Peninsula Essence Spring 2015

SPRING 2015

Living & visiting on the Mornington Peninsula

Adversity leads to one woman’s identity • Fabulous forests • Hollywood bound • The Thin Green Line • Big tales from the small screen • More than just a pretty face • Spring wedding guide • Crittenden’s tasting experience takes flight • Ten Minutes By Tractor • Focus on Sorrento

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Spring 2015

contents 6 Mornington Peninsula Events 8 Window Shopping Products you are sure to love.

10 Celebrating Life’s Pleasures Mornington Peninsula artist Janine Daddo.

14 Forty Years Of Woodleigh An iconic school celebrates a milestone.

20 For The Love Of Radio Debra Mar talks about life and her popular Tuesday morning radio show, The Breakfast Table.

Writers: Melissa Walsh, Peter McCullough, Cameron McCullough, Andrew Dixon, Debra Mar. Creative Director: Maria Mirabella Photography: Yanni, Jarryd Bravo Publisher: Cameron McCullough Advertising: Ricky Thompson, 0425 867 578 or ricky@mpnews.com.au Genine Gilbert, 0476 169 546 or genine@mpnews.com.au General enquiries: essence@mpnews.com.au Registered address: 2/1 Tyabb Road, Mornington 3931 Phone: 5973 6424 www.peninsulaessence.com.au /peninsulaessence

Kim Isaacs has travelled a long, winding, undulated path that features family drama and morass.

28 Fabulous Forests Photographer Yanni captured the beauty of some of the peninsula’s forests

36 A Family Affair On 64 acres in Bittern is Jack’s Beach Farm, where three generations of women gather every week to ride and look after their horses.

44 Hollywood Bound Award winning and 16 years old, filmmaker, Liam Kelly has his sights set high. Melissa Walsh chats to him about his new film and life as an up and coming filmmaker.

50 May The Force Be With You Mark Sherrard-Griffith happily admits to being one of the worldwide network of Stars Wars fans.

55 The Thin Green Line It wasn’t that long ago that Sean Willmore was a park ranger with the Mornington Peninsula Shire. But he’s since taken his love of the natural world to a whole new level.

60 Through The Eyes Of The Young We catch up with 13-year-old photographer Josh Brnjac.

65 Big Tales From The Small Screen If you haven’t been to the Mornington cinema yet, you have never really finished your maiden tour.

All material is copyright, and may not be reproduced without the express permission of Mornington Peninsula News Group, or the original copyright holder in the case of contributions. Copyright of contributed material rests with the contributor.

Disclaimer: The authors and publisher do not assume any liability to any party for any loss, damage or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

This publication is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Peninsula Essence is produced quarterly. 30,000 copies (mix of home delivery and bulk dropped at an extensive network of outlets across the peninsula).

Cover Photo: Australian Painted Lady butterfly Phtoto: Yanni The Australian Painted Lady or Vanessa kershawi (Nymphalidae), is one of the first butterflies to emerge in Spring. The ‘Painted Ladies’ as a group, are known to migrate in very large numbers. In 1889 it was reported that the migration was so vast, they blackened the sky and that trains were unable to get traction, because so many butterflies were resting on the tracks. This butterfly was photographed at the Heronswood gardens in Dromana, on the Mornington Peninsula.

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24 Adversity Leads To One Woman’s Identity

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69 Style File Spring fashion on the peninsula.

76 More Than Just A Pretty Face Jessica Martini is beautiful. She is a multi pageant winner, Miss Galaxy Australia 2014, most photographic in the USA International, and is now competing in Miss Australia International 2016

80 Getting Back To Basics With Tania Zaetta A household name, having lived a glamorous international life in the fast lane, Tania has her mind set on teaching us how to live a fitter, healthier life.

83 Spring Wedding Guide 92 Making Gypsy Dreams A Reality Mornington couple Josh and Nerissa had a dream to one day open their own bohemian café.

97 Crittenden’s Taste Experience Takes Flight It is hard to imagine a family more ingrained in the peninsula wine industry than the Crittendens. Now they intend to revolutionise your wine experience.

107 Just The Tonic We take a “Gin Masterclass” at Bass and Flinders Distillery in Red Hill.

111 Dynamic And Down To Earth Ten Minutes By Tractor chef, Stuart Bell, has worked miracles since starting at the Main Ridge winery and restaurant.

118 From Sunnyside To Morning Star Morning Star Estate could easily be described as the “jewel” of the Mornington Peninsula, but few know its history.

128 Focus on Sorrento A glimpse at Sorrento… things to do, what to see and local facts.

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Events

mornington peninsula

RED HILL SPRING GARDENING FESTIVAL Saturday, 12 September, 9AM - 3PM Be inspired for spring gardening and beyond at any life stage.

Bring something unique home to enhance your garden from the state-wide and local specialist nurseries and garden ware vendors.

Children’s gardening activities. Entry $5pp. Children and parking free. Food available. Undercover for an all-weather event.

Red Hill Showgrounds. www.rhgs.com.au

24 HOUR MEGA SWIM – PARC FRANKSTON Saturday, 26 September, 12pm - Sunday, 27 September 12pm All abilities - join a relay team and fundraise for MS. Choose your own swim times. Food, prizes, showbags and more. Entertainment provided. Mayor of Frankston in attendance at Opening Ceremony Saturday 11am. $40 adults, $30 children early entries (until 15/8) Thereafter $45 adults, $35 children. www.megaswim.com

AGEING WELL EXPO

Come along and find out how to lead a healthy and active life. Workshops, displays, health screenings and speakers. Free entry, entertainment; show bags, giveaways, free refreshments and loads of information as well. Free event.

New Peninsula Church, 370 Craigie Road, Mount Martha. www.peninsulahealth.org.aucontent/uploads/ Ageing-Well-Expo-Flier-2014.pdf

AROUND THE BAY Sunday, 11 October, 6AM - 3PM The 23rd running of this iconic event. From humble beginnings in 1993, Around the Bay has grown to become the biggest mass participation ride in Australia. Around the Bay is the one day of the year where Melbourne and the bay unite to celebrate cycling. It is Australia’s largest bike ride and caters for all levels and styles of riding.

Cost $35 - $220 www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/around-the-bay/ the-event

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ARTHURS SEAT CHALLENGE FUN-RUN 2015

50’S & 60’S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL DANCE

Sunday, 8 November, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM The Arthurs Seat Challenge is a 6.7km run/walk held annually since 2002 to promote the profile of the “Fit to Drive” program and raise funds to enable its continuation. $50 adult, $25 student at Seawinds Gardens, Arthurs Seat www.arthursseatchallenge.com.au

Saturday, 28 November, 7PM - 11:30 PM. Come along to a 50’s & 60’s night, presented by CJ Rockers. Live band and DJ playing all the hits from this era. BYO drinks & nibbles.Free tea & coffee. $15 per person or book a table! Check out the bands www.cjrockers.com.au

PENINSULA STUDIO TRAIL OPEN WEEKENDS

FREEDOM OF ENTRY MARCH - HMAS CERBERUS

Saturday, 14 November, 10AM - 5PM. The Peninsula Studio Trail artists will be opening their studio doors on 14th & 15th and 21st & 22nd of November from 10am until 4pm. You’ll have the chance to see into the often very private domain of the artists in their studio, to question, observe and even buy direct a range of fine arts and crafts that reflect and complement the beauty of the Mornington Peninsula. www.peninsulastudiotrail.org

Saturday, 28 November, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Freedom of Entry March - HMAS Cerberus, High Street, Hastings.

Cost: Free CONTACT Defence Department, LCDR Matt Keogh, 0434 711 747 matthew.keogh2@defence.gov.au

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Spring 2015

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Spring 2015

Janine Daddo Celebrating Life’s Pleasures

By Andrew Dixon Photos: Yanni

J

anine Daddo is a household name on the Mornington Peninsula. Once a creative executive in Melbourne’s advertising world, she turned her talents to art some nine years ago, and has met nothing but success for her efforts. She credits her rise to fame with her unique yet contemporary visual style, and has recently turned her attention to sculpting, with the support and engineering skills of her partner Clinton.

“I go out to the studio at about 7am, when it’s still dark. The dogs follow me out, hanging with me until about 10 when I finally bring them back up to the house and reward their loyalty with breakfast. They each have a favourite chair, but their footprints

end up all over the house!”

In addition to her pets, she shares her home with her two kids, one of whom is on the verge of entering the wild world of advertising himself. “I’ve had all sorts of studios and I’ve always painted at home, being a single parent, so I’ve had my work on hand and they’ve had Mum,” an obvious source of inspiration.

And so began the search for someone with the skills to take her legendary paintings into the metaphorical third dimension, leaving the creative ball firmly in her court. “I started interviewing guys to see if I could find someone to work with, and there’s a lot of amazing, talented people out there. But when they’re the supercontinued next page...

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creative type, they’re inevitably going to want input and influence the work. I was at that stage of infancy where I really didn’t need another influence – I needed to see what was in my own head before going collaborative.”

“I met this guy Clinton… we got on really well as mates as well as colleagues, and what was great about working with him was that he hadn’t spent his career in the creative space. He knew all about the physics and material properties of the metals I wanted to use.” It was a match – “he’s really a mechanical engineer by trade… 5 years ago I started talking to people who could make this happen… finding out what was possible, how I could translate my paintings into sculptures with the same feel.” That’s not to imply her canvas work is two-dimensional – the materials and paints Janine uses leave a painting that’s anything but.

Nonetheless, sculpting requires an entirely different set of skills to painting, which means as an artist you either start from scratch, learning the properties of your materials and how to create with them from the ground up, or you take on help. When she started her new trade, the prospect of handing over creative control, and thus the look and feel of the result, was understandably daunting.

“You have to get a foundry or shop to give you a hand, which is fine, but I was apprehensive about that because at that stage I hadn’t even visualised my work in my own head – I had no idea what they’d end up looking like. I figured once I had another person involved, the project could literally go off in any direction!”

Thus, with Clinton’s engineering prowess and Janine’s artistic hand, they dragged ideas out of her head and into reality. Though her sculpting studio is off-site (“I can’t do the two in the same place because there’ll be grime and gunk everywhere”) she has some smaller examples of her work in her newly-constructed backyard studio – a clear upgrade in amenity terms from the garage immediately adjacent. “I’m still painting, but up until now my new building is more of a store room than an actual studio,” she says of her new workspace. “I’m still using the garage, which is very grungy and cold.” Clearly, it doesn’t affect her imagination – you can almost see her paintings shining through the rusted metal sculptures.

Even a talented artist like Janine needs a platform to promote and sell their work, and when it comes to fine art, Gumtree probably wouldn’t cut it. “I’ve had exhibits with Manyung Gallery from the beginning, and still do shows there today. Sharyn and David have been amazing… and they’re always happy to give me a critique on the night!” It’s a symbiotic relationship, with Manyung since expanding to sites in Malvern and Sorrento, giving Janine the publicity to take her work first interstate – where she’s held well-attended shows at Gullotti Gallery in Perth – and then international. You’ll find Janine’s work on public display from London to New York.

None of which diminishes her standing as a local – Daddo still calls the Peninsula home and, together with Clinton, has no plans to leave. The cultural fabric of our towns and suburbs is all the richer for it.

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Spring 2015

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40 YEARS OF WOODLEIGH F

orty years ago on a hot, February afternoon, staff and students of St. Paul’s School Woodleigh gathered under a huge gumtree for their first school assembly. The founding Principal, Michael Norman, led the group in a discussion of the new school’s values, its identity and the opportunities it would offer to students.

cares for the learning needs of more than 1000 students. The two schools seem a natural fit, each focused on a holistic style of education, where learning happens everywhere; both in and outside of the classroom, on camps and excursions, in books, on court and online.

Things have changed considerably in the years since then.

Today, assemblies are held in the school’s modern hall. With the venue comes its stage lighting, sound equipment and projectors streaming videos of student successes and initiatives, films, trips and projects. What remains however, is the strength of the student voice, and the continued relevance and presence of the values that were spoken of forty years ago, values that every Woodleigh person, past and present, knows and understands: respect for self, respect for others and respect for the environment.

The rebuilding of Woodleigh’s unique ‘Homesteads’ has also taken place throughout this anniversary year. The new Homesteads, which are replacing buildings that served for forty years, are now nearing completion, and Woodleigh’s staff and students are very excited to move in.

“We’re forty years young, we’re busy, we’re growing and I guess you could say we’ve had a bit of work done, but none of it is through vanity. Research and the needs of students have been central to each change we have made this year and will make into the future,” says Woodleigh Principal, Jonathan Walter. “And in this anniversary year there has been plenty happening at Woodleigh.”

In January, the long-awaited merger of Woodleigh and Penbank Schools was made complete. The addition of a second junior campus has created a three-campus Woodleigh School, one that

Designed with modern teaching methods, sustainability, flexibility and quality in mind, these new spaces are transformational. For students, they offer more than any classroom the School has previously seen. They are comfortable, warm and inviting. Law Architects have created areas that are spacious and quiet – and each building is large enough to accommodate an entire year level, making large-scale collaborative learning projects possible.

Technology is everywhere, from the writable surfaces, projection and sound equipment, to the advanced active and passive climate control systems which mean Woodleigh’s winter tradition of recesses spent huddled around a heater, will now be relegated to the annals of history. continued next page...

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Spring 2015

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“Please join us on Monday 12 October at 4:30pm as we celebrate the official opening of the first three, new-generation Woodleigh Homesteads – and stay on as we kick off the 2015 Woodleigh Arts Festival,� said Mr Walter. “This is a great opportunity for all interested people to visit Woodleigh and see the school in action.

There will be special guests, live music, art, design, theatre, fun and

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And don’t forget The Big 4 ‘0’ – Woodleigh School’s 40th Anniversary Gala Ball on Saturday 17 October from 6:30pm. Tickets are $150 per person and they’re selling fast at www. ticketebo.com.au/thebigfour-o

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Spring 2015

Welcome to Blue Mini; the newest retro cafe & eatery thats fast becoming a peninsula favourite.

Open year round for all day breakfast, great “dibella” coffee & delicious lunches made with fresh locally sourced produce.

Local artists & creatives works blend with a vintage range of quirky giftware in the “emporium”. The perfect space for events, special occasion or just a casual drop in.

See you soon.

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By Melissa Walsh Photos: Yanni

S

he’s petite, she’s bright and bubbly, with a flash of blue hair and an eclectic fashion style that screams individuality. She’s travelled the world, run her own fashion business, been in the corporate sector and finally found her home on the Mornington Peninsula, as an RPPfm radio presenter and feature writer.

Debra Mar leaves an impression wherever she goes, the five foot pocket rocket with a smile that lights up a room, and a voice that sets people at ease on her popular Tuesday morning radio show, The Breakfast Table.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for flamboyant Debra, whose journey has been quite an adventure.

“My husband and I came down to the peninsula four years ago, after having lived in the city. Having a holiday house in Rye, we had always thought it would be great to retire here, but didn’t expect it to be this soon,” says the 54 year old. “When my fashion business collapsed, Paul and I decided to head down here for a sea change. We literally sold up everything and bought a house in Mt Martha, an area that I had always loved.”

Growing up in Kyabram on a dairy farm, Debra knew she had to break free and, at the tender age of 18, emancipated herself to the city.

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“I was always different and marched to the beat of my own drum.

After my father died of a brain tumor when I was young, being the oldest of three siblings, I had to take charge and help my mum out when she had to return to work as a nurse. But I couldn’t wait to get out of the country and travelled to the UK, worked in the corporate world, backpacked around Europe, lived in Hong Kong, then decided to come back here,” says Debra who learnt that she has an aversion to mediocrity and laziness which inspired her to be a little different.

“At the magic age of 40, I started reevaluating my life. I always had my own style and wanted to create my own clothes, so took myself off to do a Bachelor of Arts in fashion and textiles at RMIT, and after three years started my own business,” says the ever-quirky Debra.

In a twist of serendipity, with the business collapsing and the move to the peninsula, Debra found herself with no direction for the first time.

“I had always been very focused and driven with my career and was now revisiting myself and working out what I wanted to do. When we moved here the enormity of it hit us though.

The first thing I did was go to the Community One and pick

up a Mornington News where I read about a workshop called ‘Navigating Change’, run by Sina Summers After attending the workshop, Sina contacted me and wanted to interview me on her radio program,” says Debra. “It was 3RPP then and the moment I walked in I was hooked. I had always given so much in business that I decided it was about time the universe gave back to me and, after meeting station manager and ex ABC broadcaster, Brendon Telfer, I decided to work here as a volunteer doing marketing and sales.”

That all changed for Debra the night Brendon phoned to ask her to fill in as a co-host on the next day’s breakfast program.

“I felt at home at the station but being live on air wasn’t something I had considered doing,” says Debra who had only been at the station for two months. She filled in that day and has now been working on her own program for two years, and loving every second of it, recently winning ‘Volunteer of the Year 2013’ and ‘Best Presenter of the Year 2014’.

“The Breakfast Table is very much in alignment with Brendon’s vision and dispels the myths of community radio being just run by retirees. We have a big mix of personalities and age groups here and it’s an inspiring place to work,” says Debra, who has interviewed everyone from politicians like Hon Bruce Billson and Hon Greg Hunt, to foodies, chefs, artists and actors like Gyton Grantley, Jonathan Coleman and horse whisperer, Monty Roberts.

Before any presenter gets on air, there’s a range of criteria they have to undertake, workshops on etiquette, station rules and philosophy, community involvement, RPPfm history and panel operating.

Being live radio, there is always the possibility of making mistakes and Debra says the biggest error she’s made was losing concentration and having dead air time.

“On live radio, 10 seconds of silence feels like 10 minutes and even the most professional presenters can do it. Brendon tells us to get over it quickly and get on with it if it happens,” she says with a laugh. “It’s only happened to me once or twice when I got distracted working the panel and lost my concentration.”

Working the panel, setting up 8 seven-minute interviews, reading the news, weather and traffic conditions is a balancing act that Debra says is something you perfect with experience.

“I saw the guys doing it and thought I can do that and have been working the panel for the past year now.”

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And as for the early start, Debra says it’s not a problem as long as she gets breakfast.

“I get up at 4.30am and arrive at the station by 5.30 to get ready for the 6 till 9 show. For the first hour I just play music and do traffic, weather and news. Then eight interviews for the next two hours, with music and news interludes.”

Debra’s ability to build rapport with people and non-judgmental attitude means she gets a variety of guests on her program, and she continued next page...

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is not afraid of controversy.

“The other day I interviewed Fiona Patten, Leader of the Australian Sex Party. I regularly speak to Alexandra Tselios, publisher of The Big Smoke, on relevant, often contentious issues,” says Debra, whose philosophy is that everyone has a story to tell.

“I prefer to do face to face interviews but sometimes that’s not possible if somebody is from the city. But peninsula people do love coming into the studio.”

With her whimsical style, Debra makes her breakfast program light hearted, even when handling sensitive topics.

“I don’t go into interviews with a large list of questions but do plenty of research and try to have more of a conversation,” she says.

“It has blown me away, the community atmosphere on the peninsula. We have the highest rate per capita of community volunteers here, and that’s not just because of the greying population. There’s something very special about the peninsula and it’s an honor to be able to share the stories of these real people who are part of a bigger community. I’ve learnt a lot about people and how willing they are to help each other through adversity from living down here. I believe the peninsula has a certain rhythm and heartbeat that I haven’t seen before.”

Tune in to RPPfm 98.7 or check out the website www.rppfm.com.au

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Spring 2015

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ADVERSITY LEADS TO ONE WOMAN’S IDENTITY

By Debra Mar Photos: Yanni

I

t doesn’t take much prompting to peel back the layers of emotion to reveal the anger and hurt of this strong, determined woman. Local writer and radio presenter Debra Mar met up with Kim Isaacs to unleash her life journey that found her in a serendipitous situation that will amaze.

It’s not often you are given the opportunity to sit opposite a colourful, dynamic and focused individual who is straight to the point, yet she is a kind, sensitive and nurturing woman who loves to tell her life story without prejudice.

Kim Isaacs has travelled a long winding, undulated path that features family drama and morass.

Born in the 1950’s Kim grew up in a loving family with a Mum and Dad and one sister, a year her junior in a Melbourne Bayside suburb. She had a normal upbringing, like any kid in a white Australian household. She was schooled under the austere regime of Catholicism and feared the disciplinary measures of the catholic order, habited nuns and lay teachers.

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Asked what she was like as a child Kim replies, “I hear people’s voices telling me who I was, more than my awareness of who I was. Everybody told me I was always bossy, that I have that school teacher vibe around me in the way I spoke.” She hastened to add, “But I was always the ‘good girl’ at school and very protective of my younger sister.” Once Kim hit teenager years it was a different story.

Kim always gravitated towards children. She had a caring and fostering quality claiming that when she had a birthday party she would invite the whole class because she didn’t want any to feel left out.

She would often ask her Mum why she looked different to everyone in the family. Her Mum would be “clutching at straws to try and find a likeness, or fob me off with something else,” says Kim. A kindergarten teacher, she married and raised four children under the Steiner education system. Completing Steiner Teacher Training, dabbling in the retail sector and studying counselling and psychotherapy helped set the foundation for what the future would hold for Kim.

The story began unfolding when, at 37 years, Kim made enquiries about her father through her father’s sister and family. (Her father died when Kim was 18 and had split from her mother years before that.)

Her father’s sister dropped a bombshell. Kim found out she was adopted at birth. “My father’s sister talked about how much I was wanted, how I was the ‘chosen one’ from other babies,” Kim says, physically pained.

Shock, tears, and total distress held Kim to ransom. “It was a rollercoaster of emotions; there is no language to describe the impact of my discovery.” She told her husband with anger and disbelief and added, “Even though I was totally devastated, at the same time it helped reconfirm why I was physicallly different with dissimilar mannerisms to my adoptive family.

Kim used the word ‘rage’ to describe her emotion when, “My adoptive mother came to visit soon after that. She was visibly distressed.

There was still no communication between us about the adoption which was bizarre.”

During the course of Kim finding her identity, her marriage dissolved.

“At that time there was discourse around adoption in newspapers and I contacted Vanish, an adoption network service.”

The long arduous journey began for Kim to find her birth mother and father. “I contacted Births, Deaths & Marriages, sat through the mandatory interview process and waited,” says Kim. I learned my birth mother was 39 years old when she gave birth to me. To this very day I don’t know what circumstances surrounded my adoption and can only make assumptions which troubles me,” she said.

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Kim discovered her birth parents had no other children together, but her father had a daughter from a previous marriage, so she made enquiries to find her half sister. When she learned she lived overseas she contacted her mother to get her contact details. Kim says that was a mistake because “Her mother didn’t know I existed and learned her estranged husband (my birth father) had an affair. I had opened up Pandora’s box.”

Kim’s birth parents had both died before she found out she was adopted.

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read self-help books, had counselling, and joined weekend cathartic workshops. “I could have bought a house with the money I spent trying to find answers,” she laughs.

WOULDN’T “ICHANGE

ANYTHING IN MY LIFE.

”

Kim found her birth father’s sister and family who accepted Kim with open arms.

She learned about her father’s hardships and his English and Norwegian origins. She visited the place where her father’s family lived in Cornwall and burst into tears.

Kim also travelled to Norway to meet other members of her birth family.

Over time of pain, tears and triumphs the synchronicity was incredible. “There were some amazing experiences as well that were very life affirming,” Kim said.

and that we need to express ourselves in other forms whether it’s drawing or painting, cut and paste, clay, dancing or music - it’s an incredibly organic process.”

“I started off with Catholicism which instilled fear and dread and a punitive God who told us how sinful we were. I worked through my belief system and values as I grew and found anthroposophy, established by Rudolf Steiner which has a more spiritual base. I also explored other options as well including Judaism which is one part of the family.” Kim believes as human beings we are body, soul and spirit, each having a unique belief system and values.

Moving along to the present day Kim offers a service called Kim Isaacs Creative Counselling focusing on the holistic approach to counselling individuals, families and groups to help access potential positive change.

Kim, sadly, never met her birth parents and poignantly comments on a Picasso painting, “I think of the girl as me in the mirror Picasso painted appropriately titled “GIRL BEFORE A MIRROR.” The cubist artwork portrays an image of a girl looking at her reflection in a mirror. The image in the mirror differs from the one standing before her. “That is the story of adoption for me,” she says’.

When asked why she uses the word ‘creative’ counselling in the title she replied, “There is such a connection for me with ‘play’

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values. There are so many secrets kept. “There are many complex issues to deal with,” Kim points out.

The Senate Inquiry into Adoption recommended that support groups be established in regional areas for those affected by their experience of adoption. VANISH approached Kim asking if she would facilitate this process.

Kim is taking up the challenge to set up a support network group for people in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula areas.

If you want to know more about Kim’s work and are interested in participating in her supportive network for adoptees, contact her on 0431 989 048 or visit her website kimisaacs.com.au or contact VANISH. Many mysteries, truths, pain, hostility, love and people’s identities came out of one baby’s adoption that has touched many families. Kim wouldn’t have it any other way, concluding “I wouldn’t change anything in my life. Every experience we have there is learning and there is opportunity and I don’t know if I would have understood ‘me’ in the way that I do now without having the experiences I’ve had.”

Kim took her birth mother’s name of ISAACS and enjoys life with her four children and five grandchildren.

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FORESTS The Mornington Peninsula is home to some of the most spectacular walks, parks, wildlife reserves and sanctuaries in Victoria, and Peninsula Essence photographer, Yanni, captures the fabulous forests right here on our doorstep.

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When you combine a love of the peninsula and nature with creative genius, the result is the stunning photographs by Peninsula Essence photographer, Yanni. Whether it is storms, wildlife, nature or dolphins, Yanni is at the forefront of capturing the true â&#x20AC;&#x153;essenceâ&#x20AC;? of our Mornington Peninsula. His magnificent forest images reflect the diverse landscape of the peninsula.

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SPRING INTO VILLAGE LIFE Stray from the well-worn track down the Mornington Peninsula’s coast and you’ll find yourself in one of the region’s best-kept secrets, the village of Mount Eliza.

Grand homes, pristine beaches and tree-filled parks have earned it the moniker of ‘Toorak by the Sea’. Sure, many that live or visit the area enjoy the luxury of a European lifestyle, but Mount Eliza is special because behind the splendor you are met with the reality of a vibrant shopping village that still manages to maintain its sense of community. The recent

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influx of young families, exiting from city suburbs, has firmly cemented the village as a lifestyle destination, packed with surprises.

The heart of this area is its most diverse and bustling retail hub, which remains one of a dying breed of shopping precincts because it is a cluster of independent and unique boutique businesses with not a chain store in sight.

For out-of-towners, it’s the eclectic mix of unique goods and specialty services that make Mount Eliza a destination of its own. With cutting edge fashion sourced from around the world, you can find male and female British

labels, Spanish and Italian footwear only otherwise found in Brunswick, plus European, New Zealand and Australian female clothing.

Extensive selections of homewares and soft furnishings are available in any one of six locations, with plenty of options for kids wear, needlecrafts, fresh foods and deli produce.

Have you even heard about the Maille mustard bar, with its thirty plus blends of mustards and dressings? Located within Ritchie’s supermarket it is the only one in Melbourne.

Be warned when it comes to pampering, there’s nowhere quite like it to meet your needs and desires. Choose from the many

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specialty beauty, health clinics and salons.

Even the men aren’t excluded as they can enjoy their own brand of facial hair care in the new ‘on trend’, barber shop. Meet these great guys with their cut throat razors and hot flannels at the ready.

The joy of this business community is that the staff, generally the business owners, are genuinely friendly and knowledgeable about their business and keen to offer the customer a retail ‘experience’. Hear the story behind a product, where it was sourced or how it was made, they will share with you the passion for the services they provide. You’ve been warned

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- it’s very easy to lose to track of time as you wander in and out of stores on the tree-lined paths of Mount Eliza.

For the locals, popping into the Village in the mornings sees the emerging, demographic of ‘thirty somethings’ that now call Mt Eliza home, create a coffee rush hour after school drop offs.

This caffeine demand has driven a multitude of trendy cafes to open in recent years, spoiling the locals with choices of blends. Similarly the options for leisurely breakfasts, long lunches and evening eating continues to expand in style and cuisine. Dining options to nourish your appetite, range from modern Australian, French,

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Italian, Vietnamese, Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Middle Eastern, pub food complimented more recently fashionable wine bars plus a spanking new specialty gourmet burger bar.

Round off your retail adventure by travelling a kilometre out of the Village, just on Nepean Highway, to explore Bayside’s biggest contemporary art and sculpture gallery plus the adjoining wineries with cellar doors, rose gardens and extensive garden walks.

In Mt Eliza it’s all about Shop, Taste and Indulge. Enjoy our world! www.mteliza-village.com.au

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SPECIALISED SPRAY EQUIPMENT

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FOR THE LOVE OF HORSES Whether it’s the manicured dressage fillies, or the family horse property, the Mornington Peninsula has it all for equine enthusiasts.

And they’re all doing it for one reason – the love of horses.

Melissa Walsh explores the wonderful world of the mystical beast that for years has captured our imagination and softened our hearts.

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A FAMILY AFFAIR

By Melissa Welsh Photos: Yanni

W

hen Peninsula Essence’s Ricky Thompson met his wife Tracy in High School he soon became aware that if he wanted to go out with her he had better develop an interest in horses.

says Linda, who grew up in Tucks Road, Shoreham. “The kids loved it too and got their first horses when they were 7 and 5.”

That’s the way it is when you love horses and Tracy had been riding since she was a little girl, following closely in her mother’s footsteps.

“I used to ride from Red Hill to Crib Point along the road but you can’t do that any more. It’s too dangerous now but I used to ride up to the hills every Sunday.”

Now, decades later, the females of the family continue to ride together, and have run agistment properties for 25 years.

On 64 acres in Bittern is Jack’s Beach Farm, where the three generations of women gather every week to ride and look after their horses.

Tracy, her daughter Chelsea, sister Sara and mum, Linda, are as close as you can get, and there’s no doubt this special bond has everything to do with their four legged friends.

Linda says that there have been many changes in where you can ride as the years have gone on.

When the girls aren’t on horses, they are talking about horses or on websites about horses, and young Chelsea is no different, following in mum and grandma’s footsteps.

“Chelsea goes to the Balnarring Pony Club, the same one we used to,” says Tracy and Sara. “We are members of the Merricks Saddle Club.”

Linda has been riding ever since she can remember, having grown up on the peninsula and raising her daughters around horses.

Rain, hail or shine, this family of horse-lovers put their money where their mouth is, spending nearly every spare moment at the property, caring for the horses and doing maintenance.

“My main love is trail riding, getting out and into the country,”

“We do feeds in the morning, then back in the afternoon giving

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out the hay. We have to do the fences, spray weeds, and harrowing,” says the girls who spend a couple of hours every weekday there and most of their weekends.

Jack’s Beach Farm is a casual agistment property, with the family deciding they wanted to offer affordable horse facilities.

“It is a very expensive hobby so we wanted to offer reasonable but quality agistment for horse owners like ourselves,” says Tracy, who has recently been reunited with the first horse she bred.

“Romanick was the first horse I ever bred but I had to sell him when I had my children. I always knew where he was and eventually bought him back.”

After all the work is done, you can find the girls on any given Sunday, down at the Stony Point road property, saddling up, talking and watching the clouds roll by.

There’s one day the family will never forget. It was January 3 this year and a bushfire had spread and was threatening homes and property in Hastings, Bittern and Crib Point.

The family’s immediate attention turned to their horses, which were right in the path of the fire.

“We could see the flames coming over the hill as we brought trailer after trailer in to save the horses. Friends, family and even members of the public were so helpful as they knew we would have to get the horses out,” says Tracy. “We ended up having to relocate 25 plus horses in the space of an hour or so. The fire itself ended up 5 metres from our front gate, which was a little too close

for comfort. Fortunately for us all of the horses were fine and back in their paddocks over the next couple days.”

The agistment at Jack’s Beach Farm might be casual but the girl’s attitude to their animals certainly isn’t, treating each one of the horses like they were their own.

“They all have their different personalities just like humans. There are some that get on well and others you have to keep separate,” they say with a laugh.

And while the owners may come and look after their horses, you know that with these girls they are always in good hands.

For agistment at Jack’s Beach Farm, contact Jacks Beach Farm on Stony Point Road, Bittern

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5 STARS FOR YOUR HORSE

By Melissa Welsh Photos: Yanni

and sometimes have some coaching,” says Fiona, who was Victorian Young Dressage Rider of the Year (2003), and now competes at a Grand Prix level with her mare, Tacita.

Now in its eighth year, Boneo Park Equestrian Centre has become home to some of the country’s most aspiring dressage riders, and continues to offer some of the best equestrian facilities in the southern hemisphere.

“We have a number of agistees, train and run events. We have two types of agistment, with stables and paddocks. All the horses are fed, their rugs are changed, stables cleaned, and our clients know their horses are getting the best care,” said Fiona, who says it is busy all year round but increases in the summer time. “A lot of people who come to the peninsula for holidays bring their horses here for agistment, and world class facilities for riding. They also love that they don’t need a horse float as the competitions are here.”

Alongside Fiona are her brother and sister who have gradually become part of the business over the years.

When you drive into Boneo Park, you know you are in for a special treat, with the equestrian centre setting the standard for five star agistment and international dressage events.

After growing up in a passionate equestrian family, brother Scott McNaught and sister, Karen Lawrence have returned to the peninsula with their families who are also keen horse enthusiasts.

Set among tranquil wetlands, the 850-acre property has been part of the McNaught family for years and now has evolved into a world-class equestrian facility.

“My brother and sister and their kids are all interested in the horses and our property, and our staff are like family too. We do all the looking after of the horses, with eight staff members who work with the horses, groundsmen looking after the property, office staff and a catering manager,” says Fiona, who can often end up doing a 12 hour day. “When you have horses it is 24 hours, seven days a week. My days are riding in the morning, then managing the staff and organizing weekend events. As part of our covenant project with the wetlands, we have a few full time staff who work on the wetlands eradicating weeds and doing maintenance.”

With Fiona McNaught at the helm, you get the impression this venture can’t go wrong, with this smart young woman combining the love of riding and a business mind.

“In 2001 we decided to buy the adjoining 700 acres, adjacent to our original property. It had a large wetland area and we had the intention to look after it and encourage the vast array of birdlife and many endangered fauna species,” said Fiona, who could also see the potential for an equine facility. “I had always loved horses, being involved from the time I was little and dreamed of Olympic wins and running a place like this. I also had a keen interest in business with a commerce degree and MBA,” said Fiona. “It helps that I am a competitor at the top level of my sport and understand the requirements of the competitors, so we relate.”

With a well-rounded understanding of the industry and a genuine passion for horses, Fiona devotes many hours of the day to the facility.

“I start around 7am most mornings, come over to ride both my horses,

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While very hands on, Fiona says it is important to get a break every now and again and she and her husband have recently returned from Europe.

“You have to get away sometimes and often winter is the most convenient as we have the least competitions at this time. I am also very lucky to have staff that I completely trust and who take care of everything,” she said.

With Boneo Park continuing to grow, with another block of stables and arena added last year, there doesn’t seem to be any hint of slowing down, but Fiona remains philosophical.

social racing Are you part of a sporting club or social group looking for fundraising opportunities? Do you enjoy getting together as a group for social outings and gatherings?

“This year we hosted the Pacific League Dressage Final, as well as the Final of the Australian Showjumping World Cup, two of the most important events in Australia. In January, next year we are hosting one of the final selection events for the Rio Olympics so have cemented ourselves as one of the leading equestrian venues in the country, which is great. It doesn’t matter how many hours you have to put in. When you do something you love, it doesn’t even feel like work.”

Boneo Park Equestrian Centre is at 312 Boneo Road, Boneo. Phone 5986 3006. www.boneopark.com.au

If so we would love to talk to you about getting involved in racing your own horse and fundraising for your club or social group at the same time! This is a new opportunity to get involved in thoroughbred racing at a small cost.

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BOUND Spring 2015

By Melissa Welsh Photos: Yanni

A

ward winning and 16 years old, filmmaker, Liam Kelly has his sights set high on cinema. Liam took out the Emerging Filmmaker Award in the Peninsula Short Film Festival for his first short film, ‘Drawn’, later winning Best Student Film and Best of Festival - Runner Up at Firereel Film Festival in California.

‘Drawn’ was also shortlisted for The Projects Short Film Festival in Sydney.

Liam talks to Melissa Walsh about his new film and life as an up and coming filmmaker.

How did you get involved with your new film, ‘Train Of Thought’?

I met Andrea Louise Thomas at the Peninsula Short Film Festival and we began talking about perspective film ideas. She has written a poem she was performing at the Australian Poetry Slam and we decided it would be the basis of a short film. It’s a fantastic poem, which is a humanitarian observation, which touches on a lot of issues like gender divide, materialism, racism and achieving an ideal life.

How do you make a poem into a short film?

‘Poets on the Fringe’ is the poem title, and ‘Train Of Thought’ is a working title, which may be changed later. The next step is to work out how to visualize the poetry which follows the story line of a performance poet with her daughter as she is growing up.

How many minutes is a short film?

Some festivals have micro shorts which are 15 seconds but they can be up to half an hour I think.

Will ‘Train Of Thought’ be ready for the short film festival?

Yes we are hoping it will be ready, and have applied for a creative funding grant from the Shire to help with post production but the problem is the funding doesn’t come through until Jan/Feb and the cut off for the festival is November.

How did you get into filmmaking?

I always wanted to be a musician so have been really into music, then one day dad handed me down his old camera and I filmed when my cousins came over, filming on the trampoline and doing star wars stuff.

It was an old video camera which you recorded onto a dvd and then had to format it.

It was through my music I got onto freeZA project, and that introduced me to Steve Bastoni, and then I did his short film workshop a couple of years ago. Then last year a friend and I did Steve’s film The Decision which was my first structured film.

How did your first film evolve?

‘Drawn’ came about on the set of ‘The Decision’. They asked if I was going to enter something into the short film festival. I was actually working on something but it was too long, so decided to make ‘Drawn’.

I “story boarded” it;. I envisaged two people in a world where you draw lines on a wall to meet your true love. It was something that popped into my head and the inspiration was the locks on the bridge in France. continued next page...

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How long did it take to make ‘Drawn’?

We had a month. I “story boarded” it while I had work experience in Sydney at Foxtel, and by the time I got back it was the saturday before Friday deadline. We had five days to film and edit.

How did you learn about editing?

Basically you learn as you go. I have a friend who is excellent at after effects so he put the lines on the walls while I spent the whole time editing and chopping together, and choosing the right music.

How are you progressing with your new film, ‘Train Of Thought’?

Promoting it now and getting it out there, and have professional cinematographer, Anthony Littlechild working with us. He offered to rent his Red Camera and is helping us with the cinematography. The Red Camera is amazing and it is used in fantastic visual films like The Hobbit. We have put out a call for crowd funding as we are using more professional gear, and professional actors, and have had an excellent response.

Who are the directors who inspire you?

Quentin Tarantino hasn’t been to film school, is self-taught and look at the calibre of his films. He is against normality and has very original ideas, so it’s trying to escape the repetitiveness of Hollywood. www.liamkellyfilm.com

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WE ARE SAILING

By Melissa Walsh

T

he Petersville Regatta is proudly returning to the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron Sailing Calendar. This family friendly, relaxed regatta will be held from December 27 – 30 this year, and is set to be reinstated as the club’s flagship annual event.

Back by popular demand, the Petersville Regatta’s return will attract a competitive group of keel and cruising boats from across the Peninsula, Victoria and Australia who will enjoy the return of the family friendly, social atmosphere of the original regatta held during the 1980’s. The Petersville Regatta is held in high regard by yachting enthusiasts from Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and beyond and is considered a nostalgic and historic event.

Historically, the Petersville Regatta has attracted keel boat owners from surrounding yacht clubs and was successfully held from 1981 – 1990 before the race was combined with Geelong Week. Successful boats that featured in the historical race include Shambles and Dry Reach, skippered

by R. Hick and subsequently G. Matthews, both of whom were the most successful boat competitors during the history of the event.

Petersville Regatta winner, Robert Hicks, says that sailing has always been part of his life.

“Over the years I have made a living as a sailmaker, boat builder and designer. I’m not sure exactly what it is I love about sailing, but the competitive side of it must have something to do it. I have been a member

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of the Royal Yacht club of Victoria for 45 years and have done most of my sailing out of Williamstown, sailing in most states at one time or another and venturing overseas once for the Admirals Cup,” said Robert. “The Petersville Regatta was held in the 1980s and was widely regarded as the number one event in Port Phillip Bay for keel boats. Interstaters would stop off in Melbourne on their return trips after taking part in the Sydney to Hobart Race. Our team won the Petersville Regatta five times in all.

When we won in 1985, the Melbourne Herald Sun put a photo of us on the front page of the newspaper which was a great thrill, but my fondest memory is of the 1987 win, as it was in the first boat I had designed.”

This year the Petersville Regatta will follow the annual ORCV Boxing Day Dash and will coincide with the expansion of the Blairgowrie marina and the opening of the much-anticipated Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron clubhouse.

Racing will take place over three consecutive days from December 28 to 30, with an opening function on the 27th, a long day race on day one, a half day racing and a twilight race on day two and a long day race on day three followed by a closing function.

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By Keith Platt Photos: Yanni

I

T may have started as a pure flight of fancy, and has developed into one of the most successful marketing and branding exercises the world has known, but there seems no end to the epic that is Star Wars.

But the best bargain of all was not fully appreciated until a few weeks ago when Mark confirmed that a Darth Vader mask he bought for $20 in 2009 was probably worth $10,000.

The movies have been shown (repeatedly), merchandise made, costumes worn, snatches of dialogue endlessly swapped and still the lure of time and travel seems infinite.

The mask had been brought to Australia by an American (who Mark met when he delivered a mattress made, of course, with space-age materials) who, when entering the house, remarked “So, you’re a Star Wars fan?”, adding that he had a mask.

Like space, the story of the Star Wars phenomena seems to have no outer limits.

The deal was made with the deliveryman saying the $20 would pay for his lunch.

Mark Sherrard-Griffith happily admits to being one of the worldwide network of Stars Wars fans.

“I wasn’t intending to take him for a ride,” Mark says. “It was only a few weeks ago I saw it had 20th Century Fox 1977 hand scratched inside.”

His family knows it and his wife, Prue, was left in no doubt what she has signing up for when they were married. When the screening of multiple Star Wars movies during last year’s May The Fourth Be With You Day coincided with a Michael Buble concert Mark was forced to do his own shuttle: Knox for the movie marathon, back to Mornington for Prue and then Melbourne for the concert.

Last year’s May The Fourth Be With You Day saw Darth Vader and Stormtroopers appearing at AFL games and clubs selling out of specially printed shirts.

This year coincided with the release of the second teaser trailer of a new Star Wars film and all major toy stores planned commemorative May The Fourth Be With You Day releases of limited edition items.

As recently as two weeks ago Mark’s mother was texting and sending photos of Star Wars items she had spotted while shopping. Despite him replying that they were already part of his 1000 plus piece collection, his mother returned with $200 to secure the “bargains”.

Investigation overseas proved the mask to be one of three or four that were handmade by Don Post for design approval by Star Wars director George Lucas.

“My collection also includes a life size Jawa and Darth Maul, handmade pieces, unopened vintage figures from 1983, a factory sealed-in-box vehicle from 1984, which is worth a mint, and many other fantastic items.”

Mark acknowledges the ever increasing commercialisation of Star Wars but sees it also as being “fan made and I’m happy to go along for the ride”.

The 40-year-old real Mornington estate agent (Ufirst) has $300 lightsabers – “not those dinky ones” - and a collection of figures in glass-fronted cabinets that he tells young relatives “probably come out to play at night”.

And does he feel secure sleeping with all that intergalactic activity happening just outside his bedroom door?

“Of course, I always sleep with blaster by my side.” continued next page...

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THIN GREEN LINE

By Andrew Dixon Photos: Yanni

I

continue as a ranger though, because I thoroughly enjoy it, and I was totally broke by the end of the tour!”

We met at the Merricks General Wine Store – home to the Baillieu vineyard and one of Willmore’s bigger local supporters.

“Kate Baillieu and this place have been big supporters of mine – they really got behind the foundation and helped get us off the ground”. It serves as a highly relaxed de-facto office, with table service and fantastic coffee.

On top of being its founder and managing director, Sean’s also the current president of the International Rangers Federation, the peak global industry body for park rangers, so he’s never short of something to do. “You do have moments where you wonder ‘how am I going to keep this going?’ Plus there’s always the fear of the money running out… this year though, we’ve managed to raise over $500,000 to fund 20 different projects on the ground – I’d call that a resounding success.”

t wasn’t that long ago that Sean Willmore was a park ranger with the Mornington Peninsula Shire. A workplace like Warringine Park on the coast of Western Port in “Melbourne’s Playground” sounds like a dream come true to anyone with a love of the natural world and the outdoors – who wouldn’t appreciate that sort of career? But he’s since taken his love of the natural world to a whole new level.

It’s no ordinary environmental charity though – it’s aimed squarely at the people humanity relies on to be custodians of the natural world. It provides equipment, education and firearms training to rangers who frequently face the threat of death by poachers, dangerous wildlife or even their own government and military.

And a big office Willmore needs – he left the Shire on a year’s unpaid leave several years ago, with the dream of making his nowfamous documentary that spawned a charitable foundation of the same name, The Thin Green Line. He sold his house, his car and a whole host of possessions in order to get a first-hand look at the dangers facing rangers in some of the world’s more dangerous parts.

It didn’t happen overnight either – he first conceived of his international expedition way back in 2003. “I travelled the world in ’04, but didn’t quit being a ranger until ‘07, when the film premiered simultaneously around the world on International Rangers Day – July 31st.

“I spent 2004 travelling the world to get the footage, and a few more years after that making the film. I did come back and

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“any donation under $1000 goes entirely to the ground, and for donations over that amount we ask for 15% to be utilised for administration and living expenses.” This transparency is indicative of the foundation’s good governance and Sean’s own ethical focus – no matter what sort of non-profit you invest in, some of it is inevitably used to support the foundation’s of the cause.

At least Willmore is up front about it. “Not everybody does publish these details, which can make it hard to compete, but to have any hope of follow-up donations you need to prove your integrity, so that’s our number one focus. If you want to donate, we’ll deliver 100% of it to the ground, and if you want to support the organisation’s existence – most charities are expected to run on nothing – you can buy merchandise, or donate over $1000 and know exactly what proportion of your money is going where.”

He’s also painfully aware of the sheer variety of potential recipients for philanthropic dollars these days. “Nobody wants yet another thing to worry about in this day and age, like rangers being killed for doing their job.” That’s where music comes in. “Gotye, who’s a local as well, is an ambassador for the foundation. We’ve hosted music festivals with over 1500 people in attendance… it helps put things into a positive context. Rather than feeling strictly guilty on account of those defending the environment, supporters can become aware of the issues while positively engaging with each other on the subject. And here we are, already making a difference” You’d be forgiven for thinking that spending much of his time with rangers suffering at the hands of militants, poachers and the worst elements of global society would leave the man a little jaded.

But he’s surprisingly up-beat, focusing instead on the opportunities he’s been given to make a difference. “Your energy and enthusiasm can wax and wane – it is a hard road to continually push the barrow down. But over the years we’ve attracted some fantastic ambassadors, and I’ve got a variety of income streams that allow me to keep the foundation going. I couldn’t afford to pay myself any salary the first year so I had to be entrepreneurial about it…

I guest lecture at corporate functions and schools, I’ve published six childrens’ books, and support from musicians and events has helped immensely.” ” With solid PR from the likes of the ABC’s Australian Story and The Age, it didn’t take long for his movie to attract the enthusiasm and support necessary to start a functional non-profit organisation.

“Not everyone donates to charity, so fundraising is crucial. Part of the frustration in running a not-for-profit foundation is that you don’t exactly have a steady stream of repeat customers – there’s only so many times you can ask a high net-wealth individual to donate to your cause”.

He’s chin-wagged with some of the world’s highest-profile public figures – Gotye, Richard Branson, the royal family, Leonardo DiCaprio… the list goes on. “They’re more tapped into philanthropic networks than I am. DiCaprio’s foundation, for instance, donates seed funding to environmental charities, and while we haven’t as yet been successful in receiving a share of that money, maintaining and expanding these networks is crucial to the survival of the foundation.” But what’s kept him going since the release of his documentary eight years ago?

The answer: “Help.” A variety of sympathetic stories in the news and media quickly turned The Thin Green Line Foundation into a global organisation. Donors will be pleased to hear that

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While the Thin Green Line Foundation does have regular donors, Willmore says they always need more. “Most of our bigger donations are one-offs, and they’ve carried us through quiet periods, but the real challenge is maintaining a positive cash flow.

And to do that, we need marketing and PR campaigns, which in turn cost money, so if you ever get to the bottom of the barrel and you’re in the red, it can mean trouble.” Thankfully his organisation has the support of many, not just on the peninsula but around the world, and doesn’t look like disappearing any time soon.

Another edge comes from his unique take on working in other countries, where governance isn’t necessarily a priority. “We aim for collaboration, rather than competition like many aid organisations. We work with other NGOs already on the ground, so rather than us spending $200,000 to be there, we’ll put our heads together with those that know the lay of the land to spend that money more efficiently, for a better outcome. Basically we know who you are, your governance checks out, you’ve done this sort of work before… we’ll fund it if you deliver it.’” continued next page...

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This is an essential part of the foundation’s strategy for working in the far corners of Africa and Asia, where customs and languages vary widely. “Often though, we give the money directly to the rangers to reduce opportunities for corruption to siphon cash away… it’s unfortunate but there are some governments that are more of a problem than a solution for these people… giving their rangers no support and little to no money, all of which rapidly raises the incentive to take bribes from poachers and the like.” To even be considered for financial assistance from the Thin Green Line, they need to publish quarterly as well as annual reports, file all receipts for expenditure, and even photos of activities on the front line as requested by Sean. “Most of the time, we’re working with people we know and can trust. When the average wage of rangers in some parts is less than $1,000 per year, building that trust is important.” Especially so for rangers’ families – if they’re killed on duty or kidnapped for ransom, generations of people can lose their only income stream, and further exacerbate the harm done to tense and poverty-stricken people.

In the West, people who work for the state that are more likely to be perpetrators of violence than victims. And while physical risk is a part of life for police and military personnel all over the world, it’s not something your average council bylaws officer or Parks Victoria employee has to deal with. “Thankfully this isn’t an Australian problem, but so much of the world cares so little for the people we expect to care for the environment. These guys clearly don’t do it for a salary – they believe the work is important and we try to reinforce that by showing them that the world values the work they do.” It’s not solvable overnight, but rather a valuebuilding, piece-by-piece approach by working with individual rangers and their respective ranger foundations.

“We’ve lost more than 1000 rangers in the last ten years. About 25% of this is due to accidents and the dangerous nature of their work. Even dangerous game needs protecting. But a sizeable 70% is due to poaching,” a purely monetary endeavour. The lower the per-capita GDP of an area, the more likely the population – everyone, employed or not – will tend towards corrupt activities in the search of any sort of financial escape from poverty. “We’ve seen cases where rangers were poisoned with anthrax, all so someone can skirt around measures designed to protect the environment.”

It’s extreme, distant and depressing, but it’s good to see someone making a conscious, voluntary effort to push back against environmental destruction for the sake of a dollar. “There’s any number of reasons for employing these violent actions – wood from forests, ivory from elephants, meat, skins, mining, hunting… most of it comes down to money. If we pay them almost nothing, tell them to go out and risk their lives, leave their families destitute if they get injured or killed, but it’s a good cause so get to work… what can we seriously expect from them? When a poacher comes up with a bag of cash that’s five times their annual salary, knowing that nobody in their country respects them or the work they do, you can’t blame them for caving in, taking the money and running. They have so little to lose.”

Sean’s spent the better part of a decade proving them wrong, showing rangers first-hand that they are valued not just by their own people, but by people all over the world. It’s easy to take it for granted that state employees are well cared for, but too often that’s just not the case, so Willmore’s made it his life’s work in changing that perception, one ranger at a time.

Right: Sean with Richard Branson.

Above: The Thin Green Line Foundation Presenting a baby t-shirt to Prince William, Duke Of Cambridge.

Right: Sean with Hillary Clinton.

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THROUGH THE EYES OF THE YOUNG

By Melissa Walsh

A

lot can happen in a year as young peninsula photographer, Josh Brnjac demonstrates, the 13-year-old photographer having started his own online business since we last met in Spring 2014.

Melissa Walsh catches up with Josh, now in his first year of high school, to find out what’s been happening in this creative kid’s world.

“In the past 12 months its been really exciting. After releasing the first website I got back into the photography but wanted to get an online presence for my business,” says Josh. “I have recently released an e-commerce store offering a collection of my best photographs on stunning mediums to an Australiawide audience.”

For Josh the whole process of getting the online business right has been trial and error but he was determined to stick it out as he knew the value of a good online presence.

“It has helped me along the way to attain my other goal as well, which is finding a charity I feel touched by and giving a percentage of the proceeds to that,” says Josh, who believes it is as important to give back to the community. “This way I get to help bring the beauty of Australia into everyday living spaces, and support a charity which is close to my heart.”

The charity that Josh supports is Kigezi Youth and Mentor Development Project Uganda, Africa.

sponsorship is to equip, empower and enrich,” says Josh. “To equip the underprivileged youth of Kabale with life skills, to empower the vulnerable young to utilize their full potential, and to empower the lives of those who have been marginalized through abject poverty by providing education to enrich their lives with purpose, hope and opportunity.”

Josh has already been amazed with where the money has been used so far.

“I was fortunate to sell a print at the Flinders Gallery and put the money towards a young boy who needed leg surgery.

This was about two months ago, before I had even released the website.”

As for running a business when you are 13, Josh says his parents insist that he gets his homework done first when he gets home from school. Then he can do business follow-ups.

“My parents are so helpful. There are lots of things you can’t do when you are a kid so they will help me out with things like contracts with suppliers for instance, but I do all the groundwork and phone them to set up the partnerships though. Sometimes they care about my age. Other times they don’t,” says Josh.

Josh now sells his photographs on different mediums like glass and metal, and has found a niche in the market for this unusual artwork.

“I like to go through Australian companies to supply my glass

“I wanted to empower the lives of others, and the KYMADP is an outreach initiative in Kabale. The primary focus of my

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and metal prints, and all the printing is done in Australia. I find their printing really amazing.”

Josh was also approached by the CEO of Pickawall, after he read the article in last year’s Peninsula Essence and was impressed with the talent that he saw.

“I was delighted. The CEO rang me and asked if they could use my images for their wallpaper. Now most of my images can be purchased on custom sized wallpaper. It was a real thrill to see my images displayed on a restaurant in Sydney for the Restaurant Revolution program. They also have a huge display of my work in their showroom in Richmond,” says Josh.

As for where Josh gets his drive and maturity, he explains it quite simply.

“When I was younger I always wanted to be remembered for something. I used to do the weirdest hobbies and then I read about Steve Jobs and Apple and was inspired by his motivation. I think its amazing to find your passion when you’re younger, and I will continue to work hard for what I love because its not like work at all.”

Josh has a permanent exhibition at the Flinders Gallery and you can view Josh’s work online at www.joshbrnjac.com or check out the facebook page.

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BIG TALES FROM THE

Small Screen

By Andrew Dixon Photos: Jarryd Bravo

I

f you haven’t been to the Mornington cinema yet, you have never really finished your maiden tour. With 3 screens and fully digital technology, Ian McCann will be happy to have you almost any night of the week. It doesn’t take long before you are on a first name basis with the small business owner on Main Street, Mornington.

“Honestly, I think a lot of people have been coming here for a very long time. You’ll learn their names sooner or later... it’s an intimate little town.” But Ian wasn’t always so heavily invested with the day-to-day of the business. He held a management position at Channel Ten while his father got the place started… which, by the sound of it, took some effort.

and not stopped, was the grungy Mornington one. It was only four years old yet looked unloved, uninviting, and rather unattractive in general!”

So he bought the place, spruced it up a little and, with a little help from his folks, turned a failed Main Street business into a unique and still-successful viewing experience. It proved affirming of Mornington’s hold over Ian and his family’s life. While his mother was born in the former “Bush Hospital,” he and his brethren were raised up in Bentleigh.

Wherever he was, Ian has always had a passion for film.

Walking through the hallways behind and between his three

“The only time in my life where I’ve ever driven past a theatre

continued next page...

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screens, remnants of the analogue age reveal themselves in equal proportion to digital components. It’s surprising just how much space a 35mm reel takes up in the real world.

But he remembers his first day like it was yesterday. “On the first night I came in, the programming… it was all wrong. The show opened with Breaking Ground, and the supporting feature was Porridge! Who’s going to hang around to see those two on the same night?! But, the double feature in those days, that was how we did it.”

It helped a lot to have the sympathetic ear of his parents when starting out. “Mum and Dad were really supportive of me, Dad even retired just to give me a hand. But on our first weekend, I said to Dad, ‘I’ll be happy to get 30 or 35 tonight.’ We got 223, in a theatre that was used to seeing eight or nine people a show. I was ecstatic!”

The inevitable move to digital, however, was a slightly less pleasant affair. Apart from the sheer cost of setting up even a single viewing theatre, the maintenance was something he admits he’ll struggle with on his own. He has technicians on retainer, but digital equipment – especially complex digital equipment that is purpose-built to handle terabytes of data – is costly to maintain.

It’s one of the few things around the shop that he doesn’t actually do himself.

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Probably just as well – cinema complexes are no small investment, and to void a warranty by attempting repairs on one’s own might not be the wisest idea. Then again, “stringing up one continuous piece of film all the way around the staff access areas for a double feature that you can’t play more than four minutes apart, is tedious, and a little wasteful. What you lose through digital in impersonality, you more than make up for in convenience.”

His closest comparison in terms of business and operations was probably with Robert Kirby, who ran the four-screen cinema divided by Nepean Highway, right in the middle of Frankston back in the Quest building’s heyday. He’d refused digital from day one, and even managed to undercut the new AMC theatre on ticket prices for a little while. But AMC won the day, and it cost Ian’s Frankston counterpart a lot. “I have a feeling the outcome would’ve been similar here had a cinema opened up at Centro,” Ian presciently reflects.

But he’s still kicking, even though the move to digital alone cost tens of thousands of dollars, a necessity realised at the point where Ian was running out of new reels to rig up. But it’s an investment that shows faith in the future, and in the willingness of the bulk of us to pay a fair price for a quality night out at a time where highdefinition content can be downloaded in a matter of minutes in the comfort of one’s own home.

And though you’d think it quiet during the week, “Monday is actually one of my business days,” says Ian. “On occasion, we’ve sold too many tickets… this little staff viewing area gets filled with extra seats!”

The place hasn’t been the same since he lost his wife Tessa last year. “We basically split the duties 50/50, and while I just can’t do everything she used to do… I’m getting by.” The thought of selling up did cross his mind “many times. Many times I thought about that. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised it was a childhood dream I had to keep following.”

They were, quite literally, a dynamic duo, and having the theatre all to yourself can be depressing. But with his level of stamina and a little bit of luck, he’ll be showing films in town for years to come. Main Street wouldn’t be the same without his little slice of culture – open most evenings, Ian is more than happy to show you to your seat.

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With a soft palette of pastels and florals for the girls and a casual vibe for our guys, spring is here with a vengeance.

Spring 2015

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Previous page: Ruby Finch chambray denim dress stripe scarf & floral moccasin Model Maria Euro Collections Barclay multi coloured tee multi coloured cardi Tuzzi petal pants Model Jessica Gravity Streetwear blue jeans grey hoodie & black vest brown shoes Model Sam

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Fashion suppliers Ruby Finch Shop 12 Balnarring Village Frankston-Flinders Rd Balnarring Ph:5931 3843

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Models Jessica Martini Sam Bourke Maria Mirabella

Venue Boneo Equestrian

Photography Yanni

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Gravity Streetwear blue jeans grey hoodie & black vest brown shoe Spring 2015

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MORE

THAN JUST A

Pretty FACE

By Melissa Walsh

J

essica Martini is beautiful. She is a multi pageant winner, Miss Galaxy Australia 2014, most photographic in the USA International, and is now competing in Miss Australia International 2016. She is the co-ordinator of the new Miss Western Port pageant, and committee member of the Western Port Festival which is held each February on the Hastings foreshore. Jessica is also a youth mentor, and loves to encourage women to support other women.

You can often see her floating around town with her sash attending events and making appearances.

Photo: Yanni

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As Melissa Walsh discovers, you should never judge a book by its cover, finding there is so much more to this beauty queen than meets the eye.

The moment you sit down with Jessica Martini you can tell she

is a lovely person. The tall and bubbly blonde seems to have a wisdom beyond her 27 years, which is not surprising given the challenges she’s faced growing up.

“I was always into doing community and charity work which started 18 years ago when my little sister, Adriana, was born. She had stopped breathing during labor, and was born dead. She was resuscitated but the lack of oxygen to her brain gave her a disability: she can’t talk or look after herself. She has severe seizures and also attends a special development school here on the peninsula. It was then that I started fundraising for OzChild, and her medical expenses as I felt I had to do something to help,” said Jess.

For Jess, entering pageants was not something she’d considered until a couple of years ago.

“I came across the Miss Galaxy Australia pageant on Facebook back in early 2013 and saw it as a great opportunity to build my self confidence and get more actively involved in the community,” said Jess, who is completely besotted with living on the peninsula and her beloved Western Port.

“I moved to Hastings from Langwarrin when I was 18 and absolutely love the quiet, country atmosphere. My favorite thing is when my boyfriend, Aaron, and I take our two Siberian huskies for a walk along the foreshore,” says the self-confessed homebody.

Unfortunately for Jess and her family, the challenges were far from over when, just six months later, her mother, Tina, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Jess was only nine.

In April last year, Jessica won the title of Miss Galaxy Australia 2014, and says she has travelled interstate more times since then than in her entire life.

“My sister accidentally kicked mum in the chest when she was having a nappy change, and after some tenderness not going away, she found the lump,” said Jess, whose mum was 27 at the time.

“It’s what you choose to make of it and, being in the pageant scene has definitely given me a broader platform for raising money and awareness for charities I’m passionate about and also being a voice of compassion and purpose. It also gives me the ability to be a role model and mentor for other girls, which is so important in this day and age, there are so many young women out there that lack the ability to believe in themselves, and it saddens me so much that these incredible individuals are letting their fears get in the way of living their lives to it’s fullest potential. I want to be that person that shows them that if you push yourself beyond the furthest place you think you can go, you’ll be able to achieve anything your heart dreams.”

“She got a second lot of breast cancer when she was 38 and had heavy rounds of radiation therapy.”

Headstrong and determined like her mum, Jess was going to do whatever she could to get through this time and found her continued fundraising a great outlet.

“I really loved doing the charity work and got involved with raising money for the Cancer Council when I was 17. I gave them a call and they said they had merchandise that I could sell at schools and the work place. It was my way of trying to help,” said Jess, who became the official ambassador for the Cancer Council last year.

“I now work closely with the organization to spread awareness and raise money for cancer research.”

While Jess’s family are encouraging and supportive, they have never witnessed her crowning moments, but she knows they are there in spirit. continued next page...

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“Last year the Miss Galaxy International Final was held in Florida so they couldn’t all afford to go over,” says Jess, who relies on sponsors like Saya Beaute Bar in Somerville.

“In pageants they don’t judge on weight but more so on fitness so I do make sure I am fit before competing, going for extra walks and cutting down on the chocolate,” she says.

This year Jess is preparing to win her second National title, being Miss Australia International 2016.

As for the other girls in the pageant, Jess says that so far it has been like a sisterhood.

“The official crowning of Miss Australia International 2016 will take place on November 7 in Sydney.

“A lot of people have the perception of beauty pageants as being really catty and competitive but I haven’t found that in all my years of competing.”

If I am fortunate to win the crown, I will then head to America next July to represent Australia on the International stage,” says Jess, who says she is quietly confident.

Apart from fundraising and working full time as an administrative assistant, Jess says that her days are fairly quiet.

Surprisingly the trim beauty doesn’t even have a rigid exercise routine.

“I’m pretty terrible really. Apart from doing a bit of yoga I don’t really do a lot of exercise. Although when I’m preparing for a pageant I am a little more careful of what I eat,” says Jess, whose favorite food is cake, and like most girls, has a penchant for shopping online.

And back on the home front, Jess says her mum is doing great, about to embark on a trip around Australia with her husband.

“She’s looking forward to relaxing and living stress free for a while. We see each other quite often, usually having coffee dates in Mornington, followed by some shopping so I’m definitely going to miss that while she’s away. Mum is very proud of my achievements and I know that because she tells me every day. She just wants me to be happy and healthy and to have a successful life, which is what all mums want for their children.”

Jessica’s blog and website is www.martinirunway.com.au

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Getting Back To Basics with

By Debra Mar Photos: Yanni

A

household name having lived a glamorous international life in the fast lane has her mind set on teaching us how to live a fitter, healthier life. Aussie celebrity, Tania Zaetta has just been named ambassador for the Australian Certified Organic Association and DEBRA MAR discovers why getting back to basics is so important.

A striking fresh faced girl with glowing olive skin, high cheek bones, almond shaped eyes and 40 something, Tania Zaetta now calls the Mornington Peninsula home. She looks a picture of health as she relaxes in her favorite Rye café, Picknics as she opens up about her fascinating life over a skinny cappuccino – extra hot please.

Born in a small country town in the Sunraysia region of Victoria called Merbein to an Italian father and Australian mother. Tania is the eldest of a family of three which includes two brothers, and is a granddaughter to acclaimed botanist James Howard Browne OAM. Her dad owned the local brickworks and her mum, with a nursing background, later moved to a more holistic approach to medicine studying health, nutrition, homeopathy, iridology and becoming a Natural Health Practitioner.

Tania grew up surrounded with open space eating fresh farm

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Tania Zaetta food which now has a fancy marketing term, ‘clean eating’. She explains, “In the morning we were sent out to collect eggs from the chook shed, now called ‘cage free and free range’ eggs. Then off to the vegie patch to pick a selection of home grown vegetables and fruit, now called ‘organic and pesticide free’ with our meats being paddock roaming sheep and cattle, which are now known as ‘hormone free’.”

“We were quite self-sufficient – which to me was a normal way of life,” - a little less complicated and stressful compared to trying to make the right food choices these days.

As a child Tania claims she was bit of a tomboy who used to ride a horse to school. “Mum would try and dress me up in ribbons and dresses but I would rather wear a pair of jeans.”

After secondary school she studied health, nutrition, fitness, and aromatherapy becoming a qualified Natural Beauty Therapist.

She later studied to become a Pilates Instructor. “I knew I would follow in mum’s footsteps into the health and wellness industry.

She was ahead of her time back then,” Tania declares.

Blessed with slender long legs, a perfect body and stunning features, Tania embarked on a modeling career with contracts around the world. “It frustrated me when I had to be quiet and pose during shoots because I loved to talk and clown around with everyone - I think that’s the country girl in me.”

With a TV career extending over three decades, she originally starred in Supermarket Sweep with the late Ian Turpie, then Who Dares Wins with Mike Whitney, which was screened in over 50 countries, Baywatch, and Celebrity Apprentice. More recent, part of ‘Koshie’s Angels’ on Sunrise as well as a presenter on Channel 7’s Sydney Weekender.

Who Dares Wins catapulted Tania into celebrity status with the success of the reality TV program being owed to her great on-air, off-air friendship with dual host Mike Whitney which continues to this day.

Then came her big screen break – appearing in Bollywood movies! “No foreigner had really conquered Bollywood at that point, and being the world’s largest film industry I thought, I’m going to give this a shot!” The rest is history as they say.

Fast forward to her life on the Mornington Peninsula where Tania practices what she preaches from her recently launched book simply titled “Trim & Tone with Tania”.

Her book was born out of frustration. “Most the books I read were very extreme and limiting in their approach to eat healthy.

It’s not sustainable for families to live that way for the long term and I knew eating healthy could be made so simple.

Tania describes the popular modern day term ‘clean eating’ as just going back to ‘country kid’ farm basics. “It doesn’t need to be difficult.”

Tania thanks her Mum (and mentor) for planting the foundation of good sustainable eating habits; her wisdom and jokes about having boring lunch boxes at school full of fresh nutritional food that no one wanted to swap with!

Tania has a strong vision to change the world. “I would love to educate children about food and health, it doesn’t matter what postcode you live under, or what your parents have or don’t have.”

In her years, Tania has experienced her share of challenges, controversy, conflicts and bigoted comments against her played out in the media but she has come out smiling. “I’m a positive thinker and practice positive.”

“This is the happiest and most content I’ve ever been” beams Tania. “I have the perfect balance living on the peninsula; I have the most beautiful soul mate boyfriend, Chris Rogers, who is my rock of support; I’m a ‘puppy mummy’ to our little Jack Russell, Charlie. Always travelling she has never had the opportunity to be part of a great community. Now I do!”

“There are many farmers on the Peninsula who are doing amazing work using organic practices, including cheese makers, egg and truffle farmers, homegrown pork and beef growers as well as plenty of fruit and vegetable producers. Most have farm gate sales which is great – stop and shop at them.”

Considering herself an Aussie battler she says, “Just have a go, don’t’ take no for an answer and be persistent”, she replies, adding, “Plus always be friendly and welcoming to everyone.” She winks and adds with a smile, “But a walkover I’m not. As a Scorpio with an Italian background I can be quite stubborn at times and if you tell me I can’t do something, I’ll be even more determined to do it.”

When asked what’s more important, the journey or the destination she confides “definitely the journey. It’s the journey that provides the story of your life.”

Tania’s passion to get us all fitter, healthier and happier is just part of what makes up this warm natured, friendly girl with an infectious smile. We are fortunate to have her living on the peninsula.

“Trim and Tone with Tania” is a fantastic reference and easy-tofollow handbook for every woman to use as a complete fitness, nutrition and lifestyle guide and coincides with her popular ‘6Week Trim & Tone’ Online Pilates & Weight loss Program.

Available at available all leading books stores, including Target and online at www.taniazaettaprogram.com

Ambassador for the Australian Certified Organic Association, Tania is excited about being able to spread her health knowledge which involves being part of Organic Awareness Month in September.

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Spring

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Here come the Brides...

THE Mornington Peninsula Weddings group [MPW] held a hugely successful Bridal Expo in Mornington recently. This is the industry group’s third Expo and the growing popularity of the event is no surprise to MPW’s President Mary- Anne Brasacchio.

‘The Mornington Peninsula is fast becoming the Number one location [destination] for weddings in Victoria. The Peninsula has so much to offer that any wedding desire can be accommodated. The region has a great diversity of landscapes that is unmatched anywhere else in Victoria.’

The Bridal Expo attracted over two hundred couples who are in the process of planning their wedding. The bridal couples were able to obtain all the information and inspiration needed to assist in organising their dream wedding day. The Expo showcased local venues, caterers, accommodation, transport suppliers, stylists, photographers, celebrants, entertainment, hair & make up artists and attire options. Mary- Anne commented: ‘The wedding industry is a fast growing sector of the local economy and now accounts for $100m worth of business every

year. The MPW group comprises of local, independent business who work together to provide a premium service to the bridal couple’ for their special day. Their wedding is one of the most important days of the couple’s life and they want everything to be right. The dedicated members of MPW work hard to meet those expectations.’

Mary Anne was quizzed about the trends in weddings and what that means for the Mornington Peninsula: ‘Weddings are now occurring from Thursday to Monday and throughout the year, rather than just October- April.

Guests are staying longer to the point where accommodation is now regularly sought for 3-4 days for the bridal party, family and friends. These trends have considerable economic benefits for our region and local employment.

MPW has over 80 independent business members and anyone wishing to join the progressive industry group can call email Mary- Anne on info@peninsulaweddings. com.au or visit the MP Weddings website www.peninsulaweddings.com.au

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Ph: (03) 5973 9200 99 Tanti Ave Mornington 3931 www.brooklandsofmornington.com.au

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Celebrate your big day

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NEPTOURS We offer coach services for all occasions, especially for weddings and parties.

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Weddings | Conferences | Events | Restaurant | Cellar Door | Functions Manicure Gardens | Vineyards | Boutique Accommodation | Funerals

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info@morningstarestate.com.au | morningstarestate.com.au Spring 2015 PENINSULA

Stockists of Luxe Elle Zeitoune Specialising in wedding, evening and formal wear.

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Phone 9783 3181 www.sunsetbridal.com.au Next door to the swimming pool shop

We have the right heel size to suit you

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Patisserie

Delicious Designer Wedding Cakes 6/59 Barkly St Mornington 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday | 9am to 4pm Sunday Brian Randall Photography. www.brianrandallphotography.com.au

Ph 5976 4902

SPECIALISING IN EVENTS AS WELL AS FRESH CUT FLOWERS Fiona Versteegen 0411675594 ďŹ onampfresh@yahoo.com.au

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Expect to pay around half the price FOR AN APPOINTMENT CALL

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ANTHONY Hansen from Diamond Coco makes it his mission to find a ring that is perfect for his customer. And the good news is that his business model means his prices can be up to 70 per cent less than buying a similar item from a jewellery shop.

Visit www.diamondcoco.com.au or visit Diamond Coco at Suite 6, 38A Main St, Mornington, phone 1300 230 430.

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Making

Dreams A Reality

By Melissa Walsh Photos: Josh Scott

M

ornington couple Josh and Nerissa had a dream to one day open their own bohemian café, where they could sell delicious, healthy home-made goodies and create a unique experience for their customers to relax and unwind.

That was two years ago and now the young couple has made that dream a reality with Boho Blends, their pop-up cafe with a bohemian, gypsy vibe.

“We started with a run-down old 1968 vintage Franklin caravan that I saw in a guys backyard when I was driving along one day,” says Josh, a builder by trade. “We’d been on the lookout for a van but hadn’t seen anything. This was a Franklin which is Australian and we wanted to combine that Aussie vintage vibe with our food.”

Before they knew it, Josh and Nerissa, who is studying naturopathy, were transporting the circa 1960s van back to Josh’s parents property in Pearcedale where they spent the next seven months restoring and renovating.

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continued next page...

Spring 2015

“

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS.

”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

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Like the American airstreams, the Boho Blends van has a stunning polished aluminium look with the couple stripping back fifty years of paint in one hot summer month.

and offer a full package service with music, cakes and vegetarian or regular paella that Josh has taken the last year to perfect,” says the couple.

“We went through 15 cans of paint stripper, buffed and polished and then worked on renovating the inside,” says Josh. “Nerissa ended up with paint burns and I put a nail through my foot but it was all worth it now.”

With Josh’s background as a singer and DJ, the music is wide and varied, and Nerissa creates a relaxed café atmosphere with fairy lights, candles, a rug and chairs and tables out the front of the van, so your party decorations are even taken care of.

Boho Blends offers a range of raw cakes, fresh and delicious wraps and some seriously “kickass” juices and smoothies, proving that with a lot of hard work and self-belief anything is possible.

“The whole party is arranged around the van,” says Nerissa who always wanted to create an experience where people walk away with a hint of that gypsy lifestyle. “I have always been interested in health and good food and want to share the recipes I’ve discovered along the way. Our food reflects our lifestyle and we use all ethical meat and organic food.”

“I am the dreamer and Josh is the doer,” says Nerissa with a laugh. “We were just sitting at a café one day and thought how good would it be to have a pop up café. We had been living in New York and saw food vans and pop up cafes and thought the peninsula would be the perfect place to start.”

Josh and Nerissa are all about bringing good, wholesome foods, health and wellbeing to life, and their food is a reflection of how they live.

The bohemian foodies use all natural ingredients in their dishes, with Nerissa making a delicious selection of raw cakes like raw carrot cake, raw fudge off balls, vegan cheesecake, and the naked brownie, and Josh perfecting his Spanish paella for special events.

“We set up as a café over the spring and summer months, offering our coffees, raw cakes, smoothies, and toasties, and we also do special occasions like birthday parties where we come and set up

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At just 24 and 28 years of age, the young couple have already travelled the world, set up their own business and continue to follow their dreams.

“Its so important to do what you love and when you find something you are passionate about, don’t be afraid to do it,” says the couple. “In a day and age of technology, its important to sit back, relax and talk to people. It’s the only way to find your own passion and follow your journey.”

You can catch Boho Blends at the Emu Plains season launch on October 17.

Check out Boho Blends on Facebook or phone 0437 190 456.

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Time to enjoy Spring!

We have a huge range of window furnishing solutions designed to make the most of your outdoors. Call us to arrange an obligation free quote & measure.

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Peninsula Curtains & Blinds

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TASTING EXPERIENCE

Takes Flight Spring 2015

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I

t is hard to imagine a family more ingrained in the peninsula wine industry than the Crittendens.

Garry Crittenden planted some of the first vines on the peninsula back in 1982. In fact the five acres he planted then doubled the peninsula’s entire planting at the time.

Fast forward 33 years, and the peninsula boasts approximately 1600 acres of vines in what is now a renowned wine making region of the world.

and interesting people that make the wine industry what it is.”

“It was always a pretty cool place to be.”

“I truly fell in love with wine around the dinner table. When I got older, every night dad would open up a bottle from his cellar and serve it blind at the table”.

“I would always taste it, and we’d have a brief chat about the wine before he would reveal what it was.”

The 39-year old father of two young boys, Digby and Oscar, Rollo has already made quite the name for himself in the winemaking industry.

“For me, that was really exciting way of honing my palette and learning about wine and developing that passion. He was lucky enough to have interesting and sometimes obscure wines from around the world, so there was never any preconceptions that ‘well, this is going to be another pinot from Burgundy’. There were all sorts of obscure things that opened my eyes to the great world of wine.”

Having been named “Young Gun of Wine” in 2010, Rollo has taken the winemaking helm with enthusiasm and passion. After all, Crittenden Estate has been part of his life from an early age.

“I do love pinot first and foremost. It is my true love, and I think the variety I enjoy making, and is the most challenging to make, but I’m intrigued by all forms of fermented grape juice!”

“We grew up on site here. In fact, where you are sitting right now used to be part of our family home,” said Rollo of their new Crittenden Wine Centre.

It is not surprising that when Rollo left school, winemaking was his study of choice. He also worked overseas in the “off-season”.

He did two vintages in the United States (Oregon and California) and also one in Barolo in Italy.

Not surprisingly, now at the helm of this winemaking family is Garry’s son and daughter, Rollo and Zoe, who head up the winemaker and marketing roles respectively.

It is hard to imagine, but the beautifully appointed and majestic wine centre used to be filled with the younger generation of Crittendens running about enjoying their childhood.

“As we grew, the vines and winemakers and the general experience of wines were all around us.” said Rollo.

“In my youth, I fell in love with the winery because it was a fun place. There was always vintage workers coming in from overseas, and there were always forklifts and flashing lights, and eccentric

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In Australia, stints were spent producing vintages in the Hunter Valley and King Valley among others.

Back home at Crittenden Estate, Rollo set about honing in on quality over quantity; to make the best wines possible, and build a strong name of excellence in the marketplace. continued next page...

WE LIKE TO PROVIDE GUESTS WITH THE COMPLETE PACKAGE IN ONE LOCATION Spring 2015

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With 11 acres under vine, Crittenden Estate is not the largest producer of wine on the peninsula. But in terms of quality, they are second to none.

“There is no doubt that wine on the peninsula is a crowded market,” said Rollo.

“It is so important to have a great range; the best products to stand out above the crowd,” said Rollo.

And stand is what they intend to do. They believe that their “wine centre” approach will result in a complete rethink on the wine tasting experience.

“We wanted to be able to properly showcase our wines. We felt that the traditional approach of having people standing at a bar being poured wines was not ideal,” said Rollo.

“The person behind the bar could be dealing with multiple parties, and perhaps not make the tasting experience as informative as it could be.”

and a flight of wines; wines of a theme, either of variety or brand.

With a range of 26 wines, the visitor to Crittenden Estate will never be short on tasting options whatever they choose.

“Crittenden Estate produces wines from the Mornington Peninsula’s signature varieties of pinot noir and chardonnay, as well as Italian varieties under the Pinocchio label, and Spanish varieties under the Los Hermanos label. Visitors to the Crittenden Wine Centre have the opportunity to taste and learn about not just what the peninsula does best, but about the range of fascinating varietals from northern Italy and Spain,” said Rollo.

The Crittenden Estate’s approach to educating and informing wine tasters has seen them awarded Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine’s award for “Best Tasting Experience on the Mornington Peninsula 2015”.

“We aim for visitors to leave our new home feeling relaxed, engaged, fulfilled and well-informed about our wines” said Rollo.

“They may jump around, and not be able to offer a structured progression of wines that results in the best experience for the taster.”

Or not leave, as the case may be. For Crittenden Estate offers you the chance to stay a little longer.

“What we have done is changed the experience to a sit down one, where people taste a flight of wines.”

Located over the vineyards expansive lake are the Crittenden Estate’s Lakeside Villas.

On arrival, visitors are welcomed and given an introduction to Crittenden Estate before being seated. Once they decide what variety they are most interested in, they are given tasting notes

Offering a luxurious and tranquil accommodation experience, the villas are among the most exclusive boutique accommodation on the peninsula.

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Only three villas grace the scene, creating a sense of seclusion and indulgence. The outlook of the lake with its birdlife offers a cathartic break from the daily grind.

You can self-cater in the well equipped kitchen, or dine at “Stillwater at Crittenden” which is on the family estate.

“There is a natural synergy that exists between the Crittenden Wine Centre and the newly refurbished Lakeside Villas accommodation suites on the estate, together with the ‘Stillwater at Crittenden’ restaurant,” said Rollo whose wife Linda manages the villas.

“We like to provide guests with the complete package in one location”.

Crittenden Estate in Dromana have set the benchmark high for a peninsula wine experience. The vision that was born 33 years ago with those first five acres shows no sign of abating. The next generation have embraced their father’s dream and it seems like nothing will stop them.

There may be many wineries on the peninsula, but there is only one Crittenden Estate. If you haven’t been there, you haven’t been anywhere.

Address: 25 Harrisons Rd, Dromana, Victoria 3936, Australia Phone: 5987 3800 Email: winecentre@crittendenwines.com.au Open 7 days a week 10:30am - 4:30pm, drop in any time and taste the wine.

General enquiries: 5981 8322 Email: info@crittendenwines.com.au www.crittendenwines.com.au

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NOT JUST A STRAWBERRY FARM

By Melissa Walsh Photos: Yanni

T

he Mornington Peninsula is known for its fresh produce, with visitors coming from miles around just to sample our homegrown delights. Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm is no exception but, as Melissa Walsh discovers, it’s not just about picking strawberries.

The typical strawberry-picking season is from November till April, but Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm offers a whole lot more than just strawberries, which explains why they have lasted for three generations on the peninsula.

“We are not just a strawberry farm. We are a café, have local gourmet produce, a retailer, and sell seasonal fruit and vegetables at the farm gate,” said Operations Manager, Susie Palmer. “Throughout the year you an enjoy the most delicious experiences in our dessert café, cellar door and shop.”

Nestled in the beautiful hinterland of the peninsula, why not take a drive down to Sunny Ridge during Spring and see what all the fuss is about with the family tending to over 445 acres of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

And what better place to sit and relax and share one of the farms famous strawberry temptation ice-cream sundaes or indulge in a decadent Belgian chocolate fondue.

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You might also be tempted by thee fabulous range of award-winning berry ice-creams, all handmade on site.

“In September we are open during the school holidays and it’s a great place to bring the family. The strawberry farm is something different on the peninsula, with so many other things to do. Picking strawberries is fantastic during the warmer months but spring is a great time to come down and taste our incredible desserts, or purchase local produce,” said Susie. “Its something that the kids all love.”

There truly is something for everyone at Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm which happens to be the home of Rebello Wines.

“Complementary wine tastings are also available at our cellar door, with a wide range of fruit wines, liqueurs and ciders made exclusively with Sunny Ridge strawberries,” said Susie, of the place she loves, that recently celebrated 50 years of Sunny Ridge Farm.

Sunny Ridge Farm is at 244 Shands Road, Main Ridge.

Phone 5989 4500. www.sunnyridge.com.au

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JUST THE TONIC

By Melissa Walsh Photos: Katherine Jamison from Peninsula Pix

W

ith the influx of wineries and artisanal breweries on the peninsula, it’s a treat to unearth something different on a weekend’s drive and that’s when we stumbled across the Bass and Flinders Distillery in Red Hill, deciding to return for the fabulous sounding “Gin Masterclass”.

Tucked at the bottom of the driveway, past rows of vines and a pretty winery, stands the green shed, home to the only grape product distillery in this part of the world.

It’s in this shed that the Gin Masterclass will take place, with rows of tables laden with glasses, each with botanical labels, and a syringe to help create our own designer gin.

Owners, Bob Laing and Wayne Klintworth began their venture six years ago when the neighbors set out to produce a fine aged grape spirit that is distinctive and comparable with the best aged spirits from around the world. Now in its fifth season, the distillery has produced Ochre, the aged grape spirit, a variety of popular gins, vodkas, limoncello, and grappa.

Having had little exposure to this misunderstood spirit, apart

from the odd martini, my knowledge of gin is limited but Bob explains the distillery process and the objective of the gin experience to develop our own recipe.

The group of around 20 stands listening, while sipping their gin and tonic, which we are offered at the start of the class, with a choice of their three signature spirits, Monsoon, Gin and Gin 10. With its exotic label and hint of ginger, I choose Monsoon and my gin conversion has begun. Bob explains that the distillery has two sides, the AGS Aged Grape Spirit and white spirit, the grappa, vodka, limoncello and gins. He talks us through the distillation process, the use of chardonnay grapes that must be picked in March, the 300 litre French designed Alembic style still, triple distillation techniques and the infusion of carefully selected botanicals into the spirit.

Then we get to the good stuff, sitting at tables placed over barrels, where we get to mix our own gin concoctions.

Bob explains that the definition of gin is a white spirit with continued next page...

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Photo: Densham Images

the predominant flavor of juniper berries, so we mix the base of juniper with a squirt of coriander and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re off.

The central shot glasses with botanicals range from dry to aromatic and Bob explains each one individually. Go easy on the wormwood as it can produce a bitter taste, bitter almond can contain cyanide, pepper berry and lemon myrtle give you length, and coriander is the magical cure that will smooth out the gin.

We are given two mixing glasses, one to create your dry gin, the other for the more aromatic.

Bob says ideally to use no more than five botanicals in each mix as it can be too overwhelming.

So we all start mixing and tasting, some on the table taking it more seriously than others.

With instructions to taste every time you add an ingredient to your gin, the table starts to get a little more relaxed as the class continues. The lady sitting next to me with her best friend is no longer as cautious with her portions and is decidedly proud when Bob tastes her gin blend and gives it the thumbs up. This was a birthday present from her daughter, who may have created another gin convert.

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The husband and wife at the end of the table laugh because he put five mils of this and six of that and he felt his blend was very strong. Bob disagreed and said it was good but refused to tell us whose was the best.

Along with juniper and coriander, I add lemon myrtle, angelica root, pepper berry and ginger, then just a dash of wormwood because I like the name. Bob suggests a couple of mils of calamus root and my designer gin is complete.

By the end of the class everyone has had a taste of each others and we all think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done pretty well.

Naming our blend proves to be a little harder, but after a few attempts we settle for glamorgin.

We write down our ingredients on the sheet when Wayne will mix them up and send them to us in the next couple of weeks.

The Bass and Flinders Distillery is at 232 Red Hill Road, Red Hill.

Phone 0404 093 247. www.bassandflindersdistillery.com

S O M E R S

• great quality fully licensed cafe dining • • delicious coffee • • everyday snacks and treats • • beautiful homewares • • gifts and other treasures • PH: 5983 2070 | 2 The Boulevard, Somers | facebook.com/somersgeneralstore

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&

DYNAMIC

By Melissa Walsh Photos: Yanni

DownToEarth The story of Ten Minutes By Tractor chef, Stuart Bell

M

oving to the Mornington Peninsula nine years ago with his wife and small children was a coup for the region with accomplished chef, Stuart Bell, bringing his great skills in French and modern Australian cuisine right to our doorstep.

The Ten Minutes By Tractor chef has worked miracles since starting at the Main Ridge winery and restaurant eight years ago, after working with some of the industry’s best, including Philippe Mouchel, Jacques Reymond and Alain Fabregues.

“We were living in WA at the time and decided to move to the peninsula because we love the lifestyle and being close to the water,” says Stuart, whose career has taken him all over the world.

“My wife’s parents live in Dromana so we had spent a bit of time visiting here anyhow.”

had already gained accolades from Gourmet Traveller, calling it “the best gastronomic outpost to have opened on the Mornington Peninsula for a long time”. Since then, the restaurant has been awarded two hats by the Good Food Guide and two stars by Gourmet Traveller.

“I always wanted to be a chef and started my apprenticeship when I was 15, working in Dandenong for the first year,” says the 41 year old. “I wanted to work in bigger hotels so my dad drove me around to put my CV into the city, and it was The Windsor that took me on as an apprentice. That was a great training ground as I had been interested in being a pastry chef and it gave me the experience of working in the grill, the function room, and fine dining. My father was very supportive. We lived in Keysborough and he would drive in at 1am to pick me up when I had finished

Within the first year of joining Ten Minutes By Tractor, Stuart

continued next page...

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for the day.”

After 26 years, Stuart’s passion for cooking is still as strong and every experience is treasured.

“When I started at Ten Minutes By Tractor, the owner Martin Spedding, and I had a very similar philosophy. He is passionate about the wine and I am passionate about the food,” says Stuart. “I cooked the way I cooked and after travelling the world, stuck to my guns in the style I wanted to do which is very French with Australian modern influences.”

The dynamic combination proved a winner, with the team creating the only two chefs hat restaurant on the peninsula.

“Martin was very supportive and gave me carte blanche on the menu,” says Stuart, remembering how small the kitchen was when he first arrived. “We have slowly built up the kitchen, added a cool room, more equipment, more staff and focus on local produce with fabulous figs, cheese, mushrooms, strawberries and whatever’s in season. We have our own garden and go to Heronswood for our seeds.”

Using seasonal produce, the menu at Ten Minutes By Tractor is continually transforming.

“Winter is more braisy, wet dishes with hearty style food. In spring we add lamb but keep the same proteins like duck, quail and beef. Fish changes with the season as well.”

The dishes at Ten Minutes By Tractor continue to reflect the philosophy of the true meaning of hospitality, where attention and detail is put into everything the team does, from the sophisticated and yet down to earth front of house service, run by Graham Kinsey the restaurant manager, to the elegant yet unpretentious menu.

From working at The Windsor to Michelin star restaurants and even in Dublin, as well as working in 2012 doing stages in London, Stuart says, basically all kitchens are the same.

“Wherever you work, you find the same sorts of characters and the same atmosphere. The hours are pretty unsociable but I love the adrenalin of it still. It’s not just a job. Getting the two hats was the most amazing experience. Having worked in five chefs hat restaurants in the past, to have your own hats is incredible. It’s all part of working with the right owners and the right staff.”

The perfect collaboration takes place over wine and food tastings each season, with Stuart creating the dishes and then tasting the food with the wine with Graham and our sommeliers to create the perfect match.

“We started the degustation menu a few years ago, which is great for the wine matches. You refine tastes as you go along and I am always conscious about giving people value for money. I want them to leave having had a good meal, and I tend to me a more generous kind of chef because that’s how I like to eat as well,” he says with a laugh.

This spring, Stuart will be sourcing more delicious local produce to add to the menu with Flinders Island lamb, Red Hill goats cheese, and Barramundi among his favorites.

Ten Minutes By Tractor is at 1333 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge.

Phone 5989 6080. www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au

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The Chef who will take you on a culinary journey

“

The plate is my canvas and I am using it to share a story with the guest.

”

Intimate private dining available for up to 30 guests.

Introducing the new chef of Eighteen78 @ Brooklands, Eyal Cohen-Litant, also known as ‘Chef E’.

Indulge in the fabulous Chef’s choice tasting menu

3 courses - $39.00 5 courses - $55.00 7 courses - $69.00 Bookings essential

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/brooklandsofmornington Spring 2015

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Recipe

Roasted duck breast, sweet potato, spiced red cabbage, Mock Orchard cider apples, walnut crunch 4 serves Spiced red cabbage: 600 g red cabbage finely shredded 300 ml orange juice 100 ml red wine vinegar 100 g redcurrant jelly 2 oranges zest and juiced 1 lemon zested and juiced 1 tsp ground cinnamon plus one whole cinnamon stick 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ground nutmeg 3 pc star anise 1 tsp salt 100 g butter Place all in a saucepan on a low heat, cover with a lid and bring to a very low simmer. Continue to cook for approx.

30- 40 mins until cabbage is tender and the juice has reduced and glazed the cabbage. Season with more salt and pepper if required. Remove cinnamon stick

Sweet potato puree: 1 kg sweet potato peeled and cut into rough dice 4 pc peeled and chopped shallots 2 clove garlic 1 stick celery leaves removed 100 g butter 200 ml cream 1 tbsp cinnamon powder 1 orange zested and juiced 3 sprigs of thyme 1 sprig rosemary 2 fresh bayleaf Olive oil 300 ml chicken stock Place all ingredients (except the cream) into a roasting tray. Cover with foil and place in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for approx. 30 mins. Remove foil and continue to cook for 10 minutes till potato starts to roast and caramelize. Add cream and cook for further 5 minutes, then puree. continued next page...

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Duck:: Score the 4 duck breasts on the skin side several times in two directions.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Heat a solid frypan in a medium heat, start to sear the breast skin side down removing the excess rendered fat. Turn the breast over to seal the underside for 1 minute then turn back to skin side again. Place in oven and roast for approx. 6-7 mins until medium, remove from oven and rest breast. Carve when ready to serve dish.

Apple cider marinade: 200 ml apple cider 1 tsp sugar 1 sprig thyme 1 lemon juiced Pinch salt Combine and marinade apples as below: Cidered apples: 1 pink lady apple Slice the apple into rounds on a Japanese mandolin, place in the marinade for at least 30 minutes

Walnut crunch: 150 g sugar 150 g butter 3 g salt 180 g walnuts chopped 80 g flour 1 sprig rosemary chopped 4 sprigs thyme chopped 2 sprigs sage chopped

To serve Smear potato puree on plate, place a few mounds of braised cabbage, sliced duck breast (reheat in oven if needed), place apples & crunch on top.

Cream the butter and sugar, add herbs, flour and salt.

Spread out on a lined tray and cook in 180 degree oven until golden brown approx 5-6 mins.

Ten Minutes By Tractor is at 1333 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge. Phone 5989 6080. www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au

Dishes

must try

Italian Anitpasto board with specially selected Italian cheeses, grilled vegetables, cured meats and Mushroom Arancini.

La Veneta 45 Mount Eliza Way, Mount Eliza Phone 9787 6111

Brisket soft tortilla Rose GPO 1003 Point Nepean Road, Rosebud.

Phone 5982 3200. www.rosegpo.com.au

Kingfish Ceviche - lime cured kingfish, Sunny Ridge strawberries, shallots and coriander Eighteen78 @ Brooklands 99 Tanti Ave, Mornington, VIC 3931 Phone 5973 9200 www.brooklandsofmornington.com.au

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Dishes

must try

Baghdad eggs Blue Mini CafĂŠ 2 Colchester Road, Rosebud Phone 5981 2520 www.bluemini.com.au

Beetroot and fennel cured salmon with spring vegetable salad, cucumber and apple sorbet with almond crumbs The Boathouse Restaurant

New season asparagus salad Rose GPO 1003 Point Nepean Road, Rosebud.

Phone 5982 3200. www.rosegpo.com.au

366 Nepean Highway, Frankston Phone 9770 5330 www.theboathouserestaurant.com.au

Seared scallops, textures of artichoke Pier 10 Restaurant 10 Shoreham Rd, Shoreham Phone 5989 8848 www.pier10wine.com.au

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Morcilla wrapped pork cutlet with pedro xeminez prunes and pickled almonds Three Wild Ducks 34 Mount Eliza Way, Mount Eliza Phone 9787 0200 www.threewildducks.com.au

Pollo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chargrilled half/whole marinated chicken, peri peri sauce, chipotle mayo with mustard coleslaw The Milbri 1183 Point Nepean Rd, Rosebud Phone 5982 3901 www.themilbri.com.au

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LUNCH & DINNER Tuesday to Sunday 366 Nepean Highway Frankston www.theboathouserestaurant.com.au

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Spring Racing Special is available for Lunch & Dinner Tuesday - Sunday (EXCL. Fri & Sat Nights) for 2 or more people.

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FROM SUNNYSIDE TO MORNING STAR

By Peter McCullough

M

otorists travelling along the Nepean Highway between Mornington and Mt. Eliza can readily identify Sunnyside Road by the tall concrete pillar marking its entrance. Most will not appreciate the history of this structure. The property it sits on, Morning Star Estate could easily be described as the “jewel” of the Mornington Peninsula, nestled as it is in an area with magnificent views of Port Phillip Bay and set in a breathtaking acreage of vineyards, grazing land and gardens. So why Sunnyside Road?

Well, Sunnyside was the original name for the imposing residence built almost 150 year ago, and now known as “Morning Star”.

“SUNNYSIDE” Francis Alfred Gillett (1832-1888), a Londoner who arrived at the colony in 1853 aboard the Essex, settled in Mornington in 1865. There he built a house after his own design, planned along the lines similar to those of the home he had left in England. “Sunnyside”, completed in 1867, was a distinctive example of a Victorian era mansion built as a rural or holiday retreat on the Mornington Peninsula. The imposing residence, a mixture of styles including Tudor and Gothic revival, settled comfortably on 159 acres. A description of “Sunnyside”, written by R.P.Whitworth in 1888, stated that “...the carriage drive pertaining thereto and the orchard attached are now magnificent, constituting in fact one of the sights of the neighbourhood...”

Francis Gillett apparently had a flair for design as he is also credited

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with designing the Church of England vicarage in Mornington as well as nearby “Manyung” (now “Norman Lodge”), the home of Richard Grice who had purchased 279 acres from William Robertson in 1860. Grice was one of Australia’s largest pastoralists and had other business interests including Grice, Sumner and Co., at the time one of the largest mercantile companies in Australia. Subsequently James Grice, a son of Richard, built “Moondah” on the land immediately to the north of “Manyung.”It was a 42 room Victorian mansion with gardens and a vineyard, and when it was built “Moondah” had a golf course, tennis court, croquet green and polo field. The gatehouse on Kunyung Road is similar in design to the gatehouse at Paramatta Park in Sydney.

Each year the Gillett family would join the annual hunt next door at “Manyung” and, once “Moondah” was developed, they would travel up there occasionally to play golf, tennis, croquet and polo.

At some point Francis became a Justice of the Peace. On 2 April, 1884 the South Bourke and Mornington Journal reported that Messrs. Gillett and Lancashire, JPs, presided over the local court proceedings including the case of George Stevens who was charged on warrant by his son William Stevens of having “...used threatening and abusive language to him and put him in bodily fear...”. Perhaps domestic violence is not all that new!

Sadly, Francis Gillett did not enjoy his old age at “Sunnyside” for on 16 October, 1888 The Argus carried the following death notice: “Gillett-On 15 inst. At the Grand Hotel, Spring Street, Melbourne,

Francis Alfred Gillett of Sunnyside, Mornington, the beloved husband of Alice Mary Gillett, aged 56. English papers please copy.”

The same paper carried a notice that the funeral would depart from a Port Melbourne address on the following day for the place of interment, the Melbourne General Cemetery.

Francis Gillett and Alice, who died in 1909, had four children. Although details of their lives are sketchy, some information is available: Francis Joseph Gillett was born at Sandridge in 1868 and in 1891 he married Florence Marion Jenner, the daughter of Caleb Joshua Jenner, a successful Melbourne businessman who became a member of the lower house. Jenner purchased “Beleura”, one of Mornington’s stately homes, in 1888 and owned it until 1899. Between 1891 and 1910 Francis junior was a grazier at Rosedale in Gippsland but he then moved with Florence to 11 Ackland Street in St. Kilda. The electoral roll lists him as an investor.

On 28 September, 1917 Francis did something which seems inexplicable: he travelled to Sydney where he enlisted for military service. He was 49 and 3 months! He was posted to Rabaul where he was engaged by the Department of Survey and Roads. The tropics did not agree with Francis and, before the war had concluded, he was “invalided” back to Australia; he had suffered from malaria and a severe rash which was variously diagnosed as shingles and “herpes zoster.” Between 1919 and 1924 Francis was living back at Ackland Street but in 1924 he and Florence apparently separated for in that year she moved back to Mornington with their daughter, Stella.

Forence died in 1944, aged 75, and is the only member of the Gillett family buried in the Mornington cemetery. Francis moved to Cronulla in NSW where he died in 1934.

Beatrice Alice Gillett was born at Schnapper Point in 1869 and on 4 February,1892 The Argus carried the following personal notice: “Barrett-Gillett. On 18 ult., at St.Peter’s church, Mornington by the Rev. J.White Ward,second son of William Barrett, London, to Beatrice Alice, eldest daughter of the late F.A.Gillett Esq., Sunnyside, Mornington.”

Harry Rowland Gillett was born at Schnapper Point in 1871 and evidently had an interest in shooting for in 1900 he was appointed secretary of the proposed rifle club. Harry married Ermine Louisa Clarke (1876-1949) and they had three daughters:Alice Daintry, Nancy Veline and Beatrice Caroline. He was a grazier at various locations in Victoria, dying at Albury North at the age of 94.

Florence Adeline Gillett was also born at Schnapper Point in 1873 and in 1899 she married Lyster Bayley Jackson. An announcement in The Argus recorded : “On 4 October at Christ Church, St. Kilda by the Very Reverend Dean Vance, vicar general,Lyster Bayley, third son of John Jackson, to Florence (“Queenie”), second daughter of the late Francis Gillett of Sunnyside, Mornington.”The role played by the mothers, Mary Ann Jackson and Alice Gillett, was apparently considered of insufficient significance to warrant a mention in the announcement!

Lyster Jackson must have pretty much taken over “Sunnyside” for his mother and two sisters appear in many of the photographs. In 1904 the only child, Lyster John Gillett Jackson, was born but within a few years the marriage began to unravel. In the photographs Lyster generally appears as a man-about-town while Florence looks quite demure ; this appears to be a case of appearances being deceptive.

On 14 February, 1918 The Argus provided a concise report of divorce proceedings of Jackson v. Jackson. If the interested parties thought that

Top: Anyone for tennis? Lyster and Florence in the back row.

Middle: Wedding bells in 1909. Lyster’s sister, Evelyn, marries Reginald Black.

Bottom: Picnic by the dam. Lyster and Florence on the left. Lyster’s sisters (Ethel and Evelyn) wearing boater hats.

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MORNINGTON HYDROPONIC CAFE Original g owners are back after 155 years y

m r a P F roduce l a c o L Specialising in:

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Hydroponic Tomatoes $6kg â&#x20AC;˘ Basil $1.30ea TRADING HOURS: 7am to 6pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7 DAYS A WEEK

Cnr Nepean Hwy & Craigie Rd, Mt Martha

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the divorce action had largely escaped public attention they were soon to find out that they were mistaken. Two days later The Truth opened up with both barrels. It carried the following headline: JACKSON JILTED. LYSTER’S LADY AND HER LOVER. Weekends with Major Begg. Husband granted Decree Nisi. Private Arrangements for Damages and Costs Florence’s affair with Major Arthur Morton Begg, a chemical works manager from Newport, and against whom a claim for damages of 2000 pounds was made, was recounted in detail. Florence, who perhaps was not known as “Queenie” for nothing, let the court know that Lyster was a gold-digger: he had “...married her for her means, being himself only a shipping clerk and nothing but a small salary to depend on...”. A bone of contention was that Lyster had invited his mother and two sisters to live with them against Florence’s wishes and she had “...asked the local clergyman and doctor to intervene, and threatened to apply to the police to remove the guests.” It was obviously not the most harmonious of households!

Lyster Bayley Jackson apparently married twice more before he died at the age of 91. On 27 April, 1918 The Argus reported another divorce: Arthur Morton Begg from his wife, Sarah Grace Begg. Shortly afterwards he married Florence Adeline Jackson but it was a brief marriage as Florence died at Williamstown in 1924 aged 50. Arthur Morton Begg died at Truganina in 1944 at the age of 75.

As for Lyster John Gillett Jackson he apparently had a fascination for fast cars and competed in the Australian Grand Prix between 1936 and 1939 in an MG K3 and participated in hill climbs in the post-war years. Lyster junior had no family and died in Brighton in 1983.

Left: Blowing away the cobwebs. Lyster senior and junior in the car on the left.

Above: Lyster Jackson in middle age.

Below: Some of Baden-Powell’s early recruits assemble at “Sunnyside”.

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Left: Gardening duties. Lyster (right) and Lyster Junior (middle) in later times.

Below: Lyster Junior (in vehicle on left) at the start of the 1936 Australian Grand Prix.

Right: “Morning Star” in its days as a boys home.

MORNING STAR-THREE “LIVES” 1.TRAINING FARM FOR BOYS. Following the death of the matriarch, Alice, in 1909 “Sunnyside” was administered by the Trustees/Executors Agency until 1921 when it was purchased by a branch of the Syme family. When it was auctioned on 21 November, 1931 the advertisement stated that the sale was on account of the late G.F.E.Syme. In fact George Francis Ebenezer Syme was a son of David Syme and died in Mornington in 1931 at the age of 70. At this sale the property was purchased by the Catholic Church using funds from a bequest by Elizabeth Hannon and Patrick Lawler. Between 1936 and 1975 it was run by the Franciscan Brothers as a training centre for young offending boys and was known as the “Morning Star Boys’ Home” or, alternatively, the “Morning Star Reformatory School” or the “Morning Star Youth Training Centre”.

While an extensive building programme took place during this time, the mansion remained the dominant architectural feature. When enlarging the chapel in 1944-1946 the Franciscans made some effort to follow the lead of the mansion with the external Tudor/Gothic detailing. They also built a dormitory wing (1936), a summer school (1944-46), gymnasium and priests’ quarters. “Greyfriars” student house, closer to the bay, was added in 1949.

A number of courtyards were formed by the new buildings, including a large courtyard which was used for sports and later enclosed. The remains of the football field lie to the south of the building complex, and a tall angular concrete pillar, located near the Nepean Highway, originally carried a statue of the Virgin Mary sculpted by one of the brothers.

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2. HORSE STUD. The departure of the Franciscans led to the property being vacant for some time. A report in The Age of 4 November, 1986 recorded the change of ownership: “Nick Columb, 41, former journalist, now racehorse owner and winner of numerous races, including last year’s Caulfield Cup with his mare, Tristarc, lives with his wife, Beverley, and their three children on their brood mare stud farm, “Morning Star Farm”. The house, which was dilapidated when they bought it in 1981, has been sensitively renovated...

After a spectacular run of failures he is now home and hosed.”

Within a year or two of the account in The Age, the Columb family had moved on. Although he may have experienced a setback or two, the head of the family, Nick, appears to be able to capture the attention of journalists at regular intervals. In 2003 he was managing singer Peter Brocklehurst. In 2006 a newspaper reported that Nick Columb agreed to “...generously accept the role of defining the path forward...” for the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners Association which had just dismissed its executive and board members. Columb was described as a “...long term friend and life member.”

In 2008 Nick Columb ran unsuccessfully for the position of Lord Mayor against Robert Doyle. Two years later he was axed from his regular Sport 927 segment, describing it as “censorship” following his on-air comments about talks between TVN and Queensland racing.

In 2013 the South China Morning Post reported that Nick Columb was filling a role created by the Jockey Club of Hong Kong to “...guide and assist mainland owners.” Then in January of 2015 an article in the Herald Sun stated that Nick Columb had warned racing bosses about a particular controversial punting club but claimed that he had been ignored. The journalist described him as “...one of Australia’s most successful racehorse owners...”and “...former longtime chairman of the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners’ Association...”

When Nick Columb’s name makes an appearance in one of the newspapers, the adjective “colourful” often accompanies it. While at times controversial, he has also been described as “...the most successful Group 1 winning horse owner of the ‘80’s...” with two Caulfield Cups, two Golden Slippers, two Oaks and a Derby to his credit.

Less successful was Nick Columb’s participation in the management side of Australian Rules football: in 1989 he was President of Footscray Football Club and favoured the then proposed merger with Fitzroy. This is something which Bulldog fans have never forgotten.

3. “MORNING STAR ESTATE”.

In 1992 Judy Barrett bought “Morning Star”. It was during an economic downturn and the former horse stud was in the hands of receivers and had gone to auction seven times in the previous five years but had not sold.

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The property was derelict and unkempt through lack of occupation and while Judy waited to get the necessary approvals to renovate the 930 square metre mansion with its soaring chapel, slate roofs, gymnasium (now a ballroom) and courtyards, she filled in her time planting roses in the old cow paddock-some 75,000 of them! Cleaning up was also a major operation and more than 100 truckloads of rubbish were removed before the chapel, theatre and gymnasium (currently the ballroom) could be restored.

gardens surrounding the main mansion are now home to more than 700 varieties of ornamental roses. The elaborate Fountain and Sunken Garden , with extensive planting of David Austin and Iceberg roses, make the garden at “Morning Star Estate” an experience in itself.

The actual mansion renovation was a tortuous journey for Judy and her family – son David and daughter Christine – with the former dormitory wing becoming a boutique B&B hotel and the woodwork room becoming a restaurant.

Alongside the vineyard there is an olive grove with 800 trees as well as hundreds of fruit trees of diverse varieties.

Because of its picturesque location and historical buildings, “Morning Star” has featured in a number of films including the movie “Partisan” starring French actor Victor Cassell which was “shot” over three months in 2013-14. As part of the present owner’s diversification programme, “Morning Star” also hosts concerts but these are restricted to six a year by the local council.

Today the “Morning Star Estate” is amongst the Mornington Peninsula’s premier venues. The restaurant, function and conference facilities are set amongst exquisite gardens and vines spread over 38 acres. The extensive

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Apart from the roses, the Estate has 12 acres of pinot noir, cabernet and shiraz grapes as well as a one hectare vineyard planted by the Franciscan Brothers 80 years ago. While wine is no longer made on the premises, “Morning Star Estate” still carries house labelled wines.

The mansion “Morning Star” enjoys panoramic views over Port Phillip Bay, stretching from the Bellarine Peninsula to the city. It makes the ideal location for weddings and special events ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. The old photographs are part of the Sunnyside Collection and have been generously made available by the Mornington and District Historical Society. Special thanks to the Society’s Vice President, Val Wilson, who helped to fill in some of the gaps.

Right: The present owner of Morning Star, Judy Barrett Below: Morning Star Estate as it is today. Picture by Glenn McCulloch. www.glennmcculloch.com.au

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Puzzle Corner ACROSS 1. Left unoccupied 6. Resuming (investigation) 11. Parchment rolls 15. From Baghdad 16. Depiction 17. Parody 18. London’s ... Square 21. US honeymoon falls 22. Chewy confectionery 23. Customer 24. Delayed 28. Hindu robe 30. Horse feed 32. Skirt around 35. Fermenting agent 37. Inner layers 38. Immature insects 40. Junior 43. Baaed 45. Cease! (nautical) 47. Model 48. Removed covering 52. Computer modifying key 53. Bishop’s church 56. Lubricant container 58. Wage recipient 60. Agreeing 61. Reads superficially 62. Enlivens 64. Boxing legend, Muhammad ...

65. Spanish coast, Costa del ...

67. Still 69. Supermarket lane 72. Tennis umpire’s assistants 75. Angler’s lure 77. Taverns 78. Consequently 79. Hearing organs 81. Kenyan capital 83. Slushy hail 84. Grounded (appliance) 86. Snow monster 87. Sacred likenesses 90. Earliest 92. Catnap 93. Charge with crime 95. Little Bighorn state 96. Fireplace ledge 98. Calculations 99. Rare pleasure 100. Green (of stone) 101. Title document 102. Bedouin

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103. Opposed to 104. Rope-making fibre 106. Less in number 110. African republic 113. Powered by battery or mains (1,1/1,1) 115. Skewer 116. Permits 117. Relaxed (2,4) 118. Couch potato 119. Miss 122. Seaweed and rice snack 125. Clean break 126. Not anywhere 127. Killer (disease) 129. Iron-deficient 130. Bereavement 131. Unfilled space 132. Truck’s unloaded weight 133. Kit 134. Smallest interval in music 137. Restraining cord 138. Committee president 142. Drunkard 143. Negotiable (1,1,1) 145. Stalk vegetable 146. Anaesthetic 149. Shipping routes (3,5) 151. Duration devices 152. Far away 154. Thin blood vessel 156. Atmosphere 157. Desensitising 159. Scoff 161. Inlaid (3,2) 163. Frog stage 168. Enthusiastically 171. PC disk (1,1-3) 172. Rename 176. Crockery 177. Carried 180. ... & gentleman 181. Spoken exam 183. Schedule 187. Taunts 188. Shirk responsibility (3,3) 190. Scramble up 191. More frugal 192. Sloping type 193. Of sound system 194. Tax-evasion scheme 195. Provisional 196. Raucousness 197. Vitamin C source, ... syrup

Spring 2015

DOWN 1. Outspoken 2. Metallic ringing 3. Copy outline of 4. Slimming regime 5. Whiskered aquatic animal 6. Ceremonies 7. Large-headed sea bird 8. ANC hero, ... Mandela 9. Lasses 10. Odious 11. Telegraphed 12. ..., willing & able 13. Alpaca relative 14. Graze crusts 19. Unfeigned 20. Behaves 25. Fuss 26. Doomed person 27. Cloth colorant 29. Shreds 31. Ancient 32. LA suburb, ... Air 33. Tartan fabric 34. Litigate 36. Exploding 39. Forgoes 40. Thine 41. Appraisal 42. Tubular pasta dish 44. Valley 46. Army vehicle 47. Single article 49. Candle string 50. Turn aside 51. Categorical 53. Crevices 54. Obliterate 55. Queensland’s Great Barrier ...

57. Indians & Koreans 59. Contend 63. Fetuses 66. Give false advice to 67. Blemishes 68. Dexterous 70. Sicily or Corsica 71. Latitude 73. Shipboard rebellion 74. Had (to) 76. Inklings 80. Youth 82. Dog-inflicted wound 85. Cash points (1,1,2) 88. Canadian province 89. Smudged

90. Plumpness 91. Jogs one’s memory 94. Sadistic 97. Valuable possession 104. Bumped in crowd 105. Mould in relief 106. Measurement of depth 107. Abrade 108. Procession 109. Takes (company) public 111. Acquire 112. Reclaim 113. Allocate 114. Pranced 120. Speed 121. Nest egg 123. Financially unviable 124. Hassled 127. Purifying strainer 128. Pakistani city 135. Do well (at) 136. Socially cut off 139. Rekindle 140. Informed 141. Stumble 144. Jeans pioneer, ... Strauss 147. Russian emperor 148. Goes astray 150. Shoo!

153. Grotesque 155. Data entered 158. Nephew & ...

160. Ogled 162. For all eternity, ... after 164. Muslim leader, ... Khan 165. Liquid crystal display (1,1,1) 166. In direction of 167. Burial garments 169. Top credit rating (1,1,1) 170. Glass stopper 172. Allergy symptom 173. Song words 174. The ... Tea Party 175. Tie 177. Desert plants 178. Bake (meat) 179. Glowing coal 180. Reveal secret (3,2) 182. Feudal masters 184. Incites 185. Whinny 186. Greek fable writer 187. Streetcar 189. Terrace © Lovatts Puzzles

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on

Sorrento

Sorrento is a popular tourist destination on the Mornington Peninsula, nestled between Portsea and Blairgowrie. It is situated on a thin strip of the Mornington Peninsula, facing Port Phillip in the north and the open waters of Bass Strait in the south.

Location by road: 89 km south of Melbourne.

Population: 1,400

SORRENTO FACTS In 1803, 30 years before the founding of Melbourne, Sullivan Bay in Sorrento became the site of Victoria’s first mainland European settlement.

Due to a lack of fresh water the settlement was short lived and subsequently moved to Hobart in Tasmania. Victoria’s first magistrates’ court, public hospital, postal service and government printing office were established in Sorrento. The first Victorian wedding, christening and funeral services were held at Sullivan Bay. The first settlement site overlooking Sullivan Bay includes graves believed to be of first settlers.

Sorrento Post Office opened on 10 January 1871.

A horse and steam powered tram which ran between the foreshore and the back beach opened in 1890 and closed in 1920.

Australian singer Tina Arena released a song “Sorrento Moon (I Remember)” in 1995. The song is about Arena’s childhood memories of summers past with her family at Sorrento beach.

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Sorrento is home to the infamous “best vanilla slice ever” from Just Fine Food Delicatessen.

Darbys Rock off the back beach was named after John Darbyshire who was marooned there during a king tide.

Dame Nellie Melba sang to raise funds for cemetery gates which rusted over time and were taken

COFFEE E SAFARI Everybody loves a good d coffee and Sorrento is never short of great coffee places.

Here are just a few to check out next time you’re in town:

The Sisters Kitchen Garden Café 149/151 Ocean Beach Road A small café where the staff are always friendily. A relaxed timeless vibe seated outdoors on their sunny deck, great for people watching. Enjoy the perfect brew in the courtyard kitchen garden.

Rusty’s 1/3293 Point Nepean Road Situated right across the road from the beach, relax at Rusty’s Café with a latte or cappuccino and a slice of cake, or enjoy a full meal. A great place to take a break.

down and dumped at the tip where

Just Fine Food

they were souvenired and used as a

23 Ocean Beach Rd

garden ornament.

Home of the infamos vanilla slice, it’s the perfect café to sit and enjoy with a well earned coffee. Alfresco and inside dining is offered.

Federal Senator John Button, State MP Vince Heffernan, and Dame Zara (Holt) Bate are buried in the cemetery.

Hannie Rayson’s well-loved Hotel Sorrento, which premiered onstage in 1991 and was made into a feature film in 1995, explored some immediately

Stringers Café 2-8 Ocean Beach Road Stringers is part of the Sorrento landscape beginning as the local grocery store. It’s still a supermarket but has the cafe, with a basic selection of coffees, simple gourmet food and a great place to go for breakfast, brunch or lunch.

identifiable terrain for many audiences

The Smashing Bean

when it first appeared.

119-125 Ocean Beach Rd

George Coppin ‘The Father of Sorrento’

Superb coffee and the cakes to die for. Staff are friendly and seating inside and out.

led a colorful life including stints as an actor. G.S. Coppin was a prime mover

Photos: Yanni

in the development of Sorrento. His theatrical talents were considerable but as an entrepreneur he left an indelible mark on the seaside town. Coppin was not only involved in land sales, but also encouraged the development of paddle steamers links between the capital of Victoria and even a small steam train to transport visitors to the area from the Bay beach jetty to the Ocean Beach.

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With its rich history, Sorrento has been the home of many ghost sitings over the years. The Sorrento Ghost tours continue through the town of Sorrento, encompassing 12 historic sites with eight that are said to be home to ghosts or linked to mysteries of the past.

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The Sorrento Park, established in 1870, contains a variety of trees, including an Aleppo Pine grown from the seed of the Lone Pine of Gallipoli.

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The crescent-shaped Sorrento Front Beach is flanked by an attractive foreshore area with lawns, shelters and English trees, plus a couple of small jetties. The sheltered waters make it ideal for swimming and other water activities.

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Sorrentoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial centre is located at the bay end of Ocean Beach Road. This wide, attractive boulevard features a variety of shops, restaurants and cafes with its major landmark being the multi-storey Continental Hotel which was built out of limestone in 1875.

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The first spiegeltent was brought to Sorrento in December, 2014, all the way from Belgium. A dream of restaurateur and theatrical producer, James McPherson, he brought the spiegeltent to Sorrento to pay homage to George Coppin.

Two original shows were created as a result of collaboration between James and Jason Coleman of Ministry of Dance fame.

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Janine Harrison, unlocking the door to the Mornington Peninsula lifestyle this Spring

Call Janine today for personalised service and professional real estate advice. Janine offers free market appraisals, with an extensive knowledge and passion for Mt Eliza and surrounding areas.

Contact Janine on 0487 000 666 or 9787 0028 janine@ufirstrealestate.com.au to start your Spring campaign!

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Spring 2015

L U X U RY P R O P E RT Y S E L E C T I O N

Want to know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening in your local market?

For all you real estate needs on all aspects of selling, buying, leasing and renting, Leanne Porter has beed specialising in real estate since the 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and having been a resident since 1970, knows the local area intimately. As a fully licensed Estate Agent, Leanne can offer you professional guidance and free market appraisals on your most valuable asset.

Call Leanne on 0418 106 668 for genuine and sincere assistance.

Leanne.porter@harcourts.com.au LIMITLESS 82 MOUNT ELIZA WAY, MOUNT ELIZA 03 9788 7400

“Beach shack with endless views” SPRING IS OUR OBSESSION We love Spring. It’s when property buyers are most active, inspired by the warmer weather and an influx of properties. But standing out in a crowded marketplace takes expertise. At hockingstuart we’ll make sure as many buyers as possible notice, and fall in love with your home.

Brett Trebilcock 0439 209 891 #

Robert Fyfe 0411 681 164

Trevor Timmers 0477 005 700

Ciril Campelj 0417 549 302

Michelle Bennie 0499 988 861

James Arnold 0403 883 322

Kellie McNamara 5973 5444

Amanda McLennan 5973 5444

Victoria Arbuthnott 0499 096 337

Lauren Dyson 0427 400 273

Conditions apply

MORNINGTON 204 MAIN STREET T 5973 5444

HOCKINGSTUART.COM.AU