On a warm spring evening, a small group of winners got to witness something pretty magical: NZ singer-songwriter Tiny Ruins performing solo, standing in the garden of an abandoned, overgrown house.

This was the magic of Stoneleigh No. 50, where nature was encouraged to take over a house in one of Sydney’s oldest suburbs. The house was a little adventure: each room was designed to represent a different variety of wine. Guests learned about the ancient Wairau River sunstones which line the Stoneleigh vineyards, storing warmth that travels up the vines to create an intense flavour. 

We could hardly imagine someone more fitting to play out in the enchanted garden than Hollie Fullbrook, aka Tiny Ruins. She treated us to old favourites and brand new tunes from her Hurtling Through EP with Hamish Kilgour – including a beautiful tune using the words from a Yeats poem.

Photos by Ash Berdebes | 27.11.15