Diary dates: to keep you busy this autumn

Autumn Diary Dates

LOCAL MARKETS:

The Vale Market

McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre March 9, April 13, June 8, 10am – 3pm Showcasing local produce, wines, crafts and souvenirs from the Fleurieu with live music and a free bouncy castle for the kids.

Willunga Farmers Market

Willunga Town Square Every Saturday, 8am – 12.30pm Come rain, hail or shine, enjoy fresh produce from more than eighty farmers and artisan food makers. Become a member for discounts on all your goods, and enjoy the nourishing community atmosphere every week.

Willunga Quarry Market

Adjacent to the Willunga Oval Second Saturday of each month, 9am – 1pm Browse through an eclectic mix of wares ranging from secondhand tools to plants and crafts.

Willunga Artisans and Handmade Market

Willunga Show Hall Second Saturday of each month, 9am – 1pm An inspiring curated market showcasing local art and handmade goods. It’s a great place to buy a unique, handmade gift made from high quality materials.

Goolwa Wharf Market

First and third Sunday of every month, 9am – 3pm With around eighty stalls including bric-a-brac, collectables, fresh local produce, plants, books both new and old, unique artisan goods, and delicious food and coffee, you will find a myriad of goodies at this market.

Port Elliot Market

Lakala Reserve, Port Elliot First and third Saturday of each month, 9am – 2pm A classic country market with plenty of fresh local produce, plants, bric-a-brac, books, fishing gear, and even a two dollar stall. Soak up the ambience and variety of wares both you and your dogs can enjoy.

Victor Harbor Farmers Market

Grosvenor Gardens, Victor Harbor Every Saturday, 8am – 12.30pm Spend the morning choosing from thirty plus stalls, with locally caught seafood, organic vegetables, seasonal fruit, local honey, mushrooms, fresh flowers, Fleurieu wines and much more.

COUNTRY MARKETS:

Penneshaw Market Day

Lloyd Collins Reserve/Penneshaw Oval First Sunday of each month and Easter Sunday, 9am – 2pm This market brings together the KI Farmers Market and the KI Community Market. Have brunch and enjoy Kangaroo Island’s top produce with a great village atmosphere by the beach. For discounted market ferry fares, visit sealink.com.au.

Meadows Country Market

Meadows Memorial Hall Second Sunday of each month, 9am – 3pm A true country market with seventy stalls selling local produce, hearty country food, crafts, collectables, plants and bric-a-brac.

Myponga Markets

The old Myponga Cheese Factory (next to Smiling Samoyed Brewery) Saturdays, Sundays and most public holidays, 9.30am – 4pm Browse a variety of stalls, including art, books, fine china and glass, toys, local leatherwork, records and fossils. There is also a variety of local food choices including waffles and gelato for those with a sweet tooth.

Strathalbyn Markets

Next to the Gilbert’s Motor Museum on High Street Third Sunday of every month, 8am – 3pm A quaint, country-style market with bric-a-brac, local produce and condiments, crafts, plants, jewellery and much more.

Yankalilla Craft and Produce Market

Agricultural Hall Third Saturday of each month, 9am – 1pm This lesser-known market is a surprising little gem offering homemade jams and preserves, delicious sweet treats, locally grown fruits and vegetables, plus craftwork, trinkets and unique gifts.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS:

MARCH

Fringe in Goolwa

Goolwa March 5 – 9 Enjoy a whole weekend of live music, performances, workshops, comedy and more as the Adelaide Fringe Festival comes down south.

At the Wharf

Signal Point Gallery Deck, Goolwa March 8, 1.30pm – 5pm Bring your own chair or rug to enjoy live music on the deck and lawns at Signal Point. Local wine is available by the glass and bottle, as well as delicious food.

Stargazing at McLaren Vale

McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre March 13, 8.30pm – 10pm Discover stars, planets and other celestial objects through telescopes with a multicultural laser pointer guided tour. Book a ticket online, or at the McLaren Vale Visitor Information Centre.

25th Anniversary Twilight Food Affair

Tatachilla Lutheran College March 20, 4.30pm – 9pm Tatachilla Lutheran College will come alive as it stages its annual Twilight Food Affair – an enjoyable night for the entire community. Held on the college grounds, this family-friendly event showcases the best of the region’s food and wine, offering live entertainment, rides, fun activities and the Flagstaff Coaches Fireworks display.

Bush Festival

Eleanor Downs, Kangaroo Island March 21, 2.30pm – 11pm The second Bush Festival is back, and it’s bigger and better with more comedy, theatre and music. Six international shows brought to you straight from the Adelaide Fringe Festival, with gourmet food, live music, face painting and glamping tents. Tickets available online.

Vine Warp

Leconfield and Richard Hamilton Wines March 28, 3pm – 10pm Australia’s biggest outdoor winery party, celebrating the best music, dance and fashion of the past four decades. It will be a day of sunshine amongst the vines, with delicious wines and cocktails, gourmet food and jam-packed entertainment. Tickets available online.

APRIL

McLaren Vale Vintage and Classic

Main Street, McLaren Vale and local wineries April 4 – 5 There will be plenty of delicious regional produce to enjoy at the 15th Vintage and Classic Charity Dinner on the Saturday night, raising funds for new equipment at the McLaren Vale and District War Memorial Hospital and local fire brigades. Enjoy a celebration of vintage and collectable cars from the Fleurieu and beyond at the free street parade, beginning at 11am on the Sunday. Dress up in your favourite era – prizes for best efforts.

Aquafest

Goolwa Aquatic Club April 4 – 5, 9am – 5pm Aquafest is a fun day outdoors for the whole family featuring boat racing, outboards and hydroplanes.

Willunga Waldorf School Autumn Fair

April 4, 10am – 4pm Come along and celebrate Waldorf education in Willunga with good food, live music, fun activities and craft stalls.

Field Good Friday

Yeo Haus, Shop of Gentle Goods April 10, 12pm – 10pm Presenting the new Easter classic, Field Good Friday. A day of music and art right in the heart of Port Elliot.

Kangaroo Island Easter Art Exhibition

Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island April 11 – 19 In its 33rd year, the KI Easter Art Exhibition is the largest, most diverse art show on the island. The exhibition will display an outstanding array of artworks from the island’s many talented emerging and established artists. Come and celebrate the official opening and presentation night at 6.30pm on April 10, or visit at your leisure until April 19. More information at www.southaustralia.com

Fleurieu Sounds

Penny’s Hill Wines, McLaren Vale April 18, 4pm – 12 midnight This is going to be one fun party. The wonderful acts on the day include: The Levitators, We Move Like Giants, Laura Hill, Aidan J Jones, Great Moose, DJ Es’Ay and Josh T.C. Families are welcome, children under twelve are free. >

Above: The 25th Anniversary Twilight Food Affair at Tatachilla Lutheran College on March 20th is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS (cont.)

Beef Party

Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards, McLaren Vale April 19, 12 – 4pm Teaming up with 36° South for a four-course lunch matched with a selection of Oliver’s Taranga wines. These are very popular events, so get your mates together and book early! Tickets available online.

Goolwa Airshow

Goolwa Airport April 26, 10am – 5pm A fun family day full of aerobatics, warbirds, skydiving, formation aerobatics, and lots of static displays. Something for the whole family.

MAY

Langhorne Creek Wine Show Luncheon

Memorial Hall and Lake Breeze Wines May 1, 10am – 5pm Sample the best local wine indoors, ahead of lunch on the lawns by the fabulous Simon Burr of the Ol Factory Inn at Lake Breeze Wines, where the Champion Wine and Top of the Class Awards will be celebrated.

A Taste of Italy Weekend Getaway South Australia

Waverley Estate, Port Elliot May 1, 4pm – May 3, 12pm Your host is the amazing Chef Renato Di Stefano for this incredible two-night getaway in first-class accommodation. Five sensational meals, carefully selected wines, traditional Italian cooking and pasta making, recipes, a little Italian language, bocce and so much more!

Red Poles and Spinning Yarns Aboriginal Festival

Red Poles, McLaren Vale May 2 – 3 This Aboriginal Festival will include many activities and presentations such as welcome to country, a smoking ceremony and cultural dance performance. An indigenous artists’ market will be held on the lawns.

Snorkel the Star of Greece Shipwreck

Port Willunga May 2 – 16 Join professional snorkel leaders and marine biologists for a guided snorkel at Port Willunga Beach. The reef is the final resting place of the shipwreck Star of Greece and home to an amazing variety of colourful fish and plant life. Book online at www.emsau.org

Great Southern Run Fest

Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club May 3, 6.30am – 2pm The Great Southern Run Fest 2020 offers 30K, half marathon, 10K and 5K events to be run or walked over a stunning and varied course around Aldinga Bay. There will also be a free kids’ beach run.

Peninsula Olive Festival

Peninsula Providore/Nangkita Grove, Tooperang May 24, 10am – 4pm Farmers market, local produce, food, cheese, music, pottery, meat, extra virgin olive oil tasting, olive pickling seminars, cooking demonstrations, wine, gin, beer, grove tours. What more could you want? Food bookings are essential. Visit www.peninsulaprovidore. net.au for more information.

EARLY JUNE

2020 Fleurieu Biennale Art Prize

Main Road, McLaren Vale June 13 – July 19 The Fleurieu Biennale Art Prize is celebrating its 21st anniversary by returning home to McLaren Vale. Artists from all over Australia will respond to the theme ‘Of the Earth’. Finalists selected will be shown at the Stump Hill Gallery, Fleurieu Arthouse and Hardys Tintara Sculpture Park.

Pearl by the sea

Story by Zannie Flanagan. Photography by Aaron Citti. Styling by Marcus Syvertsen.

Page left: The south facing deck features large timber posts and beams salvaged from Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide. Above: The north facing kiosk serves delicious coffee and breakfast in a casual beach-friendly area but can become a versatile space for patrons to dine outdoors when the winds pick up on the south side. In the warmer months it can also act as a place to enjoy a wine or cocktail while you await your seat inside.

Pearl, the Fleurieu’s latest seaside eatery, is at last open for business. Jules Rydon and Bec Seidel have created a casual and stylish restaurant perfectly suited to the locale they both know so well. I confess I’ve known the owners since they were youngsters, so I admit to being biased. Not because I’ve known them for so long, but because I know them well enough to share their excitement about their new venture.

the beach at Port Willunga with the old gang, cooking up a feed of fresh squid on a makeshift BBQ. Eventually they both moved away to pursue their careers but if you’ve been lucky enough to grow up here, the region has a way of seducing you home.

After all, what’s not to love? The Fleurieu offers a relaxed lifestyle, affordable housing, and a supportive, creative community all wrapped up in an environment that’s hard to beat. Slowly but surely the region has developed a thriving tourist industry as more people discover what it has to offer. Once known only for its wines, there is now an innovative food culture evident every Saturday at the Willunga Farmers Market and on the plates of the best restaurants in the region.

And that’s where Pearl comes into its own. Five years ago, the Onkaparinga Council realised the potential for coastal hospitality and offered a number of sites for tender. Jules and Bec’s proposal won the site at the Aldinga boat-ramp and after a long and often >

Page left: Owner Bec Seidel stands at the front-of-house bar. The cascading plants are reminiscent of a sea garden or cascading waves – a tip of the hat to their stunning location. This page top: A cooling drink anyone? The Pearl logo represents their interpretation of a pearl – ever-changing, perfectly imperfect with no two ever being the same. Above: The large breezy dining room captures 180-degree views – also ever changing and dynamic.

protracted period of negotiation, the metamorphosis from dilapidated beach kiosk to hip, casual eatery began. Historically, there hasn’t been much on offer this far down the coast as it has often been a struggle for survival during winter months. So not surprisingly, locals, weekenders and holidaymakers have been keeping a keen eye on Pearl’s progress.

The wait has been worth it.

There’s a lot of creative juice in the DNA of this young couple and it’s on show everywhere. The space is beautifully crafted, full of respect for materials with history and provenance, with every detail thoughtfully considered and every problem creatively solved. Pearl has been a friends’ and family affair from the beginning, with Jules’ dad Dave coming out of retirement to work beside Jules and Bec for the duration of the project.

The couple’s combined creative aesthetic, beautifully expressed by Bec’s dramatic steel logo, is on show everywhere. Recycled timbers, painstakingly de-nailed and re-planed by Bec and Jules, cover much of the external face of the building, texturally offset by Corten steel, hosed down to create a beautiful rusted patina. The impressive verandah posts, salvaged from the recent demolition of Her Majesty’s Theatre in Grote Street, seem to anchor the building to the site. >

Above left: Everywhere you look – a picture perfect view. Top right: Jules and Bec take time to enjoy the gifts of their efforts. Bottom right: Jules describes the menu as future-friendly seafood focusing on everything fresh and local.

Inside, the central dining area is lit by three giant light-shades that only folks my age would recognise as the upturned insides of old agitator washing machines. The bar area connects effortlessly to the kitchen and faces out across the dining area to the hills and ocean beyond. On the duck-blue back wall of the bar is a row of taps that draw local craft beer from kegs stored in the coolroom behind. The blue wall is actually one side of a container that has been converted to house not only the coolroom and freezer but also a dry store. Clever!

The seaside environment can be a challenge especially with a site so close to the ocean, but in this building the prevailing weather patterns will be utilised to provide passive heating and cooling. On a fine day, the internal space is opened to the elements, intentionally submitting to the majestic views that give diners the sense they’re sitting in the sand dunes. And then there’s the kitchen. You can tell the owner is the chef – it is spacious and open, with an enormous island bench and seemingly endless surfaces of glistening stainless steel. The area is light and airy with windows on three sides opening to the spectacular views. ‘For too long I’ve worked in closed-off kitchens with no natural light, separated from the front of house and disengaged from diners. It’s time for a change don’t you think?’ says Jules. This sleek kitchen is the heart of the restaurant, on show for all to see and I can’t imagine it’s going to be difficult finding chefs to work here.

So what can we expect on the menu? Jules’ Greek heritage (his grandfather started a fishmonger’s dynasty in Melbourne) will no doubt be front and centre on the menu, and according to Jules, will reflect the location and the region’s abundant, fresh, seasonal produce. Expect bold, delicious flavours driven by the sea and the seasons.

Top: In the dunes of Aldinga Beach you will find Pearl – a carefully considered labour of love. Bottom left: Jules says the menu at Pearl will evolve and change but always be influenced by what is fresh, sustainable and local. Bottom right: The Corten steel logo sits beautifully against the blue shipping container.

I managed to get a booking the second night they opened and it was everything I hoped it would be. The shared plates were ample for our table of five and the favourite dish of the night was the deep-fried school prawns that had been doused in tapioca flour and seasoned with saltbush and nori salt. The crispy little crustaceans were served with a house-made aioli. Next came a kilo of chilli mussels, distinctly flavoured with ginger and lemongrass. Then there was a stingray fillet topped with a pungent salsa verde and served with garlic and rosemary-flavoured potatoes. Finally, there followed a plate of two whole garfish, chargrilled with zaatar and served with a mild pickle of daikon, radish and carrot that perfectly offset the delicacy of the fish. We also tried a plate of grilled, chunky and still crunchy zucchini, and a modern version of a Greek salad featuring local feta and olives. For dessert, there was a panna cotta lightly flavoured with thyme and served with grilled peaches and galaktoboureko served with a refreshing grapefruit and orange compote. Both were delicious.

‘It’s been a long road!’ reflects Jules as we sit looking out to sea watching the sunset, Bec nodding her head in agreement. ‘It’s taken five years and a lot of patience and persistence to get here, but we’re really excited for the next chapter.’ The next chapter will no doubt bring a completely different set of challenges to add to the mix when Jules and Bec’s first baby arrives in May. Hopefully I’ll get to have a cuddle now and then, though the competition is stiff with so many grandparents living close by. I’m willing to take my chances.

Oh and one last thing, for those of you who walk the beach with your pooch – the coffee is excellent!