Cottage stay in Penola – Country Style
I’ve been waiting for my story on this delightful Penola accommodation to appear in Country Style, and here it is, in the new July 2014 edition!
It’s called Shurdingtons, and it’s located on the corner of the famous Petticoat Lane. This historic street has been the source of many stories for me over the years. A picture-perfect gem.
A day in the life…of a rock lobster fisherman
We had some fabulous audio and footage left over from a recent commission from the South Australian Rock Lobster Advisory Council, and I was able to script it into a promotional piece for industry. Fishermen from Port MacDonnell through to Coffin Bay tell the story of their day at sea…filmed and edited by Robert Tremelling.
Country Race Fashions – SA Life
Country style reigns supreme, with the Limestone Coast boasting a number of finalists in SA’s premier ‘Fashions on the Field’ competition. I recently interviewed three of the gorgeous ladies for the April 2014 edition of SA Life magazine, discovering how a fire prevention officer, a swimming instructor and an electrician charmed the judges with their homegrown creativity. It’s not easy living in the country away from major department stores and boutiques, but these savvy girls know all about improvisation, with quick outfit changes in public toilets en route to the race track, and innovative hats sporting everything from wire trivets to chopsticks! What a transformation – love a ‘Before & After’ shot…
SA Life Profile – Kim Longbottom
When I met Kim Longbottom from Padthaway’s Henry’s Drive Vignerons last year at a wine function, I knew her story would make a fabulous profile piece.
Kim owns and operates Henry’s Drive Vignerons, and she is a savvy business woman who thinks outside the square. For instance, she enlisted the help of the local country aero club to fly down a UK wine buyer with a busy schedule. They liked what they saw; the initial order was 16,000 cases.
The cellar door is located just off the Riddoch Highway in SA’s Limestone Coast, and the business was named after Henry John Hill, the proprietor of the 19th century mail coach service that once traversed the landscape.
All of the wine brands have a strong postal theme, with labels like The Postmistress, The Scarlet Letter and Pillar Box Red.
Visitors are encouraged to rest and refresh at the cellar door, just as the mail coach once did at its various stops.
Kim’s story is in the 10th Birthday Issue of SA Life Magazine.
Willalooka Eco Lodge – Outback Magazine
Willalooka Pastoral Company is the featured station in the Dec/Jan issue of Outback magazine. Incredible country in SA’s Upper South East, with its own spectacular 810ha wetland precinct featuring a series of interconnecting basins.
The Marcollat Watercourse
The owners, Kate and Thyne McGregor, have opened the property to overnight guests. This self-contained, four-bedroom Eco Lodge set in total seclusion amongst gum trees is all yours for as long as you like.
Imagine kicking back by a roaring fire looking looking out over Big Reedy Swamp…
If you’re tempted, you can book here, and read more about my article on the property here.
The warmest of welcomes for a refugee
After moving to Australia as a refugee late last decade, Lal Lian was lured to Mount Gambier in 2010 by the promise of work in the horticulture industry.
Photography by Sharyn Cairns
But the opportunity that knocked was beyond even his dreams. Kalangadoo apple growers Chris and Michelle McColl offered Lal almost a hectare of highly prized fully certified organic soil to produce his own crops.
Photography by Sharyn Cairns
My story about this kind family man who accepted a helping hand in a new farming land is in the November 2013 issue of Country Style magazine. Editor Victoria Carey writes:
The story of how a couple of apple farmers at South Australia’s Kalangadoo gave Lal a plot of land on which to grow organic market vegetables, and the way he seized the opportunity with both hands, is one of the most inspiring we’ve had in the magazine recently.
Outback Magazine Towns: Port MacDonnell
A recent assignment for Outback Magazine led me to a place very close to my heart, where the rising sun on a still winter’s morning is absolutely magical.
The Southern Rock Lobster capital of Port MacDonnell is the feature town in the August-September edition.
You won’t find many shops or cafes in this part of the world; it’s all about getting back to basics…
Enjoying the outdoors and the company of loved ones…
And if your timing is right, a lobster feast.
Pride of Workmanship Award
Most freelancers who work from home will admit that it’s the best job ever, but it can also feel a little isolated.
The view from my office window
“What do you do?” is a common question from locals, and it’s difficult to know where to begin. A lot of my work is for a national audience with specialist interests (food, wine, interiors, travel, horticulture etc) making it easy to slip under the community radar. SO when a phone call arrives out of the blue congratulating me on being nominated for a Pride of Workmanship Award, I’m left bursting with…pride! The Rotary Club of Mount Gambier West says it’s for “dedication and contribution to promoting the region through your job”, and a celebratory dinner is planned for later this month. I’m looking forward to frocking up (makes a nice change from my normal office get-up!!).
Limestone Coast Wine History Project – Wrattonbully
It’s exciting when a visiting Canadian wine critic tweets the following about the Wine History Project I’m working on in partnership with the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council and Fed Creative:
Perhaps our production team could head to Canada next! Stage two of the local project found us filming in Wrattonbully, where we delved deep into wine history in an underground cave.
It’s an amazing feeling drinking wine made from grapes growing above your head! We collected four hours worth of interviews on tape, with wine writer Mike Bennie on the mike, and some rather cute photos in between.
Here’s the edited version:
The rest of the clips can also be found on the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council’s website.
SA’s Stunning Limestone Coast
The Limestone Coast certainly turned on the weather when I chaperoned a crew working on a South Australian Tourism Commission photo shoot by hugely talented photographer Adam Bruzzone . It took quite a crowd – make-up, wardrobe, models – to get the gorgeous shots.
Fascinating to watch, and I took photos of the people taking and making photos with my iPhone…who could resist? Here’s the hero shot of my own little portfolio. Why go to Fiji when you can visit Beachport?
Coonawarra, Robe, Mt Benson, Port MacDonnell, Mount Gambier and Naracoorte also starred. (Looking forward to seeing the professional images soon in brochures and advertising campaigns.)
I’m Gretel Sneath, accomplished freelance writer & storyteller. When I'm not on the road, you'll find me on South Australia's Limestone Coast.