Fleurieu Living Magazine Spring 2019 by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our

SPRING 2019

2018 MBA (Master Builders Association SA) Multi Award Winner 2018 HIA (Housing Industry Association SA) Multi Award winner 2018 HIA Green Smart Home of the Year

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

Outstanding design and amazing service.

AU $9.95 SPRING 2019 02 >

Build your dream home –in your dream location | southcoastconstructions.com.au 37 Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 Telephone: 08 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

772200

403004

The story of Samson Tall Western wonderland: Explore the Fleurieu coast Food and Beverage Tour Kangaroo Island Wander, discover and enjoy Alexandrina Kuitpo Kollective A modern vision for coastal living at Port Elliot Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

An unforgettable walking experience KANGAROO ISLAND WILDERNESS TRAIL

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be left at home with nowhere to go!

The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail covers 61kms over five days of ever-changing magnificent coastal flora, fauna and scenery. Take your car on the ferry, then walk and camp along the trail or be transferred to your chosen accommodation each evening. The range of experiences means the beauty of the track is open for all to explore. Book your ferry and trail pass now for spring.

Call 13 13 01 or visit sealink.com.au

Now is the time to book that perfect holiday. Call us now: www.southcoaststay.com.au | Victor Harbor 8552 3744 | Goolwa 8555 2533 | Normanville 8558 2900

Visit our website for more information. Images for illustrative purposes only. BLD 175837 SHO502

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Key Personnel Petra de Mooy Petra has always loved, art, design, photogrpahy and words. Combining all of these into a career has been the fulfillment of these interests. She loves working with all of the creatives on the Fleurieu to showcase the best the region has to offer. Jason Porter Jason has worked as a graphic designer and creative director both locally and overseas for over thirty years. When not in the office, he can usually be found tweaking the crossover filters on his ridiculously over-the-top hi-fi system. Kate Le Gallez Kate started her working life as a lawyer and consultant, before turning to a lifelong love of writing. She confesses to suffering a mild podcast addiction, which results in her overuse of the phrase ‘I was listening to a podcast … ’ as a conversation starter. Holly Wyatt This issue is Holly’s last before heading on maternity leave with baby number two. Kirsty Gannon will be stepping in to take the reigns for a while. We wish Holly, Nigel and Emmie the very best as they welcome a new little Wyatt into the world. Lulu Our company mascot Lulu started appearing in way too many of our Instagram posts – so now she has her own profile (sad, we know) where you can follow her charmed life. Search ‘@miss_majestica’ if you’re so inclined.

Featured Contributors Lori-Ellen Grant Lori-Ellen is a NZ/Canadian who moved to the Fleurieu for love. She currently runs a private acupuncture practice in Willunga with her partner Lez Schiell. For twenty years, health and education has been her focus training as an acupuncturist and remedial therapist, completing her Masters in Health Science, publishing academic papers, lecturing to undergraduate students and running postgrad courses. She is keen to broaden her findings about health topics for any audience. Lori-Ellen’s NZ/ Aotearoa roots mean she loves a good hill to run up and has quite the passion for surfing. The sea makes her feel at home, and is one of her favourite places on the Fleurieu.

Zoe Kassiotis Zoe is a journalism student and 2014 Tatachilla graduate, but above all else she’s a curious and creative Fleurieu coast dweller who believes that we all have a story worth telling. A sometimes poet and part-time adult, Zoe spends many hours weaving her thoughts on life into intricate poems that will never see the light of day. When she’s not tinkering with words at her mallee root coffee table, she’s most likely wandering the Southport to Moana esplanade, stopping to chat with local faces. Zoe is known to walk down the road with a steaming bowl of soup in hand to enjoy at the Onkaparinga River mouth, which, despite her extensive travels, remains her favourite spot on Earth.

Publisher Information Kirsty Gannon Setting up home on the Fleurieu only eighteen months ago, Kirsty feels like she has found her place in the world. With a background in film and television production in Sydney, Kirsty now thrives on the ease and pace of semirural living. Kirsty is passionate about the Fleurieu region and its people, and loves being able to put her media skills to work to collaborate with the innovative and forward-thinking businesses that do this region proud. On her days off, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find her in the veggie garden with her two children, at the beach, doing yoga, or just smelling the roses.

Other contributing writers and photographers Mel Amos, Annabel Bowles, Jake Dean, Aise Dillon, Robert Geh, Gill Gordon-Smith, Mark Laurie, Heidi Lewis, Angela Lisman, Marcus Syvertsen, Esther Thorn and Alexandra Trajanovski.

PUBLISHER Fleurieu Living Magazine is published four times a year by Fleurieu Living Pty Ltd. ISSN 2200-4033 PUBLISHING EDITOR AND MANAGING DIRECTOR Petra de Mooy petra@fleurieuliving.com.au EDITOR Kate Le Gallez ADVERTISING SALES Holly Wyatt holly@fleurieuliving.com.au Kirsty Gannon kirsty@fleurieuliving.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jason Porter jason@fleurieuliving.com.au PRINTER Graphic Print Group DISTRIBUTION Integrated Publication Solutions SUBSCRIPTIONS Print: isubscribe.com.au Digital: zinio.com ALL ENQUIRIES Petra de Mooy petra@fleurieuliving.com.au POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 111, Aldinga, South Australia 5173. ONLINE fleurieuliving.com.au facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine instagram.com/fleurieulivingmagazine/ COPYRIGHT All content copyright Fleurieu Living Magazine Pty Ltd unless otherwise stated. While Fleurieu Living Magazine takes every care to ensure the accuracy of information in this publication, the publisher accepts no liability for errors in editorial or advertising copy. The views of the contributors are not necessarily endorsed by Fleurieu Living Magazine. Printed on paper from well managed forests and controlled sources using environmentally friendly vegetable-based inks.

30 C E L E B R AT I N G

C E L E B R A T I N G

FLM

MAGAZINE

ISSUES

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

OPEN DAY

Solar Energy and hot water supply, convenient underground tanks for

An Artist’s Retreat

rainwater harvesting, double glazed windows and high levels of insulation

MERRICK WATTS

provide a dramatic reduction in living costs and a level of comfort only

intelligent design can provide. Private outdoor living areas with external AU $7.95 shading create beautiful indoor/outdoor relationships. WINTER 2012 Prices ranging from $359, 000 – $449, 000.

Boasting STUNNING views of Kangaroo Island

on why the Fleurieu takes his fancy

AU $7.95 SPRING 2012

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

FLEURIEU LIVING

Signal Point Ashbourne

AU $7.95 SUMMER 2012

Stylish Cellar Door in McLaren Vale

The Boat House at Goolwa Light, bright and sparkling

Normanville

The Waldorf School Willunga

AU $7.95 AUTUMN 2013

Brian O’Malley and his poly-ocular views Salt Dogs

Leafy Sea Dragon and Beyond

Port Elliot

Head · Hand · Heart

Favourite family holiday hotspot

AU $7.95 WINTER 2013

Fly fishing Fleurieu style

Organic and biodynamic wine selections

All in the Family A seafront shack with history & heart

Old surfers learning new tricks

Wild and woolly Weaving art and lifestyle together After the harvest – Comes the Wine

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

FLEURIEU LIVING

A marriage of modern design & breathtaking landscape

Green at Heart:

MAGGIE BEER

on why she makes the Fleurieu a regular stop

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Angove Family Winemakers’

on the water’s edge at Port Elliot

On Any Saturday

Farmers’ Markets keeping it local

Kangaroo Island Art Feast · Ethical Eats · Langhorne Creek ‘Women in wine’

SPRING 2012

McLaren Vale Region

We review truly world class food and wine

or call Adam Wright on 0412 620 022 or KeyInvest on 1300The 658Yearlings 904 · Maslin Beach Garden

FLEURIEU LIVING

Beach House

Our innovative, sustainable village has homes uniquely designed to optimise

Shangalia Kangaroo Island

For more information Strathalbyn visit www.chitonretirement.com.au Collectors Fair · South Seas Books and Trading - Port Elliot

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

A Whale of a

Wednesday 10th October, 1 - 4 pm. Corner of Port Elliot Road and Ocean Road, Hayborough.

warming winter sunlight and minimise summer heat gain.

Getaway

FLEURIEU LIVING

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

Your idyllic retirement is now sustainable.

FLEURIEU LIVING FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

CHITON RETIREMENT LIVING

FLEURIEU LIVING

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Yala Yala Springs

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Waverley Estate

A family retreat at Back Valley

Aged to perfection

Paeroa

Stylish

Winter retreats

Living off the grid in high style

Electric Tractor

Strathalbyn

Goolwa Beach House Sustainable Seaside Retreat

Retro chic by the reservoir

Willunga:

Willunga A personal love story

Port Noarlunga

Treasure by the seaside AU $7.95 SUMMER 2013

AU $7.95 SPRING 2013

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

Erik Thomson reflects on his connection to the Fleurieu Adelaide Biplanes The sky’s the limit

AU $7.95 AUTUMN 2014

FLEURIEU LIVING

‘The Kelsey’ display home – 47 Sun Orchid Drive, Hayborough. Open: Mon-Wed-Sat-Sun and public holidays 1:00 to 4:30. Telephone South Coast Constructions on 8552 4444.

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Eat Local Embracing the seasonal goodness of the region Swamp People Janine Mackintosh Meshing art with space

Visitors delight Leonards Mill

Still dreaming about it AU $7.95 WINTER 2014 AU $7.95 SPRING 2014

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

FLEURIEU LIVING

The town that slate built

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

Build your dream home – in a dream location | beyondtoday.com.au | southcoastconstructions.com.au

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

Lifestyle and sustainability.

Award Winning Home E-Bay Beach House

McLaren Vale township Rediscovered

Kaleidoscopic KI The house that Bailey built

In pursuit of sensual pleasure

Victor Harbor

Boutique Winemakers

Where you holiday at home

772200

Vino with verve

Beyond, the perfect balance of sustainability, life and luxury. Stages 1-7 SOLD OUT • Stage 8 on sale now ‘off the plan’ • Large allotments of 550-950 sqm from $160,000 403004 McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island SA’s most sustainable and energy efficient development • Phone 0412 620 022 or email adam@beyondtoday.com.au.

AUTUMN 2015

AU $8.95 AUTUMN 2015

Beyond Expectations The Epicurean Way

AU $7.95 SUMMER 2014

Tonto Homestead

Oliver’s Taranga

Treasure in the valley

Still going strong in the Vale

The Luxurious Wilds

Mavericks

of Kangaroo Island

of the Vale

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

AU $8.95 WINTER 2015

Self drive tour of discovery

Coriole

An evolving garden

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

AU $8.95 SPRING 2015

AU $8.95 SUMMER 2015/16

Aldinga Rising Hippest destination in the south • Barn1890 The rebuild • Young Farmers A new crop • Winemaker of the Year Peter Fraser • Big Win for Southern Fleurieu Aquatic centre McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

03 03

9 9

772200 772200

403004 403004

The Slow Road to Dingabledinga • Hot Summer Fashion • The Olfactory Inn at Strathalbyn • Snake Charmers • Nature Play at Goolwa • Artists: Josh Miels / Caitlin Whitehouse / Nicholas Pike and Loren Kate McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

FLEURIEU LIVING

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

FLEURIEU LIVING

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

While alive, celebrate – a vineyard home in Kangarilla Women in wine – making the most of the season Evette Sunset’s character filled Willunga home Autumn on Kangaroo Island – something to savour Willunga Art Gallery

• Port Noarlunga: Family living at its finest • Meldon: A gorgeous stone house full of ‘real stuff’ and dreams • Vineyard View: New function centre in the Vale • Eat drink and enjoy the view at the Goolwa Wharf Precinct • Feastival Kangaroo Island. Go there!

Copperstone KI – Modern coastal living Winnie Pelz – From Solstice to Solstice Italian winemakers finding La Dolce Vita in McLaren Vale Made by Culture – Cafés of the Western Fleurieu A love story at Leonards Mill

AU $8.95 WINTER 2016

AU $8.95 AUTUMN 2016

9 772200

403004 403004

9 9

772200 772200

403004 403004

A remarkable building – Inman Valley • An island adventure • Young guns of the Fleurieu • The talented Mr Riggs • Oddfellows and Rebekahs • The Enchanted Fig Tree Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our www.fleurieuliving.com.au

Outstanding design and amazing service.

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

Outstanding design and amazing service.

04 04

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our www.fleurieuliving.com.au

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

uthcoastconstructions.com.au

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our

Outstanding design and amazing service.

772200 772200

Green Tank at Mount Compass • Living Happily Ever After in Willunga • Treasures • Ask a Local • A Vintage Romance • The heart of the community • Ooh Aah

FLEURIEU LIVING

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

A family home in McLaren Vale • The wonderful world of whisky • Seagull Droppings: Art with a splash and a dash • Choose your own Willunga adventure • A village less ordinary: Aldinga Arts Eco Village • Island adventure: KI Wilderness Trail

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our

Outstanding design and amazing service.

FLEURIEU LIVING

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

9 9

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

FLEURIEU LIVING

2016 Fleurieu Business of the Year sing Industry Association SA) multi Award Winner ster Builders Association SA) multi Award Winner 2016 MBA Residential Builder of the Year

AU $8.95 AUTUMN 2017 03 03

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

403004

McLaren Vale Region · Goolwa · Victor Harbor · Yankalilla · Kangaroo Island

splay home at the Beyond Development. Sat-Sun and public holidays 1:00 to 4:30. outh Coast Constructions on 8552 4444.

AU $8.95 SUMMER 2016-7

AU $8.95 SPRING 2016

tainability, life and luxury. rom $160,000. fficient development. m@beyondtoday.com.au.

ONLY ES 11 SIT LEFT

Build your dream home –in your dream location | southcoastconstructions.com.au 37 Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 Telephone: 08 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

FLEURIEU LIVING

Telephone: 08 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

Outstanding design and amazing service.

AU $9.95 WINTER 2019

772200

403004

Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Modern coastal luxe at Port Elliot From Ports to Piers: Jetties ofMBA the(Master Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island 2018 Builders Association SA) Multi Award Winner (Housing Industry Association SA) Multi Award winner Wirra Wirra 50/125: The2018 twoHIA lives of Wirra Wirra 2018 HIA Green Smart Home of the Year Fashion in the forest Young Guns of Wine: McLaren Vale Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 30 years of37Willunga Waldorf School

AU $9.95 SPRING 2019

Build your dream home –in your dream location | southcoastconstructions.com.au

403004

FLEURIEU LIVING

WINTER 2019

403004

Historic Woodburn2018 Homestead: and delight MBA (Master Surprise Builders Association SA) Multi Award Winner 2018 HIA (Housing Association SA) Multi Award winner Spoilt for choice: New locales onIndustry the Fleurieu 2018 HIA Green Smart Home of the Year A label of love: S.C. Pannell Fleurieu coffee revolution Create your pet-friendly escape 37 Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 ATelephone: fertile08 mind: Trailblazer David Paxton 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

772200

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

A hidden treasure: Ivybrook Farm Six artists of the 2018 Fleurieu Biennale Lapito House at Myponga Here’s cheers to Fleurieu beers The good life at Second Valley: Leonards Mill FLM turns six!

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

AU $9.95 AUTUMN 2019

AU $9.95 WINTER 2018

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our

WINTER 2019

AUTUMN 2019

SUMMER 2018-9

SPRING 2018

772200

2016

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

Outstanding design and amazing service.

2016

FLEURIEU LIVING

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our www.fleurieuliving.com.au

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au ArtTelephone: · Design ·08 Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

An attitude of gratitude: a Middleton home with heart Fleurieu fresh: new2018 locales of the Fleurieu MBA (Master Builders Association SA) Multi Award Winner Wine dynasties 2018 HIA (Housing Industry Association SA) Multi Award winner Create your escape: Fleurieu Coast 2018 HIA Green Smart Home of the Year Lands End: Cape Jervis home Build your dream home –in your dream location southcoastconstructions.com.au Fashion: It’s a good| day to have a good day! 37 Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 d’Arenberg deconstructed

AU $9.95 SUMMER 2018-9

2016 HIA (Housing Industry Association SA) multi Award Winner

Association SA) multi Award Winner Port Willunga: A forever place MBA (Master BuildersMBA Residential Builder of the Year Thunderbird Bar & Restaurant: Call of the Thunderbird Create your Escape: McLaren Vale Graham Stevens: The man in the terry towelling hat 37 Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 The Little Road Home in Willunga Telephone: 08 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

Build your dream home –in your dream location | southcoastconstructions.com.au

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

Labour of love: An artist’s home in Hayborough Victor Harbor: Affectionately known as Victor The magic of biodynamics 2018 MBA (Master Builders Association SA) Multi Award Winner A home with a heart in2018 Willunga HIA (Housing Industry Association SA) Multi Award winner 2018 HIA Green Smart Home of the Year The China Files: Vinexpo Through the eyes of a local: Kangaroo Island Woven acts andlocation spoken maps: The artwork of Laura Wills Build your dream home –in your dream | southcoastconstructions.com.au Living it37up at the Hotel California (Road) Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211

AU $9.95 SPRING 2018

AU $9.95 AUTUMN 2018

Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our

Outstanding design and amazing service.

2016 Fleurieu Business of the Year

FLEURIEU LIVING

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our

nvestigator College | YOUR BEST SELF ictor Harbor | Early Learning – Year 12 a.edu.au | Enrol now | Phone 8555 7511

2016

Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

FLEURIEU LIVING

T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

Outstanding design and amazing service.

2016

AU $9.95 SUMMER 2017-18

WINTER 2018

403004 403004

2016 MBA Residential Builder of the Year

AUTUMN 2018

9 772200 9 772200

2016 MBA (Master Builders Association SA) multi Award Winner

SUMMER 2017-18

SPRING 2017

WINTER 2017

01 01 Build your dream home –in your dream location | southcoastconstructions.com.au

Self contained style at Normanville Greg Trott – Legend of the Vines Fleurieu Business of the Year GreenSmart Home Winner HIA (Housing Industry Association SA) multi Award Winner MBA (Master Builders Association SA) multi Award Winner Raptor Domain – Kangaroo Island MBA Residential Builder of the Year Gill Gordon-Smith – the flying sommelier Escape to Strathalbyn and Langhorne Creek Build your dream home –in your dream location | southcoastconstructions.com.au Summer Haze – Fleurieu Fashion 37 Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 No Place like Port Elliot (including illustrated map) Telephone: 08 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

2016 Fleurieu Business of the Year 2016 HIA (Housing Industry Association SA) multi Award Winner

AU $8.95 SPRING 2017

37 Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 Telephone: 08 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

across the Fleurieu. 11 om.au

tconstructions.com.au

South Seas Trading – the gods of small things • Vintage. Harvest. The vintage train • Willunga – a place of trees 2016 Fleurieu Business of the Year 2016delights HIA (Housing Industry Association • The Salopian Inn’s garden of earthly • Take a SA) multi Award Winner 2016 MBA (Master Builders Association SA) multi Award Winner ride with Helivista 2016 MBA Residential Builder of the Year

AU $8.95 WINTER 2017

772200

403004

Telephone: 08 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

772200

403004

The story of Samson Tall Western Wonderland: Fleurieu Coast Food and Beverage Tour Kangaroo Island Wander, discover & Enjoy Alexandrina Kuitpo Kollective A modern vision for coastal living at Port Elliot Art · Design · Food · Wine · Fashion · Photography · People · Destinations

Multi Award Winning Builder South Australian HIA-CSR Winners 2018: Country Builder (Award) Renovation/Addition Project $200,001-$350,000 (Commendation)

8552 3055

South Australian HIA-CSR Winners 2017: GreenSmart Sustainable Home (Major Award) Lightweight Construction (Award) Custom Built Home up to $400,000 (Commendation)

new homes

alterations

baileyhomes.com.au or Like us on Facebook Visit our office: 58 Victoria St, Victor Harbor

extensions

commercial

Harcourts South Coast RLA 228117

Experience Fleurieu Living Real estate sales Property management Holiday accommodation

South Coast Victor Harbor 8552 5744 | Goolwa 8555 1199

Encounter Bay

Victor Harbor

Hayborough

Port Elliot

www.southcoast.harcourts.com.au

Middleton

Goolwa

Hindmarsh Island

THIS ISSUE

Contents

FEATURED VENUE The story of Samson Tall.

FEATURE Western wonderland.

FRONT COVER PHOTO: by Robert Geh

FOOD & WINE

DESTINATIONS

62 Uncorked: Wine reviews by the award- winning Gill Gordon-Smith IWE

46 The Kuitpo Kollective: making the forest even cooler

56 Winsome whites

26 One night at SOL (Southern Ocean Lodge)

84 Pizza bianca: Food and wine pairing by the Fleurieu Kitchen 74 But first, brunch: Willunga Farmers’ Market 76 Daniel Armon: The holistic chef, Serafino McLaren Vale 64 Food & Beverage Tour Kangaroo Island 70 From patch to plate: Kitchen gardens of the Fleurieu

FESTIVALS & EVENTS 16 Diary dates: Spring into action at some of these events! 14 Porchland 2019 30 Southern Men’s Gathering

ART FEATURE Defining moments: 9x5 exhibition at the Strand Gallery.

FEATURE Wander, discover and enjoy Alexandrina.

50 FEATURED HOME A modern vision for coastal living.

BOOKS & WORDS

PENINSULA PEOPLE

BEING SOCIAL

80 Spring reads by Mark Laurie of South Seas Books, Port Elliot

88 Trailblazer: Betty Harris

HEALTH & WELLBEING

HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

78 Powering up, valuing change

92 Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation Beach House at Encounter Bay

99 FLM sees who was out and about at: · Tatachilla Lutheran College Year 12 Formal · FLM 7th Anniversary Party at Kuitpo Hall · Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation Beach House Official Opening · Ideas on the Fleurieu: HELLO FLEURIEU! Youth Festival

94 Spring wellness

WEDDINGS 96 Maddie McGinn and Chris Franco, Lake Breeze Wines, 19th January 2019

ACKNOWLEDGES

Our advertising partners A special thanks to the advertising partners that have made a long term commitment to FLM. GOLD PARTNERS

BRONZE PARTNERS

pril (Bookings 03 9005 7750) Road, Goolwa on 8 and 9 April otographic Exhibition at olwa from 9 to 23 April Mike - Kids Magic ary Hall, Goolwa on 17 April oden Boat Festival at the on 22 and 23 April hael Griffiths at Centenary l

Silent Disco 4 Kids Party at Strathalbyn Library Community Centre on 27 April *Sista Girl, at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 5 May Our Mob 2015, Aboriginal arts at Signal Point Gallery, Goolwa from 5 May to 11 June Good Things Small Packages, at South Coast Regional Art Centre, Goolwa from 5 May to 18 June *Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - The Elton John Tribute Show at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 20 May * tickets/ booking required

call Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Visitor Information Centre on 1300 466 592. Alexandrina Council a copy online for more events in the region, www.alexandrina.sa.gov.au

Brand culture As a thank you to our advertising partners, we would like to showcase these amazing enterprises via a short introduction to their respective businesses. Each issue will offer some insight into three of our partners.

Scarpantoni Wines Originating from the Abruzzi region of central Italy on the Adriatic Coast (which boasts some of the world’s finest wines), winemaking is in the Scarpantoni family’s blood. In 1958 Domenico Scarpantoni purchased his first piece of land in McLaren Vale, where he would plant the first of many vines. Those first plantings are today part of the award-winning, family-owned and operated label that has become one of the region’s prized gems. In 2019, forty is certainly the magic number for Scarpantoni Wines. Now in its fortieth year of production, the business has forty hectares under vines, producing approximately forty thousand dozen wines per year. The Scarpantoni brothers, Michael and Filippo, have experimented with different varieties to carefully craft wines that are consistently of the highest standard and ‘classically McLaren Vale in style.’ The School Block – the Scarpantoni’s ultimate expression of red varieties from the region – remains the unfailing favourite. Shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot dance together in a distinctly ‘soft, generous and always approachable’ blend that will continue to be extended from the Scarpantoni family’s dining table to yours. Bennett Design For over 25 years Bennett Design have created well-considered, sustainable and award-winning projects in both the government and private sectors nationwide. What began as a one person drafting company is now a top architectural practice known for designing the birthing suite at the Royal Darwin Hospital. Still first and foremost a family business with a discreet McLaren Vale office, Bennett Design values a healthy work environment. Their team of twenty comprises a high representation of females and staff from diverse age groups and ethnic backgrounds who work together

to continue to drive the company forward within a culture that prioritises staff wellbeing. ‘We love to have a fun office and we encourage a good work/life balance where the staff are valued and assisted to develop their careers while helping us develop our capability, as such we have a symbiotic relationship.’ Bennett Design believes in the importance of sport as part of a happy and healthy life and is an active sponsor in the Fleurieu sporting community. This modern company is currently delivering youth justice projects in Darwin and Alice Springs, continuing to impact the built environment across the country with its practical and sustainable designs. Fleurieu Milk Company Fleurieu Milk Company pride themselves on quality and service above all. Since 2004, this local company has been heavily involved in the community, talking to its customers on a daily basis to build the loyal relationships that are at the heart of the business that we’ve all come to know and love. Providing ‘real milk, how it used to taste,’ the Fleurieu Milk Company now produces over 100,000 litres of milk each week, working hard to meet the overwhelming demand from a local community who deeply want to support sustainable dairy farming. ‘People are willing to give us a chance simply because we are a local producer. We can’t thank these people enough.’ Employee satisfaction is a high priority at Fleurieu Milk Company, where staff work in a safe and happy environment. ‘What makes our business shine is we are helping make farming sustainable and also helping the local community with employment.’ The dedicated Fleurieu Milk team attack each week with excitement and energy, knowing they’re part of a local gem that will continue to shine.

Fly the Fleurieu This photo was taken at Myponga.

fly-the-fleurieu.com

Welcome to FLM From the FLM team

From our readers

This year we celebrate two big milestones: our winter issue marked seven years in print and this, our Spring issue, is number 30! It feels like the eternal optimism we have for our product and this region has paid off, ably helped along by a great team.

Dear Petra, Jason, Lucy and Lulu, What an inspiring milestone – 7 years in print. An incredible achievement indeed.

As we gear up for the change of season and gratefully usher in the warmer months, we also temporarily farewell our Advertising Manager Holly Wyatt as she takes maternity leave. We’ll miss her bright personality and determined spirit but wish her all the best with baby number two. In Holly’s place, we welcome the equally lovely Kirsty Gannon who will continue working with our advertising partners. Kirsty comes from a film and television production background and while she’s only recently moved to the Fleurieu, she’s already developed a great understanding of the region and is excited to get stuck into it a little more. So this spring we’ll have a new advertising manager, a new baby, a sense of achievement and the warmer weather! It’s the season of fresh beginnings indeed. Team FLM.

Having had a glimpse of the determination, focus and relentless workload that is required to get each issue to the printer on time – it is truly amazing. More importantly, the uncompromising level of quality of the magazine and dedication to the community, clearly remains so important to the FLM brand. I can’t attend the 7 year celebration but wish you a day where you can sit back and smile at what you have created (and get a little drunk). Much love, Perscia (Perscia worked as our advertising manager from issues 4 to 20.) The commitment level of our team has been the backbone of our business. So we thank our advertising managers and editors – past and present, as well as our writers, photographers, and interns. Every last one of you has helped us to achieve this 30 issue milestone! We appreciate your input, we love your stories and imagemaking abilities but above all we love the camaraderie that comes from all of these relationships.

30 C E L E B R AT I N G

ISSUES

Above images form Porchland 2018. Photos by Jack Fenby.

Porchland 2019 23rd November 2019. Gates open at 1pm

When The Porch Sessions first launched in 2013, they were about sharing a relaxed and intimate vibe with a small group of like-minded music lovers. Over the years, these award-winning events have grown to include the annual festival of nice things, Porchland. The popular event is on again this November and will be hosted in a clearing next to The Range War Memorial Hall, just outside of Willunga. Porchland builds on the original Porch Sessions concept which came to founder and creator of all things Porch, Sharni Holder, as she was listening to and playing music with friends on her parents’ porch. The neighbours soon hauled their bench over to join in and the idea to hold small gigs in gardens and backyards – a travelling music festival – was born. 14

Upping the size factor of the Sessions, Sharni describes Porchland as ‘one big party’ where the whole family – including the dog – can sit and enjoy local, national, and international bands. ‘We built a porch in the middle of a pine-lined clearing, forty minutes south of Adelaide, and golly gosh bags it’s a bit lovely,’ she says. The location at The Range certainly offers a beautiful atmosphere, where one can meander amongst the pine trees and steal glimpses of the ocean beyond the rolling hills. It helps bring the magic that make Porch events so special. Now in its fifth year, organisers have a few new additions up their sleeve. This year, music lovers will be treated to a second stage as well as a generous long table brunch and hands-on workshops for children. The organisers promise Porchland’s 2019 edition will be more glorious than ever and we’re inclined to believe them. For more information and to book visit: theporchsessions.com

Visit Historic

OXENBERRY FARM - Est. 1840

• Cellar door boutique regional wine production • Unique Grapple Ciders • Daily Café

• Barista coffee • Event facilities • On farm accommodation

26-28 Kangarilla Rd McLaren Vale, www.oxenberry.com Ph: 08 8323 0188

SCARPANTONI Estate Grown - Family Made Est. 1979

Scarpantoni Estate wines are classically ‘McLaren Vale’ in style, particularly the reds - being generous, mouth-filling, full of ripe fruit flavours and regional characteristics. Our range of wines covers a wide spectrum, from crisp, dry sauvignon blancs, chardonnay and rosé, to full bodied shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and fortified wines. Over the past five decades the wines have amassed an enviable collection of hundreds of wine show awards, including ‘The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy’. The Great Australian Shiraz Challenge, Winestate Shiraz of the year award and The Great Australian Red award. Visit our cellar door and winery, experience the fascinating range of varietals and wine styles that we produce exclusively on site. Tel:(08) 8383 0186, Scarpantoni Dr, McLaren Flat SA 5171, www.scarpantoniwines.com

MARKETS & EVENTS

Spring Diary Dates LOCAL MARKETS:

COUNTRY MARKETS:

Willunga Farmers’ Market Willunga Town Square Every Saturday, 8am – 12.30pm In the Willunga Town Square – come rain, hail or shine, with 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 weekend.

Penneshaw Market Day Lloyd Collins Reserve/Penneshaw Oval First Sunday of each month, 9am – 1pm This market brings together the K.I. Farmer’s Market and the K.I. Community Market. Have brunch and enjoy Kangaroo Island’s top produce with a great village atmosphere by the beach at Penneshaw Town oval. For discounted market ferry fares, visit sealink.com.au.

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 – adjacent to the Willunga Oval.

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.

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 in the Willunga Show Hall. It’s a great place to buy a unique, handmade gift made from high quality materials.

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 selling art, books, fine china and glass, toys, local leatherwork, coins, records and fossils. There is also a variety of local food choices including waffles and gelato for those with a sweet tooth.

Goolwa Wharf Market Goolwa Wharf Precinct 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 The Goolwa Wharf Market. Port Elliot Market Lakala Reserve Port Elliot First and third Saturday of each month, 9am – 1pm A classic country market with plenty of fresh local produce, plants, bric-a-brac, books, fishing gear, and even a $2 stall. Soak up the ambiance 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 a weekend morning choosing from thirty plus stalls, with locally caught seafood, organic vegetables, seasonal fruit, local honey, mushrooms, fresh flowers, Fleurieu wines and much more. Well worth the visit!

Right: The Fleurieu Folk Festival takes place on the weekend of 25-27 October this year at Willunga Recreation Park. Photo of Steve Lennox performing by Ian Fisk.

Strathalbyn Markets Lions Park Third Sunday of each month, 8am – 2pm A quaint, country-style market with bric-a-brac, local produce and condiments, craft, plants, jewellery and much more in historic Strathalbyn. A trash and treasure stall is also now available for anyone who wants to have a garage sale away from home. Yankalilla Craft and Produce Market Agricultural Hall Third Saturday of the month, 9am – 1pm This lesser-known market is a surprising little gem offering homemade jams and preserves, delicious sweet treats, locally grown fruit and vegetables, as well as craftwork, trinkets and unique gifts.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS: SEPTEMBER Rock ’n’ Roll Festival Warland Reserve, Victor Harbor Friday 13 September – Sunday 15 September Organised by the Historic Motor Vehicles Club of Victor Harbor, the Rock ’n’ Roll Festival brings together a range of local bands and a large display of classic cars. Check out the cars, enjoy the good vibes and a dance or two - and feel free to bring the kids! For classic car enthusiasts, car entry is free and eligible for all rock ‘n’ roll related vehicles. Free event, for more information visit www.rocknrollfestival.com.au Festival of Nature Yankalilla Saturday 14 September – Sunday 22 September Celebrate sustainability through a multitude of activities including guided bushwalks, yoga in the park, and workshops. The inaugural festival aims to inspire and empower. For more information visit www.visitfleurieucoast.com.au Kids Community Market Yankallilla Visitor Information Centre Sunday 22 September, 10-1pm With an abundance of youth-run market stalls this market celebrates school-aged children’s skills, creativity and imagination, providing exciting opportunities whilst exposing kids to a range of practical business and finance skills. For more information phone Mel on 0407 315 030 or visit www.facebook.com/kidscommunitymarket

OCTOBER Yankalilla Show Yankalilla Showgrounds Saturday 5th of October, 9am – 4pm Join in on the fun at the 137th Yankalilla Show. Featuring all the fun of the fair, this is a fabulous family day out. Highlights include show rides and sideshows, market stalls, competitive exhibits, camel and pony rides, a hands-on animal nursery and the art pavilion. There’s also live music, show jumping, art competitions, farm animals and bush dancing with Lasseters’ Gold. Cost: Adults $20, concession $15, children under 12 free. For more information visit www.yankshow.com

Field Good Festival Almas Hem, Inman Valley Saturday 5 October – Sunday 6 October Spend the night at the Fleurieu’s Field Good Festival; a one-night camping event showcasing a variety of South Australia’s finest arts in collaboration with feel-good music and entertainment. An intimate and fun experience for the all-round coastal-culture lover. For more information visit www.facebook.com/FieldGoodFest/ South Coast Jazz Festival Various locations in Goolwa Friday 18 – Sunday 20 October Fancy some Saturday Jazz on the cockle train to Victor? The first South Coast Jazz Festival boasts a jazz-packed program with bands including; Hot Foot Jazz, Ready Set Jazz, Coulson/Johnson and Bill Clarke performing throughout Goowla. Ticket prices vary, for more information phone 0401 029 598 or visit http://sajazzfestivalsinc.com/updates-2019 Fleurieu Folk Festival Willunga Recreation Park Friday 25 October – Sunday 27 October The Fleurieu Folk Festival in historic Willunga presents a weekend of entertainment, including music concerts and sessions, dance, workshops, bush poets, children’s entertainment and stalls, to name a few. This year the festival encourages people of all ages to immerse themselves in the strong Celtic flavours of Scottish and Irish/Australian music, dance and spoken word. Discover your own talent at one of the many workshops, or just relax and enjoy the various local and interstate performers. Felicity Urquhart (NSW), The Ballpoint Penguins (WA) and Khristian Mizzi are just some of the folk permorferms headlining this year’s culture-packed festival. Ticket prices vary, for more information visit www.fleurieufolkfestival.com.au

NOVEMBER Smoke Off Festival RSL Lawns, Goolwa Sunday 3 November The festival brings together Goolwa’s traditional Smoke Off – this involves teams of local people who, using BBQs or other devices, smoke hams or other foods in a competition that is judged by local personalities. With some of the best local wines, food producers and music. It’s part of an ongoing series of events in the Goolwa Wharf precinct presented by Cittaslow Goolwa. Free event, for more information visit https://www.cittaslowgoolwa.com.au/get-involved/smoke-off > 17

MARKETS & EVENTS

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS cont: Handpicked Festival Lake Breeze Wines, Langhorne Creek Saturday 9 November 10am-11pm Great music combined with some of South Australia’s best food and wine will be on offer at the Handpicked Festival. Shop, drink, taste and dance to the hum of world class music acts for a glorious laidback afternoon among the vines. For more information visit www.handpickedfestival.com Yoga Yoga at Wirra Wirra Wirra Wirra Winery Sunday 10 November, 9:30 – 12:30am Wirra Wirra Wines and Roaming Zen welcome you to rally some friends for a relaxing morning of yoga coupled with wine and goodies – the perfect combination to kickstart a well-deserved indulgent Sunday. Cost: $50. For tickets and more information visit www.facebook.com/pg/WirraWirraWines/events Wirrina Bluegrass & Acoustic Roots Festival Wirrina Cove Holiday Park Friday 22 November – Sunday 24 November Head to Wirrina Cove to hear, play and share acoustic music from the Bluegrass, Old Timey and other related traditions. The annual festival features world class musicians, many of whom come back each year to perform, run workshops, and join in on the fun and inspiration. For tickets and more information phone 0428 263 795 or visit www.wirrinabluegrass.com

Porchland The Range Saturday 23 November Sit amongst the pines for the annual feel-good festival of all things nice. Bring the whole family (and the dog too) for a wholesome day of music, local food wine and wares. Festival goers are sure to have the day and night of their dreams with a juicy lineup of singersongwriters set to serenade with their rich vocals. Cost: Adults $65, children under 13 free. For tickets and more information visit https://www.porchland.com.au/about Kickback at Kuitpo: Round Three Kuitpo Hall Sunday 27 October, 12 – 5pm Head out to the cosy Kuitpo Hall for a free day out with food, family, friends and good music. Be sure to enjoy the exciting release of Kuitpo Brewing Co at this year’s event. Beeeeeef Party Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Sunday 1 December, 12pm – 4pm. Don’t miss the chance to take part in Oliver’s Taranga’s beef luncheon. A four-course meal featuring spit-roast beef, accompanied by Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards’ own premium wines. With other events at the winery already fully-booked, this culinary experience is not to be missed. Cost: $110 per head, all inclusive. Below: Kuitpo Kollective event at Fox Gordon Wines. Photo by Ben Macmahon.

The story of Samson Tall

Story by Kate Le Gallez. Photography by Robert Geh. Styling by Marcus Syvertsen.

Page left: Heather Budich, Paul Wilson and their dog Miller at Samson Tall Winery and Cellar Door. Above: The winery on the right has been sensitively designed to echo the pitch of the roof of the old church.

Driving around McLaren Vale, there’s a few names that come up again and again. McMurtrie and Strout lend their names to roads threading through the vineyards. The Pedler name is bestowed on a road, a creek and a cottage. But Samson Tall? An early settler in the region, Tall has nary a dirt track to his name. That is until Paul Wilson and Heather Budich chose Samson Tall as the name for their winery. Located on McMurtrie Road, Samson Tall – the winery – makes its home in the Bethany Wesleyan Chapel built in 1854, while Samson Tall – the man – now rests in the cemetery out the back. ‘Samson started the property and so we thought it was important that he would be honoured in the naming of the property,’ Paul says. In so doing, Paul and Heather have tapped into a rich history that they now respectfully wrap around their own endeavours on the site.

That history begins with Tall’s arrival in South Australia in late 1839. He headed straight for the southern vales to establish his property ‘Burrington Farm.’ In 1852 he transferred a half acre of land to the Wesleyan Methodist Society for two pounds and two years after that, the Bethany Church opened. My first view of the chapel as I come along Strout Road is not dissimilar to that which would have greeted congregants 165 years ago. The building cuts a sharp figure in the landscape, its strong peaked roof matched by a trio of arches above the door and two windows at the front of the building. These arches, offering the curtest of nods to Gothic revival architecture, are the only adornments on the otherwise simple building. Few changes have been made over the years. The original thatched roof was replaced with galvanised iron in 1890, and then replaced again after a storm in 1949. The pug walls (‘1850s rammed earth,’ explains Paul) have been rendered with concrete and clad with iron in places to preserve the structure. >

Above: Wines are available by the glass or the bottle and visitors are encouraged to bring their own picnic and enjoy the wine and the friendly surrounds. Below: Games are available to play on the lawn and dogs are always welcome.

Above left: The interior is casually furnished and filled with artwork by Paul’s brother Mark and old friend Michele Wilkie (in collaboration with Lynda Robinson). Above right: The old cemetery is now an exclusive area to remain as a place to pay respects.

It was very important to be respectful of the church and so the only brief to the architect was that the pitch had to match,’ says Paul. ‘The outside is heritage galv and the wooden frames and the wooden doors – everything is really a homage to the church. The chapel closed its doors in 1967, but has been reinvented many times since, including as a tennis club, a cycling club and, ironically given its current occupants, a temperance society before it began to fall into disrepair. Around twenty years ago, with its back wall a crumbled wreck, it seemed the church would be knocked down, until Chris and Doug Allen stepped in and bought the place. They did what Paul terms ‘the heroic renovation,’ completely rebuilding the back wall, shoring up the structure and renovating the interior to use as a bed and breakfast. The manner in which Paul and Heather eventually became the next custodians of the chapel tells you a lot about their thoughtful nature. The two had met while working at Wirra Wirra and they’d regularly make the drive from the winery to Heather’s parent’s house – a path that took them past the Bethany Chapel. At the time, Paul was studying to become a winemaker having resigned from his marketing job at an international wine and spirits company, while Heather worked in events and marketing. ‘Eventually we just started to think that the church would make a great winery cellar door,’ explains Paul. But the church wasn’t for sale. So, for eight years, the couple wrote to the Allens: ‘it was in the diary every January,’ says Heather. And four years ago, they finally secured their prize.

After two more years running the church as a bed and breakfast, the couple began the process of converting it into a cellar door and winery. The church itself required few changes. The most stunning is perhaps the resurrection of the original 166-year-old Baltic pine floorboards that had arrived in Australia as ship ballast. Stripping back the yellow-based stain revealed the natural beauty of the timber and they now almost glow underfoot. They also added a new deck to the rear of the building which draws people outside to views of neighbouring vineyards, and filled the walls with art by Paul’s brother Mark and old friend Michele Wilkie (in collaboration with Lynda Robinson). The winery next door has also been sensitively designed. ‘It was very important to be respectful of the church and so the only brief to the architect was that the pitch had to match,’ says Paul. ‘The outside is heritage galv and the wooden frames and the wooden doors – everything is really a homage to the church.’ While it’s ‘just a shed,’ it’s been thoughtfully constructed: ‘it’s a pretty shed,’ as Heather puts it. Their respect for the history of the site has seemingly paid them back in big and small ways. Design ‘compromises’ like a lean-to office to work around the roots of a majestic gum only add to the >

Above left: Paul is topping the French Oak Fudre. In barrels (or Fudre) there is evaporation of wine. Whiskey producers call this evaporation ‘the angel share.’ The oxygen that forms in the top of the barrel once it is not full anymore can be detrimental to the wine, so regular topping ensures there is no oxygen. Above right: The gravestone of Samson Tall (1788~1875).

As lichen now makes its slow march across Tall’s gravestone behind the winery, his legacy is being given new life through the work of Paul, Heather and their family as they add a new chapter to the story of Samson Tall. winery’s striking profile, while their commitment to learning the stories of the past continues to surprise and delight them, assisted by the careful research of Jill Wilson, Ruth Baxindale, Pat Uphill and Jan Strout. They now see their own business as an extension of that history, but it’s not as a result of a ‘created brand,’ says Paul, his former marketing persona briefly surfacing to express some distaste at that notion. ‘We’re just lucky that all that stuff is here,’ he continues. ‘And because we’ve been true to the history, every time a piece of history comes in, it fits very quickly into the story because we haven’t deviated from the truth.’ One such factual treat is the presence of Richard Pommery in the cemetery. Pommery helped build the church but is also directly related to the Pommery Champagne house in France, a coincidence that clearly tickles Paul and Heather’s imagination. As this story goes to print, Paul and Heather are readying to re-open the cellar door after a two-month closure over winter. The break reflects their family-oriented approach to the business which is very much an equal partnership. ‘We share everything from cellar

door, marketing, winemaking, children,’ says Paul. ‘We don’t have employees. It is a complete family business. So, in the middle of vintage when it’s very busy, everyone has to work, kids as well.’ It also means they’ve set limits on what and how they want to do things. The break is one example, but they also only sell their current range of five wines directly (rather than through a distributor) and they don’t offer food at cellar door ‘because it’s not what we do well.’ ‘We just want to keep it nice and simple. We say bring a picnic,’ adds Heather. I immediately imagine my two boys racing around the back lawn while I sip a glass of one of the two rosés in the range come spring. It’s my kind of simple and, apparently, it’s pleasing to the man himself too. Paul and Heather have it on authority from a visiting psychic that Samson Tall is very happy with this new use of his land and his name. Lichen now makes its slow march across Tall’s gravestone behind the winery, his legacy is being given new life through the work of Paul, Heather and their family as they add a new chapter to the story of Samson Tall.

One focus. You. Delivering the best possible, personalised care for people requiring radiation therapy across SA.

Radiation oncology treatment centres St Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital Adelaide T: 08 8228 6700

Flinders Private Hospital Bedford Park

Tennyson Centre Kurralta Park T: 08 83753200

Consulting regionally: Mt Barker | Whyalla | Wallaroo | Victor Harbor

Calvary Central Districts Hospital Elizabeth Vale T: 08 7285 6400

Formerly known as Adelaide Radiotherapy Centre with the same experienced team of Radiation Oncologists Private Health cover is not required

genesiscare.com

T: 08 8179 5500

E: infooncologysa@genesiscare.com

One night at SOL Story by Petra de Mooy.

Previous page: The delicious and delicate food of SOL. Above: The aptly named Great Room – centrepiece of the lodge.

On the rugged shores of the southern end of Kangaroo Island sits the award-winning Southern Ocean Lodge (SOL). Pulling up to the gates at SOL, there’s a sense of anticipation and expectation. It builds slowly as we drive in on the access road at the mandated twenty-five kilometres per hour to reach this exclusive destination. Take it slow, relax, enjoy the scenery. We’re not in a rush. The lodge manager, Alison Heath, and valet are on hand to greet us at the beginning of a long boardwalk that leads to the front entrance. They’re here to maximise guests’ comfort and ease and I’m quickly admonished for trying to unpack the car. Unencumbered by baggage, we head in and are met by two additional staff who open the large wooden doors revealing the expansive entryway. If I felt a sense of awe looking at the photos ahead of our visit, it pales beside the in-person experience. There’s a palpable intake of breath.

We’re led to ‘front row seats’ capturing the sweeping views of Hanson Bay. The winter winds and the Southern Ocean are formidable, but from inside we can comfortably marvel at the beauty of cresting waves, the wind whipping up the spray. This is SOL’s centrepiece – the Great Room – and sitting here, sipping a gin and tonic in its quiet and beautifully appointed environs is a singular treat. The lodge is committed to creating authentic experiences and this is certainly quintessential Kangaroo Island (KI): breathtaking cliffside views in one of the most untouched regions of South Australia. But there’s more to it than that. Designed by award-winning architect Max Pritchard (who grew up on KI), the lodge has been conceived from the ground up to fit into the landscape and have a low environmental footprint. It needs to, as it’s almost 100 percent offgrid. There’s also a strong commitment to support local. From the locally quarried limestone to the furnishings and artwork (by islander Janine MacKintosh) and, of course, the KI wine and spirits list, there’s purposeful effort to showcase the island’s best. Even the gift shop has a curated selection of local art and produce. > 27

Top: The super stylish en suite bath beckons. Bottom left and right: The entire experience is about quality and aesthetics, with guests being invited to visit the cellar to select their own wines for dinner.

After absorbing all of this, the lodge manager comes over and we are given a brief run down of the evening’s activities and then guided to our room – the Ocean Premium Retreat. There’s a wonderful continuity from the Great Room to the more scaled-back suites. Here, I feel even more spoiled. In the privacy of the retreat, we have an equally impressive view. Soothing music is playing and there’s an unexpected treat – house-made lamingtons. The underfloor heating in all of the rooms creates an even temperature throughout, while the super stylish en suite master bath beckons. My overall impression is of quiet splendour. Just before sunset we’re taken to enjoy pre-dinner drinks – the aptly named ‘Kangas and Canapes’ – at ‘Grassdale’ a short drive away. We’re joined by four international guests who are treated to their first kangaroo sighting. On the verandah of an historic stone cottage, we hear about KI’s early settlers while enjoying drinks and canapes prepared by SOL’s chef while kangaroos hop here and there trying to escape our notice. At sundown we head back and have some time to relax in the room. The lighting has been checked, music cued and the fireplace turned on. We’re invited to dine at our leisure. The set menu menu of local lamb, Spencer Gulf prawns and local fish is perfectly cooked and accompanied by a large selection of wines. The service is quietly relaxed; plenty of staff ensures that no one is running around. Returning to our room after dinner, sleep on the cloud-like pillow top comes easily. 28

The breakfast selection at the lodge is vast, from the continental buffet complete with local jams and honeys to a full menu of hot breakfasts. Most of the lodge guests are taking advantage of one of the many tours on offer ranging from kayak adventures to guided hikes and wildlife tours. There are also bikes available for guests to explore the exclusive bike track that leads down to a beautiful stretch of beach. We opt for the cliffside walk and are accompanied by current chef Asher Blackford, who regularly forages the island for local edibles. Looking out over this spectacular coastline we find honey myrtle, anise myrtle and old man saltbush (which is used for smoking meat). ‘My favourite ingredient is honey myrtle’ says Asher. It smells like honey, lemon and eucalyptus and might be infused into an ice cream, a brulee, or a savoury chocolate sauce. A bonsai-esque plant that appears to be hanging onto a bit of dirt in a rock crevice turns out to be coastal rosemary – perfect with pork. Indeed much of what Asher forages on this side of the Island seems to grow in open defiance against the weather and the harsh conditions of the south coast. In amongst it all, sits the Southern Ocean Lodge. Rather than defying the landscape, it celebrates the harsh beauty of this location, embracing the island’s diversity and creating a true, oneof-a-kind experience. And while the aesthetics and service of the SOL experience are spectacular, what really sets it apart is their commitment to the Kangaroo Island community, to nature and to creating an authentic experience.

Custom Home Design

Phone: 7080 0476 www.designtechstudio.com.au

STUDIO 29

Above: Photos by Paul Hoelen were taken at the Tasmanian Men’s Gathering 2018.

Southern Men’s Gathering November 8-10

The rise of men’s groups and associated ‘men’s work’ is about breaking the myths around masculinity and offering participants the chance to work towards a more conscious version of the person they want to be. A men’s gathering is a safe place to explore this. It’s about creating a space for men to get together and be themselves. The inaugural Southern Men’s Gathering will be held in November this year at Dzintari, the group accommodation site managed by the Latvian community near Yankalilla. This two-and-a-half day camp is aimed at creating positive social change around masculinity. The event is being run by the Southern Men’s Group, a voluntary organisation where men meet regularly to support one another, and to build connections with other men in the community. Founded by local Port Willunga resident Juan Smith with the support of friends

Charles Manning and Ben Buttfield, the group was established over three years ago and has now grown to over thirty members. ‘Our mission is to redefine what it means to be a good man in the community, as a group of men who do not judge but love and accept unconditionally,’ explains Juan. The November gathering, ‘Share the Journey,’ will allow men to explore the very essence of what they believe about themselves as men, where these beliefs originate from and challenge beliefs that no longer serve them. It’s open to all men who wish to seek better connection to themselves and other men. ‘I’m often amazed how my life is impacted just from sitting and listening to another man’s story,’ says Juan. It’s a chance to share vulnerability, to develop accountability and nurture positivity. The intention is not to teach, preach or philosophise, but rather to create a safe, fun and social environment where men can connect and empower each other to face challenges that may block their growth. For more information, see the Facebook site at: facebook.com/southernmensgathering/

Western wonderland It has never been easier to explore the stunning Western Fleurieu. Story by Jake Dean.

Above: A hidden beach near Second Valley has become a very popular location for Instagram photos. Photo by Elliot Grafton.

It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic region than the Western Fleurieu. It’s a place where world-class trails meet the rugged Southern Ocean – both teeming with rare native wildlife – alongside charming towns boasting mouthwatering food and wine experiences. Incredibly, the region will soon become even more of a paradise, with the State Government’s July announcement of a six-million-dollar commitment to create the Great Southern Ocean Walk – an upgrade of the iconic Heysen Trail connecting Cape Jervis to Victor Harbor. The project will include the construction of day visitor facilities, a universally accessible destination constructed at the heart of Deep Creek Conservation Park, and an upgrade of campgrounds and amenities to cater to growing demand. ‘With its network of trails ranging from thirty minutes to multi-day, the Western Fleurieu is a region every walker should experience,’ says Lisa Pearson, Tourism and Events Manager for the District Council of Yankalilla, which spearheaded the upgrade proposal. ‘If you’re after a serious climb along forest trails to get your heart pumping, a gentle ramble to take in the birdlife or something in between, then we have a walk for you,’ Lisa says.

Walking aside, the Western Fleurieu offers myriad ways to explore. The council offers free bike hire with pick-up locations at Normanville Jetty Caravan Park, Fleurieu Coast Visitor Centre (Yankalilla) and Myponga’s Smiling Samoyed Brewery. There’s also free TrailRider all-terrain wheelchairs available from the visitor centre for people with limited mobility, while kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and horseback rides are just a few of the other offerings. The council is currently working with landholders and Forestry SA to add a series of short walking trails along its network of unmade road reserves, with the first at Big Gorge (aka Great Gorge) near Lady Bay, opening later this year. What are you waiting for? The wonderland awaits. Myponga Reservoir Reserve One of the Fleurieu’s newest recreation destinations, Myponga Reservoir Reserve opened to the public in April 2019, offering a 3.3 kilometre shared-use loop trail, picnicking areas and a gorgeous lookout over the dam wall. The reserve, boasting one of sixteen reservoirs across the state that help supply water to more than 1.7 million South Australians, is home to more than 120 species of birds, as well as lizards, frogs and a cacophony of other native animals. > 31

Above: Deep Creek Conservation Park is full of walking trails, amazing flora and fauna and beautiful coastline. Photo by Jesse Ehlers.

Bikes are allowed, but leave the dogs at home because they may carry harmful organisms that can contaminate the water. Smiling Samoyed Brewery and the Country Picnic Bakery are conveniently located near the start and finish of the trail if you need a celebratory treat. Deep Creek Lisa calls Deep Creek Conservation park ‘a jewel in the Fleurieu coast’s crown’ and it’s not hard to see why. Representing the largest portion of remaining natural vegetation on the peninsula, encounters with native wildlife are plentiful (including western grey kangaroos, short-beaked echidnas and rare southern brown bandicoots), while views of the rugged coastline along the park’s fifteen trails are world class. Boat Harbor Hike (from Pages Lookout to Boat Harbor Beach, 7.3 kilometres return) offers breathtaking views of Kangaroo Island, the Pages Islands and Tunkalilla Beach, with a high chance of spotting dolphins among the surf.

If you’re keen to camp, Trig Campground is a good base because it’s the starting point for two short hikes – a four kilometre return walk to Deep Creek Waterfall (best flows in winter) and a scenic six kilometre return trek to the serene Deep Creek Cove. The Spring Wildflower Walk (departing the Stringybark Campground, five kilometres return) is a perfect nature walk if you’re keen to experience the region’s stunning flora at its best. Native wildflowers bloom during late winter and early spring amid a regenerating sclerophyll forest, and the trail is flat and family-friendly. Goondooloo Ridge Walk is another fairly easy walk (four kilometres return, beginning at the Aaron Creek picnic area), offering spectacular views of Backstairs Passage and a high chance of spotting kangaroos. Heysen Trail The twelve-hundred kilometre Heysen Trail is considered one of the world’s great walks and the Fleurieu lays claim to the starting line at Cape Jervis. There are plenty of trail sections suitable for shorter walks, or you could tackle the entire Western Fleurieu coastal stretch, finishing at Waitpinga Beach.

Top: The jetty at Second valley – a favourite spot for families, fishing and exploring this amazing piece of coastline. Photo by Michael Waterhouse. Bottom left: Just one of the many beautiful tree-lined roads in the conservation park. Photo by Graham Scheer. Bottom right: Ruins near Ingalalla Falls. Photo by Everest Photography.

The entire Jervis-to-Waitpinga stretch can be split into four sections, including the aforementioned Deep Creek, with the rolling green hills of Tunkalilla Beach a highlight, and southern right whales and endangered white-bellied sea eagles among the wildlife you could spot. Visit heysentrail.asn.au for a detailed look at each section and to match your abilities and goals with your perfect trail. Ingalalla Falls Ingalalla Waterfalls is one of the shorter walks going around – a mere five hundred metres or so – but its short length offers up more than its fair share of delights in this picturesque pocket of the Second Valley Forest. The walk starts at the carpark on Hay Flat Road, about ten kilometres south of Normanville, following the creek upstream for 250 metres until you reach the rock pools and waterfall. On the way are several picnic areas and shaded parts, making this one of the most family-friendly spots in the region, filled with flowering lilies in the creek, dense forest and the languid grazing of nearby cows and sheep.

Second Valley Heritage Walk This self-guided trail (five kilometres one way) allows walkers to discover the history of Second Valley and the adjacent Randalsea village. Stops include Leonards Mill (an 1858-established flour mill turned highly regarded restaurant), two old steam-powered sawmills and the cute causeway and jetty. Along the way you’ll also learn about Tjilbruke – an important creation ancestor to the Kaurna People – and the fascinating reasons behind Second Valley’s curious cliff faces, forged by dramatic tectonic processes millions of years ago. Download a brochure from walkingsa.org.au beforehand to complement the on-site information displays. If history’s not your thing, hire a kayak, stand-up paddleboard or snorkelling gear (available at the caravan park) to explore the coast by water, where you might spot a leafy seadragon, seal or dolphin.

Illustration by Livi Gosling.

Fleurieu coast – luxe stays

LAPITO HOUSE Myponga Lapito House is a peaceful retreat located off the beaten track in the Fleurieu countryside. The old stone farmhouse has been restored, offering uninterrupted views of Myponga’s rolling hills and lush green pastures. Set on 116 acres of land, Lapito House is the ideal place to relax, unwind and soak up the South Australian scenery. Bring your walking boots and four-legged friend for a weekend of adventures and exploring on the property. Sleeps up to 8 guests – pet friendly lapitohouse.com

SEA LA VIE Sellicks Beach Perched on the cliffs above Sellicks Beach, this beautiful beachfront home has spectacular views to sea and hills. Thoughtfully styled and well-appointed, this luxurious space is perfect for entertaining. In summer, the glistening waters, sandy beach and stunning sunsets provide an idyllic backdrop for drinks on the deck. Winter brings views of rolling green hills and sea storms with multiple cosy spaces for everyone to enjoy. Sleeps up to 12 guests – no pets airbnb.com.au/rooms/5007652

NAIKO RETREAT Deep Creek Overlooking a private, secluded cove, this idyllic, eco-luxe retreat offers all the modern comforts within a stunning, natural landscape. In-house massage, spa treatments, chef or pantry essentials can be arranged on your behalf, as can a 4WD or helicopter adventure tour of the region. The Finnish-designed Futuro is nestled nearby for guests to meditate, reflect or simply draw inspiration. Sleeps 6 adults – no pets naikoretreat.com.au

RIDGETOP RETREATS Deep Creek Conservation Park Overlooking the Stringybark Forest in Deep Creek Conservation Park these three award-winning architecturally designed hideaways take full advantage of their unique location surrounded by wildlife. Relax in the open plan living space with parquetry floors, stainless steel kitchen and leather sofas, while enjoying expansive views through the large windows and sliding doors that showcase the natural landscape. Each retreat sleeps up to 4 guests – no pets southernoceanretreats.com.au

KINGS BEACH RETREATS Waitpinga Kings Beach Retreats offers three totally private and spectacular wilderness retreats. Headland House is pure luxury and perfectly suited for extended family reunions, special celebrations with friends and corporate or health retreats. The Sea and Sand Retreats are ideal for couples or smaller families. Sea Retreat sleeps 2 guests Sand Retreat sleeps up to 5 guests Headland House sleeps up to 14 guests – no pets kingsbeachretreats.com.au

LEONARDS MILL Second Valley Nestled among the gardens surrounding the historic 161 year-old Leonards Mill, sit two intimate cottage rooms with ensuite, queensized bed and lounge area. The perfect spot for a foodie getaway, the cottages make a great base for exploring the beautiful Fleurieu Coast. Friday and Saturday night bookings enjoy a stunning five course degustation dinner, or stay during the week for a three course lunch. Let us look after you like a local. Each cottage sleeps two guests – no pets leonardsmill.com.au/accommodation/

NEED A LOCAL BUILDER YOU CAN TRUST? Welcome to Catalyst Homes

Call 0448 033 709 or email info@catalysthomes.com.au www.catalysthomes.com.au buildwithcatalysthomes

Wander, discover and enjoy Alexandrina... South Coast Jazz Festival* in Goolwa from 18-20 October

Drawing on Country at South Coast Regional Arts Centre, Goolwa from 5 September to 6 October Good Day Sunshine - The Songs of Lennon and McCartney* at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 7 September Landmarks - Winnie Pelz and Loene Furler at Signal Point Gallery, Goolwa Wharf Precinct from 14 September to 27 October Lakes Challenge Aussie Bush Festival* at Strathalbyn on 13, 14 and 15 September

Adelaide Coastrek* from Parsons Beach to Goolwa on 20 September Timeless by Tenori* at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 21 September The Adelaide Big Band* at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 5 October Opera Made to Order* at Mount Compass War Memorial Hall, Mount Compass on 19 October

Smoke Off Festival at Goolwa RSL Garden of Honour on 3 November

The Band of the South Australia Police* at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 26 October Alexandrina Council’s Art Collection at South Coast Regional Arts Centre, Goolwa from 8 November to 14 December Annual Regional Youth Art Exhibition at Signal Point Gallery, Goolwa Wharf Precinct from 8 November to 1 December Seventh Annual Goolwa Poetry Cup at Fleurieu Distillery, Goolwa Wharf Precinct on 17 November Me and My Guise* at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 20 November

Handpicked Festival* at Lake Breeze Wines, Langhorne Creek on 9 November Photo: South Australian Tourism Commission

Alexandrina Council Short Film Competition ‘A River Near You’* Free awards screening at Centenary Hall, Goolwa on 22 November

We look forward to welcoming

you to our region Agricultural Shows at Strathalbyn on 7 October and Port Elliot from 12-13 October

* tickets/booking required

For bookings and enquiries please visit www.visitalexandrina.com or call Council’s Visitor Information Centre on 1300 466 592. For more events in the region view the program online at www.alexandrina.sa.gov.au/jaw

Alexandrina Break free of your usual haunts and discover a whole new world in your backyard. Story by Jake Dean.

Previous page: Milang. Photo by Brian Hatchard. Above left: The beach at Commodore Point, Port Elliot. Photo by Jason Porter. Above right: Donkey orchid. Photo courtesy of Linda Downing.

We all have our go-to destinations and creature comforts. For me, it’s a surf at the powerful Knights Beach, followed by a cuppa at De Groot Coffee and a long podcast episode for the drive home. But how often do we truly break from such routines to experience something new? A quick Google of Alexandrina Council’s boundary offers a glimpse into the sheer diversity of fun at our doorstep, which we often neglect. Covering eighteen-hundred square kilometres and encompassing forests, hills, lakes, rivers, coast, charismatic townships and three (three!) wine regions, this is truly a unique part of the world, forever offering something new to travellers and locals alike. Here are some suggestions to get you started. Stretch the legs Whether you’re after a leisurely stroll or more intensive hike, walking opportunities abound. Port Elliot’s petite Harbourmasters Walking Trail offers some of the coast’s most gorgeous views. The 1.9 kilometre circuit between Horseshoe Bay, across the headland to Knights Beach is also one of the easiest walks going around, with ample spots for refreshments located nearby down The Strand. Heading inland, Currency Creek boasts a pair of fairly easy walks offering bush and waterfall views, local heritage and native wildlife. Currency Creek Waterfall Hike (1.5 kilometres return) takes you past the 1884-built bridge and the entrance to an 1840s-built copper mining tunnel, plus an ancient canoe tree carved out by Aboriginal people, before reaching the waterfall. Nearby, a serene 2.7 kilometre 40

circuit around Black Swamp – home to rare species such as the Mount Lofty Southern Emu-wren – finishes conveniently alongside the One Paddock Winery cellar door. Strathalbyn also has a neat little walk (five kilometres return) following the Angas River if you want food and drink options nearby. For those after something more challenging, the nature-lovers’ paradise of Cox Scrub Conservation Park offers three wildlife-filled hikes (from four to eleven kilometres), while the Summit Hike Loop at Mount Magnificent offers breathtaking views and the chance to follow part of the world-famous Heysen Trail. On yer bike Want to dust the cobwebs off the bikes in your shed? Two words: Encounter Bikeway. This thirty-kilometre on-road and shared pathway, linking Victor to Goolwa via Port Elliot and Middleton, is a prime example of a jewel right under our noses. If the thought of pedalling that far makes you squirm or you’ve got kids in tow, there are plenty of bite-sized sections to tackle instead. Visit Walking SA’s website for more info on these sections or grab a brochure from the Alexandrina or Victor Harbor councils for more tips on what to experience along the way. For those looking to escape ‘Victor,’ an unofficial fourteen kilometre trail at Langhorne Creek – starting and finishing at Lake Breeze Wines – guides you to five wineries and a pub (tip: easy on the vino before you return to the saddle). It’s only natural Alexandrina’s flora and fauna are incredibly beautiful and unique. Unfortunately, some species are threatened due to factors such as urban development, invasive species and climate change.

Above left: Near the Murray Mouth looking towards the Coorong. Image courtesy of the South Australian Tourism Commission by Adam Bruzzone. Above right: Boats, Goolwa. Photo by Graham Scheer. Bottom left: Common Fringe Myrtle. Photo courtesy of Linda Downing. Below right: Heron near the Barrage at Goolwa. Photo courtesy of Alexandrina Council.

Experience the region’s wild areas for a greater appreciation of why they must be saved. Birdlife here is extremely diverse. The Milang Snipe Sanctuary on the fringe of Lake Alexandrina is an intriguing destination, considering it’s home to the migratory Latham’s Snipe in spring and summer. These amazing wetland birds, weighing just two-hundred grams, migrate from northern Japan to south-eastern Australia to feed every year – an eight-thousand-kilometre journey! Tokuremoar Reserve is another idyllic Alexandrina nature haven. Located three kilometres south-west of Goolwa between the beach and the Encounter Bikeway, the state government-maintained seventy-hectare reserve contains some of the last and leastdisturbed Indigenous cultural heritage sites and remaining foreshore dune habitat of its type on the Fleurieu. The site holds great significance to the Ngarrindjeri People, and it’s home to ancient Swamp Paperbark trees. The coast with the most Bored with your usual haunts on land? Head to the water! There’s nothing like mixing up your routine than trying your hand at a new hobby or seeing things from a new vantage point (say, a kayak or bodyboard). The Middleton to Port Elliot stretch contains some of the state’s best waves and a bunch of operators to rent surfboards, bodyboards and wetsuits from or to book a lesson with. Canoe the Coorong offers guided kayak tours of the national treasure and the Murray Mouth, while the Goolwa Wharf Precinct is a hive of activity and offers numerous ways to get nautical. Did you know Goolwa’s one of only two places in the world where you can link a journey between a steam train and a steam-powered paddleboat in just a few steps? The other is in Mallaig, Scotland, for those playing along at home.

Head north Alexandrina’s coastline hogs so much attention, people sometimes forget there are world-renowned regions and makers further inland too. Case in point: the wine regions. If it’s looking like you’ve ticked off every cellar door in McLaren Vale during your travels, mix it up! Langhorne Creek is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions and some of its producers, such as Bleasdale, Lake Breeze, Kimbolton and Brothers in Arms, have been around for up to six generations. Cabernet Sauvignon is the hero of this beautiful river red gumdotted region, but full-bodied shiraz and malbec, and a host of Mediterranean varieties also star. Turn to page XX to find out why Kuitpo should also be on your hit list of new places to try this year. Town and country One of the best ways to experience someplace new is to simply consult a map, make a list of the towns and suburbs you barely know and then start ticking it off. New vistas, pubs and country bakeries await! Port Elliot is a must if coastal views, shopping and café culture are your jam; Strathalbyn is a perfect destination if history, antiques and small-town charm floats your boat; while Goolwa is a mecca for water enthusiasts. Don’t restrict yourself to the big-name townships though – there’s gold to be found in the lesser-known names on the map. Ashbourne, Clayton Bay, Finniss and Milang are among the gorgeous hamlets that don’t garner as much exposure as their neighbours, while there are plenty more names on the map just waiting for you to find them.

Illustration by Livi Gosling.

Strathalbyn Racing Club Thoroughbred Racing SA theracessa.com.au

UNCORK & RELAX AT STRATHALBYN RACECOURSE

Vignerons Day

RESERVE YOUR OWN PICNIC TABLE

S U N D AY 1 7 N O V E M B E R Live entertainment by the White Keys Food Trucks Free Kids activities

GATES OPEN 10AM GENERAL ADMISSION $20 Proudly presented by

BO OK NOW

RACE DAY PACKAGES AVAILABLE

THERACESSA.COM. AU

CALL 08 8536 2248

RETAIL THERAPY

Spring wanderlust

Australian Geographic: Silverlit Bumper Drone HD $99.95, Williams: Colorado Tory Hiking Shoes $99.95, Cotton On: Explore 3 in 1 Outdoor Speaker $19.95, Sunglass Hut: Oakley Radar Sunglasses $324.95, Rivalry: Corksicle Drink Bottle $54.99.

Beaches: Sun Bum After Sun Aloe Spray $16.95, Beaches: Nixon Regulus Watch $249.99, Endota: Daily Defense 50+ Sunscreen $85.00.

Beaches: Yeti DayTrip Lunch Bag $109.95, Cotton On: Nuelab Camo Bumbag $19.95, Aust Geographic: Binoculars $399.99.

QBD: Books $19.99-$34.99, Typo: Happy Camper Drink Bottle $16.99.

Colonnades Shopping Centre | Noarlunga @colonnadesshopping

Above: The Kuitpo Kollective brings together local winemakers and food producers. The Kuitpo Hall run by Jade Seskis (front-centre)) acts as their meeting place and events centre.

The Kuitpo Kollective Story by Jake Dean. Photography by Angela Lisman.

To the untrained eye, it may appear as though Kuitpo has burst onto the scene, a fully-formed food and wine destination. Or so it seemed when in April this year, amid a glut of articles spruiking the area’s ballooning reputation, a sell-out event was held at Fox Gordon’s cellar door for Tasting Australia. Bringing together twelve local winemakers, some Adelaide food heavyweights (including Osteria Oggi, Sunny’s Pizza and Udaberri), masterclasses and more, the sell-out ‘Kuitpo Kollective’ was a roaring success. The event put Kuitpo on the foodie map and grabbed the attention of many who’d only previously known of its eponymous pine forest. But success doesn’t happen overnight. A subregion of the southern Adelaide Hills, Kuitpo’s story is filled with a passionate community of makers that have shaped the region, from its first commercial

vineyard plantings, to the moment the Kuitpo Kollective was born in a dairy on an icy winter’s night in 2017. ‘It was just a catch-up to see whether everyone would be interested in forming some sort of group,’ says Greg Clack, owner and winemaker of XO Wine Co, when recalling the initial meeting of producers that formed the Kollective. ‘Adelaide Hills is such a large region with very sporadic pockets, and Kuitpo’s the furthest away from those other subregions. We needed to form a group to market this area collectively, rather than each brand trying to tell their own story because that just gets washed out.’ I’m chatting with Greg at the Coates Wines’ cellar door. We’re joined by just a few of the individuals that helped found the Kollective. James Hamilton, owner and winemaker of Golden Child Wines is here. As is Coates’ Duane Coates (owner and winemaker) and partner Rebecca Stubbs (sales and marketing manager). The Kollective met regularly in the lead-up to Tasting Australia, and a private Facebook Messenger group kept the cogs turning. Hands were voluntarily raised for the growing list of roles required, and

Above left: Aditional Kollective members. Above right: The ‘orange carpet’ of the forest. Photographs by Jason Porter.

Kuitpo’s story is filled with a passionate community of makers that have shaped the region, from its first commercial vineyard plantings, to the moment the Kuitpo Kollective was born in a dairy on an icy winter’s night in 2017.

Rebecca says the experience highlighted Kuitpo’s multi-talented producers and its culture of collaboration. Kim Jericho (of Jericho Wines and Brady & Co Creative), for example, is the brains behind the Kollective’s chic logo and branding, while the event expertise of Kuitpo Hall’s Jade Seskis has also been invaluable. ‘Jade moving into Kuitpo Hall has recentralised Kuitpo,’ says James. The 1926-built hall was renovated over 2016-17 and has since become home to Kickback at Kuitpo BYO events. ‘The Hall got people talking about Kuitpo again and wanting to come up here,’ James continues. But if the Hall and Tasting Australia helped entice people to Kuitpo, the quality and variety of wine is helping keep them here. James, whose dad David planted vines in 1997, says it’s not just the iconic forests that make Kuitpo unique, pointing to the distinct climate and its diversity of winemaking styles. ‘The unique thing, in terms of grape growing, is we’ve got the coast,’ explains James, discussing what separates Kuitpo – the southernmost part of the Adelaide Hills wine region – from the rest

of the Hills. ‘We’re less than twenty kilometres from Gulf St Vincent, so those coastal winds that go through McLaren Vale come through Kuitpo too.’ Freezing southerlies and a higher altitude mean cooler temperatures, with Kuitpo’s slightly warmer autumn days and ancient soils combining for a highly versatile region that can produce varieties not as well suited to the other regions. ‘And it’s not one set-in-stone style,’ says James of Kuitpo’s winemakers. ‘There are new-age styles, more traditional or classic styles, and everything in between,’ adds Rebecca. ‘There’s something for everybody.’ Kuitpo’s culture of collaboration and respect is palpable, as James, Greg, Duane and Rebecca take turns to praise Kuitpo producers not here at the table. But they all agree, reverentially, that Geoff Hardy, who planted Kuitpo’s first commercial vineyards in 1986 (now K1 Wines), is the go-to source for information. ‘Does it ever!’ exclaims Geoff over the phone when asked whether Kuitpo’s rise makes him proud. ‘It’s been good fun because it was a long-term plan for me, trying to get what is quite an interesting terroir producing wines that were affected [e.g. by warmer climate] in other places.’ > 47

Above: Geoff Hardy from K1 wines was the first to see the virtue in planting vines in the Kuitpo region. The well established winery and cellar door have created a firm groundwork for others to follow.

Freezing southerlies and a higher altitude mean cooler temperatures, with Kuitpo’s slightly warmer autumn days and ancient soils combining for a highly versatile region that can produce varieties not as well suited to the other regions. Geoff was drawn to Kuitpo because he wanted to grow cooler climate grapes and could easily make the backroad trip from his McLaren Vale vineyard in fifteen minutes. ‘It’s worked well with the warming climate because since 2001 we’ve been able to get reds right through to absolute ripeness and flavour,’ he explains. ‘The podzols and ironstone and sandstone-based soils do give extra acid flintiness, and combined with the amount of fruit flavour you get from that extra hang time [on the vine], Kuitpo’s making long-lived, highly flavoursome wines with pure fruit flavours, but in an elegant style, not in a cooked or sun-bleached ripened style. This is the uniqueness of the district.’ Geoff says he’s watched Kuitpo transform from just his eighty-acre vineyard, to plantings that now total about fifteen-hundred acres. ‘Probably seven-hundred of that is targeted to own-make now, so we’re able to make boutique wines, [whereas] before lots of the fruit was tied up with big companies,’ he says. ‘Lots of wine buyers have cottoned-on that there’s really nice wines coming from the newer districts, and Kuitpo’s certainly one of them. It’s still in its infancy, but there’s a lot of potential that’s starting to be

realised. It’s good having the energy of the younger ones coming in and having a go.’ The Kollective is planning more events, which will have stronger ties with Kuitpo Hall and the region’s signature forest. There’s talk of long tables with locally sourced fare, a foraging feast and picnics in the forest. There’s also plans for a website, which would feature all of Kuitpo’s diverse offerings, such as wine, strawberries, meats, the Hall, B&Bs and camping. Everyone telling the same story, like Greg said. And more keeps coming. At the time of print, the opening of a second CABN – the wildly popular off-grid tiny house accommodation – and a Winter Reds guided hiking tour, with paired Nepalese lunch by CBD restaurant Gurkha’s, were both imminent in Kuitpo. Geoff suggests Kuitpo’s varietal mix, with grapes such as lagrein, teroldego, fiano and tannat, will help give the region a point of difference moving forward. But ultimately, he believes Kuitpo’s culture will power its rise: ‘it’s really the teamwork, and supporting one another, that’s really going to help us the most.’

The

DOWIE DOOLE Tasting Pod new cellar door opening spring 2019 360° view of vines | sustainable architecture

find out more at dowiedoole.com/tastingpod

For 25 years, Bennett Design Architect has been creating beautifully tailored, sustainable, award winning solutions. By drawing inspiration from nature, we pride ourselves on designs and material selections which coexist harmoniously with the surrounding land. Using this method, we work closely with our public and private clients to produce designs for a range of applications including wineries, homes and everything in between.

Bennett Design Architect Pty Ltd · 107 Main Road McLaren Vale SA 5171 · (08) 8323 7737 · contact@bennettdesign.com.au

A modern vision for coastal living Story by Petra de Mooy. Photographyby Sam Noonan.

Previous page: The concealed main entrance – an oversized pivot door opens to reveal the front door. Above: The stone fence from the original home has been retained and the understated design is not dissimilar to the late 60’s shack that was there before.

When husband and wife, Paul and Ren, began looking for a place of their own on the south coast, their love of vintage furniture and mid-century style led them to a late 1960s shack a stone’s throw from the Port Elliot foreshore. The house had all the key elements they wanted in a getaway: its modern two-storey design was built for functionality but in the casual style of holiday living. Plus, it was close to a surf break (Knight’s) and a more sheltered beach (Horseshoe Bay). A narrow deck extending across the front looked out over the ocean, while a games room completed the holiday vibe on the ground floor. These features would later form the template for a much bolder vision for modern coastal living, infused with those original sixties sensibilities. The house worked quite well for awhile. But as their family grew from two to three, and then to four, and the shack started to look her age, Paul and Ren began to think about options to renovate and extend. However, as is often the case, it soon became clear it was more cost-effective to demolish the existing structure and start from

scratch. With a long standing commitment to good design, Paul and Ren knew they wanted to do it right and hire an architect to help them realise their new plan. The obvious choice was their long time associate, Marco Spinelli from Architects Ink. Marco was a perfect match for the couple, not only because of their personal connection, but for the company’s track record designing high-end residential spaces with the pared-down aesthetic that they both love. The collaboration between architects, designers and clients worked really well and their rapport is obvious the day we meet at Architect Ink’s offices in Kent Town, Adelaide. Theirs is a quintessential clientarchitect relationship – a meeting of the minds. ‘It was a lot of fun,’ says Marco. He’s particularly enthusiastic about the concrete walls which were a technical and aesthetic feat, their texture and expanse forming a key feature of the build. Although their construction certainly wasn’t stress free. ‘I was worried the day after it was done,’ says Marco. The wind had picked up and the internal structure that would bridge the two walls was still under construction, immediately putting the new walls to the test. Fortunately they passed with flying colours. The concrete walls were formed in-situ and their five-metre scale not only defines the house’s profile but also provides excellent insulation. The changing light throughout the day plays off the linear timber grain texture carried inside and out, creating shadows, > 51

Previous page: The wood on the exterior will eventually weather off and give a more uniform look between the concrete and wood. Top: American white-oak cabinetry, vintage furnishings and functional design. Bottom left: The outdoor shower. Bottom right: Detail of the stairs and stone wall.

and showing patterns and imperfections on the walls. ‘We really wanted concrete.’ says Paul and they couldn’t be happier with the result. Another impressive feature is the concealed main entrance – an oversized pivot door on the side opens to reveal the front door, alternately welcoming visitors to the house when open and securing the residence when closed. When the weather gets wild, its solid mass shuts the weather out and, together with the double-glazed windows, shelters the inhabitants within and creates a sense of serenity in the space that the family loves. The solid wood cladding on both exterior facades carries over to this generous entryway. The wood, which was yellow toned when installed, will eventually weather to silver and blend in with the concrete to create a more uniform look between these two key elements of the exterior.

When it came to creating the brief for the new build, Paul and Ren had a strong vision for the interior. From the very start, the design was built around key pieces of furniture the couple had chosen from their collection of Australian mid-century designs.

They also wanted to retain some of the design features from the original shack. They liked the existing style of the holiday house and general layout, but there were a few practical elements they wanted to retain as well: the large second floor deck, the shading palm tree in the back and the games room on the ground floor. They also wanted to keep the existing stone fence and parking on the front lawn. Marco’s translation of the brief aimed to recreate those elements – even to some degree replicating the same style – but ultimately expanding on the concept to significantly step up the experience and quality of materials. Through careful consideration, architect and client have created a beautiful building in both design and materials. The new build retained all of the required elements but elevates the functionality of the spaces. Everyone was impressed with the workmanship of the builder, Krivic Built, and Adam Pearce, the stonemason, and the build was ‘relatively easy’ with almost no variations to their original plans. >

Top and bottom left: The coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mid-century modern collection of furniture was designed into the concept from day one. Bottom right: The double height entryway captures a view of the games room. Guests can be greeted from the landing above.

Above: Paul and Ren were heavily involved in selecting the tiles, stone and timber and they wanted something a bit colorful in the bathroom, choosing a geometric pattern in teal green for the floor tiles.

One of the new concepts is a wide plank boardwalk leading from front to side, giving the exterior a room-like feel. There is also an outdoor shower and purpose-built storage area for surf boards. These new elements are built for ease of use and add considerably to the functionality of the house. Inside, the large natural stone fireplace is visible from the doubleheight entryway. Your eyes are drawn up and guests can be greeted from the upstairs landing. The warmth of the stone also works well with the wood and concrete throughout, the three materials combining to form the house’s neutral interior palette. Paul and Ren were heavily involved in selecting the tiles, timber and stone and they wanted something a bit colourful in the bathroom. They went for a geometric pattern of teal green floor tiles, while the bedrooms are carpeted in a striking navy blue. The cabinetry and timber flooring throughout are American oak, which creates continuity between the spaces.

The living spaces, both inside and out, now enhance family life. The widened balcony allows for scooters and tricycles to race its length but also happily hosts more adult pursuits, including long table dinners, barbecues and watching the sunset. The kids love it because it’s a great alternate outdoor play area for them and when the sliding doors are open it becomes part of the living area, virtually doubling their space. The outdoor space on the ground floor now includes a fire pit next to the palm tree, complemented by more of the couple’s cool vintage furniture. The upstairs has a great open plan living area and the games room – another of the kids’ favourite spaces – is well utilised by family and friends. This modern vision for beachside living ticks all of the boxes and it’s no wonder the couple escapes there as often as they can. Architect and client are clearly proud of what they have achieved.

FOOD & WINE

Winsome whites CHENIN BLANC

FIANO

FUME BLANC

GRECO

GRILLO

Origin: Loire Valley, France

Origin: Rome, Italy

Origin: Bordeaux, France

Origin: Greece

Origin: Sicily, Italy

Temple Bruer

Vigna Bottin 2018 Fiano

Golden Child Island Life

Beach Road Wines

Lino Ramble

2017 The Agonist Organic

Sourced from subregion –

Fume Blanc 2018

2018 Greco

2018 Solitaire

Chenin Blanc

McLaren Vale

Sourced from subregion –

Rich with savoury tannins,

Kuitpo

Langhorne Creek

McLaren Vale

Langhorne Creek

this fresh and approachable

Kuitpo is arguably one of the

A difficult variety to grow due

Proudly sourced from the first

Langhorne Creek is a long

white exhibits notes of lemon

best areas of the Adelaide

to its thin skin, greco rewards

McLaren Vale plantings of

way from the Loire, but the

curd, chalk and fresh cut

Hills (and Australia) to grow

those with patience and

grillo by Chalk Hill Viticulture,

similar soil composition is a

spring herbs. Native to the

sauvignon blanc. Taking its

perseverance. The grape’s

this wine allows the ancient

perfect match for this French

southern parts of Italy, this

cues from chardonnay, this

naturally high acid balance

Sicilian white variety to shine.

grape. The wine has had

variety loves hot summer

version is hand-picked and

gives the wine a crisp flavour

Primary fermentation using

some barrel maturation in

days and is perfect for

fermented in oak barrel which

and fresh finish. The colour of

indigenous yeasts (and

large-format French oak with

sharing around an evening

is typical of the fumé style.

sun-bleached straw and with

no added acid, enzymes

lees stirring to soften the

table spread with cured

It’s creamy and textural, with

aromas of lemon curd tart,

or fining agents) focuses

natural high acidity. Showing

meats, smoked fish, stuffed

lively citrus flavours. It’s no

this wine sports a creamy

attention on grillo’s luscious

a nose of flowers, pears,

capsicums, cheese and

wonder this wine (and style) is

palate and lingering flavours.

fruit character with melon,

honey and quinces, this juicy

crusty bread.

often described as ‘sunshine

Delicious with seafood (think

pear and citrus blossom

in a bottle.’

Goolwa pipis), Thai curries or

on the palate. Enjoy with

goldenchildwines.com.au

fresh oysters.

local produce.

beachroadwines.com.au

linoramble.com

white pairs well with Indian curries or a crispy pork belly. templebruerwines.com

vignabottin.com.au

The Fleurieu might be best known for its red wines, but our innovative producers are also exploring white varieties that suit our climate and lifestyle. Whether championing alternative varieties or trying a different take on more well known white grapes, these producers are proving just how delicious a Fleurieu white can be.

SEMILLON

MUSCAT BLANC Á

VERDELHO

VERMENTINO

VIOGNIER

Origin: West of France

PETITS GRAINS

Origin: Portugal

Origin: Sardinia, Italy

Origin: Croatia/France

Battle of Bosworth

Origin: Greece

Maxwell Wines 2019

Oliver’s Taranga

Islander Estate

2019 Semillon

Hither & Yon

Barrel Fermented Verdelho

2018 Vermentino

2018 Viognier

Sourced from subregion –

2019 Petit Blanc

Sourced from subregion –

McLaren Vale

Sourced from subregion –

McLaren Vale

Kangaroo Island

Semillon is a disappearing

McLaren Vale

Compared to the sprightly

Vermentino is generating

This small-batch viognier

variety in McLaren Vale and

Always seeking to offer

Little Demon Verdelho, this

a lot of interest due to its

from Bordeaux winemaker

this wine is made using fruit

alternate varieties, Hither &

version is an evolved, grown

heat tolerance and ability

Jacques Lurton showcases

from one of the last remaining

Yon have created something

up example of what this

to produce beautiful wines,

how lovely this variety can

blocks. Year in, year out these

special with this lesser

underrated Mediterranean

perfect for the Australian

be all on its very own. It has

vines produce the best quality

known variety. Well suited to

grape variety can do. Eight

palate. This vermentino is

all the characters we love,

grapes and the 2019 vintage

our Mediterranean climate,

months in French oak on lees

a light, fresh and crisp little

with flavours firmly in the

is made in the Hunter Valley

this ‘petit’ white is a great

impart a complex creaminess

number that will make you

yellow peach zone, orange

tradition, picked early to

fun drinking, with lovely

alongside vanilla and toast

feel like an invigorating sea

notes and even a hint of

retain tight natural acidity,

zesty aromas and a clean,

characters that balance the

breeze is whipping through

candied ginger. A soft round

and unoaked to allow the

refreshing palate. It pairs

racy acidity of pineapple and

your hair. A real treat with

mouthfeel doesn’t detract

pure fruit characters of the

harmoniously with Coffin Bay

citrus.

anything fresh from the sea or

from any of the freshness in

variety to star. Perfect with

oysters, goats milk cheese or

maxwellwines.com.au

a spicy Vietnamese salad.

the finish.

natural oysters.

a fresh passionfruit tart.

iev.com.au

battleofbosworth.com.au

hitherandyon.com.au

oliverstaranga.com

Above left: Currency Creek, Oil on cedar panel by John Lacey 2019. Right: The Rocks – Basham Beach by Sally Deans 2019.

Defining moments Story by Esther Thorn.

It’s 1889 and an unconventional exhibition is causing a stir in colonial Melbourne’s burgeoning art scene. Plans are underway for a display of paintings by a new wave of talented artists, who would later become known as Australian Impressionists — Tom Roberts, Charles Conder and Arthur Streeton. Their style is described by newspaper columnists at the time as ‘sketchy’ and ‘brilliant in colour but vague in design.’ The size of the paintings is unusual too, a mere nine inches by five inches (23cm x 13cm), a scale usually reserved for preliminary studies, not the final piece. But perhaps most shocking is the medium on which the artists have chosen to paint — the lids of old cedar cigar boxes. ‘I just love the larrikin nature of those Australian Impressionists,’ gallery owner and artist Sonya Hender tells me. ‘I love it that they made their art so accessible and were happy to just use a material that would otherwise be discarded.’ One hundred and thirty years after that avant-garde exhibition opened, Sonya is curating her own take on paintings of that same nine by five scale at her Port Elliot gallery, The Strand Gallery. This

modern day exhibition, titled Defining Moments, was inspired by a recent visit to the Art Gallery of South Australia. ‘I just fell in love with (the painting) How we lost poor Flossie,’ Sonya says with a smile. The work by Charles Conder depicts a small dog about to be swallowed by a busy Melbourne street. ‘I decided to put a call out for artists to contribute to an exhibition of works of that same scale.’ Sonya and I have met for lunch at McLaren Vale’s The Salopian Inn, along with Sonya’s husband, landscape photographer Ron Langman, and local artists Christobel Kelly and John Lacey. Christobel has brought with her smooth, flat pieces of cedar cut to the required size as a pre-exhibition gift for Sonya and John, and to show me the exact dimensions. Each one is about the size of a small notebook or tablet device. Something you can easily hold in your hand, or rest prettily on a bedside table. ‘We have so many interstate and international visitors to Port Elliot and The Strand Gallery, and if they buy art it can be really challenging for them to get it home,’ says Sonya. ‘This scale isn’t just about the accessibility for the artists, but also the accessibility of the art works for the public.’ Defining Moments has been met with significant enthusiasm, with

Above left: Tom Roberts, Andante, 1889, Melbourne, oil on wood panel, 26.0 x 13.1cm. Above right: Arthur Streeton, Orange, blue and white (portrait of Keith), 1889, Melbourne, oil on cardboard, 23.3 x 13.2cm.

‘The complexity is in how simple it looks really. It has all the elements of a larger painting but it’s done on a very constrained size.’

more than fifty artists from across the country keen to contribute work. ‘Because the works are small, it takes some of the barriers away,’ Sonya explains. ‘And it’s so nice for artists to only have to work to a scale, not a theme.’ The diminutive size does have its difficulties though. Mount Compass artist John Lacey usually works on a much grander scale, deftly capturing the Australian landscape with broad strokes. Lately, John has been using a knife instead of a brush, and scaling down his work so dramatically has not been without its challenges. ‘I found I needed to respect the way the (impressionist) artists did it,’ he says. ‘They approached it in a very, very loose form; a few brushstrokes here and a few brushstrokes there and that’s it really.’ On the day we meet, John has already had one attempt at painting his piece for the Defining Moments exhibition. ‘The first one I did lasted about eight hours before I went over it,’ he says wryly. ‘The complexity is in how simple it looks really. It has all the elements of a larger painting but it’s done on a very constrained size.’

intriguing things about the original works for me is that despite the loose brushstrokes they adhere to scale and proportions,’ she says. ‘They’re very firmly composed but loosely executed.’ Defining Moments will be complemented by prints of the original works that are currently held by the Art Gallery of South Australia. Most of the paintings by Roberts, Conder and Streeton are landscapes painted outdoors (en plein air), with obvious brushstrokes and a subdued range of tones. In a small brochure produced for that groundbreaking 1889 exhibition, the artists tried to explain their approach: ‘An effect is only momentary; so an impressionist tries to find his place. Two half hours are never alike, and he who tries to paint the sunset on two successive evenings, must be more or less working from memory. So in these works, it has been the object of the artist to render faithfully, and thus obtain first records of effects that are widely differing, and often of very fleeting character.’ >

Printmaker and painter Christobel Kelly agrees. ‘One of the most 59

Top: Charles Conder, Dandenongs from Heidelberg, c.1889, Melbourne, oil on wood panel, 11.5 x 23.5 cm. Bottom: Breaking Wave at Green Bay, Port Elliot by Harry Sherwin 2019.

But in capturing those ephemeral moments, Roberts, Conder and Streeton were able to transcend the everyday and create a legacy that remains tantalising today. ‘Sonya’s invitation to return to that is very, very fresh,’ says Christobel. ‘Each time people work on the cigar box scale it’s new and the artist is speaking to the era in a different way.’ Later, I see an image of Christobel’s contribution to the exhibition. It’s titled Trees at Myponga and a little kanga friend. The landscape is familiar to me, but there’s an element of romanticism, perhaps even foreboding about it. While soft tones of grey, green and brown are prominent, the trunks of the trees are etched in a bright, almost fluorescent pink. In the background, a kangaroo contemplates vanishing into the view, reminiscent of poor little Flossie disappearing into the crowd. 60

‘Actually returning to Flossie, there’s a back story,’ Christobel continues. ‘She wasn’t so much lost as visiting a male friend.’ We’re surrounded by other patrons as we finish our lunch at the warm Salopian Inn, but our minds are all on Flossie, a little dog on a bleak Melbourne street, immortalised in paint a hundred and thirty years ago. Such is the power and strength these transient moments frozen in oil paints hold over us. Our lunch finished, I quietly wonder how the paintings exhibited in this latest nine by five scale will be viewed in the future. Whether the stories, real or imagined, will be discussed at tables in years to come. The exhibition will be held at The Strand Gallery in Port Elliot from October 5 until November 22. All paintings will be available for immediate purchase.

Want insurance that suits your needs? At Elders Insurance our objective is to provide an easy, streamlined process delivered by friendly local people who take the time to understand your needs, so you have the right cover for your situation. With this in mind, you can turn to Adam Bowden at Elders Insurance Southern Fleurieu. As a local, Adam has a strong understanding of our region and all it has to offer. Adam is enthusiastic about all he does and is passionate about supporting local business and the community. If local knowledge, open and honest communication, and an efficient hassle-free claims service are important to you, give Adam a call for a fresh approach to your insurance needs.

11-13 Victoria St Victor Harbor SA 5211

www.eldersinsurance.com.au

Call Adam Bowden on 0436 412 695 Underwritten by QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited ABN 78003191035 AFSL 239545. Call us for a Product Disclosure Statement to decide if a product is right for you.

Early Learning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year 12 investigator.sa.edu.au Âˇ Enrol now on 8555 7511

Providing the opportunity for you to be

YOUR BEST SELF 61

FOOD & WINE

Uncorked Wine reviews by Gill Gordon-Smith IWE

Singled out ‘Single-vineyard’ wine is made solely from fruit grown in one vineyard which the winemaker and viticulturist believe shows the best possible expression of the variety and site. A single-vineyard wine isn’t necessarily ‘better’ than a blend of sites or grapes. Rather, it’s a unique and transparent view into a single variety, a pure expression of place and the grape’s varietal characters. Here is a selection of four different single-vineyard wines that showcase the beauty of the Fleurieu from grape to glass. Springs Road Shiraz 2017 Renowned viticulturist Joch Bosworth knows his vineyards intimately. This enables him to produce some of the most delicious wines in the region from exceptional sites, including this beauty from Kangaroo Island. Established in 1994, the Springs Road vineyard is planted on sandy loam over limestone and clay. This combination gives lovely aromatics as well as structure to the wines produced by Joch and his partner, Louise Hemsley-Smith, from Battle of Bosworth wines. This wine has a rich, opaque ruby colour that stains the glass. Lifted aromas of blueberries, blackcurrants, red plums and a touch of exotic spice leap out and while the fruit is concentrated, it retains its freshness. Pulpy plum fruits, black cherry, aniseed, pepper and a touch of spicy oak make for delicious drinking right now, though it will age and develop beautifully if you want to stash some away. Match with tea smoked duck pancakes, ragouts of all kinds and it will definitely handle some spice. Yangarra Estate Vineyard King’s Wood Shiraz 2017 Quality is at the heart of every decision made by Yangarra winemaker Peter Fraser and viticulturist Michael Lane – and their attention to detail shows in the glass. The block 12 vineyard was specifically chosen for its suitability for growing this style of shiraz. The grapes are handpicked and then further sorted in two selections, with twenty-five per cent of the fruit left as whole bunches. The weathered sand and ironstone soils produce wine with concentrated aromatics, elegance and structure.

Gorgeous bright cherry fruit with fresh mulberry, raspberry and a smoky, vanilla note. Lashings of perfectly ripe cherry and fleshy red and black berry fruits on the palate are supported by a frame of fine tannins that push through to a long finish. So deliciously drinkable – I’d pair this with cured meats, terrines, tartare or happily drink it on its own. Bondar Rayner Vineyard Grenache 2018 The Rayner vineyard, named after the original owners of the property, is well known in McLaren Vale. Planted on an ancient sandhill, it’s situated on the edge of the Blewitt Springs and Seaview sub-regions. Andre and Selina Bondar both have great pedigree in the industry and are now writing their own story as custodians of this lovely spot. This beautiful grenache shows the perfumed characteristics that come from being grown on sand. The wine was a little shy at first, but after a short time in the glass blossom with notes of wild strawberries, red fruits and seductive florals; it’s full of flavour while still feeling airy and lifted. There’s a dried herb savouriness layered amongst the fruit that adds interest and the wine has a deliciously long, spiced finish. Handpicked and handmade in tiny amounts, this wine is definitely one to hunt down if you love this style. I’d demolish it with spiced chicken, roasted vegetables and Salopian Inn pork buns. Hastwell and Lightfoot Montepulciano 2017 Mark Hastwell and Martin Lightfoot started their eponymous label in 1990, producing just sixty cases of wine. They now have forty acres of vineyards and make a wide variety of wines from estate-grown fruit. The focus is on food-friendly styles made from traditional and newer Mediterranean varieties that work well in the region. The fruit for this wine is handpicked from low yielding vines grown on sand and sand over clay. With fresh acidity, this very approachable, medium-bodied montepulciano is packed with black fruits, plums and dark cherry happily sitting alongside Italian dried-herb savouriness. A delicious drop that would work well with polenta and ragu, fennel sausages, pizza and hard cheeses.

WIN A 3 DAY KANGAROO ISLAND

G E TAWAY

To celebrate 30 issues of FLM and 30 years of SeaLink, we are offering a weekend self-drive escape to Kangaroo Island! The prize includes a return ferry passage for two people and a vehicle, plus two nightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; accommodation at Vivonne Bay Holiday House. You will also receive a 2 year subscription to FLM. See our website for entry details: fleurieuliving.com.au. Competition closes Friday, 1 November 2019. Winner will be drawn on Friday, 15 November. Terms and conditions apply.

salopian.com.au

/salopianinn

G I N DISCOVERY

@salopianinn

08 8323 8769

bookings@salopian.com.au

c o r n e r

m a i n

m c m u r t r i e m c l a r e n s o u t h

a n d r o a d

v a l e

a u s t r a l i a

Above: A tasting flight and delicious platter at Dudley Wines.

Food & Beverage Tour Story by Petra de Mooy. Photography by Angela Lisman.

Crush the leaf of the anise myrtle and hear how foraging for native botanicals can offer a kind of meditation for a chef in the windswept landscape. Feel the dryness that follows a sip of wine and learn that it’s the thickness of the grape’s skin at the time of picking that drives the tannin profile. While excellent food and drink might be expected on a foodie tour, it’s these insights and stories that come from talking with the makers themselves along the road that really enrich the experience. And the flourishing Kangaroo Island food and beverage scene has no shortage of tales to tell and treats to taste.

We start our KI food and beverage tour on the Dudley Peninsula at the aptly named Dudley Wines. The Howard family have lived on the peninsula for five generations dating back to 1883. Over the years, the Howards have run sheep and cattle on the land and, since 1994, they’ve also grown grapes and made wine – pioneering KI’s wine industry. On the day we visit, we’re met by Tam, one of the fifth family members to work the peninsula. Standing in the stunning cellar door overlooking Backstairs Passage, Tam explains the varied growing conditions on KI and guides us through a structured tasting of all of their wines. I’m particularly fond of the Shearing Shed Red – a blend of shiraz, cabernet and merlot. The wines are complemented perfectly by their delicious beef chorizo pizza made using the Howard’s own beef. The menu at the cellar door is simple, but has been carefully designed to pair well with their wines. It’s easy to imagine settling in on the deck, glass in hand and becoming lost in the views.

Above left: The rustic-chic surrounds of Islander Wines. Right: Affogato!!! At Kangaroo Island Spirits.

Kangaroo Island The island is deceptively big, so getting from place to place can take a bit of time. But whether by chance or design a number of beer, food, wine and spirits venues have clustered around Cygnet River making it easy to hop from place to place. One such spot is Islander Estate Wines, which now has a purposebuilt cellar door conveniently located just off Playford Highway. The winery has an international reputation, selling wine all over the world and the rustic-chic tasting room was opened almost two years ago to help create more face-to-face contact with their customers. They focus on cool-climate French-style wines led by their French winemaker, Jacques Lurton. The Lurton family wine dynasty dates back to 1650 in the Bordeaux region. Jacques splits his time between France and Australia, travelling to Kangaroo Island each summer in time to oversee picking. He’s generally on KI for four to five months until the end of fermentation, when he ventures back to France for a bit of downtime before he starts it all again over the French summer and autumn winemaking season.

It feels quite special to have the opportunity to taste these Frenchstyle wines in the very Australian setting on KI. Guests can do a ‘self-select’ platter of French charcuterie paired with local cheese, olives, relishes and crackers. Wine is sold by the glass and bottle, or guests can choose to do a guided tasting. Our next stop is the much anticipated, award-winning Kangaroo Island Spirits. The ramshackle look of the tasting room is a foil for the delicious range of distilled products available to taste. I always go for an affogato which here is served with a walnut liqueur, KI honey ice cream and a shot of espresso. Rachel Pratt is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide as we work our way through their range of vodkas, gins and liqueurs. We’re lucky enough to get a bonus taste of their Koala 48 gin, a limited release combining forty-eight botanicals sourced from Kangaroo Island, either foraged or planted by the owners, John and Sarah Lark. There’s also delicious tonics and ginger beers to complement the flavour profiles of the distilled spirits as we move through flavours of smoke and chilli, botanics and florals. > 65

Above top and bottom left: The delicious Asian inspired food at Cactus in Kingscote. Bottom right: Eliza Sheridan-Turner at the Emu Bay Lavender Farm.

Somehow, it’s only lunchtime and we’re off to another much anticipated favourite – Cactus Bar and Restaurant on Dauncey Street in Kingscote. While Chef Louis Lark is away on holiday, we’re warmly welcomed by the other half of this thriving partnership, Yen Aun Leow. This is my kind of food: Asian inspired, fresh, seasonal and as local as possible. As we relax in the casual environs of the Cactus deck, I’m relieved to see that the dumplings are still on the menu. ‘The locals won’t let us take them off!’ says Yen. We also have the spectacularly delicious bao bun rolls with slow-cooked pork and Asian slaw. The restaurant prides itself on service and from the food to the nothing-is-toodifficult attitude, everything is perfect.

As we travel around the Island, we keep hearing about one spot again and again: Emu Bay Lavender Farm. It’s obvious this has to be our next stop. We’re greeted at the farm by bright and bubbly Eliza Sheridan-Turner. She, along with the rest of the staff, are so friendly and I can understand why the locals keep coming back. Their creative menu is full of local produce, infused with lavender where appropriate. We try the lavender scone which is enormous and served with some of their homemade preserves and a large dollop of cream. A group of trail riders show up and enthuse: ‘where else can you rock up on horses and have a gin and tonic?’ Next, we visit the newly opened Springs Road Wines cellar door. Fleurieu locals familiar with Battle of Bosworth and Spring Seed Wines will be delighted to discover this third label by the same team using grapes grown on the Springs Road property. Walking inside,

Top left and right: Springs Road Cellar Door. Bottom left and right: Pop up food offering ‘Bratwurst and Beer’ on the night we are at Kangaroo Island Brewery – plus a puppy!

our eyes are captured by the large wall mural, a replica of Louis Freycinet’s 1808 map of Southern Australia: ‘Terre Napoleon.’ The Springs Road label is adapted from the illustrations on this same map. Owners Joch Bosworth and Louis Helmsley-Smith bought the property on a bit of a whim but are really excited about the site and know it’s capable of producing some great wines from the 100% certified organic grapes. We again enjoy a guided tasting with the added boon of having the Battle of Bosworth and the Spring Seed Wines on pour as well. Our last stop is Kangaroo Island Brewery, where on weekends they have pop-up food offerings. We’re treated to a tasting paddle

and – because we haven’t eaten enough already – we also share a bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard from one of their regular pop-ups, Mini de Lights. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the refreshing ales and ciders brewed onsite and a satisfying end to our tour. On the weekend we visit, it’s the middle of winter and many venues are still in hibernation awaiting the return of warmer weather, and the increasing number of holiday-makers that spring and summer will bring. The wonderful venues we visited are just a few of the reasons to head over to KI. If you needed anymore, Sealink has come up with thirty to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary. To find out more, visit sealink.com.au/things-to-do-on-kangarooisland/30greatreasons.

y e n r u jo t n e r e f if d Experience a WI LLUNGA WAL DORF SENIO R S C H O O L

ACADEMIC · ARTISTIC · PURPOSEFUL Exam-free continual assessment · direct pathway to university · broad-based curriculum · collaboration over competition · major research project · inspiring a love of learning for life

W I L L U N G A W AL D O R F S C H O O L F OR R UDOLPH S TEINER E DUCATION

Playgroup to Class 12 · www.willungawaldorfschool.sa.edu.au · Phone: 8556 2655 · Email: registrar@wws.sa.edu.au

South Seas Books

South Seas Trading

53 North Terrace, Port Elliot P: 8554 2301 www.southseasbooks.com.au

56 North Terrace, Port Elliot P: 8554 3540

is an independent bookshop on the Fleurieu’s south coast. South Seas will ignite your imagination.

offers a selection of vintage art and design pieces · clothing · jewellery · giftware and books in an evolving Arcadian haven.

Serafino – more than just a winery. Stay · Relax · Indulge Serafino Wines, a family owned business since 1972, has developed a reputation as one of Australia’s most respected wineries and leading producers of Italian style red wines. If the ‘vines by the sea’ vibe of the region hasn’t already charmed, then the incredibly scenic setting for Serafino’s cellar door, restaurant, accommodation, conferences facilities, major events and function centre surely will. serafino.com.au | 39 Kangarilla Road, McLaren Vale SA 5171 Australia Telephone +61 8 8323 8911

From patch to plate Story by Kate Le Gallez. Photography by Heidi Lewis.

Previous page: Roasted Fennel, Moghrabieh, Yogurt & Radish Salad from the kitchen of the Salopian Inn. Above left: Kym Ormond of Beardface Bushfoods tends the kitchen garden at Leonards Mill. Above right: Chef Asher Blackford at the Southern Ocean Lodge scours the island foraging for native herbs and mushrooms. Photo by Angela Lisman.

In a world where life only ever seems to speed up, the kitchen garden is an invitation to slow down. Like any garden, growing a kitchen garden means returning to the seasons, submitting to the vagaries and fickleness of nature and learning the lessons the soil wants to share. More and more, it’s an endeavour that many chefs and restaurants around the Fleurieu are embracing. The rewards of these kitchen gardens go well beyond fresh produce, they’re also helping restaurants to reduce their food waste, become more sustainable and gain new insights into the food of the Fleurieu. There’s a note of outrage in Hayley Pember-Calvert’s voice when she talks about, of all things, broccoli. Standing amid the kitchen garden at Leonards Mill, which Hayley co-owns with husband Iain Calvert,

we’re discussing community expectations around the accessibility and convenience of food. ‘If you’re continually buying broccoli all year round, where’s it coming from? How’s it been grown? How much impact does that have on the environment?’ Hayley asks. Inspired by ‘the best meal of our lives’ in Italy, where the restaurant labelled each cut of meat with the name of the farmer that reared the animal, Hayley and Iain decided to radically localise the Leonards Mill menu after they took over in 2017. All produce is sourced from the Fleurieu and animal proteins come from within twenty kilometres of the restaurant. Establishing a kitchen garden was the logical next step and at the end of 2018, they began developing their ‘extended kitchen pantry’ based on permaculture principles under the guidance of Kym Ormond of Beardface Bushfoods. ‘Our philosophy is that by using a permaculture design perspective and a holistic approach we are able to determine what works best for Leonards Mill and our unique bio-region,’ Kym explains. It also means paying attention to how the garden responds and what > 71

Top left: A cool G&T with foraged native herbs. Top right: Pigface and native thyme – both at Southern Ocean Lodge. Photos by Angela Lisman. Bottom: Chef Cameron Clarke in the kitchen garden at SC Pannell.

Taking what you need and using the whole plant are core principles of kitchen garden life. grows well. And there’s one thing that the garden is shouting loudly and clearly on the day I visit: masil. In the depths of winter the mintbasil hybrid is flourishing and chef Konny Putkin races out to grab a handful ahead of lunch service. The chef-garden dash has become a feature of onsite kitchen gardens. Greens, herbs and microgreens are often cut and washed to order from the gardens at Serafino, SC Pannell and Maxwell Wines. At Maxwell, chefs also wander to the Lime Cave which was dug one hundred years ago specifically for cultivating mushrooms. ‘Given that mushrooms are such a commonplace item its surprising to consider that most people haven’t actually picked and tasted a completely fresh mushroom. It’s a very complex flavour that is generally lost or at least significantly diminished by the time it gets to market,’ explains Maxwell Wines marketing manager, Christian Burvill-Holmes. For other chefs, the dash takes a little longer. Chef Karena Armstrong and gardener Maddie Aird tend The Salopian Inn’s three 72

hundred square metre garden a short distance away from the restaurant itself. ‘The design of the garden evolved from site specific requirements, most notably wind, as the area is quite exposed,’ explains Maddie. ‘A boundary of fruit trees borders the garden and slow down harsh spring and autumn winds that can damage young seedlings and delicate leaves. An area of perennials, including globe artichokes and asparagus, further provide another layer of protection and help to establish a microclimate within the garden whilst also keeping our bees and other pollinators happy.’ On Kangaroo Island, the rugged coastal landscape surrounding the Southern Ocean Lodge offers spectacular views but is rather inhospitable when it comes to a traditional kitchen garden. But for those who know what to look for, the Island’s various microclimates reveal their edible secrets: ‘if you keep an eye out you might find the rare plant that can become part of a truly KI food experience,’ says Lodge chef Asher Blackford. The southern side of the Island is the place to go for mushrooms, while honey myrtle, anise myrtle,

Top left: Chef Fabian and Mark Maxwell picking mushrooms in the Lime Cave at Maxwell Wines, McLaren Vale. Top right: Winter gardens delivering a bounty of healthy greens. Bottom: Chef Daniel Armon at the Serafino kitchen garden.

Understanding these natural processes not only contributes to the restaurants’ sustainability but offers chefs greater connection to the produce they work with. saltbush and pig face grow closer to home, with chefs taking only what they need from the KI kitchen garden.

zucchini flowers, borage, a range of different lettuces, rosella, celery, anise hyssop and parsley.

Taking what you need and using the whole plant are core principles of kitchen garden life. This approach helps reduce food waste while also challenging chefs to think of inventive ways to use the parts of plants usually consigned to waste. During summer at Maxwell Wines, chefs would shell garden peas and then juice the shells and use them as a base for salad dressing. Other produce might feature in unexpected places, like a dessert of butternut pumpkin, paperbark and burnt butter.

Warmer days will bring broad beans, peas, kohlrabi, wild cabbages, chard, rhubarb, beetroots, radishes, various lettuces, sprouting broccoli and coloured cauliflowers to the menu at SC Pannell. And of course a selection of the thirty species of chilli grown to satisfy owner Stephen Pannell’s obsession with all things spicy.

Whatever doesn’t make it onto the plate, inevitably ends up in compost or as chook food which will eventually feed the garden in turn. Understanding these natural processes not only contributes to the restaurants’ sustainability but offers chefs greater connection to the produce they work with. Serafino’s chefs all work in the garden and the visceral experience of tending the plants helps shape upcoming menus. In spring, look out for butternut pumpkins,

While local chefs rightly laud the food they can buy in from Fleurieu producers, there is something special about the kitchen garden. SC Pannell chef Cameron Clarke reflects that ‘more love goes into creating dishes to compliment the extra work to produce your own vegetables.’ The dedication – and indeed love – that goes into growing a successful kitchen garden is as essential as water and sunlight. Above all, the kitchen garden represents a more respectful approach to restaurant life, one that enriches the experience for chef, customer and the environment.

Above: Rachael Liddy and Mark Pethick of Food Chakra at the Willunga Farmers Market.

But first, brunch Story by Annabel Bowles.

Local farmers have long been sharing their produce at the Willunga Farmers Market (WFM), but some stallholders take it a step further, transforming these raw delights into some seriously tasty brunches. This is no secret to regular market-goers, who willingly surrender to a gourmet brekkie as part of their weekly shop. But occasional patrons and new visitors may not realise that gathering groceries is only half of the market’s joy. No matter the time of day, I can’t go past the bold savoury flavours served up at Food Chakra. Every weekend, owners and Maslin Beach locals, Rachael Liddy and Mark Pethick curate a delicious selection of fresh vegan and vegetarian eats. It’s worth visiting the market just for their organic sourdough pancake, which is wrapped around either satay eggplant and Asian greens, or classic burrito fillings. The ingredients are sourced from other stallholders, but nowhere else will you find the tangy fermented pancake – one of Rachael’s homemade creations. For something a little lighter, Food Chakra also serve potato and pumpkin hash browns and a delectable vegan breakfast bowl. Nearby, Little Acre Foods offer oozy, cheesy toasties, the delicious smell beckoning market-goers as they wander past. There’s just two options on the menu – twelve-hour smoked brisket, gouda and pickle, and mushroom duxelle, raclette and gruyere – but they’re more than enough. Stallholder Jim Casey tells me, ‘I’d love to change (the menu), but I think the local punters might riot if I did.’ And after 74

winning the ‘Favourite Product’ Wilmark Award for the past three years, I doubt he will be changing the menu up anytime soon. The great brunch debate always revolves around sweet or savoury, and there are plenty of options for those who favour the sweet side as well. Visit Crepe City for warm crepes dripping with maple syrup and cream or peruse one of the many pastry and cake stalls offering up fresh-baked goods for a sweet treat on the run. If you’re looking to add a little balance to an indulgent brunch, consider a glass (or bottle) of The Garden Farmers’ famous green juice or Gut Feeling’s seasonal blend of kombucha. For those after another type of brew, you’re in luck; each barista at WFM knows exactly how to work an espresso machine. Talbot & Co. is the newest stall on the block, with stallholder Jess Talbot taking over after local favourite From Humble Grounds stopped trading last autumn. Patrons willingly join the ever-present, but quick-moving queue to enjoy coffee brewed from the beans we all know and love roasted by McLaren Vale’s Villeré Coffee. While I rarely depart from my strong soy flat white, their carob lattes – made with Port Elliot’s The Carob Kitchen syrup – look very enticing. Likewise, a good cup can always be found at Piccolo Espresso, who pull their espresso shots from Kangarilla-roastery Dawn Patrol Coffee beans. Sheltered between leafy trees, there’s a spread of tables and chairs to enjoy everything the WFM has to offer; the buzz of nearby stalls and the sweet tunes of busking musicians humming in the background. And the best thing about brunching at the market? You’re bound to run into an old (or new) friend doing just the same.

Proudly Supporting

South Aussie Farmers  Locally Owned  Locally Made

fleurieumilkco.com.au

The holistic chef Story by Esther Thorn. Photography by Heidi Lewis.

Above: Beetroot tortellini, baci soil, rhubarb and walnut foam.

‘Some of the most creative ideas I’ve had for dishes have come to me as dreams,’ Serafino’s head chef Daniel Armon tells me. ‘It sounds corny I know, but I think it is that my subconscious is always at work, imagining what I can create.’

and bunches of eucalypt and native flowers adorn the tables, as a tip of the hat to the majestic gums covering the property.

We’re sitting in McLaren Vale’s Serafino Restaurant, looking out over the picturesque gardens and iconic Lake McLaren. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the property and on my way into the interview I make a wrong turn and walk into the new cellar door entrance instead of the restaurant.

The current seasonal menu contains offerings like Ora King Salmon and liquorice and sea urchin spaghetti served with saffron cream and winter truffles. Dan shows me a photo of one of his sweet creations; it’s a mouthwatering combination of local pears, brioche and eucalyptus ‘dust’. ‘My team and I are really keen on using any flavours we can source from the Estate,’ says Dan. ‘We love using eucalyptus oil because the trees are so synonymous with Serafino.’

The cellar door space is a display of pared-back elegance – blonde wood and Danish-style furniture – that opens onto a generous deck surrounded by gum trees. I’m struck by the clever design; despite the size of the Serafino Estate, the discrete spaces are warm and welcoming. When I realise my mistake and make my way to the restaurant, it’s equally pleasant and hospitable. The decor is neutral

Dan has been head chef at Serafino’s restaurant for just over twelve months. He’s confident and charismatic and clearly passionate about the food he creates. ‘We’re in this amazing area for food,’ says Dan. ‘I love it that I can source some of the best produce in the State from local farmers and growers right here on the Fleurieu Peninsula.’

Dan and his crew of twelve chefs and kitchen hands have also planted a kitchen garden just next to the restaurant. He takes me to see it and even though it’s the middle of winter there’s plenty of life. Eggplant and seasonal greens grow with abundance. Dan tears off a sprig of geranium and the scent of rose and lemon fills the air.

Above left: Goats cheese panna cotta, Willunga smoked almonds, kitchen garden baby cos with apple vinaigrette, pickled watermelon rind and radish. Photo by Lee Lam. Above right: Executive Chef Daniel Armon at Serafino, Mclaren Vale.

Despite the fact that Dan has a large function to prepare for on the day of my interview, he’s unhurried and relaxed. ‘I’m a big believer in work/life balance,’ he says. ‘When I’m at work I’m totally dedicated to what I do, but I’ve also got four little kids, so when I’m at home, I try to be really present with them.’ Dan has loved cooking for as long as he can remember. ‘My mum taught me to cook and then it was just a really obvious choice for me to become a chef,’ he says. He’s worked at well-known kitchens across the State, including The Playford Hotel, The Caledonian Hotel, Hotel Victor and Woodstock Winery. ‘I always wanted to work in McLaren Vale,’ Dan says. ‘This is a really up and coming region in terms of food. So when this job (at Serafino Restaurant) came up it was a perfect fit; the owners’ values and goals are really aligned with mine.’ Serafino Estate is owned by the Maglieri family, who established it twenty years ago. It’s an impressive property with three-hundred acres of prime McLaren Vale vineyards, a winery, accommodation and a function centre, as well as the cellar door and restaurant. ‘The thing is, the restaurant wasn’t that well known about,’ Dan tells me.

‘Everyone knew about the wines and the function centre, but the restaurant itself was a bit of a secret.’ Dan has set about changing that, and this year Serafino Restaurant was recognised with a prestigious Chef Hat Award by the Australian Good Food Guide. The restaurant is also becoming a popular destination for its five-course vegan degustation menu. ‘All our wines are vegan so we wanted to offer high-quality vegan food to go with them,’ says Dan. ‘We put a lot of thought into our vegan menu. We love using fresh, locally grown vegetables and just letting the flavours speak for themselves.’ Dan and his team have a strong sustainability ethos and a focus on minimising waste. The small amount of food that is discarded is composted and returned to the kitchen garden. ‘It’s a really nice way of keeping everything connected,’ he says. ‘We use as much local and indigenous produce as possible, and whatever we don’t use we put back into the soil to keep our little part of this region as healthy as possible into the future.’ Serafino Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. 77

Powering up, valuing change Story by Lori-Ellen Grant.

As an enthusiastic student in my twenties, I spent my Saturday mornings classifying textbooks in the college library with one of my lecturers, Cameron. Cameron was a vibrant woman in her late forties, her face weathered and leathered with experience, and I enjoyed the chance to ask her questions while I had her all to myself. Though she was petite, she had a strong physical presence and there was often a glint in her eye. In truth, I was in awe of her. She was confident, assertive, wise and self-assured. She could pinpoint strengths and weaknesses so that, at times, I felt at her mercy. Over those Saturdays we traversed many topics and I soaked up her wisdom. During one such conversation, she spoke of her own transition as a woman growing and changing with age. She smiled as she described that without her monthly cycle, moving into menopause, she was essentially ‘powering up.’ And she was excited about it. At this time, my own mother was at menopausal age and her life at work and home involved high stress. When she visited the family doctor a few years later for a check up, he said she’d already been through menopause and she hadn’t even noticed. Mum put it all down to the stress in her life and didn’t differentiate her symptoms as menopause. For her, it was just life. Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive life, with the average onset at fifty. Prior to menopause, more than ninety percent of the oestrogen in a woman’s body is made by the ovaries. When ovulation no longer occurs, the production of oestrogen and progesterone drop. Studies across different cultures have called into question the idea that menopause is accompanied by similar symptoms everywhere. The variation in symptoms between cultures could relate to genetics and diet, as well as cultural attitudes to the menopausal transition and a woman’s relationship to it. Women report differences in the severity of their symptoms and the impact they have on their daily life. More than half of women talk about ‘mild’ symptoms, a fifth experience no symptoms and another fifth report being severely affected. Among the variables across cultures, the intensity of the

symptoms reported was subject to additional factors including smoking, education, employment and age. A common symptom among Australian women, hot flushes, is mentioned by just under half of all menopausal women. Even among this group, experiences differ with not all women reporting the flushes as a problem. In China, where medical texts and syndromes date back over centuries, there are no references of menopause as a pathology until 1964 when it appeared in a Chinese medicine textbook. In Japan, shoulder stiffness and depression are the primary symptoms. Studies have observed a link between depression and menopause, with two-thirds of women in one study mentioning emotional concerns including impatience, nervousness, changing weight and appearance, sense of losing control, and worry about family members and their own health. Concerns over entering later life and going through this transition show how optimising not only physical health, but also emotional and mental health, can impact the journey. Menopause doesn’t just represent an internal reckoning for women. The social standing and value given to older women in a society or community will also influence how women embrace ageing. For women who have children, their sense of purpose may also change or come under question as they move on from the role of carer. Relationships and priorities are often re-evaluated, while physical changes can awaken a new or different sense of mortality. By the time the sixth decade approaches, the culmination of a lifetime of habits, of daily contributions to our wellbeing, will begin to pay dividends – for better or worse. Women now live around one third of their lives after menopause, and knowing what to expect and understanding the impact our social and cultural lives can have on the experience of menopause could better equip women for the transition. The perception of ageing, and embracing changing body, mind and emotional needs, will shape the experience. Consciously choosing to find value in yourself and creating a meaningful context which offers you the best pathway through this transition is paramount to having a good experience. Now in my fortieth year, I’m aiming to have that twinkle in my eye when my time to ‘power up’ begins.

SAMSON TALL McLAREN VALE · CELLAR DOOR · WINERY · GALLERY OPEN 11- 5, 7 DAYS · 219 STROUT ROAD MCLAREN VALE · SAMSONTALL.COM.AU

discover our new

Enrolment vacancies are now available for your child in Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Years 7 - 12 in 2020. To join us for our next tour on Friday 13 September at 9.30am, register online. A fresh horizon awaits. | tatachilla.sa.edu.au

BOOKS & WORDS

Spring book reviews by Mark Laurie of South Seas Books, Port Elliot he seeks to moor himself to something, to give direction to his rather shiftless life. However, he succeeds in unleashing changes over which he holds no sway, a metaphor for the author’s view that the heedless pursuit of this science and invention is the ultimate vanity project, a ‘monstrous act of self-love’ destined to yield an uncontrollable future. This multilayered novel explores our past, our manifest ambition and our future against the core questions of what constitutes humanity and what makes life worthwhile.

The Ship That Never Was

Machines Like Me

by Adam Courtenay

by Ian McEwan

Published by ABC Books (Harper Collins Australia) ISBN 9780733338571 $29.99

Published by Jonathan Cape (an imprint of Vintage) ISBN 9781787331662 $29.99 From a reimagined Britain of the 1980s, prolific and prize-winning author Ian McEwan sketches what the beginnings of sophisticated, human-like robots charged with highly developed artificial intelligence might look like. While transferring a visible future into a transfigured past, he explores what such machines might represent and become. Might they be toys, slaves, ‘ambulant laptops’ or an improved version of humanity, a reference point to better our behaviours? Are they a passport to increased leisure, unshackling us from drudgery, or do they level a substantial threat against our sense of purpose and self? Charlie, a thirty-something day-trader with a degree in anthropology and an interest in electronics, uses his inheritance to buy Adam, one of twenty-five artificial humans released into the world. At the same time, he begins a relationship with his neighbour, Miranda. With both acts,

human need for community and sense of belonging. Written entirely in the first person and adopting an unaffected, naïf style, the author and his subject draw sympathy and beauty from barren ground, with individual encounters and events providing touchstones against desolation and emptiness. Its lesson is that the slightest spark is enough to ignite us, if only in our youth before our hardened, protective carapace falls into place. Newly re-printed, John Kennedy Toole’s first novel was written in 1954 when the author was only sixteen. Originally published in 1989, after much family and legal wrangling, its lead character represents a counterpoint to the much-celebrated Ignatius J. Reilly and his Confederacy of Dunces, while the writing glimmers with the potential which was to go on to claim a Pulitzer prize.

The Neon Bible by John Kennedy Toole Published by Grove Press ISBN 9781611854985 $19.99 A boy, David, narrates his upbringing in difficult circumstances in the Calvinistinfected southern United States of the 1940s. He describes a time of war and want, of hardship felt at the margins of a small town, of its society and impoverishment. Rather than a source of solace or support, the church, and those representing it, turn heavy-handed moral judgments, enforced conformity and bigotry against the intrinsic

This well-researched popular history follows convict James Porter’s entanglement with intolerant law and transportation, his responses to the harsh realities of Van Diemen’s Land in the early nineteenth century and a series of maritime escapes. A ‘tough little man,’ in equal parts indomitable and incorrigible, Porter wrote no less than three memoirs which have been well mined by those seeking to understand or represent the Van Diemen’s Land experience. As all politicians know, to write a memoir is to attempt to control how history is remembered and told. They should also know by now that such attempts meet with highly variable but largely disappointing rates of success. Porter’s self-serving and conflicting accounts have long been viewed as unreliable by historians and writers, a reflection of his recidivist and morally ambiguous tendencies. Notably, he received derogatory treatment by Marcus Clarke in his fictional classic, For the Term of His Natural Life. In writing this The Ship That Never Was,

Bryce Courtenay’s son Adam was inspired by a more nuanced rendering in Australia’s longest running play by the same name. Courtenay’s version seeks to portray Porter in a way which engages contemporary readers seeking a more layered, socially calibrated and complex understanding of our country’s colonial past.

pedigree researching Pacific cultural history, Nunn has written numerous interdisciplinary books and scholarly articles and has long shed the strictures of our compartmentalised academy. Here, he ‘carbon dates’ indigenous oral histories, notably from Aboriginal Australians, with learnings from geological science, demonstrating the longevity and consistency of these stories while theorising how they may have endured. Nunn isn’t content to merely confirm their veracity and persistence over the millennia. Rather, he argues for their continuing relevance in the face of rising sea levels and other calamities of the natural world. We should be prepared to listen to this finely-honed experiential messaging from the edge of human memory. It provides enduring clues for survival, adaptation and recovery in our warming, drowning world.

The Edge of Memory:

A thinly fictionalised work imagining life inside the last decade of Jim Jones’ People’s Temple, the cult which posed and began as a revolutionary church founded on principles of racially inclusive socialism in Indiana before moving to California in the 1960s. It was to end in a blaze of infamy with the suicide/massacre of almost one thousand of its members in the self-styled Jonestown, Guyana in 1978. The book draws from the author’s deep well of research, including interviews with surviving members and the families of those less fortunate, and explores the motivations, interactions and day-to-day existence of ordinary people who chose to revise their lives in such radical ways. While narrated from the perspective of his handmaidens and lieutenants, Jones constantly looms, grooms and manipulates, the charismatic, narcissistic charlatan whose galloping paranoia brings increasingly irrational, frenzied behaviour and doom. Although struggling at times to explain Jones’ enduring hold over people searching for meaning in the unluckiest of places, this debut novel by a young Australian author is tightly written and darkly fascinating. In re-examining something outside of the established order and at the fringes of our collective memory, this book rings a cautionary bell as we search for alternative answers to the manifest ills of our world.

Ancient Stories, Oral Tradition and the Post-glacial World by Patrick Nunn Published by Bloomsbury Sigma ISBN 978147294362 $29.99 In privileging western science, postenlightenment philosophy and the written word as the repository of all human knowledge, we appear to be no more than the sort of know-it-alls who, unchecked, render any workplace or social function unendurable. According to author, Patrick Nunn, this tyranny of literacy not only risks making us bores, it handicaps our capacity to understand deep time and respond to the climate change all but the most obdurate denialists witness around us. A prize-winning geological scientist and professorial geographer with a distinguished

Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett Published by Scribe ISBN 9781925713039 $32.99

Taken an amazing photo on the Fleurieu lately? Send us an email or upload it to our Facebook page and you could see your handiwork in print. Each issue weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll choose an image to publish right here in the pages of FLM: facebook.com/FleurieuLivingMagazine. This photo of the jetty at Rapid Bay was submitted by Lynette McNamara.

Experience this unique venue ACCOMMODATION • FUNCTIONS • WEDDINGS

Award-winning catering and planning by

Cindy Westphalen +61 (0) 414 618 433 cindy@cindysclassicgourmet.com.au | cindysclassicgourmet.com.au

‘Defining Moment’ Exhibition Opening October 5th, 2019. This exhibition celebrates the work of many Fleurieu artists in tradition of the early Australian impressionists.

Design / branding / video production for forward thinking businesses. jason@threefiftyseven.com

41 The Strand, Port Elliot. Open Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm. For private viewings, please phone 0419 501 648 Image above: Currency Creek by John Lacey 2019, 9” x 5” oil on board

FOOD & WINE PAIRING

Celebrate the flavours of spring Story by Mel Amos. Photography by Aise Dillon.

Spring has sprung folks, so head to your local farmers’ market to make the most of what the new season has to offer. Our markets are teeming with an abundance of produce to choose from including beautiful young, tender asparagus, green garlic, baby courgette, bright leafy greens and so much more. Now, this may seem a little out of the ordinary, but what better way to get those vegetables into us than to make pizza? Yes, you read right. One of my favourite ways to get the good stuff in, is by piling them onto a crispy, fluffy pizza base. And just quietly, any fussy non-vegetable eating members of your household may be more inclined to try vegetables if they’re on a pizza and draped in melty, cheesy goodness. As you may have guessed, these pizzas aren’t your average Hawaiian or supreme, rather they’re members of the pizza bianca family, a ’white’ pizza. In other words, a pizza base dressed with olive oil rather than tomato sauce. In contrast to tomato-based pizzas which pair wonderfully with a light red, the flavours of these salty, tangy, zesty bianca pizzas lend themselves perfectly to a white wine. A new drop which has caught our eye (and palate), is Dowie Doole’s 2018 Vermentino. Talented winemaker, Chris Thomas, has created a vibrant and fresh wine with a palate of delicate citrus, hinting at almond and pistachio and a lovely mineral and acid finish. A match made in heaven which you really ought to try.

Pizza Bianca Dough makes four pizza bases Ingredients 500g tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting 350ml lukewarm water 1tsp salt 1tsp instant dried yeast Method Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, place the water, salt and a handful or two of the flour and mix until you have a thin batter. Add the yeast and leave for two minutes. Gradually mix in the remaining flour and mix for around 10-15 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a large, well oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and prove for an hour or two until the dough has doubled in size.

Dust the top of the dough with flour and knock out the air using your fist. Turn out onto a well floured bench (this dough is sticky) and divide into four equal portions. Using well floured hands, roll each portion into a ball, stretching the sides underneath and pinching it at the bottom. Place onto a floured tray, dust the tops with flour and cover loosely with cling film. Leave to prove for around an hour or until the balls have doubled in size. Preheat your oven to 250C or as hot as it will go and place a pizza stone inside (better still, use a wood oven if you have one). On a floured bench, using your hands press out the dough into a flat disc and then pick it up and gently stretch it out (turning it around as you go) until it’s around 30cm in diameter – it should be a little thicker around the edges. Carefully move the dough onto a floured paddle or board, pull it into shape and give it a jiggle to make sure it’s not sticking. Top with toppings below. Asparagus, goat curd and lemon Makes 2 pizzas Ingredients 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 tbsp romano cheese, grated* 1 bunch asparagus, sliced in half lengthways and then 3cm long batons 100g goat curd Bunch of fresh dill 1 lemon, zested, then cut into wedges Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method Drizzle the pizza base with olive oil and dot with the sliced garlic. Add the romano cheese and asparagus and then dot with teaspoonfuls of goat curd. Finish with lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt. Quickly shunt onto your pizza stone and cook for around 8-10 minutes or until golden, crisp and with slightly darkened edges. Garnish with fresh dill, a generous amount of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Baby courgette, ricotta, prosciutto and rocket Makes 2 pizzas Ingredients 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 100g cheddar curd 6-8 baby courgette (zucchini), flowers attached if possible (stamens removed), sliced in half lengthways 100g ricotta cheese

12 thin slices of prosciutto Bunch of fresh mint 2 cups rocket 1 tsp balsamic vinegar Sea salt and cracked black pepper 1 lemon cut into wedges

Method Drizzle the pizza base with olive oil. Crumble over the cheddar curd and add the baby courgette. Dot with ricotta cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Quickly shunt onto your pizza stone and cook for around 8-10 minutes or until golden, crisp and with slightly darkened edges. While the pizza is cooking, dress the rocket with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt. Once the pizza is cooked, drape with prosciutto, scatter with torn mint leaves and top with dressed rocket leaves. 85

Saturdays 8am –12.30pm Willunga Town Square

Meet the grower, TASTE THE REGION We welcome you to our community. Become a member for the day and receive 10% discount off all purchases when you present this voucher to the Information Stall.

206 Port Road, Aldinga

Open from 11 to 9pm Fridays • Other times by appointment. Tasting Classes • WSET and other wine courses available.

www.willungafarmersmarket.com.au

T: 08 8556 2590 E: gill@fallfromgrace.com.au

9 Festivals in 1! • featuring •

Felicity Urquhart NSW - Country/Folk The Ballpoint Khristian Mizzi SA - Singer/Songwriter Penguins WA - Humour/Folk The Royal Saoirse High Jinx VIC - Celtic

Come in and taste our range of boutique McLaren Vale Wines and Meads while enjoying views overlooking the vineyards. Stay for lunch and indulge in the house specialty “The Quartet”; a 4 course mini degustation menu that will fulfil all your culinary delights. Cellar Door open daily from 10am – 5pm Ellen Street Restaurant open 4 days a week (Fri-Mon) for lunch from 12pm Maxwell Of McLaren Vale Cnr Chalk Hill & Olivers Roads McLaren Vale SA 5171 Ph: (08) 8323 8200 info@maxwellwines.com.au www.maxwellwines.com.au

VIC - World/Folk

OVER 50 A CTS - 9 VENUES • FOLK • COUNTRY • CELTIC • • BLUES & BLUEGRASS • JAZZ • AMERICANA • • WORLD • SINGER/SONGWRITERS • • Concerts • Workshops • • Dance • Poetry & Spoken Word • • Sessions • Open Mics • • Food & Crafts • Kids’ Activities • FLEURIEUFOLKFESTIVAL.COM.AU 

NEED AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHS OF YOUR NEXT EVENT? CALL

Delicious food, amazing cocktails. Family friendly fare. Enjoy the fiesta! 17 - 21 Ocean Street Victor Harbor call (08) 8552 9883 or www.locomexican.com

ANGELA LISMAN PHOTOGRAPHY M: 0409 738 297 E: angela@angelalismanphotography.com.au W: angelalismanphotography.com.au

Open Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm but check extended summer trading hours on Facebook facebook.com/locovictorharbor/

TRAILBLAZER

Betty Harris Story by Kate Le Gallez. Photograph by Jason Porter.

According to Greek mythology, Elysium is a state or place of perfect happiness, a paradise where heroes could live out their immortal days. It’s no surprise then, that this is the name that Betty Harris, now 94, chose for the Blewitt Springs winery she owned and operated with her husband, Frank from 1970 to 1985. As an accountant-turned-winemaker who, quite frankly, prefers a drop of brandy, Betty’s zest for perfection led her to become not only a celebrated winemaker, but also the first woman chairperson of the McLaren Vale Bushing Festival. Betty started her career as an accountant in public firms and her family’s two menswear businesses. Then in 1969, as Frank took on more senior roles in the State Transport Authority, eventually becoming general manager, Betty began considering new business ideas. The couple decided on developing a vineyard and after much searching settled on a thirty-five-acre parcel of land on Brookmans Road in Blewitt Springs. Betty’s plan was to be a grower, not a winemaker. They planted the property with over twenty varieties, including chardonnay, shiraz and muscat, adding to existing plantings of grenache and palomino. But by the time the grapes were ready to sell, they’d run headfirst into the Whitlam Government’s new tax regime which had depressed the wine industry. ‘We sold the grapes and expected the cheques to come in and nothing happened,’ Betty explains. ‘We were faced with owning a vineyard, but we just couldn’t sell the grapes. So it was decided we’d have to have a winery.’ They experimented with outsourcing the winemaking in 1976, but decided they preferred to retain control over their product. So, as Betty puts it, ‘it was decided I should take over.’ As Betty recounts these developments to me all these years later, her nonchalance is striking. Her matter-of-fact tone perhaps reflects the passage of time, but it certainly doesn’t diminish her achievements as one of only a handful of female winemakers in what was then a fledgling industry. What came next at Elysium – the accolades, the medals – speaks to Betty’s tenacity, her innate capability and her unwavering quest for perfection. All led by a woman who doesn’t drink wine. Betty made her first wines in 1977, working closely with a man named Bill Budich. He too was a perfectionist, with strong viticultural knowledge and a good palate. After the bottling debacle the previous year, they set up their own bottling facility as well as an onsite winery.

Their first 1977 shiraz won three gold medals and they came second in the McLaren Vale Bushing King competition that same year. While she later took a four-day course at Roseworthy, Betty was largely self-taught. At tastings, she would position herself next to someone she knew had a strong palate and compare notes with them. It obviously worked. Her wines continued to win medals on the show circuit and were frequently written up in the press. But her unorthodox training perhaps also freed her to think about what her customers were looking for in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Alongside traditional table wines, she also made a ‘sweet’ red, a liqueur chardonnay and ‘pink fantasy’, which Betty suggested should be served in a cocktail glass. All were bestsellers. ‘The real secret of it was they were beautiful grapes, grown on sandy soils,’ says Betty with characteristic modesty. ‘The public’s view of wine had changed. Instead of these heavy reds, they wanted these light, elegant wines and that’s what we supplied.’ Betty was also a member of the McLaren Vale Winemakers Committee, though she’d never been part of the Bushing Festival Committee which ran alongside. By 1980, the Bushing Festival was in crisis and the chairperson’s seat empty. In absentia (she missed the Winemakers Committee meeting owing to a troublesome tooth), Betty was voted in unanimously as the new chairperson of the festival. The next day, Betty was catching up on the news with another member: ‘I said ‘who was the patsy who took the poison chalice?’ He said ‘why you of course!’ During her two-year tenure, she would host Prince Charles on his royal tour to the region in 1981 (‘I suddenly became terribly popular!’) and initiated the release of a commemorative port to help bring the Bushing Festival’s books back into the black. By 1985, family circumstances determined it was time for a change and Betty and Frank made the decision to close Elysium. They would eventually sell the winery to Roman Bratasiuk who established his renowned label Clarendon Hills on the site. They continued to live in the cottage until 1991 when they moved down the road to their next venture – an olive grove. They remained part of the community with Frank serving as chairman of the Southern Districts Hospital until they moved to Adelaide for health reasons in 2008. Today, Betty’s retired at home (although she kept doing her tax returns until 2013) while Frank lives in a nearby nursing home. As our interview draws to a close, she expresses surprise that anyone would be interested in her story. Having listened to her over the past hour and learned of just a few of her many accomplishments, there’s no doubt in my mind that her story is worth telling. As a woman entrepreneur ahead of her time, Betty is a true trailblazer of our region. 89

Hotel .-Restaurant . Bar . Bottle Shop Local Wines & Spirits .-Live Music Takeaway Meals . Open 7 Days 27 High St, Strathalbyn 0431 773 314

TOURISM AND LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

commissions · stock photos · workshops t. 0402 716 406 e. heidi@heidiwho.com w. heidiwho.com facebook / instagram / twitter / heidiwhophotos COMERCIAL HOTEL Strathalbyn

COMERCIALHOTELStrathalbyn

SMILING SAMOYED BREWERY Find our beers here -

OPEN FOR LUNCH WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY DINNER FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS FROM 6PM PH: 08 8598 4184 WWW.LEONARDSMILL.COM.AU 7869 MAIN SOUTH ROAD, SECOND VALLEY SA

Barn Bistro Bombora Coast Motel and Apartments Currant Shed d’Arenberg Eat at Whalers Fleurieu Function Centre Flour Store Flying Fish Cafe Hortas Ivybrook Farm Leonards Mill McLaren Vale Visitors Centre Meningie Cheese Factory Mitolo Moana Cellarbrations

Ninos Normanville Hotel One Little Sister Oxenberry Farm Red Poles Port Burger Seaford Beach Hotel Seagrass Villas Second Valley Caravan Park Sourc’d Southern Ocean Retreats Thunderbird Victor Resort Hotel bottleshop Wharf Barrel Shed Woodstock

Open for lunch every day and dinner on Fridays Hansen Street, Myponga.

Telephone 8558 6166 bookings@smilingsamoyed.com.au

See it. Taste it. Buy it.

Healthy aging is very dependent on good hearing. We risk our social skills if we cannot communicate. A hearing test is simple and informative. CALL TO BOOK A TEST NOW.

The newest Cellar Door in Langhorne Creek.

Mary Trowbridge Audiologist 187 Main Rd Mclaren Vale M: 0411 779 916 mary@fleurieuhearing.com.au www.fleurieuhearing.com.au

WINE & CHEESE FLIGHTS LOCAL PRODUCE PLATTERS FAMILY FRIENDLY

Open 7 days | 10am - 4pm

29 Burleigh St Langhorne Creek t: 08 8537 3002 www.kimboltonwines.com.au

Learn to Surf

All ages, all levels, all time fun!

P: 0412 950 087

surfcultureaustralia.com.au

asterpiece! er Expect a M Work Togeth ill 7516 5657 Sk 8) d (0 p. an hi ve When Lo Historic Towns ga in ld A e th In the heart of

BLEASDALE.COM.AU

John Lacey

gallery studio

Visit www.millestate.com.au 0448 016 951 – stay@millestate.com.au

W: johnlacey.com.au

follow me @johnlaceyartist

Open 11am - 5 pm most days 41 Woodcone Rd Mt Compass 0419 823 708 91

Above: Both the interior and exterior have been carefully planned to accommodate families in need of a relaxing break.

Where memories are made Story by Zoe Kassiotis.

Victor Harbor has long been a place of escape and respite for South Australian families. One house in particular, a fivebedroom home overlooking the calm waters of the Encounter Lakes, has recently been built with just this ideal in mind, offering the chance to ‘get away’ to families who need it more than most. The Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation (WCHF) Fleurieu Beach House is South Australia’s first purpose-built holiday home for children with complex medical needs and life-limiting illnesses. It provides a much-needed reprieve from hospital visits and doctors’ offices for these children. But more than that, the house offers a precious gift for the families who stay there: a place to create memories. The Beach House is the product of the incredible determination of the WCHF, supported by the local Victor Harbor community. The whole project is perfectly considered, from the lakefront location just a few minutes from the local hospital to the inviting space itself and the local businesses who have rallied to bring it to fruition. It’s a true triumph of community spirit. The sun made a welcome appearance on the crisp July morning we met WCHF CEO Jane Scotcher and Olivia Knott, a Victor Harbor 92

resident who played an integral part in the project. Well before the first sod was turned on the Encounter Bay site, Olivia worked tirelessly with the WCHF to bring the project to life, engaging closely with the proud Victor Harbor community who have so far raised close to sixty thousand dollars for the project. When Olivia isn’t rallying her community around this extraordinary project, she works as South Coast Realty’s Business Development Manager. The Beach House has brought these two passions together, with South Coast Realty named a Program Partner for the Beach House. ‘The whole community embraced the purpose and is so proud that the WCHF chose Victor Harbor to be the destination for this special house,’ she says. ‘It’s been so fulfilling for me personally and it’s given me a lot of purpose.’ The house is filled with thoughtful touches; a book titled ‘You Got This’ rests next to the king bed in the parents’ generously sized room, while sensory play equipment is on hand for children of all abilities to enjoy. More practical features like curved walls and extra-wide passageways unobtrusively make life as easy as possible for guests, while high-tech additions like a temperature-controlled disability bath - it also plays music and sheds a calming light - offer comfort and a relaxing atmosphere for patients. ‘We really wanted it to be a homely environment, so families don’t feel like they’re coming from one ward to another,’ Jane explains when walking me through the house. The design bears this out in

Above: The home offers maximum comfort, high design and many thoughtful touches giving those who stay a rare opportunity to have a holiday, create memories and a sense of ease.

‘The whole community embraced the purpose and is so proud that the WCHF chose Victor Harbor to be the destination for this special house.’ many ways, big and small, but it’s a framed bedside poem in the patient’s room that captures the feeling most succinctly: ‘Loved you yesterday, love you still. Always have, always will.’ This sentiment was echoed by all local heroes who worked on the project. Coastal Landscaping and Fencing put an incredible amount of thought into making the garden special for housebound families. As guests enter the gates, they will pass by a thoughtfully crafted courtyard, which includes a wheelchair accessible cubby, a dry creek with stepping stone logs and a bridge, along with a hand pumping water feature. The Victor Harbor Lutheran Church is also extending their support with reflective and meaningful welcome hampers that are tailored to the families. The hampers will showcase the best of the Fleurieu with goodies such as local produce and crafts. The long-term legacy of the project will see proud Fleurieu businesses and services continue to rally the community spirit to support the future of the Beach House as it moves from a wellthought-out fundraising and building project to a heart-warming fixture of the local area. As I’m guided out through the courtyard, we pass a feature wall – freshly painted and awaiting a colourful piece of artwork donated by local sponsors – another reminder that the community is doing what they can to help. Jane comments, ‘we cannot change the journey for the families that will use the Beach House, but it is our hope that

Above: Olivia Knott of South Coast Realty worked tirelessly with the WCH to bring this project to life.

their time here will provide them with an opportunity to rest, connect and create wonderful memories together’. For more information on the WCHF Beach House visit, wchfoundation.org.au/beachhouse *Please note: families, whose children are cared for by the complex care or palliative care teams at the WCH, can apply to stay at the Beach House.

Spring Wellness Awaken your best self by making time for positive lifestyle rituals and rhythms this spring. These Fleurieu-based wellbeing specialists are ready to encourage, nurture and detox your body and mind with a diverse range of treatments, workshops, classes and nutritional foods.

DEEP WATER MEDICINE Willunga Acupuncturists and exponents of mindbody medicine, Lez Shiell and Lori-Ellen Grant are a dynamic couple who help people flourish. Solution focused and family centred, Lez and Lori-Ellen provide support for musculoskeletal injuries, hormones, fertility, birth preparation, maternal care and life transitions. With over thirty years of combined experience, they help build pathways to health so you can move, live and be well. deepwatermedicine.com.au 94

COLLECTIVE ELEMENTS McLaren Vale Carla offers kinesiology and nutrition consultations as well as group and private Pilates classes. She takes an individualised approach to each consultation; one size definitely does not fit all when it comes to health. Using both her clinical experience as a dietitian and her holistic training as a kinesiologist, Carla works with all elements of health â&#x20AC;&#x201C; structural, chemical, emotional, mental and spiritual. collectivelements.com.au

PORT ELLIOT WELLNESS Port Elliot Immerse yourself in the tranquil surroundings of our peaceful beach house studio and restore your body, mind and spirit through the holistic experience of Ayurveda. We offer a wide range of therapies to assist your health and wellbeing, from bespoke day spa treatments, massage, meditation and yoga classes to half and full day retreats as well as our popular plant-based cooking workshops. portelliotwellness.com

ALL ABOUT HEALTH Aldinga ‘To keep the body in good health is a duty ... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.’ – Buddha • Osteopathy – Dr Josh Dawson • Acupuncture/Chinese Medicine – Paige Olsen • Naturopathy – Georgina Robertson • Chiropractic – Dr Kirstie Kendrick • Pre and Post Natal Massage/Fertility consultant – Nadia Parisi • Remedial Massage – Leonie Hick and Melissa Mair allabouthealthaldinga.com.au

REAL FOOD LIFE Southern Fleurieu Real Food Life creates whole food desserts and meals, available at various eateries on the southern Fleurieu or via their online shop. Catering has become a growing part of Real Food Life, specialising in gluten free, plant based and paleo lifestyles. Founder, Sarah, aims to inspire healthier communities to thrive by connecting them with real food. realfoodlife.com.au

THE JOYFUL PATH Victor Harbor The Joyful Path is a space where we encourage selfcare, to nurture yourself and take time for self-reflection. Through our offerings of yoga, meditation, remedial and relaxation massage, reflexology, cupping, vibrational healing and chakra balancing – the body, mind & heart have the opportunity to release stress & pain, to restore harmony and align with your soul and a place of inner peace and joy. thejoyfulpath.com.au

Fleurieu weddings Maddie McGinn and Chris Franco married at Lake Breeze Wines on 19th January 2019. Photography by Nathan and Thea of Johnst Photography.

Having first crossed paths as high school sweethearts, Chris and Maddie’s wedding seemed like it was years in the making. When the day finally came, it was a big celebration enjoyed by the family and friends who had shared in the couple’s almost ten years together. Chris proposed to Maddie on a long weekend getaway to McLaren Vale in January 2018. After a day of wine tasting Chris surprised Maddie with a custom-made diamond ring. The couple had spent many weekends and holidays over the years at Maddie’s parents’ holiday home in Port Elliot, so the Fleurieu was

an easy choice for their wedding location. As soon as they visited Lake Breeze Wines, meeting with Cellar Door and Event Manager, Ashleigh, Chris and Maddie knew they had found the perfect location. The winery’s barrel-lined verandah leading out onto perfectly manicured lawns with views to the vineyard was exactly what they had been searching for. ‘Ashleigh was such a great help in planning our big day,’ says Maddie. ‘Nothing was too much trouble and she was very proactive in making sure every little detail was thought of. We could not have done it without her!’ The couple planned to hold their ceremony at The Good Shepherd Church in Strathalbyn and that’s when they hit a hurdle. The Tour Down Under had just released their 2019 stage dates, and Stage 5 (Glenelg to Strathalbyn) was to finish at the time of their ceremony.

Just an additional 10,000 spectators to contend for parking with! The couple had arranged for a local bus service to transport their guests from both Victor Harbor and Adelaide to Strathalbyn for the ceremony. After re-routing the buses to avoid the road closures, the Alexandrina Council came to the rescue, letting the couple borrow traffic bollards to block off the church car park and street front to allow their guests to arrive. Maddie and her father, John, walked down the aisle to a beautiful acoustic rendition of Ed Sheeran’s Tenerife Sea, sung by Isabella De Marco. The couple were married by Maddie’s family priest, Monsignor John Swann, in front of a full church of family and friends. Following the ceremony, the couple and their bridal party had photos taken around the picturesque Lake Breeze property, by Nathan and

Thea of Johnst Photography. The beautiful candid style of shooting perfectly suited the camera-shy couple. The warm summer evening proved to be perfect for the indoor/ outdoor set up at Lake Breeze. The guests mingled on the lawns for pre-dinner drinks and nibbles before taking their seats in the elegantly styled verandah to enjoy dinner. After heartfelt speeches, the couple made a brief escape to share a private moment and capture some beautiful photos in the fading sunlight. On their return, they took to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife, before their guests joined in and danced the night away. As the evening drew to a close, Maddie and Chris farewelled each of their guests before a car whisked them away to their beautiful accommodation on the Lake Breeze grounds. 97

Jimmy Smith’s Dairy jimmy smith’s dairy style guide

Single Vineyard – Estate Grown, Alternate Varietals Savagnin – Tempranillo – Zinfandel – Durif 262 Lake Plains Road, Langhorne Creek 8537 3086 www.rusticanawines.com.au

For a unique and relaxing getaway at Port Elliot: jimmysmithsdairy.com.au Ph: 0409 690 342 Mentone Road East, Port Elliot, SA (via Brickyard Road.) For a logo to be effective, it’s essential that it doesn’t change. It needs to be represented the same way over and over again. If a logo is suddenly represented in a different way (for example, a red logo suddenly becomes blue) the audience becomes confused and the strength of the brand diminishes. Repetition and consistency is the key.

This style guide is a reference for your logo, and will outline how to use elements in different circumstances.

lunch + tastings weddings + events handpicked festival bed + breakfast

25 Years Experience Wedding Specialists Cocktail . Grazing Tables Share Plates . Cakes chiefcatering@yahoo.com 0412 730 874

Step Rd Langhorne Creek 8537 3017 lakebreeze.com.au

Residential Interior Design & Styling | Property Styling for Sale | Online Store Contact: Marcus 0419 158 784 littleroadhome.com.au · design@littleroadhome.com.au follow us @littleroadhome

Shop1/165 Main Rd McLaren Vale 08 83237405 · gorgeoussoles.com.au

open 10am – 5pm daily (excluding Good Friday and Christmas day)

for wine tastings and flights, local produce and lunch. AWARD-WINNING WINES EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES Ph: (08) 85368334 www.vineyardroad.com.au 697 Langhorne Creek Rd, Belvidere SA 5255

it’s more than just a winery...

It’s Our Lii!

SOCIAL PAGES

Being Social: Tatachilla Lutheran College Year 12 Formal The evening of Friday 26 June marked a milestone for Tatachilla’s Year 12 students as they celebrated their formal at Serafino Wines. The night was spectacular and thoroughly enjoyed by spruced-up staff and students.

Being Social: FLM 7th Anniversary Party Contributors past and present were invited to celebrate Fleurieu Living Magazine’s seventh year in print at Kuitpo Hall on 29 June. Despite the winter chill, it was a cosy afternoon of cool tunes, hearty food and wholesome company, with food trucks from Pit Stop Italian and Van Dough pleasing the masses.

01: Airlie Schirmer and Joe Vile 02: Ashlee Craik and Tesema Krause 03: Briana Jenkins and Joshua Shaw 04: Bridie Schoemaker and Darcy Dahms 05: Jodi Hunt and Heidi Smith 06: Nicholas Elton, Xabian Cederblad and Noah Davies 07: Zoe Kassiotis and Poppy Fitzpatrick 08: Georgie Lightowler, Mark Koen and Yns Onsman 09: Angela Lisman, Angela Hogg and Rachael Harrison 10: Jessica Resce aka Iscah 11: Catherine Freeborn and Summer Boag 12: Leonie and Claudia Hick.

SOCIAL PAGES

Being Social: WCHF Beach House Official Opening The official opening of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation (WCHF) Beach House was held on 20 July, attended by over 200 major donors, dignitaries and supporters of the Beach House. Located at Encounter Lakes, the Beach House is South Australia’s first purpose-built holiday home for families with children with complex medical needs or in palliative care. Photos by Andrew Beveridge.

Being Social: HELLO FLEURIEU! Youth Festival The Investigator College EcoCentre at Currency Creek was bursting with all things youth and excitement on a full afternoon of fun on 28 July. All ages gathered to celebrate our local youth through campfire cooking, mural painting and dance workshops and enjoyed performances from Dance Xtreme and local singer-songwriter, Arivian Thompson.

01: Peter and Angie Hooper 02: Lucy Clarke, Michelle Roberts and Russell and Judy Ward 03: WCHF Head of Fundraising Corinne Habel, WCHF Board Member Wee Keat Chan, Member for Mayo – Rebekha Sharkie, City of Victor Harbor Mayor – Dr Moira Jenkins 04: WCHF Chairman Dr Nick Begakis AO, WCHF CEO Jane Scotcher and WCHF Deputy Chairman Michael O’Connor 05: Jarrod and Ella Stratton with Paul and Anna Davison 06: Marisa and Paul Bellardino 07: Melanie Treloar, Danielle Dutschke and Charlotte Treloar 08: Travis Demsey, Emma Cadd and Nina Keath 09: Zoe Crichton 10: Madison Cadd and Addison Feltus 11: Azi Aitken and Saya Timberlake 12: Jasmine Kear, Alannah Boon, Angus Bruce and Brandy Patterson. 100

An unforgettable walking experience KANGAROO ISLAND WILDERNESS TRAIL

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be left at home with nowhere to go!

Call 13 13 01 or visit sealink.com.au

Now is the time to book that perfect holiday. Call us now: www.southcoaststay.com.au | Victor Harbor 8552 3744 | Goolwa 8555 2533 | Normanville 8558 2900

FLEURIEU LIVING T H E B E S T O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A’ S F L E U R I E U P E N I N S U L A A N D K A N G A R O O I S L A N D

FLEURIEU LIVING MAGAZINE

Whether you opt for a sea change or a tree change, you can certainly rely on our

SPRING 2019

2018 MBA (Master Builders Association SA) Multi Award Winner 2018 HIA (Housing Industry Association SA) Multi Award winner 2018 HIA Green Smart Home of the Year

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

Outstanding design and amazing service.

AU $9.95 SPRING 2019 02 >

Build your dream home –in your dream location | southcoastconstructions.com.au 37 Victoria Street, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211 Telephone: 08 8552 4444 Email: admin@scconstruct.com.au

772200

403004