As we continue our 130th year, Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa is open and welcoming guests for private bathing, spa treatments, and relaxation in our café and accommodation. Our newly designed Premium Private Baths are now available to book - with beautifully styled spaces and access to our bespoke apothecary, where guests can create their own mineral soak blends. While the main Bathhouse prepares to reopen soon, this is the perfect time to experience Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa in its most personal form.
When we reopen on April 19, 2025, you’ll step into a beautifully bathing experience, complete with upgraded access and all-new relaxation, while a complete refresh of our changerooms brings modern convenience. Our spa journey has also been reimagined, with revitalised treatments and packages designed to elevate your wellness experience.
The next chapter is coming soon...
ABOUT LOST MAGAZINE
Lost Magazine is an independent 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.
Winespeake by photographer Peter Tarasiuk. Read the full story on page 42
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
All content in this publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without express permission of the publisher. All care is taken to ensure accuracy in editorial and advertising however the publishers and any contributors accept no responsibility for errors or omissions. All material herein constitutes information and not advice.
FEATURE WRITER
Larissa Dubecki
FEATURE WRITER
Mahmood Fazal
PHOTOGRAPHER
Peter Tarasiuk
FEATURE WRITER Michael Harden
DESIGN & BRAND
Jessica Walsh
PUBLISHER
Tony De Marco
PUBLISHER
Theresa Albioli
EDITOR
Melissa Jenkins
No passport required
Lost News
Writing this piece each edition, I can’t help but mention the seasons - the one we’re leaving behind and the one fast approaching. Autumn seemed reluctant to leave this year; the leaves clung longer than usual, and we all welcomed the extended run of warmer days albeit feeling desperate for rain. What will winter bring? It never arrives politely, it pushes in with purpose and reminds us it’s time to look inward, recalibrate, and seek warmth and connection.
We begin this issue by venturing into The Woods to meet a creative couple who have spent a decade crafting not just a home, but a way of life. Their hand-built modern farmhouse is a testament to patience, vision, and the kind of thoughtful living that responds to the landscape around them.
Then we head to Kyneton to visit Leanne Coates at Cavaletti Gallery. Leanne weaves resilience and artistry into every fibre of her work. Her move from hospitality to fashionprompted by both personal challenge and creative clarity - reminds us of the power of reinvention, and of the quiet revolution that slow fashion represents in a fast-moving world.
Still on Piper Street, the spirit of collaboration is alive and well at Piper Street Wine Company. This winter, Frank Camorra of MoVida fame takes the reins, offering a bistro-style menu rich with Spanish comfort. Owner Brendan Lane’s commitment to evolving the dining experience proves that even in small towns, big ideas can flourish.
WRAP UP OF NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN OUR REGION BY EDITOR,
MELISSA JENKINS
In Daylesford, winespeake continues to rewrite the script on wine appreciation. Jen Latta’s journey from orange-juiceenhanced Chardonnay to curating one of the region’s most respected wine bars is a lesson in learning through experience and building community through good taste.
We also take a look at the changes happening at Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa. Here, under the stewardship of head therapist Fabian Ferri, history and healing converge, it’s a place where wellness isn’t a trend - it’s tradition.
And finally, we visit the apiary at Warral Maldon to meet Lindsay Callaway, a fourth-generation beekeeper who balances heritage with innovation. His work is more than honey production - it's about working with the landscape, embracing change and protecting the future of food systems through sustainable apiculture.
This edition also marks a change behind the camera. We bid farewell and heartfelt thanks to our long-time photographer Chris Turner, whose eye has shaped the visual identity of this magazine for many seasons. In this winter issue, we welcome Peter Tarasiuk, whose lens brings fresh perspective to the stories we tell.
As always, we round out our pages with a seasonal guide to what’s happening across the region - there’s a flurry of things to entertain us over the coming months! Until next time, stay warm
2. It's My Wish - Hand embellished framed canvas print by Michael Parker, 960x960 $1500, Michael Parker Gallery, Daylesford michaelparkergallery.com.au
6. Hattie Crop high-rise barrel jean - Peony harry and me, $467 Daylesford harryandme.com.au
7. Nouveau Vase - Hand blown art glass $195, Clayfire Gallery, Daylesford clayfire.com.au
8. Fountain of Youth Nutritive Night Serum $116, ENKI Apothecary, Daylesford enki.au
9. Parisian Lamp Shades - Exclusive to The House of Marcelle & Mr. John, Starting at $295.00, The House of Marcelle & Mr. John, Trentham thehouseofmarcelleandmrjohn.com AND FOUND
Makers by Nature
THE WOODS
DEBORAH MCLEAN & COLIN DOSWELL
STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL
PHOTOS BY PETER TARASIUK
They had a beautiful home on the Mornington Peninsula, but the idea had long been seeded: to build a house from scratch, entirely by hand. “I had always wanted to design and build a house with my own hands,” he says. “Deb and I had been coming to this area for many years. We have friends in the district. And being a renowned food bowl - and food being a large part of our life and work - we simply started looking at land.”
The Woods is the home and studio they’ve built with love over the past 10 years in Bullarto - a place they’ve been drawn to since the ’70s - shaped by their journey so far and filled with plans for what’s still to come.
In Bullarto, where the winters are “very cold,” the trees stand like sentinels, and it’s where Colin and Deb discovered a forgotten block hidden beneath thickets of blackberry. “What we could see beneath the blackberries was something quite special.”
The vision was clear. “We wanted to create the house we had always wanted, without compromise,” he says. “And we felt the only way we could achieve that was to do everything ourselves.” That included a working studio - space for their photography and styling work, and for the workshops
they now host. “The land informed the design,” he explains. “It’s essentially remained unchanged since my original concept.”
They are, by nature, makers. “This home and studio is simply the largest thing we have made,” he says. “I do the design, the building and the landscaping. Deb does the painting, the fittings and finishes… and nearly all of the gardening.”
Challenges, naturally, were many. “Living in a caravan for nearly two years, with a camping shower outside in the snow and a microwave as the only cooking device,” he says, was only the beginning. The bushfire regulations added another layer - “a BAL40 fire rating, the second highest.” They were early adopters, building under new rules with no handbook, limited materials, and the improvisational demands of trial and error. Then came the pandemic. “A two-and-ahalf-year plan blew out to five.”
But the rewards, he says, are “very clear.” They now live in “the most beautiful home,” one that reflects their rhythms, instincts, and conversations. “We could do exactly as we pleased. And most importantly, we could work organically. If we weren’t sure about something, we simply waited until the answer magically came. It always does.”
The aesthetic is what they call “contemporary farmhouse” - a warm, calm space with large windows opening to the woods. Key elements: “Window seats, herringbone oak floors, unique paint finishes, custom lighting and metre-thick whitewashed stone walls.” Deb worked with Porter’s Paints - “soft French washes and textural elements” - and a local fabricator, Luke Browne, built steel staircases and frames that feel both raw and refined.
Now, their studio hosts workshops in still life, plating, and food photography. “Sharing our knowledge and skills,” He says, “is one of the most rewarding things we do.”
Asked what they’d tell others dreaming of such a space, he doesn’t hesitate: “If you can ignore the ‘resale’ dilemma, please do so. Design it for yourself. It’s a huge amount of work, so make sure you still love it by the end. And if you don’t know something? Google it. Someone, somewhere, has answered nearly every question that has ever been asked.”
The Woods - Photographic & Styling Studio
Deborah McLean & Colin Doswell
@thewoodsdaylesford
thewoodsdaylesford.com.au
Artist impression townhouse by Breathe
Recently completed home by J.V Dodd
Sanctuary Steward of
STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL
PHOTOS BY PETER TARASIUK
HEPBURN BATHHOUSE & SPA
FABIAN FERRI
Nestled in the mineral-rich hills of Victoria’s Central Highlands, the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa is more than a wellness destination - it’s a living archive of Australia’s therapeutic heritage. Fabian Ferri, head therapist and longtime steward of this sanctuary, has dedicated over two decades to preserving its spirit while gently ushering it into the future.
“I moved up here in 2003,” Ferri says, reclining with the quiet gravity of someone who knows the land beneath his feet. “I was at the old bathhouse… then it was being renovated. I came back when it reopened in 2008. So in this capacity, sixteen and a half years.”
The bathhouse is a “jewel in the crown,” he tells me - a phrase he returns to with reverence. “It just keeps getting better every year. The principals put a lot of time and effort into expansion programs… making sure we have a facility that’s up to scratch.”
That facility rests atop a subterranean treasure. “We utilise the mineral water - 80% of Australia’s mineral water is under us,” he says, gesturing to the soil with a kind of proprietary awe.
“The private bathing is 100% mineral water… rich in magnesium and manganese. People get an instant buzz. They get out of the water feeling like new people.”
But it’s not just about the water. “We won’t be a wellness center much longer unless our therapists are feeling well also,” Ferri explains. “We create an environment of empathy, if someone’s got 10-15 minutes up their sleeve, we help each other. That’s the culture.”
At the heart of this ethos is mentorship. “I have 30 years of experience in massage,” he says. “Worked in Hong Kong, clinical practice, massage colleges. So I mentor the therapists, constantly adding, improving, sharpening the knife.”
Massage is the backbone, but the offerings have evolved. “Facials have become quite popular. All natural products. But massage is what we’re known for. Always has been.”
And there’s more to come. “We’re upgrading everything - change rooms, the vibe, the feel. It’s about improving the guest’s journey every day. That’s our direction.”
Ferri speaks of balneotherapy - an ancient European practice - as if it were second nature. “It’s essentially water therapy. It relaxes the nervous system. Takes us out of sixth gear and into neutral.” He recounts a personal revelation at a 2,000-year-old Italian spa. “I had terrible migraines, that sulphuric water released it. It works. We’re lucky to have that here.”
So what makes Hepburn different? “It’s the history. The land. You don’t get places like this everywhere. Swiss Italians came here in the 1850s. You walk in and you feel it.” He describes the rolling hills and the lavender farms nearby. “Feels like the south of France. It’s rich.”
Every morning, Ferri enters the bathhouse with a smile. “I’m a very lucky person. If I can make other people feel good that way too, I’ll do it - with the staff, with the guests. It’s a celebration of life.”
And that’s what Hepburn is, in the enda celebration. Quiet, volcanic, and profoundly human.
Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa
Fabian Ferri
Mineral Springs Reserve Rd, Hepburn Springs @hepburnbathhousespa hepburnbathhouse.com
Pride Process, Patience
CAVALETTI GALLERY
LEANNE COATES
STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL
PHOTOS BY PETER TARASIUK
Iasked myself, if I had been given six months to live, would this be what I’d be doing?” Leanne Coates recalls, her arms laden with plates and cutlery in a bustling restaurant. The answer, as it turned out, was no. For Leanne, that moment of clarity would become the quiet ignition behind Cavaletti Gallery - a retail studio where fashion, art, and life’s slower rhythms intersect in the regional town of Kyneton.
A cancer diagnosis, she says, “in part” led to the change. “And a desire for a smaller, quieter existence, to turn my textile passion into a living and a professional practice.”
The transition from hospitality to fashion might seem dramatic, but to Leanne, the connection was natural. “Provenance, environmental awareness, agriculture, a farming and industrial workforce we need to change, waste and pollution—they’re all interconnected. Fashion, fibre, food and wine tread parallel paths.”
For over three decades, she built a life in the Macedon Ranges hospitality scene, cultivating not just cuisine but community. “Running a hospitality business brings you close to your local community, your customers, fellow businesses, suppliers… I came to value both the artistic and design community I was part of.” That sense of
connection, she says, “translates to a retail setting,” where warmth and welcome are still central to the experience.
Cavaletti Gallery began, in part, out of necessity. “In the beginning, it was the only way I could afford to establish myself,” she explains of her decision to open a store that doubles as a working studio. “Now I can’t imagine working any other way… Folks often say they feel moved and inspired by a visit to my shop. I have intentionally created an immersive environment to be enjoyed.”
The garments themselves tell another story - one of process, patience, and pride. “Slow Fashion for me is ultimately not running to trends, deadlines, contrived seasons or KPIs,” Leanne says. Her designs begin with fabric, not the other way around: “I purchase fabric first and design a garment that works for it… My designs are a practice in restraint - ‘shibui’ - allowing the fabric to speak.”
Japanese textiles, with their integrity and artisanal heritage, play a central role in her collections. “Choosing is the hardest part,” she admits, “but I am informed by texture, weight, and colour as well as print… I literally draw from my own stock for my biannual collections.” The result is a rhythm of small batch, limited edition garments that feel personal and considered.
In Kyneton, Cavaletti Gallery sits as a quiet counterpoint to fast fashion and mass retail. “Independent retailers make up a critical part of the regional streetscape,” Leanne says. “There are as many interesting and personal stories behind retailers as there are behind cafés, art galleries, restaurants, wineries… That’s what sets us apart.”
As for what’s next? She smiles. “Strengthening and growing my own brand is my main focus, but it’s a slow burn - and I’m fine with that.” Workshops are on the horizon, as she plans to share her knowledge
in visible mending, slow stitching, and traditional Japanese techniques. “There is so much healing to be found in craft,” Leanne says. “It can be symbolic and significant in our daily lives… and enhance our wellbeing.”
Guest chefs, including MoVida’s Frank Camorra, are putting the seasonal spotlight on Piper Street Wine Company.
Each menu at Piper Street Wine Company is a seasonal window onto a chef’s talents.
Owned by Brendan Lane, the winemaker behind the Musk Lane label turned hospo everyman, the Kyneton wine bar and restaurant keeps things interesting with a changing roster of guest chefs taking over the kitchen for a few months at a time.
“Kyneton is a small town, and locals like to share the love,” says Lane. “This gives people a reason to revisit, but it’s also born from a genuine desire to collaborate.”
When Lane opened it in 2022, it was purely a wine bar. He had started Musk Lane wine in 2015 and moved it to Kyneton in 2019; it made sense to focus on the juice.
But maybe the influence of the hallowed real estate took over. The Piper Street location used to be occupied by Source Dining, and before that the storied Annie Smithers Bistrot. Now it’s a place where food and wine share top billing.
Co-head chefs have trod the boards since the start of the year. Shaun Clancy was previously at Fitzroy’s Amarillo, while Hal Riches hails from Di Stasio. The pair have turned the menu into a time share arrangement. The first three months of the year explored Riches’ Italian bent, while currently it displays Clancy’s way with French comfort food via an elevated bistro menu dripping in nostalgia: steak tartare, cheesy gougère pastries, hearty cassoulet and lamb navarin (stew) with sweet baby vegetables and the all-important buttery potato mash.
Kicking off from the second week of July until September, Frank Camorra of Melbourne’s acclaimed Spanish tapas bars MoVida will take the winter menu on an Iberian spin.
“It’s Frank stepping outside of the MoVida brand, exploring dishes that are more bistro, humbler in focus.” Expect jamon and gildas, spanner crab crumpets and Moorish-leaning lamb skewers, smoked prawns and clams with white beans and fall-apart braised ox tail in fino sherry.
“There are a lot of Spanish braises that will be great for the cold weather,” says Lane, who is at pains to point out it’s not a MoVida pop-up. “With Hal and Shaun, we’re quite capable of pulling if off ourselves but we all love a collaboration where we learn something from each other.”
The wine focus will also change with each new menu iteration. Currently the by-theglass list is bursting with interest-grabbing Gallic varietals like gamay, Chablis and savagnin. For Camorra’s residency you can expect a good showing of Albarino, fino sherry and Musk Lane’s own syrah and malvasia, a “bone dry” iteration of the Spanish white grape.
As for what the food future holds at Piper Street Wine Company, it’s a case of watch this space.
“In spring we might decide to channel some British comfort food – a real St John vibe. If Fergus Henderson is free, we’d love to host him.”
Piper Street Wine Company
Brendan Lane
70-72 Piper St, Kyneton
@piperstwineco piperstwineco.com
Beyond Bottle the
WINESPEAKE
JEN LATTA
STORY BY MICHAEL HARDEN
PHOTOS BY PETER TARASIUK
To hear Jen Latta talk so eloquently about wine and winemaking, you might assume she’d been embedded in the industry since birth. But, in an encouraging sign for any of us who can find the whole wine thing overwhelming or intimidating, the owner of winespeake, Daylesford’s excellent wine bar, bottle shop and deli, started from a selfconfessed “very low base”.
Of course, marrying Owen Latta, winemaker at lauded Macedon region wineries Eastern Peake and Latta Vino, didn’t hinder her journey of wine enlightenment. In fact, it started it.
“I had absolutely no experience with wine before I met Owen,” says Jen. “We met when I was 20 and still drinking wine out of boxes. I grew up in a teetotaling family, so I had zero relationship with it and zero understanding of the farming and producing behind making wine. When I first met Owen, he told me he was a winemaker and brought me a bottle of Eastern Peake chardonnay. I was living in a share house in Melbourne at the time and I poured a glass and then got some orange juice and mixed that in and of course there was a look of horror on his face. So I can say he taught me a lot, starting with not adding orange juice.”
It was a swift education. The couple moved into the region in 2012 and in 2013 opened a small wine shop in Vincent Street called Wine and the Country, ostensibly an urban cellar door for Owen’s wines. But Jen soon began to include wine that their friends were making, then labels from other local vineyards and then “wines we love to drink from all over the world”. They also opened a deli next door that had a similar approach of benchmarking locally-made produce –cheese in particular – against the best from around the globe.
In 2020, they decided to amalgamate the two stores into one, moving into the former IGA supermarket site, renaming the business winespeake and adding a 40-seat wine bar to the equation for customers to enjoy a glass from the shelves with a snack (their incredible toasted sandwiches have something of a cult following) created from the deli case.
Jen is meticulous about employing staff who genuinely enjoy and understand the product they’re selling. The current crew includes local winemakers and sommelier Jez Shiell dispensing switched-on advice.
“This reflects my own introduction to wine that was more about meeting Owen’s friends and family who were all growers
and producers so that I met the people and understood about their story before I learned about wine specifically,” says Jen. “For me it has always been about showcasing what producers are doing in the area rather than it being about a wine doing a specific thing or tasting a specific way. It’s about showcasing the excellent products from the region and we couldn’t do that properly without an excellent team.”
While there’s a definite lean to minimal intervention winemaking at winespeake, reflecting Owen Latta’s approach, there is no hard and fast rule in place, other than a “belief in the product” and a desire to introduce customers to varieties of wine they may not have tried before.
“Since we opened back in 2013, I’ve noticed that people are more curious and adventurous about what they’re willing to try,” says Jen. “We want winespeake to be a place where our customers feel comfortable exploring, knowing that we’re always stocking the best this incredible region has to offer.”
winespeake – cellar + deli
Jen Latta
Shop 4, 26 Vincent Street, Daylesford @winespeake winespeake.com.au
Nick Skinner Photography
and Adaptation Grit
Invention
WARRAL MALDON LINDSAY CALLAWAY
STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL
PHOTOS BY PETER TARASIUK
On a cool morning in Central Victoria, Lindsay, fourthgeneration beekeeper and steward of Warral Maldon, remembers the sting and sweetness of his first encounters with bees. “The stings and tears are hard to forget!” he says, laughing. “A very young Lindsay memory is being with my Dad as we drove through the night in his old Bedford truck from Bendigo to Adelaide… I was sitting up in the cab, eating a juicy pear, watching my Dad and others load the truck. The whole thing was pure joy.”
Founded in 1896 by Eduard Teague Penglase Senior, Warral Maldon has grown through generations of adaptation, grit, and invention. “There has been constant evolution,” Lindsay says. “His son, Ed, moved hives by horse and cart... then train... then truck.
My grandparents went on long-distance honey flows – that’s what we call it when treetops are in bloom, skies are blue and bees are buzzing.”
Lindsay’s own parents, Roger and Edna, modernised the operation with marketing innovations and bush forklifts built from old Land Rovers. Today, Lindsay oversees a business that blends history with global standards. “Over the past 33 years, I’ve maintained my love and care for bees while also focusing on world-class systems – from facilities and training to branding and global food safety standards.”
That spirit of innovation buzzes strongest in their Goat Track range. “The name is a tribute to the rugged, wild, remote landscapes where only goats—and our beehives—seem to go,” Lindsay explains. “It captures the raw, untamed spirit of that stunning wilderness country.”
But this is no gentle stroll in the garden. “In peak season, days blur into nights,” Lindsay says. “We chase the honey flows – a mix of risk, instinct, and adventure. When we hit it right, we’re hauling hundreds of boxes full of honey through flood-prone, fire-prone landscapes... working alongside nature and our bees.”
Their home range is within 400 kilometres of Maldon, and each new hive site is a puzzle of instinct and environmental reading.
Nick Skinner Photography
“It’s part science, part intuition… looking at eucalyptus bud sets, recent rainfall, the feel of the landscape, and past honey flow success,” he says. “The environment shapes the flavour of the honey and the yield of every harvest – from treetop to tabletop.”
Even the bees themselves are carefully nurtured. “We run our research and development under the name SYZYGY – a term Dad loved. It means the alignment of two or more heavenly bodies.
It represents ‘working in sync’.” Their queen breeding and insemination programs are at the forefront of fighting threats like the Varroa mite. “We’re creating stronger, more productive hives. It’s about long-term sustainability.”
This deep care is more than business – it’s philosophy. “ ‘Bees love Warral, we love bees’ is our Warral Maldon mantra,” Lindsay says. “Bee health is the cornerstone of food security around the world.”
And as for what lies ahead? “I want Warral Maldon to keep leading,” Lindsay says, eyes set on a future where apiculture and agriculture are not just aligned - but inseparable. “A strong beekeeping industry isn’t optional. It’s essential.
Victoria’s beloved Winter Sounds will once again warm the small halls, churches and bush schools of Daylesford and the surrounding villages this August.
Sprinkling midwinter magic across the region from 14-17 August, Winter Sounds is a fireside feast of music across four days featuring Sarah Blasko, Tim Rogers, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, Grace Cummings, Watty Thompson, Vika and Linda, Bad// Dreems and more.
Winter Sounds is a celebration of live music in intimate and atmospheric spaces, designed to bring people together in a shared experience of soul-warming tunes, sublime spaces, delicious hospitality and the unmistakable charm of regional Victoria in the heart of winter.
Winter Sounds takes place across intimate venues in the Central Highlands from 14-17 August. Individual tickets for shows can be purchased now.
14-17 August wintersounds.com.au
Ballarat Winter festival
From 5 - 27 July 2025, Ballarat will transform into a winter wonderland for the return of the Ballarat Winter Festival. This much-loved event brings three weeks of frosty fun, including the popular openair ice rink, dazzling live performances, and an indulgent hot chocolate trail. With experiences set across the city, it’s the perfect mid-year escape.
ballaratwinterfestival.com.au
Ballarat's Best Pie
Ballarat continues celebrating winter with Ballarat’s Best Pie, showcasing 36 sweet and savoury pies from local makers. This year’s event includes three new judging categories and the introduction of a People’s Choice Pie award, giving pie lovers a chance to vote for their favourite treat by scanning a QR code at participating venues or visiting the link below.
Official judging takes place on Saturday 2 August, but the full month is packed with pie-filled goodness.
visitballarat.com.au
Little Gallery
The team at Little Gallery Trentham are in full swing as they prepare another fantastic annual Winter fundraising show this year, highlighting a stellar lineup of high profile artists.
Each year the Gallery invites new artists from the shire and the ranges to partake and celebrate regional identity through art. The 16 local artists will definitely impress us with some show stopping work. The annual winter show is widely anticipated in the region and is a calendar event, opening night is the 11th July from 5.30pm, the show runs for three weeks.
trenthamlittlegallery.com
Winter solstice celebration at Michael Parker and Stony Creek Galleries
On the longest day of the year the team at Michael Parker Galleries are going to shine some light in the darkness by gifting a special edition Michael Parker candle with any purchase over $150 in the galleries.
They will also be offering a 10% discount on all Michael Parker art throughout the galleries for this one day only. There will be sound healings and mulled wine to celebrate the winter darkness at the Stony Creek Gallery. What a great way to submerge yourself in Michael’s art and that of many well-known sculptors, glass makers and ceramicists.
Saturday 21st June
Both galleries are open 10.30am-5pm. michaelparkergallery.com.au
Words in Winter
Now in its 24th year, the Words in Winter Festival returns to Daylesford and Hepburn across two weekends in August with the theme “Light in the Dark” - reflecting the festival’s commitment to creativity, hope, and the transformative power of storytelling. The festival brings together a vibrant mix of local talent and visiting artists, offering a rich program of literary events, performances, and workshops that invite audiences to explore the power of words.
22-24 August & 29-31 August wordsinwinter.com
Passing Clouds Winery
cellar door & Dining Room 9 minutes from daylesford
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a tray with baking paper.
Beat together butter and sugar until light and flu fy.
Beat in egg yolk, vanilla and Enki frankincense essential oil. Add flour and salt and combine until mixture turns into a ball.
Form dough into small balls and gently flatten on tray. Use the back of a spoon or thumb to create a shallow well in the cookie.
Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the bottom turns slightly golden. Redefine the thumbprint with the back of a spoon and fill with chocolate sauce. Return the cookies to oven and bake for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool.
Chocolate sauce:
Heat chocolate sauce ingredients in a pan over low heat and gently stir until combined. Take o heat. When cookies have cooled, pour into well of each cookie and top with tahini (optional)
RESTAURANTS, CAFE'S & FOOD STORES
HEPBURN GENERAL
STORE 5348 1274
102 Main Rd
Hepburn Springs
Open 7 days from 7am
hepburngeneralstore.com.au
THE VIRGIN KITCHEN
5348 2271
77 Main Road
Hepburn Springs
Open 7 days from 8am
Part café, part gallery, stunning gardens bellinzona.com.au
SERVICES
OZ-TRANS 0407 697 877
Professional removals, general, furniture & produce freight. Art, piano's, pallets & parcels. Regular runs to Melbourne, Geelong & west/central Vic oztrans.com.au
SIGNSATION
0427 425 577
We specialise in hand painted signs and murals. We also offer the most up to date methods in digital printing to our customers signsation.net.au
THE AMALFI
5348 2008
A beautiful self-contained property featuring 20 en-suited guest rooms, commercial kitchen and conference spaces thehousesdaylesford.com
HOTEL BELLINZONA
5348 2271
77 Main Rd
Hepburn Springs
Open 7 days. Luxury accommodation in the heart of Hepburn Springs bellinzona.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 Street, Daylesford
Open 7 days until late Local and international wines, beers and spirits cellarbrations.com.au
THE LOBBY BAR
5348 2271
77 Main Road
Hepburn Springs
Swing by and settle in for the evening bellinzona.com.au
WINERIES & DISTILLERIES
PASSING CLOUDS
5348 5550
30 Roddas Lane, Musk Winery open daily 10am-5pm
Lunch 12pm Fri-Mon (bookings are essential) passingclouds.com.au
THE OXFORD
5348 2008
Historical property catering to large groups of up to 24, in the scenic Hepburn Springs area thehousesdaylesford.com
LEWELLYN HOUSE
5348 2008
Accommodating 18 guests with 9 bedrooms and 9 ensuites
Positioned opposite The Convent Gallery thehousesdaylesford.com
David Frazer
David Frazer is the creative force behind two of Victoria’s most captivating events.
Tell us a little about you. What do you do?
I'm the Director of Daylesford's Winter Sounds as well as the Riverboats Music Festival in Echuca-Moama. Riverboats has been running for 13 years and is your classic big outdoor summer music festival - 5000 people on the banks of the beautiful Murray River, whilst Winter Sounds is the complete opposite! Four days of intimate performances within some of the Daylesford region's most gorgeous indoor spaces including grand churches, remote bush schools and town halls. It's a lovely balance that keeps me sane!
What do you love most about Daylesford and our surrounding towns?
There is nowhere in Australia quite like the Daylesford region. To start with, the history of the place constantly amazes me, and I love that you can drive 10 minutes in almost any direction and you'll arrive in yet another gold-rush era town, full of grand buildings, beautiful streetscapes and great hospitality. It's also a wonderfully creative part of the world too.
What’s a standout memory from Winter Sounds that still gives you goosebumps when you think about it?
One of my favourite Winter Sounds venues would have to be Bullarto Hall. To get people there, we charter the beautiful Spa Country Rail, and when they arrive we have fire drums roaring, hot toddies being sold from the bar and local wood-fired pizzas all adding to the vibe. The gigs we have done out there over the last couple of seasons have been just amazing, with the Gareth Liddiard (The Drones/Tropical Fuck Storm) solo show of 2023 one of my hands-down highlights. It was one of the best afternoons of live music I've ever experienced.
Looking ahead, what’s your dream for Winter Sounds over the coming years?
There has been plenty of pessimism in recent years about the future of live festivals and events, but what we're discovering is that smaller, more intimate events like Winter Sounds are continuing to find an audience. A key focus of our series is shining a light on unique, off-the-beaten-track venues, and this is something the Hepburn region has in spades. From retired old churches to community buildings, shearing sheds and schools, everytime I hit the road my wish list grows, and with a bit of luck a few of them may just host a concert or two over the next few years.
Favourite winter activity in the region?
My family love the circuit walk through Hepburn Springs that winds its way along the creek and up through the bush, and a meal in front of the fire at the Daylesford Hotel can't be beaten either.
For more information on Winter Sounds wintersounds.com.au
