Interview
The Down Low – Bundanoon
In our interview series, the Down Low, it’s been a bit tricky sourcing info on some of the smaller villages. What does one say about Burrawang for example with its four shops? We were thinking Bundanoon would be similarly challenging. We have a Twitter relationship with ex-Highlander Ben Morgan. And since he still raves about Bundanoon, despite having lived in Sydney for some time, we thought he might have some hidden gems to share. How right we were! Here is our interview with Ben Morgan.
SOHI: Can you tell me some background info about you?
BEN: I pretty much spent the first 20 years of my life in and around Bundanoon, but due to its lack of tertiary education (a problem that really should be remedied) I chose to head to Wollongong University where I studied Journalism and Creative Writing. After graduating I got my current job as Online Editor at Indesign Publishing in Surry Hills, and I’ve been here for 2 years developing amazing contacts within the design field and meeting some of the most talented individuals our world has to offer – a true privilege.
If you asked me to name my greatest passions, they would be food, friends and design.
What’s your history with Bundanoon and how often do you now visit?
I arrived in Bundanoon as a bub when my parents left the rat race (Roseville on the North Shore). If you ask me, the best decision they ever made, if you ask my older sister (10 years my senior), it was an horrific experience!
I have a deep attachment to Bundanoon – it’s a town with a lovely character and I know all those little corners that tourists never seem to find. I don’t get back nearly as often as I should, even though my parents (Ann and Dave) still live there in a beautiful rammed-earth house 10 minutes walk from “the shops”. I probably get back 6-8 times a year.
Are you willing to tell us Bundanoon’s best-kept secret?
Well… I might have to keep the best-kept secret pretty secret, but its second-best-kept secret would be the Hamburgers and potato scallops at the Primula Café. They’re not at all gourmet, they can sometimes be a little greasy, but I’ve never found anything quite like them (look, it’s probably a fair dollop of nostalgia here, so don’t let this sway your opinion of my ability to make sound culinary judgments).
What’s your favourite restaurant/cafe/food store in Bundanoon and why?
In saying the above, the best food, without a doubt, in the whole of Bundanoon is made by my Mum, Ann Morgan (Guilty Cakes and Catering 4883 6857). But there’s also a fantastic guesthouse called Idle-a-Wile, which does amazing dinners – like being invited into someone’s home.
What’s your favourite free activity in Bundanoon?
No contest on this one – bushwalking. There’s everything from ‘meandering’ to ‘hardcore bush-bashing’ tracks. My favourite would have to be Erith Coalmine – amazing on a hot summer’s day to cool off under the waterfall.
What is your favourite purchase from Bundanoon?
My Bundy on Tap Camelbak water bottle. (image above) I use it every day and it reminds me that Bundanoon is so passionate about so many things (for those of you who don’t know, Bundanoon was the first town in the world to ban still bottled water).
What is your poison and where do you buy it locally?
Well… my poison is definitely food. But in particular, I love the Pear and Almond upside-down cake from the Bicycle Shop Café, and the new Pizza Shop is a welcome addition to Bundy’s limited culinary offering (no offence Primula… Pub… Club… Chinese Restaurant!)
Also, while I’m at it, there are a number of very talented and amazing people in Bundanoon, including artist Harry Pidgeon and author David Foster lives there too!
Thanks Ben! Though it’s only the next village along from SOHI HQ, we’re ashamed to say we didn’t know about 90% of the things Ben had to say about the place. The next time we go to the village markets, we will be taking some quite serious detours.
The Down Low – Nowra
This week we want to know what the Down Low is in Nowra. We have had a taste of the incredible Kinghorne Street, and Nowra is such a pretty town, we wanted to know more! So we asked writer Allison Tait to spill the secrets of her neighbourhood.
SOHI: Allison, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
ALLISON: I’m a freelance writer working for magazines, websites and book publishers. I moved ‘back home’ to Nowra with my family in December 2008 – having shot through as soon as I finished school and spending 20 years living in Sydney and overseas. It’s great to be back! (Allison’s blog is fantastic – ‘Life in a Pink Fibro’ – add it to your RSS)
How long have you lived in Nowra?
This time around – 18 months. The first time, about seven years.
Are you willing to tell us Nowra’s best kept secret?
I’m still finding them all – there are so many. My current favourite is The Kiosk at Terara - the best place to take the kids for a run around by the river while the adults enjoy a coffee.
What’s your favourite restaurant in Nowra and why?
With two young children, I don’t get out that much, but I do love Hungry Duck at Berry, the bistro at The Bridge Hotel, takeaway Thai from Thep Thai and an Indian curry at Kohli’s.
What’s your favourite free activity in Nowra?
Nowra is a great place to walk. Ben’s Walk, right in town, is a longtime favourite. My boys, aged three and six, also love feeding the overfed ducks at Marriott Park.
What is your favourite purchase from Nowra?
The Everything Store in Graham Street is home of most of my favourite purchases. It’s a fantastic mix of second-hand and vintage furniture and bits and pieces, old and modern. I love the 1940s clerk’s desk I bought there recently – and my son loves the smaller version I bought for him. Desks are a bit of a theme around here! For gifts, you can’t go past Shady Fig – I bought my sister three tiny ceramic birdhouses for her birthday and she loves me for them (pictured. By ‘Have You Met Miss Jones’).
What is your poison and where do you buy it locally?
Coffee is my thing and, fortunately, there are a few great suppliers in Nowra. I go to The Cake Store when I want it stylish and with a delicious sweet, Socrates Table when I want it strong and with a taste of Greece on the side, and Zest for great taste and a buzzy atmosphere. We’re spoiled for choice.
Thanks Allison! We now have a bulging day out planned for Nowra. And thanks for the tips about fun things to do with kids. A Godsend!
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The Down Low – Berrima
We’ve started a new series of short and sweet interviews with Southern Highlands and South Coast Locals called The Down Low. We have started with Jane Crosland who runs Twigg and Blossom (soon to be relaunched as The Potager) in Berrima. The interviews follow a standard format and we hoped they would draw out the secrets of the villages. We’ver certainly done our job this time. We learned loads from Jane’s responses which is exciting indeed. Jane moved to the region from Sydney six years ago. She has been running Twigg and Blossom for the past two. Jane’s a fairly fascinating lady. As well as being a lover of all things flora (food and flower gardening and cooking), she is the monotreme co-ordinator for Wingecarribee Wires. Here are our questions and Jane’s wonderful answers.
SOHI: How long have you been working in Berrima?
JANE: Three months
What’s Berrima’s best kept secret?
The river walk and the platypus that live in the river. It’s also free!
What’s your favourite Berrima restaurant?
Eschalot because Richard believes in seasonal, locally grown produce like I do!
What’s your all time favourite local purchase?
My old English sheep jug from Village Antiques (14 Jellore St, Berrima) super-cute pic above.
What’s your poison and where do you buy it locally?
Blue Metal Pinot Gris from Geoffrey Crundall’s wine shop.
Thanks Jane! To be kept up to date with changes from Twigg and Blossom to The Potager, become a fan of The Potager on Facebook here. If you’re a local who believes they hold the key to the secrets of their village, get in touch! We’re looking for interviewees from the Highlands to the South Coast.
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SOHI tv
While interviewing subjects for our last issue we thought it might be wise – in this age of multimedia – to record our experiences on film. We teamed up with Bowral marketing firm, Vivid Media, and created these great little films of our subjects. Our Vimeo channel is here if you want to see and hear treechanger James Roberts of Surry Hills media company Wax. He speaks of the challenges of commuting to Sydney – and of course the rewards of living in Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands! In future weeks we will be adding an interview with Dave Penn of Cuttaway Creek in Mittagong. If you like what Dean of Vivid does, get in touch with him here to find out how he can add value to your online presence by creating web quality film. A good example of a sweet application is a property tour. If you own a B&B, there’s nothing like a film of your property to draw people in. Info sites are not really enough these days to give you a competitive edge and multimedia online is so simple and cost effective with the right team behind you. Tell Dean SOHI sent you 
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Country Kids – Interviewed by Ali Boyd
We have been so looking forward to solving the technical issues we have had with this post. Thanks to all on Twitter who helped. This is a research recording by our writer, Ali Boyd. She interviewed country kids Aurora and Cooper Wulff, and Georgia, Samuel and William Sherborne about their lives. Questions were: What’s the best part of living where you live, What do you like to do most in Summer, What’s the worst accident you’ve ever had, What’s the most interesting thing you have ever found, What’s the most trouble you have ever been in, and What’s the best thing that has ever happened to you. Click the links to have a listen to their responses.
For the record, we shrunk the sound files to MP3 with Audacity and the LAME plug-in. We then reduced the quality in Preferences, until the files were under 2mb then just used the Wordpress media upload. Thanks to People’s Tours for the final solution.
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