home stylist when they put their houses on the market, but the Life & Style team offers clients much more than that. Cathy says, “We can take care of all your property needs, from packing up your home, taking care of removals and storage, renovation, interior design, styling to sell and styling to live.

“We have trusted tradespeople, housekeepers, gardeners and other experts on our database, so we can organise just about anything you might need when selling your property or preparing for holiday lets. We enjoy looking after our clients and the main aim for us is to make life easier for them.”

For more information, see centralcoastlifeandstyle.com.au or visit the store in Araluen Drive, Hardys Bay, NSW 2257

WORDS

Cleo Glyde Photography Catherine Winnard

Perched high over Terrigal Beach, bi-fold windows fringed by frangipanis offer balcony diners spectacular views over the treetops to the sandy crescent of beach on the Pacific below. The menu does not rely too heavily on the views, however – it’s all about fabulous ingredients, as many as possible of which are sourced in the region.

“Our dishes are delicate, light and focused on flavour,” confirms Dimitris, who works closely with head chef Reece Timora on the menu design. “It’s not complicated, but the food has artistry.” Dimitris lovingly prepares and combines each morsel with signature subtlety. He nestles glossy beads of orange caviar in curled ribbons of salmon, sprinkled with herbs; drapes a sea vegetable, like an exquisitely textured conch shell in miniature, across a plump, buttery seared prawn to add a briny twist. Pretty plating adds aesthetic pleasure: a deconstructed dessert scatters triangular shards of pastry and crumbs of bee pollen across cloud-light mascarpone and white chocolate stamped into a beehive, in a delicious dance between soft and crunchy textures.

“Everything complements the approach that a meal should also be an experience,” says Dimitris. “From an inspiring wine selection to pouring oil at the table and serving our own handmade butter. If you are looking at stunning ocean views, the quality of the food and sequence of service needs to match.”

As winter beckons, a new addition to The Cowrie’s alfresco, light-filled rooms and blue-ribbon views is the launch of cellar-room dining in a previously unused space downstairs, perfectly repurposed for wine.

“The humidity is already spot on, due to the concrete slab above the ceiling. We have added a $5,000 temperature control and airflow system to make the atmosphere pure and comfortable for guests,” Dimitris explains. “The single dining table is being built by the same local carpenter who created our furniture upstairs; it is a real showpiece in this space.”

The cellar room seats six and is designed to be a true wine lover’s experience, or an opportunity for the curious to learn more. Dimitris intends to focus on particular winemakers, in addition to highlighting Australian regions such as The Hunter Valley and Adelaide Hills. “We’ll choose what each spot does best – your bold reds from the Barossa, pinots from The Mornington Peninsula in Victoria – we have a preference for vineyards with smaller yields.

“There will be French wines from beautiful little regions in the north of France; German rieslings, which are incredible at the moment; and beautiful South African pinotages.” Spirits will include Japanese whiskies and limited releases from Central Coast gin makers Distillery Botanica.

Reinventing The Cowrie experience is also a passion project for Dimitris because this is where his culinary journey began 15 years ago, when he was an apprentice chef. “I then went overseas, worked, taught commercial cookery at TAFE for 10 years, and ran a private chef company, doing a lot of business in the Hunter Valley,” he says.

The Cowrie had an enormous impact on Dimitris’ life, not only by schooling him in the culinary arts, but introducing him to his future wife, who was doing work placement there. “When I returned to the Coast all these years later and The Cowrie came on the market, it was pretty special to be able to buy it myself. The restaurant had been dormant for a while, so we had to ‘wake up’ the building. By the time we opened it was just after the second lockdown.”

Despite the challenges of a shell-shocked population recovering from a global pandemic, The Cowrie has built a loyal following. “Locals came out to support us; Sydneysiders here for the weekend or holidays book a lot; and we have return visitors from Newcastle and the Blue Mountains. Our clientele is fantastic and we want to keep surprising them.”

Dimitris is building the business in sync with a burgeoning local foodie culture, as the region’s fertile pastures, pristine waterways, happily grazing livestock and nutrient-dense, chemical-free produce come into their own. “The Central Coast has so much potential! I can create food here that I may not have been able to do a decade ago. Producers are popping up all over the Yarramalong Valley; small family-run businesses are harvesting honey or growing potatoes by the river. The Coast is a close little network, which is helping us build relationships with the food and farming community.”

The Cowrie’s optional plant-based menu can be matched with wine or Australian Ikou Organic teas. Oyster mushrooms and thyme caramelised onions add a forest floor richness to the pepperiness of charred cabbage; the crunch of shaved fennel and torched broccolini is a foil to gooey miso and chilli eggplant; caramelised pineapple and ginger add a burst of tropic sunniness.

For galloping gourmets who want to taste the full foodie spectrum, carnivore ingredients have their time to shine on the two-, three-, four- and five-course menu. Sashimi grade Yellow Fin tuna melts in the mouth; pork fillets are juicy and generous. As well as the rarefied delicacy of coal-roasted Pacific oysters with aged parmesan and truffle oil, there are classic comforts such as mushroom risotto.

Winter is often popular with corporate clients who want to cosy up indoors in case of rain, yet still enjoy wide-reaching district views. The Ocean Room, a self-contained space away from the main dining room, can be booked for private events. "There is an AV system and a projector, and we can add gin-matched canapes and food to the mix. We also get a lot of bookings for Christmas in July.”

There are plans to convert the large lobby at the front of the restaurant to a bar/dining space with its own tapas menu, setting the stage from the moment you enter The Cowrie. “We’ll launch this summer. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail before moving on to dinner.” With the new cellar room opening and front bar in the works, and the quest for finding the perfect daily ingredients within cooee of Terrigal, how does Dimitris keep it all going? “Each Monday I switch off and take my two dogs out. We’ll go to Ourimbah State Forest or foraging at Killcare. There is always something beautiful to do. This is the sweet spot. Sorry Sydney, but I just fell in love with a better lifestyle.”

The Cowrie is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Saturday and for lunch on Sunday at 109 Scenic Highway, Terrigal. To book, call 02 4384 3016 or see thecowrie.com.au.