From the article it appears time has helped heal the wounds.
As for the reasons for her breakup with Mr Panton, she was reluctant to offer details except to say, “We were very young when we met, just 16.”
Ms Panton hinted, though, it was a difficult time for her following the split.
“Time is a great healer,” she said. “We have three wonderful children together.”
The hardworking couple had grafted for years before their separation to create a stunning home and working vineyard after buying the property on the hillside overlooking Western Port in the mid 1990s.
At the time of the purchase their three children were aged just two, four and six.
Mr Panton, a former pharmacist, was running a pharmacy in nearby Mornington and his then wife was working as a teacher.
“It was a very rundown property, the previous owners treated it like indoor camping,” Ms Panton said, giving us a tour of the now immaculate estate, complete with cypress trees, tennis court and infinity pool.
“We renovated three times,” she said. “It’s one of those things that evolved with our family and finances.”
As for Mr Panton’s New York jaunt with Ms Bishop, Ms Panton revealed he also made time to visit their son, Matt, who was studying at Columbia University with strong ambitions to be a top American footballer.
“He was lucky to be there at that time, actually, as he got to watch our son’s first football game.”
And with that she shut the white gates, thanked us for coming and waved us off.
