Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2025 i Country Style

AM I OFFICIALLY A LOCAL? I’d love to be. On a recent trip to Hobart, I was greeted like an old friend by someone I had met on a previous visit. A born-and-bred Tasmanian also remarked that I was spending more time in her home state than she was. I took it as a compliment! As much as I’d like to be, I do know I’m not really a local, but at the very least I’ve been embraced by the locals, or at least some of them. I’ve said it many times before: Tasmania has a special place in my heart and I try to get there as often as I can. It’s why I love putting the August issue together – it’s a tribute to my favourite state. On…

On Instagram The beautiful Lake Weyba home of @rachelwaller__ is a Country Style favourite. “Love that wall of art,” commented CS fan @kiatamasonart. Us too! Read more at homestolove.com.au Subscribe and download our app Download the Country Style app (it’s free!) to read our online stories, or combine it with a digital subscription to get every issue. Our digital magazines are as beautiful as print, plus you can customise font sizes and listen to an audio version. On the App Store Country Style magazine NEWSLETTERS homestolove.com.au/country-style Reno your inbox with Country Style newsletters! Our new one, Kylie in the Country, is full of editor-approved tips. Scan the code, right, to sign up. PHOTOGRAPHY HANNAH PUECHMARIN STYLING CHERYL CARR…

IF WALLS COULD TALK, those of Blackbird Cottage would undoubtedly whisper “Thank you”. Weary and tobacco-stained, the 1870s-built property, located in the Tasmanian town of Cygnet, was in disrepair before Lindy Rahn and her husband, Gavin, saw something beneath the dust and the droopy ceiling worth uncovering. With a clear vision of what could be, the couple threw themselves into a six-month renovation to rekindle the warmth and charm that once was. Tucked beside the Agnes Rivulet, around 50 minutes’ drive south of Hobart in the Huon Valley, the home’s original architectural features were largely intact despite the neglect when the pair purchased it in May 2023. Built from solid blackwood timber with a traditionally Georgian square design and symmetrical facade, the home had plenty of character, so they vowed…

CREATING THE GARDEN at Old WesleyDale in Chudleigh was a splendid dream for Deb and Scott Wilson when they first moved to Tasmania in 2001. They had visited the property and it had very little garden then, though it did have an 1830s Georgian house, established trees and the magnificent, borrowed landscape of the Great Western Tiers. Their home is now an Australian flagship of horticultural mastery and they are active proponents for disappearing crafts. Deb and Scott came from Coolah, New South Wales, a town that is, according to Deb, “hot and dry”. Chudleigh, with its temperate climate and an average annual rainfall of 112 centimetres, is neither hot nor dry. So they packed up their lives, their teenage daughters Kaitlyn and Sally, and left New South Wales. As…

MY WIFE, CATE, AND I SPENT 2024 abroad, mostly in Italy. I can see you all rolling your eyes: “When will he give this a rest?!” However, quite a few people have asked us, “How did you stay there for so long?” The answer is that Aussies can stay for a total of six months at a time, but then you must leave the country for three months before returning. So, we left the Schengen Area for Albania for a lovely beach holiday, before zipping up to England for a gorgeous summer of strawberries, lush green hills and pet sitting. One of our favourite stays was in the heart of the Cotswolds in a picturesque village called Fairford, where for two glorious weeks, we were entrusted with the welfare of…

STANDING IN THIGH-DEEP WATER wearing waders, with rain gently falling and fog settling on the lake, I feel at peace. My fly-fishing rod is cast in the direction of the trout I’ve just seen jumping. I’m told there are 10,000 fish in this lake. Despite that, I don’t get one bite – not even when a brown trout swims so close to me that I could almost touch it. However, the repetitive nature of fly-fishing – casting and slowly reeling the line back in – is meditative and I feel calm and content. I’ve felt like this ever since I arrived at Currawong Lakes. It is late in the afternoon when my brother, Lee, and I reach this magnificent property at Lake Leake in Tasmania’s Eastern Tiers. We have made…

BRIGHT AND BOBBLY, EACH UNIQUE CREATION from Noss & Co is designed to bring a little bit of colour and joy to its lucky owner – much like the brand’s namesake. “Noss was the name of our beloved bulldog, who was named after a type of poppy that we grow,” says Noss & Co’s founder and chief ceramicist Kirsty Hawkins. “With this name, we wanted to honour both a cherished family member and a meaningful part of our daily lives. The ‘& Co’ reflects our family’s collaborative spirit and the joyful, welcoming vibe we bring to everything we create. All together, Noss & Co is about celebrating personality, happiness and the connections that make a house feel like home.” The idea for the business was hatched five years ago, when…

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ROSS WILLIAMS LIKES TO SAY he’s been farming since he was 11 years old – and his family’s farming roots go even deeper, extending back three generations on land near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. Ross, 63, and his wife Jo, 64, raised their three daughters on their property in Wagga, with Ross farming sheep, cattle and crops over the years. So, it was no simple decision to move to Tasmania nine years ago – but it was one that felt increasingly urgent. “We were concerned about the impact of climate change and a lack of water security for the longevity of our business,” explains Ross. The beautiful Tasmanian landscape and its outdoors lifestyle – game fishing, hiking, mountain biking – were a drawcard; the family loved holidaying in…

EVERYONE HAS A STORY LIKE THIS: I had an indoor plant once. It died. You too? Today’s column is brought to you by: That Plant Should Have Tried Harder dot com. Also: It’s Not You, It’s The Plant. And: Sometimes Bad Plants Happen To Good People. Have I set the scene? Full disclosure, I am actually very serious about indoor plants. I have A LOT of them – so many that my husband tells visitors not to stand still in our house or you might find a pothos quietly securing itself to your limbs, or a peperomia trailing down your neck. Indoor plants are a vibe and I’ve been here for it since COVID lockdown and they became my thing. But I can remember when they were not; when my…

I HAVE TO ADMIT it has taken me a while to appreciate the understated beauty that is the apple. They are often overlooked in favour of their flashier, more exotic fruit-bowl friends, but in terms of reliability, versatility and accessibility, apples really can’t be beaten, can they? And that’s before we even start thinking about what they offer in the flavour department. Also, I have found that apples are a baker’s best friend; really coming into their own in the cooler months, when their coupling with sugar and warming spices can be fully exploited. Just think of cinnamon and apple – the culinary equivalent of a big, warm hug if ever there was one. Soothing and comforting, this combo is also wildly delicious. Continuing in the edible-hug vein, this month…

THE ROX IS LOCATED IN HOBART’S MIDTOWN, an area dotted with eclectic shops, cafes, restaurants and late-night bars. On the corner of Elizabeth and Brisbane Streets is the modern, architecturally designed building which houses The Rox Apartment and The Rox Penthouse, two of the four apartments that make up this luxury accommodation offering. Built in 2021, its rounded lines are reminiscent of the ships in the nearby harbour, or kunanyi/Mount Wellington, which towers above the city. The Rox Penthouse is a luxurious two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. It features a gourmet kitchen and comfortable living room, but the pièce de résistance is the rooftop terrace with views across Hobart. Meanwhile, The Rox Apartment is a one-bedroom, second-floor apartment with an open-plan living, dining room and kitchen space. Both dwellings are decorated in…

DON’T LET THE COOLER TEMPS DETER YOU – a winter getaway in Tasmania is never a bad idea. In fact, Dunalley local Simon Holloway, owner of heritage-listed church-turnedguest accommodation St Martin’s of Tasmania, says the colder months are the best time to enjoy everything that his quiet fishing village has to offer – think whisky, wine, fires, festivals and Aurora Australis (the southern lights). Built in 1924 using sandstone blocks that date back to the 1830s, St Martin’s sits on a man-made canal in the tiny fishing village of Dunalley, just 30 minutes’ drive from Hobart airport. Hugged by green hills, sheep farms and vineyards, the former church is a magical place to slow down and soak up life’s simpler pleasures. Carefully restored, the church retains many of its historic…

IS A RIVER ALIVE? Robert Macfarlane, Penguin, $55 Macfarlane’s adventures in Ecuador, India and Canada refresh and stretch an imagination that is beginning to tire of messages about the environment. They raise the alarm, yet day by day the depredations continue. In Ecuador, the threat to the Los Cedros cloud forest’s rivers comes from Cornerstone and ENAMI, an Ecuadorian mining company. They won concessions to mine. President Correa needed cash because the price of crude oil fell by 50 per cent. They came with drills, maps, helicopters, chainsaws, feller bunchers, log loaders, blasting teams, river dammers and excavators. Then, on November 10, 2022, the Constitutional Court of Quito invoked Ecuador’s Rights of Nature legislation and the mining companies were ordered to quit within weeks. Of course, there’s resistance to the…

JAM-MAKING JOY I understand your pain, Maggie (June column, In a Jam, pictured below, left) – I have stood at the stove, stirring and stirring and stirring. Added lemon juice, tested, retested and retested to no avail. Only to say, well, this is it, time to walk away, bottle up regardless of set. Sometimes the jam is set the following day and I audibly thank all those little jars for their compliance. Other times, the contents are like a jar of water, and I think up ways to use this jammy rainbow of amazing flavour and colour. I can’t use the jam on a slice of toast, but does it really matter what side of my bread it is jammed on? Kathryn Riley, Maryborough, Qld BLOOMING AMBITION Dear Country Style…

heart of oak Dubbo-based stylist and Saddler & Co owner Jemima Aldridge’s shop, Foray, stocks a carefully curated selection of homewares, including this elegant antique English oak side table, $850. Visit foraydesign.com.au hot property Classic by name and by nature: this Falcon Classic FX Induction Freestanding Range Cooker in Mineral Green, $12,498, has a gloriously traditional look and cooks like a dream. Visit winnings.com.au floor plan Hard-wearing and whisper-quiet, Heartridge’s vinyl plank flooring is great for high-traffic spots like kitchens and is available in a wide range of widths and shades. It’s low-maintenance too – bonus! Visit heartridge.com.au MOUNTAIN MAGIC Aussie brand MCM House’s new range, Modern Mountain, is tactile, soft and stylish. Jean Modular sofa, from $2790, Arii coffee table, from $3695, Pronto side table, from $1695, Kora console,…

AN AIR OF OLD-WORLD ROMANCE is palpable at The Post Office in Waratah, in Tasmania’s wild north-west region. It’s an intoxicating narrative of candlelight and steam rising from a claw-foot tub. It’s where full-bodied merlots are sipped from delicate cut crystal, and shapely vases overflow with blooms. Just beyond the rippled glass of the century-old sash windows, dense mists and snowfall cloak the isolated village and disappear into the thundering gully of Waratah Falls, just across the road. The historic mining town of Waratah was developed on Tommeginer Country in the 1870s after tin deposits were discovered at Mt Bischoff, less than one kilometre away. The tin mine brought unprecedented wealth to Tasmania, and Waratah’s population swelled to 5000. There was a local brass band and a picture theatre, and…

HEART & SOUL On an elevated block in Bangalow, NSW, Maggie and Josh have built a home filled with character and charm. They worked with interior designer Rachael Peachey to achieve the timeless, lived-in interior. “We embraced imperfect, tactile finishes alongside classic silhouettes that nod to the past,” says Rachael. In the ensuite, the vanity by Laneway Design was inspired by an antique piece of furniture, while blue-and-white striped wall tiles from Tiles of Ezra and a blue pedestal basin from The English Tapware Company add whimsy to the main bathroom. For more, follow @studiopeachey > BATHROOM CHIC style buys Moroccan mix tiles in Snow, $131.44 (62 pieces), and Moroccan mix tiles in Verde, $131.44 (62 pieces), both from Stone & Tile Projects. Calflex Classico shower column with shower head…

“THE PRODUCE IN TASMANIA is an absolute chef’s dream,” says Bob Piechniczek, chef and co-director of Tasmania’s newest destination fine-diner, Oirthir, located at Bream Creek, just a 45-minute drive east of Hobart. “There’s so much available and the quality is outstanding – it was a major drawcard.” Co-director and pastry chef Jillian McInnes is equally effusive. “The things coming out of Tasmania now are very impressive; quite inspiring,” she says. Originally from Scotland, the husband-and-wife duo met while honing their craft in kitchens around Edinburgh. Seeking adventure, they spent a few years in New Zealand before settling in Melbourne in 2017. Seven years later, they were ready for a new career challenge. “We came to Tassie on our honeymoon in 2019 and just loved it,” explains Jillian. “We kept coming…

TASSIE IS THE STATE TO VISIT (thanks MONA), the state with the most sought-after wine grapes in the country, the state that grows and makes some of Australia’s best produce (think truffles, oysters, beef, potatoes, apples and cheese) and the state that hosts the (now controversial) farmed salmon and ocean trout industry. I’ve been an innocent bystander to our island state for 50 years. I watched the struggles of the early winegrowers, like Claudio Alcorso at Moorilla Estate, way before David Walsh and MONA came on the scene. I’ve regularly worked with Dr Andrew Pirie, the inspired Sydneysider who co-founded Pipers Brook Vineyard back in 1974. I was around when Jean-Claude Rouzaud (of the illustrious Champagne House Louis Roederer) began working with a fledging Tasmanian winery, Heemskerk, to plant grapes…

FOR THE SATED GASTRONOME, there is perhaps no greater pleasure than rising from the dining table after a magical meal and, rather than fussing with coats and scarves and calling a cab, simply strolling upstairs to bed. At Stillwater in Launceston, Tasmania, an 1840s flour mill that’s now a hatted restaurant and hotel, that pleasure has been refined by close attention to every detail. The restaurant, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is a stand-out even in the dining paradise of Launceston (named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2021). It has won a chef’s hat in the Good Food Guide Awards for the past three years running. If you don’t follow such things, let me paint a picture: a black-painted, red-roofed mill with crisp white trim sits…

THERE IS SOMETHING QUINTESSENTIALLY Tasmanian about Lucy Fleming’s wine room and espresso bar, Love Lucy Boots (my name is Lucy and I like boots), in Westbury. You’ll find it if you turn off the old main highway and follow the signs to the historic town centre. There’s an impressive-looking church on one corner, a funny little antique shop on the other, and a row of cute-as-a-button houses in between. Love Lucy Boots, with its blue sign swinging above the window, fits in so perfectly you’d be forgiven for thinking the village of Westbury had always had access to excellent coffee and perfectly curated wines and spirits. Sitting in the pale winter sunshine, my hands warmed by a hot coffee, I count two whippets, an elderly Jack Russell, a sausage dog…