Wild Misty Mountain
Published in The Local Rag, 17 February 2024
In the midst of lockdown, Jemma, a classical singer from the Mornington Peninsula, found herself pining for a tree change. She heard of a property for sale at the base of the Grampians Mountains, owned by a hoarder and recluse. She decided to pay the farm a visit, where she met Robert McAlpine, a train enthusiast who claimed to have made the original plans for Southern Cross Station, and who’d lovingly named his farm ‘Grampians Station.’ Amusingly, somewhere in the naming process things had gotten confused, and Grampians Station was incorrectly listed on the map as a functioning railway station.
Robert was in strife; he was owing on his mortgage and was at risk of having the bank repossess the property. He’d had many plans for the station and had collected farmhouses and vintage railway paraphernalia for the property; but had never managed to see his plans through. His only option to stay on the farm was to find someone to take over the property and pay off the remaining mortgage; the catch was he wanted to continue living there to see out the rest of his days. He’d built a small replica of Southern Cross Station at the back of the property; complete with railway tracks, vintage train carriages and a corrugated iron roof, to live in.
Luckily not only did the two instantly get along, but the deal was perfect for Jemma too, as she couldn’t afford an entire mortgage. Jemma’s plans for the farm excited Robert, and so they struck a deal. Jemma sold her beachside home and moved to the farm to begin work.
On arrival, Jemma’s first task was to find somewhere to live. She quickly converted one of the old train carriages into a simple but functional tiny home. Her next project was to build something that might become a source of income to fund her other projects; so she decided to build a glamping area next to an existing dam. She constructed an outdoor shower and compost toilet, a thatch-roofed outdoor kitchenette, a dam-side sun-baking area, and then erected a huge calico glamping tent for the bedroom. She listed the glamping area as a bed and breakfast and began welcoming guests.
Grampians Station was full of resources for Jemma’s plans; there were multiple old farmhouses; one that Robert had lived in before it flooded, and another old pink farmhouse that had been cut in half to be relocated and never stitched back together. There were also many old train carriages, a huge open shed built into the side of a hill, the remnants of farming infrastructure, and countless building materials and paraphernalia. Robert mentioned in passing once that he’d also built something else on the property, though it was a secret he didn’t care to talk any more about.
Not long after moving to the property, Robert sadly passed away. Jemma wanted to see out the plans they’d made together to turn the farm into a creative, collaborative community space, so she pushed on and began working on the old farmhouse that had originally been Robert’s residence. She cleared out his belongings that had been left after the floods and began to renovate. She wanted to convert the farmhouse into a farm kitchen, restaurant and bar. She turned the rooms into small dining areas, and a lounge space with an open fire. The inside kitchen became a coffee bar, and outside she built a huge undercover seating area, all with materials found on the farm. She built a kitchen in a food truck and an outdoor bar, and installed a generator to power the place. The project took a year to complete, before she opened the doors to the public; she called it Wild Misty Mountain.
Since Wild Misty Mountain opened, Jemma’s also built a living quarters for backpackers and travellers who wish to come and work on the farm, along with converting Robert’s ‘Southern Cross Station’ into a bed and breakfast for guests to come and stay. She bought farm animals; alpacas, sheep, goats, pigs, geese and chickens. She’s even built an outdoor stage in an old shipping container, and plans to host gigs and festivals on the property. Eventually when all her plans have come to life, she wants to convert the old pink farmhouse into a home for herself.
A few months after Robert’s passing, Jemma was clearing out his old shed, when she knocked against the wooden wall, only to realise it was hollow. She began tearing off the rafters, and behind it found a huge,
multi-room shelter, that Robert had concealed by building an earthen hill over the top. She suspects he built in back in the 80s out of fear of the nuclear apocalypse. It was dark and damp and most of the structure had been chewed through by termites, but the rooms were filled with Robert’s most treasured possessions; old train tickets, vintage bottles and cans, love letters, postcards. She even dug up the original drawings Robert had sketched for the plans of Melbourne’s famous Southern Cross Station; almost proving his claims to be true. Jemma has plans to incorporate Robert’s possessions into Wild Misty Mountain as art and artefacts on the walls, so when tourists come to visit they can learn about the history of Grampians Station, and its enigmatic original owner; Robert McAlpine.
Wild Misty Mountain has sadly been affected by the recent bushfires in Pomonal. A Go Fund Me has been created to help fundraise for the rebuild. Please considering donating via the link below if you can.
