flipped, I lost an oar and my rifle and the whole thing turned into a cold and miserable 3-day nightmare. It took 2 years to get a Compliance Certificate and another 3 months just to get those materials on site.”

Charlie remembers the time he didn’t see another human being for 3 months and admits to occasionally getting ‘down in the dumps.’ But he’s also overwhelmed at the unexpected help and encouragement he’s received from all kinds of people. Like the girls who packed in fresh vegetables as a surprise while I was there last month - they had heard Charlie was sick earlier on because of a lack of fresh fruit and veggies.
He shoots plenty of venison though, stalking barefoot in the bush with a pair of old tennis shoes slung around his neck for when he has to carry a carcase home. There was venison hanging from the ceiling when we arrived and his specialty is mouth-watering venison, marinated in ginger, garlic, honey and wine and enjoyed by candlelight. For “afters” there’s peach and apple crumble and a bonfire on the beach with a bottle of port to mellow out the day. And Charlie’s a one-man-band, doing it all himself.

The area from Lake McKerrow to Martin’s Bay is awash with history and natural beauty (the birdsong is unbelievable) and who better to share it with than Charlie Paterson who has put his own stamp on this place. The hardships he seems to take in his stride, believing that each generation has become softer than the last.

“I’m a bit of a dreamer but I see this place as a sort of wilderness hideaway where people can have all the comforts of home at affordable prices. It is marvellous for honeymooners (I even move