March 28, 2013
After a summer that saw their driveway wash down the hill and six months of hard work come to nothing when this year’s Wine & Food In The Park Festival had to be cancelled, Bernie and Judy Cooper were due for a bit of sunshine.
It came today when workmen put the finishing touches to Crane Wines’ new outdoor shade structure.
The $27,000 extension to the couple’s historic Booie Range cellar door is the first of its kind in the South Burnett.
It will effectively triple the under-cover area where guests can sit, relax and enjoy the winery’s sweeping views.
The new shade structure will also allow the pair to begin running regular functions at their winery later this year, as well as cater for small weddings, private parties and the busloads of tourists who now regularly call in.
“We’ve had the idea of doing this for a few years but finally decided to bite the bullet after the floods,” Bernie said.
“We’ve needed more under cover seating at our cellar door for awhile now.
“After the battering we had from the floods, which forced us to close the business down for a few weeks until we could get the driveway fixed, we also needed to do something big to reset our own mental attitudes.
“But we didn’t want to spoil the views or hide the gardens, because those are two things that many people have told us they really love about our place. So it took awhile to find the best way to do it.”
The solution turned out to be a modern plastic and steel design from Made4Shade.com.au, a Maroochydore company that specialises in building custom shade structures.
“We looked locally first,” Judy said, “but we couldn’t find anyone in the South Burnett who provided this type of service.
“Still, Maroochydore isn’t too far away if we need any support in the future.”
This weekend the couple will be celebrating the new structure with an “Easter Chill-Out” at their Haydens Road cellar door.
It will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday and Sunday, allowing visitors to take a good look over the extension and then stay on for a relaxing day of gourmet foods, wine and entertainment if they like.
The winery will be serving up their traditional mixed platters along with new Mediterranean mezze platters that Judy has been developing over the last few months.
The cellar door will also be dispensing margaritas and soft drinks in addition to wines for those who want something a bit different, while several entertainers will be supplying upbeat music over the course of the weekend.
“We know a lot of people took a bit of a hammering from this year’s floods – not just us,” Bernie said.
“But we also think we’re not the only people who want to kick away the clouds, get some sunshine back into our everyday lives and get things moving forward again.
“So we’re going to have a bit of a little bit of a party this Easter. And anyone who’d like to join us is very welcome.”
