Travel Writing

Penola’s Best Kept Secret

A thriving herb garden is tucked beyond a rustic picket fence and two timber slab cottages on Penola’s Petticoat Lane in South Australia’s Limestone Coast.

Entry is free, and visitors are encouraged to wander and enjoy the bounty of some beautiful volunteers.

I’ve shared their story in the latest edition of Australian Country Style, and was delighted to read the following in the editor’s opening letter:

As we put the magazine together, my team often tells me which stories they like the best. One that has inspired more comments than most is Gretel Sneath’s piece on the National Trust Herb Garden. 

Yay!

The May issue also features my article on Wagner’s Rose Nursery  which features in an earlier blog post. More gorgeous people and their roses are the best I’ve seen – magazine pix are exquisite!

 

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.

Weight Watchers Magazine – Best Family Walks in Australia

Weight Watchers magazine requested a feature on the best Autumn walks for its fabulous March re-launch edition. Perfect, as we’ve taken some terrific family hikes in the past 12 months. My most memorable? Wilsons Promontory in Victoria…

The Ayers Rock base walk…

And Mitchell Falls at the top of Western Australia…

All three get a mention in the article appearing in the latest edition. My hot tip: never underestimate how far littlies can walk, especially when a crystal clear waterhole awaits at the end of the trail.

Australian Country Style – Coonawarra and Penola

I’ve written the Coonawarra + Penola Journeys article appearing  in Country Style magazine’s October 2012 edition.

Sharyn Cairns did a terrific job with the photography, persevering until the rain passed, and I’ve had great feedback from some proud locals. Loving the cover, too – I’m such a yellow girl, these days…

James Halliday’s Wine Companion Magazine

James Halliday’s Wine Companion magazine commissioned me to write a travel feature on Coonawarra, which appears in the latest edition. My challenge was to create something fresh, from a local perspective. While I’m certainly familiar with the area, I took a guided tour with Zema Estate’s Karen Ronning in order to discover what’s new and what locals in particular love. It was a classic example of exploring your own backyard – where often, the best discoveries are made.

The obligatory location shot!

At Upstairs at Hollick, I dined on spectacular crisp skinned pork belly served with parsnip puree, watermelon, pickled rind, olive and chervil salad.

Upstairs at Hollick

I also tried the sensational sour dough pizzas at Fodder, a funky cafe located in the original Coonawarra schoolhouse.

Fodder, Coonawarra

The Coonawarra Store’s Marcia Gregory kindly gave me a jar of her husband Bruce’s bush honey…gosh this is beginning to sound like a Limestone Coast version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Wine, food, post office…this place has it all.

There was some wine education as well – including a close-up view of the terra rossa soils which have helped to make this region famous…

Coonawarra Soil Profile

The gorgeous Zemas then sent me on my way loaded up with olive oil, olives and chillies…can life get any better? Nope.

Produce from Zema Wines and the Coonawarra Store

Places to visit in SA – Country Style

Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island www.southernoceanlodge.com.au

The July 2012 issue of Country Style features 100 Great Travel Experiences. The magazine’s editor, Victoria Carey, asked me to help come up with a list of top destinations and experiences for South Australia, and for a first-time experiment, I asked Facebook friends for suggestions. Wow! It was difficult narrowing them down:

The Tasting Room, Mayura Station www.mayurastation.com

Wynns Coonawara Estate - Photograph by Jo Fincham www.wynns.com.au

Dive with sharks in Port Lincoln http://adventurebaycharters.com.au

Lake Eyre, Cameron Corner, Coffin Bay Oysters, Robe, The Coorong, Naracoorte Caves National Park and the Murray River are some of the other “Must see and do” spots for SA…but I won’t spoil the surprise – you’ll need to buy the mag! A great read (as usual).