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CO N TE N TS E AT

C O C K TA I L

The New Golden Age

The Jungle Bird

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06 C R E AT E

R E TA I L

When The Spirit Moves Me

Dare To Do It

08

42

PRODUCE

DRINK

In The Absence of Air

Turning Water into Gin

50

16

F E AT U R E

RECIPE

Part of Something

Caramel Upside Down Cake

55

22 L O S T N E W S L AT E B L O O M E R

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L O S T - T H E G U I D E T O W H E R E T O F I N D I T

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L O C A L Q & A

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VO L 2 0 I S S U E 1 9 9 | N OV EM BER 2 0 2 0 ABOUT LOST MAGA ZINE

Lost Magazine is an independent monthly magazine circulating throughout Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Kyneton, Trentham, Glenlyon, Castlemaine, Woodend, Creswick, Clunes and surrounds. We also distribute to select Melbourne venues and to an ever-growing subscriber base.

LOST TE AM

PUBLISHERS

EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

PHOTOGR APHER

Tony De Marco & Theresa Albioli

Taylor Albioli

Ryan Wait

Chris Turner

F E AT U R E W R I T E R

F E AT U R E W R I T E R

F E AT U R E W R I T E R

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Larissa Dubecki

Mahmood Fazal

Michael Harden

Anthony Carrubba

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Ulysses Macedon Ranges by photographer Chris Turner. Read the full story on page 22.

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LO S T N EW S

Lost News

I

t’s been a while, hasn’t it? We’ve missed creating Lost Magazine over these last two months, and many of our readers have reached out and said that they miss us, too.

I can’t blame them, because even though we’re just a humble little magazine, the people we are lucky enough to interview all have such incredible stories. When I found myself reading these stories of the region for the first time in months, I couldn’t help but smile. Some of them even sent a shiver down my spine! I think that’s my body telling me that it’s missed being inspired and enchanted by all of the amazing stories from our corner of the world. What a pleasure it is to creatively collaborate with such beautiful people.

In this month’s issue, Mahmood was lucky enough to meet and learn from some of our community’s incredible women. Sharon, from The Fermentery, taught him about fermenting, and Tania from Imagine Lovely Ceramics guided him through the process of making clay beautiful. Then, Sylvia spoke about

WRAP UP OF NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN OUR REGION B Y E D I T O R , TAY L O R A L B I O L I

her journey to become the first female president of the Ulysses Motorcycle Club in the Macedon Ranges. Finally, he was lucky enough to stop and have a browse through the clothes store Harry and Me, before having a chat with owner Tania.

As always, Larissa was won over by one of the region’s best eateries when Matt from Johnny Alloo taught her about food and the history behind the restaurant’s namesake.

Michael stopped by for a drink at the incredible Hepburn Springs Distilling Co. where owners Brett and Rebekah took him through their journey to becoming one of Victoria’s leading gin distillers.

Finally, Anthony ruminated on spring and some of our beautiful state’s botanical gardens.

Now please, go on ahead and explore this month’s issue of Lost Magazine!

Taylor Albioli Editor

LO S T M AG A Z I N E | 7

LO ST CREATE C REATE

When The

Spirit

Moves Me

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LO S T C R EATE

I M A G I N E L O V E LY C E R A M I C S S TO RY BY M A H M O O D FA Z A L PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

LO S T M AG A Z I N E | 9

LO ST CREATE

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venus fly trap vase. A mug with boobs. A pot with legs. Tania Green is a local ceramicist who toys with the cycle of clay making. “I think the thing with ceramics is that it happens in cycles,” she asserts. “You have your initial baking cycle. Then you've got to glaze everything. Then fire everything. Then get everything home. And sand everything. It’s just a cycle.”

Tania considers her words carefully, speaking in a thoughtful rhythm. “I am in this very blessed position, being able to work when I want,” says Tania. “So I try not to force it. I only do it when I feel like it. When the spirit moves me.”

Tania was born in Bream Bay, an hour north of Auckland in New Zealand. “My family are Croatian, they all came over to New Zealand to escape the war,” explains Tania. “They were gum diggers in Northland, they would dig Kauri

gum out of the swamp and it was sent all over the world to be used as a glueing agent.”

“I had a pretty terrible childhood in New Zealand and unfortunately had to leave school quite early. I worked in hospitality for years. Thought I'd become a chef.” When the culinary world didn’t work in Tania’s favour, she turned to advertising. Tania laughs, “and I became quite murderous.”

When Tania moved to Melbourne, she met a silversmith named Laurie Miller. “I think he's the only sculptor in Australia that sculpts with Jade. He’s also a painter and silversmith.”

Laurie taught Tania a crucial lesson. “When you're just making something out of nothing, you realise you don't need to just buy something. If you want something, you can work out how it's made and make it yourself.”

Tania pauses. “There's something special about objects made by hand. Something that lasts forever. And then when I had kids, it

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LO S T C R EATE became a very difficult thing to do, working with fire and chemicals.”

range of ceramic pieces that add a splash of wabi-sabi art to any interior.

Ten years ago Tania moved to Daylesford. We wanted to build a house from straw bales an eco house. The moment I got here I just said, ‘this is where I want to live’. I just knew that this was where I wanted to live. It’s an accepting, open, creative sort of community.

I didn't want to live in a place where people were closed minded,” says Tania. “But I think it was just an energy thing. It just felt like the right place. I don't know if that's got something to do with the mineral water flowing into the ground or, you know, some kind of energetic thing.”

“My style is much more loose, uneven and natural looking. That’s wabi-sabi. I like knowing that it’s handmade. That it’s ceramic and really slow art. It takes time and you just have to be patient and slow down. And a lot of stuff doesn't work out. And you just have to let it go. And it's been really good for me to learn that. Acceptance. Accepting that it is what it is and letting it go.”

Under the tutelage of Minna Graham, Tania was invited to experiment with clay making.

“I just completely fell in love with it. I love gardening. I love earthy things. I love getting my hands dirty.” Today, Tania’s company Imagine Lovely Ceramics offers a handmade

Tania describes the feeling of clay making as tactile. “It's much more sort of fluid. And you really can just take a lump of dirt and turn it into absolutely anything, explains Tania.

“I have people tell me that it makes a huge difference to their day...having this handmade cup, with character, that they get to have their tea from every morning.”

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LO S T P RO D U C E

In The

Absence of

Air

T H E F E R M E N TA R Y S TO RY BY M A H M O O D FA Z A L P H O T O S P R O V I D E D B Y T H E F E R M E N TA R Y

A

seed is really something spiritual as much as it is something material,” writes the ecologist Gary Paul Nabhan. “It contains a life spark that allows the regenerative process to happen.

We need seeds because they are the physical manifestation of that concept we call hope.” “

In fermentation, life forms in the absence of air. At Daylesford’s The Fermentary, Australia’s foremost expert on the process, Sharon Flynn, exercises the ancient art with mouth watering precision. She ferments in small-batches, naturally culturing food and drinks, slowly and with minimal intervention.

“I always think, what did we do before all of this? It’s sort of the basis of everything we do with fermenting,” says Sharon. “You

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LO ST PRODU CE

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LO S T P RO D U C E

could have done this exactly the same way, a long, long time ago. It’s about connecting.

A connection to your ancestral past. To your DNA.” During the industrial revolution, we discovered that killing the bacteria mould extended the shelf life of a food. “So we stopped fermenting,” explains Sharon. “Killing the life is a form of preservation. We chose that method because it made the food easy to ship. It was something like the beginning of the end of our food system.”

In her early twenties, Sharon moved to Mt. Takao in Japan to work as a teacher. On her days off, she met some older women who taught her how to harvest. “This was in a little valley. My apartment was just above it. I'd look down and take photos with my disposable camera and then walk by and sit with them.

They showed me not just how to garden, but how to preserve a harvest. I learned to make my own tsukemono, pickles in a miso bed, made mochi at the temple in the winter, and joined a food club where I learnt to make miso, nattō, and all manner of Japanese home cooking.”

When her Japanese friends would come over, they would pass comments about how Sharon’s apartment reminded them of their grandmothers. When asked about a lesson she preserved from those early days in Japan?

Sharon quipps, “I think simplicity. To be able to see something simple in action.”

“As my family grew, due to my husband’s work, we moved and had to set up homes wherever that took us - Tokyo, Sydney, Chicago, Seattle and Brussels.” It was in Brussels that Sharon’s five-year-old daughter suddenly began feeling ill.

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L O S T M A G A Z I N E | 19

LO ST PRODU CE

“It went on for months and months, beginning with a virus and then it grew into something nobody could diagnose." After many months of strong antibiotics, Sharon decided to put the bacteria back into her daughter's system that had so obviously been wiped out. “I saw a clear and direct line through all of my hobbies and realised they were all fermenting - the foods that could help her were on that list.” And her kitchen became a lab, and ferments became their lifestyle. "Ferments need to be eaten as part of our regular diet. On the table, in our lunches - small amounts of different ferments regularly " says Sharon.

Within months of hitting the shelves of the Woodend health food store, culinary icons like Alla Wolf-Tasker of The Lake House and Andrew McConnell of Cumulus were ordering directly from Sharon. “There were bakeries, butchers, greengrocers, fish and cheese mongers. Where were the fermentaries? I wanted to be that.”

Whether it’s rose water kefir, kimchi, a Phillipine dinosaur egg salt, sauerkraut or miso making kits - The Fermentary in Daylesford has you covered. Underpinning the bursting flavours is the story of life being preserved by the living. Or as the philosopher George Santayana frames it, “A soul is but the last bubble of a long fermentation in the world.”

The Fermentary 03 5348 1370 11/57 Leitches Creek Rd, Daylesford info@thefermentary.com.au www.thefermentary.com.au

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LO S T FFEATU EATURREE

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LO ST FEATU R E

H

unter S Thompson, the most famous writer of motorcycle culture, writes, “But with the throttle screwed on there is only the barest margin, and no room at all for mistakes. It has to be done right...and that's when the strange music starts, when you stretch your luck so far that fear becomes exhilaration and vibrates along your arms.”

The Ulysses Club is a social club for motorcyclists over the age of 40 years. “And I started my passion for riding about 40 years ago, on a farm, riding bikes with my brothers,” quipps Macedon Ranges' first female club president, Sylvia Behan. “I taught my husband when he became my boyfriend too.”

Across Australia, The Ulysses Club is the largest social motorcycle club in the country.

“The club is very inclusive, very welcoming, and made me feel like this is what I needed to do myself,” says Sylvia. “You could go up to a group of men who are chatting about bikes and be included straight away, it wasn't a big problem because you're a woman or you're riding a Harley. There's none of that in the club.”

When Sylvia retired from her work as a teacher, she bought herself a Harley Davidson Street 500 and applied for her motorcycle license. Sylvia asserts, “It was a fabulous little bite to learn on. I've now upgraded to a Street Rod [Harley Davidson]. A little more power. It's really good because it gets me past the trucks much safer.”

The club meets in Gisborne every Saturday for the weekly Tyre Kick. “People walk by and admire the bikes and we'll get together in small groups and chat about the modifications we've all done to our bikes. And then we’re off on our rides.”

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LO S T F EATU R E

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LO S T F EATU R E Although the club motto reads “Growing Old Disgracefully”, the Ulysses Club bikers are not the type of outlaws we see on television.

“We’re not 1%ers. We’re not bikies. We’re bikers. We've had guys from the police, we've had teachers, we've had accountants - we've had all sorts of people from interesting walks of life,” explains Sylvia. “My husband calls me Miss goody-two-shoes because I won't break the speed limit or road rules.”

The underlying principle of the club is to be well organised and safe. “My kids were terrified when I decided to take this up. We have two children and three grandchildren. So you're very glad to get back at the end of the ride.”

Now, at the front of the pack, Sylvia wants others to join in the fun. “It's a really good feeling to be riding in a group especially when on my first ride I led 23 bikes. It was just such a fabulous feeling,” says Sylvia. “If you want me to actually describe what it's like, when you're riding along with a group of people. You feel like you're one. You're one. And it's a nice feeling because you're part of something. And you belong to something.”

In 2018, three women from the Macedon Ranges Ulysses club took part in the Dubbo Babe Raid; an attempt to break the world record for the most women at an all-female bike rally. “And it was a great, great ride.

Swimming in the pools. Going out together.

We didn’t break the record but it was a really

great atmosphere to be amongst so many women who are bikers,” explains Sylvia. “A couple of our ladies were part of the Women Riders World Relay tour last year too! They had a baton and joined a ride that went all the way around the world and finished up in Dubai.”

Every year, the club hosts an annual ride to the memorial cross in Mount Macedon to commemorate former members who have “ridden on.” Over a hundred bikes come from across the State. “they come from as far as the Grampians, Gippsland and Yarra Valley. But it's a really moving feeling to actually be part of so many bikes riding up the mountain.”

When asked about being the first female president of the Macedon Ranges club, Sylvia brushes it off. “Probably, I would say, because nobody else wanted to do it,” laughs Sylvia.

“And I said to Mark, well do you want to do it? Because normally, the Secretary moves up to the President's job. And he said, ‘Nope, no way!’ So many of the guys were so supportive.

Honestly, they were all cheering me on. One of the longest standing members approached me and said, you should go for it. Honestly, I had very positive reactions from all of the men.”

Macedon Ranges Branch Ulysses Club committee@mrub.org.au www.mrub.org.au

Martin Street Coffee Roasters 21 Martin Street, Blackwood 5368 6525 L O S T M A G A Z I N E | 27

LO ST STO RY

Late

Bloomer STORY BY ANTHONY CARRUBBA

T

he phrase “unprecedented times” has surely pulled its lexical weight this year, gracing our ears and lips for months on end. It feels as though the term gradually lost some of its shine with each use. As 2020 ground on and “the new normal” sank in, it started to seem like most precedents had indeed been set, and that the remainder of the year would promise little more than a plodding march out of lockdown.

Yet we Victorians have experienced some interesting twists since the much-anticipated onset of spring. Really, the season hardly sprung on us at all. Instead of bursting sunshine, warm weather and colourful flowers, a polar plunge blasted the state with bone-biting winds, rain, and even snow.

In September, swathes of regional Victoria were tucked under a frosty white blanket that bewildered and excited in equal measure. To me, it seemed almost as if Winter was stubbornly refusing to relinquish its hold on our much-beleaguered state, delaying blossom blooms and sunny days for as long as possible.

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LO S T S TO RY

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LO ST STO STORY RY

So, Lost is returning to print after a second grueling lockdown, and Spring is off to a hobbling start. It all seems quite disheartening, but this season is all about rebirth and renewal! Like the budding plants themselves, Victoria is shrugging off the sluggishness of winter and the confines of lockdown. Steadily and stubbornly, gardens and parks are returning to life, beginning to bustle not only with flowers and foliage but also with friends and families, celebrating reunions in fine weather.

Regional Victoria is especially beautiful in the springtime, with an array of botanical wonders both cultivated and wild. Wildflowers and native beauties like the iconic pink common heath adorn landscapes, reviving the sights and smells of our surrounds. In a previous issue, we discussed the legacy of Baron Ferdinand Von Mueller, who established and curated many of the state’s botanic gardens in the 19th Century. Well, now is the best time to harvest the fruits of his extensive labours!

Beautiful gardens, ornate with gorgeous flora, dot the Victorian countryside.

Daylesford’s own Wombat Hill Botanic Garden is a particular gem with its sweeping vistas and floral charms. Nearby, the enchanting Garden of St Erth practically glitters with a dizzying array of plants that gird the historic home at its centre. As this reluctant spring finally hits its stride, we should revitalise and rejuvenate in amongst nature itself, shaking off the unnatural isolation this year has brought us.

ANTHONY CARRUBBA

30 | L O S T M A G A Z I N E

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LO ST EAT

The

New Golden Age

JOHNNY ALLOO STORY BY L ARISSA DUBECKI PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

N

ot too many restaurants can claim to be more than 160 years in the making. Ballarat’s Johnny Alloo tips its hat to the gold rush city’s history by taking its name from its first documented restaurateur, a Chinese immigrant who ran what was then known as a “cookshop” feeding hungry miners on the goldfields.

“It’s our way of paying homage to hospitality and remembering the connection of community that’s so important when it comes to this industry," says owner Matthew Freeman.

That sense of community has kept Johnny Alloo going through the rolling crisis of COVID-19. And now that Ballarat is out the other side, it appears “Johnny’s” is one of the rare instances in which the pandemic managed to bring positive change.

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LO S T EAT

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“We’d always wanted to do a dinner service but just hadn’t felt we had the time to give it enough thought. Then COVID hit and it went from becoming a necessity to stay afloat to being really successful.”

It helped, too, that head chef Andy Gale arrived at around the same time. Melbourne restaurant and café trainspotters know him as the Brit who ran the hugely successful Duchess of Spotswood café before becoming executive chef at St Ali. His talent behind the pans helped Johnny Alloo make the seamless transition between daytime café and modern Italian diner by night.

Freeman had been running Ballarat coffee temple Fika for four years when he opened Johnny Alloo last November. It was a doubling down on an industry that beckoned him when he was working as a salesman of wholesale food and beverage products, a job that gave him a close look behind the scenes. The jump to the other side of the pass came to make complete sense.

“Hospitality seems to give me energy rather than take it away. You can feed off the energy of your customers when they’re having a good time.”

A complete redevelopment of the iconic 1871 building, a double-storey red brick opposite Ballarat Hospital, took more than a year. No slavish reproduction of all things Victoriana, Freeman’s design introduces the curved lines of the 1960s and `70s to wind up with a timeless Italian feel. It’s a dual-purpose design – calm and relaxing by day, sleek and seductive by night – that takes it from quinoa bircher muesli and Dr Marty’s crumpets in the morning to Middle Eastern-styled spiced cauliflower steak and ricotta gnocchi at lunch to squid ink risotto with char grilled calamari and roast

L O S T M A G A Z I N E | 37

7 DAYS / 0409 639 191 / JOHNNYALLOO.COM 32 DRUMMOND ST NTH - BALLARAT 3350

38 | L O S T M A G A Z I N E

LO S T EAT barramundi with burnt leek and hazelnut dressing in the evening service. In between times there’s the celebration of aperitivo hour, helped along by a keenly composed cocktail list. Oh, and St Ali coffee for the time of day before a Sbagliato Rosa, featuring lillet rose and prosecco, is socially sanctioned.

The brief has always been to keep it loose and limber. But sometimes it just takes a global disaster to fully realise the vision.

“It was pretty interesting when it all first happened and no one really knew what was going to happen,” says Freeman. “But dinner has really opened up a new vessel for people to come in and experience what we do.”

Johnny Alloo 32 Drummond St N, Ballarat Central 0409 639 191 www.johnnyalloo.com

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LO ST RETAIL

Dare To

Do It H A R R Y A N D M E D AY L E S F O R D S TO RY BY M A H M O O D FA Z A L PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

T

he French painter Henri Matisse writes, “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”

Amanda Fontanella doesn’t have a design background—she has a shopping background. In 2012, she founded Daylesford’s home of eclectic couture, Harry and Me. Amanda’s shop blossoms with clothes, jewellery and perfume. As shoppers lose themselves in retail therapy, the jazzy trumpet of a Louis Armstrong tune underscores herbal scents of wood sage and sea salt.

“When I was young, I would run into department stores and spray all the perfumes,” smiles Amanda, her bouncy personality shimmering across the room. “I think it's a sensory experience. Harry and Me is full of little treasures. There's just so much to see in

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LO ST RE TAIL here. And we often get people that will just like linger and browse. And we know what they're doing, they're enjoying it. Which is what I love when I'm shopping.”

Amanda was always drawn to Daylesford.

She was even married to her husband John at the LakeHouse. “On the weekend of our wedding, we were driving around and just saw this property and fell in love. It was a straw bale house with gorgeous views. That week we had someone walk into our business and say, Would you like to sell? And we retired.” A year later, Amanda fulfilled her childhood dream of opening her own shop.

“Daylesford is a beautiful community of different people which makes it rich in culture.

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Especially during COVID, the local community and our loyal customers, have kept us going.

It’s really beautiful,” says Amanda. “Daylesford promotes whatever your inner soul hankers for, whatever you really dream of doing I think you can actually dare to do it here.”

Harry and Me is curated and run by Amanda, her daughter Natalie and co-collaborator Danielle. Whether it be John F Kennedy’s cologne by Eight & Bob or Portugese artists designing the labels of luxury soaps, every piece in Harry and Me has a life and story of its own. “I'm not an artist, but I did painting for a while. And I really loved it. I love Matisse.

I love painters that you can look at and think I can do that!”

LO ST R E TAIL

“I really feel that it takes some time for you to get your confidence when you buy because there's lots of beautiful things, but they don't necessarily sit together beautifully,” explains Amanda. “We’re paying for quality labels who pay the right wage overseas and the fabrics are farmed sustainably and things like that. Because what you feel you project and draw to yourself. The linen from Positano, I go to Italy and meet those families.”

Amanda points to various items throughout her shop while expressing with great theatricality their nuanced idiosyncrasies.

“We went overseas and discovered a lot of labels,” she says. “We love travelling through France and Italy, because John’s Italian. We love Lucca and John’s family’s from Biella. It's not really a tourist spot. It’s so beautiful. It was so innocent. And the simplicity was just inspiring.”

Behind the opulent perfume counter, Amanda feels at home. “I don’t even have perfume at home, I just use this counter.”

She sprays her favourite; Terroni Orto Parisi, a smokey oud scent, combining earthy notes with berries. “My husband and I wear this. The whole journey with the perfume is really interesting.” She sprays Nasomatto’s White China, where delicate white flowers meet powerful woods. “Blend. They blend their favourites.

You create your own.” Harry and Me encourages spontaneous and unapologetic individualism in the most fitting and beautiful way.

Harry and Me Daylesford 03 5348 1172 sales@harryandme.com.au www.harryandme.com.au 83-85 Vincent Street, Daylesford

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LO S T R ETA I L

Little shop. Big love.

CLOTHING SIZES 8-22 | SHOES & HANDBAGS | DESIGNER PETGEAR | HOMEWARES | JEWELLERY

108 Main Road, Hepburn Springs | Only 3km from Daylesford 48 | L O S T M A G A Z I N E

PORTAL108.COM.AU

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME YOU BACK TO THE MINERAL SPA Treat yourself to a nurturing massage or stimulating body treatment.

We’re nestled in the beautiful gardens of the Peppers Mineral Springs Hotel – while you’re here, take some time to wander and breathe in the gorgeous spring our region has to offer.

THE MINER AL SPA 124 Main Rd Hepburn Springs (03) 5348 2100

mineralspa.com.au

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LO S T D R I N K

Turning Water into Gin HEPBURN SPRINGS DISTILLING CO. STORY BY MICHAEL HARDEN PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

LO LOST ST DR DRINK INK

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LO S T D R I N K

T

he gin rush gripping Australia shows no sign of abating. Five years ago there were about 10 distilleries making gin in Australia; now there are well over 100. One of the latest to throw its juniper-fragrant hat into the ring is Hepburn Springs Distilling Co., an ode to the joys of gin and the purity of the local spring water from recent Hepburn Springs locals Brett Luckman and Rebekah Murphy.

Brett and Rebekah had been long-time visitors to Daylesford and Hepburn Springs since meeting 15 years ago. On one of their visits three years ago, browsing the window of a real estate agent, they said to each other: we could actually live here. Six months later, they bought a house and moved to Hepburn Springs. That life-changing decision also led to the birth of their gin project.

“We both have a passion for gin and I’d been experimenting with distilling for a while,” says Brett, who works as an accountant in his other life. “Going commercial with it was something I’d always wanted to do but I looked around and saw that there were more and more craft distillers than ever before and I thought: well maybe that ship has sailed.

“But I realised that while I had my favourite gins, I always liked to try the new gins too.

People like choice and so we decided, rather than wake up one day and regret not doing it, we should go ahead and try it.”

One of the factors that pushed Rebekah and Brett into launching Hepburn Springs Distilling Co. was identifying a distinct point of difference, something that would make their gin stand out by reflecting a sense of the region.

“When we thought about making gin, we immediately recognised that water – which makes up more than half of a bottle of gin – would be a key component for us,” says

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Rebekah, whose background is in marketing.

“Some of the very best natural spring water in the world comes from this region, from just around the corner from where we live really, and we wanted to highlight that as central to the story and the flavour of our gin.”

The natural springs in Hepburn Springs were identified as something pretty special early on with a law enacted to protect them from mining back in 1865. But it’s not just a good story. Brett believes that the purity of the spring water “brings a certain something, a clarity to our gin that could come from nowhere else”.

Brett wanted to put a further local twist on a classic London Dry style of gin. To give it a unique and distinctive flavour profile, he included native botanicals like quandong, mountain pepper berry and finger lime to the more traditional juniper, coriander and citrus mix but, in a further nod to the region, he also added some lavender notes, sourcing the lavender from local producer Lavandula.

Given that their favourite way to drink gin is with tonic (they suggest a blood orange garnish), it’s not surprising that they tested most of the growing number of tonic brands on the market. And their favourite?

“Funnily enough, the one that works beautifully with our gin is local too – from the Daylesford and Hepburn Mineral Springs Co.,” says Rebekah. “Along with how quickly the gin came together, how easy and natural the process was to get the gin we wanted, it seemed fitting that we liked that tonic best. I think when something falls into place like that, it feels like it was meant to be.”

Hepburn Springs Distilling Co. 0466 465 467 info@hepburnspringsdc.com.au www.hepburnspringsgin.com.au

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LO S T R EC I P E

STEP 1

down

upside

I grew up loving those Enid Blyton stories from the Faraway Tree and I’ve made sure to read them as an adult with my children. It’s wonderful to see the way her writing stimulates the imagination of the kids and the discussions of other lands we’d like to go to. One of my favourite chapters is when they all get stuck in upside down land.

28cm round cake tin 2 cups sugar

1.5 cups water

6 firm pears, quince, strawberries or plums 400g butter

1.5 cups sugar 9 eggs

2.25 cups S.R.Flour

3 tsp baking powder 50g almond meal

Peel pears or quinces and poach covered in the oven in a little water until just tender.

If using stonefruit simply halve and core.

STEP 2 Combine sugar and water in a saucepan to make the caramel. Cook over high heat until thick. Do not stir after it begins to bubble. A sugar crust is often left around the rim of the saucepan. Dissolve this by dipping a pastry brush in water and rubbing gently against the coating.

Monitor the syrup closely as it begins to colour, looking for a light brown caramel.

It will continue to darken after you remove it from the heat.

STEP 3

Cream together the butter and 1.5 cups of sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the dry ingredients.

STEP 4

Place the cored fruit in a thick layer over the base of the cake tin. Drizzle half the caramel all over the fruit. Spread the batter over the fruit and drizzle the remaining caramel on top.

STEP 5 This cake needs to be cooked slowly, around 150 to 160 degrees for up to 1½ hrs. When a skewer through the middle come out clean, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for thirty minutes before inverting.

Gary

L OST

REAL ESTATE

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17 SMI TH STRE E T DAYLE SFORD

950 Daylesford Malmsbury Rd, Glenlyon FOR SALE Positioned on an elevated and private 3.6 hectares (8.9 acres) this 4-bedroom gabled homestead has the space inside and out for a growing family. Overlooking the Loddon River valley at the end of a sweeping driveway, the wrap around verandah and oversized floorplan echo the best of the past and bring it into the present, with year-round entertaining and the conveniences of modern-day living.

Robert Broadhurst 0488 300 900 | Kim McQueen 0417 116 657

Where Dreams Become Lifestyles At McQueen Broadhurst we see beyond the everyday to celebrate idyllic country living at its finest. Our expertise lies in affording you with property sale experiences that are as easeful as they are a success.

Your role is to dream big. Ours, to turn dreams into reality.

We are regional Victoria’s lifestyle property specialists in luxury residences, boutique accommodation and rural acreage, servicing Hepburn Shire, the Macedon Ranges and Central Victoria.

Kim McQueen 0417 116 657 | Robert Broadhurst 0488 300 900 2/123 Vincent Street Daylesford | 54 Piper Street Kyneton

LO ST PROPE RTY

RESTAURANTS, CAFE'S & FOOD STORES BAD HABITS CAFE 5348 3211 7 Daly St, Daylesford.

Open daily, 10am-4pm.

Enjoy a light morning or afternoon tea, or a substantial breakfast or lunch. theconventgallery.com.au

LAKE HOUSE 5348 3329 4 King St Daylesford. Lunch & Dinner Daily. One of Australia's most awarded regional restaurants. lakehouse.com.au

BEPPE BAR & KITCHEN 5312 2778 32 Raglan St Daylesford.

Locals and visitors alike can enjoy a modern Italian dining space, contemporary cuisine and Italian wines. beppe.com.au

PALAIS-HEPBURN 5348 1000 New chef serving up Modern Australian cuisine in a luxurious setting.

Open Thu 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-12am, Dinner from 5pm-9.30pm palais-hepburn.com

CLIFFY'S 5348 3279

PIZZERIA LA LUNA Delicious homemade pizzas feature a large, 13 inch thin base, rolled out fresh to order from our homemade pizza dough. Delivery and takeaway available.

30 Raglan St, Daylesford.

Cliffy’s has also become one of the region’s best known cafes. Stocking and serving local produce. cliffysemporium.com.au HEPBURN GENERAL STORE

102 Main Rd Hepburn Springs.

Open 7 day from 7am.

(Sundays 8am). hepburngeneralstore.com.au

HOTEL FRANGOS 5348 2363 82 Vincent St Daylesford.

Open 7 days. Wine Bar, grazing, dining & accommodation. hotelfrangos.com.au

pizzerialaluna.com.au SAULT 5348 6555 2439 Ballan-Daylesford Rd, Sailors Falls. Seasonal Modern Australian dishes in a scenic homestead. Dinner Wed-Sun. Lunch Fri-Sun. sault.com.au SWISS MOUNTAIN HOTEL

5345 7006 3454 Midland Hwy, Blampied. Pub meals & Functions. Dinner TuesSan. Lunch Wed-Sun. Closed Monday.

swissmountainhotel.com.au

KOUKLA CAFE 5348 2363 82 Vincent St, Daylesford.

Open 7 days. 7am-10pm Sun-Thurs. 7am-10pm Fri & Sat. koukladaylesford.com.au

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WOMBAT HILL HOUSE 7017 5999 Wombat Hills Botanical Gardens (Off Central Springs Rd) Daylesford.

Breakfast, bunch & lunch daily 9am-4pm. wombathillhouse.com.au

WINERIES, DISTILLERIES & CIDERIES ANIMUS DISTILLERY 5403 2431 1/89A Piper St, Kyneton.

Artisan gin distillery.

Open 12-Late Wed to Sun. Mon and Tues open by appointment. animusdistillery.com

THE SPA AT LAKE HOUSE

DAYLESFORD CIDER 5348 2275 155 Dairyflat Rd, Musk.

Craft Cider, Tastings, Lunch & cellar-door sales. Online reservations, visit website for info on opening hours daylesfordcider.com.au

THE MINERAL SPA

PASSING CLOUDS 5348 5550 30 Roddas Lane, Musk.

Winery open daily 10am5pm. Lunch 12pm Fri-Mon (bookings are essential). passingclouds.com.au

WINE BARS, HOTELS & BOTTLE SHOPS FARMERS ARMS DAYLESFORD 5348 2091 1 East Street, Daylesford. Open 7 days lunch & dinner. Hotel and accommodation. thefarmersarms.com.au FOXXY'S AT CELLARBRATIONS 5348 3577 55 Vincent St Daylesford.

Open 7 Days until late.

Local and international wines, beers and spirits. cellarbrations.com.au

SERVICES OZ-TRANS 0407 697 877

FRE I G HT · T R A N S P O RT · R E M OVA L S DAY L E S FO R D AN D CEN T R A L H IG H LAN D S

WELLNESS & BEAUTY

Professional removals, general, furniture & produce freight. Art, piano's, pallets & parcels. Regular runs to Melbourne, Geelong & west/central Vic oztrans.com.au

5348 3329 4 King St Daylesford.

Open daily. Bookings essential.

Blissful treatments and mineral water spas. lakehouse.com.au/spa

5348 2100 124 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days.

Mineral water bathing and luxurious treatments mineralspa.com.au

GALLERIES & STUDIOS BLACKGALLERY DAYLESFORD 0409 137 157 1 Hospital St, Daylesford.

Paintings, prints, sculpture & group workshops Open Sat & Sun 10 - 4pm blackgallerydaylesford.com

SHOP TILL YOU DROP BUSTER MCGEE 5377 3618 10-12 Howe St, Daylesford.

Open 10am-5pm, Closed Tue Men’s clothing & grooming Stay Stylish Daylesford! bustermcgee.com.au PORTAL 108 5348 4353 108 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs Clothing, shoes, handbags, designer pet gear, homewares and jewellery portal108.com.au CEDAR AND SAGE DAYLESFORD 0408 515 989 Shop 2, 26 Vincent St, Daylesford.

Home, Lifestyle and Provedore destination...

Daylesford style.

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ACCOMMODATION HOTEL BELLINZONA 5348 2271 77 Main Rd Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days.

Bespoke accommodation in the heart of Hepburn Springs. bellinzona.com.au

PEPPERS HOTEL 5348 2202

BLACKSMITH'S COTTAGE 5348 2008 Situated 15 minutes from Daylesford, this renovated miner’s cottage is set on Victorian bushland & can accommodate up to 6 guests. thehousesdaylesford.com

THE HOUSES DAYLESFORD

FARMERS ARMS ART SUITES 5348 2091 2 East St, Daylesford Free Wi-Fi, Parking & Inroom mini bar. Across from the iconic Farmers Arms thefarmersarms.com.au

THE TRAIN 5348 2008 Thoughtfully converted train carriage for two guests on a private block, only 5-min walk from Lake Daylesford. Pet friendly. thehousesdaylesford.com

HOLYROOD HOUSE 5348 1063 51 Stanbridge St Daylesford. Unparalleled service in magnificent Victorian Guest House.

WOMBAT EDGE 5348 2008 A beautiful and modern country home for up to 11 guests. Set on 10 acres with a lake, and only 15 minutes from Daylesford. thehousesdaylesford.com

124 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days.

1930's Daylesford hotel, transformed into a deluxe retreat. mineralspringshotel.com.au

5348 2008 Office located at 3 Howe St Daylesford. Full service agency specialising in corporate retreats and both large & small groups. thehousesdaylesford.com

holyrooddaylesford.com.au

WA N T T O B E SEEN IN LOST MAGA ZINE? FOR A CURRENT MEDIA KIT

C A L L TAY L O R 0490 182 318 62 | L O S T M A G A Z I N E

VENUES PALAIS-HEPBURN 5348 1000 Serving up the best cocktails in the shire. Selected French and local wines. Boutique bottle shop. Thu 5pm11pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-12am Dinner from 5pm-9:30pm palais-hepburn.com THE FARM DAYLESFORD

0406 690 775 Daylesford's newest event space. Built from recycled tin, wood, striking power poles and 160 year old trusses. thefarmdaylesford.com.au

A M O N T H LY I N T E R V I E W WITH A LOCAL

LO S T S TO RY

BY THE LOST TEAM.

Q &A with

Fabian

W

orking as a senior therapist at Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa, Fabian is a local we know and trust. Thank you Fabian for taking the time to chat with the Lost team and share your story!

When did you move to the region and why?

My wife, Tracey and I had a holiday here in 1990 and fell in love with the village feeling and European aspects of the area. We were busy with careers and living overseas but always vowed we’d like to live here, and bought a house sight unseen while living in Hong Kong. Later, living in Sydney, we spent weekends here when we could and finally moved permanently in 2003.

What do you love most about living in the region and why?

It’s such a picturesque place, and with less stress, pollution and traffic it’s a relaxed place to live. I especially love the distinct nature of the seasons, especially autumn, when the trees are spectacular.

Can you tell us about your journey to the spa country as a remedial massage therapist?

My background was in knitwear design but in the early 90’s the industry was changing. I am a regular tennis player and I had a remedial massage for an injury which helped me enormously.

I realised how effective remedial massage can be and decided to do a year long course to qualify in the field. In various places I’ve lived, it’s been a great qualification to have and I still enjoy helping people to this day.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, where is your go-to for evening dinner and drinks?

We love to head to the Daylesford Hotel on a Thursday night for drinks on the verandah and a great steak! It’s a spectacular place to watch the sun set over Daylesford.

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STAY WITH US thehousesdaylesford.com (03) 5348 2008 stay@thehousesdaylesford.com

The Houses Daylesford have a portfolio of beautiful accommodation rental properties interspersed throughout Daylesford & surrounds.

Our 65+ properties provide the perfect setting for couples, families, groups, corporates, photo shoots and location hire.