When John Kimerlis arrived in Mildura, locals were accustomed to just one type of coffee: Instant. The cafe proprietor tells LAURA TURNER about his long journey from an opening-night disaster in the 1980s, to his family's new drive-through business, which serves up gourmet coffee for our discerning palates.

IN the crisp morning air that wraps itself around Mildura long before the sun does, two lines of red lights splice through the dark.