WHENSISTERSEmmaReadandSarahHallarriveattheir
beachcottageatMarionBayonthesoutherntipofthe
YorkePeninsula,theirchildrenracetotheyardandclimb
inthebranchesofa casuarinatree,beforetheyallsetoff
forPenguinPoint.Thebeachisa two-minutewalkthrough
wattleandsaltbushshrub,wherethecousinsclamber
oversanddunesandsearchforshells.
“Italwaysfeelslikecominghome,”saysSarah,43,who
likehersisterEmma,41,isbasedinAdelaide, 287 kilometres
tothenorth-east.“We’resohappytoarriveandthere’s
a bigexhaleanda senseofrelief.”
AtthegatewaytoInnesNationalPark,thetownwithits
craggy,pristinecoastlineandstringoflighthousesisthe
perfectsettingforEmmaandSarah’schildrentospend
theirholidays.SarahandhusbandAdamandtheirchildren
10-year-oldStoryandArlo,six,havebeenholidayinghere
forthepastfouryearswithcousinsTuesday,10,eight-year-
oldReggieandAbel,five,whoareEmmaandMatt’s
children.BackinAdelaide,thecousinslivejustuptheroad
fromeachotherandattendthesameschool,butnothing
comparestotheircarefreecoastaladventures.“Welove
EnidBlytonbooksandthisplaceevokesthatfeeling.There
arecovestoexploreandshipwrecksjustoffthecoast,”
Sarahsays.“Thekidscravethisspacetorunfree.”
Growingup,theyinheriteda f lairforinteriorsfromtheir
motherwhoworkedindesign.However,decoratingremains
a sidelinehobbyasEmmaworksasa socialworkerwhile
Sarahisa publicsectorlawyer.
Oncethechildrenwereoldenoughtoattendschool,they
began searching for a house and in 2015 they spotted the >HOMEMARION BAY SOUTH AUSTRALIA
52 COU NTRY ST Y LESEPTEMBER 2019