magazine
coast magazine - edition 19 Winter 2010
coast Only $4.95
Coastal living at its best!
live the dream
empire of the sun surfer matt ryan mark seymour the man behind the music coast weddings plan your big day
www.coastmagazine.net
A magazine for living, relaxing & enjoying life by the coast
Seagrove is Phillip Island’s premier environmentally-sensitive estate – superbly located in Cowes just 700m from a sandy, safe swimming beach and walking distance from shops, restaurants and cafes. Master-planned by award-winning designers, Seagrove features over eight acres of landscaped parks, wetland habitat, underground services, including gas and broadband, rich birdlife and regionally significant eucalypt woodland. 2
Select from a range of premium home sites - up to 1,000m plus - including lots with bay views. Titles are available now so you can start building your dream home straight away
coast
“sets a new benchmark for sustainable
residential development�
2007 Urban Development Institute of Australia Awards for Excellence
Freecall 1800 61 61 06
www.seagrove.com.au coast
South Gippsland’s finest food & wine experience
Relax in the dining room overlooking the majestic lake and fountains • Modern steakhouse restaurant • Cafe open 7 days • Sample 100 whiskies & beers • Cellar door • Private dining • Functions • Conferences • Weddings 81 Archies Creek Road, Archies Creek bookings or enquiries: 03 56 787 787
www.archiesonthecreek.com.au coast
RESTAURANT
W E D D I NG, CO
Executive Chef Shaun Nielsen
Executive Chef Shaun Nielsen has made the sea change to head up the kitchen and makes it his personal mission to source the best beef, seafood and produce around. Shaun has extensive experience, having held senior positions at venues such as Crown Casino and Sofitel. Hailing originally from Adelaide, his vision is “to create a unique, regional dining experience”. He also admits that he will be serving up some “serious beef”. With 500g cuts, he’s not exaggerating.
“It gels, it hums, it’s good... country friendly, city sharp” The Age food reviewer Dani Valent
CA F E
CELLAR DOOR
ENTER TAINME N T
O NFEREN C E & F UN C T I O N V E N U E 90 MINUTES FROM MELBOURNE CBD
coast
coast
contents &features
regulars 10
Coast life
15
Arts & events guide
16
2 (coast) people
32
15 minutes of fame
44
What’s hot & what’s new (47 & 126)
48
Feature areas
Mike Cleeland & Phillipa Blackie
Rona Black
Corinella and Coronet Bay & Cowes - Phillip Island p. 90
101 Around town
Check out what’s going on around your town (& p. 131)
106 Travel Story
Visit an elephant village in Thailand
120 Where to eat
A quick handy guide on where to wine, dine and snack
122 Dine out
Inverloch’s Vela Nine
125 My favourite recipe The Wonthaggi Club
133 Coast property & lifestyle
features Artist Profile Cheryl Petersen
18
Mark Seymour The man behind the rock
22
Climbing Mt Everett Our world captured on film
26
Surfer Profile The Island’s Matt Ryan
34
Stomping Ground Meet rainforest warrior Paul Spiers
38
A Life on the Sea Kevin Hamilton casts his mind back
54
WEDDING FEATURE Celebrate your special day on the coast
59
Different Strokes 102 Josephine Allen & Russell Kent ANTIQUE, VINTAGE & RETRO FEATURE 113 old is new again on the coast Caravan Of Love 139 step inside Jenny Moyle’s retro van
154 Coast directory
All of the great businesses in one easy listing.
coast
want your own copy?
from the editor
Rain, hail or shine we will deliver Coast to your door!
SUBSCRIBE TO COAST Don’t miss an issue, have Coast Magazine delivered to your door! A yearly subscription to Coast (4 editions) is only $30 (incl. postage & GST)
MY DETAILS(Please print) Mrs
Ms
Miss
Is this a gift? Yes
No
Mr
Address:
Telephone:
Postcode
Mobile:
Email address: Starting with edition(Season)
Year:
PAYMENT Credit Card Number
Expiry
|
Signature: I have enclosed a money order
Make all cheques payable to Coast Media P/L SEND TO: COAST MAGAZINE, PO BOX 104, SAN REMO, VIC 3925
Coast Magazine Stockists Balnarring Newsagent | Bass General Store | Beaumaris News Berwick Newsagency | Blairgowrie Newsagency | Black Rock Newsagency Corinella General Store | Coronet Bay General Store | Cranbourne Newsagency |Daylston General Store | Dunbalk Store | Fish Creek Newsagency | Fish Creek BP Flinders General Store | Foster Newsagent | Frankston Newsagency | Grantville Newsagent | Hampton Newsagency | Hastings Newsagency Inverloch BP | Inverloch Newsagent | Inverloch Foodworks | Kilcunda General Store | Koonwarra Store | Koo Wee Rup News |Korumburra Newsagent | Lang Lang News | Leongatha Newsagent | Loch - Hard Loch Cafe | Meeniyan Newsagent | Mirboo North Newsagent | Middle Brighton Newsagency | Mornington Newsagent | Mt Martha Newsagent | Mt Eliza Newsagency | Newhaven Newsagency Pakenham Newsagency | Pearcedale Newsagency | Phillip Island - Cape Woolamai Bottlo | Phillip Island - Cowes Mobil | Phillip Island - Cowes Newsagent | Phillip Island - Cowes IGA Supermarket | Phillip Island - Cowes West General Store | Phillip Island - Ventnor Store | Phillip Island - Rhyll General Store | Phillip Island - Silverleaves General Store | Phillip Island - Cape Woolamai Mini Mart | Phillip Island - Mobil Cowes | Phillip Island - Newhaven Newsagent | Phillip Island - Smiths Beach Store Port Welshpool Store | Red Hill General Store | Sandringham Newsagency Sandy Point General Store | San Remo Foodworks | San Remo Newsagent San Remo - Freedom Fuels | Sorrento Newsagency | Tarwin Lower Supermarket Tooradin Newsagent | Thompson Parkway Newsagency | Tyabb Newsagency Venus Bay Store | Wilsons Prom - Tidal River Store | Wonthaggi Newsagent Wonthaggi Ritchies IGA | Wonthaggi - Mezza Luna Cafe Wonthaggi BP | Yanakie Store Thousands of venue copies distibuted across Gippsland, Victoria and beyond. Read us online at www.coastmagazine.net
coast
We’ve stood the test of time and are all looking forward to sharing the next 20 editions, and the next, with you… It’s the winter of love here at Coast – it seems our wedding feature has sprinkled a little magic. Our 2 Coast People Mike Cleeland and Pip Blackney found each other across the world – their story is a great read! Our wedding feature is packed full of info and wedding stories from couples across our coast.
Sally x
The Coast Team
Name on card:
I have enclosed a cheque
So, that’s how it happens that we are now looking back on 19 editions and working towards Coast’s 20th! We are still a small, local, passionate team, and thank everyone - you the readers, our advertisers and the people who share their amazing stories - for taking the journey with us.
We also meet the very colourful Rona Black in 15 Minutes of Fame, Corinella’s oldest fisherman Kevin Hamilton, the amazing artist Cheryl Petersen and surfing legend Matt Ryan. Jenny Moyle’s caravan conversion is inspirational as is the photography showcased in Everett O’Keeffe’s story. We speak to Josie Allen and Russell Kent about art and life, and Maria tried to keep calm as she spoke with king of cool, Mark Seymour. We discover the charm of Corinella and Coronet Bay and there’s the Antique Guide, arts and events, Cowes feature area and plenty more to keep you warm this winter. See you in spring (it hasn’t happened yet has it??!!).
Name:
When you work on a magazine, life races past at lightning speed. You’re always living one season ahead. I woke one morning and wondered why summer had sped by so quickly – then I remembered it hadn’t even happened in the ‘real’ world yet – only between the pages of Coast!
Publisher Editor Sub editor Words Photo Editor Photography Design Print manager Advertising
Maria Reed Sally O’Neill Anne Roussac-Hoyne Sue Webster, Sally O’Neill, Maria Reed, Katie Cincotta Warren Reed Warren Reed, Maria Reed, Christina Prochazka Coast Photography 0414 753 739 Ryan Thomas Nigel Quirk Taylor Hammond For all advertising enquiries 0432 273 107 or ads@coastmagazine.net
www.coastmagazine.net coastmagazine
PO Box 104, San Remo, Victoria 3925 Phone. (03) 5678 5600 Fax. (03) 5678 5600 Ads. 0432 273 107 Email. editorial@coastmagazine.net Web. www.coastmagazine.net
Phillip Island to the Prom Coast Magazine © published by Coast Media P/L. ISSN 1833-3648. The publisher is not responsible or liable for any omissions or human error in Phillip Island to the Prom Coast Magazine. Material in this publication cannot be published or reproduced without the publishers written consent. All material contained in this publication is protected by Australian Copyright regulations. All rights reserved.
Why close your business at 5pm when you can leave the front door open day and night? A website will showcase your business around the clock to everyone from the North, South, East and West Coasts of Australia, and Phillip Island to the Prom! Ensure the next time a customer searches for a holiday, restaurant, health & beauty, tourist attraction and more, they knock on your door ďŹ rst. Visit www.meehandesign.com.au or call (03) 9495 1265 WEBSITE DESIGN
GRAPHIC DESIGN
MARKETING
Open Lunch & Dinner 115 Thompson Avenue, Cowes 3922 (03) 59 522 655 Phillip Island, Vic, Australia www.infused.com.au coast
coastlife winter
wollomai Our favourite cowboy, ‘Tex’ has used his signwriting and artistic talents to create a mural at Woolamai Racecourse. Commisioned by the Bass Coast Shire, it depicts the famous racehorse ‘Wollomai’ that won the Melbourne Cup in 1875. “I’d never done a mural before, so I thought I’d give it a go,” says Tex.
the great wall of st kilda Dynamic Phillip Island artist Camille Monet’s recent creation may not be able to be seen from the moon, but this community project made up of 807 clay tiles is being called the ‘Great Wall of St Kilda’! Camille created 207 large tiles, and 600 smaller tiles were made by locals. “The mural captures St Kilda’s diversity and local colour, says Camille. See it for yourself in the Talbot Reserve behind the National Theatre on the corner of Carlisle Street and Barkly Street, St Kilda.
Coast Life Wint 10 10 incl. Curl
coast 10
darbyland
Is a moat-full of crocodiles the best way to childproof your swimming pool? Will pasting fake moustaches over handwritten mistakes smoothly hide your errors? Should you spray your diary with a different scent each year, so when you re-read, the scent will take you back? Darbyland is Mornington Peninsula-based Darby Hudson’s second little collection of cartoons -a place where you’ll find ridiculous answers to ridiculous questions just like these.
angel la mer
www.darbyhudson.com
an arty farty christmas in july
The talent behind Mingara Gallery in Cowes, Noelle Buckley is proud to announce the winners of her inaugural midi art competition. The judges Dale Hickey, Deb Halpern & Jan Bodaan awarded Jenny Whiteside as overall winner with her carved, jade sculpture ‘Angel la Mer’. Mingara Gallery, Cowes Call 5952 3722
kings of the ice Phillip Island Nature Parks’ marine researcher Dr Roger Kirkwood recently released The Emperor’s Kingdom: Living on the Ice. This non-fiction book features stunning photography and amazing facts which uncover the lives of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica. It also includes an exclusive DVD with footage of the penguins on the ice as captured by Dr Kirkwood during his year long study of them in Antarctica. This is the real March of the Penguins!
Sian Adnam will warm up your winter with a special exhibition this July. You are invited to pop into Arty Farty studio to view her latest works with a warming glass of red in hand. Christmas in July Exhibition 30 & 31st July at Arty Farty Studio 21 Second Ave, Cape Woolamai Call 5956 6377 www.artyfarty.com.au
coast 11
thai magic
Lifelong animal-lover, Robyn Christiansen recently travelled to Thailand to experience working with elephants in Chang Mai. She spent a week feeding and washing the elephants as well as building rock levee banks for the burgeoning river. “The highlight for me was getting close to the baby elephant Chang Yim. Each afternoon, Lec, the park’s founder, sings him to sleep,” says Robyn. Lec achieved her dream of establishing the park in the 1990s. She rescues and provides sanctuary for old, blind, retired and unemployed animals – and even has one landmine victim. Volunteers are immersed in Thai culture, with classes in language and customs and a visit to the local village school. There are also intensive lectures about Asian elephants, their biology and conservation. The passionate team wants each volunteer to become an ambassador for the plight of the Asian elephant. Her advice to others who may be considering a similar holiday? “Just do it!” Robyn has booked to go back to the park in June.
www.elephantnaturepark.org
Newhaven Hall
In the same year that electricity came to Phillip Island, Newhaven opened its new community hall. The hall was built as a result of years of fundraising and is sited on land donated by local identity, John Cleeland. Today, this gorgeous hall is available for hire for weddings, parties, fitness classes – anything! It is superbly fitted out with a new kitchen and modern facilities that can easily cater for over 150 guests. This is a venue with oodles of warmth and character and all the mod cons to boot! Call Molly or Peter Downing on 5956 7566.
it’s the phantom Simon Curphey’s Phantom Band’s new album ‘BBQ Music for Uncle Marty’ is now available online. Have a listen, then buy it direct from their online store for only $10. www.thephantomband.com
Local gals Claire Gorman, Fran Derham & Clare Plueckhahn recently screened their feature film ‘First Love’ to a packed house on Phillip Island. The audience loved the tale of three, Phillip Island teenage girls Jess Laing, Nikki van Dijk & India Payne growing up & chasing their dream of pro surfing. A fab soundtrack and stunning surf footage make this movie a must in your collection. Claire Gorman 0415 398 736.
first love coast 12
Each Saturday afternoon, the kids take to the chair at Inverloch’s 3MFM. The radio station’s youngest presenters spend a lot of time planning their show ‘Kidz Rock’. They select the music, upload it to the system and write the scripts. “We are a community radio station and youth is part of our community,” says station president Wendy Williams. The presenters Emmet (12) and Elise (11) have learnt a lot by running the show. “I made a lot of mistakes in my first show,” admits Emmet, aka ‘EJ the DJ’. They both enjoy singing along to songs (off air) and dancing around the studio although there’s not much room. The show features mainly new rock and pop music. “Sometimes we do play some old music from the early 1990s, like Michael Jackson, because that’s good for the adults,” adds Elise. “I hope everyone enjoys our show, and if you have any requests, just call us during the show on 5674 1900,” says Emmet. Tune in each Saturday from 1-2pm on 3MFM. www.3mfm.com.au 88.1, 89.1 & 89.5 on your dial.
shave for a cure Staff, family and friends at San Remo Bakehouse recently supported their employer, Roberta, by shaving their heads to raise money for cancer research. Roberta, a cancer survivor and husband Paul are proud of their team who raised over $3000 for their efforts. They would like to thank Westernport Hotel and Beachside Hair and Beauty and the community for their support. www.worldsgreatestshave.com
coast 13
PENINSULA Victoria’s biggest & newest Ssangyong dealership
Sales, Service, Parts & Accessories Free Call 1800 SSANGYONG Ph: 03 5975 0055 www.peninsulassangyong.com.au 109 Mornington Tyabb Rd (corner of Torca Tce) Mornington Mel Ref: 145 H3 LMCT 7947
BParbour restige
Used Prestige Vehicles
• Service Department • Parts & Accessories • Finance & Insurance • Vehicle Detailing
Ph: 03 5975 0055 www.barbourprestige.com.au 109 Mornington Tyabb Rd (corner of Torca Tce) Mornington Mel Ref: 145 H3 coast 14
June 2010
July 2010
The Light in Winter Celebration of community and light When: 4 June – 4 July Where: Federation Square, Melbourne Who: www.fedsquare.com
Meeniyan Tavern Night When: Saturday 10 July Where: Meeniyan Hall Who: Eric Mould 5664 7376 jazzbo@dcsi.net.au
Westernport Sunday Market When: Sunday 6 June, 9am – 1pm Where: Westernport Hotel, San Remo Who: 5678 5205 www.thewesternport.com.au
Geoffrey Bartlett: Lumen This exhibition explores the relationship of coloured shadow to the sculptural object. When: 11 July – 19 Sept 2010 Where: McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park Who: www.mcclellandgallery.com
Welshpool Art Show When: Queen’s Birthday Weekend 12 – 14 June Where: Welshpool Memorial Hall, Welshpool Who: www.welshpool.vic.au Pen and Coloured Ink Landscapes When: Sat 19 June Where: Galleria Del Mare, 28 Turnbridge St, Rhyll Who: Jan Taylor 5956 9391 jantaylor2011@hotmail.com Saraghi Arts Space Exhibitions David Winterbottom When: June 18 - August 1 Where: Cafe Lugano 71 Thompson Ave Cowes Who: Jonathan 0427 857 233 These Strange Places Celeste Whittle oils & Sarah Dingwall glassworks When: 20 June – 17 July Where: Gecko Studio Gallery, 15 Falls Rd, Fish Creek Who: Kerry and Michael 5683 2481 www.geckostudiogallery.com.au Winter Solstice Festival When: Fri 25 June – Sun 27 June Where: Peninsula Community Theatre, Mornington Who: Peninsula Music Society 5975 5469 www.pmsmusic.asn.au Birdlovers’ Walk Visitors welcome, bring binos and picnic lunch When: Wed 30 June Where: Devilbend Reserve Melway ref: 152 J3 Who: Val Ford 5984-0039 www.penboc.org.au Kongwak Market When: Every Sunday Where: Kongwak General Store Who: Jane 0417 142 478
Arty Trivia Party When: Sat 17 July 7pm Where: Foster War Memorial Arts Centre Who: www.famda.org.au Dennis Leversha: South Gippsland Coastlines When: 18 July – 21 August Where: Gecko Studio Gallery, 15 Falls Rd, Fish Creek Who: Kerry and Michael 5683 2481 www.geckostudiogallery.com.au Gippsland Wine & Produce Dinner When: Fri 30 July, 7pm Where: RACV Inverloch Resort Who: Call 5674 0000 www.racv.com.au/inverloch Christmas In July at Arty Farty Studio When: 30 & 31 July Where: 21 Second Ave, Cape Woolamai Who: www.artyfarty.com.au
August 2010 Kerry Spokes & Laurie Collins: Full Play When: 22 August – 18 Sept Where: Gecko Studio Gallery, 15 Falls Rd, Fish Creek Who: Kerry and Michael 5683 2481 www.geckostudiogallery.com.au Melbourne Art Fair When: 4 -8 August Where: Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Who: www.artfair.com.au Annual South Gippsland One-Act Play Festival When: Sat 21 & Sun 22 August Where: Foster War Memorial Arts Centre Who: www.famda.org.au Jules Boult at the Westernport Hotel When: Sun 15 August Where: 161 Marine Parade, San Remo Who: 5678 5205 www.thewesternport.com.au Kongwak Market When: Every Sunday Where: Kongwak General Store Who: Jane 0417 142 478
coast 15
This love story reads a lot like an Emily Bronte novel – two characters drawn to each other, but too shy to do anything about it! Luckily, it has a happy ending: island-born ‘dinosaur man’ Mike Cleeland got up the courage to ask his Scottish beauty Pip to be his bride…and she said yes!!! Pip: I grew up on a farm in Ayreshire on the west coast of Scotland.
My family is quite academic like Mike, but also a bit alternative and quite arty, so it was natural for me to be that way. I did fashion design in London, then went for a wee walkabout doing all kinds of odd jobs. I did a make-up course in Scotland, did some more travelling and used my special effects kit for practical jokes to get in papers, so I built a bit of a reputation. I thought, ‘I’d better get a real job now’ and went to work on the movie ‘Braveheart’. That propelled me into the bloodstream of the film industry. I did that for 15 years, until now. In between jobs I’d get out my paintbrushes or travel. On my third trip to Australia, I worked on the dig at Inverloch and met Mike. It was literally like… ‘Oh – ding dong! Who is that?’ I thought he was very attractive. As we started to talk, I thought ‘Oh, oh’. I know it sounds like a bit of a fairy tale, but it really did hit me like that. I had very strong feelings and it kicked me a bit. I went back to Scotland with Mike very much on my mind, but practical things got in the way. I thought, ‘Oh well, I’m going to go back to Australia.’ I got Mike’s email address and just gently pursued him!! Last year, I came back. I was so nervous! I had just been through a Scottish winter, working for an exhibition and also weaning off a relationship. It was amicable, but no relationship is easy to end. With all that going on, I was very thin. We did eyeball each other again, but it was a bit like a Jane Bronte novel, to be honest: we were too shy to do anything about it. After the week of finding dinosaurs, I went to his place to do conservation work, then we went to look for dinosaurs in the Otways. Mike wasn’t giving anything away…until the Otways. I was exhausted and had given up on anything happening. I asked our host if she had any scissors to cut a dreadlock out of my hair: Mike asked for a brush and spent an hour brushing my hair. I thought: ‘Green light: Cupid has finally got his bow’. He gave me a little kiss good night. The moon woke me and I couldn’t get back to sleep, I was freezing and there was a huge, hairy spider on the wall. I thought: ‘That’s it, I’m a poor Scottish girl in Australia and I’m going up those stairs and get that Australian chap to get that spider.’ One thing led to another, he came to my rescue and managed to warm me up as well! I like to think that Mike put that spider there! We just connected. The floodgates opened and it felt really good. I changed my ticket so I could stay longer. It was clear we were an item, and at Mike’s 50th birthday I met his friends and got into his world. But there was the reality that I had to go back. I was secretly thinking, ‘I would marry this man’. I had such strong feelings. We went to Wilson’s Prom and he proposed on Squeaky Beach. I was stunned, but said yes! Then I went back to Scotland. It was crazy as there was so much to finish off, but it all went well. My personality is that I strike - I just go for it. Some people would say, ‘I could never do that: I’ve got my family heirlooms and my wee cat and I’ve just planted my roses.’ A lot of people are like that in Scotland, but I just decided I’d go for it. We’ve both got a levelness about us. He’s a gentle, sensitive, nurturing person. I feel I can just go ‘aah’ and relax, knowing that I have a sense of security in my personal feelings. I trust Mike inside out. You’ve got to know where you stand with someone - it’s a big, bad world out there. Neither of us is perfect: no-one is. But I’m a bit of an optimist and I look at the positives. The positive sides of Mike are phenomenal. He’s such a loved person, and he makes people feel happy. He’s a giver.
coast 16
The wedding day will be very emotional. It’s a confirmation, and an analogy for my whole life. The vows will weld us together. I’m looking forward to when I first see Mike, and having a wee dance afterwards! I like life to be an adventure, and I feel like I’m on a journey with Mike. If I could describe him, I would use the words ‘caring’ and ‘thoughtful’. He would put himself on the coals to let someone walk over them.
Mike: I remember this quiet girl sitting to one side doing something with a sketchpad. I surreptitiously looked and my jaw dropped – she could really draw. So I made it my business to introduce myself. The first thing that struck me was her art, and that she was interesting. That was three years ago, and we didn’t see each other again for two years. We were in communication informally. I became increasingly aware of being ‘gently pursued’. I didn’t know enough about Pip at that stage to fully appreciate what she had to offer – all we’d had was a half-hour conversation.
It was on her second visit that we came to know each other better. I’m a bit of a slow starter! We met again at the dinosaur dig and got engaged eight weeks later. When she came back, I thought she was so thin! I thought: ‘I have to feed this girl up a bit’. During the week she stayed, I was breaking her in slowly - she met my colleagues and family. I thought that I wanted to keep it going as it was looking very promising, and although I was being a bit non-committal in case it didn’t work out, I was very much keeping my options open. We’d sit up really late at night talking. I felt so relaxed with her. What had originally impressed me was her artistic ability, but when she came to stay, I found myself putting off attending to emails and business stuff just so I could listen to her. I remember thinking that relationships were really important to her. She was showing me photos and telling me stories and I was thinking I could listen to this for a fair while. Then there was her cooking, and the knowledge that she was a farm girl, an outdoors girl, a dinosaur girl, had a streak of adventure and was good looking - a Marilyn Munroe look-alike, actually. I just couldn’t find a fault with her. After the hair brushing, I was in the mood for a kiss goodnight. Then I could see Pip needed help from the spider that was going to devour her! I felt big relief when she said yes, though I don’t think you ask a girl to marry you unless you’re pretty confident. A lot had gone on in my mind, but basically she had ticked all the boxes. She’s got a very nice temperament and after previous relationships that weren’t like that, I thought, ‘This is a ripper!’ If we were going to remain together, and didn’t get married, we would have to keep leaving the country every few months for the rest of our lives. Pip brings an element of wholesomeness. The big win for me is a sense of wholesome existence that I didn’t have before, a meaningful relationship and a bright future – she’s fun to do things with. I’m looking forward to the wedding, and just formalising the relationship. This is the first time I’ve felt that way. I’ve never gone as far as thinking of marriage before. We are equally forgiving of each other. It’s a placid, mature relationship. We’re growing together. I find her really easy to drive! We are a funny - some may say eccentric - couple. But we think we’re normal. We have a lot in common, and go with our feelings: we’re not C inhibited. If I could sum Pip up in one word, it would be ‘loveable’. C
coast people words as told to sally oneill photo supplied
coast 17
artistprofile
As I kid I was very, very shy and insecure. Mum and Dad were a bit alternative and we never had a TV or even a car. I think that spurred my imagination and I always drew as a child.
coast 18
in her HAPPY place
Cheryl Petersen has found her place in life, and her happiness is reflected in canvases full of colour. words & photos maria reed
On a wintry, grey, windswept day by the coast, there is a little oasis of colour and creativity at Cheryl Petersen’s place. This small, power-packed artist bubbles with energy and enthusiasm which are reflected in her large, vivid paintings. “I used to illustrate kids’ books when I left university, but I wasn’t really happy. I felt confined to a page, and wanted to do really big canvases – maybe it’s got something to do with me being such a small person,” she laughs. Though she may be small in stature and you can imagine she would be the life of any party, this was not always the case. “As I kid I was very, very shy and insecure. Mum and Dad were a bit alternative and we never had a TV or even a car. I think that spurred my imagination and I always drew as a child.” The oldest of six children, Cheryl’s family moved about Victoria and she counts going to 16 different schools. “Sometimes we changed schools two or three times a year! Back then, I didn’t like it, but now, if I had to write a biography, I would have a lot to write about, she smiles. “It’s made me very adaptable in later life.” This adaptability shines through her bright and bold canvases. She is just as adept at painting stylised animals, figures and landscapes as she is at turning her hand to abstract painting. A beautiful, boldly animated girl reappears in her work, which begs the question of whether this is a representation of the artist herself. Undecided, she explains, “My paintings tell a story of how I am feeling at the time. It’s amazing when I look back through my work. Some time ago, I went through a bit of a depressed stage, and I didn’t realise it at the time, but all the paintings of that period were really dark and the expressions were very uncertain.” On this understanding, she shares her heart and soul in her gallery like an open book . . . and she is obviously loving life now as the colours are bright and punchy, with expressions that vary from the serene to the positively beaming. Reflecting back, she says, “I left home fairly young, designed jewellery, then went to uni to study graphic design. I worked as a freelance illustrator but I found it a bit too lonely and solitary.” With life’s ups and downs, she struggled to find her niche - but she is in a good place now. “I feel like I’m in a trance when I am painting. I’m totally absorbed and in the zone. And the gallery is the perfect balance. I’ve got people coming in on some days, and other times when I can work on my own. I have a wonderfully supportive husband, so everything has come together beautifully,” she beams.> coast 19
The artist sources inspiration from life, books and fellow Australian artists like Conchita Carambano. “All these ideas swirl around in my head until they come out on canvas. I am a fairly rapid painter and I love to use acrylics – with their colours and speed, they’re just fantastic. I also enjoy creating a composition on canvas and the use of a vibrant colour palette,” she says. Ever the versatile artist, she likes to challenge herself by teaching others to paint, and even offers an in-home designer painting service. “I have created many commissions for people looking for artwork that will fit in with their home colour schemes.” Cheryl is happy to visit people at home and consult with them on a one- to-one basis. The gallery also caters for art workshops and classes for all ages. “I have about 100 students and a variety of classes. With the adults, we can paint all day – we have a drink and a laugh, and it’s really good fun. The kids can be more challenging, but we have a ball. We have two-day workshops where we go over painting techniques and students end up taking a painting home with them, which is very satisfying.” So has the human dynamo found her happy place? Oh, yes. “I feel like I’m living my dream! Eventually I’d like to open an artists’ retreat, something even bigger and better, but I am so happy just the way I am. I’m here seven days a week and I think I would die if I couldn’t paint,” she laughs. C
If you would like to view Cheryl’s work or participate in a class or workshop, you can find her at Cheryl Petersen Galleries, 7/8 Edward Street, Somerville (opposite the hotel) 59 778 724 or 0408 833 260 cheryl.petersen@bigpond.com If you wish to see more of her vibrant works, she also shows at Gallery Sorrento, 141 Ocean Beach Rd Sorrento and Suburban Gallery 312, 312 New Street, Brighton.
coast 20
BUY AN OLD HOUSE IN THE SUBURBS OR A NEW HOME AT THE BEACH
SELLING FAST Live by the beach without splashing out Display home at Clipper Quay, Hidden Harbour. Open daily 10am – 4pm MEL Ref: 150 H9. GPS Ref: Clipper Quay – Safety Beach Proudly marketed by:
1800 202 974 www.discoverhiddenharbour.com.au coast 21
words & photos maria reed
Do You See What I See? Mark Seymour talks to Coast about education, music, middle-class Australia - and surfing… Pauline Seymour was a good listener. As a wife and mother of four, it was her keen ear that recognised her kids’ habit of singing to themselves around the house. So when she wrangled her small brood into a family choir, there was no expectation that any of her offspring would end up following a musical career – let alone make a success of it AND become famous. . . “Mum and Dad were teachers and agitators. Even as far as singing went, they thought it was all part of a well-rounded education, something that made you a better person,” says Mark Seymour. Born in country Benalla, young Mark secretly nurtured dreams of coast 22
becoming a performer, unbeknownst to his parents. “My family was very musical. We learnt piano from an early age, and Mum taught us how to harmonise.” He also played guitar, and would sit in his room for hours learning songs and singing to himself. The arts were always encouraged in the Seymour household. “We weren’t a very sporty family,” laughs Mark. Being reared in a fairly intellectual environment, he reflects, “Singing at that time wasn’t considered a particularly masculine pursuit, and I guess in the country, we never fitted in particularly well as a family group.” In the 60s, the family moved all around regional Victoria following his parents’ educational postings.
The Seymour choir performed in many country talent quests. “It was quite cute and quaint really. We were just a family choir in our school uniforms, singing folk songs and harmonising together. . . you rarely came across that kind of thing.” In retrospect he says, “I consider the choir quite a profound and amazing endeavor on my mum’s part. We were all very cooperative and I think the rigour of learning a harmony and being able to lock in to it forced us at a young age to emotionally cooperate.” Being raised by teachers naturally had its ups and downs. The family moved to Melbourne in the 70s and Mark attended school in Doncaster where Seymour Snr was acting head. “My adolescence was pretty bleak. I went to this really tough suburban high school where Dad was the principal. There were 1400 kids. Everyone from the local area went there, from immigrant kids to hardcore left-wingers. I understand that education is a massive challenge for any society to get right, but at that time, those big suburban high schools had a really rough side to them.” But it wasn’t all bad. He reflects, “On the positive side, there were some really sophisticated people running it. We had great teachers, a low dropout rate and they encouraged us all to go on to university.” Mark followed in the footsteps of his parents and studied the Arts, training to become a teacher. “I spent a bit of time in a couple of schools, but just found the whole system, and trying to make sense of education in the classroom, incredibly hard. I’d gone back to a place where I had been so unhappy as a teenager, and thought, “Why would I want to go back to that world?” His university days weren’t wasted, however. He made friends with an engineering student named John Archer (among others), and they started a uni cover band called the Schnorts. Ever keen to write songs, Mark convinced fellow members of his plan and and they formed the Jettsons. Then a defining moment turned him on to the path of his
true career. Mark recalls, “We were on the verge of graduating, and we all were sort of conflicted as to were we wanted to head, particularly our drummer Peter Maslen who was studying to be a doctor. At one point I just said, ‘I want to be a singer,’ and split from the band. I ended up being a bit of a pariah, but then went back to the guys and we formed Hunters and Collectors.” It took two or three years before they all fully committed to the idea of making a go of being a ‘real working band’, but in the meantime they rehearsed. Mark reflects, “I believe a lot of people like the idea that all bands are from working-class roots – but many are just middle-class guys from the suburbs like us. It’s where we grew up. We were neither rich nor poor, but it’s where I belonged. It was where the tension was and it was real . . . and it had more middle-class neurosis,” he smiles, as it was a life from which he could draw songwriting inspiration. In the 1980’s Hunters and Collectors were regarded as a slightly alternative band, but ended up becoming (in his words), “a massive suburban band that was very mainstream”. On reflection he says, “ I think people who considered us to be somehow interesting or artistically unique became disillusioned with us over the years as we became more popular. The mass of people that attended our gigs were just ordinary Australians – and that has kind of formed me in a way. I just realised that if I spent all these years with people from the ‘burbs whose names I will never know, then I kind of wanted to stay there in a way because it is just more interesting.” While the band enjoyed several years of success, both locally and internationally, internal conflict was never far from the surface. “In that era, the idea of equality was paramount, but it needs to be accepted beyond face value and has to work dynamically. People have to be honest with one another, and inevitably, when you’ve got a group of guys travelling around the world on a bus, eventually that is going to falter.” >
“I believe a lot of people like the idea that all bands are from working class roots - but many are just middleclass guys from the suburbs. It’s where we grew up.”
coast 23
I stumbled onto surfing in my early 40’s when I was in New Zealand. I was sitting out in the water off a beautiful volcanic peninsula and thinking ‘How good is this?’
He became disillusioned and less able to function within the band. Ever the songwriter, he became frustrated by having to create words to a piece of music that was already written. He says, “The last two albums that the band wrote were done that way. The band would just jam or come up with some chords and I’d sit there and listen and invent some words and lyrics. It was just mad, and not the ideal way to write a song.” He reflects, “the key to great songwriting is that there has to be a fundamental grain of emotional truth embedded in the story, so when you sit down and play it or you perform it in front or people, they think ‘Yeah, I’m there, or I know where you’re coming from,’ or can instantly connect because it’s coming from an honest place.” The nature of the band started to change as this group of ‘Aussie blokes’ began to get older, have families and pursue other interests. “Once I had kids, the integrity of our family unit was paramount to me, so when we were touring in Europe, I would insist on my family coming. It was such a male band, and there were two buses, one for the families and one for the blokes – it was just mad.” Eventually they saw the writing on the wall and the band split. Mark continued his songwriting and pursued a successful solo career. He and his family moved to the coast, which was perfect for his favorite leisure pursuits of surfing, bike riding and running. “I stumbled onto surfing in my early 40’s when I was in New Zealand. I was sitting out in the water off a beautiful volcanic peninsula and thinking ‘How good is this?’ He describes surfing as ‘a kind of mysterious, poetic experience’. Now he counts Honeysuckles on the Peninsula and Kilcunda on the Bass Coast among his favorite surf spots.
coast 24
With water as the ultimate equaliser, he enjoys sitting out the back having a chat with ‘Joe Blow’. “You meet all types out in the surf. Builders, doctors, lawyers – just about anyone.” Looking back, he says “In the 70s I found localism and surf rage pretty full on, but now that it’s become so popular and somewhat commercial, it’s forced everybody who surfs to learn to deal with every kook out in the water – which is kind of a good thing.” Meeting a bevy of great people out in the surf, he laments that surfing brings out “the very best and worst in you. You can catch the best wave of your life and feel fantastic - or you don’t catch one, and you come out completely crushed. It’s a difficult lesson to learn.” But it’s a lesson, he recognises, that teaches you acceptance and learning to let go. So was it surfing that drew him to live by the water? Yes and no. “Coastal living is great. The light. The wind. The water. The great thing about where we live now is that you’ve got these two big bodies of water either side of you, and when you come down from town you feel a change in the atmosphere. We have a different climate to Melbourne and that definitely affects people. When you get those beautiful twilight sunsets on a sunny autumn afternoon – it’s just magic.” So what of the future for this musician, surfer and poet? He laughs, “I know I’m at the back end of my career now, but I’m still lucky enough to make a living from it.” His dreams include being a member of a crusty old blues band, playing pub gigs purely for pleasure. He says “As Australians, we really struggle to express how we feel, and we don’t tend to sing in public (that’s done by other people), but in the last 20 years we’ve come to appreciate that our bands are doing ‘a real job’ and that definitely is a good thing.” CC
Over 200 Artworks on display - Weekend Workshops and Painting Lessons
Available for Commission work
Shop 7 / 8 Edward St Somerville
cheryl.petersen@bigpond.com
5977 8724
0408 833 260
www.cherylpetersengalleries.com
Open 7 days Mon 9:30am–9pm Tues, Wed, Fri 9:30am–6pm Thurs 9:30am–9pm Sat & Sun 9:30am–5pm
.BILLABONG. .LEE.TIGER LILY. .RUSTY.ROXY. .QUIKSILVER. .OAKLEY. .VON ZIPPER. .HAVAIANAS. .& MORE. 5 Smith St Plaza Compass Arcade Leongatha 3953
41-43 McBride Ave Wonthaggi 3995
T
T
03 5662 3023
03 5672 3656
coast 25
coast travel
image1
image2 coast 26
image3
image4
image5
words sally o’neill and everett o’keeffe photos everett o’keeffe
Wonthaggi-based Everett O’Keeffe has a pretty serious addiction to travel and he’s more than serious about photography. “I’m bit of an adventure man,”admits Everett O’Keeffe. He and his wife Louise, travelled across many continents to capture images from a tiny Vieillot’s Black Weaver bird to a vast Himalayan landscape that took 22 individual photos to represent and left him with an extremely bad case of altitude sickness. The recent birth of his daughter Savannah has provided him with his “greatest adventure” to date. Here we present some of his favourite photographs and hear the story behind the image. “The world is such a phenomenal place. To bear witness to the interactions between animals and their environment is a privilege. This wonder could be wiped out, but it is all preventable,” he says. coast 27
coast travel
image6
photos this page image 6 Mountain gorilla, Rwanda Seeing the gentle nature of the mountain gorillas and how they interacted as an extended family unit in Rwanda was a life changing experience. To stare into an animal’s eyes and know intuitively that they have a same understanding of the interaction is a photographer and wildlife enthusiasts dream. Adolescents played up for the camera, the mothers cradled and protected their young and the alpha male silverback glared at us until he was satisfied that we knew who has in charge. Walking amongst the great mountain gorillas, it was easy to agree with Darwin, that somewhere in the evolution of life, we have shared a common ancestry with them. I often look at these series of the mountain gorilla photographs as they are my favourite subject. Sadly, some photographs have our guards/guides in the background with machine guns. It reminds of how close the mountain gorillas are to the Congan border, civil wars and extinction. I live in hope, but wonder if my 18 month-old daughter, Savannah, will walk amongst these noble creatures and share their world.
To see more photos visit www.coastmagazine.net
coast 28
image 7 Tree-climbing Lions, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Ishasha, Uganda This is the only place in the world where lions live in trees. The Ishasha section of the National Park, is quite unique in topography and animal behavior. The lions seem to be separated from their northern relatives by this behavior and the fact that the males have darkened manes. They laze about a large tree sprawled out during the heat of the day to aid in cooling themselves. Despite this particular tree holding ten lions, they were hard to see until we were right underneath them. Being king of the jungle, their only acknowledgment of our presence was to slowly open one eye and then go back to sleep. C
cover page photos
image 1 Ama Dablam, Himalaya Range, Nepal (6856m) and Khumba Valley The image is many photos stitched together. When acclimatising to altitude in preparation of higher summits, it is common to climb high and sleep a little lower. This practice allowed us the opportunity to climb a pass and look into the Khumba Valley, with the glorious Ama Dablam peak. This is quite a difficult technical peak and quite a notch on one’s belt. The weather only cleared for a few minutes to allow us a glimpse of the mountain, and to take a few images, before cloud cover shrouded it again. image 2 Vieillot’s Black Weaver Photography is one of the few things that I have patience for. I sat for six hours and captured the entire sequence of complex events that the Male Weaver undertakes to impress his potential mate. I was enthralled as though I was watching the final of the Football World Cup. You cannot help but admire his tireless efforts. image 3 Mountain gorillas, Rwanda At ten frames a second my camera makes quite a racket in the stillness of Rwandan jungle. One particular infant was quite intrigued by the noise of the camera and large glass lens staring at him. Ever inquisitive as an infant should be, and not understanding the rules of distance required between human and gorilla for their safety, she kept inching towards me away from mum’s watchful eye. As soon as she got within a metre or two, her mum would interrupt her repose, reach back, grab one leg and yank her back into her safety. Enjoying the game as much as I, she would sit still until her mum’s eyes closed and then begin to move forward again.
Image 4 Black Noddy In November 2009, I was invited on an ecology research expedition to Lihou Reef, on the north coast of Australia. Lihou Reef is the size of the ACT and has numerous islets and sand cays. It is an important seabird-nesting site for some rare species. Due to the remoteness of Lihou Reef, much is still to be studied. The permits to study these sand cays are quite restrictive to preserve the ecology and protect the species upon them. Just as the time came to depart this particular sand cay for the day, these two Black Noddys started flying into one another displaying phenomenal acrobatics. It only lasted less than a minute, but revealed the precise nature in which they can interact. The photographs showed the great speeds at which they could manoeuvre - even at ten frames a second, each photograph was remarkable and quite different. image 5 Sea cave (Shark Tooth Cave, Vava’u, Tonga) My ever obliging and patient my wife, posed for this shot at mouth of a sea cave, aptly named after the inordinate amount of shark teeth at the bottom, where White-tipped Reef Sharks gather in large numbers and many give birth there. Communication underwater is particularly difficult, without adding a model to direct, nor should you ever be that far from your dive buddy. However, it was the only way to have a reference point to show the enormity of the cave entrance. It was a particularly memorable dive as we surfaced inside the cave at an air pocket, only to find a sea krait (snake) basking in the darkness on rocks inside.
image7
coast 29
coast travel
coast 30
MINGARA GALLERY PHILLIP ISLAND MIDI ART COMPETION/EXHIBITION Be inspired...Artsfestival 1–31 May 242 Thompson Avenue Cowes 3922 Phillip Island Australia www.mingaragallery.com.au
Paintings | Sculpture | Jewellery | Indigenous art
03 5952 3722 noelle@mingaragallery.com.au
coast 31
Believe in yourself, even when the going gets tough. Say, ‘Yes, I can do it.’ Just like the little train, you have to keep going.
fifteenminutesoffame words as told to sally o’neill photo sally o’neill
Clothes revamper and marketer Rona Black has been to the dark side, but it is colour and family that now light up her world… Early memories? I grew up in Wonga Park, and we went through the bushfires in 1956. We ran to the orchard and stayed there with the animals, and the only thing I thought to take was my sewing scissors! We survived, and I had a fancy-free childhood, riding my horse to school and playing in the paddock. I always loved fabrics, and the sewing teacher at school was the only one that I liked. Your working life? I didn’t leave Wonga Park until I was 17. Jobs were so easy to get then. I had a little job at Johnson’s Pottery and thought, ‘I’ll do it my way’ and they said ‘Out - we don’t need you, Rona!’ Then I went to Holeproof: that was another day and a half of sewing gussets in knickers – it was boring! I also worked on a telephone exchange and was a hairdresser for a while until someone’s hair fell out! Then it was off to nursing: I did 43 years, and just loved it. Your family life? I met my husband Laurie at a dance at Heidelberg Town Hall – two more different people you couldn’t imagine! We’ve had our fair share of arguments: I’m just out there, and I want to reach for the highest star. But we’ve had a lot of laughs, and he’s my best mate and the person I trust first and foremost. We had four children. I did Brownies, cake stalls, sport - all those expected things. There wasn’t a lot of opportunity for my creativity, but it was just what you did to create family harmony. Your creativity? My mother had to be cared for (well, both parents actually) and that did dominate my life. It’s not duty; it’s what you feel is right. When she finally went into a home, I used to sew instead of having a cry. She died when I was 60, and that was when my creativity came to the fore. It was a bit like a vision, I suppose. I expressed my new freedom by making dye and throwing it around. My son moved out cos he was sick of purple dye on his jocks! What I do is re-vamping and not throwing anything away. coast 32
Hard times? I had a stroke and then a breakdown and four years of deep depression. Not being able to nurse any more hurt me greatly. It was colour and music that pulled me through. When you are really in the pits of depression, music gets your body activated and the endorphins going. I never lost the creativity, and it’s just got better and better. That’s what I want people to know – don’t ever, ever give up. People would look at me and say, ‘Gosh, Rona - there’s nothing wrong with you,’ but there was. I was lucky. I saw a good psychiatrist (you have to be able to tell someone who understands) and took a bit of medication - but you still run a fine line. You are living on the edge. Coronet Bay? We’ve been here for ten years. First we had a holiday house, then we moved to be close to our daughter. It’s quiet. It could be lonely, but for me it isn’t. After I had the stroke, I thought, ‘You’re cactus, Rona’, but I believe when you are down, you must do something to pick yourself up. We started a Christmas lunch for the elderly or people who were on their own and needed a place to go. It’s become an ongoing thing. The market life? I started at St Andrews’ Market years ago and my love for markets will never end. Since the stroke, the market people have been so kind and supportive. I’ve just set up a caravan at Kongwak market and I love it. Even the dogs don’t bite each other at Kongwak. When I get there, the weight lifts off me and I just feel like dancing! It’s my space. Any regrets? I’d handle my teenagers a different way. I regret arguing with one of my daughters. We were very similar, but I couldn’t understand what she was going through at the time. Your philosophy on life? Believe in yourself, even when the going gets tough. Say, ‘Yes, I can do it’. Just like the little train, you have to keep going. C
coast 33
empire of the
sun
coast 34
Matt Ryan has built his surfing empire on mateship, gut feelings and “being in the right place at the right time”. In the sunny sixties, Matt Ryan was living his dream of surfing and travelling. He had no idea that the dream would never end… Matt started surfing Port Phillip Bay while growing up in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs of Elwood and St Kilda. “When a southwest change came through, that’s when we’d surf the bay in our footy jumpers and shorts, no wetsuits then” Matt recalls. His father, a manager for the old State Savings Bank of Victoria, loved the beach but wasn’t a surfer. “He was born in 1896, and fought at Gallipoli and the Somme in France,” states Matt proudly. “He was retired before I left school. Dad used to drive me and my brother Bill and some mates down to the Mornington Peninsula for our first experiences in real surf. We badgered him constantly to take us surfing. It took us ages to convince him that the best surf was when it was light winds and offshore, not strong onshore winds like he thought!” laughs Matt. The keen surfer was introduced to Phillip Island while playing footy for the St Kilda Under 19s. “As soon as footy was over, Casey Leening and I would jump in the Volkswagen Beetle and bolt down to Phillip Island.” Matt eventually “got the boot from St. Kilda footy club” and his loyalties turned to Phillip Island – for both footy and the surf. Matt formed lasting friendships with locals Tommy Tyrell, Billy Guy and Bob Niven. Matt escaped those early island winters by travelling up the east coast on working holidays. One year, before he left, he and Tommy devised a plan of starting to make surfboards. “We decided over a couple of beers, we could see that the surfing industry was in its infancy and there were no other competitors on Phillip Island. We thought that if we don’t do it, then someone else will.” On that winter escape, Matt ordered a surfboard at Crescent Head and watched every aspect of its construction. “That was the extent of our experience before we started out business.” So the pair started making boards in 1969 in the backyard at Tommy’s place - just a few boards for friends. “We hardly knew anything about shaping surfboards, and basically lived by the seat of our pants, learning from our mistakes as much as anything. It’s funny how we were just in the right place at the right time. When we first started, people laughed at us. The busy season was about six weeks and the rest of the year was the offseason. It was nothing like it is now.”
words sally o’neill & parveshni rule photos warren reed
And that’s how it began - two boys trying to ward off getting a real job by making a passion their profession. “Tommy and I were mad about surfing. I didn’t think it would last; I set aside two or three years, then thought I’d have to get a proper job. You couldn’t do it again the way we did. We had hardly any money; we had just enough to buy some resin, fibreglass and a couple of blanks (boards). We just hoped to make enough boards for friends. Most of the proceeds went back into buying more materials.”> coast 35
My days there are numbered, though, because it takes me about a week to get to my feet these days. I embarrass myself, My head knows what to do, but my knees don’t bend anymore.
Things got serious when an engineering workshop in Cowes came up for rent. “We discussed it, and thought, ‘Oh, we wont be able to afford it through the quiet winter!’ Anyway, we bit the bullet and took it. We paid $17 a week – it seemed a fortune at the time. In those days surfing wasn’t seen as the wholesome, healthy activity it is today. It wasn’t a mainstream sport. It was the beach bums and the hippies who surfed, and the regular people played footy and cricket and had a real job. We surfed – but we had a business, and were also involved in the football club and a lot of community activities.” In those early days, Matt had to supplement his meagre income from making surfboards. He worked as a milkman and other odd jobs such as topping chicory on Phillip Island and bagging seagrass on French Island. Tommy worked part time in his father’s garage on the corner of Thompson Avenue and Chapel Street in Cowes – it’s now a restaurant. As the island’s population grew, so did Matt and Tommy’s business. They continued to make surfboards, and followed the industry trend of selling everything from wetsuits to boardshorts. The original, humble engineering workshop is now long gone, replaced by a large showroom with another outlet in Smith’s Beach which also operates a surf school. The business has always remained true to its origins and has nurtured some top shapers and surfers. Phillip Island has never produced the huge Torquay-esque surfing enterprises. “Torquay is unique because it is a centre of world surfing. They had some pretty ambitious, smart guys who were prepared to take risks, and maybe I didn’t fall into that category,” he says humbly. Maybe he just didn’t want to: as a true surfer, he always had his mind on the waves before the dollars.
things were -then you realise a lot has changed.” The number of people living on Phillip Island today is a far cry from those early, transient days. “It used to be called ‘Blokes Island’ because in the winter there’d be a lot of guys surfing and not too many women around. That’s pretty much how it got its reputation. But now all the guys that came to surf have eventually settled and had families. Now their kids are surfing - it’s a hotbed of surfing talent.” Matt also settled down on Phillip Island with wife Jill who he met when she was working as Phillip Island’s first social worker and they had three children. Matt’s brother Bill and his parents also settled on the island. Express is Matt’s favourite island wave. “My days there are numbered, though, because it takes me about a week to get to my feet these days. I embarrass myself,” he grins. “My head knows what to do, but my knees don’t bend anymore.” Matt tends to leave surfing Express to his son, Sandy, who has followed in his father’s footsteps, and works in the business. “Nothing gives me more pleasure than surfing with Sandy and my daughters Kate and Julia. I’ve been surfing with Sandy since he was a kid. He used to tag along behind me for years, and now I’m struggling to keep up with him. Sandy’s success as a surfer and the person he is makes me really proud.” Sandy, Matt and Glyndyn (Ringrose) inspire the next generation of surfers on a daily basis with their surf school. “It’s one of the most enjoyable aspects of my work. I see the excitement in the kids’ eyes after their first surfing experience and it reminds me of the way I felt all those years ago,” enthuses Matt.
Matt has seen many changes during his 40 years of surfing the island. “The track into Flynn’s used to be just a two-wheel track, and there was a section where you had to negotiate a lot of sand, and it was a challenge to get across it and people got bogged all the time - it ended up about 50 metres wide.”
After 40 years together, Tom recently retired, leaving Matt to take over the business. “We started off as mates and ended as mates,” says Matt of their 40-year partnership. Today he works with Sandy, his good mate Glyndyn Ringrose and over 20 full and part-time staff, including the next generation of surfing talents. “I feel really content knowing the business will be in very good hands, and I see it has a long future.”
Iconic Woolamai Beach has also transformed. “I remember that when I first moved here the Woolamai Road was a track behind a gully, then there was the primary dune and then the beach. Over the years the dune disappeared. As much as I loved being able to park right in front of the waves, I know the new road had to happen.” Matt also recalls how different the beach accesses are now at places across Phillip Island such as Kitty Miller Bay, Barries (now Berry’s Beach), Ocean Reach and Express Point. “You don’t really notice until you stop and think back about how
Matt still seems a little disbelieving of his self-made career. “Yeah, I don’t know why we succeeded and other people didn’t. I couldn’t have scripted it better. I didn’t want to make a million bucks: I just have a great family, I love living on Phillip Island, and my whole working life has been involved in something I love doing. I wouldn’t say I was a hippy when I was young, but surfing was all-consuming for me. The business was a temporary measure to avoid regular work, and it succeeded beautifully.” C
coast 36
SURF.
SNOW.
SKATE. All your needs under one roof! 54 McBride Avenue, Wonthaggi
5672 4112
coast 37
”
It’s not very hard to remake the bush. Anybody can do it. I had no natural resources training at all. I’m a sociologist.
”
coast 38
coast hero
words katie cincotta photos warren reed
We meet the ever-humble Paul Spiers, who has dedicated his life to the trees
Sometimes, we’re confronted with mortality in strange and unexpected places. For me, it was on a bushwalk in Glen Forbes, with Paul Spiers guiding me through the cool temperate rainforest he’s been planting over the last 20 years. As he pointed out trees he’s raised from seedlings, like children he’s watched flourish from birth, it occurred to me that often our life’s purpose is only ever realised in what we leave behind. For this man of the land – a passionate Landcare activist – it’s the transformation of his 40-acre property in the Archies Creek catchment. Where blackberry bushes and weeds once ravaged bare paddocks, Paul and hundreds of volunteers have raised the forest again from the ground up. The path that we walk along used to carry a timber tramway that wheeled out logs felled from the virgin forest – huge lots of land offered by the government in the 19th century to selectors who would clear it for grazing. “About 120 years ago, you would have been standing here in almost total darkness. The trees were 90 metres tall and under that were massive blackwoods and tree ferns.” But the timber wasn’t wasted. It was used to build marvellous Melbourne in the 1890s. All those mansions in Armadale and Toorak, with their massive blackwood panelling, came from here – the ‘big scrub’ of the Strzeleckis. In the last decade, as the trees have stretched tall and the leafy understorey has spread its wings, Paul has seen his rainforest become home again to koalas, swamp wallabies, echidnas, wombats and some 75 species of birdlife. “The web of life is gradually healing itself up again.”
He says that’s the mission of more than 1000 Landcare groups taking environmental action across Victoria – farmers and communities collectively caring for the land in a grass-roots movement that is as bonded as any local football club. Their goal is to rescue their own territory from degradation – breathing life again into land and waterways ravaged by pollution or overuse. “It’s not very hard to remake the bush. Anybody can do it. I had no natural resources training at all. I’m a sociologist,” admits Paul. The boy raised in conservative Balwyn North embraced the radical socialist ideals of La Trobe University in the early 1970s, inspired by green crusaders like Rachel Carson, who spawned the environmental movement with her book, Silent Spring. After Paul and his then wife moved with their young sons to Glen Forbes, he spent the next 15 years at home nurturing three boys and a fourth love – the forest. Together, the family often planted trees, swung from ropes over the creek, and ventured through the scrub as it began to prosper. Those ‘apples’ have fallen close to the tree. The eldest son Ben – or ‘Digger’ – recently returned to the farm after travelling around Australia in a van powered by waste vegetable oil. His brother Rory is completing an Honours year in Physics, and middle child Tom recently ditched a lucrative public service job to teach pre-schoolers how to ski in Whistler. Most of Paul’s university buddies traded their socialist beliefs for mansions and yachts in bayside Melbourne, but this ‘riparian revegetator’ – who has spent the last two decades getting his hands dirty in the name of renewal – defines success not in dollars, but sense. “The most important piece of real estate is the bit between your ears.”>
stomping ground coast 39
coast hero
That’s why he offers schools, politicians - and anyone else keen to learn about Landcare - a personal tour through his rainforest, to show them the value of restoring the natural landscape. Through the DSE (Department of Sustainability & Environment) and Landcare, Paul has taken a delegation of Chinese officials through his forest reborn. In a bid to save their giant pandas, China’s government is considering a stewardship where they would pay landowners to protect the panda’s habitat. Paul’s regeneration tour is something he does to spread the Landcare message and make others enthusiastic about the potential for repair in their own neck of the woods. But of course everyone needs an escape – somewhere or something that energises them or brings them back to earth. The wiry-haired farmer in the Yakka overalls found his release in the Psytrance rave scene, also known as the ‘bush doof’, where three or four hundred people let their hair down in the nightclub without walls. “Trance dancing takes place all over the world, from West Java to Morocco: people dance to a monotonous beat, to achieve an outof-body experience. It goes back to the dawn of time, where tribes gathered together in a clearing in the bush and danced to music. Really, it’s the oldest celebration.” So, while the average baby boomer unwinds with posh nosh and a bottle or two of pinot noir, Paul reckons there’s no better place to congregate than in the great outdoors. As a man approaching 60, he’s gladly taken on the role of ‘elder’ in the party scene, often stepping up to assist with any problems between party goers and the authorities. “I find there’s a very useful role I can play, like a coast 40
community relations officer. My community respects me for that. During winter, I also make fires to keep people warm. People like a good fire - it’s part of the tribalism.” At one point, Paul was able to combine trance dancing and planting at the Tranceplant festivals, where partygoers would plant trees by day and hit the dusty dance floor by night. “I’ve been down here on the road dancing with all three sons, and they haven’t been embarrassed. Actually, I’m a wicked dancer,” he grins. The revellers only stayed a few days on Paul’s property, but their mark remains in the thriving forest they unleashed from tiny seedlings. Paul hopes some of them might come back one day to see what they created. Although he’s sceptical about whether we can save the world from environmental destruction, he’s not giving up on saving his own precious patch. “I’ve given up thinking globally. I think the world’s stuffed. At nearly seven billion people, there are just too many of us. But in case I’m wrong, you’ve got to do what you can locally.” As you walk through the forest Paul Spiers has resurrected, you can see the imprint of that philosophy among the towering branches, the delicate flowering bushes and the choir of singing birds among the canopy. “I’ve chosen consciously to do this because it gives the most value to my life. That’s all there is as far as I’m concerned. I don’t have a religion or a particular spirituality, but I think it’s important how you live your life. Have a good influence on other people, and then you compost! C
www.landcare.net call 5678 2335
coast hero
The most important piece of real estate is the bit between your ears.
�
coast 41
�
” coast 42
I’ve given up thinking globally. I think the world’s stuffed. At nearly seven billion people, there are just too many of us. But in case I’m wrong, you’ve got to do what you can locally.
”
I[h_eki WXekj iebWh5 Ie Wh[ m[$ L^i] hd bVcn hdaVg egdk^YZgh! VcY i]Z [VXi i]Vi bdhi eVcZah add` i]Z hVbZ id i]Z jcigV^cZY ZnZ! l]d XVc ndj igjhi id \Zi i]Z g^\]i ^c[dgbVi^dc4 >[ ndjÉgZ hZg^djh VWdji hdaVg edlZg! iVa` id HdaVg H]de 6jhigVa^V# LZÉkZ WZZc ^c i]Z ^cYjhign [dg dkZg &% nZVgh VcY YZh^\cZY VcY ^chiVaaZY i]djhVcYh d[ hnhiZbh [dg ]dbZdlcZgh VXgdhh 6jhigVa^V# LZ iV`Z i]Z i^bZ id XdbZ id ndjg ]dbZ! VhhZhh ndjg heZX^ÒX cZZYh VcY iV^adg V hnhiZb id hj^i# Ndj \Zi i]Z g^\]i VYk^XZ id bV`Z Vc ^c[dgbZY YZX^h^dc VcY V \gZVi YZVa idd#
EGDJ9AN :C9DGH:9 7N
<Zii^c\ V fjdiZ [gdb jh ^h cdi lVhiZY ZcZg\n#
8Vaa &(( ,+* dg k^h^i hdaVgh]de#Xdb#Vj LATH6739
ISLAND GARDEN SUPPLIES
DISPLAY GARDENS NOW OPEN 886 Phillip Island Road, Newhaven, 3925 Ph: 5956 7397 Fax: 5956 7929 Sand, Pavers, Blended Soils, Screenings, Rocks, Pebbles, Sleepers, Barks, Mulches, Path and Driveway Toppings & Mesh and Trench Reinforcement, also PHILLIP ISLAND PRE-MIXED CONCRETE. We also have a large range of beautiful Garden Ornaments and Pots. Island Garden Supplies_v3.indd 1
4/2/10 3:16:09 PM
coast 43
’ whatshot
gorgeou s in
green
on the coast this winter
Amcal Chemist in Cowes is proud to stock the i.female range of hypoallergenic, nickle-free fashion jewellery for sensitive skin. This range changes on a regular basis with once off pieces from an affordable $14.95 Thompson Ave Cowes.
gourmet gippsland
Enjoy a special five-course dinner hosted by RACV Resort Inverloch. Meet Harry Friend owner and winemaker of Narkoojee Wines and local cheesemaker David Johnson of Tarago River Cheese, and enjoy the best produce the region has to offer. Inverloch Resort, Fri 30th July. Call 5674 0000
Innovative hairdresser Ashley Brooke has opened her own salon in Cowes. Brighten up your winter with a whole new style! Call 0401 438 399
here’s to hair
$O$tax There’s nothing surer than death and taxes and, with the end of the financial year looming, make life easy on yourself and engage the services of Essential Bookeeping Call 0419 888 087
quaint quilts
sea change Meet Adam & Lucas, the proud new owners of Cliff Top Boutique Accommodation at Smiths Beach. These sea changers are looking forward to offering impeccable, relaxed and warm hospitality in this spectacular location. Call 5952 1033 coast 44
Emily Flutterbys makes each quilt with love, using only quality 100% cotton fabrics and 100% Australian wool wadding. They are then wrapped and packaged ready to give to that special someone. www.emilyflutterbys.com
Dance like the world is your stage, work like you don’t need the money, be the star that you are. That is SO!me.
No w
op en to the pu bli c
at Ze ne rgi e; sa m vo
Three luxury self-contained villas, 10kms north of Inverloch at Kongwak. An intimate retreat for couples seeking peace and revitalisation
ad ur a ea nd vege lea tari rn an ho , ve As seen on channel 9’s postcards w to gan o ma r SEE & FEEL ZENERGIE AT: ke raw thi ve www.zenergie.com.au s l ga ife n m sty phone 5657 4490 le orn ch ing an t e ge. a Co & lu Hours nta nc h ct 9–5:30 Weekdays Ze , wa ne tch rgi 9–2:00 Saturdays e f it be or i de ng tai ls 57 Bair Street opposite Henrietta’s
★★★★
Offering An Abundance Of:
SCARVES CLOTHING JEWELLERY HANDBAGS GIFTWARE
Leongatha 5662 3103
Live the lifestyle... Fortunes and lifestyle are being created by ordinary people everyday, Why not you?
www.vision-n-life.com
Vision n life V_2.indd 1
16/2/10 2:12:11 PM
coast 45
promotionalfeature
photo christina prochazka words eleanor mckay
There are many aspects to a thriving coastal community... Peter Francis, Council’s Economic Development Manager, is passionate about liveability. A strong business sector, access to good education and good health care, great arts and cultural experiences, and a supportive community are what liveability is all about. “Most people don’t know what Economic Development means and I’m sure they don’t spend much time thinking about what ‘liveability’ means either,” laughed Peter. “Economic Development is as much about supporting the growth of existing businesses within the Shire as it is about attracting new businesses to the region.” As the father of three school-aged children, Peter has a vested interest in building a dynamic and proactive Bass Coast community. “Like all parents, I want my children to have access to further education, topquality training and a good job at the end of it all.” The Economic Development team works on a range of projects to help achieve this. “Ros Jenzen, Economic Development Coordinator, works on various projects including working with the agricultural sector to promote growth and innovation,” explained Peter. Margaret Murray, Business Development Officer, focuses on business development and support, working with business and tourism associations and organising training and skill development for employers. “We work on a very wide range of projects to improve opportunities for the Bass Coast community. Work that the Economic Development team has done over the last few years put Bass Coast on top of the list when the Federal Government identified locations for the National Broadband roll out. High-speed broadband will impact upon all our lives, with improved communication, education, health services and lots more,” said Peter. coast 46
“The roll out will enable people to work from home more easily and to access services that are simply not available currently. “Our team will play a big part in informing the community about the benefits and the services they will be able to access, and helping people understand how this will improve employment opportunities.” The team also runs the annual Bass Coast Business Awards, which will culminate in a gala presentation ceremony on 22 June 2010. “The awards provide an opportunity for local businesses to gain exposure inside and outside the Shire,” Peter said. “It is a great opportunity for business operators to evaluate their own businesses and highlight areas that need improvement. If common themes emerge, we can organise training to address the issues.” Another project currently underway is the Skills Development Audit. “A survey of 2,000 businesses across the Shire will identify areas of training and skills that need to be developed,” outlined Peter. “We will feed this information back to education institutions so they can tailor their training to provide the skills that our employers need.” Peter believes the future for Bass Coast business looks bright. “Local businesses face some unique challenges, such as the peaks and troughs of activity due to our reliance on tourism,” Peter explained. “Our aim is to strengthen the business community and level these out. By working closely with local businesses and with other areas of Council, like Events, Visitor Services, Tourism and Planning, I really believe we can achieve this.” C For business enquiries, please contact the Economic Development Team on 1300 BCOAST (226 278).
’ whatshot on the coast this winter
Gia is living her dream, by inviting us to enjoy her gorgeous new Cowes body/beauty salon designed to treat everyone from the Outer2Inner. She believes everyone should feel healthy, whilst enhancing a beautiful mind, body & soul. Unwind and relax in the tranquil environment and let Gia and Carly spoil you. Call 5952 6688
e os l t t li mig a Fabulous and feel good – Little Amigos knitwear sustains the livelihood of two Ecuadorian Villages, so rug up for a better world! Available from Kilcunda General Store. Call 5678 7390
n style i e v i r d
think zyink
holistic beauty
Zyink mineral foundations are the brainchild of Nerelle of Foster’s Essential Body Basics. They are produced exclusively by Nerelle for Australian conditions. They are free from harmful chemicals and toxic ingredients, have a lasting effect and do not melt off your skin from perspiration. The minerals offer anti-inflammatory properties to calm and reduce redness and have a broad 20+ sun protection rating. www.essentialbodybasics.com.au
Sue & Tony’s boutique dealership in Mornington has been created to cater for the discerning buyer who knows and appreciates prestige vehicles. Their vehicles are carefully selected. Only those vehicles, which they would be happy to purchase for their own private use, find their way onto the showroom floor. Their vehicles will suit the most fastidious buyer. We are happy to bring our vehicles to you for your consideration. Call 5975 0055
coast 47
We explore life along the coast in Corinella and Coronet Bay and discover a gem of a destination . . .
coast 48
feature area
Coronet Bay & Corinella
words sally oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;neill photos warren & maria reed, sally oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;neill
coast 49
COFFEE & PASTRIES • CAFE & BAR • DELI FRESH & LOCAL PRODUCE • WINE SALES
105 Corinella Road Corinella Phone: 5678 0382 Sat & Sun: 8:30am–5:00pm Monday: 8:30am–3:30pm
#/2).%,,! '%.%2!, 34/2% ,ICENSED 0OST /FüCE
Any enquires ask our local staff
Liquor & Groceries, Bait & Tackle, Take Away Food, Fresh Meat, Fruit & Vegies
All postage requirements!
Billpay
Phone Credit
Banking
Mail Delivery Centre
Telephone (03) 5678 0245 coast 50
feature area
On the shores of Western Port Bay are the townships of Corinella and Coronet Bay. These idyllic seaside hamlets, just over an hour from Melbourne, are the perfect spots for fishing, exploring, a quiet weekend or maybe even a sea-change . . . The sun is shining as I cruise the straight stretch of road from the Bass Highway that leads into Coronet Bay and Corinella. It’s a picturesque, rural scene of lush green paddocks with grazing thoroughbreds and cattle. I find a little car park and follow it through a banksia forest filled with squawking black cockatoos. The calm, blue waters of Western Port Bay open before me and I take a breath. This is stunning. Can I cancel this story? Because I don’t really want many other people knowing about this paradise I’ve just ‘discovered’. Unfortunately, I am a few hundred years too late with my ‘discovery’. In fact Corinella is an original settlement dating back to 1826 when it almost became Victoria’s first township, while Coronet Bay was ‘created’ when a farm was divided into housing blocks in the 1960s. The two areas, within the Bass Coast Shire, offer a stunning rural or coastal lifestyle or make for a relaxing visit. Each seems immune to the pressures placed on other similar seaside areas. There are no ritzy coffee shops or boutiques – each community is serviced by its own general store. These seem to be ‘the hub’ of activity and offer a range of services from post office to movie hire, and sell groceries, hot food, bait and fishing tackle. Corinella was originally named Settlement Point and is the site of Victoria’s first government house. Over the years, fishing families, farmers and entrepreneurs have all played a role in the town. It was once a busy port, handling goods en route to Melbourne. It was also a staging point for servicing the prison farm on French Island, and housed many of its
staff. The intriguing prison farm operated from 1916 until 1975. You can spend hours wandering along Corinella’s foreshore taking in views across the bay and discovering more about the township’s history. A small, convict-built cairn at the end of Jamieson St commemorates the first European settlement in 1826, and another memorial at the caravan park acknowledges the visit of the expedition led by Paul Edmund de Strzelecki in 1840. It is said that the name Corinella refers to the name given to the large mobs of kangaroos in the area by the indigenous Bunurong people. Corinella boasts sheltered, sandy beaches and the jetty creates a focal point. Being the gateway to the ‘fishing heaven’ of Western Port, the dual-lane boat ramp is busy most weekends and operates at all tides. You can buy a daily launching pass from the ramp master’s office alongside the facility, or you can choose a yearly pass. A ferry operates to French Island and boat hire is available. The foreshore provides free electric BBQs and picnic tables as well as a shady rotunda overlooking the water. If you drop into the store, you may meet owner Barbara Oates. She recently led a major community campaign to save the town’s jetty. When she heard that a section was deemed unsafe and marked for removal, she dug her heels in. “It just wasn’t acceptable. It was part of my cultural landscape and I didn’t want to see it compromised,” says Barbara, who grew up in Corinella. She galvanised the community into action and, through fundraising events, raffles and even selling pumpkins, they raised enough to prove they were serious. >
coast 51
feature area Close by: The town of Grantville is just up the road: Grantville Takeaway Delicious take away food packed with flavour and served with a smile! Variety of pizza, pasta and fish and chips to keep everyone in the family happy. Shop 3/4 1524 Bass Hwy, Grantville Call 5678 5535 Grantville Pantry Spoil yourself with delicious home-cooked and traditional food in this modern, friendly café. Scones, jam and cream, milkshakes and more plus great coffee! Shop 7/1509 Bass Highway, Grantville Call 5678 8757. Van Steensels This friendly, expert team has a huge range of water tanks, building materials and hardware. Drop in and see the friendly, expert team. Cnr Corinella Turnoff & Bass Hwy, Grantville Call 5678 8552
Working with the relevant government departments, they secured grant funding to add to monies raised. The controversial section of jetty was replaced this year and Barbara’s cultural landscape was complete once more. This type of community action seems par for the course in both Corinella and Coronet Bay. Many residents are involved in more than one committee, like Joe Ford, a retired RMIT lecturer. He enjoys the “power of the people” to tackle issues such as inappropriate development. “We felt we were losing the town’s character - we don’t want it to be like the suburbs. Corinella is a tiny coastal town with very little flora and fauna left, and we need to preserve it,” says Joe, who is also working on community issues such as better health services, improved public transport and getting an ambulance station in nearby Grantville. “The community needs to remain vigilant about sustainable development that preserves the character of this coastal rural town,” he says. Walking is the best way to take in the character and beauty of the town. A stroll around the streets gives you a feel for the area’s history, with lovely homes that once belonged to fishing families, farmers or storeowners. Corinella also boasts Bass Coast Shire’s oldest cemetery, dating back to 1879. The network of coastal walking tracks is maintained by the community-based Corinella Foreshore Committee of Management. Stop at the lookout at Settlement Point and even continue to Coronet Bay. You’ll probably pass black swans on the bay and wallabies browsing in the woodlands. Coronet Bay, originally farmland, was subdivided into an estate in coast 52
the 1960s. This residential pocket is now a diverse, yet close-knit little community made up of a mixture of permanent and holiday homes. Resident Barry Hutton and his wife swapped their Mornington Peninsula home for a quieter lifestyle. “The peninsula wasn’t us, but we loved the feel of Coronet Bay.” This RMIT lecturer says he is typical of many bay residents. “There are many professional people who don’t want the flash facilities and just enjoy the lifestyle,” explains Barry. Since moving down, he has thrown himself into the community – he is secretary of the Ratepayers’ Association and President of the Combined Communities Group. He enjoys the small community that bands together to get things done - he calls it a ‘village democracy’. “We’re not anti-development - we want sensible, sustainable development, and involvement in our own destiny.” Sue and Pete Keogh moved to Coronet Bay in the 1980s when Sue was pregnant with their first child. They bought a block to build a house and lead a self-sufficient lifestyle. Sue concedes that it was pretty “tough at first” until she met other women at her children’s playgroup. Their good friend Leila has lived in the area since she was a teenager. The three helped found ‘Coronet Bay Unplugged’ – a regular music night held at the community hall. “It was pretty special and helped us come out of our shell,” says Pete. These three share a love and connection to their home, especially the safe, sandy beach. They also share a concern about the possibility of inappropriate development in the future. Strolling along Coronet Bay’s idyllic sandy beach at sunset is sublime. I pass two weathered fisherman, deep in conversation. There is no-one else on the beach. Perhaps my secret is safe for another day in paradise. C To see more photos visit www.coastmagazine.net
Perfect journey break
Grantville Pantry is a gorgeous venue with Grantville’s best coffee, chunky pies & friendliest team. Our modern restaurant style Cafe offers casual comfort with home-cooked and traditional foods such as scones with jam & cream, quiches, malted milkshakes and banana splits. We are liquor licensed so enjoy a bevvy with our yummy food. Let us become your home away from home. Phone: 5678 8757
Shop 7/1509 Bass Hwy Grantville, Victoria
(located on corner near traffic lights)
GRANTVILLE TAKE AWAY
Come in and meet, Darrel, Michelle and Tara, new owners enjoying the real seachange
Wed 11am–8pm Thurs 11am–8:30pm Fri-Sat 11am–9pm Sun 11am–8:30pm ph: 5678 8535 Shop 3/4.1524 Bass Highway Grantville coast 53
a life on the bay words sally oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;neill photos warren reed & supplied
Corinella fisherman Kevin Hamilton casts his mind backâ&#x20AC;Ś
coast 54
Kevin Hamilton is the last in a line of Western Port Bay fishermen. At 85, his memories cast back to a romantic profession with plenty of time to think as the boat gently rocked on the ever-changing tides. Kevin never met the grandfather who started it all. The Irishman came out to Australia on the Indian Queen, settled on a farm in Corinella and made his living fishing the bay. “My grandfather died in 1913 – his boat washed up at Grantville. He’d been up chasin’ mullet and was leaning over the side washing his hands – it must have been a heart attack,” recalls Kevin. Perfect way to go for a man of the sea, we both agree. His father assumed the helm and continued casting and pulling in nets all over the large bay that extends from San Remo up to Tooradin and across to Hastings. Kevin was born at Wonthaggi Hospital in 1925 and grew up in a house overlooking the water in Corinella. It’s still there in Hamilton Lane – and the palm tree that cut his hand as he ran past it as a child still stands tall. “I had five brothers… oh, I have to count them up, now,” he says as he reels them off: “Ian, Laurence, Gordon, Clyde, Ronnie and myself. I also had a sister Mavis. I came in amongst them about (his eyes look up)… fourth.” Kevin would milk seven cows each day before running down to Corinella School. He liked farming well enough, but the sea was where he wanted to be. He recalls the day his father first took him to fishing: “I was excited. The boat seemed to be rolling a lot, and I got a bit woozy - not sick, but woozy.” With no motor, they sailed, or rowed when the wind dropped. His mum, “busy at home cooking”, rarely joined them, but always packed a lunch. “We had a fire pot – a four-gallon drum with the top cut out and little holes around it. You’d put sand in it so it didn’t get hot on the
bottom, and you could lift it up and carry it anywhere. We always had a bag of wood with us. We’d boil the billy and cook fish in the sea water. There were a lot more fish then. One day, Dad and I caught enough for 20 boxes. That was a lot of fish in those early days, and they took a fair bit of handling. We caught mullet, whiting and plenty of rock flathead.” Aged 22, Kevin “got blown up with a drum of petrol” and still bears the scars. “It was my own stupid fault. I put the lantern well away as I was siphoning petrol, but the next thing it exploded. I ran into a garden that had been freshly dug, and rolled over and over. I was on fire, but that smothered it out.” He endured ten weeks in hospital with third-degree burns. They told him he’d never be able to go out in swimming togs because of the scarring, but he jumped straight into the sea and went swimming every day. Within 12 months, he was back playing cricket and working, but his respect for fire from that day equalled his reverence for the sea. Kevin secured his own fishing licence in 1942. “You just sent away and got it, no trouble. Then, all of a sudden, if you were a farmer or owned a business, you couldn’t get one. You had to be an absolute professional fisherman.” He pulls out some faded photos and there he is, hair bleached blond by the sun. Strong, tall and smiling - his boat, the June, in the background. Boats were clinker built, the nets made of cotton threaded with corks and lead weights. “We’d just run the net behind the boat and>
coast 55
Of course you can be both a greenie and a fisherman. You’ve gotta be. If you’re not, you start taking all the little fish and interfere with your future. I learnt that from my father and uncles; they were greener than I was.
lay it out as the tide fell. The fish would run out and in to it. You’d pull it in by hand, picking the fish out as you went. You were there with the net all the time in the early days - you’d camp with it. We filled old chaff bags with dried seaweed and then sewed them up – they were beautiful to sleep on,” he recalls. He survived the sea by relying on his wits and the wisdom given by his father and uncles. There was no safety or high-tech equipment then. “The only depth-sounder was the paddle when it touched the bottom! You had to watch you didn’t run onto a mud bank or you’d be there for hours.” He was always decked out in his rubber waders and apron, with a few jumpers underneath to keep him warm. “It did get wild sometimes… but the fish run a lot better in the nets when it’s rough.” Things sometimes did go wrong. “One day I got annoyed with the nets - they were caught under the prop and the rudder, so I gave them one heck of a tug and pulled myself straight into the water with my waders on. We were running the nets out, so I called to my brother, ‘Hang onto that net’. I was able to pull meself back to the boat. He said I panicked, but I think he panicked more than me!” All in all, it was a “pretty free life”. You were your own boss out at sea, and there was also plenty to do back on dry land - dances at the Corinella Hall, playing cricket and chasing rabbits. The fish market was “good back then and provided a fair living”. But good times don’t last forever. Change was inevitable. In the 1960s, it became the trend to insulate houses with seagrass. The
coast 56
bay was pillaged. Kevin discovered his inner greenie. “It affected the fish a lot because it caused so much erosion. But the fisheries department wouldn’t listen to us at that time; they said, ‘Oh no, we can’t see any harm.’ We wrote so many letters then to try to stop it. I even got a letter back from Hamer, who was in at the time. Then, I happened to take the shadow minister’s son’s boss out fishing and told him about it. It was that shadow minister, Ian Cathie that got it stopped in the end.” Kevin respects the environment. “Of course you can be both a greenie and a fisherman. You’ve gotta be. If you’re not, you start taking all the little fish and interfere with your future. I learnt that from my father and uncles; they were greener than I was.” It’s this attitude that helped him to accept the end to commercial fishing in Western Port in 2007. “Oh well, I think they had to stop it. Technology was catching up and the nets were getting finer and finer. They got new ideas about running the net out and winching it in, then they forgot to bring it in and ended up towing it along, so it was ripping up all of the marine growth. We fished much more gently.” These days, Kevin lives in Coronet Bay and keeps healthy with a daily dose of fish-oil tablets! He marvels at how much the area has changed since he used to muster cattle and shear sheep in paddocks where houses now stand. His last remaining brother passed away recently, leaving him the last in line. He still goes fishing at least once a week in his little tinny. His grandchildren love to go with him, soaking up the knowledge of three generations on the sea. C
Quality accommodation
QUEST phillip island
Located in the vibrant, holiday township of Cowes, Quest Phillip Island is a short stroll to local shops, restaurants and beaches and within a short travelling distance to Phillip Island’s many attractions including the Penguin Parade, surf beaches and Grand Prix Circuit. Quest Phillip Island offers studio, two and three bedroom, fully serviced apartments all including separate lounge and dining areas, fully equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, large balconies and cable tv. Quest Phillip Island’s conference centre is ideal for small conferences, seminars and product launches. Guests can make use of the solar heated pool, gas heated spa and BBQ area as well as off street parking. The perfect location for a family getaway or business retreat is only 90 minutes from Melbourne.
Ideal accommodation for your wedding party
Q
MENTION THIS AD FOR YOUR 10% DISCOUNT FOR WEDDING GROUPS Valid for 2 night bookings
QUEST OCEANIC Opened in November 2005, Quest Oceanic features one, two and three bedroom, fully self contained apartments, the latest in modern architecture & design. The apartments feature quality furnishings and fittings, dvd players, stereos, full kitchen, laundry facilities, large balconies and onsite under cover secure parking for one car. Centrally located in Cowes, approximately 700 metres from the foreshore and within close proximity of local shops and restaurants. Phillip island boasts a large range of award winning natural attractions, such as the Penguin Parade – making it the perfect location for families and couples to escape for a relaxing break at any time of the year.
Phone: 03 5952 2644 Email: questphillipisland@bigpond.com.au Website: www.questphillipisland.com.au www.questoceanic.com.au
coast 57
Capturing lifes moments
Award Winning Wedding Photographer
Servicing Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula Lucas Piera (m) 0414 343 104 (e) lpiera@lenstolife.com.au (w) www.lenstolife.com.au coast 58
photo: www.lenstolife.com.au
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your special day and whatever your style or budget, our coast can offer everything you need. Read on for your complete coast wedding guide that has everything for a memorable, heartfelt celebrationâ&#x20AC;Ś
coast 59
Ceremonies Receptions Photography
McClelland gallery & sculpture park
390 McClelland Drive, Langwarrin, Vic 3910 ph: +61 3 9789 1671 fax: +61 3 9789 1610 email: christopher.read@mcclellandgallery.com web: mcclellandgallery.com coast 60
Inspire Create Enjoy
The Right Elements
Friends, Family & Good Food Archies on the Creek Kim Hadden & Chris Northover
im ’s d ad!
Esplanade Hotel, Inverloch Erin & Craig Gooey
ak eb yK
We talk to real life couples who have said ‘I do’ on the coast!
|| Wedding Tales
om
Wedding Feature
to Pho
.c ne sto n o hilt
Venue? We had our reception at the ‘Captain’s Lounge’, Esplanade Hotel in Inverloch for 102 guests. Why you chose it? We looked at a number of venues, but none had all the elements we required. When Sue took us upstairs and explained the hotel’s vision for a beautiful space, delicious food and excellent service, we booked on the spot! Your style and theme? All the elements of the day were chosen to reflect our personalities. We wanted a fun and comfortable mood in an elegant, formal setting. We chose flowers and candles for the tables to create a romantic setting. For a personal touch, we named each table after a place that held special memories for us. We had photos and a story of why the place was significant to us. Memorable moment? We both agree that the best moment was when all of our family and friends were on the dance floor, singing and dancing up a storm. We couldn’t stop smiling, because all our guests were having as good a time as we were! Any advice? It certainly a learning experience, but I wouldn’t do anything differently! The day was perfect and we loved every moment. In the months prior, there was a lot of stress and organising. It was lovely on the day to know that we had planned for everything, so we could sit back and let it happen. The Esplanade team ensured it flowed seamlessly so we didn’t have to worry about a thing.
to Pho
Kim
c is, hr &C
Venue? We had our reception in the cellar at Archies on the Creek, followed by drinks and dancing in the ‘VR Room’ for 35 family and close friends. Why you chose it? We wanted to get married close to Phillip Island (where we live) and good food and wine were very important to us. The Archies staff were very flexible and excited about the style of wedding. We had a 6-course degustation menu with matching local wines. The quality of the food, extent of the cellar and aesthetics of the venue were all key factors in our decision. Your style and theme? My engagement ring is Art Deco with diamond and black onyx. We took a black and white theme from that and added red as our splash of colour. The style was very casual and all about friends, family, food and fun. Memorable moment? Our first dance. Everyone was expecting a slow dance and we broke out into a twist with the song ‘You Never Can Tell’ from Pulp Fiction! Any advice? Our wedding day was ridiculously close to perfect! We had so much fun. If you can, a small wedding is so worthwhile.
coast 61
coast 62
Wedding Feature Racing Hearts
|| Wedding Tales
A Great Catch
Rhyll Trout & Bush Tucker Farm Jo and Joel Huckett
Family Home Dell & Matt Nolan
gr ap hy .
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Shaun and Kellie Ambler
A Family Affair
to ho yP n i t es to D Pho
Venue? Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for 130 guests. Why you chose it? We looked at a number of places but found the Grand Prix Circuit was the most affordable, had the nicest facilities, and the view was beautiful. Your style and theme? We had a red and white colour theme, with a touch of sparkle. Memorable moment? 130 people all trying to cram onto the dance floor for Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ straight after our bridal waltz! Another special highlight was being able to have our photos taken with the bridal cars on the starting grid of the track. Any advice? We found the best way to manage everything was to have spreadsheets outlining what had to be done/paid for/ordered and whose responsibility it was. The best piece of advice we received was to take a few minutes together to let it all sink in: it’s such a crazy day and it’s easy to pass by each other. Make the most of it and have fun!
to Pho
. ttia yA Ram
to Pho
ne za Di mi o Na
Venue? Rhyll Trout and Bush Tucker Farm for 90 close family and friends.
Venue? At my mum and dad’s property in Wonthaggi for 70 family and friends.
Why you chose it? Joel and I both love fishing, so it was extremely personal for us to have a wedding that reflected us and something we enjoy doing together. The venue is brilliant, we fell in love with the indoor rainforest! There are many beautiful photo opportunities, the venue is spacious and relaxed. Paul and his staff were brilliant from the initial appointment until we left on the wedding night.
Why you chose it? My parents have the most beautiful garden.
Your style and theme? “Fishing” - our wedding cake was shaped as a boat! Our colour scheme was purple and silver. We had purple and white lanterns scattered around and the table decor was made by Mum.
Your style & theme? We went with an Asian theme, just to be different, and the colors were amazing. Memorable moment? There were no bad moments, it was exactly as we planned and we had the best day ever. Any advice? I probably wouldn’t do anything differently. My main advice is to keep it really relaxed and just enjoy yourself - don’t dwell or stress about the little things.
Memorable moment? Our wedding dance. It started with myself and three bridesmaids on the dancefloor. Then I grabbed my husband, and we danced to “Great Balls of Fire”. I’m a Jazz dance teacher, so we had to do something a bit FUN in that area!!! Any advice? Stop and think about what is going to make your day special and memorable, and plan a wedding that reflects you as a couple.
coast 63
coast 64
Wedding Feature
|| Wedding Guide
Venues & Receptions Archies on the Creek
This lavish, modern venue is set on three acres of beautifully manicured gardens with a fountain and a lake. The team will plan every little detail with imagination and vision and will add an exceptional food and wine experience to your big day. Arrive in style in one of their two classic Rolls Royces and exchange vows in the stunning outdoor setting. Call 5678 7787 www.archiesonthecreek.com.au
Cliff Top Boutique Accommodation
Perched on a cliff with stunning views over Bass Strait, Cliff Top is a unique and beautiful location for your wedding day. A ceremony on the beach, deck or grasslands, then a reception overlooking the breathtaking ocean and sunset then finish your grand day in a beautifully-appointed honeymoon suite – that’s the Cliff Top experience. Call 5952 1033 www.clifftop.com.au
Esplanade Hotel
The Captain’s Lounge is a beautiful and elegant wedding reception venue featuring a private balcony with ocean views. A spectacular water feature wall forms the perfect backdrop for any function. With sophisticated menu options to suit your every need, our function co-ordinator Lisa is there to help make your special day one to remember. They cater for both seated (between 70 & 100 guests) functions and also cocktail style functions (120 to 200 guests). Small intimate weddings can be arranged in Cookies Nook for 25 to 45 guests. Call 5674 1432 www.invyespy.com.au
Foreshore Bar & Restaurant
The Foreshore has hosted many weddings from canapé receptions to sit down dinners, offering a stylish coastal feel with stunning water views that are always amazing no matter what the weather. With high-quality food and service, what more could you ask? Only the best for your wedding day. Call 5956 9520 www.theforeshore.com.au
Infused Restaurant & Wine Bar
Infused will make your special wedding day stress-free with their exceptionally brilliant food and impeccable service. No matter the size, budget or style, create the perfect wedding function with owner/chef Patrick O’Garey guiding the way from custom-built menus to the overall running of the function. Call 5952 2655 www.infused.com.au
McClelland Gallery & Sculpture Park
This venue will give your wedding that magic touch. Select from a sitdown dinner or cocktail function within the intimate café surroundings or a marquee for larger events. Imagine celebrating amidst this beautiful venue’s 16 hectares of spectacular parkland featuring sculpture by artists of international acclaim. The café’s Italian marble décor provides a sophisticated reception venue. Celebrate in style and let the team transform your experience into an unforgettable work of art! 390 McClelland Drive Langwarrin Call 9789 1671 www.mcclellandgallery.com
Check out our where to eat guide on page 120 for all your dinners and celebrations coast 65
aptain’s ounge The Esplanade Hotel introduces Captain’s Lounge. A beautiful and elegant wedding reception venue with sophisticated menu options to suit your every need.
Please contact our Function Coordinator for more information 03 56 741 432 esphotelfunctions@bigpond.com
phone. 03 56 741 432 coast 66
Inverloch Esplanade Hotel 1 A’Beckett St. Inverloch Victoria Australia 3996 fax. 03 56 742 206 web. www.invyespy.com.au email. esphotelfunctions@bigpond.com
Wedding Feature
|| Wedding Guide
Venues & Receptions
Phillip island Grand Prix Circuit
This unique venue offers the entire package. From tranquil water gardens, a panoramic vista track-side or on the start grid, this is your perfect spot to say “I do” and there is a kaleidoscope of photo opportunities. You’re never too far from your guests as they mingle close by in truly unique surroundings. Call 5952 9400 www.phillipislandcirciut.com.au
Phillip Island Vineyard
In the heart of Phillip Island hides a stunning venue with sweeping views of country and sea, atop a field of deliciously adored grapevines. Phillip Island Vineyard and Winery offers a venue for both the ceremony and reception in one glorious place. Catering for up to eighty guests with menus to suit all tastes and budgets, together with live music to create an entertaining and romantic evening to remember. Call 5956 8465 www.phillipislandwines.com.au
RACV Inverloch Resort
Set in a stunning natural environment with breathtaking ocean views, this is the perfect location to celebrate your special day. Their experienced team will ensure your wedding day is what you’ve always dreamed of. Whether you’re planning a banquet or cocktail-style reception, the chefs use the finest local produce to create a spectacular menu to delight your guests and suit your budget. The spacious grounds are perfect for outdoor ceremonies and the resort offers a range of accommodation options for your guests. Call 5674 0000 www.racv.com.au/inverloch
Rhyll Trout & Bush Tucker Farm
This stunning location has a natural, friendly atmosphere. An ideal venue for ceremonies and receptions, this place is one out of the box. The impressive indoor “Rainforest Room” will allow you to enjoy a gorgeous garden wedding without worrying about Phillip Island’s unpredictable weather. Call 5956 9255 www.rhylltroutandbushtucker.com.au
Sarah Ashe Catering
Sarah Ashe Catering delivers its expertise from around the world in a diverse range of wedding catering, consultancy and event management. Catering from city to sea, they have a passion for quality and show attention to every detail, providing menu-tasting, and décor consultants to transform any venue into your dream reception. Call 0417 724 980 www.sarahashe.com.au
The Nobbies Centre & Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Say “I do” with a backdrop of spectacular ocean views at the Nobbies Centre or on tranquil, heritage-listed Churchill Island. The Nobbies Centre has two function rooms with 180-degree ocean views and can cater for groups of 10 or 160. Plan a romantic garden wedding on Churchill Island with enough room for 500 guests. Call 5951 2852 www.nobbies.org.au
The Wonthaggi Club
The team at The Wonthaggi Club prides itself on service, quality and presentation. Their superb function room caters for up to 110 guests and the 19Eleven Room caters for smaller, more intimate gatherings. The professional, experienced team is looking forward to welcoming you. Call 5672 1007 www.wonthaggiclub.com.au
Don’t forget halls, reserves & beaches - www.basscoast.vic.gov.au coast 67
Venues & Receptions The Rhyll Trout & Bush Tucker Farm… Naturally spectacular.
Enjoy the day of your life with an indoor garden wedding in our stunning Rainforest Room. Old fashioned friendly service and delicious home cooked food will put a satisfied smile on everyone’s face. 36 Rhyll-Newhaven Rd, Rhyll, Phillip Island.
Ph. 03 5956 9255
info@rhylltroutandbushtucker.com.au
www.rhylltroutandbushtucker.com.au
Imagine… A Five-Star James Halliday Winery
ÍÍÍÍÍ
The romance of a winery wedding in the beautiful grounds of the PHILLIP ISLAND WINERY. Overlooking Bass Strait, with lush green lawns and a spectacular enclosed vineyard, we can help make your special day one to remember - for you and your guests. For smaller weddings, our ‘cottage-style’ Cellar Door offers a relaxed and cosy atmosphere with sea and vineyard views. For larger groups of up to eighty guests, our large specially-fabricated all-weather marquee provides a unique and comfortable ‘garden party’ atmosphere. We can cater to your requirements and budget, from a light cocktail function to a choice of delicious menu options. Our prices are very reasonable and our staff friendly and flexible.
414 Berrys Beach Rd, Phillip Island Cellar door: Thurs–Sun 11am–5.30pm Open daily school & public holidays Phone:(03) 5956 8465 Mobile: 0419 523 996 phillipislandwines.com.au enq@phillipislandwines.com.au
coast 68
Venues & Receptions
there’s nothing like a racing heart
complete from “Start” to “Finish Line” enquiries phillip island grand prix circuit 03 59 522 710 info@phillipislandcircuit.com.au www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au Grand Prix.indd 1
19/5/09 6:16:13 PM
coast 69
Wedding Feature
|| Wedding Guide
Photography
Lens to Life
Lens to Life is a small exclusive studio that approaches your wedding day in a professional manner, ensuring spontaneity and a relaxed atmosphere to encourage unprompted reactions and an unstaged appearance to your photos. Lucas and his team of photographers will exhibit their extensive range of designer album options and discuss what your personal photography requirements are so that together you can create your individual wedding day story. Call 0414 343 104 www.lenstolife.com.au
Chrisp Pictures
Christina Prochazka is the face behind the camera, behind Chrisp Pictures. Her aim in photography is to capture the unexpected - Chris believes her photoshoots promote a natural atmosphere of fun, romance, emotion and beauty. This eliminates the need for fancy lighting and props. She likes to capture this essence by using natural light and surroundings, and the spontaneous, unrehearsed behaviour of people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; capturing how they feel in that exact moment of time. That is what memories are all about. Call 0400 981 090 www.chrisppictures.com.au
Bride 2 Be
If you desire wedding photos that are modern, creative, glamorous and innovative, think Bride2Be. Passionate, and specialising only in wedding photography, the company takes pride in exceeding all your expectations using various lighting techniques, angles and backgrounds to create unusual and stunning effects. Bride2Be offers you a complimentary photo session capturing your engagement, using this session as an opportunity to get to know you personally, and determine the style of photography you wish for your wedding day. Call 0418 586 844 www.bride2bephotography.com
coast 70
real & unexpected photography
Inverloch | available all areas Christina Prochazka 0400 981 090 christina@chrisppictures.com.au www.chrisppictures.com.au weddings | portraits | commercial
coast 71
Engagement
Weddings
Anniversaries
Any time! 132 Whitelaw St Meeniyan VIC 3956 coast 72
|
Phone 5664 0055
|
Please visit www.lacyjewellery.com.au
Wedding Feature
|| Wedding Guide Lacy Jewellery
Lacy Jewellery Studio & Gallery
A wedding day may be fleeting, but the wedding jewellery is forever - a timeless and exquisite symbol of your love. Whether traditional or modern, Lacy engagement rings and wedding bands offer the enduring beauty every bride or groom is searching for. Led by their expert manufacturing jeweller, Philip Lacy, our staff will assist you through each step to choosing the perfect rings. 132 Whitelaw St, Meeniyan Call 5664 0055 www.lacyjewellery.com.au
Denis A Hawkins
Create unique wedding rings that are made specially for the two of you. Jeweller and artisan Denis A. Hawkins takes you through each stage of your design to a handcrafted creation that will be admired forever. 3 Lyon St, Leongatha Call 5662 3142 www.denisahawkins.com.au
Denis A Hawkins
Studio 41, Mornington
Your wedding jewels are a lifetime decision that is important to both you and Elayne Vears - a master creator of exquisite and individual wedding rings and jewellery. Whether you want matching wedding bands, to fit an engagement ring, or just something individual, your choices are endless. Elayne’s personalised service will make it easy to fulfil your heart’s desire. Studio 41: Mornington Ph. 5977 0080 www.studio41.com.au
Studio 41
Goldsmiths Gallery
Goldsmiths Gallery can make your special day even better by designing and making jewellery for your entire wedding party, as well as wedding rings for the bride and groom. Each ring Bronwyn makes and sells comes with a free annual clean and polish. Unusual designs are her speciality. If you want something different that lasts a lifetime, have it handmade and wellmade. Bridgeview Arcade, San Remo www.goldsmithsgallery.com.au
Goldsmiths gallery
Accommodation Silverwater Resort
Set high on the rolling hills of San Remo, Silverwater Resort is your gateway to Phillip Island. Enjoy spacious apartments, amazing water views, functions and events, relaxed dining and a complete range of resort facilities. The perfect location for your guests to stay so they arrive at your wedding relaxed and refreshed! Call 5671 9300 www.silverwaterresort.com.au
Quest Apartments
Quest has two Phillip Island locations which can accommodate your whole wedding party. Quest Phillip Island has stylish, serviced, fully self-contained apartments and a solar-heated pool and spa to get your day off to a great start. Quest Oceanic also accommodates wedding guests in modern one, two, and three-bedroom selfcontained apartments. Call 5952 2644 www.questphillipisland.com.au
Accommodation Options
- www.promcountry.com.au has over 110 places to stay. - Harrys on the Esplanade 5952 6226 - Phillip Island & Bass Coast Visitor Information Centre Ph. 1300 366 422 www.visitbasscoast.com - RACV Resort Inverloch www.racv.com.au/inverloch - Zenergie www.zenergie.com.au
coast 73
Weddings Celebrate in Style
S t u d i o 41
Make your special day an occasion to cherish with Studio 41 – the wedding specialists If you’re planning your wedding, consider a Wedding Wish Registry with Studio 41. With our wide range of jewellery and gifts, it’s a simple and easy way to select objects of desire to cherish for years to come. Simply create your wishlist and we’ll provide cards to send to your guests with details of how they can view and select gifts.
After a special piece to wear on your wedding day?
DESIGN your desires CREATE your dreams REJUVENATE your memories
Our skilled jewellers can re-create an old family heirloom just for you. Also, we now offer our very own bead range which can be customised with the bride and groom’s name and wedding date, making a stylish and modern memento of the day. View our new bead range online at www.studio41.com.au
So make Studio 41 a part of your wedding plans, and celebrate in style! 41 Main Street, Mornington, VIC 3931
coast 74
P: +61 3 5977 0080
www.studio41.com.au
|| Wedding Guide
photo: www.bride2bephotography.com.au
Wedding Feature
coast 75
photo: www.lenstolife.com.au
Wedding Feature
coast 76
|| Wedding Guide
Artisan and seller of Traditional & contemporar y Jeweller y
LEONGATHA STUDIO & SHOWROOM 3 Lyon Street, Leongatha | Tel. (03) 5662 3142 www.denisahawkins.com.au | denisa10@bigpond.com
KOONWARRA STUDIO & GALLERY 11 Swan Road, Koonwarra Village | Tel. (03) 5664 2282 www.denisahawkins.com.au | denisa10@bigpond.com
The
oldsmith’s allery
Now Open in the Bridgeview Arcade - San Remo Wearable Art, Unique Designs and Limited Edition Jewellery that can be passed down to future generations. Proudly made in Australia by some of the best Gold & Silversmiths, Jewellers and Artisans Jewellery & Lampwork Bead Making Classes now available – see website for dates Unique Jewellery | Commissions | Repairs | Resets | Rethreading phone. 5678 5788 web. www.goldsmithsgallery.com.au coast 77
Wedding Feature
|| Wedding Guide
Celebrant, Flowers & Music Jenny Milkins
Your ceremony can be as unique and individual as you are. If you select a church wedding, the priest or minister will assist you with planning. Other locations require a civil celebrant to make it all official. “A civil marriage ceremony allows you the freedom to personalise your proceedings and also offers more flexibility in regard to the time, date and place,” says civil celebrant, Mona J. Milkins. Have a good talk with your celebrant to ensure you can add all your own personal touches. Call Mona (Jenny) Milkins on 0439 320 099
Simply Blooming Gorgeous Florist
Cheryl and Vaughn from Simply Blooming Gorgeous will take care of all your wedding floral arrangements, advising on the best ways to enhance the romance of the proceedings. Quality flowers to match your colours and style for the venue, tables, hair and bouquet. 71 Mc Bride Ave, Wonthaggi Call 5672 1708
Baker Boys’ Band
Michael McClintock from the Baker Boys’ Band has years of experience, and advises that choosing the right band for your wedding can transform it into a truly spectacular party! A really great band will fill the dance floor faster than a DJ – there is something about live music that just inspires people to get up out of their seats! Call 0438 301 313 www.bakerboysband.com.au
Fashion, Gifts & Accessories Kudos
If you are planning or attending a traditional wedding with vintage emphasis, then you must visit Kudos, with its range of intricate and cared-for antique wedding dresses and accessories. Kudos, with its eclectic mix of old and new, is the perfect place to find quirky new or antique homewares, decorations and jewellery for gifts. 137 Marine Pde, San Remo Call 5678 5944 www.kudosvintage.com
Kush Kush
Kush Kush is a wedding treasure-trove of elegant, beautiful and stunning fare. Wedding dresses, veils, bridesmaid & formal wear, shoes, jewellery,accessories, decorations, keepsakes, gifts and more to suit a beach, garden or traditional wedding. If you’re planning a wedding or seeking a gift, Kush Kush really has everything. Vista Place, Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island Call 5956 6844 www.kushkush.com.au
Check out page154 for a full list of great gift locations & also our fashion feature on p. 88. coast 78
SimplyBlooming Gorgeous florist & giftware
3PECIALISING IN WEDDING Ä&#x152;OWERS FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY
-C"RIDE !VENUE 7ONTHAGGI /PEN $AYS -ON &RI AMp PM 3AT AMp PM !FTER HOURS BY APPOINTMENT PHONE FAX MOBILE EMAIL BLOOMING?GORGEOUS LIVE COM WEDDING DRESS ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE FROM KUSH KUSH MAKE UP BY !LE $E ,A 2OSA
kirsty parini
freelance hairstylist bridal preparations a speciality
â&#x20AC;&#x153;putting a smile on your face & completing your bridal dreamâ&#x20AC;? 0447 503 411
kirstyr2000@yahoo.com coast 79
Hairdressing specialising in colour, styling & bridal. Beauty services including waxing, manicure, pedicures, rejuvenation facials, non surgical face lift & body sculpture, special occaision make up. Spa treatments including full body exfoliation spa treatments, mud wraps, hot stone massage & therapeutic massage
Phone 5682 1200
Email nerelle@essentialbodybasics.com.au
1 Bridge St Foster 3960
Web essentialbodybasics.com.au
Make-up•Hair•Beauty
• Workshops • Make-up Courses • Mobile services • Airbrushing • Packages • MAC, Kryolon & Arbonne Contact Ally on 0402 117 280 www.make-upandbodyart.com coast 80
Wedding Feature
|| Wedding Guide
Beauty, Hair & Makeup Ally De La Rosa
Ally has over ten years’ experience in the beauty industry. Her national and international experience includes Cosmopolitan Bride Magazine, Melbourne Fashion Week, film, tv, music videos and advertising. Ally offers special ‘head to toe’ bridal packages to ensure you feel and look your best on the day. Call Ally on 0402 117 280
Essential Body Basics
All essentials from top to toe for the bride and her party. Visit a few days prior to the big day for the works - unwind with a full body polish, ½ hr massage, deluxe facial & pedicure. On the day, feel confident with a manicure and stunning hair styling. Look like a natural beauty pampered with a unique range of quality long-lasting mineral makeup. Cnr Bridge & Main Sts Foster Call 5682 1200
Outer2Inner
A holistic approach to beauty from detox and meditation to massage. You’ll be beaming from Outer2Inner. Visit while planning your wedding to relieve your stress, and bridal package deals are available. Gia is a professional makeup artist with experience on the catwalk and multi-million dollar productions. Services are 5-star and the experience unforgettable. Outer2Inner’s mission is ‘to welcome with warmth and serve with love’. Cowes Plaza, Settlement Rd, Phillip Island Call 5952 6688
Kirsty Parini – freelance hairstylist
Be comfortable getting ready for your wedding in your own home or hotel and have Kirsty visit you all personally. A qualified and talented hairstylist, Kirsty will provide a full trial and consultation service taking into account the dresses and flowers before transforming the party with beautiful hairstyles that will flatter everyone. Call Kirsty on 0447 503411
Also:
Amcal Chemist Cowes 24 Thompson Ave Cowes San Remo Pharmacy 123 Marine Pde San Remo Darren George Hair Phillip Island call 5956 7743 YMCA Bass Coast call 5952 2811
Special makeup hints from Ally De La Rosa:
Do your hair and makeup trial no more than a month before the wedding. Your skin changes constantly, so this will ensure that the trial will be as effective as possible. Start preparing your skin a month before with quality products. Stick to what you normally do with your hair and makeup – don’t wear an extravagant hairstyle or makeup if this is not your usual style - stick to what feels right for you.
coast 81
A touch of informal in a trulyand unique setting could your wedding experience drinks & coffee all daystyle • weddings special events • be local produce & fresh seafood
© Lens to Life
drinks & coffee all day • weddings and special events • local produce & fresh seafood
foreshore open for lunch and dinner
Telephone (03) 5956 9520 11 Beach Road, Rhyll, Phillip Island Vic www.theforeshore.com.au
the foreshore bar
&
restaurant
arah Ashe Wedding Catering & Consultancy
“Our secret has always been to provide a quality product with attentive service and total commitment to the customers needs”
Sarah Ashe also offers inhouse functions at the Ocean View Hotel . . . beer garden marquee for relaxed, boutique style weddings.
enquiries 0356 721 216 and 0428 107 579 coast 82
email. functions@sarahashe.com.au
Wedding Feature
|| Checklist
Use this list to prioritise, get organised and ensure nothing is forgotten! Download the wedding kit at www.coastmagazine.net
Wedding Planning Top Priority • • • • •
Decide on budget and size of wedding. Select and book your wedding location and reception venue. Set a date. Notify interstate and international guests. Start your health and beauty regime.
6–12 Months Before... Ceremony - Book your celebrant, priest or chaplain. Reception - Confirm venues and entertainment. Catering – Investigate options and book. Clothes – Research outfits for bride, groom and bridesmaids. Bridal Party – Choose your bridesmaids, groomsmen and MC. Decide - Make a first-draft guest list. Memories - Book your photographer and videographer. Transport – research and book. Honeymoon – arrange leave and get your passport up-to-date; select a destination.
3–6 Months Before Flowers - Select florist and order wedding and reception flowers. You - Engage hairdresser and makeup artist. Keep up your exercise program. Invites - Finalise guest list; design and order invitations, place-cards and thank-you cards. Send invites 6-8 weeks before. Legals - Complete and submit your “Notice of Intention to Marry” Jewellery - Finalise your wedding rings and any other gifts. Wedding Night - Book your accommodation. Cake – select and order your wedding cake. Reception - Finalise menu, running-sheet, floor plan and seating arrangements. Ceremony - Finalise order of service, vows and music.
1 Month Before Jewellery - pick up rings and have other jewellery cleaned. The Day - Finalise schedule, task list and speeches. Party – Have separate hens’ and bucks’ nights or one big party! You – Finalise hair, make-up and beauty appointments. Gifts – For wedding party and each other. Clothes - Final fittings and pick-up details for outfits, including shoes and lingerie!
2 Weeks Before You - Schedule relaxation, final beauty treatments and lots of sleep! Ceremony - Rehearsal.
The Night Before Clothes - Lay out clothes and jewellery. You - Have a long bath, massage, relax... sleep.
On The Day Eat a good brekkie, don’t panic, not too much champers and enjoy the day! coast 83
FASHION After 5 Fashion
see page 88
Everything Beautiful for Weddings Wedding Dresses Bridesmaid & Formal wear Veils & Shoes Jewellery Accessories, Decorations & Keepsakes
Misha on left Misha wears Seduce black halter-neck frock $219.95, RMK Evita shoes $125.00 both from Haze, Indy c glomesh earings $19.95 & Poute clutch $44.95 from Lime Fusion
8 Vista Place Cape Woolamai Vic 3925 Phone 5956 6844 www.kushkush.com.au
coast 84
Maria on right Maria wears 5pm dress $175.00 from Kush Kush. Bon Bon Lancia shoes $95.00 Rudy crystal necklace $535.00 from Deborucciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Headband from Lime Fusion
M U S I C F O R YO U R F E E T ! D EMO C SES D A E E C FR W SHO ILDA E V I L T. K IN S
More than your typical “Wedding Band”! Young and funky professionals with sounds from Top 40, Classic Rock & Funk, 80s, Swing, Jazz and More...
Call 0438 301 313 or visit www.bakerboysband.com.au Email: bakerboysband@gmail.com
The perfect place for wedding & quality jewellery gifts without the price tag
Sybella & ALLURE GOLD San Remo Pharmacy
123 Marine Parade, San Remo, Victoria Tel. 03 5678 5202 Fax 03 5678 5376 Email: sanremo.pharmacy@nunet.com.au coast 85
Deborucci’s Shop 1, 23-27 Thompson Avenue, Cowes 3922 Tel/Fax: 5952 3811
www.deboruccis.com.au
Email: deboruccis@bigpond.com
DJANGO & JULIETTE SHOES DESIGNER JEWELLERY GERRY SHAW MELA PURDIE ANNA HOFFMAN SABATINI LOUNGE
coast 86
SKETA
AUSTRALIA
Australian designed and made â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Limited quantities for the individual look â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Quality accessories Mornington 71 Main Street T 5976 3311 Sorrento 42 Ocean Beach Rd T 5984 0927
and stores throughout Melbourne and Noosa
coast 87
coast fashion
FASHION After 5 Fashion
stockists
Deborucciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shop 1, 23-27 Thompson Ave, Cowes Call 5952 3811 www.deboruccis.com.au Haze 17B Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Beckett St, Inverloch Call 5674 1133 Kush Kush 8 Vista Place, Cape Woolamai Call 5956 6844 Lime Fusion Plaza Arcade, Wonthaggi Call 5672 2016 & Shop 7, Bridgeview Complex, San Remo Call 5678 5025 Molly Moo + Tilly Bear 40b Thompson Ave Cowes Call 5952 2259 Sketa 71 Main St, Mornington Call 5976 3311 & 42 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento Call 5984 0927. Stores throughout Melbourne and Noosa.
Photography Warren Reed Model Misha, Alana & Maria Hair and Make Up Ally de la Rosa Styling Ally de la Rosa Location Archies on the Creek Body art, Hair, Make-up & styling Ally de la Rosa
(L) Misha wears French lace, stretch satin, highlight dress and fascinator by Sketa $POA
(R) Maria wears Cornelli ribbon cami and skirt and netted jacket and fascinator all from Sketa $POA Bon Bon shoes $95.00 from Haze
coast 88
coast fashion
Maria wears 5pm dress $175.00 from Kush Kush. Bon Bon Lancia shoes $95.00 Rudy crystal necklace $535.00 from Deborucciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Headband from Lime Fusion
Misha wears Gerry Shaw M-Mink dress $545.00 & pearl/silver necklace $329.00 from Deborucciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. RMK Evita shoes $125.00 from Haze Art Deco bracelet $49.95 from Lime Fusion
Alana wears Little Gems dress $89.99 Diamente princess tiara both from Molly Moo + Tilly Bear
Misha wears Seduce black halter-neck frock $219.95, RMK Evita shoes $125.00 both from Haze, Indy c glomesh earings $19.95 & Poute clutch $44.95 from Lime Fusion coast 89
feature area
coast 90
cowes a home and holiday oasis
words sally o’neill photos warren reed
No matter the season, there’s always a holiday atmosphere in Cowes. The capital of Phillip Island, this coastal town has come of age to become a year-round destination.
Phillip Island has many places named after towns on Britain’s Isle of Wight. Cowes is one of them, along with Rhyll and Ventnor. The island must have evoked a strong connection with those early placename givers. It is said that the name derives from the time of Henry VIII, when fortifications called cowforts or cowes were built on the east and west banks on the Isle of Wight to repel an anticipated French invasion. History aside, the Cowes of today has a picturesque charm. An avenue of historic cypress pines gives way to the town’s main street that slopes gently down to a pier and the bay. The historic jetty shed, sweeping green lawns and large trees make the foreshore a perfect place to stretch out and relax for a while. The white sandy beaches and calm waters are a mecca for visitors from around the world. A stroll along the foreshore’s ‘Lovers’ Walk’ takes you past colourful hotels, cafes and restaurants, all ripe with the holiday feel. Before a bridge connected Phillip Island with the mainland at San Remo in 1939, visitors would arrive at Cowes via ferry and stay at one of the many guesthouses on offer. These have mostly been replaced by comfortable, modern accommodation options, from large hotels to backpacker hostels, caravan parks and quaint bed and breakfasts. Few of the main street’s original buildings are left, but I’m told there was a cinema, library and a milk bar that sold the best mint julep drinks – I can almost taste them! Today, this modern hub has a unique character of holiday town mixed with a great local scene.
Coffee spots, galleries, boutiques, antiques, shops, day spas and restaurants showcase local taste and talent. A night market is held along the foreshore during summer months. Take the time to divert off the main street as there are little gems tucked away in side streets, arcades and in the town’s semi-industrial area known as ‘The Concourse’. There are plenty of chances to get out on the water. Hire a boat and take to the bay, or join one of the cruises out to Seal Rocks or across to French Island. The Cowes Yacht Club is a short stroll west along the beach. The hamlet of Silverleaves joins Cowes to the east. You can walk there along the beach or take a short drive. This area has remote beaches that extend up to a sandy spit known as Observation Point – a birdwatchers’ mecca. Cowes is the perfect base for exploring Phillip Island. The town comes alive with events through the year, including the Phillip Island Swim Classic in January, Cowes Classic (swimming) in February, and the Phillip Island Jazz Festival held in November each year. The annual film festival is another highlight. The vibrant, welcoming town also provides the perfect backdrop for Phillip Island’s major motorcycle and car events such as the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, Superbikes and Kustom Nationals. Cowes is less than two hours’ drive from Melbourne, or you can catch a passenger ferry from Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula. C
coast 91
Outer 2 Inner Shop 10, Cowes Plaza 209–213 Settlement Rd Cowes ph: 5952 6688 | mob: 0404 979 287 email: outer2inner@waterfront.net.au
Hair by: Shima Hair, Cowes Make-up, Nails, Spray Tan & eye lash extensions by; Gia at Outer 2 Inner
PACKAGED SERVICES • Girls Weekends • Hens Parties • Special Occasions Make-up & Eye lash extensions
Acyrilic & Gel nails
Meditation • Organic spray tanning • Full body waxing • Pedicure & manicure Acyrilic & Gel nails • Eye lash extensions • Detox therapy •Relaxation therapy Skin therapy Remedial massage & Lomi Lomi therapy• Professional TV & Photographic Make-up artist coast 92
Cowes - feature area
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Friendly & unique characters, talented artists, fine food and historic value forms the town of cowes.â&#x20AC;?
coast 93
Water Sensitive Urban Design Award Winner 2009
3HEAR INDULGENCE 4HE (IGHLAND 2ELEASE Set in a stunning raised landscape beside the Shearwater Parklands Reserve, The Highland Release offers sweeping views of Shearwater on the Island, superbly positioned opposite the Phillip Island Golf Club. Starting at $149,000*, The Highland Release allotments range in size from 375 sqm to 715 sqm. House and land options are also available to suit your budget and lifestyle.
For more information call 1300 SHEARWATER (1300 743 279) or visit www.shearwaterestate.com.au
*Prices correct as at 6 May 2010 coast 94
Cowes - feature area
“This modern hub has a unique character of holiday town mixed with a great local scene.”
coast 95
E
N
O
Y
art space
•Retro•Vintage Clothing •China•Costume Jewellery •Furniture •Records •Books
J
AT
phone Linda or Peter on... 5952 5559 L: 0407 650 321 P: 0439 116 804
rear of 150 Thompson Avenue Cowes jonathan
amy 0408 420 933
each day 9am -3pm 71 thompson avenue cowes
5952 5636
jonathan 0427 857 233
ASHLEY BROOKE HAIR DESIGN
Quality hair design at a friendly price! specialising in colour, cut, bridal and styling
Mon 12pm–7/8pm Tues 10am–5/6pm Fri 10am–6pm Sat 10am–2pm Other times by appointment barber shop open 7 days
make up by Ale De La Rosa
coast 96
P| 0401 438 399 A| 21 Thompson Ave Cowes (Located inside barber shop)
Cowes - feature area
cowes at a glance . . . stay
shop
Quest Apartments – two quality locations, just a short stroll from the beach & town centre p. 57
Amcal Chemist Cowes – professional service, tempting products as well as all the necessities, open 7 days p. 105
Phillip & Bass Coast Visitor Information Centre – visit the local, expert team for all the info and take advantage of their attraction and accommodation booking service p. 98
Collectable Antiques – have fun browsing this treasure trove of antiques, vintage & retro goods p. 96
dine Café Lugano – the groovy place to sit and chill with great coffee, fab food and wicked cocktails p. 96
Mingara Gallery – fab modern gallery showcasing paintings, sculpture, jewellery & indigenous art p. 31 Deborucci’s – the top brands are all on show at this iconic fashion emporium, p. 86
Infused Restaurant and Wine Bar – Relax with a drink or meal at this modern, hip restaurant, p. 9
Island Quality Meats and Seafood – Make gourmet your everyday with local produce and condiments. Kylie and her team pride themselves on their fresh seafood and high quality and affordable meats. p. 100
Mad Cowes Café and Food Store – Brekky, coffee and lunch with fantastic foreshore views p. 147
Molly Moo + Tilly Bear -a wonderland of adorable clothing, furniture & décor for the little people in your life, p. 86
Phillip Island RSL – Enjoy meals and entertainment at this modern facility, guests welcome p. 130
Saraghi Art Space – showcasing local talented artists, this exhibition changes regularly – find it at Café Lugano, p. 96
Harry’s on the Esplanade - Dine with stunning bay views, p. 148
Southcoast Furnishings – browse their showroom and warehouse at two separate locations: Cowes central and The Concourse for contemporary home solutions, p. 105
get the look & relax Ashley Brooke Hair Design – This new and talented hairdresser recently opened her doors in Cowes. In her boutique setting, she cuts, colours and styles to suit your unique look, p. 96 Inner2Outer – Cowes’ newest body and beauty salon. Enjoy a holistic approach to your inner and outer beauty, p. 92 Lens to Life – Lucas Piera is dedicated to capturing the essence of life’s moments with his stunning photography – preserving memories for years to come, p. 58 Phillip Island Leisure Centre YMCA – offering a full range of leisure facilities including gym, spa and fitness classes. Join and connect with the extensive YMCA network, p. 100
live Beaumont Concepts – visit their new Cowes office and let their team work with you to design your dream home on the coast, p. 138 New Dimension Homes – visit their Cowes display home and be inspired to build on the coast p. 135 Seagrove – live the coastal lifestyle at Cowes’ newest and greenest address, 700m to the beach and boat ramp, new land just released so be quick to secure a prime location! p. 2 Shearwater on the Island – superbly positioned opposite the Phillip Island Golf Club, take advantage of the new ‘Highland Release’ and live your dream on the coast, p. 94 The Penguin Resort – Come home to your own Island Resort, permanent living for over 50s, modern homes and facilities and loads of social activities to enjoy, p. 98
coast 97
PENGUIN RESORT
Phillip Island Penguin Resort Modern, Architecturally Designed, Fully Appointed & Landscaped Villas
Come Home to your Island Resort Residential living for over 50’s
ONLY 5 VILLAS LEFT!
Surrounded by Golf Course and Bowls Club - Pet Friendly - Secured - Onsite Managers - Indoor Heated Pool - Gold Class Cinema - Gym Equipment - Lounges & Grand Hall - Games Areas - Library & Internet facilities - Elegant Dining Area - Commercial Kitchen - Outdoor Leisure & BBQ areas
Retain All Capital Gains NO Entry or Exit Fees NO Stamp Duty NO Council Rates NO Legal Costs NO Deferred Management fees
Regular Social Activities & Lifestyle Programs
Arrange to meet with the friendly team 1800 066 482 48-80 Settlement Rd Cowes backed by 30 years experience
www.palmlakeresort.com.au
Phillip Island & Bass Coast Visitor Information Centres Look out for the yellow around our region
on roads
Stop by for friendly advice on what to see and do on your visit. Pick up free information, maps and visitor guides to help make the most of your stay. We’re happy to help you book all your holiday needs including attractions & accommodation.
www.visitbasscoast.com Wonthaggi Visitor Information Centre 73 Watt St Tel: 1300 854 334
coast 98
Cowes Visitor Information Centre Cnr Thompson Ave & Church St Tel: 1300 366 422
Inverloch Visitor Information Centre 16 A’Beckett St Tel: 1300 762 433
Phillip Island Visitor Information Centre 895 Phillip Island Tourist Rd Tel: 1300 366 422
Cowes - feature area
close by . . . Phillip Island Vineyard & Winery – Sample local drops in a stunning natural setting. Enjoy wine, music and fun, p. 68 Mosaics by the Bay – think of it as a ‘day spa for your creative soul’. Meet the artist; workshops held regularly p. 149 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit – get your heart pumping at this world-famous track. Café, tours and museum open daily p. 37 A’Maze N’ Things – Phillip Island’s quirkiest attraction, where you are guaranteed hours of fun! Great chocolate café and gift shop, p. 33 The Nobbies Centre – Journey to the edge of the island. Spectacular scenery, café and visitor centre, p. 69
coast 99
Island Quality Meats & Seafood
Full range of fresh meat & Seafood
Gourmet range of gluten-free & dairy-free products, Gippsland Cheese & local produce Smoke Oven Facilities and Spit Hire Available Monday - Friday 7am-5.30pm Saturday 7am-3pm (Extended hours and Sunday trading in season) 69 Thompson Avenue, Cowes 3922 Ph: 5952 2036 email:islandqualitymeats@bigpond.com
Welcome to YMCA Bass Coast Leisure Facilities 10-14 Church Street, Cowes, 3922 Phone: 5952 2811 Fax: 5952 2078 Email: phillipisland@ymca.org.au
Health Club Group Fitness classes Personal Training Multi-purpose Stadium Spa and Sauna www.basscoast.ymca.org.au coast 100
Vacation Care Spin Cycle classes Squash Skate Park Challenge Fitness Camp
(commencing October) Teen Gym GymFIT Ed-Gym Basketball Mixed Netball Pilates
JD0576
Phillip Island Leisure Centre
aroundtown what’s goin’ on round your place
Photos Lou Curtis-Smith, Taylor Hammond, Greg Noakes & Elizabeth Shaw
coast 101
different strokes
Artists Josephine Allen and Russell Kent talk about Phillip Island in the early 1980s . . . and now. words katie cincotta photos warren reed
You never forget your first meeting – that moment you realise you’ve made a connection with someone, drawn by curiosity, or lust, or both. For Josephine Allen and Russell Kent, that magnetic pull came over a painting and a flagon of wine in 1970s Perth. Josephine was acting as a roadie for a friend at an art exhibition. She’d been paid in wine, and was sitting enjoying the fruits of her labour when up sauntered a bloke with big hair and even bigger flares. “I was sitting there drinking the flagon of wine we were paid with, and this fellow who was all hair came up and sat down for a wine,” she says. Josephine hadn’t been impressed by the shows of ‘abstract expressionism’ that dominated the exhibition. It was two works of ‘realism’ that caught her eye. “There were two paintings that were highly realistic and I just fell in love with them. I was being a bit aloof (with Russell) until I discovered that he was the artist I’d connected with. So, I gave him a second look,” she laughs.
“We had to go all that way to find each other. And then he brought me to a general store in Ventnor,” says Josephine, her expressive blue eyes jostling with sarcasm at the earnestness of the move. She says Phillip Island in the early 1980s was a far cry from the colourful, free-spirited culture of Perth. “I went into shock. I’d been involved in the arts scene over there, and had been transplanted to a population of 5,000 people, mainly older and mostly conservative. I said, ‘Russell, you’ve brought me to a cultural desert. What have I done?’” Ironically, it was the corner shop that introduced the pair to likeminded artists, including actress Yolande Royal. “We’d talk art together, and she invited me to the film society, where I met a series of islanders. We realised the artists were around - they were just hiding.”
Beyond their interest in art, the pair was excited to find they both craved independence, and had each found a partner that would give them space. “We were both complaining about previous relationships where people would crowd us in, so that was the key,” says Josephine.
So the mischievous blondes married in a paddock behind The Anchorage, went bush for their honeymoon and settled into a rundown old house to paint. Like most artists, they discovered it was hard to pay the bills with brushstrokes. Russell got work pumping petrol, screenprinting, and spraying weeds, while Josephine took on cleaning, waitressing and tutoring.
The bond was tested when Russell’s father George had a stroke at the age of 60, and the bohemian couple returned to Victoria to take over the Kent family business, The Anchorage on Phillip Island.
The bump in the road was a baby that never arrived – which seems to have suited them, as they look back over the ease and freedom of the last 20 years together. “We don’t have children. It didn’t happen. But I
coast 102
artist profile
was never as maternal as some people. To me, the paintings are like babies. You have the conception, the good part, then the birth, which is the hard part, and then they won’t leave home,” says Josephine. That is, unless somebody adopts them with a signed cheque, and carries them away to love and adore above the mantelpiece… In their new custom-built two-storey home in Ventnor, the couple’s ‘children’ line the walls – precious and wonderful reminders of a life dedicated to art, and the distinct personalities of the artists who gave birth to them. Russell is a man of few words, but his art speaks volumes about his wit and humour. In his series of nudes – which he’s dubbed ‘mudes’ – huge buttocks rise from the sand, made to look like rocks. Years of life-drawing classes, where Josephine has often been the model, have granted him a deft touch in capturing the undulating curves of a woman. “He’s a quiet larrikin,” giggles Josephine. “But when I first met him I called him a romantic surrealist.” Josephine’s figurative work is layered and spiritual, calling on the patterns in nature to explore allegory. Her depiction of Moonah trees – titled Risen – reminds me of x-rays of the body, revealing bones in awkward shapes hiding in the trees. “I am very much into animism and the spirit in everything – nature is the same as the person and the person is the same as nature.”
Russell has had a recurring theme with the Thylacine, with reported sightings making him question the Tassie Tiger’s extinction. Five years ago, he went on a hunt himself after a sighting on the Inverloch foreshore. “We went down there before dawn to stake it out. We found tracks – two sets – with a drag-mark like a tail, even took plaster casts of them. But our ‘tiger’ ended up being a 13-year-old dog, an Alsation with a gammy leg.” Josephine hoots with laughter at the punch line. Spend two hours chatting with the couple over wine and antipasto, gazing out over Ventnor’s serene pastures, and the tales of adventure flow freely. Both have hitchhiked across the country, slept out under the stars, camped in remote bushland just to paint for a week – and nearly always on their own. “We like to travel separately. You start to miss each other and that’s good. Then you get to share stories when you get home,” says Josephine. Josephine turned one of her road adventures – the journey back to Melbourne to follow Russell – into her first play Two Days on the Road, a story of three strangers from Tasmania whose lives intersect in the middle of nowhere. She says Russell was her biggest fan, designing the sets and attending all but one of the performances put on by Phillip Island’s Offshore Theatre in 2009. “I saw it and thought this was absolutely fantastic. The whole concept of religion and Aboriginal identity was fascinating,” says Russell. > coast 103
Josephine’s father was a minister who had a profound effect on her art and writing, even though he died when she was nine. Russell’s father George was equally memorable. The man drove a bulldozer for a living, and didn’t suffer fools. “My father was banned from the shop after the first week. He was too rude to customers. He was like the Basil Fawlty of The Anchorage. People would ask if the bread was fresh and he’d just lose it,” says Russell. Russell’s father was a photographer in his spare time, but few people knew about his talent, with the island offering little potential for commercial success in the 1960s. It took the next generation, in Josephine and Russell, to find a way to unite artists through Island Influence, a collective they set up to exhibit and sell the works of up to 29 local artists. While business has slowed since the global financial crisis, they say the island is still gathering momentum as a haven for artists – somewhere to nurture the fringe-dwellers who live to paint, write, sculpt, act, or dance. “It’s a very exciting era for the arts down here. It’s a subtle spirit, but the island does attract creative people. Sometimes you just have to wait to find them in the tea-trees.” C
coast 104
Three good reasons to buy Bloom
Pure. Potent. CertiďŹ ed OPEN 7 DAYS Weekdays 8:30am to 6:00pm Saturday 8:30am to 5:30pm Sunday 9:00am to 5:30pm
Stockist of:
Cowes Pharmacy 24 Thompson Ave Cowes Vic 3922 Tel: 03 5952 2061 Fax: 03 5952 2499 cowes@amcal.net.au
Flooring and blinds
155 Thompson Avenue, Cowes Ph. 03-5952 1488 Fax. 03-5952 1348 Furniture and beds
contemporary home solutions
22-24 The Concourse, Cowes, Phillip Island 3922 www.southcoastfurnishings.com.au
Furniture
Homewares
Floor Coverings
interior - exterior - packages
vases - cushions - rugs
carpet - vinyl - timber
Bedding
Window Coverings
mattresses - beds - manchester
interior - exterior - motorisation
coast 105
Travel with a Purpose: Elephant Stay, Ayutthaya, Thailand
Living with elephants in Thailand, passionate animal lover Dr Katrina Gregory learnt as much about herself as she did about these gentle giants. words as told to sally o’neill photos katrina gregory
In October 2009, Dr Katrina Gregory, vet and animal behaviour specialist, undertook the mammoth task of clearing her diary for an entire month. She swapped her hectic schedule for total immersion in a small village situated just outside Ayutthaya - the beautiful former capital of Thailand. Here’s her story… I was introduced to elephants at Melbourne Zoo a few years ago, and became interested in managing these animals in their countries of origin throughout Asia. That’s what the journey was all about. Thailand has virtually been built on the elephant’s back. Through 2000 years of interaction, they have been used in war, royal rituals and the performing of hard labour, as well as being deeply entrenched in religious belief. Buddhists believe that elephants are one step away from becoming human. They are intertwined with culture there. You can’t truly understand that unless you go there to experience it. Visitors who find their way to the village deep into the forest are rarely prepared for the ‘feeling’ of the place. Every minute of the day is about the footstep and heartbeat of the elephants. Over 90 elephants and 50 human families live in this unique community, where elephants and people coexist in an atmosphere of deep respect and love. The elephant and human families have become one – that’s what it’s all about. Sometimes, I was the only non-Thai person at the camp, but we communicated through our common language of passion for elephants. Only in the past few years have international visitors been able to participate in village life through the ‘ElephantStay’ program. It was developed by two Australian women - Michelle Reedy (who I worked with at Melbourne Zoo) and Ewa Narkiewicz. Each visitor is assigned an elephant, either a young animal with special needs or an old retired elephant. My role was to help people safely enjoy the experience while ensuring the elephants’ welfare. I tried to educate visitors about the elephant as a species, and also to appreciate each individual. I advised them on how to be safe while enjoying the rhythm of the place as they fed, bathed and cared for their elephant. We bathed them in the river twice a day. Once, the mothers and babies came down in a group – and it was complete chaos! The babies were cheeky and very excited, happily throwing themselves around, playing and interacting with our old elephants. I said to my group, ‘Just relax… enjoy the moment - they know what they’re doing. It’s just normal family life: it’s busy, noisy and active!’ coast 106
Very few people get to work with elephants in free contact. It can be dangerous, though, and you have to be careful. Males weigh up to 5 tonnes and females 3.5 tonnes. These animals are incredibly intelligent, physically imposing and adept. One night, I was woken to witness the birth of the newest member of the elephant family. It was very quiet, but a real celebration. The whole village was there in those muted, early hours. A gentle warmth pervaded the atmosphere. That was definitely an extraordinary highlight, in fact a privilege. In the heart of the village is the elephant spirit house. It contains the ivory and some bone of all the elephants that have lived there to ensure their spirits are respected and to help protect everyone. Every day as the elephants go out to work, the mahouts bow their heads to the spirit house and often the elephants do the same. A month was long enough to get into the rhythm of the village. I was living with the mahouts and their families - I was immersed in their world. My accommodation was a very basic, tiny grass hut on stilts. It was next to the river and it flooded during my stay. I was woken each morning by the passing traffic of elephants going to bathe and the chorus of geese housed beneath my little home. Guests have air-conditioning and more spacious rooms, and the home-style Thai cooking is fantastic (and you need it!). Villages such as this allow elephants and their mahouts’ families to live, earn money and maintain important traditions, including their own ancient profession, and being part of Thai cultural and religious ceremonies and daily life. The village also retrains dangerous elephants that would suffer a tragic fate if they had nowhere else to go. Since the village began, 40 babies have been born. No one in the zoo world can match that. These are natural matings, and elephants can’t breed unless they feel good (physically and psychologically- not so very different from people). The oldest elephant in the village is 82 - in zoos, they usually don’t live past 40. The village was established 12 years ago by former Thai restaurateur, Laithongrien Meepan (known in the village as Pi Om - a name bestowed by Thai royalty in recognition of his work with elephants). When his young daughter asked for an elephant for her birthday, he learnt how much work was involved in caring for it, and about the awful plight of many Asian elephants. Since logging was banned in Thailand in 1989, vast>
coast 107
numbers of elephants have become ‘unemployed’ and mahouts and their families are unable to keep their animals. Many Thai elephants are begging - it’s a tragedy, and dangerous for the elephants and people. When the baby elephant was born, Pi Om, who is a very wise and gentle man, commented to me that this baby would outlive us both. He knows everyone’s time is limited on this earth, so he’s trying to build the village up for when he’s gone. It’s a tiny little jewel in a very special place - an example of how Asian elephants can be managed better with welltrained and supported mahouts. They are happy in the group, and can breed very successfully. We have to learn to live with these iconic animals and let them be all that they are. The wild places for elephants in Asia are shrinking fast - through habitat destruction and human pressures including poaching. These places must preserved, but equally, the long-term welfare of the domestic Thai elephant must be considered. This is what ElephantStay is all about. Visitors contribute to the care of all the elephants in the village, and by sharing what they learn they encourage others to visit or even just to care. My stay taught me to live for the moment. The whole world could have stopped and I wouldn’t have cared. I will return - the place is now part of me, part of my soul. CC
www.elephantstay.com Katrina is trying to raise funds for a DNA project to help the elephants, please contact her if you can help or need more information at drkat@ bigpond.com * A mahout is a person who works with an elephant. Mahouts are assigned a young elephant early in their life, and the working relationship continues for its lifetime.
coast 108
commercial photography & limited edition prints
phone. 5678 5600 email. photos@coastmagazine.net www. coastmagazine.net coast 109
words sue webster photos lou curtis-smith, coast & supplied
Foundation One Year On... The charity born from the heartbreak of childhood cancer has blossomed into something proud with promise. Twelve months…. $30,000 …. 5000 people. …. One little girl …. Those figures add up to the first, exceptional year of the You Are My Sunshine (YAMS) Foundation. August 2008 saw the end of the battle for five and a half year-old Kahlilla Blyss Donahoo. She had been diagnosed in 2005 with neuroblastoma – a cancer that travels along the nervous system to create a tumour. It claims young lives, and it claimed hers. Neuroblastoma is the most common solid malignancy in children not involving the brain. About 50 cases are diagnosed in Australia each year. It accounts for 6-10% of all childhood cancers and 15% of childhood cancer deaths, cancer being the leading cause of death in Australia of children aged 0-14. At present, even with aggressive chemotherapy, only about 25% of children with advanced neuroblastoma survive. However, if the disease is diagnosed early, the chances of survival are much higher. Dr Paul Wood, paediatric oncologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital, is undertaking research revolving around neuroblastoma. “Childhood Neuroblastoma is unique,” he said. “If you can catch it early enough it can be cured. But if it’s caught later, it’s more difficult to cure and has devastating effects.” “It’s associated with a certain type of cancer-causing gene which is also responsible for a wide range of malignancies – including adult malignancies. It is responsible for more than a million cancers worldwide a year, so any beneficial findings we get from this research can apply to a broad range of malignancies, including cancers in adults,” he said. The You Are My Sunshine (YAMS) Foundation was launched in Cowes on September 20, 2009. Named after Kahlilla’s favourite song, “You coast 110
Are My Sunshine”, the foundation’s charter is to raise $150,000 to fund research into a cure for neuroblastoma. Westernport Water managing director Murray Jackson chairs the YAMS Foundation board whose trustees include Cowes accountant Simon Manning, Helen Foote from Stockdale and Leggo, Heather Patch from Fountainway, Kahlilla’s grandmother Judi Donahoo, of Cowes and Judi’s daughter Jess Donahoo.YAMS Foundation is in partnership with The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Foundation, Melbourne. All donations and funds raised are deposited with the RCH Foundation and distributed under the program of research agreed with the Trustees of YAMS Foundation. After Kahlilla passed away, her Nan Judi and her Pop Kevin Donahoo decided to create a lasting memory of her by raising funds to tackle the disease. “I promised Lill before she died that I was going to fight this cruel thing,” Judi said. Now almost two years on, the Phillip Island and Gippsland communities have embraced the story of a brave little girl’s fight, and are working to raise funds for future research.
…$30,000-PLUS… That is the amount of funds raised through public donations and from a handful of special events. A recent golf day at Phillip Island attracted more than 100 players from as far afield as Yarram, Inverloch and Leongatha. They played golf and bid for a grab bag of prizes, including a personalised set of golf clubs, a personal donation by Murray Jackson to raise over $8000. Westernport Water has taken the lead in getting the foundation up and running – having organised the celebrity launch at the waterfront of Cowes last September. That event saw a hand-picked list of 80 invitees.
Another fund-raising event was the garden party, held in March amid threatening storm clouds, in the elegant setting of historic Glen Isla in Cowes. Wine sales and a silent auction saw that even defying the weather and raising almost $4,000. Then there have been the smaller-ticket events such as ‘Feelgood Friday’ where the foundation receives a dollar from every pot sold during happy hour at Nick Say’s Westernport Hotel in San Remo. Drinking for a good cause – there’s something to be said for it! Westernport Water staff run regular fund raisers. Morning teas with scones created by Kahillia’s Nan Judi Donahoo are sell-outs. Kevin, and Kahlilla’s dad Colin work in the engineering section of the water corporation. The link doesn’t end there, either. One of their work colleagues David Bloomfield has introduced his Inverloch Lions Club to help support the foundation too. The Cowes IGA supermarket supports the foundation through its docket program, just quote number 161.
I promised Lill before she died that I was going to fight this cruel thing
… ALMOST 5000 PEOPLE…. Few would have realised how potent support for Kahlilla was. She represented fortitude, defiance and the sort of insight that some kids have in spadefuls. And many did come to know her … either as the sparkly youngster around the corner or via the emotion-filled blog site that documented her battle with the disease. Her fellow students at Newhaven College were so moved by her life that the entire school decided to make YAMS its charity of 2010. The school has slated a series of fund raisers and plans to have Dr Wood visit to address them. Fund-raising marathons, donations of paintings, donations of alpaca wool, donations of time and expertise … it all adds up to the bedrock of a big-hearted community. And almost 5000 people whose consciousness has been touched by one small girl. C One little girl. One brave family, One exceptional community. Donations to YAMS of $2 or more to the foundation are tax-deductible.
Visit www.yamsfoundation.org.au
And now there’s a Facebook page for the Foundation. (www.facebook.com/pages/...Foundation-YAMS/235599053376) coast 111
ANTIQUES BOUGHT AND SOLD AUCTIONS ARRANGED
A
SANDSFORD ANTIQUES SANDSFORD & CAFE
South Gippsland Antique Centre South Gippsland Antique Centre Open Weekends & Public Holidays 7 Mine Road, Korumburra, Vic. 3950 Ph: 5655 2605 M: 0414 523 461
Specialising in fine quality furniture & decorative arts at affordable prices
coast 112
13 A’BECKETT STREET, INVERLOCH 3996
PHONE: 03 5674 3339 MOB: 0429 636 289
Tyabb Antique Centre Tyabb Antique Centre Open Thurs-Sun & Public Holidays 10am–5pm 1527 Frankston Flinders Rd, Tyabb, Vic 3913 Ph: 5977 4245
tyabbantiquecentre.com.au
Peter Mc Donnell has been in the antiques business for over 30 years. “Mum had an antique shop in Hampton, so that’s where my interest began,” he says. Peter started his own antique store in Somerville before moving to the antique mecca of Tyabb and recently also opened the South Gippsland Antique Centre in Korumburra. He loves the business because you never know what you will find. “We do come across some amazing things. People ring up and their description might not sound very interesting, but then you arrive at a house full of French and American antiques. Once an “average” suburban house revealed a hoard of the best antiques Peter has seen.
“Antiques are invariably good quality. They were made by craftsmen using solid timbers,” says Peter. “Select pieces with the original patina* - that will make them more valuable. Many antiques are over 150 years old, so it’s ok if they have a few marks on them - it’s part of their life. Try to select pieces in their original condition, as they need less restoration and will be more valuable in the long run.”
Antiques, collectables & retro
antique addiction
what’s hot “French furniture and Victorian and Edwardian antiques are coming back into fashion. Good quality Australiana such as blackwood furniture is also in demand and will hold its value.” *Patina accumulated changes in surface texture and colour that result from normal use of an object such as a coin or piece of furniture over time.
did you know? An antique is an item that’s at least 100 years old. A reproduction is an item that has been created to look like an original antique, but is not the ‘real thing’. These items will generally be cheaper. Speak with your dealer to ensure you know exactly what you are getting.
coast antiques.
Collectable Antiques Rear of Shops, 150 Thompson Ave Cowes Ph. 5952 5559 L&J Tuddin 37 Powlett St, Inverloch Ph. 5674 3982 Sandsford Antiques & Café 13 A’Beckett St, Inverloch Ph. 5674 3339 South Gippsland Antique Centre 7 Mine Rd, Korumburra Ph. 5655 2605 Tyabb Antique Centre 1527 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Tyabb Ph. 5977 4245
coast 113
L&J TUDDIN restorations
ANTIQUE & DECOR GALLERY A NT I Q U E S / / A RT I F A CT S / / D E C O R / / B E A D S
Over 20 years experience. Private restoration available. Antiques to contemporary. The Antique gallery is located between the Inverloch Motel and Inverloch Nursery. Open Fri-Sun 10am-5pm. Public & School Holidays or by appointment.
Inimatable style with quirky touch
New & Antique Original one off clothing Gifts & homewares Handmade Jewellery Trollbeads
137 Marine Parade, San Remo Ph/Fax 03 5678 5944 www.kudosvintage.com coast 114
RESTORED FURNITURE FROM EUROPE & CHINA
37 Powlett Street, Inverloch Tel/Fax (03) 5674 3982
Antique & Retro Products South Gippsland & Tyabb Antique Centres Tyabb Antiques has been operating in the charming town of Tyabb since 1985. The store specialises in fine quality furniture from georgian through to art deco. Their quality furniture is sourced from estates, importers and auction houses. The ‘sister’ to Tyabb Antiques, Sth Gippsland, opened in 2007. It echoes Tyabb’s quality range of furniture and collectables. French polishers on site. South Gippsland Antique Centre 7 Mine Rd, Korumburra Ph. 5655 2605 Tyabb Antique Centre 1527 FrankstonFlinders Rd, Tyabb Ph. 5977 4245 www.tyabbantiquecentre.com.au
Kongwak Market Cruise to Kongwak on any Sunday to browse the stalls brimming with retro, vintage and quirky collectables. You never know what you will find! From a very civilised 10am at Main St, Kongwak.
L&J Restorations Antique & Decor Gallery With 25 years experience, Laurie and Jenni offer a full restoration service from antique to modern. The gallery showcases restored, quality antiques from France, England, Europe and China along with glass, artifacts and decor at reasonable prices. They believe it is better to restore and conserve than destroy history and craftsmanship. Just select pieces that become art in their own right. The trick is to blend antique with contemporary. Restoration and decorating service also available. L&J Tuddin 37 Powlett St, Inverloch 5674 3982 email. ljrestore@live.com.au
Kudos Kaz stocks an eclectic mix of rare, classy and quirky items to finish any room. Sourcing for interior designers a specialty. 137 Marine Pde, San Remo Ph. 5678 5944 kudosvintage.com
Collectable Antiques Shopping is loads of fun at Collectable Antiques. They have hundreds of items that will transport you to another time. Rear of Shops 150 Thompson Ave Cowes Ph. 5952 5559 or 0407 650 321
Southern Bazaar Sandsford Antiques & Café Sandsford Antiques started in Inverloch in 2006 and caters for many tastes from jewellery to furniture as well as an extensive range of glassware and ceramics. Antiques are sourced from local people who have downsized or are seeking a new look, so many of the antiques come with a history and give the shop a peaceful feel - ideal for a walk down memory lane. Sandsford Antiques & Café 13 A’Beckett St, Inverloch Ph. 5674 3339
Re live , or discover, the era of vintage and retro as you wander through Southern Bazaar’s warehouse in Inverloch. Items are cleverly displayed and you are sure to be impressed with the selection of high quality brand name furniture that has stood the test of time. Wendy matches funky new fabrics with classic vintage furniture to give you beautiful one off peices of furniture ready to go straight into your home 42 Cashin St, Inverloch Ph. 0409 234 482 www.southernbazaar.com.au
coast 115
SOUTHERN BAZAAR Secondhand with Style
Retro-Antiques- ArtQuality used furniture Located in a massive warehouse at 42 Cashin St Inverloch (behind Mitre 10)
Ph Wendy & John on 0409 234 482
coast 116
Quality Brands including
•TESSA PARKER •TH BROWN •FLER •CHISWELL •FEATHERSTON + MORE
check out our range at www.southernbazaar.com.au Open
DAYS closed Tuesdays in Winter
10am to 5pm coast 117
Antiques, collectables & retro
retro revolution Wendy White from Inverloch’s Southern Bazaar shares her 10 good reasons to buy second-hand furniture
1.
7.
2. 3.
8.
Environment – Recycling at its best! - Less impact on our environment, making use of what we already have rather than fueling demand for mass-produced imports. Style and Individuality – a beautiful vintage or antique piece reflects your own individual style. Longevity – this is furniture that has already stood the test of time and still looks great – furniture that you can restore.
4. 5.
Price – second-hand can be a fraction of new furniture prices. The thrill of the find – finding a piece that fits just the spot you’ve been looking to fill, or a piece that brings back happy childhood memories is always thrilling.
6.
The hard work is done – specialist vintage and antique shops have done all the work for you, sourcing, restoring and reupholstering beautiful one-off vintage and antique pieces that are ready to put straight into your home.
Quality materials – vintage and antique furniture will more often than not be made from quality Australian timbers and materials no longer used in today’s furniture. Timelessness – beautiful and individual designs like Tessa furniture never date – the same lounges that where highly popular in the 1970s are still just as sought-after, if not more.
9.
Craftsmanship and detail – vintage and antique furniture was often well made - hand made with stunning design and detail, unlike some of today’s disposable furniture that you have to put together yourself.
10.
Investment – when buying a special vintage or antique piece of furniture you can rest assured that you will be able to re-sell it for what you paid, or often more. So next time you need or want new furniture, just check out your local second-hand stores first! You might be very surprised at what you will find.
did you know? The retro revolution refers to everyday objects mainly from the 1960s & 1970s. Vintage items are not technically antiques and generally date back to the 1920s. Hot vintage and retro items include art and prints, clothing, household items and furniture from top designers of thier time eg. Featherston, Parker and Tessa.
coast retro & vintage. Kongwak Market Main St, Kongwak Ph. 0417 142 478 Southern Bazaar 42 Cashin St, Inverloch Ph. 0409 234 482 www.southernbazaar.com.au Collectable Antiques Rear of Shops, 150 Thompson Ave Cowes Ph. 5952 5559 or 0407 650 321 Note: many of the Coast’s antique stores also stock quality retro pieces. Happy browsing!
coast 118
| graphic design | business identity | photography | marketing & promotions | | copywriting | public relations & media | print management | web design |
media
phone. 5678 5600 email. design@coastmagazine.net www. coastmagazine.net coast 119
where to
eat
Archies on the Creek
733 Turnbull-Woolamai Rd, Woolamai Phone 9705 2370 A true curry experience
Beach Street Garden, Gallery & Cafe
Curry Leaf
Cafe Chocolatte
Dutchies Stonegrill Restaurant
162 Beach Street, Frankston Phone 9783 7109 Coffee, all day breakkie & lunches
1805 Phillip Island Rd Phillip Island Phone 5952 2283 Hot chocolate, chocs & more
Shop 9, Vista Place Cape Woolamai Phone 5956 6772 Great curries
1 Vista Place Cape Woolamai Phone 5956 6000 Unique hot stone dining
Cafe Lugano
Grantville Pantry
Carmieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen
Grantville TakeAway
Champions Cafe
Harryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the Esplanade
71 Thompson Ave Cowes Phone. 5952 5636 Perfect for lunch or coffee
144 Marine Pde San Remo Phone 5678 5589 Delicious homemade food
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Back Beach Road Phone 5952 2710 Racing good food!
Chocolate Factory 930 Phillip Island Rd Newhaven, Phillip Island Phone 5956 6600 For chocolate lovers coast 120
Claypot Curry House
81 Archies Creek Rd Archies Creek Phone 5678 7787 Unique culinary destination
Shop 7/1509 Bass Hwy Grantviile Phone 5678 8757 Gourmet & homestyle treats.
Shop 3/4 1524 Bass Hwy, Grantville Phone 5678 8757 Service with a smile
17 The Esplanade Cowes Phone 5952 6226 Delicious cuisine
Infused
115 Thompson Avenue Cowes Phillip Island Phone 5952 2655 Restaurant,cafe, wine bar
Kilcunda General Store
Phillip Island Winery
The Puzzle Cafe
McClelland Gallery Cafe
Red Elk Bar & Cafe
The Nobbies
Mad Cowes
Sandsford Antiques
Tomo Japanese
Mangowood
RACV Resort
Vela Nine
La Provincia
San Remo Bakehouse
Verde
Ocean View Hotel
Schnappers
Watermark
Pelican View Restaurant
The Esplanade Hotel
Wonthaggi Club
Phillip Island RSL
The Foreshore Restaurant & Bar
Bass Hwy Kilcunda Phone 5678 7390 Beautiful food, delicious coffee
390 McClelland Dve Langwarrin Phone 9789 1671 Cafe, sculpture & functions
4/17 The Esplanade Cowes Phone 5952 2560 Phillip Islands best breakfast
6 Smith St Warragul Phone 5623 2777 Gluten Free Fine Foods
105 Corinella Rd, Corinella Phone 5678 0382 Fresh, home-style Italian
Bass Highway Kilcunda Phone 5678 7011 Friendly atmosphere & great food
190 Marine Pde San Remo Phone. 5678 5206 Fresh fish and chips at San Remo’s Fishing Co-op
Cnr Cowes Rhyll Rd & Thompson Ave Phone 5952 1004 Contemporary dining
414 Berrys Beach Rd Phillip Island Phone. 5956 8465 Wine, cheese, food & functions
27 A’Beckett Street Inverloch Phone 5674 3264 Hip cafe/bar
13 A’Beckett St Inverloch Phone 5674 3339 Antiques & cosy cafe
70 Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road Inverloch Phone 5674 0000 Spectacular views
153–155 Marine Parade San Remo Phone 5678 5862 Pastries, treats & coffee
3–4 Ramsey Blv Inverloch Phone 5674 1922 Gluten free fish and chips
1 A’Beckett St Inverloch Phone 5674 1432 Delicious meals
1805 Phillip Island Rd Cowes Phone 5952 2283 At Amaze’n’things - food & fun
Nobbies Centre Phillip Island Phone 5951 2852 Ocean view cafe & functions
23 A’Beckett St Inverloch Phone 5674 3444 Modern Japanese
9 A’Beckett St Inverloch Phone 5674 1188 Restaurant & Wine Bar
34 Mt Eliza Way, Mt Eliza Phone 9787 0200 Seafood, steak, modern Italian
Phillip Island Tourist Rd, San Remo Phone 5671 9300 Contemporary dining @ Silverwater Resort
16 McBride Avenue Wonthaggi Phone 5672 1007 Modern menu & functions
11 Beach Road, Rhyll, Phillip Island Phone 5956 9520 Lunch & dinner by the bay
Let’s eat!
coast 121
coast dine out
dineatvela9
words sally o’neill photos warren reed
The secret of Vela Nine is well and truly out in Inverloch - it’s ‘bookings only’ most nights. We set out to discover what the fuss is all about… Owners Felicity and Tony looked to the ancient language of Sanskrit to name their fine establishment. Vela translates to ‘shore’ or ‘coast’ and number nine is their location on A’Beckett St, Inverloch. After Tony had cooked around the world, the couple searched high and low for the perfect place for their first restaurant. And lucky Inverloch won. It’s a balmy evening when we arrive at Vela Nine. Two pumpkins, balancing perfectly, are on display in the entry and Felicity greets us warmly. It’s Felicity’s influence that creates a casual, relaxed dining ambience. Not one for stuffy formalities, she believes in good food and fine service with a relaxed approach. The atmosphere is warm and the ambient lighting also illuminates the landscaped courtyard. This is the first night of their new menu, and we start with housemade fresh bread and warmed, marinated and herbed olives. The zesty morsels range from jumbo through to cute little Sicilian olives. “They are a bit of work, but worth it,” says Felicity of the Sicilian variety. I agree. The appetisers are accompanied by a glass of Chrismont La Zona Pinot Grigio from the King Valley. Its high fruit content and crispness work in tandem with the olives. Happy chatter fills the restaurant as couples, groups of friends, and travellers come and go. Felicity serves the entrees. They are spectacular. My colleague has fresh angel hair pasta with mustard, smoked trout, dill and beetroot, and I try the local peppered venison carpaccio with pedro ximenez jelly and celery sorbet. The fresh pasta supports the trout perfectly, with the fresh dill adding a fragrant dimension. My carpaccio is a work of culinary art. The presentation is excellent – the venison displayed like an open flower - and each flavour works to enhance the deliciously tender meat. The unusual combination of sweet jelly and celery sorbet leaves my tongue tingling! The accompanying glass of locally-sourced Wild Dog Riesling works well with the taste combinations. After a well-timed break, our mains arrive. I accept pan-fried kingfish fillet, zucchini ribbons, olives and romesco sauce and my colleague the Gippsland grass-fed, 21-day dry-aged sirloin with a sour cream tart of wild mushrooms, celeriac puree and rosemary jus. My colleague declares that the Villa Tinto Shiraz is “big and bold and just to my taste”. The steak is so tender it cuts like pâté, and the flavour is exceptional – this must certainly be a signature dish. My meal is fresh and light, giving space for the kingfish to star. The house red (Barossa Valley’s Villa Tinto Mercedes) has big fruit flavours with a clean palate, and goes surprisingly well with the fish. Now, take a word of advice - don’t be polite and pass on dessert at Vela Nine. Share if you must, but indulge.
coast 122
Our single serve of chocolate fondant pudding with fresh mint icecream was perfect for two. The crisp outer layer gives way to a gooey, rich chocolate inside which is tempered by the fresh mint – and that’s literally what the ice cream tasted like! We top it all off with a semi-hard French sheep’s cheese, homemade lavosh and locally-baked Hope Farm fruit bread and a gorgeous miniature whole green apple. “Make sure you taste the rind” advises Felicity, who peppers her banter with useful snippets to ensure you understand and enjoy every course. We finish with a splash of De Bortoli Noble One and a cup of Genovese coffee. Vela Nine has a remarkable kids’ menu – with choices like confit duck with potato gratin and rocket, it’s a true education, and adults can order from it too! Tony also makes a range of pastries which can be enjoyed with an afternoon coffee. The wine menu boasts a good selection of all varieties. “We love Australian wines and have chosen varieties to support our style of food.” Tony grew up in South Australia’s Barossa Valley. His dad worked in the wine industry and imbued him with an appreciation for wine and a passion for fresh produce while working in the vegie garden. Knowing he wanted to be part of the hospitality industry, he started washing dishes at 14 and left school to take up an apprenticeship at 15. Since then, he has flambéed his way up the ladder from the opening team for Novotel Barossa Valley to the Sydney Olympics. A stint in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Madrid left a lasting impression. “The way of life and the cuisine were awesome.” After cooking at Sydney’s two-hat Bistro Moncur, he was in corporate catering for KPMG when he met Felicity. They “got out” of Sydney and worked towards their own place. His approach to food? “Italian, Spanish and French concepts. Food is fashionable, but I just stick to having everything super fresh, and doing it all by hand. It makes it hard, but I love it - it’s about love.” Vela Nine is a winning combination of Tony’s passion, skill and sheer hard yakka with an atmosphere of warmth and relaxed dining. The food will keep you coming back, because Tony is constantly working to create combinations that work together to enhance each other – a bit like the owners really… C Vela Nine Restaurant and Wine Bar 9 A’Beckett St, Inverloch Call 5674 1188 www.velanine.com.au Call to check for winter opening hours and to enquire about upcoming wine dinners & long lunches.
Italian, Spanish and French concepts. Food is fashionable, but I just stick to having everything super fresh, and doing it all by hand. It makes it hard, but IÂ love it - itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about love.
coast 123
Restaurant and Wine Bar Modern Mediterranean Menu celebrating the best local & seasonal produce available Fully Licensed No BYO Winter hours Dinner: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday From 6pm Lunch: Sunday from 12pm–3pm
Winter Events Intimate Wine Dinners and long Lunches Pre-paid tickets as places are limited phone for more information 9 A’Beckett St Inverloch VIC 03 5674 1188 www.velanine.com.au
aptain’s ounge
Fantastic Sports Bar and Entertainment venue: Juke box or live music, TAB and Pool table. Thirsty Camel Bottleshop and Drive Through. Tabaret, friendly staff and great service. Modern Bistro, open 7 days,
1 A’Beckett St. Inverloch Victoria Australia 3996 coast 124
Alfresco dining, new winter menu with seniors meals available, breakfast every Sunday 8.30 –11.30. Try our Sunday night Buffet from 6pm, a great selection of dishes to tantaslise your tastebuds.
03 5674 1432
www.invyespy.com.au
myfavouriterecipe crisp skin duck breast with asian braised beans The Wonthaggi Club is pleased to welcome experienced chef Michael Donnolley to its team. Michael is passionate about food, and it’s recipes like this that make his dishes so memorable…
for complete Entertainment
Ingredients
4 duck breasts 2 tsp vegetable oil 2 spring onions cut into 2.5cm lengths 2.5cm ginger peeled and sliced into shards 6 star anise 200ml light soy sauce 2 tbsp mushroom sauce 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp Shao Hsing Chinese cooking wine 3 tbsp crushed palm sugar 280g (10oz) dried soy beans - soaked overnight and drained 1 litre chicken stock sea-salt flakes coriander
Method
specialising in quality dining, and function experiences
16 Mc Bride ave Wonthaggi tel: 5672 1007 e: wonclub@dcsi.net.au www.wonthaggiclub.com.au
1. Pat dry the skin of the duck breast with paper towel and leave overnight in the refrigerator. 2. Heat oil in a pan. Add spring onions and ginger and fry until fragrant. 3. Add star anise, soy sauce, sesame oil, wine, mushroom sauce and palm sugar. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. 4. Add soy beans and enough chicken stock to cover soy beans. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low heat. Braise for 1 hour or until soy beans are soft. 5. Meanwhile, score the skin of the duck breasts several times with a sharp knife being careful not to cut through to the flesh and rub with sea salt flakes 6. Heat vegetable oil in an ovenproof frypan or tray over a low heat. Sit the duck skin-side down in the pan or tray and slowly fry for 1215 minutes. Drain away all the excess fat. 7. Turn the breasts over so they are skin-side up, and cook in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and leave the duck to rest for about 5 minutes. 8. Slice duck breasts, serve beans on a plate, and lay the sliced duck breast over the top. 9. Garnish with coriander and serve. C coast 125
’ whatsnew The latest in what’s great on the coast this winter!
Stop@Grantville This well known gem has undergone a complete makeover to provide a comfortable, modern café with a restaurant feel. The delicious home-cooked food and friendly service hasn’t changed. Shop 7/1509 Bass Highway, Grantville Call 5678 8757.
Grantville Pantry
Verde raises the bar Mt Eliza’s most popular restaurant is proud to open its new wine & tapas bar. It provides a relaxing lounge atmosphere to enjoy a fine selection of wine & spanish-style tapas 34 Mt Eliza Way, Mt Eliza Call 9787 0200
Carmie’s Kitchen
Grantville Takeaway
Darrel & Michelle have moved their family to settle in Grantville and have rejuvenated the Grantville takeaway. Drop in and say hi and taste Michelle’s flavour-filled food. They’ll always have a smile to greet you! Shop 3/4 1524 Bass Hwy, Grantville Call 5678 8535
Lucky San Remo!! Carmel & Brenden Lynch have come out of retirement to serve delicious hearty food to keep us warm during winter at Carmie’s Kitchen. 144 Marine Pde, San Remo
Schnappers
Along with their freshly prepared, local seafood, Schnappers is now incorporating a variety of gluten-free and dietary sensitive foods to their menu. A delicious and healthy take away option. 3-4 Ramsey Blvd, Inverloch Call 5674 1922.
Here’s the secret nobody wants us to tell! Maria Formichelli has transformed her family farm and winery in Corinella into the culinary oasis that is La Provincia. Home cooked Italian food, amazing cakes and coffee, awesome breakfasts, fresh produce and wine – need we say more? 105 Corinella Rd, Corinella. Call Just 1 kilometre from the Bass Hwy turnoff into Corinella Road. 5678 0382 coast 126
Mad Cowes
La Provincia
New chef Wayne Foster is creating tasty new dishes and adding his own flair to the current menu. Still the best breakfast in Cowes! Shop 3&4/17 The Esplanade, Cowes Call 5952 2560.
Claypot Curry House We’ve discovered another gem tucked away in the Bass Hills. Shirani Perera welcomes you with warm Sri Lankan hospitality to her Claypot Curry House. All meals are cooked in authentic claypots and prepared with locally grown produce. This is a unique dining experience. Shirani also runs cooking classes where you can learn the art of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. 733 Turnbull/Woolamai Rd, Woolamai Bookings call 9705 2370.
Resturant + Bar
New lounge bar serving wine & tapas daily
Lunch | Dinner | Drinks | Fully Licensed | 7 Days 34 Mt Eliza Way Mt Eliza Ph: 03 9787 0200 www.verde.com.au
From the very first taste of your free sample, you will instantly fall in love with Pannys delectable Belgium premium handmade chocolates... Select from a vast variety of: •truffles •bars •clusters •gift boxes •animals
Pannys Amazing World of Chocolate is a unique attraction dedicated to all things chocolate • • • • • •
See the world’s largest chocolate waterfall Counterbalance a 1 tonne block of chocolate Be inspired by chocolate artworks, both original and homage Drive a train through a chocolate village Create chocolate art, then eat it Develop your own flavour chocolate bar, and much, much more…
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory, 930 Phillip Island Rd, Newhaven phone 5956 6600 web www.phillipislandchocolatefactory.com.au coast 127
ClayPot Curry House
Opening Hours Sat: Lunch 12–2pm Dinner 6–9:30pm Sun lunch: Group bookings Open: Daily during Summer, School Holidays & Public Holidays. Take Away available during lunch & dinner. 733 Turnbull-Woolamai Rd Woolamai phone. 03 9705 2370 mob. 0425 748 907 email. spe10437@bipond.net.au www. claypotcurryhouse.com.au
>QNCANO OD=GAO
OJ=?GO
?=LLQ??EJKO OHE?AO
>EC >NA=GB=OP ?=GAO Carmie’s Kitchen
coast 128
?=BA H=PPAO
IKNA
144 Marine Parade SAN REMO VIC 3925 Phone: 03 56785589 Fax: 03 56785596
Selling fresh fish and great fish and chips on Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most spectacular seaside location. Pelican Feeding daily at 12 noon
Pelican View Fish and Chip Restaurant established by the San Remo Fishermans Co-op 190 Marine Parade, San Remo
www.srfco.com.au info@srfco.com.au
5678 5206
The Hottest Concept in Healthy Dining
freshly grilled to your personal taste
Dutchies Stonegrill Restaurant
Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first stonegrill restaurant 1 Vista Place Cape Woolamai 3925 Ph 59 566 000 coast 129
With comfortable modern surrounds and a fantastic range of entertainment options, the Phillip Island RSL is the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite meeting place. Whether its coffee with friends, dinner with family or a special occasion, our friendly staff and great menu make every visit memorable!
Phillip Island RSL
Open 7 days â&#x20AC;˘ For the benefit of members and guests The ANZAC Room is ideal for weddings, engagements, birthdays, corporate dinners, and conferences. Our boardroom facilities also accommodate smaller training groups or conferences, and the Lone Pine Bistro is ideal for smaller functions and social events. Visit our website for more information, including upcoming events!
Cnr Cowes Rhyll Rd & Thompson Ave, Cowes, Vic. 3922
www.pirsl.com.au Tel. (03) 5952 1004
NEW GALLERY & DINING AREA Art exhibitions changing regularly. Resident artist Laurel Foenander
Mangowood has adopted a philosophy of abundance and freedom of choice for those affected by ceoliac disease and other food intolerances. We serve freshly ground organic, fairtrade coffee and stock a great range of groceries, frozen foods and gluten free lollies. We cater to order for functions and specialty cakes. Everything is created fresh daily, including curries, risottos, soups, salads, handmade sponges and eclairs. We have expanded due to customer demand with a new dining room for an all day relaxed atmosphere. We want you to feel welcome, relax and enjoy our signature, delicious, healthy foods.
Shop 6 Smith Street Warragul 3820 coast 130
Ph 03 56 232 777
www.mangowood.com.au
aroundtown what’s goin’ on round your place
photos Lou Curtis-Smith, Greg Noakes, Elizabeth Shaw & Taylor Hammond
coast 131
Building homes with pride.
5L^ 8\PJR :[HY[ >LLR :P[L *VTTLUJLTLU[ *HSS )\YRL /VTLZ MVY KL[HPSZ VY ]PZP[ I\YRLOVTLZ JVT H\
)YHUK UL^ SVJH[PVU H[ H (»)LJRL[[ :[YLL[ 0U]LYSVJO
:HTL NYLH[ ZLY]PJL PU H SHYNLY TVKLYU JVTWSL_ YPNO[ PU [OL OLHY[ VM 0U]LYSVJO @V\ HYL TVZ[ ^LSJVTL [V ]PZP[ \Z HUK ]PL^ V\Y YHUNL VM OVTLZ HUK HZR HIV\[ V\Y J\YYLU[ ^PU[LY ZWLJPHSZ
H (»)LJRL[[ :[YLL[ 0U]LYSVJO )<92, /64,: ^^^ I\YRLOVTLZ JVT H\ coast 132
coast lifestyle
Your dedicated lifestyle section featuring news, homes, builders, property & retirement on the coast...
Image - Burke Homes
coast 133
winterliving warm up your lifestyle by the coast this winter
the warmth of wood Add some colour to your winter. Rolf is a professional painter and the right man for the job; his friendly service and experience will leave a quality finish. Pensioner discounts available. Call 0439 464 416.
brush strokes painting service Wood heating is the best kind of natural heat for your home. Joan from Wonthaggi Tile & Woodheating can direct you to the right-size heater to warm your home effectively from their extensive range. She also advises to ensure you seek a certified, sustainable firewood supplier. Wonthaggi Tile & Wood Heating 323a Bass Hwy, Wonthaggi Call 5672 2543
Glass will make your winter renovations look stunning and stylish. Consider using glass for balustrades, frameless shower screens and splash backs. Heath established Paragon Glass to use his years of experience to provide quality craftsmanship at a competitive price. Call Heath on 0409 565 436 www.paragonglass.com.au
paragon glass & glaze
coast 134
split system solution Complement your cosy wood heater with a modern, multi-split system. You have warmth at the flick of a switch – perfect for busy week nights! Caroline and her team at Bass Coast Refrigeration will guide you to the best split system that’s right for you. Ask about their ‘Sensitive Choice’ range endorsed by the National Asthma Council of Australia. Bass Coast Refrigeration, Shop 1, 13 Inverloch Rd, Wonthaggi Call 5672 2426.
Quality from start to finish With over 50 years experience, the team at New Dimension Homes bring a vast knowledge of building affordable quality homes that suit all tastes and requirements. We will deliver your new home on time and on budget. With a large range of designs, we can adapt to suit your individual needs. New Dimension Homes can deliver the home of your dreams. Quality design, workmanship and materials go a long way toward achieving a house that you, the home owner and the builder, can both be proud of.
HOUSE AND LAND PACKAGES AVAILABLE Colin Dartnell: 0416 152 075
Inverloch Lot 4 Tamara Crescent
Ph: 03 8773 0777 | F: 03 8773 0778 www.newdimensionhomes.com.au
Cowes 184 Thompson Avenue Cowes
Summer hours 1pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4pm Sat, Sun or by Appointment
Summer hours 1pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4pm Fri, Sat, Sun or by Appointment
coast 135
winterliving warm up your lifestyle by the coast this winter
south coast furnishings Warm your home for winter with plush, cosy furnishings and decor to create a perfect hibernation nook. South Coast Furnishings has an endless choice of homewares to suit your style and taste. 2 showrooms to visit in Cowes. Flooring & Blinds 155 Thompson Ave. Furniture & Bedding 22 The Concourse. www.southcoastfurnishings.com.au
beaumont concepts This award-winning design team has opened an office in Cowes to service its Phillip Island clients. Providing building design and architectural drafting services, let them turn your ideal home concept into a reality. Ask about their exciting Ecoliv buildings. Visit them at Level 2/75 Chapel St, Cowes Call 5952 6868.
coastal refrigeration
darren brown design Darren Brown & his team have proudly opened their brand new display home and office in Wonthaggi. Talented home & commercial building designers, DB Design will help turn your dream into reality. Visit @ 47 Graham St. Wonthaggi 5672 1144 www.dbdesign.com.au
tj building consultants Tim Blankenstein is now proud to offer his expertise and a comprehensive service to help you cut through the red tape and get your building project underway. Tim can assist with permit approvals, building inspections and energy efficiency assessments. Call 0408 142 061. coast 136
Prepare your home or office for the winter cold and have your heating service installed, repaired or serviced by an experienced technician. Authorised Mitsubishi & Fujitsu agents, Coastal Refrigeration can take care of all your heating needs. Call Rick on 5956 6301.
Specialising in hardwood flooring Wonthaggi Floorworld offers a wide range of carpets, timber, laminate and vinyl cushion flooring. With a variety of traditional styles and colours mixed with new and innovative concepts, Wonthaggi Floorworld has a flooring product to suit any contemporary or traditional style home, as well as commercial applications.
WONTHAGGI FLOORWORLD 321 White Rd (Bass Hwy) Wonthaggi VIC 3995. Ph. 5672 5590 Fax (03) 5672 5590 coast 137
Cowes Office
NOW OPEN!
b.
beaumont concepts Building Design and Architectural Drafting
www.beaumontconcepts.com.au
coast 138
turning concepts into reality.... 79 Watt St Wonthaggi T : (03) 5672 5196 Level 2 75 Chapel St Cowes T : (03) 5952 6868 M : 0409 933 771
coast lifestyle
words maria reed photos warren reed
caravan of l ve If home is where the heart is, then Jenny Moyle’s cute retro caravan would have to be considered her home away from home. Parked in her driveway at Phillip Island, the petite, jellybean-shaped Franklin takes pride of place – that is, until it’s ready to hit the road again. “I was looking to buy a caravan and found this one on eBay. I missed the first one I wanted, and there were about fifty bidders for this. A bloke from Tassie wanted it so badly that he told the owner to tell me it had burnt down or flooded or something just so he could have it. It was pretty full- on,” says Jenny. The 1964-model caravan was towed from Ballarat to its new home by the coast. “The van only had two owners. The guy I bought it from was a real retro buff and he’d probably hate what I’ve done to it,” she laughs. I just wasn’t into grey marble laminate and teapots on the curtains.”
Once she got the van home, Jenny couldn’t wait to transform it. “I guess I was trying to create a cute, alternative, retro look. I wanted a clean feel as the van is so small.” She started by pulling up the old floor and had a friend lay funky black and white lino. The wallpaper was so old that it refused to be stripped, so Jenny put a surface on top and painted a clean white over it. The cupboards were transformed by a coat of mint green paint and stick-on decals. “The seat covers were inspired by a trip through Ikea. I saw an amazing fabric with hot pinks, black and greens and just had to have it!” A friend who also happens to be a professional seamstress whipped up the covers in no time. “Matched with white and green polka-dot curtains and hot pink laminate benches, the whole thing looks very cute . . . just gorgeous!!” she beams.>
coast 139
So is the van just for show? Absolutely not! “I took it down to the Prom a couple of months ago and it was great. It’s pretty small. I think it only measures 10 or 11 foot, but they used to fit a whole family in it!” she marvels. The bench seat converts to a double bed and the others convert to a single. With fridge, stove, table and kitchen sink it’s got everything needed for a cosy holiday. “I just love the fact that it’s got personality. When you walk into any modern caravan now, they’re all just bland, plastic, boring-looking things. Every time I walk in to this one I just think: “It’s soooooooooooo cute!” To anyone thinking of revamping a caravan, Jenny says: “Just go for it! Put your personality into it and have fun.” CC
coast 140
WONTHAGGI TILE & WOOD HEATING
Save up to 50% on yearly running costs* Comparison of an outdoor gas heater (9kg gas bottle) to the THH 1200
*
FRIENDLY OLD FASHIONED SERVICE • BOUTIQUE RANGE OF TILES • BAMBOO FLOORING 323a Bass Highway, Wonthaggi, Vic 3995
Phone: 5672 2543 Fax: 5672 2326
Quality Craftsmanship with Personal Service
3FTJEFOUJBM t $PNNFSDJBM t "SDIJUFDUVSBM t 'SBNFMFTT 4FNJ 'SBNFMFTT 1PPM 'FODJOH t 'SBNFMFTT 4FNJ 'SBNFMFTT #BMVTUSBEFT t 'SBNFMFTT 4IPXFS 4DSFFOT t 4BGFUZ (MBTT t &OFSHZ &GmDJFOU (MBTT t 4QMBTICBDLT t .JSSPST
Paragon Coast Ad half page FINAL PRINT.indd 1
Installation + Service
Heath Brinsley 0409 565 436 www.paragonglass.com.au 28/04/2010 8:26:30 PM
coast 141
3URIHVVLRQDOV *HW 5HVXOWV 7DON ZLWK WKH G\QDPLF WHDP ZKRVH QDPH VD\V LW DOO ¥ 3URIHVVLRQDOV
9/95 Marine Parade, San Remo Phone: 5678 5141 sales@sanremorealty.com.au rentals@sanremorealty.com.au
www.sanremorealty.com.au
• Building Design • Architectural Drafting • Project Management New HIA accredited GreenSmart display home & office now open 47 Graham St Wonthaggi
CREATIVE BUILDING SOLUTIONS Complete Design & Documentation Service for all residential & commercial building projects Darren Brown Wonthaggi coast 142
03 5672 1144
San Remo
03 5678 5226
www.dbdesign.com.au
• Registered Master Builders • New Homes & extensions • Townhouse/Unit Developments • Design & Drafting services
home
design & construction residential & commercial
Display Office at 75–77 Phillip Island Tourist Road, San Remo 3925
p. 03 5678 5777 f. 03 5678 5515 w. homedesignandconstruction.com.au
Call in for free quotes & expert advice
Jacobs & Lowe-Bennetts Property Management Team - Mornington Offering a premium service to all investment property owners, along with the highest possible return on your rental income. • • • • • • •
Dedicated leasing department available 6 days per week. 5 Property Managers available 6 days per week including Saturdays. 24 hour, 7 days per week emergency after hours phone. All calls and emails returned promptly by your dedicated Property Manager. Rental funds transferred to your account promptly. Transfer of management from existing agent – free of charge. Rent reviews extensively researched to maximise your income.
Call Sue Blaikie on (03) 5976 5968 or email sueb@jlbre.com.au 220 Main Street, Mornington
JACOBS
(03) 5976 5900
www.jlbre.com.au
& LOWE -BENNETTS
coast 143
“Quality Local Builders” PO Box 70 Inverloch 3995 Email: brewerhomes@bigpond.com
Clay Brewer
Ph: 0457 813 905 RBP 24502 HIA 857-853
Orphfund V_1.indd 1
coast 144
24/2/10 1:16:52 PM
■
State Wide Building Per mit Approvals
■
Fire Engineering Solutions
■
Building Inspection Ser vice
■
Fast Tracking Building Per mit Ser vice
■
Building Sur veying Consultancy
■
Energy Efficiency Assessments
■
Building Perfor mance Solutions
■
Essential Safety Measures
■
Bushfire Assessments
■
Commercial & Domestic Projects
T J B U I L D I N G C O N S U LTA N T S AC C E S S I B L E
10 5 Year Warranty Reliability,reassurance & peace of mind
Service & Maintenance As specialist dealers we can provide full service and maintenance ensuring optimum efficiency
■
S U S TA I N A B L E
■
LIFESTYLE
P.O Box 128, Inverloch Vic 3996 Mob: 0408 142 061 Fax: (03) 8678 1324 Email: tjbconsultants@optusnet.com.au
good reasons to buy Daikin
bcra@aanet.com.au
Wise Investment Superior build, quality & energy efficient
A Market Leader Daikin has been providing air conditioning solutions to the Australian market for over 40 years
Detailed Quotations and Proposals
Energy Efficiency
Detailed quotations & Advanced inverter written recommendations in technology provide savings straight forward terms in energy consumption
Asthma Council Exclusive Acceptance Only air conditioning company with Asthma Council Service Choice butterfly symbol
technology that may help reduce the triggers that affect asthma and allergy sufferers. This technology
Trustworthy & Reliable Daikin dealers recognise the importance of customer satisfaction, customised solutions, trustworthy and reliable service
Quality Installation We install your new Daikin at a time that suits you, then show you how to operate the system
Air Conditioning Specialist Daikin focuses on air conditioning solutions and control systems. As specialists it is all we do. As such, Daikin is recognised as an expert in air conditioning.
coast 145
...it doesn’t leave much time for us!
Call us and we’ll do it all; Consultation, Coast Photography & Graphic Design
Call Taylor 0432 273 107 ads@coastmagazine.net www.coastmagazine.net
Mallani Wines.indd 1
www.coastmagazine.net
Hours Closed Tuesday Mon-Thurs 4pm–9pm Fri-Sun 12pm–9pm Holidays 12pm–9pm
Take Away or enjoy a unique dining experience under the stars in our country courtyard dining huts - weather permitting licensed and BYO . All Halal food available. all cards accepted Specialty curries; crab prawn fish and biryani Curry Leaf Takeaway Phone 5956 6772 Shop 9 Vista Place Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island
Cafe • Home & Tableware • Post Office
Our fabulous gift and homeware range has just expanded and includes stunning winter wear for little tackers, fun & educational games, gorgeous garden tools, hand made hats & wraps and even more flavours from morocco. Beautiful, sustainable & fair trade...
little amigos telegram seedling robert gordon sancerre ma belle nancy bird switch sticks heaven in earth
good things to eat & buy every day..... 3535 Bass Hwy Kilcunda Victoria 3995 t. 03 5678 7390
riv e
9KQN KJA OPKL #QNNU 3DKL !QPDAJPE? 3KQPD !BNE?=J #QEOEJA
4/2/10 3:16:37 PM
l he Bunurong Coasta nT
O
coast directory
we spend so much time making our advertisers look good...
coast 146
D
&
f o o d s t o r e
Enjoy healthy eating and friendly service Offering a large diabetic, low fat, low sugar menu – Good for everyone!
Delicious focaccias, soups and salads
Catering available • Modern Australian food • Gluten Free Available • Fantastic Foreshore Views • Open for breakfast and lunch
Breads, European Pastries & Cakes, Special Occasion Cakes, Cafe Foods & Fresh Coffee
• Phillip Islands best breakfast Shop 3&4/17 The Esplanade Cowes phone: 5952 2560 email: mad.cowes@bigpond.com
Proprietors Paul & Roberta Smith 153 -155 Marine Parade, San Remo
Tel. 5678 5862
The finest seafood in Inverloch freshly prepared and cooked daily Local and other Australian seafoods Catering for gluten free 3–4 Ramsey Blv Inverloch Vic 3996 Telephone: (03) 5674 1922
tomo & joh 23 A’Beckett St Inverloch 3996
p 5674 3444 coast 147
www.coastmagazine.net
fish and chip cafe
coast directory
c a f e
coast directory
Waterfront dining with panoramic bay views Local fresh produce with seafood straight from the boat, slow cooked winter foods and in house bakery. Accommodation now available.
17 The Esplanade Cowes, Vic.
Ph (03) 5952 6226 Watermark.indd 1
20/10/09 3:49:15 PM
DG
SUNDAY
from 10 am - Inside & Out LIVE MUSIC FROM 11AM
www.coastmagazine.net
Main Street, KONGWAK, Victoria (only 10 minutes from Inverloch)
For more information call Jane on 0417 142 478
coast 148
Darren George Hair Sunderland Bay, Phillip Island Phone: 5956 7743 Beach Style, City Chic
YOUNGBLOOD mineral cosmetics Spray tanning with
TECHNO TAN
21 Second Ave, Cape Woolamai
&ODVVHV DYDLODEOH IRU DGXOWV DQG FKLOGUHQ LQ PRVDLF GHVLJQ FHUDPLF VFXOSWXUH
Call Sian on 0418519181 or 59566377
www.artyfarty.com.au
Jeminy.indd 1
Mosaics by the Bay
15/2/10 12:43:26 PM
)NCLUDES -ATERIALS ,UNCH 7INE ,AUGHTER 6ENTNOR 0HILLIP )SLAND 0( -/" %-!), HEATHER FAHNLE COM AU
furniture, objects and paintings created on site original pieces and occasional exhibitions by selected artists
www.coastmagazine.net
(EATHER &AHNLE -OSAIC 7ORKSHOPS
coast directory
$57< )$57< 6&8/3785( 678',2
Now stocking
andrew mcpherson gallery workshop 5 Falls Road, Fish Creek T 56832661 M 0417370596 E andrew@ridethewildgoat.com.au W ridethewildgoat.com.au hours 10:30-4:30 friday-monday
coast 149
coast directory
valley plains
1SOUL Streetwear & Body Jewellery
pottery
Insight Elwood Stussy Freshjive Mooks Mossimo TUK Shoes
Crazy & Colour cosmetic contacts also avaible at pimpmyeyes.com.au
Nicholas Road Leongatha South, Victoria Phone 0448 996 386
141 Graham Street, Wonthaggi (03) 5672 5338
•Lime Fusion•
www.coastmagazine.net
Clothing, footwear and accessories for men and women with style. 17B A’Beckett St, Inverloch
coast 150
Haze Fashions V_1.indd 1
Fashion
Accessories
Swimwear
Shop 7, Bridgeview Complex, San Remo Ph 5678 5025
Ph: 5674 1133
Plaza Arcade, Graham St, Wonthaggi Ph 5672 2016
4/2/10 3:15:19 PM
all things deliciously shabby
By Appointment Only
41 Phillip Island Rd, Newhaven 3925 Consultations available at Cowes Medical Centre - Tues 8.30am - 12.30pm
For Appointments ring 59 567002 A/H Emergency Repairs ring 0412 231 268 Phillip Island and Surrounds Accommodation Booking Service www.phillipislandandsurrounds.com.au
chic & shabby shopping from home = premium botanical swiss skincare & cosmetic workshops = shabby french inspired wares = handmade quilts mobile: email:
0413 765 088 deliciouslyshabby@emilyflutterbys.com
shop online at:
www.emilyflutterbys.com
Weddings || Namings || Renewal of vows || Funerals
Personalised ceremonies for all those significant moments of life 15 places to stay. Book online or phone the property. In and around all Bass Coast towns on the way to the Penguins... Availability calendar and secure online bookings available now for:
• Banyanda at Phillip Island • Cherub Cottage • Redwood Retreat
5944 4343 9598 1607 9795 7180
GRANTVILLE
• Grantville Seaview Retreat
0402 346 334
Mona J. (Jenny) Milkins
CIVIL CELEBRANT
Servicing all areas 18 Hunter Street Wonthaggi Vic 3995 P: 03 5672 3123 M: 0439 320 099 Email: jenny_milkins@hotmail.com
KONGWAK
• Zenergie: Villas
5657 4490
coast 151
www.coastmagazine.net
COWES
coast directory
emily flutterbys
coast directory
Coastal Refrigeration & Airconditioning
Distributors for South Gippsland
“FUEL BY THE TANK OR TANKER FULL” LEONGATHA DEPOT
PH. A/H
03 5662 2217 0418 595 346
COWES
FISH CREEK FOSTER INVERLOCH KORUMBURRA LEONGATHA MIRBOO NTH TOORA
Commercial & Domestic Refrigeration & Airconditioning Contact Rick North. Phone: (03) 5956 6301 After Hours Commercial Breakdown.
WONTHAGGI YARRAM Castrol Lubricants available
VAN STEENSEL TIMBERS BUILDING MATERIALS & WATER TANKS
Inner Space Design
innovative environmentally sensitive building design
www.coastmagazine.net
FRIENDLY & EXPERT ADVICE HUGE RANGE OF WATER TANKS • TIMBER • HARDWARE
• PAINTS • TOOLS
CNR. CORINELLA TURN OFF & BASS HWY, GRANTVILLE (03)56788552
6 boathaven grove, san remo 3925 tel:
03 56 785 638
fax:
03 56 785 015
mobile: 0408 138 065 email:
coast 152
groddabdav@iprimus.com.au
Inner Space Design V_1.indd 1
4/2/10 3:15:43 PM
coast directory
JTMBOE MBOETDBQF
EFTJHO
Cutting edge design & landscaping for seaside gardens . design consultations . water features . low maintenance/ drought tolerant gardens . paving & retaining walls . mediteranean/pacific style gardens . over 15 years experience . latest styles and products
For a free No Obligation Quote
Matt Crooks . Smiths Beach . Phillip Island. 0419 356 222 t. 5952 3838 e. info@islandlandscaping.com.au www.islandlandscaping.com.au
Contact Rolf Mobile: 0439 464 416 Servicing Bass Coast & South Gippsland
specialised joinery solutions Custom made: • Kitchen Interiors • Yacht Interiors • Timber Bi-fold Doors • Sliding Timber Doors • French Doors • Timber Windows
“NAUTILUS”
Kevin Holden PO Box 789, Wonthaggi 0458 520 347 Woodwork Solutions.indd 1
5/2/10 2:44:51 PM
for sale
A real sea change • Nautical feel, trendy designer 3–4 bedroom home • Open plan living, plus upstairs retreat • Perfect position in quiet street • Landscaped gardens with tropical style gazebo • Ideal family or holiday home • Sought after location only 300 metres to beach • Get the real taste of coastal living!
Only $550,000
27 Veronica Street, Inverloch
enquires call Heather 0409 741 607 or lewis 0407 505 141
coast 153
www.coastmagazine.net
• Consultancy for the joinery & interior industry • In house and onsite training • Technical advice and solutions • Representative for StairBiz software in Australia
www.coastmagazine.net where to stay, eat, shop – fashion - builders – property – gardening & green – live the dream
directory Automotive Barbour Prestige
14
Accommodation Bass Coast Visitor Centre
98
Cliff Top Boutique Accomm
64
Prom Country Accomm & Booking Service
151
Quest Apartments Cowes
57
RACVResort Inverloch
13
Silverwater Resort San Remo
6
Zenergie
45
Antiques Collectable Antiques
96
Kudos
114
L&J Tuddin Antiques
114
Sandsford Antiques & Cafe
112
South Gippsland & Tyabb Antique Centre
112
Southern Bazaar
116
Artists & Galleries
87
Restaurants & Cafes
Essential Body Basics
80
So! Me!
45
Archies on the Creek
4
Goldsmiths Gallery
77
Vortex Surf & Skate
37
Cafe Lugano
96
Infused Restaurant & Wine Bar
9
Carmie’s Kitchen
128
Kirsty Parini - Freelance Hairstylist 79
Claypot Curry House
128
Kudos
114
Curry Leaf
146
Kush Kush
84
Dutchies Stone Grill Restaurant
129
Lacy Jewellery
72
Esplanade Hotel
124
Lens to Life Photography
58
Grantville Pantry
53
Grantville Takeaway
53
McClelland Gallery & Sculpture Parks
60
Garden & Green Living Compass Pools
156
Island Garden Supplies
43
Island Landscape & Design
153
Simply Blooming Gorgeous
79
Solar Shop
43
Harry’s on the Esplanade
148
Nobbies Centre & Churchill Island 69
Ally de la Rosa
80
Infused Restaurant & Wine Bar
9
Mona J. Milkins
151
Ashley Brooke Hair Design
96
Kilcunda General Store - KGS
146
Outer 2 Inner
92
Amcal Chemist Cowes
105
50
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
69
Hair, Health & Beauty
Darren George Hair
148
Mad Cowes Cafe
147
DK Denture Clinic
151
Mangowood
130
Quest Phillip Island & Oceanic
57
Essential Body Basics
80
62
Jeminy Hair & Health
149
Pelican Views 129 RACV Resort Inverloch Phillip Island Chocolate Factory 127 Rhyll Trout & Bushtucker Farm Phillip Island Nature Park - Nobbies 68
Sarah Ashe Catering
82
Outer 2 Inner
92
Phillip Island RSL
130
Silverwater Resort
6
San Remo Pharmacy
85
San Remo Bakehouse
147
Simply Blooming Gorgeous
79
YMCA
100
Schnappers Fish & Chips
147
Studio 41
74
The Foreshore Bar & Restaurant
82
The Foreshore Bar & Restaurant
82
Tomo Modern Japanese
147
Wonthaggi Club
125
Vela Nine
124
Verde Restaurant
127
Cheryl Petersen Galleries
25
McClelland Gallery & Sculpture Parks
60
Emily Flutterbys
151
Mingara Gallery
31
Kudos
114
Mosaics by the Bay
149
Kush Kush
84
Ride the Wild Goat
149
Southern Bazaar
116
Saraghi Art Space
96
South Coast Furnishings
105
150
Simply Blooming Gorgeous
79
Home & Homewares
Builders, Designers & Consulants
Jewellery
Beaumont Concepts
138
Denis A. Hawkins
77
Brewer Homes
144
Goldsmiths Gallery
77
Burke Homes
132
Lacy Jewellery Studio & Gallery
72
Darren Brown Design
142
Studio 41 Mornington
74
Home Design & Construction
143
Professional Services
Inner Space Design
152
Bride 2 Be Photography
New Dimension Homes
135
Chrisp Pictures71
TJ Building Consultants
145
Essential Bookkeeping
31
Entertainment, Markets & Events
Lens to Life Photography
58
Kongwak Market
148
Meehan Design
9
Amaze n Things
33
Vision ‘n’ Life
45
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory 127 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
37 69
71
Property & Retirement Harcourts Real Estate Inverloch
153
Hidden Harbour
21
Jacobs & Lowe-Bennetts
Fashion on the Coast 1 Soul
150
Real Estate
143
Deborucci’s
86
Penguin Resort
98
Haze
150
Professionals
142
Jean Depot
25
Seagrove Estate
2
Kush Kush
84
Shearwater on the Island
94
Lime Fusion
150
Molly Moo + Tilly Bear
86
coast 154
68
Kirsty Parini - Freelance Hairstylist 79
149
Valley Plains Pottery
La Provincia
Phillip Island Winery & Vineyard 68
Arty Farty Gallery
Phillip Island Nature Park
coast directory
Sketa
Watermark @ Silverwater Resort 148 Wonthaggi Club
125
Trades & Hardware
COWES Amaze n Things
33
Amcal
105
Ashley Brooke Hair Design
96
Bass Coast Visitor Centre
98
Bass Coast Refrigeration
145
Cafe Lugano & Saraghi Art Space 96
Brush Strokes Painting Service
153
Collectable Antiques
96
Coastal Refrigeration
152
Deborucci’s
86
Evan’s Petroleum
152
Harry’s on the Esplanade
148
Floorworld
137
Island Quality Meats & Seafood
100
Loes Hardware
155
Mad Cowes Cafe
147
Paragon Glass
141
Mingara Gallery
31
Van Steensels Timbers
152
Molly Moo + Tilly Bear
86
Wonthaggi Tile & Woodheating 141
Mosaics by the Bay
149
Woodwork Solutions
New Dimension Homes
135
Outer 2 Inner
92
Penguin Resort
98
Phillip Island RSL
130
Shearwater on the Island
94
Seagrove Estate
2
153
Wineries Mallani Wines
146
Phillip Island Vineyard & Winery 68 WEDDINGS Ally de la Rosa
80
South Coast Furnishings
105
Archies on the Creek
4
YMCA
100
Baker Boys Band
85
Bride 2 Be Photography
71
Cliff Top Boutique Accomm
64
Chrisp Pictures
71
Darren George Hair
148
Denis A. Hawkins
77
Esplanade Hotel - Inverloch
66
CORINELLA & CORONET BAY Corinella General Store & PO
50
Grantville Pantry
53
Grantville Take Away
53
La Provincia
50
Van Steensels Hardware
152
THE TRADIE’S HARDWARE STORE! Suppliers of
For Hire
• • • • •
• • • •
Concrete Reinforcing and Accessories Safety Equipment Pool and Garden Fencing (Glass and Aluminium) Senco Nailing Equipment Concreters Tools
Dingo Digger Compactors Generators Scaffolding
• • •
Floor Sanders Concrete Equipment Toilets Plus much, much more!
Visit our website www.loeshardware.com.au
& AIR LIQUIDE
Rear of HARVEY NORMAN 37-43 McKenzie Street Wonthaggi 3995 Phone 03 5672 1628 Fax 03 5672 3745 Email loeshw@dcsi.net.au coast 155
coast 156