Alison Lester’s books have become iconic staples for many Australian children, making her a household name right across the country. Not only are her timeless tales eagerly awaited as a bedtime story, her words and illustrations are woven into the fabric of so many families’ lives.

She’s the cherished author whose stories and illustrations, such as ‘Magic Beach’ and ‘Kissed by the Moon’ filled our childhoods, and now, adorn the bookshelves of our children, evoking waves of nostalgia from our own youthful days.

Originally from a picturesque property near Foster in Victoria’s South Gippsland region, where the undulating hills converge with the vast expanse of the sea, Alison now calls Nar Nar Goon North, her home. An hour out of Melbourne in West Gippsland, she, her husband and their horses, revel in the serenity of their sprawling 10-acre property as told to Sammie O’Brien.