Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2024 i Country Style

JOY: IT’S A WORD I’VE been giving a lot of thought to lately. My mind turned to it as I was driving out of Orange, NSW, after a lovely weekend away spent laughing with a good friend I hadn’t seen for many months over dinner and staying in an idyllic cottage out of town where I enjoyed the fresh air, blue sky and birdsong. When the sun set, I took a walk in the garden and gazed at the sparkling night sky, then I went inside for a long soak in the bath. The next day, I cooked myself two soft-boiled eggs with soldiers, then I drove through town, white and pink blossoms lining the streets. I felt happy – more than that, I was filled with joy. I took…

POTTING PRETTY My wife, Tanya, is a fan of Country Style magazine and so am I, to tell the truth. While we haven’t yet found an older home to style just the way we want it, I have built Tanya her own little glasshouse/potting shed in our small yard. It’s a start, anyway, and it gives us the space to explore country-style living. Here are some photos of what we’ve created (above). Cliff Overton, Healesville, Vic COVERED IN GLORY I really wanted to email you, Country Style, about how beautiful your front cover photo shoots are each and every month! I actually buy your magazine because of the front cover. Inside the magazine is a bonus for me, with such amazing stories and advertisements. I get excited every month to…

TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT Advanced wash starter pack, $28.45 (53 loads), from The Dirt Company. Natural multi-purpose bathroom cleaner refill , $23.95 (1 litre), from Koala Eco. Toilet, bath & sink cleaner, $14.99 (500ml), from Euclove. MIDDLE, LEFT TO RIGHT Saba Organic sweet orange multi-purpose cleaner, $9 (500ml), from Saba Organic. Lemon myrtle dish soap bar, $10, from Seed & Sprout. Paperbark & lemongrass dog wash, $35 (500ml), from Bondi Wash. BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT Dishwashing powder, $42.99 (2kg), from Hudstone Home. Natural all-purpose kit, $31 (1 litre), from Resparkle. Glass & window cleaner, $10 (475ml), from Cove Cleaning.…

FLOWER FARMERS INGRID and John Padovano simultaneously raised four children and built a business surrounded by blooms in Yanderra, a village in the foothills of the Southern Highlands in New South Wales. “We’re actually third-generation f lower growers,” says Ingrid, 50. “I married into it, but John’s nonna started growing f lowers for the Sydney Flower Market in the ’60s, which then translated to John’s parents, and eventually he got the bug, too. I suppose it’s in the blood.” Coming from an entirely different background, Ingrid brought her own unique skill set to the family when she married John, 49. “I was in finance, but once we started having kids that wasn’t conducive,” Ingrid explains. “I was always more creative anyway, so I started doing floristry.” By the time they…

FOR MATT AND CASEY CROSSLEY, feeding people is more than just their profession – it’s their passion. So, when they began designing a brand-new home, they naturally gave considerable thought to time spent in the kitchen. Matt’s irregular work hours as a baker played a part in its design, with extra sound and light proofing in the master bedroom allowing him to sleep during the day after a 2am start time. The couple, who live and work in Pambula, on Yuin Country on the NSW Sapphire Coast, are joint owners in the village’s popular artisan sourdough bakery, Wild Rye’s Baking Co. In early 2017, after a search for a parcel of land, Matt and Casey bought a sloping, 1.6-hectare block on the edge of town that backed onto a leafy…

SUSTAINABILITY ISN’T A TREND, or something we buy, or limited to any single part of our lives. Gardeners everywhere live and breathe it: we all agree that Earth is precious and we want to do our best to minimise damage and perhaps leave our corner better, more beautiful and filled with more flora than when we arrived. If you think about creating a sustainable lifestyle, planting a vegie garden is likely to feature high on your list. Plucking fresh green rocket leaves, homegrown tomatoes and beautiful crunchy snow peas is a fabulous (and tasty) goal, right? From a sustainable life perspective, it runs hot on the heels of keeping backyard chickens, reducing waste, cooking from scratch and composting. Perhaps becoming evangelical about worm farming. Ditching single-use plastic. Hot tip: be…

“Our food philosophy at Topiary is based on the way people would have lived 100 years ago.” KANE POLLARD, chef and creative director at Topiary Dining, located in the foothills of Tea Tree Gully in South Australia, has a passion for harnessing local produce sustainably and plating it up in an artistic way. “We live in a super-unique microclimate in the foothills, so there’s plenty to forage and be inspired by,” says Kane. “Our food philosophy at Topiary is based on the way people would have lived 100 years ago – move with the seasons, work closely with those around you, make from scratch, waste nothing.” To that end, Topiary’s à la carte menu is crafted around a weekly trip to the Adelaide Showgrounds Farmers’ Market, meaning it evolves with…

MIA DAMINATO This month we’re welcoming Country Style’s new creative director, who magicked up our beautiful floral cover. Growing up in the Adelaide suburbs, Mia, 54, spent hours in her aunt’s market garden among the carrots, capsicums, tomatoes, asparagus and olives. “There was always something being harvested, dried, cured or preserved,” she recalls. Now based in Sydney with husband Jeremy, teenage sons Matteo and Luca, and their Lagotto Romagnolo pup, Bruno, she also has fond memories of a family sheep farm in SA’s mid-north: “We’d spend weekends there, hunting rabbits and watching old Italian movies on TV. I loved finding treasure in the dirt from abandoned homesteads.” ARELI BOSSON Photographer Areli captured the sustainable home on the NSW South Coast on page 68 in this issue. “I’ve always loved country…

IT’S THE END of a big wet season in the NT, and the barramundi are migrating during the run-off in the nearby Roper River near the ‘Never Never Capital’ of Mataranka. The paperbark trees dance in the breeze blowing off the mighty waterway that snakes its way through Arnhem Land to the Gulf of Carpentaria, flanked by native pandanus. Followed by a cloud of red dust, Tanya Egerton pulls up in her LandCruiser, towing a camper trailer. She sets up a camp chair under the shade of a gnarled white gum and fires up the Starlink satellite. It’s a different office from most other CEOs. Then again, Tanya isn’t like most CEOs. Hailing from Yamba in New South Wales, Tanya has clocked up a continents-spanning career across social enterprise, entrepreneurial…

FLOATING DOWN THE STEPS into the Sydney Opera House foyer, still buoyed by the fading notes of Puccini’s Tosca, I drift to a halt at the bar, my eyes caught by a familiar name. “A glass of See Saw prosecco, please,” I say, and sip it gazing out at the glittering lights across the harbour. A few months before, I’d been standing in a hilltop vineyard at Nashdale, New South Wales, where See Saw Wine grapes are grown, with Pip and Justin Jarrett, who started the brand 30 years ago. We’re chatting about their grapes, to the soundtrack of birds calling from the flourishing patch of bushland that they’ve regenerated. “We came into this knowing we want to leave the farms we own in a better condition than when we…

glow time A sunshine-yellow dining room and a cosy orange snug make Sally and Pieter Le Roux’s farmhouse in Aubigny, Qld, a bright and happy family home. (The colours, for the curious: Dulux Sunburst semi-gloss, and Dulux Carved Pumpkin semi-gloss paired with Ottoline’s Sporty Stripes wallpaper in Saffron.) It’s a terrific example, too, of how heritage properties can bring in colour and light – and that’s thanks to interior design firm Ivy & Piper, who created the schemes. “It was great to be pushed out of our comfort zones with the colour,” says Sally. “That’s the beauty of working with professionals you trust.” The fresh new look created exactly what the family wanted, Sally explains: “It’s such a sanctuary for us.” prints charming This little treasure chest is a lakeside…

VINEGAR COMES FROM the Latin words vinum and acre, meaning ‘sour wine’. Vinegars are made throughout the world’s cultures, but not all vinegars are wine-based. Examples are: malt, distilled, rice, fruit, vegetable – pretty much anything that can be fermented to produce alcohol. Then the alcohol can be converted into acetic acid. Is there a more versatile ingredient than vinegar? Cast your eyes over the world’s great cookery tomes and you’ll be hard-pressed not to find recipes in which vinegar has played a crucial part. There is evidence that this versatile liquid has been around since Babylonian times and, despite modern procedures that hasten the creation process, the product has barely changed. When you think about it, this is an incredible link to not only our culinary past but our…

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Alpha-H Melting Moment Cleansing Balm with Australian Flannel Flower, $84, from Asos, gently removes make-up. Made with soothing Australian flannel flower and bisabolol, it is suitable for all skin types. Superfood Gel Cleanser, $48, from Lust Minerals, cleanses and exfoliates skin with Kakadu plum, papaya, green tea and desert lime. Brighten and smooth skin with a blend of antioxidant-rich desert fruit quandong, chlorophyll, spinach leaf and raspberry seed in Quandong Green Booster Serum, $58, from Ere Perez. Free from EDTA, parabens and phthalates, Body Bar Moisturising Natural Vitamin E, $6, from Freshwater Farm, helps to heal skin and reduce scarring, stretch marks and ageing. Nak Hair Ori Lab Plump Cleanse Shampoo, $45.95, from Adore Beauty, is made with white cypress, rice protein and pomegranate to promote…

COOL TECHNOLOGY The Samsung 636L AI Family Hub French Door Fridge with Internal Beverage Showcase boasts an independent cool-air supply to maintain optimal temperature in three separate compartments. harveynorman.com.au TRAVEL PLAN Lake Leather is Tasmania’s favourite destination for quality leather goods, including shoulder bags, duffel bags, backpacks, messenger bags, crossbody styles and totes. View the Lake Leather range of fine leather goods and accessories at: lakeleather.com.au SPRING STYLE Step into Zephyr’s latest linen collection, including the cheerful Mabel Smock Dress and Soft Top Linen Pants. From classic sophistication to contemporary flair, Zephyr’s garments transcend trends and complement every age and stage. zephyrwares.com LADIES FIRST Award-winning insurance brand Stella offers competitive, comprehensive car insurance that’s been designed with women in mind, which means premium benefits and rewards for being a safer…

Editor KYLIE IMESON Deputy editor HANNAH JAMES Creative director MIA DAMINATO Art director BERNHARD SCHMITZ Contributing art directors JACQUELINE PAGE, KELSIE WALKER Queensland contributing editor CLAIRE MACTAGGART Stylist KATE LINCOLN Feature writers REBECCA HOOTON, RACHEL WHITE Chief copy editor, Homes Group PETER GRIFFITHS Senior copy editor GRETA DUMBLETON ADVERTISING AND PRODUCTION Head of sales – NSW BLAKE WRIGHT Group Business Director Sales – Vic BEN WILES Head of direct sales – Vic, SA, WA WILL JAMISON Head of sales – Qld JUDY TAYLOR Advertising production manager KATE ORSBORN Head of directories REBECCA WHITE Head of creative CLARE CATT Head of events and sponsorships CATE GAZAL Production controller KARA STEAD Advertising production controller DOMINIC ROY All advertising inquiries ADVERTISING@AREMEDIA.COM.AU MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Director of marketing CARLY BOWRA Head…

COLD SNAP With 538 litres of storage, this Fisher & Paykel Series 7 Freestanding Quad Door fridge, $2799, lets you change the temperature of one section. Chill drinks for a party, or freeze vegies at harvest time. Visit harveynorman.com.au BOOKED UP Eco-friendly houses are on the rise, and The New Sustainable House by Penny Craswell, $69.99, showcases a huge variety of designs, from a mud-brick lodge in Texas to a timber cabin in Sweden. Visit booktopia.com.au come dine with me This substantial yet elegant Bridgeport dining table, $2999 from Domayne, has room for a crowd. It’s made from sturdy acacia timber with premium detailing: a tabletop of herringbone parquetry with breadboard ends, and carved pedestal base. Its bright white hue complements any decor scheme. Visit domayne.com.au SIP IT…

IT’S MID-AFTERNOON somewhere between Gulargambone and Walgett on the Central West plains of New South Wales when Jeanette and Andy Ross pull off the Castlereagh Highway in a pocket of service to take a call. The holiday-bound couple are 700 kilometres north of their home town, Henty. But they’re never far from the community they’ve helped forge, which has a mission to change health outcomes in the bush. Jeanette, 63, and Andy, 66, are two of the first ever members of Active Farmers, a not-for-profit charity that aims to improve the physical and mental health of regional Australians. Twice a week, they drive to nearby Mangoplah to join a dozen others at the footy oval for the Active Farmers’ exercise class. Founded by Tasmanian-born Ginny Stevens in 2015, Active Farmers…

WHEN JENN BLISS LEFT South Africa in 2014 for Australia, it was for love. After meeting her now-husband, Ryley, while travelling, the Capetonian packed up her life and moved across the world to Port Stephens, on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, where Ryley lived. When Jenn learned that Ryley had bought his first property at just 23, she was impressed. “He was really ambitious,” she says. “His friends were out partying while he was finishing off his investment.” Jenn, now 34, had studied marketing and advertising, but the more time she spent with Ryley, 33, the more her interest in design grew. Their first project together was in 2016, a home they built in Port Stephens, on traditional Worimi lands. They were so determined to buy the…

RIKKE LENTZ FIRST DISCOVERED the power of flowers when she lived in New York and worked for a gardener who designed penthouse gardens. After that, she nurtured her own garden at home in Denmark, where she grew flowers and created bouquets for sale. Today, she frolics on 2000 square metres of organic farmland at Mangholm near the town of Hillerød. “It’s a hobby gone wild for me. It just grows and grows, and gets wilder and wilder,” says Rikke. The farm’s nutrient-rich, organic soil requires work all year round, and it’s a major step up from the terraced urban garden it once was. “I’ve always been interested in being outside and watching things grow, especially flowers, and doing something good for my mind,” says Rikke. “I also tried growing vegetables…

THE SUN IS SETTING FAST over one of the flattest places in the Southern Hemisphere, the plain between Deniliquin and Hay in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Day gives way to night, and this is the best time – and one of the only places on earth – to find the enigmatic and elusive little bird that we are looking for, the plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus). This small but charismatic creature is incredibly rare, with an estimated population of just 250 mature birds in the wild, according to the experts who compiled The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. In bright daylight, the plains-wanderer is perfectly camouflaged in the sparse grasses of the paddock. However, our chances of finding one at this time of night are high, thanks to…

MOST COUNTRY TOWNS have at least one antique store bursting with well-loved items and curiosities where the heady scents of timber, dust and damp linger. In Millthorpe, on Wiradjuri Country in the NSW Central West, avid antiques collector and restorer Julia Boag has created a beautiful and inviting shopping experience honed from a lifelong fascination with aged treasures. During her childhood, Julia and her sister often spent weekends tagging along to antique auctions with their father, John. “I was attracted to antiques from a young age,” Julia says. “Going to auctions and estate sales with Dad really unlocked my inner bowerbird. We used to play around the auction yards to stay entertained, but when I was 13, I bid on and bought my first antique. It was a papier-mâché bust…

AS THE END OF THE YEAR draws closer and the weather warms up, whispers of summer in the air, I start to think of lighter, brighter flavours when baking. This is not to say that I bake less – this is never the case – but rather the tone of my recipes changes. Citrus and florals creep in and little, sweet mouthfuls replace large, wholesome cakes. Simple, quick bakes also find their home here – as the bustle of November and the countdown to Christmas keeps us running! Exceptionally easy to make, owing to their melt-and-mix batter, madeleines have long been a favourite in our house. I have a particular penchant for madeleine tins (and am acquiring quite the collection), but as they are adaptable little cakes and the flavour…

WING Nikki Gemmell, 4th Estate, $34.99 It’s a cliffhanger. The narrator is principal of an elite girls’ school. A few of those pupils will go on to reach the pinnacle of power, toppling mediocre men along the way. An excellent education won’t be wasted on the rest. They’ll be empowered in a way their mothers are not. We never know the principal’s real name, so let her be ‘G’ which is what Cin, her goddaughter, calls her. Dr Breen, teacher of English (G laments that barely any of the girls read anymore and it breaks her heart) leads the Year 10 girls on an annual bush camp – character building. They’re due back Monday. Four don’t return from camp – Cin and her three consiglieri. Phones were banned on the…

WE ARE STAYING WITH The Farmer’s daughter and son-inlaw as they get ready for their spring bull sale. We’ve both forgotten how much noise small children can generate. I’m sure many of you can relate, either because you’re in it now; have been in it; or, like us, are now back in it with the next generation. We’re here to help. I’m using my skills as a washerwoman and cleaner, which are not rusty, and The Farmer is using his skills as a part-time childminder (quite rusty) and part-time handyman (not rusty at all). There’s an underlying anxiety humming beneath the noise. It is the tension of a year’s worth of work culminating in one day. Sale day dawns crisp and clear. I hang the first load of washing while…