Say Grace Café & Larder
Well, isn’t this food for thought:
Words of wisdom from Safe Grace Cafe & Larder in Casterton, Victoria.
Owner, Penelope Farquharson, could see potential in this tiny country town with its main street layered in history and fit for a film set.
Her store has become a destination for ladies who lunch, farmers, footy players…and freelance journalists like me, with a healthy appetite and a trained eye for a great story.
Penelope’s story is in the June 2015 edition of Australian Country Style magazine.
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.
Nature’s Pantry – Hamilton, Victoria
There are swings and roundabouts…and then there’s spinach and roundabouts – particularly if you’re driving through one of Victoria’s largest country towns. Leafy greens are popping up in the middle of some of Hamilton’s busiest thoroughfares, giving new meaning to the concept of ‘lunch on the run’.
“The vegetables can be eaten, but they are still an aesthetic feature, and the cost is no different to annuals, which can take a fair bit of maintenance,” says parks and gardens co-ordinator Jenny Hurse. “We want to be the most healthy, liveable Shire, and this makes a real statement about sustainability.”
My story on this terrific initiative of the Southern Grampians Shire Council appears in the Dec/Jan edition of Outback magazine.
Favourite Bride – Real Weddings Style
I have lots of articles in the new issue of Real Weddings magazine. It’s impossible to pick a favourite – what bride doesn’t look amazing! – but Monique Sola was a standout. Divine looking girl, exquisite headpiece and smoking eye make-up. Photography by The White Tree.
She and husband Daniel make a stunning couple! They married at Barwon Heads in Victoria, adding a fresh touch of glamour to the coastal town.
One of many sweet love stories in the latest edition. And as always, so many ideas to inspire.
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…
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.
“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.
Selector Autumn Edition
It’s always a pleasure to head to Coonawarra to research an article, stock up on some wine and chat with a great bunch of locals.
There’s also some fabulous photo opportunities – here’s my shot of the Coonawarra siding, a true local icon. You’ll find it along with my words in the new Autumn edition of Selector.
Click here to read the article in my Portfolio.
Cover image by Sharyn Cairns.
Country Style Magazine Guest Blogger
I was a recent guest blogger for Country Style magazine, sharing my love of hunting for time-worn treasures like this $3 quilt, found in the little oppie in my coastal village…
It now looks perfectly at home on my daughter’s bed (another thrifting find!).
I enjoyed playing stylist around some of the favourite spots on our farm, including the rustic gateway to the secluded ‘Hundred Acre Wood’ where we spend many a night sitting under the stars…Click here to view my post.
Real Weddings – Terry Biviano and Rebecca Twigley
And here we are in 2013! Let’s go….
I used the holiday break to catch up on a mountain of magazines, including the Real Weddings Summer Issue, which features a collection of articles I have recently written.
There’s some exquisite brides in there, including shoe designer Terry Biviano, who wore J’Aton Couture when she married rugby league player Anthony Minichiello.
“The designers poured their love, sweat and tears into every inch of the dress, and literally made the lace embroidery fabric. It was a true, one-of-a-kind, handmade couture gown,” Terry said.
J’Aton Couture also made the dress of another Real Weddings bride – Rebecca Twigley – who married AFL star Chris Judd. I was lucky enough to write about that wedding, too, and you’ll find it in my portfolio click here .