Duneira Mt Macedon...a place of timeless elegance

Duneira is an 1875 historic Victorian homestead in Mount Macedon. Mt Macedon is less than an hour's drive from Melbourne and there are some exceptional properties to see on the way.  Duneira is a property I am particularly fond of and the phrase, timeless elegance certainly describes Duneria which is well worth the trip...visit their website for all the events, etc...here

Guided House Tour

Tours of the home explain the past and present activities.  The house features an extensive library, artwork collection, Persian rugs, grand pianos and interesting period furniture.  The one-hour tour starts in the lounge room with morning tea...details

The Heritage Garden

The stunning heritage garden is open to the public at various times of the year...2nd and 4th May the next tours... and includes a guided tour of the house...here.. The architecture, size and array of plants are a great tribute to Duneria's colonial past and to the unusual climate at Mt Macedon.

Stuart Stoneman was the seventh owner of  Duneira and his vision was to maintain and preserve Duneira and open it to the public and for it to continue to be a place where people have the opportunity to learn and relax; to enable interested individuals and groups to have access to the property; and in certain instances to enjoy suitable social and other functions... here

As an example of what's on..

A guided house tour on 2nd and 4th May...further details here..

Lectures & courses....'Games composers play'...

'Violin playing & the art of fencing'...Joe Chindamo, piano & Zoe Black, violin...

'Arcadia, baroque chamber ensemble'....

 ...and of course, they cater for private functions, weddings, private tours of the house, garden or art collection...visit the website for all details...here

Enjoy a trip to Mt Macedon and the splendid 'Duneira'...Wendy

Images - Duneria 

Autumn and the need for a good book.....have you read...

Now that we are in autumn and the weather has turned a little chilly, there will be many days ahead when a good book is definitely in need.  With the colder weather, brings mice to some country properties, and as I was recently at a country property, I had the unwanted "pleasure" of seeing evidence of mice around the property.

That brought me to thinking about a wonderful autobiography written by Australia's famous Nancy Wake also known as "the white mouse".   Yes, a rather weird way to be reminded of this excellent book, however, I am glad I thought about it again, because it is well worth a re-read.

For those of you who do not know, Nancy Wake was an Australian, albeit born in New Zealand and arrived in Australia when she was a babe, who left Australia in her twenties and went to live in London and France.  There she met and married a wealthy Frenchman and her life, as she thought, was very full until the outbreak of war and the invasion by Germany into France.

Image - ABC Shop

This is the story of one woman who was a spy during World War II. The autobiography is a candid story about the Americans, the British and of course the French.  Nancy was trained in England to fight in the French Resistance; she became a courier for the French Resistance and later joined the escape network.

Nancy Wake was called "the white mouse" by the Gestapo because of her ability to elude capture.  The Resistance had to be very careful with her missions; her life was in constant danger, with the Gestapo tapping her phone and intercepting her mail.  The death of her husband at the hands of the Nazis is so sad ... he was tortured to death because he would not reveal where his wife was.

Nancy is straight forward in her autobiography and quite humble ... there is humour, as she does seem to have a wicked sense of humour ...  I particularly like the story about drinking tequila, with a deceitful reporter, and she drinking him under the table when she was 60!  It really lifts your spirits in a book where her stories will leave the reader aghast with her courage and the adventures she undertook.

Her duties included allocating arms and equipment that were parachuted in and minding the group's finances. Nancy Wake became instrumental in recruiting more members and making the Maquis groups into a formidable force, roughly 7,500 strong.  She also led attacks on German installations and the local Gestapo headquarters in  Montlucon, France.  Nancy was award many awards for courage including:

                               Companion of the Order of Australia

George Medal

Officier de la Légion d'Honneur

Croix de guerre (France)

Medal of Freedom (United States)

RSA Badge in Gold (New Zealand)

Nancy returned to Australia and lived here for many years before returning to France in her latter years. Nancy died at the age of 98 in 2011 in France.  This autobiography is a little hard to find, however, it's well worth the effort...here

I am sure you will enjoy this courageous woman's story ... Wendy

Padpod....The simpliest solution to a problem..solved by...

It is always a thrill to hear or read about an Australian success story, and this one I heard about last week from an acquaintance who attended a trivia night and one of the prizes was a padpod...  a simple idea that will be a wonderful aid to so many people... here is the story, as taken from their website

"Ellie Jane's grandmother had a problem. She couldn’t easily read on her iPad and keep it at a comfortable angle.  An angle that enabled her to get an optimal view of the screen without being uncomfortable. So 13 year old Ellie did some research and found that there were stands on the market but that they did not do the job well enough.  So she got out her mother’s sewing machine and invented her own... padpod was born.

Her Nana was delighted and now finds her padpod indispensable.  Ellie was soon very busy making padpods because everyone else in the family wanted one too, and then all their friends.  So it was decided to commercialise padpod and manufacture professionally in ...Australia

Ellie's pyramid-shaped bean bag is stable on your lap, when you are lying in bed or when it is placed on a table or desk. Your iPad, Kindle, smartphone or whatever can be placed on it at any angle that is comfortable.  It can be used at work or at home, in bed, in a plane in a car - anywhere!  Ellie's Mum, Jenny, is an occupational therapist, so she helped Ellie refine the design of the padpod to the highest standards of comfort and safety.

The weight of your iPad, or whatever other item you are using, holds it in place on your padpod naturally. There is no need for straps or adhesives. You can use your padpod to hold anything – your iPad, Kindle, smartphone, cookbooks in the kitchen or a novel in bed."  

The Padpod is available on line or at many chemist stores throughout Victoria...the stores are listed on the website....

This is a terrific Australian made product...not expensive either, so another plus....Wendy

 Images - Padpod

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The Iced Biscuit... For parties, gifts, weddings, or ....

One of the special surprises I have found in writing my blog is that as I like to meet and interview the people I am going to write about, I have met so many, many interesting people...people from all walks of life, with diverse and different passions...one of those people I met recently is the delightful Jacqui Mark, the owner and manufacturer of The Iced Biscuit..here...

Vintage Biscuits for the Traveller

The Iced Biscuit brings you superbly home made, hand decorated biscuits and cakes for all occasions.  I think it is a wonderful idea if you are going to meet a friend, what a lovely way to say "Especially for you" or as a "Thank you" gift and presenting some of these beautifully handcrafted biscuits...

The biscuits are presented in either individually wrapped cellophane bags and tied with a satin ribbon or heat sealed...or packaged in delightful gift boxes and tins...here

Owl Biscuit Pops

These biscuits and cakes not only look terrific, they are delicious as well...beautifully decorated using either Royal or Fondant Icing.  There are so many inventive shapes and ideas...and you can make requests for your own special colours etc...The biscuits come in flavours of...Vanilla...Chocolate Brownie...Lemon Cheesecake...Zesty Orange...yummy!

Below are just a few of the varieties...The Iced Biscuit...For the Girls Party...Babushka cake or Ballet Shoes...

For the new born babe's arrival...Footprints or a Pram...

For the Boys Party...and family favourites...Images are a specialty...

Are you organising a Hen's Party?  Here's an innovative idea....these biscuits certainly work with the theme...and if you wish, biscuits of a bride's dress...fun ideas for gifts...here

Wedding Biscuits - Bridesmaids in Blue & Wedding Shoes 

Easter is next week...get in quickly and order some of these goodies now...soooo cute...I just love the spotted bunnies...here

Although it seems a little while away...Mother's Day is just around the corner...what about this fabulous cake?  Or a lovely "Thank You Mum" tin and heart biscuits...just for Mum...

Images - The Iced Biscuit

Whichever ones you choose, enjoy, they are certainly worth the wait...Wendy

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B & B's for a quick getaway....where do you go?

Taking a break away from your comfortable abode is always a good thing to do I believe. We love our homes, but having someone else pamper us and not having to worry about all the mundane chores can be sheer luxury...with Easter in mind, perhaps a quick escape would be good for the soul......

Here are a few of my favourites for getting away for a weekend...

Abbys Cottages in Bright, actually the Wandiligong Valley...the views are wonderful...and the Bright Autumn Festival begins on 26 April through to 8 May...oh so beautiful...

Image - Abbys Cottages

Daylesford is reputed to be the spa capital of Victoria and is a favourite with most people I am sure...the springs, the culture, the sheer relaxation is superb...one of the B&B's to try  Pendower House, in the centre of Daylesford...this is a gorgeous 1880's country house in a tranquil setting...

Image - Pendower House

Next is a delightful spot, Point Lonsdale and at Roseneath Villa it is very close to the golf course and the beach, particularly with a few more hot days predicted next week, it would be most inviting...a most beautiful place....

Image - Roseneath Villa 

One of my all time favourites albeit not a B&B, Healesville and the Healesville RACV... what is on offer is just splendid, golf course, pool, spa treatments,  restaurant in house, it's got it all and if the weather is warm... Healesville RACV Country Club is just the place...

Image - Healesville RACV

These are just a few to try...Victoria has so much to offer....enjoy...Wendy

Abbys Cottage, Bright...here

Pendower House, Daylesford...here

Roseneath Villa, Point Lonsdale...here

Healesville RACV, Healesville...here

Villa Alba...AND...A Jazz Event Not to be Missed

As readers of Essentially Australian, you would be aware of my admiration and praise of Jazz Australia...and once again, Diana the founder of Jazz Australia, has another unique event this month which really should not be missed.  This is a real treat...to be held in the beautiful historic building of Villa Alba 44 Walmer Street, Kew.

Image - Villa Alba Museum

The David Gardner Jazz Trio on Sunday 17 March at 4pm will delight with their wonderful music amid this historic property which is in the throes of restoration...visit the site for more details on Villa Alba...

Complete details of the event are listed below...tickets will sell very quickly and I would urge you to give yourself the pleasure of hearing this terrific group play music of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and classics of the swing era...and enjoy chicken and champagne at interval...all in this historic property...what could be better....

As an added bonus...a guided tour of Villa Alba will take place at 3pm...mention your likely attendance for the tour when booking...take advantage of this...brilliant...

I hope to see you there to enjoy a most pleasurable afternoon of jazz...Wendy

Melbourne's white night extravaganza...a city transformed...

Melbourne's inaugural all night cultural festival White Night last Saturday was spectacular...the city was transformed...more than 300,000 people attended and it was a wonderful evening/morning from 7pm to 7 am...

The night opened with mirror balls suspended over the Federation Square site as instructors taught members of the public how to zumba...

Flinders Street Station became a theatre and the very popular RockWiz Orkestra transformed the station steps into a grand open air stage.  The clocks above showed the next train times for Sandringham and St Albans, as RockWiz opened with a great version of "Show Me The Way To St Louis"... Flinders Street Station suddenly became a huge outdoor concert venue....

There were so many beautiful buildings with innovative lighting ideas...and there were a series of art exhibitions and concerts.  Venues open all night included ACMI, NGV, the Arts Centre and Hamer Hall.. so many fantastic arts events with most of them free entry...over 300 artists performed in 47 locations

The laneways with lights erupting from the ground in all different colours...with performers on every corner

Did you go to the event?  I would love to hear what you thought about it and what was your favourite, if any....

However, if you missed it, put it in your diary for next year....

This is a must do Australian event...Wendy

Images - The Age, Brisbane Times

Panache Flowers .... flowers like fragrance are hard not to love...

Last week I wrote about candles and diffuser fragrances and yet again, this week I am writing about another fragrance...flowers...which are also hard not to love...

Brothers David and Richard started  Panache Flowers at 749 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn some 20 plus years ago and have become an icon in the area.  They provide a wonderful service and their attitude of attention to detail as their commitment, is for the highest quality designed to meet the customers needs...us.

I have found their online site here to be filled with a great variety of over 124 products for all occasions...not just flowers, but hampers, gifts for a new baby, and of course, all those wonderful Valentine flowers would have been just flying out the door last week...

I have been using Panache Flowers for many years now and can highly recommend them...and like so many small Australian businesses they strive to please...online can make this a little hard...however, I have found David and Richard have a personalised service which extends beyond the online anonymity...

The one thing that I can never fault, is the fact that the flowers, no matter what the style, the flowers are the freshest you will be able to buy....they last such a long time...so worth it...Panache Flowers....

Go ahead...treat yourself..or someone else...just because...Wendy

Images - Panache Flowers & Milieu

Fragrance...Glasshouse Candles

"Fragrance is life enhancing and hard not to love".

Aren't these words so true?  I was speaking with a representative from Glasshouse Candles who was explaining to me the history of this company and afterwards decided to go on to their website and these were the first words I read on their website and it struck me that that is so true...fragrance is hard not to love...if you have a special occasion...perhaps feeling a little down, or just wanting a quick, lovely uplift...or just because... then fragrance has that ability... and the Glasshouse Candles with their wonderful fragrances have that ability... and particularly as they are Made in Australia...here

The company of Glasshouse Fragrances was founded by an American woman who had moved to Sydney in 2006...yes, only six years ago the company started and it started with only candles and what a lovely success story.  All the products are Australian Made...the candles are hand made and the company believes that they capture the beauty and mystery of Australia.  The candles are triple scented with they are apparently designed to release just the right amount of perfume to fill rooms.  The limited edition latest candle is the Kyoto and that is wonderful...I found that in David Jones this week and would highly recommend it...here

Glasshouse diffusers I never tire of...of course I love the usual tuberoses, jasmine and so on...however, recently I have become very fond of the Petra diffuser...it has the base of dried fig, smoky black pepper and creamy Tonka Bean...a beautiful, quite different peppery fragrance...just lovely...try it for something different for your rooms...here

There are also the hand & body creams and the body soap bars which are relatively new to the range...beautifully presented, but synonymous with their destination in mind...I love this idea of naming the product aligned with a destination...just makes it that little bit more special don't you think?  Of course, once again, all Australian Made...here

Enjoy these wonderful fragrances...

remembering they are all Australian Made...Wendy

Images - Glasshouse Fragrances