Country Style – September 2019

ON THE MOVEMYRTLEFORD VICTORIA

MEDIANHOUSEPRICE

$300,000forthreebedrooms

MEDIANRENTALPRICE

$270perweek

MARKETWATCH

SandraDondio,ownerofRayWhite

RealEstateinMyrtleford,saysyou

havetobepreparedtowait:

“Peoplearelookingforthat

lifestylepropertywithtwotofour

hectaresofland,butiftheydo

comeup,theysellstraightaway.”

MYRTLEFORDBASKSINthestunningOvensValleyin

north-eastVictoria,wheretheOvensandBuffaloRivers

meetatthefootoftheBuffalorange.Thissmalltown

isthethrivingcommercialhuboftheAlpineShireand,

withtheMountBuffalomassifasthedramaticandoften

snow-cappedbackdrop,it’sa gatewaytotheAlpineNational

ParkandtheskiresortsatFallsCreekandMountHotham.

It’salsointheheartofa year-roundtouristdestination.

Todayithasa populationofjustover 3000 people.

Theregioncelebratesa richItalianheritageasseenin

variousculturalfestivals,produceandcuisine:from

the1920sthefirstwaveofItalianmigrantsarrivedand

establishedthemselvesintobaccogrowing,followedby

a secondwaveafterWorldWarII.Todaythedistinctive

olddryingkilnsdottedaroundthefertileriverf latsare

testamenttothebygonetobaccoindustry,whichceased

in2006;however,manyoftheoldkilnshavenowbeen

resurrectedtoservea newpurpose,someasluxury

accommodation,cafésandotherboutiquebusinesses.

Thevalley’smainagriculturalindustriesincludehops,

timberplantations,beefanddairycattle,walnuts

and chestnuts, olives, cherries and vineyards.

BornandbredintheMyrtlefordarea,FrancaNorrissays

thatwhenherfatherAngeloBonaccicametotheregion,he

feltimmediatelyathome.“Itremindedhimofhishomein

theCalabrianmountainswherehewasborn,”Francasays.

SheisalsocoordinatorofMyrtlefordFarmersMarketand

withherfather,a lifelongwildmushroomforager,shehas

beena foodguideforMaeveO’Meara’sSBSTVseriesFood

SafariEarth.Thepairalsorunwildmushroomforaging

toursduringthetown’sItalianfoodfestivals.“Mydadhas

beenforagingherefor 60 yearsandfoodguidingissolovely

whenyou’reproudofyourhomearea,”Francasays.

VivekSharma,whoownsthepopularCoffeeChakra,was

borninIndiabutcametoMyrtlefordwithhiswifeLeoniein

2010.Sincethentheyhavewelcomedtwodaughters.Vivekis

stilldiscoveringhowclose-knitthiscommunityis.“Myfirst

impressionofthetownwasthatitwasbeautiful,andI loveit

becauseit’sa liveabletown,andnowI loveitmorethanever

becauseofthecommunity,”hesays.“There’sa verystrong

community:whensomethinghappensthetownwakesup

tosupportyou.I havenotseenanothertownlikethat.

Whenyouhavekids,youthink,‘thisisa kid-raisingtown’!”>

For more information, go to visitmyrtleford.com.au

INANALPINEVALLEYWHERETWORIVERSMEET,NESTLES

A SMALL TOWNWITHABIGHEARTANDLOTSOFOPPORTUNITY.

WORDSVIRGINIAIMHOFFPHOTOGRAPHYMARNIEHAWSON

ILLUSTRATIONDANIELLA GERMAIN

MYRTLEFORD

ON T HE MOV E