ok motels
Photographer kate berry is a bit obsessed with nostalgic roadside accommodation.
Tell us a bit about yourself. My name is Kate Berry – I’m a Daylesford-based designer, photographer, ideas machine, mum of two, and lover of old motels and forgotten places.
Why motels? There are so many layers to this. Firstly, let’s go shallow: they look cool. On a deeper level is the element of escape and being on the road – they’re a home away from home. Plus, they’re an amazing time capsule of the way we used to holiday.
Did you grow up staying in these kinds of places? I did! My dad had a job photographing display homes when I was a kid, so we’d travel to Victorian towns like Shepparton and Traralgon, which were full of old motels. I loved that these towns weren’t the usual tourist destinations – that has definitely stuck with me. My brother and I would fight over the little cereal boxes at brekky time, and I enjoyed my fair share of cold baked beans and soggy toast.
How do you find the different motels featured in your photos? My favourite thing to do is jump in the car and drive. Most of the time I have no idea where I’m going, but I usually try to head in a direction I haven’t been before. I stumble across motels along the way, pop my head in to say hello and ask if I can take a few photos. Most of the managers are confused by my fascination, but are happy to show me round.
How much do you know about the history of the places? I’m always keen to check out the local museum to find out how the towns came to be. Most are ghosts of their former selves, so it’s cool to learn what life was like when they were full of people. You learn a lot by talking to the motel managers, locals and publicans, too – usually with a lot more flair and bullshit thrown in.
What are you trying to capture in your shots? I want people to feel that familiar feeling a motel room gives me. It’s the little things that haven’t changed since the ’80s, like the toast bag, ugly quilt covers, brekky tray hatch, telly mounted on the wall and, of course, some good ol’ lace curtains. These places are so full of nostalgia, and when I stumble across a motel that hasn’t had any ugly makeovers, my heart bursts.
Do you have a favourite motel you’ve stayed in so far? Auto Cabins in Gundagai is one of my favourites, mostly because the manager, Margie, was such a sweetie. I often stayed there when driving from Melbourne to Sydney, and she’d always book me in as ‘Strawberry’. My other favourite is the Nathalia Motel and Holiday Park. There’s a wood-veneer bedhead with an inbuilt stereo and coin slot for the vibrating bed! The place is pretty much a time capsule.
Would you ever run your own motel? I would love it so much. Instead of making everything neutral, I’d celebrate the original features. I’d have brekky through the hatch, but actually make it delicious. There’d be a pool, cocktails and a games room, for sure.
Tell us about the OK Motels music series. I stumbled across the Charlton Motel late last year and discovered its incredible function room. It was full of ’70s amazingness and I could sense it had seen some good times. I thought it would be really cool to get my friends to come and have some bands play, then we could all stay in the motel. Things snowballed and we had close to 400 people from all over Australia arrive to see Tropical Fuck Storm, Blake Scott, Cable Ties, Bitch Diesel and Affordable Repayments. I’m currently working on event number two, happening on April 6th, 2019.
How did people respond to the experience? They seemed to really love the nostalgic nods. I placed ice and Melbourne Bitter tinnies in each room’s bathroom sink; we had pineapples poked with cabana and pickled cocktail onions on toothpicks; and I made sure the squares of butter were rock-hard and impossible to spread.
Where can we follow your motel photo journey? On Instagram at @okmotels.