He would only do another cooking show if he felt he had something worthwhile to say. But back to the river now, where de Pieri is content to continue cooking and singing the praises of his cherished Sunraysia district and its produce. You see yourself and there are Australians talking about themselves. It talks about things that Australians understand and identify with. I could go to Venice, but it's not ours, it doesn't belong to us and it doesn't define who we are in the way we are doing on Gondola.
Retakes are few, despite the loose story line, no scripts and no rehearsal.
By just saying what comes naturally, de Pieri and Wright rarely struggle to remember where they have left off. With cameras rolling, the pair continue to chat as they set themselves to the task of catching lunch. Given a chance at liberty, the carp puts up a respectable fight, pelicans watching on, but this is one fish destined for the frying pan. A Gondola on the Murray premieres on Wednesday on the ABC at 8pm. The Age Company Ltd 2000.