THE closure of art galleries around the world is what prompted Nicky Goudberg and Tony Pridham to purchase the High Country Maze at Goughs Bay.
As Tony outlined, art galleries right around the world were becoming too expensive to operate with the artists gaining very little from the sale of their works by the time they created their art pieces, packaged them and then shipped them to the relevant gallery and the galleries taking a greater percentage in commissions.
So, after having six galleries of his own (mostly overseas) he decided on closing all but one – the one left is in the USA.
His Australian gallery closed some five years ago.
The Maze will now give Tony the chance to open another gallery without the huge overhead costs.
Nicky takes up the story from there saying she moved from Queensland some seven years ago and purchased an unfinished pole house which she then set about turning into a five star ski lodge at Sawmill Settlement.
But she found this was not what she really wanted to do.
Nicky decided to find a place that would suit both Tony and herself but at the same time remain close to Mansfield as Tony has strong connections to this area.
Nicky met Tracey Shipley of Harcourt Real Estate through art lessons and asked her to sell their ski lodge.
While at the Harcourt office Nicky noticed an advertisement for the sale of the High Country Maze.
She promptly told Tracey Shipley that wanted to buy the maze but would need to sell their Sawmill Settlement property first. It took six months to sell and then settle on the new property.
Nicky is a tropical ecologist and had always had big gardens.
“That’s what I do, so I wanted somewhere to live with big gardens and that could incorporate art as well,” she said.
“Gardens are my passion.
“Tony was terrified when I said we were buying the maze and building a studio for him and a café – so we could have coffees and visitors over winter as well as in the warmer months."
With the refurbishment of a large shed fitted out to become a studio and gallery for Tony, and a proposed new separate coffee shop they were set to start their new business.
“The day we settled was the day the government put everyone into lockdown because of the pandemic," she said.
“So we have loved this place madly for the past two months doing gardening and planning.
“And we are opening on Queen’s Birthday weekend and doing Devonshire teas and we will do all the right things in as far as sanitising hands etc.
“We can serve coffee in mugs and people can wander the gardens with their coffee and then return the cups.
“The studio area will hopefully be refurbished by the end of the year where visitors will be able to see Tony working on his world renowned artworks for which he has won many awards, including the much prized Holmes Award.”
Nicky is passionate about her gardens and is currently creating a large vegetable garden which will be fully organic.
“There is a lot of work to do but that is what I love doing,” she said.
Getting back to Tony’s story – ‘there’s nothing left in the art world, people just don’t visit private galleries anymore – not in the big cities'.
Tony’s paintings are renowned for being of birds, down to the last detail and are among the best in the world.
He is loving the new home and gardens and spends time watching the birds that come into the shrubs.
And looking to the future?
Well apart from enjoying their new surrounds and getting to know the people of Goughs Bay, they are quite content to continue doing what they both love doing – Tony’s art and Nicky’s ecology projects and gardening.
The High Country Maze can be found at 678 Piries-Goughs Bay Rd, Goughs Bay - open mostly weekends from 10am to around 5pm or by appointment.
