By Jim Mynard
Sometimes I think it is
harder to use recycled material than it is starting with fresh materials.
– Abi Clarke
LUNCH on the deck of a winery restaurant with the Bunyip State Park as a backdrop on a nice day would be hard to beat for a day out in the hills.
Or, during these winter days when the icy winds are about, what about lunch in the cosy recycled sheep shearing shed on a floor taken from the old Sea View dance hall.
Then if you would like a weekend break away from it all spend a few days with friends in the former Bunyip school house, now a bed and breakfast at the Jinks Creek Winery.
Maybe mix them all together.
Abi and Andrew Clarke were the first to plant vines commercially in West Gippsland and have developed a winery, restaurant, and bed and breakfast, at Tonimbuk Road Tonimbuk that has the x-plus quality.
They joined forces in wedlock 12 years ago and united their skills to build a home and business at Tonimbuk.
Andrew first planted Jinks Creek Winery vines during 1979 just above Jinks Creek where it wends its way around the Bunyip State Park Hills.
They were both born in Melbourne.
Andrew said he was 12 when his parents moved to the farm in 1976.
“They had horses and cattle and I studied at William Angliss where I learnt hotel and catering.
“Near the end of my course I won a scholarship to study viticulture and wine making,” he said.
His studies continued along with his work and he became a sought-after consultant in the business.
But they look out over their vines and across to the State Park with a great deal of joy and obvious feeling of achievement.
Abi said they kept their growing organic because the property was so close to the park.
“We go for quality.
“Andrew works as a consultant and has set up other wineries for his clients.
“This work in turn lets him know where the good grapes are for when he needs to buy fruit in.
“Gippsland is becoming more and more a destination for people looking to grow vines,” she said.
Recycling has been a big part of the establishment because even the restaurant and reception centre is a recycled wool shed.
Abi said they brought the old wool shed from Whittlesea.
“We made minor changes so it could be adapted to the job, but we maintained the integrity of the building.
“Even the tables on the sundeck are made from flooring from the wool shed.
“We had to do away with the sheep shed slats floor and put solid flooring in the dining room, but even that we found at Sea View after it was taken from the old dance hall.
“Sometimes I think it is harder to use recycled material than it is starting with fresh materials,” she said.
Bigger timbers seen around the winery came from Victoria Dock in Melbourne.
Abi comes from an artistic background and her influence is seen at the winery where she has established an art gallery.
She also prepares the menu with food bought only from Gippsland suppliers and organically grown.
“Our vines are also as close as possible to organically grown.
“Andrew makes our wines, including sauvignon blonc, chardonnay, and pinot noir.
“We also bring in shiraz from the Yarra Valley, Heathcote, and Longford.
“Andrew is familiar with the wineries from where we get fruit because he was the consultant when they were established.”
Andrew worked in wineries overseas including in California and Burgundy and this fuelled his passion to keep going to further develop the Jinks Creek Winery.
He also worked around wineries in the Yarra Valley including Fergusson and St Huberts in addition to experience gained at places such as Brown Brothers, Coonawarra and Cowra, plus others in the Riverina.
They have 10 acres of vines at Jinks Creek.
The winery is near the Weatherhead and Black Snake hills and complements the Bunyip State Park.
Abi studied law as well as her art.
Her mother owned an art gallery and her family owned galleries in Sydney and Brisbane.
The restaurant is open from noon to 5pm for lunch on Sundays and is available for weddings on Saturdays.
It celebrated one year in operation on Mother’s Day.
Abi said they thought they would start slowly but the place has become known and has developed quickly.
Just for that extra touch they have a nice bed and breakfast cottage on site developed from a restored house that was once the Bunyip School house.
“The bed and breakfast has been operating for four years and we believe that our business is good for the region because others have followed and started out,” she said.
Visitors can come for a weekend from Friday night, have alook around the region on Sat-urday and enjoy a Sunday lunch on the deck or indoors depend-ing on weather before heading home.
The bed and breakfast will cater for up to three couples at one time.
All is not easy in the bush because the winery was closed for two weekends during the fire crisis when the fire in the Bunyip State Park put the winery in danger for five weeks.
Abi said they were under threat of evacuation for two weeks.
“But the wind kept the fire away from our property,” she said.
So that was the hot time and a time of tragedy for many people, but now in the winter, the cosy retreat that is offered presents a different story when the Clarkes sit as many as 100 patrons for lunch.
They spent a lot of time and a lot of money on providing a functional kitchen and this includes an Italian style wood-fired pizza oven.
The menu changes regularly but what’s wrong with a little roast pork, minestrone with anti-pasto and cheeses, all from Gippsland.
Abi said people loved the sense of space around the restaurant and it was only 55 minutes drive from Melbourne.
Turn at the Caltex service station from the freeway and follow the bitumen road.
There is also a lovely drive through Gembrook hills.
Abi said: “All we do is in keeping with our environment.
“We compost all our waste,” she said.
