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19. Feb/Mar 2016

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TravelGriffith 100 years on

54 timetoroam.com.au Issue 19 Feb/Mar 2016 55Issue 19 Feb/Mar 2016 55

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Canberra

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travel | griffith

Renowned for its fine wines and food, the NSW Riverina city of Griffith has even more to enjoy in 2016 as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.

travel | griffith

Griffith has emerged as a must-stop destination over the past decade for travellers heading north or south on any of the major inland routes and it’s easy to see why.

Where else in the world can you spend days dining out on fine Italian style food and wine in a relaxed Australian country environment?

The unique Italian flavour has its heritage in the influx of European migrants who settled in the area as it was transformed as part of the massive Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area project.

When European explorer John Oxley first set eyes on the area in the early 1800s, he was so unimpressed he said he was “the first white man to see it and would undoubtedly be the last”.

Despite this rather bleak description, others saw great potential in Griffith’s vast open plains.

Sir Samuel McCaughey, who had created a successful irrigation system at nearby Yanco, convinced the government to undertake construction of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) in 1906. Work began quickly with the construction of Burrunjuck Dam starting the following year. By 1911 manual labourers using primitive machinery were hard on work on the main canal, taking the waters of the Murrumbidgee to the Griffith area.

To foster an urban culture befitting the new fertile paradise, American architect Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Mahony

history display before taking a stroll up Banna Avenue – the Burley Griffin vision of a grand country boulevard main street.

It’s here you’ll find many of Griffith’s Italian restaurants, cafes and delis where Italian is as freely spoken as English. Many other nationalities now round out the city’s rich multicultural tapestry, which now also includes people from more than 70 countries including India and the Pacific Islands.

For wine lovers, a short drive out of town takes you to well-known vineyards such as McWilliams, De Bortoli, and Yellow Tail. Though perhaps best known for producing Shiraz and Merlot, Griffith is getting a name for Italian varieties such as Montepulciano, a lovely medium-bodied red.

Cellar door stops include McWilliams’ Hanwood Estate, Calabria Family Wines, and Warburn Estate all within easy reach.

Griffith is also a wonderful place to spend time in the great outdoors, with self-guided bushwalking and cycling trails. There are a number of paths to enjoy depending on your time and ability.

As a bird migration corridor, Griffith and surrounds are also a mecca for twitchers. Some of the best bird watching areas are Scenic Hill Lookout, home to the Hermit’s Cave, and Cocoparra National Park, 25km north east.

More info: visitgriffith.com.au

Did You Know?Griffith, Canberra and nearby Leeton share the same architects. In 1912, Americans Walter Burley Griffin and wife Marion Mahony Griffin won a competition to design the layout of Canberra. Their inspired radial design showed such vision they were asked to design two more urban centres.

were called in to design the layout for the town. The couple had already won the design competition for Canberra and they used similar concepts for Griffith with ring roads, parks and wide tree-lined streets.

Though the plans weren’t strictly adhered to, enough of the Burley Griffin’s visions were taken up to create the grand statement developers were hoping for.

New settlers soon flocked to the region with a huge influx from Italy bringing in centuries of experience in farming, viticulture and a love of good food. Today as many as 60 per cent of Griffith residents trace their family heritage back to somewhere in Italy.

Expansion of the original MIA project continued right up to the 1970s with Griffith emerging as the centre of one of Australia’s great food bowls.

Today it’s responsible for producing 80 per cent of NSW’s wine grapes – that’s about a quarter of the national total. Add to that 90 per cent of Australia’s rice crops and close to a quarter of a million tonnes of citrus each year.

As well as producing great food, Griffith’s Mediterranean climate makes it a pleasant place to visit at any time of year.

Special events to mark the centenary include an International Sculpture Symposium.

Beginning May 2, seven renowned sculptors will work over two weeks to transform a block of granite into something fitting for the centenary celebration.

A good place to begin any trip to the region is the Griffith Visitors Centre where there’s easy parking and plenty of friendly advice. Spend some time enjoying the centre’s interpretive

All roads lead to Griffith for a stylish centenary

Where is Griffith?Griffith is centrally located 450km north of Melbourne, 570km from Sydney, and 350km west of Canberra. You’ll find it on the Kidman Way touring route and Burley Griffin Way, just off the Sturt and Newell Highways.

Banna Ave 1924

Banna Ave today

Pioneer Park Museum

Mountainbiking with a view

Griffith’s future set in stoneSeven sculptors from across the globe are coming to Griffith to create unique artworks for Griffith’s centenary celebration. Hand selected from Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, China, Germany and Australia, each artist will transform a large block of granite, applying their own style and personality to the piece. Come see the artists cut, saw and chisel from May 2-18. The Sculpture Symposium is a rare event, and the only one of its kind in NSW. The Symposium will take place at Griffith Pioneer Park, an open-air museum home to many collections and treasures.

More info: griffith2016.com.au

56 timetoroam.com.au Issue 19 Feb/Mar 2016 57

Fish and Broth• 2kg x Whole Murray Cod• 1 x Brown Onion• 1 x Stick of Celery• 2 x Garlic Cloves• Thyme• Whole Peppercorns

Salad• 200g Snake Beans• 1 tbsp x Basil Chopped• 1 tbsp x Parsley Chopped• 1 tbsp x Mint Chopped• 20ml x Lemon Juice• 10ml x White Wine Vinegar• 40ml x Extra Virgin Olive Oil• Herbs for garnish – Lemon balm,

Sorrel, Nasturtium (Optional)

MethodFillet the whole fish and remove the skin, keep the bones to make the stock. Trim the fillets and cut into smaller portions. Place filleted fish in the fridge until ready to cook.

Roast fish bones in an oven or camp oven with a little vegetable oil.

Cut celery, onion and garlic for the broth into 1cm x 1cm pieces. Cook these vegetables in a medium pot on low heat with olive oil until transparent (If using a camp oven put vegetables together with the

bones and roast slowly). Deglaze with white wine, add thyme and peppercorns then add 1L cold water.

Cook for two hours on low heat. Strain off solids and retain the broth.

Trim snake beans into matchstick size pieces, cook in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Strain and chill in ice cold water.

Place snake beans in a small bowl with basil, parsley, mint, oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Season well with salt and pepper.

Cook the Murray Cod in a small pan with a little olive oil until golden in colour, turn and place into the oven at 160’C for 3 minutes.

To serve, place Snake Bean salad in a bowl, pour in broth and place cooked fish on top of the salad. Garnish with herbs if desired.

Murray Cod with Snake Bean Salad and Fish BrothRecipe by Luke Piccolo, Limone Restaurant Serves 2

on the roam | flavourson the roam | flavours

Limone

A land of wine, honeyand orangesAs one of the country’s most celebrated food bowls, there’s a lot to love about Griffith and it’s well-developed gourmet scene.

No matter if you live on Australia’s east or west coast, chances are a big portion of the fruits and vegetables you buy every day are grown around here.

With a climate similar to Tuscany and Umbria, once irrigation arrived Griffith became the perfect place to grow olives and grapes.

Griffith is home to nine cellar doors, mostly family owned including Baratto Wines, Berton Vineyards and Yarran Wines.

Easter Sunday, the Griffith wineries take part in the Griffith Easter Party, giving you the chance to relax, taste wines and enjoy local food and music in the winery gardens and amongst the vines.

The culture of preparing foods the traditional way lives on, with

many families still preserving and pickling produce in abundance throughout the seasons.

In winter the salami is made, in summer the traditional pomodoro sugo (tomato sauce), through to autumn when it’s winemaking time.

One of the delights of visiting a regional area is the chance to pick up locally grown and homemade produce, and Griffith is no exception.

Griffith Foodie Trail is a handy itinerary to follow, but nothing beats exploring for yourself.

While there are numerous roadside stalls across the region, the best place to sample local fare is the weekly Rotary Market, held from 7-12 every Sunday.

Limone 482 Banna Avenue limone.com.au 02 6962 3777

La Scala 455 Banna Avenue 02 6962 4322

O’Donnell’s Centrepoint Building, Ulong Street 02 6962 4666

The Roastery 232 Banna Avenue the-roastery.com.au 02 6962 5560

Bertoldo’s Bakery 324 Banna Avenue bertoldos.com 02 6964 2514

Il Corso Café 140 Banna Avenue ilcorsocafe.com.au 02 6964 4500

Where to dine

No matter if you live on Australia’s east or west coast, chances are a big portion of the fruits and vegetables you buy every day are grown around here.

Local Pinot Grigio teams nicely with Italian dishes

Children picking Blood Oranges

March 25 - 28 Griffith Easter Party

May 2 - 18 International Sculpture Symposium griffith2016.com.au

June 11 - 13 Sikh Games

August 4 - 7 Griffith 100 Year Celebrationsgriffith2016.com.au

October Taste Riverinatasteriverina.com.au

October 9 - 22 Citrus Sculptures

October 14 - 17 Griffith Festival of Gardensvisitgriffith.com.au

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