Kangaroo Island's Andermel Marron: Ron learns some of the story of these "ornery looking critters" resident in the Kangaroo Island region of South Australia

The Souwest River which snakes it's way to spectacular Hanson Bay is just one of many top fishing spots on Kangaroo Island. And so too is the Harriet - which finally spills out into the Southern Ocean at majestic Vivonne Bay.

But a good forty or so years ago, Kangaroo Island became home to a new arrival - the Marron - an ornery looking critter illegally deposited into creeks and streams throughout KI. The story of marron is typical of Kangaroo Island. Since European settlement animals from the mainland have been brought to the island for various reasons and back in the 1970s farmers from KI sourced marron in creeks in South West Western Australia and brought them here. Though "who" exactly - remains a mystery.

Since it's secret introduction this character has certainly taken to the place - so much so that a very public industry's now developed - with one of the bigger players, Andermel Marron, staking it's claim on a hillside about 14 kilometres inland from Vivonne Bay on the South Coast.

Bernie Puttner, Andermel Marron: "Roughly there's 52 grow-out ponds on the farm which equate to five hectares of grow-out. They contain about 300,000 marron."

A small percentage are usually on display in the holding tanks inside the Andermel Marron Shed, where owner John Melbourne and his workers sort these fearsome looking creatures by weight.

John Melbourne describes the occasional painful nip or two as growing pains in a business which he fell into as a former water engineer, when he returned from the UK to buy his own little piece of the Kangaroo Island. When the breeding tanks are full and the sorting process begins, a tank teaming with life represents the culmination of more than ten years hard work.

At maturity, marron may sell to the restaurant trade for about $35 a kilo. Many will go on sale inside John's adjoining Marron Café where his selection of Two Wheeler Creek Wines provide the perfect accompaniment to this locally grown dish. The dams which keep the restaurant supplied with a constant feed of marron are fed by rainfall alone, while the Winery - also under the same roof - draws its name from the Two Wheeler Creek which winds its way through the property.

John Melbourne: "The story is a hundred years ago when they were out here surveying this property the surveyor had an old fashioned two wheel cart with all his kit on it. And he and his assistant were pulling it along and it fell in and so they called it Two Wheeler Creek."

Today Two Wheeler Creek makes a range of cool climate wines and a few other interesting sidle-lines as well. Bush tucker's another of John's passion and his native herb garden keeps the winery well stocked with the lemon myrtle needed to make this popular liquor.

Andermel Marron is located on Harriet Road about 14 ks above Vivonne Bay. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Andermel Marron
Harriet Road
Vivonne Bay
South Coast
Kangaroo Island

Published 28th June 2009