Autumn is around the corner

With autumn fast approaching, red wine and cosy fires will soon be inviting you in at Dromana Estate. After a very hot and dry year, harvest is almost finished and everyone’s busy in the winery working their magic on the 2020 vintage.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, the restaurant menu is updated regularly with local seasonal produce and daily specials. The friendly cellar door staff will happily take you through the estate’s wines on tasting, including the newly released Dromana Estate 2019 Rose.

The estate will be represented at several upcoming events, including the Wine & Cheese Festival in St Kilda on March 8 and the Peninsula Pinot & Piers Festival on March 8, so make sure you come by and say hello.

DROMANA ESTATE
A: 555 Old Moorooduc Rd, Tuerong
T: 5974 4400 for lunch booking
W: dromanaestate.com.au

Make it seasonal at Moke Dining

There’s a new dining crew in Flinders that’s delivering fresh flavours and innovative ideas. The brainchild of husband and wife team Michael and Alex Cole, Moke Dining is relaxed bespoke deliciousness with a twist of fantastic Flinders coastal country flair. 

Originally known as Mendi-Moke before being named Flinders by George Bass, this rugged yet refined part of the Mornington Peninsula brings the best of the region’s produce to your tasting table. Chef Michael delivers locally-driven seasonal shared menus, which ebb and flow like the ocean surrounding this beautiful part of the world, while the historic nature of the building – the old Flinders Bakehouse – brings a decidedly secluded charm.

Michael explains: “I walked through the door one day and told Alex I had found a place and that she was going to be front of house! We had already been doing a lot of private dinners together and she was so great at talking to everyone that I thought she’d be a natural. She is. It was time to open our own place and so Moke was born.”

With room for 40 people inside, a shared menu that changes many times a week or even daily due to what fresh seasonal produce is available, and a drinks list that showcases the best wines and spirits available on the Peninsula, you can see how this sheltered hideaway is going to become a favourite with the locals.

With 20 years’ cooking experience and multiple awards, including Australian Chef of the Year in 2017 and 2019, and multiple world tournament competition wins, Michael, Alex and Moke Dining mean business. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner and Friday, Saturday and Sunday for lunch, with alfresco dining to come later in the year. 

MOKE DINING
A: 60 Cook St, Flinders
T: 5900 9848
W: www.mokedining.com.au
FB: mokedining
INSTA: moke_dining 

Let Keith design your garden of Eden

Keith Edwards has been involved in the landscape industry for more than 40 years, working on both residential and commercial projects. In recent years, Keith worked for one of Australia’s largest online gardening clubs, heading up its garden design business. 

Keith now works solely as a landscape consultant, designing gardens and landscapes for private clients right across Australia. His unique approach sees Keith’s designs come to life in beautiful hand-drawn plans, fully specified with full botanical nomenclature. Keith provides on-site garden consultations, working one-on-one with clients and providing a personalised experience.

As a result of his 40 years’ industry experience, Keith has the ability to access and recommend a large and diverse collection of passionate landscapers and plant brokers, including recommendations for driveway and pool construction.

Keith has a passion for sustainable and edible gardens and spends his spare time in his own garden with his grandchildren, enjoying the abundance of fruit and vegetables he grows. If you’d like to transform your property with a garden that’s the envy of your neighbours, give Keith a call today.

KE LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
A: Mt Eliza
M: 0408 355 307  
W: www.keithedwards.com.au
INSTA: ke_landscape_consultant 

Set the mood for a new season

Your home becomes the heart of your adventure this season, as the days become shorter and the nights are cooler. Create that homey feel with new season collections at OZ Design Furniture. 

The Sussex sofa exudes comfort and style and lends itself to multiple styles of the home. Fill your space with warm winter essentials such as throws, cushions and décor that are rich in texture and detail. Keep your colour palette neutral with hints of moody elements to create your winter space. View OZ Design’s collections and create a home like no other this season at OZ Design Furniture Mornington.

OZ DESIGN FURNITURE MORNINGTON
A: Showroom D4, Peninsula Home, 1128-1132 Nepean Highway, Mornington 
T: 8560 1137
W: www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au
FB: OZDesignFurniture
INSTA: ozdesignfurniture

You’ll always feel at home at Greenways

Greenways’ Committee 2019-20

At Greenways, after more than 40 years of providing residents with a happy, welcoming and caring community to call ‘home’, we’re as excited as ever to continue and improve that fantastic experience for our residents in 2020.

As an established village, we benefit from generous open spaces, larger villa units, extensive landscaped gardens and community facilities, all within safe and secure surrounds where everything is taken care of for you.

We strongly believe that villages are more than bricks and mortar. They are all about people, service, a sense of community, belonging and feeling truly at home. At Greenways, our fantastic and friendly staff team support and care for residents like family. This will continue to be a focus during 2020 and beyond.

If you are thinking about a move to retirement living, now is the time. With the property market on the rebound, Greenways offers fantastic value for money, affordability and a range of living options, including apartments and one, two and three-bedroom villa units. Each home is newly refurbished and features ducted heating, airconditioning and spacious layouts – living and dining areas, comfortable bedrooms with built-in robes, kitchen with modern appliances, bathroom and laundry. 

Come and meet Lesley and the team and see the village first-hand!

ROBIN FORSTER – managing director

GREENWAYS VILLAGE
A: 330 Frankston-Dandenong Rd, Seaford
T: 9786 8679
W: www.greenwaysvillage.com.au

Clever clean and green Ovenu

Think sustainable. Think Ovenu Mornington Peninsula. This clever cleaning outfit brings the best of ‘no nasty fumes’ appliance cleaning to your doorstep with a carbon remover approved by the Vitreous Enamel Association to boot.

Owners Nathan and Kim are proud to deliver an exclusive biodegradable and non-caustic product cleaning service that is entirely safe for family and pets. Using only sustainable products, the Ovenu technicians get the job done quickly and professionally so you can get back to cooking and enjoying late summer celebrations.  

Ovens, rangehoods, cooktops and barbecues come alive with a thorough green-focused Ovenu clean. Oven door glass panels are also separated for a like-new non-toxic result. 

Ingeniously clean and green Ovenu!

OVENU MORNINGTON PENINSULA
T: 1300 683 681
W: www.ovenu.com.au/mornington-peninsula
FB: Ovenu Mornington Peninsula

Brighten up your home with Rita

Keep up with homely trends this summer at OZ Design Furniture Mornington. The Rita storage cabinet is a coastal interior must-have! It is handcrafted to perfection, made from a mix of unique timber product and stunning rattan additions. Not only does the Rita brighten up your space, but it also adds ample space for storage and organisation. Pairing the Rita storage cabinet with decorator items and homewares will help add extra depth and detail to your home. 

Shop now at OZ Design Furniture Mornington for the best in furniture and homewares.

OZ DESIGN FURNITURE MORNINGTON
A: Showroom D4, Peninsula Home, 1132 Nepean Highway, Mornington
T: 8560 1137
W: www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au
FB: OZDesignFurniture
INSTA: ozdesignfurniture

Old methods hold true in the New Year

So, 2020 hey? Just looking at that number makes me feel like we’re in some kind of technologically advanced, futuristic time — which I suppose we are in some respects. And although there have been a number of new and innovative approaches to crop production in the past few years, it still remains that the fundamentals of growing our own backyard food are “as old as the hills”. 

Despite the new and clever ideas, there is no substitute for looking after our soils in order to receive healthy backyard fruit and vegetable crops. Good soil preparation, adequate soil moisture and protection of the soil are all keys to good harvests, and if we don’t pay attention to all of these we will start to see our production slip.

During these warmer months in particular it is important to keep our soils covered up with thick layers of mulch. Bales of lucerne or pea-straw are readily available on the Peninsula at most animal feed or farm supply stores. It’s best to avoid those wrapped in plastic for obvious reasons, but if there is no alternative near, it’s better than nothing. Avoid using twig or bark mulches because these will draw goodness from the soil and likely have more of a detrimental effect on your plants.

It’s not just our vegetables that require mulching either. Our fruit trees require protection at ground level also, and a thick 75-100mm layer of mulch around the base of the trees makes an enormous difference to soil moisture. Ideally, each tree will have a 1-2m diameter circle of straw, hay or composted mulch surrounding the trunk with a drip-line tucked in underneath to reduce evaporation.

As our delicious stone fruit is being picked, we should keep in mind that a light prune after harvest will be most beneficial to the following year’s cropping — in particular for peaches and nectarines that fruit predominantly on two-year-old wood. Apples and pears can also have strong new shoots cut back hard, while plums and apricots will benefit from a light tickle and tidy-up. Our fruit trees will also enjoy a good feed of homemade compost following harvest.

Speaking of compost, at this time of year as we’re enjoying many a festive summer meal with friends and family, there is an opportunity to increase our compost production by scavenging all those vegetable and other food scraps. Perhaps take a bucket to your next festive gathering and ignore the weird looks as you cash in on a bonanza of food waste.

HAPPY GARDENING!
Drew Cooper, Edible Gardens
www.ediblegardens.com.au

Take home some history from Obtainium Antiques

Find your slice of days gone by this summer at Obtainium Antiques on the Mornington Peninsula. Whether you’re an out-of-towner looking for a memento or a close-to-home lover of all things eclectic, this is the store where you get more than you’ve bargained for.

Obtainium Antiques is the ideal place to saunter through while on a break from the beach these holidays — or anytime — and search for something that has been crafted with care. Owner/operator Karine has been a collector of furniture and homewares for years and is committed to offering her clients wares with a generational skill and craftsmanship you won’t find anywhere else.

Want to take home a quirky keepsake this summer? Visit Obtainium Antiques.  

OBTAINIUM ANTIQUES
A: 2/15 Progress St, Mornington
T: 5975 3169
FB: Obtainiumantiques
INSTA: obtainiumantiques

Two-in-one pool protection

Pool covers are a must if you want to keep your water clean and reduce evaporation, and a shade sail is equally important to prevent your skin from burning while you swim. You’d have thought someone by now would have come up with a clever way of combining the two, right?

Well, they have. The Maleco pool roof and cover is a simply ingenious product that’s manufactured in Australia. When you’re not using your pool, the Maleco sits over your pool just like a regular cover, preventing evaporation and keeping your children and pets safe. When it’s time to cool off, just press a button and the cover rises 2.1m above your pool to become a roof, protecting you from 99.9 per cent of the sun’s harmful UV rays while you swim.

The Maleco is made from high-quality materials and can be customised to fit any shape of pool. It will also help keep your pool clean, reducing maintenance time and the use of chemicals, and it even has an LED light system to dazzle your pool at night.  

Go to www.maleco.com.au to find out more.

MALECO POOL ROOFING AND COVERING
A: Indian Business Park, 7/130 Indian Drive, Keysborough 
T: 0452 233 914
W: www.maleco.com.au
FB: Maleco Pool Roofing & Covering

Villas victorious at Victorian awards

Lakeside Villas at Crittenden Estate is celebrating after taking out the Best Self-Contained Accommodation Award at the RACV Tourism Awards. “We are so excited and also just a little bit proud,” said owner/manager Linda Crittenden, pictured. “We know our villas present a great product for our visitors and we always try to improve as best as we can, but to have it now acknowledged by the judging panel of the tourism awards is another feather in our cap altogether.”

The awards are based 20 per cent on a site visit and 80 per cent on a written submission, which Linda said was basically a business plan on all the things Lakeside Villas has done and improved in the past 12 months. “So, for example, we have become a lot more environmentally sustainable, we continue to connect strongly with the local tourism industry and local suppliers and we continue to put our guests front and foremost of everything we do. We also always hope they drive away with the best experience in their minds, and that they come back sometime in the future.”

Lakeside Villas at Crittenden Estate now goes into the Australian Tourism Awards, which will be announced in March.

LAKESIDE VILLAS AT CRITTENDEN ESTATE
A: 25 Harrisons Rd, Dromana
T: 0400 339 995
W: www.lakesidevillas.com.au
FB: lakesidevillasatcrittenden
INSTA: lakesidevillas

Beat the heat with coastal cool

Give your interior the look and feel you desire this season with OZ Design Furniture Mornington. The Mornington dining table is a divine coastal dining room addition. The pedestal structure with inlaid tops is unique and easy to style into your home. Pairing the Cristo cross back dining chairs with this table helps complete a look that’s definitely coastal this summer.

Whether you are entertaining guests or dining with your family at home, simple coastal homewares can help bring your table to life. Achieve this by adding layers of coastal decor such as coral, white seaside-inspired pieces, candles or platters that will ensure practicality and style elements are present in your space. Shop now at OZ Design Furniture Mornington. 

OZ DESIGN FURNITURE MORNINGTON
A: Showroom D4, Peninsula Home, 1132 Nepean Highway, Mornington
T: 8560 1137
W: www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au
FB: OZDesignFurniture
INSTA: ozdesignfurniture

Burnell St beauty a delight inside and out

Set in a prized beachside location on approximately 1099 square metres and backing on to a nature reserve, this single-level beauty at 20 Burnell St, Mount Eliza, exudes warmth and epitomises pristine, sun-drenched family living.

Delight in beautifully polished floorboards and open-plan spaces, including a glorious living room with feature bay windows and a wood burner. The master bedroom has an ensuite, walk-in wardrobe and a glass door opening to the expansive entertaining area with views over the reserve. An ample sun-filled second bedroom has gorgeous garden views and the third bedroom — which could double as a children's room or study — is currently used as the ultimate home-studio space.

A generous sparkling white kitchen, complete with Bosch appliances including a dishwasher, and a casual meals area open to a magnificent covered outdoor area that’s just perfect for summer soirees and large family gatherings. Gas ducted heating and evaporative cooling will ensure everyone stays comfortable whatever the weather.

Other features include a sweeping circular driveway, a garden gazebo, a garden shed with power, and a laundry.

HARCOURTS CENTRAL 
T: 1300 503 000
FB: harcourtscentral3199
INSTA: harcourts_central

Effortless kitchen accessibility with Drawers4ease

Are you over 60 and finding it difficult to reach into the back of the kitchen cupboard for that pot or packet of pasta? Do you suffer from arthritis and find it hard to bend and stretch like you used to? If so, Drawers4ease is for you.

Drawers4ease’s custom-designed kitchen cupboard sliding drawer system is the solution to kitchen mobility problems. The Drawers4ease team replaces fixed shelving with high-quality, soft-close slide-out drawers, and there are lazy Susans for corner cabinets too. 

So why not increase your storage space by up to 25 per cent and forget about the aches and pains. Visit Warren at his display stall in Knox City this month to see how. Phone 0414 269 765 for dates.

DRAWERS4EASE
W: www.drawers4ease.com.au

Summer energy savings with DC+B

Purchasing window coverings from Dollar Curtains + Blinds is a great way to enhance your interior design scheme, but more importantly, it will also save you energy and money. The right window coverings will insulate your windows, resulting in greater control over the interior temperature of your home and significant savings on your power bills. 

Uncovered windows are responsible for up to 50 per cent of unwanted heat gain in summer. Luckily, DC+B specialises in a number of products that can make a difference to your energy consumption and your bank balance. Their blockout curtains create a trapped layer of air between the fabric and the window, which results in an insulating air pocket. Studies demonstrate that curtains made from blockout fabrics can reduce heat gains by 33 per cent. 

DC+B’s cellular blinds offer superior energy efficiency with savings of up to 32 per cent on your cooling and heating costs compared with a standard roller blind. Their unique construction has a cell shape that creates pockets of energy-saving insulation. 

Contact their Mornington or Moorabbin teams today for your free in-home measure and quote to take advantage of their New Year sale on curtains, blinds and awnings, which finishes on January 31. Both stores are open Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm, Saturdays 9am-5pm and Sundays 10am-4pm.

DOLLAR CURTAINS + BLINDS
A: Shop C4, Peninsula Home, 1128-1132 Nepean Highway, Mornington
T: 5975 3655
A: Store 15, Kingston Central Plaza, 288 Centre Dandenong Rd, Moorabbin Airport
T: 9566 8200 
FB: dollarcurtainsandblinds
INSTA: dollarcurtainsandblinds

Stop summer heat and glare with Camerons Blinds & Awnings

Would you like to use your outdoor entertainment area all year round regardless of Melbourne’s ever-changing weather? Is your home heating up from the harsh sun pouring through your windows? With a custom made-to-measure shade solution from Camerons Blinds & Awnings, you’ll be protected this summer. 

As Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula’s Folding Arm Awnings experts, Camerons Blinds & Awnings can create a cool and shady zone for your home. Also ideal for cafés, restaurants and pubs, Folding Arm Awnings are available to suit your budget in a huge range of colours and hi-tech fabrics providing protection from UV rays, sun, glare and rain. 

Owners Norm and Lisa Lees say their customers love Folding Arm Awnings for their versatility, designer looks and ease of operation.  You can choose from manually operated or motorised awnings; for motorised options, the choice of a wind and sun sensor will ensure your Folding Arm Awning remains safe by retracting when necessary, and they can be operated with the touch of a button or even via your Google Home. 

Camerons offers a free no-obligation measure and quote, and all awnings and blinds are custom-made by Camerons’ specialist manufacturing team and professionally installed by trained and highly experienced fitters to ensure safety and satisfaction.

Whether you’re searching for sun or rain protection for your home or business, Camerons also manufactures and installs an extensive range of other outdoor and indoor solutions that are custom-designed to protect your windows, doors, glass roof conservatories and alfresco areas. 

If you would like to try Camerons Blinds & Awnings’ Folding Arm Awning range, along with the huge product range of awnings, blinds, canopies, shades and shutters custom-made locally in their factory, you can visit the showroom in Carrum Downs from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or Saturday from 10am to 2pm. 

CAMERONS BLINDS & AWNINGS
A: 3/700 Frankston-Dandenong Rd, Carrum Downs
T: free call 1800 GOOD AWNING (1800 8787 7900)
W: www.cameronsblinds.com.au

Voller builds on your expectations

Photo: Shani Hodson, ZOSO

Diccon Voller is still on a high after his custom home-building company Voller Builders Pty Ltd won the 2019 Custom Build of the Year at the Master Builders Excellence Awards last October. The Rye project by Ben Lance Architects is a stunning modern house.

“The award cemented the fact that we’re on the right track,” said Diccon. “We didn’t expect to win it, but it’s been great to have that acknowledgement. It means we are doing the right thing, which is a big part of the vision we have for the business and what we’re all about. Our strong team of seven are good bunch of people who produce good quality builds.” 

For this project and many others, the client, architect and Diccon’s team worked closely together to make sure they were on the same wavelength. The finished product is without a doubt striking. Diccon’s career spans 15 years and, as the licensed builder on the team, he will personally manage the building of your home. This is achieved by working closely with designers, architects and subcontractors. Diccon and his office manager Kristie McDonald, will be your first points of contact during the tendering stages, and their Site Project Manager will work closely with Diccon as the main site contact along with Kristie in their office. Here, he’s dedicated to making sure that not only are your expectations met, but — where possible — exceeded. Voller’s service is centred around focusing on the client, having their ideas listened to and their home cared for. 

As a smaller building company, there are a limited number of projects on Voller’s plate at any given time. The proficient team will stay in touch with you throughout all aspects of the build. As a professional builder, Diccon understand that clients are after someone they can trust implicitly to handle the technical, operational and financial aspects of the project, regardless of how simple or complicated it may be.

And what’s next? “Hopefully we will win a few more awards through doing what we enjoy,” said Diccon. “You’ve got to manifest it and put it out there.” 

Voller Builders services the Peninsula from Frankston to Portsea, and Flinders to Hastings. Diccon and his team look forward to making your home more than you ever imagined it could be, so if you’re thinking about building — even if it’s at the pre-design stage — get in touch today. 

KATE SEARS

VOLLER BUILDERS
T: 5987 3231 
W: www.vollerbuilders.com.au
FB: Voller Builders
INSTA: voller_builders

Expert rehab ensures optimal recovery

The Active Health and Wellbeing program at St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital provides access to specialist rehabilitation services without the need for private health insurance. Allied health services available through AHW include physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, women’s and men’s health, dietetics, and speech pathology.

The range of specialist allied health services are available without the need for a referral for the treatment of common conditions such as strains and sprains, lower back and neck pain, sports injuries, pain management, problems relating to activities of daily living, speech and dietary-related conditions, and incontinence.

Rehabilitation ensures people obtain the best possible recovery after an injury, accident or illness so they can continue living healthy, productive lives. The programs may be offered in purpose-built rehabilitation gymnasiums and a hydrotherapy pool, and are led by specialist physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and occupational therapists. 

Physiotherapists assist people through movement and exercise, manual therapy, and education and advice. Exercise physiologists design safe and effective exercise programs and also work with people affected by acute or chronic medical conditions after an injury, trauma or disability.

Occupational therapy enables people to participate in their activities of everyday life, while women’s and men’s health services are provided by experienced physiotherapists who have specialist knowledge and expertise in this area. 

For appointments and further information, phone 9788 3331. A referral is not required for AHW services unless accessing services under a general practitioner management plan or team care arrangements.

ST JOHN OF GOD FRANKSTON REHABILITATION HOSPITAL
A: 255-265 Cranbourne Rd, Frankston
T: 9788 3333
W: www.sjog.org.au/Frankston

Don’t underestimate your need for help

While we know that good mental health is just as important as good physical health, we often hesitate to ask for help when we experience anxiety or a low mood. Never underestimate your feelings. It’s important to seek help if you are experiencing feelings of anxiety or depression that won’t go away.

Making the decision to get help for anxiety or depression can be quite difficult for many because it involves acknowledging that you may not be able to overcome these feelings alone. The first step is to talk to your GP about what you have been feeling. They may then refer you to a psychiatrist or specific service for care. You might be offered an in-hospital stay, outpatient group therapy programs or a private appointment with a psychiatrist.

Many psychiatrists have different specialty areas and you are free to choose a psychiatrist that you are comfortable with. A psychiatrist will discuss your well-being with you and help you work on a plan towards recovery. They may also recommend ongoing appointments, medication or therapy. 

Recent government changes have made getting private mental health care easier. These changes allow you to upgrade your private hospital insurance cover to include mental health care with no waiting periods.  Speak to your health insurer as soon as you are referred for mental health care to understand your level of cover and how you can increase your cover without delay.

ST JOHN OF GOD PINE LODGE CLINIC
A: 1480 Heatherton Rd, Dandenong
W: www.sjog.org.au/pinelodge
FB: sjoghealthcare

Comfort, quality and design with an environmental commitment

IMG is a Norwegian-based company that prides itself on creating beautiful furniture with an emphasis on comfort, functionality, quality and design innovation. The company’s design team ensures all IMG furniture is state-of-the-art, drawing inspiration from years of Scandinavian leadership. 

With a strong focus on quality control and quality assurance, IMG’s vertically integrated production facilities in Vietnam and Thailand produce all IMG products sold in Australia and worldwide, while the newly commissioned factory in Lithuania focuses on servicing the European IMG market.

You can find a refined yet practical design from IMG for every room in your home. The Nordic range is an example of IMG quality and value for money. It showcases all IMG has to offer in a chair: a reclining mechanism with frictionless adjustment; 360-degree swivel for effortless movement; adjustable headrest for ultimate head and neck support; and a free-standing footstool with an angled top for optimal leg support and better blood circulation. Designed from the inside out, the cold-cured foam cushioning encases the interior steel frame and zig-zag springs, allowing for body-friendly curvatures to be covered with glove-fitted upholstery. Every element of the chair’s design has been researched and engineered with a focus on both quality and comfort backed by a 10-year warranty on frame and moulded foam cushions.

IMG is not only committed to its customers but also to the environment on both a local and global scale. High-quality sustainable materials are carefully selected to ensure they stand the test of time and continuously deliver the utmost comfort and support synonymous with the IMG name. All manufacturing practices are closely monitored to ensure they create a healthier world for future generations — this is the IMG difference and the very core of IMG Comfort.

To truly discover what makes IMG furniture so special, please visit one of the IMG retailers. For further information about IMG furniture, please call 1300 IMG NORWAY or visit www.imgcomfort.com.au

IMG AUSTRALIA
W: www.imgcomfort.com.au
FB: IMGcomfort
INSTA: imgcomfort