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SEPTEMBER 2021 I AUSTRALIA COAST TO COAST

ESCAPE THE

THE SEASON WHEN THE COUNTRY COMES ALIVE

Gardening special • Edible flower farm • Herbs to attract bees • Toowoomba rose garden • New columnist

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THE GREAT ESCAPE Explore the Eyre Peninsula

FEELS LIKE HOME A family cottage in Willunga

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EDITOR’S LETTER

I’m writing this month’s letter at home, instead of at the office. Greater Sydney is under stay-at-home orders and I am longing to get in my car and head out of the city.

We regularly go away for long weekends to slow down and take in big lungfuls of fresh air. A couple of friends and I sometimes just go for the day to do a bushwalk and have tea and scones. It’s restorative and my way of coping with living in the city. It’ll be the first thing I do when lockdown and restrictions are lifted.

I am looking forward to seeing gardens awakened by spring, flowers in bloom and trees with new green growth. From my temporary workspace at home (the dining table, which I share with my husband), I can already feel it in the air – literally. It is warmer, the sun is out and the birds are calling to each other. From here, I can see the garden beds in the backyard, which I must admit need urgent attention. I want to plant flowering herbs to attract bees – see page 99 for a long list, plus delicious recipes to cook with honey, and flowers to sprinkle on light salads. I know my efforts will pale in comparison to those of edible flower grower Simone Jelley (page 32).

It’s also time to change things around at home to make it feel fresher, lighter and brighter – especially given how much time we’ve spent indoors recently. It’s amazing the difference that swapping out the cushions and throws on the sofa can make to the whole lounge room. For more spring-focused decorating ideas, turn to page 73.

I look forward to seein you in the country soon.

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT DRESS COUNTRY ROAD

Kylie Imeson

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40 COVER STORIES

HOMES

32 Spring in bloom: The season when the country

40 WHERE THE HEART IS

40 80

52

116

comes alive Feels like home: A family cottage in Willunga Gardening special: Toowoomba rose garden; Edible flower farm; Herbs to attract bees; New columnist The great escape: Explore the Eyre Peninsula

21 A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

62

Flowers, birds, art and culture feature this spring.

26 HOMEGROWN

Orange-based beauty therapist Amy Erbacher celebrates the scent of roses in her fragrance range.

DECORATING

73 LET THE LIGHT IN

Light, bright, spring-ready rooms and the best window coverings now the sun is back out.

PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE, MARNIE HAWSON

WOMEN ON THE LAND

28 FUTURE IN FOCUS

Meet the Young Farmer of the Year, Emma Ayliffe.

LIFE ON THE STATION

30 THE ART OF MAKING MISTAKES

Jillaroo Emma Moss on the upside of challenges.

PEOPLE

32 IN FULL BLOOM 90

Simone Jelley’s sought-after, award-winning edible flowers have made her a homegrown success story.

HEALING HANDS Both humans and horses benefit from the therapeutic touch of country osteopath David Fairclough.

The inviting open-plan kitchen is Emma Read’s happy place in her charming cottage in Willunga, SA. LEAP OF FAITH Nikki and Luke Hobbs took a gamble on a Canungra property, but their hard work and vision have paid off.

EVERYTHING NEW IS OLD AGAIN At antique dealer Athol Salter’s Southern Highlands home, all the furniture and artwork have a story to tell.

GARDEN

80 IN THE PINK 86 88

Nurse Caitlyn Mason gives us a tour of the rose garden at her 1897 cottage in Queensland’s ‘Garden City’, Toowoomba.

FOWL PLAY Winged thieves leave our new garden columnist, Gerringong farmer Fiona Walmsley, in a flutter.

IN THE GARDEN What to grow, plant and buy this spring.

FOOD

99 SWEET LIKE HONEY

Take inspiration from Doug Purdie’s delicious warm weather treats in his book Backyard Bees. >

90 124 132 SKINCARE SELF-SERVICE

High-tech beauty devices deliver impressive results, and they’re easy to use at home.

108

BOOK CLUB

134 Country Style’s Annabel Lawson delves into a range of new releases which examine our relationships with ourselves, each other and the planet.

REGULAR READING

12 Contributors 16 Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters 24 A Day in the Country: Maggie MacKellar shares the 136 154

107 FLAVOURS 108

What to eat, drink and cook up this month.

GARDEN FARE Our country cook Steve Cumper puts in the hard yards in the garden and emerges with a spring feast.

110 HISTORY LESSON

Canberra may get all the attention, but a road trip through the ACT reveals tiny towns brimming with unique cultural experiences and memorable meals.

A BREATH OF FRESH EYRE From salt air and seafood to spectacular sunsets, put the Eyre Peninsula on your must-visit list.

FASHION AND HEALTH

124 THE STYLE DIARIES

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OUR COVER

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116

SERVICES

Queenslanders Nikki Hobbs and Caitlyn Mason look to nature for style and fashion inspiration, whether it’s pretty florals or earthy linens.

In Bowral, NSW, soft spring sunlight filters through the kitchen window, highlighting the pretty fresh blooms. Cute kitten Lentil looks eager to explore the garden beyond.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING Abbie Mellé

ON THE COVER Gentle sunlight streaming in the window and a vase overflowing with fresh tulips, sweet peas, paperwhites and wax flowers can only mean one thing – spring is here. And kitten Lentil is ready to enjoy the warm weather in the backyard. We photographed this month’s beautiful cover on location at Bunya House in Bowral. To book your stay at this historic home in the NSW Southern Highlands, visit airbnb.com.au

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Country Style acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the place we now call Sydney, where this magazine is published. Country Style also pays respects to Elders past and present.

PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of Country Style magazine is published by Are Media Pty Limited (Are Media). Are Media may use and disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including to provide you with your requested products or services and to keep you informed of other Are Media publications, products, services and events. Our Privacy Policy is located at aremedia. com.au/privacy. It also sets out on how you can access or correct your personal information and lodge a complaint. Are Media may disclose your personal information off shore to its owners, joint venture partners, service providers and agents located throughout the world, including in New Zealand, USA, the Philippines and the European Union. In addition, this issue may contain Reader Off ers, being off ers, competitions or surveys. Reader Off ers may require you to provide personal information to enter or to take part. Personal information collected for Reader Off ers may be disclosed by us to service providers assisting Are Media in the conduct of the Reader Off er and to other organisations providing special prizes or off ers that are part of the Reader Off er. An opt-out choice is provided with a Reader Off er. Unless you exercise that opt-out choice, personal information collected for Reader Off ers may also be disclosed by us to other organisations for use by them to inform you about other products, services or events or to give to other organisations that may use this information for this purpose. If you require further information, please contact Are Media’s Privacy Offi cer either by email at privacyoffi cer@aremedia.com.au or mail at Privacy Offi cer Are Media Pty Limited, 54 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

PHOTOGRAPHY HANNAH PUECHMARIN, MARNIE HAWSON, JOHN PAUL URIZAR STYLING OLIVIA BLACKMORE

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story behind one of her most treasured mementos.

Collectables Country Squire: Rob Ingram looks to tried-and-true methods to solve the mouse plague, but realises we need a more novel approach these days.

CONTRIBUTORS

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F I O N A W A L M S L E Y

From a multi-generational farming family, writer, photographer and farmer Fiona penned our new gardening column on page 86.

Our new gardening columnist Fiona, 47, is lucky enough to live on the family farm, where her heritage goes back for more than 150 years. “I love the community, the space, the clean air, the pretty light, the people. Clichéd maybe, but true,” she says. “Everything that I hated about small towns as a teenager I love as an adult.” Now the farm in Gerringong, NSW, is at the centre of a busy life, which Fiona shares with her partner Adam, their three children Henry, 17, Matilda, 14, and Ivy, 11, plus cats Sebastian and Smoko, dogs Holly and Ace – “and a truly enormous pet pig called Sage”.

C H E R Y L

C A R R

Stylist Cheryl lives in the idyllic Scenic Rim in south-east Queensland, and styled the beautiful home of Luke and Nikki Hobbs on page 52.

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An old weatherboard church on a hectare of paddocks is home to interiors stylist Cheryl, 50, her son Ollie, 23, their free-range chickens Lulu, Adele, Marigold, Amelia and Coco, and their rescue parrot Pablo. “I love the fresh air, landscape, sunsets and starry nights,” she says. Of growing up on a farm in Taralga, NSW, she says: “I had a blessed childhood growing up with open spaces and the freedom to take risks, learn resilience and be resourceful.

I was also taught the value of community and respect for the land and natural world” – values she takes into her work now as she makes beautiful visual stories.

WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY KATHERINE WILSON, EVAN BAILEY PHOTOGRAPHY

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YOUR PAGE

On our July cover, the sun strikes shafts of golden light into an old shearing shed, as smoko is served on a wool bale. The shed on Clancy Paine’s property in Narromine, NSW, features in our fashion story, where we meet some of the women championing the Australian wool industry.

Photography Clancy Paine @clancyjob Styling @clancyjob and @jemima.aldridge

We recently received a lovely handwritten letter from a Country Style reader in Victoria, who has enjoyed trying her hand at many of our recipes – especially during lockdown. We were also happy to hear that our magazine provides inspiration and much-needed escapism for our readers.

YOUR PAGE

ONE COUNTRY STYLE READER SHARES HER MAGAZINES WITH HER TWO DAUGHTERS, WHILE ANOTHER IS USING LOCKDOWN TO COLLECT OUR HEIRLOOM RECIPES.

LIGHT IN LOCKDOWN

I have been an avid reader/collector of Country Style magazine since 2006. So here I am, in our latest Sydney COVID-19 lockdown, pulling out my old magazines and re-reading all your amazing articles. I am so happy that I have kept my collection as I find the stories and photos just so inspirational.

Thanks again, Country Style, for your continuing source of happiness!

Oh yes, meant to say that I have been removing all the delicious Heirloom recipes to maybe try out while we are confined at home.

Jennifer Cashman, North Manly, NSW From Kylie: We love receiving Heirloom recipes from our readers.

Please send them to: kylie.imeson@ aremedia.com.au

THE JOY OF SHARING

I finish savouring the latest collection of wonderful homes, gardens and personal human stories, I pass on my magazine to them so that they, too, can capture the delight.

Both of my girls have recently sold and bought new properties, and I can tell you each publication has been devoured and studied intensely.

They have weighed up house plans, renovation ideas, furnishings and use of space. Highlighted textures and colours have featured strongly in the choices they have made for their own homes. Interesting designs observed have been included in their selection of sofas, linen and kitchen goods, to name but a few.

Even I have studied how to better use my small home and how to highlight its features. Reading your magazine provides me with a wonderful number

Each month, for a number of years now, I wait in anticipation for my Country Style magazine to arrive. The content never fails to impress and to provide many interesting articles and ideas.

Apart from the obvious enjoyment I receive from thoroughly examining the numerous contributions, I also undertake to share the beauty.

My two daughters have successively given me a subscription for each birthday over time, and as soon as

of relaxing hours, but to see my daughters also revel in receiving the wealth of information that is included in each issue is inspiring.

And such a pleasure to share!

Judy Hopwood, Kiama, NSW

TAKE ME THERE

Like so many readers, I’m irresistibly drawn to the beautiful images and moving stories in your magazine.

It’s the one magazine I read that calms my soul, stills my mind and takes me to my happy place. It’s when I’m in the country on my in-laws’ farm or on a trip out to a country town to visit friends, that my heart soars. Your magazine takes me to those places and more when I can’t be there in person. I’ll never stop needing and reading Country Style!

Felicity Thomas, Heathmont, Vic

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A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY Springtime brings new growth: verdant views in Canungra, Queensland. To see more of Nikki and Luke Hobbs’ property, turn to page 52.

As the weather warms up, the calendar fills up. There are events aplenty to choose from across the country this month.

PHOTOGRAPHY HANNAH PUECHMARIN

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 21

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

bird lovers

FROM LEFT A black-necked stork in Kakadu; 3 Pears (2019) by Margaret River artist Steve Vigors.

NT

Kakadu Bird Week, Sept 25-Oct 2 Kakadu is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed national park, home to more than a third of Australia’s bird species. So where better to explore and learn about these beautiful creatures? Kakadu Bird Week includes birdwatching expeditions, wetland cruises and cultural experiences. parksaustralia. gov.au/kakadu/do/events/birdweek

Tulip Top Gardens, Sept 11-Oct 10 Spring means tulips, and Tulip Top Gardens, as you might guess, is brimming with them. Owners Pat and Bill Rhodin have spent the past 27 years lovingly nurturing their four-hectare garden just outside Canberra, which features not only tulips but plenty of other spring flowers, as well as 1000 blossom trees.

There’s even a waterfall and a lookout point. It’s one of the Yass Valley’s finest gardens – and it’s all looked after by the family themselves. tuliptopgardens.com.au

QLD

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, Sept 1-30 The city’s parks are ablaze with blooms; the Grand Central Floral Parade stops traffic on September 18; native plants, orchids, bromeliads and succulents have their specialist celebrations; and there are plenty of foodie experiences (including a Festival of Food and Wine on September 10-12) allowing you to enjoy the food of the region. It’s a whole month of floral frivolity. tcof.com.au Back to the Bush Festival, Sept 9-12 Could this be the perfect country festival? Located in the quaint little town of Miles, in the Western

22 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

Downs, the Back to the Bush Festival offers steam train rides, an antiques and collectables fair, a spit-roast dinner with bush dancing, a parade, a dog high-jump competition, whipcracking demonstrations and even a vintage aircraft display. backtothebushfestival.com.au

NT

Nitmiluk Festival, Sept 6-15 Set in the Katherine Gorge, the Nitmiluk Festival incorporates several events all celebrating this extraordinary region of Australia.

The Katherine Bird Festival includes birdwatching cruises, tours led by experts and plenty of family activities, while the Journey of the Palate celebrates gourmet food and wine. nitmilukfestival.com.au Desert Song Festival, Sept 10-19 Alice Springs has a rich and diverse musical scene, and the Desert Song Festival brings together performers, choirs and collaborations to celebrate that. This year will focus on the first performance of the Olive Pink Opera, and a collaboration called From the Desert to the Arafura Sea, which involves Indigenous musicians the Djari Project and the award-winning Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir. desertsong.com.au

art lovers NSW

Sculpture on the Green, Sept 25-Oct 10 The historic village of Binalong was the childhood home of poet Banjo Paterson, and now plays host to rather different artistic outpourings.

The annual Sculpture on the Green festival displays about 50 artworks by both experienced and new sculptors. They’re all for sale, so it’s the perfect opportunity to adorn your garden or mantelpiece with art. sculptureonthegreen.com.au

WA

Margaret River Region Open Studios, Sept 11-26 Art lovers, prepare to see the Margaret River region through new eyes. Visit the studios of 140 local artists (a record-breaking number for the event) to see the landscapes, colours and seascapes via the vision of the creative folk taking part, who range from mosaicists to printmakers, painters, photographers, sculptors and ceramicists. mrropenstudios.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM NT/EVELIEN LANGEVELD

NSW

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

THE VISITORS’ BOOK WHEN I MOVED TO TASMANIA to start a new chapter in life,

I brought with me two small children and a menagerie.

The house I was to make my new home was filled with the remnants of The Farmer’s family, floating like flotsam and jetsam on a high tide. It was a tightrope to settle in, to make room for myself and my kids in a house that had sheltered and watched over three daughters, now grown up and making their own way in the world, but still very much attached to their home.

In those early years, the garden and the paddocks were my refuge, but gradually I have come to layer new memories over this old house. And because of its age and because it’s seen it all before, this new layer has only added an extra patina. There are some objects that act as a bridge linking the old and the new. One of them is the Visitors’ Book. It sits in pride of place, bound in blue leather, its gold lettering not as bright as it once was, its pages growing fatter with each passing year, on a side table in the courtyard.

The table is a catch-all for treasures. There’s a little collection of antler buds that look like prehistoric roots, which The Farmer and I compete to find in the paddocks.

There’s a seal skull I’d picked up on the beach and brought home. There’s a perfect goldfinch nest and an old, unfinished model boat. There’s a container filled with matches, another with keys, and another chock-full of pens that never work, and two books. One book is the rainfall record for the year (kept here since 1942) and the second is the Visitors’ Book.

Guests at Maggie’s country home in Tassie may come and go, but they all leave precious memories behind.

24 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

It’s a tradition that whoever stays the night signs the book. The book itself helps with this – it has columns drawn for a name, an address and a date. But, more often than not, the entry grows longer, as if the visitor, egged on by previous entries, feels the pressure of capturing some moment from their stay. When I first moved here, I used to be uncomfortable with the conviction of The Farmer as he thrust the book in front of our guest over breakfast.

Some people loved the chance to record their visit; others were flustered. I would pop out from the kitchen and say, “No pressure”. Then The Farmer would contradict me and tell them they weren’t leaving until they’d signed it.

Now, it’s coming up on a decade since I moved here and the book has become something of an historical artefact.

I think of it as a bank of memories. There are Christmas and Easter gatherings, 18ths, 21sts, announcements of engagements, records of weddings and wakes. And in between and around all those family memories is stitched the arrival of friends. The comings and goings of people from the mainland, from overseas and from just up the road. All of them caught in the pages of the Visitors’ Book.

So, now I don’t feel uncomfortable when The Farmer asks a new friend to sign their name, to make a tangible memory of their stay. Instead, I see it as a living document, as something that has a life beyond me and my arrival, but that has also embraced me. I love it as a celebration of the domestic: a record of making a bed or a meal, or putting fresh flowers on the table. Simple things done in exchange for the gift of friendship.

PHOTOGRAPHY MAGGIE MACKELLAR PORTRAIT JO ADAMS

A RECORD OF LIFE’S MILESTONES, BOTH MINOR AND MAJOR, SEES MAGGIE MACKELLAR FEELING NOSTALGIC AND THANKFUL.

HOMEGROWN

BEAUTY THERAPIST AMY ERBACHER’S NEW FRAGRANCE COLLECTION DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM HER HOME IN ORANGE. WORDS SHER EE MUTTON PHOTOGRAPHY ROSIE LONG PHOTOGR A PH Y

ROSES HAVE LONG BEEN A SYMBOL

of love, but for Amy Erbacher, the flower represents a deeper joy beyond looking pretty in her garden in Orange, NSW. “My daughter’s name is Rose, my mother’s name is Rosanne and my mother-in-law is Rosalind,” says the celebrity beauty therapist turned perfumer. So it’s no surprise the fragrance inspires her work.

Growing up in Toowoomba, Queensland, Amy was drawn to nature and its scents. “I remember my nana’s rose garden and I was in awe of her little greenhouse beside their home. I have many fond memories of climbing out the window onto the trellis to pick grapes,” she says.

A self-confessed foodie and keen cook, Amy could have become a chef, but her passion for beauty was ignited by her mother. “She would use natural remedies such as lemon to lighten my hair, and chamomile lotion to treat my teenage spots,” she recalls. “I was fortunate that my mother was into self-care. She was my role model in how to look after skin and my overall beauty regimen.”

Amy moved to Sydney and dabbled in modelling, before embarking on a career as a beauty therapist.

It was there that she founded three successful skin and wellness boutiques over a decade. While caring for the beauty and wellbeing of women from all walks of life, Amy also started working with celebrity clients including Miranda Kerr, Nicole Kidman and Delta Goodrem. It was at this time that she made her foray into the world of perfumery.

“I was working with other skincare brands as a beauty therapist,” she says. “It was only natural that I ended up creating my signature blends. Then through my training in clinical aromatherapy,

26 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

I would blend custom aromas for massage and gift the vials to my clients,” she says. “My hunger to learn the art of natural perfumery grew from there.”

Amy shifted her focus and began studying the science of scent. “The fragrance we wear – what we breathe in and apply to skin – is intertwined with our health. It has the power to uplift, invigorate and calm us,” she explains. “Scent and memory are also deeply connected. Positive experiences and joyous occasions are often linked with fragrance, transporting us to a specific time and place.”

When Amy moved to Orange two years ago with her fiancé, Mark, and their daughter, she began creating her own collection of products. “Going for long drives through the countryside always provides inspiration,” she says. “Lots of creative types live in Orange, so it’s been lovely to connect with like-minded people. I’m always intrigued by their journey as an artisan… everyone has a story to tell.”

From formulation to pouring, Amy’s new rose-inspired fragrance collection, which features a perfume oil, body and hair oil, and scented candle, has been hand-created using only nature’s botanicals, plant-based, certified organic ingredients and natural isolates.

“Natural materials are so complex – you never know how one may react with the other,” Amy says.

“I will always be a student in perfumery as there are so many raw materials. The key is to know the essences off by heart and to understand how they synergise to create a harmonious fragrance. That is the secret to being a great perfume artisan.”

Follow Amy on Instagram @amy_erbacher and visit amyerbacher.com

WOMEN ON THE LAND

FUTURE IN FOCUS

WINNING THIS YEAR’S YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARD IS JUST THE START FOR EMMA AYLIFFE. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY GR ACE DILLON PHOTOGR A PH Y

EMMA AYLIFFE HAS ONLY HAD HER OWN FARM for four

years, yet she has already won the Young Farmer of the Year Award. If you consider the 28-year-old’s short but glittering resume, though, which is bursting with boots-on-the-ground experience, the honour comes as no surprise. “We bought the farm in 2017, which was right at the start of the drought,” she says of the property in Lake Cargelligo, NSW, she owns with her partner, Craig Newham. “If only we’d known!”

In fact, Emma and Craig were perfectly positioned to see their 688-hectare farm, which they run as half fat lamb production and half dryland cropping, through the drought. After gaining her Masters of Science in agriculture in her home state of South Australia, Emma moved to Central West New South Wales to work as an agronomist at the Tandou cotton farm near Menindee.

She also worked for Elders before setting up an agronomy consulting business, Summit Ag, in 2016 with her business partner, Heath McWhirter. Despite all this real-world experience, the drought took a toll. “Craig and his family are all farmers, so they’d been through drought before and had a fair idea of what was coming,” says Emma. “But it’s always daunting when you’ve got to do it yourself, and it’s your overdraft getting bigger and bigger.”

She’s not one to give up easily, though. Growing up on sheep country in Coober Pedy, watching her parents manage farms, she always knew agriculture was in her future. “It was a wonderful learning experience,” Emma says of farming in drought, “and it really reiterated the importance of having a drought-management plan, as well as just being ready to battle through it.”

Planning and battling aren’t Emma’s only strategies for tackling some of farming’s knottier problems: she’s very aware of the benefits of learning from others’ experience. So aware, in fact, that a few years ago, she and business partner Heath launched a social media app for farmers called Yacker (as if running a farm, as well as a consultancy business wasn’t enough to keep her busy).

Yacker’s point of difference from other social media, however, is that it’s set up to facilitate in-depth phone conversations, not text messages. “The premise is that we know as advisers – and I know as a farmer – that the best

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conversations are always had if you can capture someone when they’re free to have a good chat,” Emma explains. “If someone’s driving to town or sitting in a tractor sowing, they have time to spare. They can’t reply to a Twitter thread, but they can have a really productive conversation where you can learn a lot. So the premise of Yacker was about: how do we find people outside our own circles to extend our knowledge base? And then how do we identify when they’re free to have those conversations? We want to share knowledge and move agriculture forward.”

They are big ambitions – but that’s Emma’s style.

Winning the Young Farmer of the Year Award (co-hosted

by ABC Rural and Kondinin Group) means a lot to her and her dreams for the future. “We got to go to Canberra and meet politicians, so you get to build those relationships and also build yourself a profile,” she says. “And you get a bit of a soapbox to start talking about the things that are important to you; that are critical for your industry.”

What are those things? “I can see the bigger cause around the concerns about food and fibre supply into the future, and ensuring that we’ve got land to pass on to the next generation is really critical,” Emma says.

She’s also happy to have observed, even within her relatively short time in the industry, a dramatic – and welcome – increase in female farmers.

But it’s the sheer joy Emma derives from farming that she’s most keen to convey. “I just have such a passion for the industry. I love what I do,” she says. “I think, in agriculture, we do a pretty rubbish job in selling ourselves.

We’re quick to talk about what isn’t working – the drought, the mouse plague, the floods, the fires; and those are real issues that are affecting us and can’t be ignored – but for every one thing that’s going wrong, usually there’s 10 or 15 really exciting things happening in agriculture. And we’re quick to brush over that.

“But it’s so much fun being a farmer! The freedom, the flexibility, the challenge of no two years and no two days being the same. Agriculture is incredible in that you can craft your career and lifestyle around doing the things that you want to do, and build a business that really feeds your passion every day.”

For more information, visit summitag.com.au

Emma Ayliffe with her three-year-old blue heeler, Millie.

LIFE ON A STATION

The art of making mistakes THE ART OF MAKING MISTAKES is a tough one to master.

The stuffing up bit is easy, but owning up, copping it and accepting it are the difficult parts, especially for someone like me – I’m very hard on myself and used to be a peoplepleaser (often at my own peril).

This, as well as the price of cheese, is one of the hardest life lessons for many school leavers. School protected us from making major mistakes, thanks to the guidance we received. This help enabled us to develop self-confidence, but when I left school to start work on a cattle station, the shelter that school had created rapidly tumbled and crashed down. As if any of us believed it when our parents spun the old yarn about “school is the easiest time of life”.

Ever the perfectionist, for the first couple of months, any mistake I made on the station really got to me. I internally beat myself up a lot. The amount that I didn’t know was magnified because I was the only first-year there. I was lucky to have a brilliant head stockwoman, Zarrah. She knew how much of a perfectionist I was and never yelled at me. If I made a mistake by letting a cow through the wrong draft gate, she knew I was already yelling at myself. She would give me time to reflect and help me fix it, or talk it through so it wouldn’t happen again.

I don’t tell many people about one of my first and dumbest mistakes – partly because of pride, and partly because I think they would wonder how I even finished high school, let alone a second bachelor’s degree.

During my first muster, we made it about two-thirds of the way and into the start of the laneway, where there was a trough. We put the coacher mob in the yard and waited for the choppers to blow in more cattle from other parts of the paddock. We pushed the – now larger – mob of the watering square up the laneway towards the cattle yards.

Over the radio, Zarrah asked me to open the gate into the other paddock. So I trotted over to the gate – a “cocky’s gate”, which is a small fence that can be dragged and

30 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

tightened when they’re fixed to a post with a steel picket.

I’ve seen plenty in my life. But, being so focused on not stuffing up, I wasn’t thinking about the task at hand.

The gate post I trotted up to had four wires attached.

“That’s not practical to undo all the time,” I thought.

Luckily, I had my Leatherman pliers with me to help undo them. I dragged the gate back against the fence, hopped on my horse and cantered to catch up with the rest of the mob.

I didn’t think any more about it. That is, until the next day, when Zarrah asked me to drive down to the water square with her. I saw my mistake straight away – I had unhinged the gate. So focused on not stuffing up, I only looked at one side of the gate and undid it, by the hinge.

That’s the equivalent of looking at a door, ignoring the door handle that you have used for the past 10 years to open it, and screwing off the hinges to get through.

I was embarrassed and, worst of all, I knew there’d be endless gate jokes to come. This is when I was introduced to ‘spit tins’. These are a tally system of stuff-ups. Every time someone falls off a horse or bike, they receive a spit tin. Every time someone gets bogged or forgets their girth, they get a spit tin. All of which I’ve done, by the way. Some stuff-ups are worth one tally; some are worth more. I got five for the gate. Each tally is worth $5, and at the end of the year, people pay for their tins and we throw a spit-tin party and reminisce on the great year and funny faux pas.

I like how it normalises mistakes. As long as you learn from them, mistakes can be valuable. Some advice that one boy gave me that year will stick with me forever: “You’re only a screw-up if you keep screwing up the same way. Learn from it, ’fess up, suck it up and move on. And remember, gates need to stay on their hinges.”

Follow Emma on Instagram @life_on_a_station

PHOTOGRAPHY EMMA MOSS

EMMA MOSS FACED PLENTY OF HURDLES – BOTH PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL – ON HER FIRST-EVER MUSTER IN THE KIMBERLEY, WA.

PEOPLE CA NUNGR A QLD “When you’re in nature, there is a resonance and you’re in touch with something a lot bigger and a lot deeper than just yourself,” says Simone. FACING PAGE Rows and rows of cheerful sunflowers greet visitors to Silverwood Farm.

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EDIBLE FLOWER GROWER SIMONE JELLEY APPROACHES FARMING AS AN EXPRESSION OF CREATIVITY, WONDER AND JOY. WORDS PENN Y CA R ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN

PEOPLE CA NUNGR A QLD

“MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE OF FLOWERS,” says Pretty

Produce owner Simone Jelley. “I think it’s because I am a creative, visual person, and flowers are an absolute showcase of the beauty and perfection of nature for me.”

No wonder, then, that Simone, 52, has built a life around blooms. Growing masses of zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers on an idyllic property on the edge of Lamington National Park in south-east Queensland, Simone is in her element.

But she hasn’t always been a farmer – less than a decade ago, she was a photographer for a newspaper. After a redundancy set her adrift, Simone’s husband Dave, 53, suggested she redirect her creativity into a vegie patch at their home on Macleay Island in Moreton Bay. “I started off with corn and tomatoes, but it quickly spiralled completely out of control into edible flowers and unusual edibles. And then I was down the rabbit hole of what is edible, full stop,” Simone recalls.

As a foodie, Simone had an inkling that edible flowers were an untapped market. She started selling salad leaf and flower mixes to locals on the island, and word spread

to restaurants on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. “I was using up everybody’s land around me and I was called the ‘cloud farmer’,” she says. “Then Dave said, ‘For goodness’ sake, Simone, let’s just get you a farming lease!’”

Setting up on nearby Lamb Island, Simone’s range expanded to weeds by accident. Her first “epiphany” was seeing gotu kola, an Ayurvedic herb from the pennywort family, in a new light. “It was the first weed I was fighting in my garden and it was only when I jumped online to look at buying unusual edibles that I saw it going for $5 a pop on a particular website. That was amazing to me, that a weed had value, because we’re not taught that,” she explains.

Simone identified other edible weeds on the island and began pairing them with tasting notes for chefs at a time when the trend for wild and foraged foods was taking off.

She also began exploring chemical-free growing and has become an advocate for practices such as stewardship of the soil, attracting predatory insects, and interplanting species to avoid monoculture. >

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Simone channels her creativity into gardening; border collie kelpie Buster is “a clever dog. He’s a beautiful companion and he will sit until dark and wait for me to finish”; vibrant blooms make great gifts; Buster is never far away; “I’m trying to take the garden into the kitchen,” says Simone of her edible garnish. FACING PAGE The garden is alive with beneficial insects including butterflies.

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 35

PEOPLE CA NUNGR A QLD “We have a beautiful microclimate which is cool in the night, and quite warm in the day, so it’s great for growing,” Simone says. “We’ve got these amazing chocolate-brown, organic soils in our little section.”

“We get the most astonishingly beautiful light here.

It’s that misty, romantic light.”

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 37

PEOPLE CA NUNGR A QLD

Colourful zinnias are a summer staple at Silverwood Farm, which also features a greenhouse and an English-style barn. The spring-fed Canungra Creek cuts through the thriving property.

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“[Chemical-free growing] makes sense when you’re doing edible flowers, because you’re not doing a washing process – they’re just picked, put into punnets and sold,” she says.

After winning delicious. Produce Awards in 2016 and 2017, the roller-coaster ride of farming took Pretty Produce from dizzying highs to an abrupt low – by the end of 2017, drought had made it impossible to continue farming on Lamb Island. Scaling the business back down to their home plot, Simone and Dave decided to return to their roots and buy a farm on the mainland. Both had grown up in the country: Simone on cattle and sheep stations near Bathurst and then Kalgoorlie; and Dave on a farm in Victoria.

“It took a year to find this jewel,” says Simone of their 3.2-hectare Canungra property, Silverwood Farm. “But the minute I drove down Lamington National Park Road, I felt like I’d come home.” However, relocating was anything but smooth – the drought was ongoing, bushfires raged, and COVID-19 hit soon after they moved in. “We raced to get the property into food production,” Simone recalls. “We had everything pumping for the first week of January, then by March, the whole thing just shut down.”

Simone nimbly pivoted into growing vegies for local food boxes and turned her creative mind to diversification. Then an emotional encounter with a domestic violence victim during the pandemic inspired Simone to share the joy of her overflowing flower beds as a wildflower forest where people could “just ‘be’ in a field full of nature, colour and beauty.”

So, last summer she opened the farm gate to visitors.

But, Simone admits that the concept didn’t land the way she envisaged. “Most people are conditioned to screen time,” she says. “It was really interesting. They didn’t know how to respond other than just taking selfies.”

Undeterred, she now plans to host healing services such as counselling sessions among the flowers. In the meantime, she’s focusing on her range of pressed flower ‘portfolios’ – collections of dried, pressed flowers and foliage for cake decorating and cocktail garnishes – and creating an edible meadow of 55 different plants, including Asian greens, legumes and herbs.

“I’ve got a paddock that’s sitting there blank, and I want to get the mix right and set up this beautiful meadow that you can just walk through and pick what you like. To be surrounded by nature doing it, so it’s not like a clinical process or a transaction between you and the space,” she enthuses. “It’s like finding treasure.”

As Simone says, the future looks pretty.

For more information, visit prettyproduce.com.au or follow Simone on Instagram @pretty.produce

=40 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

W ILLUNGA SA HOME A Pierre de Ronsard rose marks the front of the house. The exterior is painted in Porter’s Sundance.

FACING PAGE Abel and Reggie at the gate to the home. Matt, a keen gardener, created the fence from recycled timber.

WHERE THE HEART IS

VINTAGE WARES, ART AND SPACE FOR CREATIVITY MAKE FOR A HAPPY HOME FOR THIS YOUNG FAMILY IN WILLUNGA, SA. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

HOME W ILLUNGA SA

THE KITCHEN IS EMMA READ’S FAVOURITE PLACE in their

1910 brick cottage in Willunga, South Australia. Open shelves hold a collection of vintage oil paintings, vessels and ferns, while the skylight and colonial windows drench the open-plan kitchen and living area in natural light.

“For me, a kitchen has to have art, lamps and flowers.

Everything I touch has to be really nice, whether it’s old wooden spoons or mismatched crockery,” 42-year-old Emma explains.

“I love being in here and I can oversee everything that’s happening with the children,” she adds of the vantage point to the backyard and pergola. Emma and her husband Matt, 48, have three children – 13-year-old Tuesday, Reggie, 10, and Abel, seven – who often help bake, create artworks in the living room or play outside in the cubby.

The exposed brick wall in the kitchen, which was once the exterior of the house prior to an extension, provides texture and a vintage kilim rug near the Falcon oven, found at an online auction, adds warmth and pattern.

Emma is a long-time collector and the kitchen, like the rest of the cottage, is filled with pieces found during travels or at antique stores, op shops and auctions.

‘Bowerbirding’ is a favourite pastime turned business, which Emma shares with her sister, Sarah Hall. Together

42 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

they run a sourcing and Airbnb concept business, Read and Hall Traders, helping others to create beautiful and meaningful spaces. The sisters credit their mother, Sally, for a love of pulling rooms together, and spent many weekends as children following her to antique stores and auctions.

It was Sarah, who also lives in Willunga, who discovered the house for sale and promptly sent the ad to Emma to consider. “It was so similar to the house we grew up in and had a familiarity to it,” Emma recalls.

That was 12 years ago and at the time, the cottage was a big step after Emma and Matt had lived in a tiny weatherboard one-bedder on the Fleurieu Peninsula, with their then-baby daughter, Tuesday. “It felt like a really bright, family home that you would want to grow up in,” she says.

“It had old bones and I knew I could put all my art and furniture in it. None of it is too precious; the kids use scooters in the hallway and it’s a comfortable place where they can bring their toys out to the lounge room floor.”

The nearby Steiner school was the initial drawcard to move to the small, historic village 45 kilometres south of Adelaide, and the cottage’s proximity to the local skate park, tennis courts and stores was an added bonus. >

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Emma likes ceramics from local artist @dominikayindi and @winterwares; “We love open shelving as it’s more room to display treasures,” she says; pet dog Jack; cabinet colours are Shaker Grey and Antique White, while the benchtop is Tasmanian oak on the island and Caesarstone on the remainder; gold and silver chrysanthemum. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Emma, Reggie, Tuesday, Matt and Abel; view to the entrance of the home from the kitchen.

HOME W ILLUNGA SA The stripy rug is from Armadillo, and the round mirror is from Pottery Barn.

The oversized linen Freedom armchair near the fireplace is where Emma reads to the children each night.

“I have to love a piece for it to stay – there has to be a heart connection.”

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 45

“I wanted a walking-based lifestyle,” Emma says. “We’re close to the school, cafes and shops, and I love that there’s no supermarket here. We get all our food from the farmers’ market every Saturday.”

An extension was done by the previous owners, but Emma and Matt took out a wall between the kitchen and living area, and added windows and skylights. They brightened the interior with Dulux Vivid White, while the exterior was painted in Porter’s Sundance and Dulux Domino.

The formerly dark bathroom, which had featured a spa and big-screen TV, was updated with subway and encaustic tiles, as well as a skylight. With trademark resourcefulness, Emma added a timber benchtop to an Ikea cabinet for the washstand, and hung op-shop oil paintings on the walls.

Emma, a former social worker, and Matt, a paramedic, confess to be “total homebodies” who like nothing better than to spend weekends at home with their family. “The idea of a weekend with a lot of things on disturbs me, so I don’t plan anything!” Emma says.

Instead, she can usually be found rearranging furniture and vintage pieces. “The children are used to that. Sarah and I are always sourcing things and the kids love it. They get their bedrooms done so often. Creating a room doesn’t have to be expensive,” she adds. >

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W ILLUNGA SA HOME

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The fishing shack was made

by Reggie; the wall in the dining/ kitchen area is painted in Porter’s Liberty Green; extra storage space for the family; the Reads dine outside in their productive garden; the sideboard is where Emma stores her table linens. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Matt Blatt’s Big Apple velvet sofa in emerald green sits below the gallery wall, which includes family artwork and pieces found on travels; the cubby house has become a stage.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Seating with garden views; Emma and Matt’s bedroom features an original fireplace; the bathroom vanity is an Ikea cabinet with a new timber benchtop; Abel, Tuesday and Reggie play outside. FACING PAGE Emma likes to add greenery in the bathroom. The chair was found at an op shop for $5.

W ILLUNGA SA HOME

“It felt like a bright, family home that you would want to grow up in.”

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 49

HOME W ILLUNGA SA

Recently, Emma was thrilled to find a pair of old, rusted brass beds on Gumtree, which she set about restoring.

They now live in Reggie and Abel’s bedroom.

“I have to love a piece for it to stay – there has to be a heart connection,” Emma explains of the furniture and homewares she purchases.

Another example is the little green chest of drawers that a friend gifted Emma, which can be found in the living room beneath the gallery wall. Good-quality rugs, vintage oil paintings, books, beeswax candles and the children’s artworks are other constants in the Read household.

For this family, creativity extends beyond the house.

Matt grew up in Connecticut, in the US, and inherited a love of gardening from his grandparents. He has created a relaxed, bountiful garden with fruit trees and flowers for Emma to pick and take inside. Bunches of flowers and greenery is another way Emma brings life to a room.

“My house is my centring place and I just love being here,” she says with a contented smile. “As long as you aren’t following specific trends, you will end up with a house you love.”

Follow @readandhall, @readandhalltraders and @mysisterandthesea on Instagram.

FROM TOP Emma and Matt’s bedroom has a collection of oil paintings above the bed.

The bedding is from Society of Wanderers; the brass beds in the boys’ bedroom were a lucky find on Gumtree – perfect for little pirates and cowboys!

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BRIGHT SIDE COSY CORNERS AND SWEET KNICK-KNACKS BRING JOY. 1 DeLonghi 1.7L Icona Capitals kettle in New York Yellow, $129, from Harvey Norman. 2 Belling 900mm Richmond Deluxe dual fuel gas-through-glass range cooker in Cream, $8999, from Harvey Norman. 3 Athena Multi rug, $4990 (240cm x 300cm), from Designer Rugs. 4 Lulu table lamp, $89, from Domayne. 5 Frederick Loeser & Co Yellow American Primitive Hitchcock painted side chair ‘A’, $407.91, from 1st Dibs.

6 Keely sofa, from $6380, from Fanuli. 7 Barrydale Weavers cotton cushion cover, $65, from Pan After. 8 Ritz 2kW Optiflame portable electric fire, $339, from Dick Smith. 9 Les Ottomans Palm Trees candle holder in blue, $623 (large), from Amara.

10 Hanley wooden drop-leaf round dining table in Latte, $755 (120cm), from Living Styles. 11 Kana London sun-glazed stoneware bowl, $60 (16.5cm), from Selfridges & Co.

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LIGHT TOUCH From shades to shutters to venetians, Luxaflex offers practical window coverings for the kitchen which seamlessly transform light, offer privacy at night, filter out odours and are easy to clean. luxaflex.com.au SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 51

HOME CA NUNGR A QLD Luke gave Nikki the framed horse photograph,

by Kara Rosenlund, for her 30th birthday.

FACING PAGE Luke and Nikki with their pony, Rosé, and Australian shepherd, Aya.

LE AP OF FAITH IT WASN’T THEIR FIRST CHOICE, BUT A BRICK HOUSE WITH VALLEY VIEWS PROVED THE PERFECT FIT FOR CANUNGRA DUO NIKKI AND LUKE HOBBS. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT PHOTOGRAPHY H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN ST YLING CHERY L CA R R

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 53

HOME CA NUNGR A QLD

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The entrance to the house is fresh and light; palomino Rosé enjoys space to roam and graze; friendly Australian shepherd Aya poses in the dining room; Nikki and Luke tamed the overgrown yard and garden. FACING PAGE A stone fireplace dominates the well-lit lounge room.

SOMETIMES, WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES, another opens, as

was the case for Luke and Nikki Hobbs of Canungra in south-east Queensland. Six years ago, the pair had their hearts set on a colonial weatherboard cottage, just down the road from where they now live, but they narrowly missed out on purchasing it.

They’d hoped to live along Lamington National Park Road, due to its pretty location tucked against the range and Canungra Creek, so instead turned their attention to a brick, 1990s-era house on two hectares, which had been on the market for more than a year.

In a bold move, the couple made an offer, sight unseen.

“We settled on this very overgrown five acres,” Nikki, 35, recalls. “But Luke had a vision for the property when he saw it; this section of the creek is quite secluded and the valley is stunning.”

Keen surfers, Nikki and Luke had considered Kingscliff and Canungra for either a beach or country change from their busy city life in Brisbane. Luke, 39, had always longed to move to the country and own some cows. Canungra appealed due to its proximity to the Gold Coast (just 30 kilometres to the east) as well as Brisbane, an hour away.

Nikki’s stepfather Dave, a retired paramedic, had been posted in Canungra for a time, so the Hobbses were familiar with the village in the foothills of Lamington National Park.

“We fell in love with this area – it’s the rural aspect, and all the wineries and produce are right at our doorstep,” says Nikki.

As owners of Hobbs Building & Interiors, Luke and Nikki had the confidence to consider the location first, then transform or start over with the brick house. They initially considered tearing it down, but moved in just before Christmas in 2015. “It was horrible, but we’re used to purchasing run-down properties,” Nikki adds, who with Luke had “bought and flipped” many homes across Brisbane and Airlie Beach.

They weren’t daunted by the prospect of another project, despite some challenges. “Because the grass was so overgrown, there was a stack of red-bellied black snakes and brown snakes when we cleared it,” Nikki recalls.

Renovation won out over a new build and the couple spent the first few years on earthworks in preparation for their wedding at the property. The previous owners had created terraces for hydroponic tomato and strawberry production above the creek bank, and Luke and Nikki painstakingly stripped back the grass and lantana that had run rampant.

In October 2017, the couple said their wedding vows on a cantilevered ceremony deck overlooking the creek, surrounded by family and friends. >

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 55

HOME CA NUNGR A QLD A new pair of wooden doors revitalised the original barn. With its picturesque surroundings, Platypus Valley provides an idyllic backdrop for professional photo shoots.

Two years ago, Nikki and Luke turned their hand to the house, first gutting the interior and removing the carpet.

“We prioritised necessity over aesthetic to start with and focused on electrical and flooring, then the kitchen cabinetry and paint,” Nikki says. The former aubergine walls, skirting and cornice with maroon skirting was transformed with Dulux Natural White on the walls, and Vivid White for the trim. Aluminium windows were soon replaced with timber, and a pair of barn doors instantly transformed the shed. The couple opted for a modern country style and applied many of their trade tips to create character in the home. They used wider, 138mm colonial skirtings throughout and laid down vinyl timber flooring.

Nikki advises that key items to spend money on include door profiles, glazing and investing in French linen bedsheets, while she suggests you can save with tile selections, using Ikea robe inserts, and landscaping with seedlings and tube stock, rather than established plants.

Since moving to Canungra and establishing Hobbs Building & Interiors, Nikki has reignited her love of styling. “My nan, Berice, had beautiful interiors and I always wanted to be an interior designer,” she says.

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Marketing and project management skills gained in a former corporate career are now integral in the business as Nikki and Luke help others create their dream spaces.

“We specialise in eco-friendly, off-grid projects and the Scenic Rim is perfect for that construction,” Nikki says.

Their move to the country has opened further creative opportunities: Nikki created a homewares line that includes upholstered lounge chairs, ottomans, ceramic tiles, stone bathtubs and handbasins. Their property, Platypus Valley – named for the shy creatures which can be spotted each morning and afternoon – is also available as a location for professional photo shoots.

Meanwhile, Luke has realised his dream to own stock, with two cows gifted from friends in Roma, and Nikki’s childhood pony Rosé, a 39-year-old palomino, is spending her golden years by the creek, with loving care from both Nikki and her mother Lisa, a veterinarian. “This rural transition has been a blessing in both our personal and professional lives,” Nikki says. “We have an amazing sense of community and are so grateful to live here.”

For more information, visit hobbsbuilding.com.au or follow @hobbsbuildingandinteriors; @platypus.valley

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Luke tends to the bees; Nikki and Luke provide style and building advice to other homeowners; once the foundations were finalised, Nikki and Luke chose their Falcon cooker long before they renovated their kitchen.

ABOUT THE HOUSE:

• Exterior paint colours are Dulux Timeless Grey,

Surfmist, Male Quarter and Monument.

Nikki’s favourite places to shop locally include: My Country Escape at Canungra, mycountryescape. com.au; Outland Denim at Tamborine Mountain, outlanddenim.com.au; OWL Wholefoods at Canungra, owlwholefoods.com.au; Scenic Rim Farm Shop at Kalbar, scenicrimfarmshop.com.au Nikki’s favourite online stores are: Miss Amara (floor rugs), missamara.com.au; Fat Shack Vintage (pendant lighting), fatshackvintage.com.au; Hobbs Home, hobbshome.com.au

•

•

CA NUNGR A QLD HOME Infused with light, the bedroom features furnishings and decor in natural tones, textures and fibres.

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 59

HOME CA NUNGR A QLD

“We fell in love with this area – it’s the rural aspect, and all the wineries and produce are right at our doorstep.”

60 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The prints of pony Rosé were taken by Nikki’s friend Jacqui Faulkner, of Kellarni Creative; the guest bedroom; vinyl timber floors were installed; Nikki and Luke were married on the deck. FACING PAGE Dining with a view.

HOME BOW R A L NSW The sandstone paving stones came from an old stables. FACING PAGE The French antique table “has had a lot of love and wear and tear,” says Athol. “And it just fits there nicely.”

62 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

EVERYTHING NEW IS OLD AGA IN ANTIQUES DEALER ATHOL SALTER HAS CREATED A SERENE HAVEN FROM A BLAND PROJECT HOME IN NSW’S SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLÉ

HOME BOW R A L NSW

IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE IT, but the newest thing in Athol

Salter’s house may very well be the house itself. “It was built in the ’80s as a project home,” says Athol, an antiques dealer and co-owner of the legendary Dirty Janes antique markets in Bowral and Canberra. (His colleague in the business is his daughter Jane Crowley, whose house featured in the February 2021 issue of Country Style.)

“That wasn’t a very good time for house building,” Athol adds. “It had aluminium windows and was a sandstock-y, bricky-looking thing with a tiled roof. The only reason I bought it was because it’s right next door to my daughter and her family.”

That was about four years ago, and these days you’d never know The Stables was such a recent – and once unattractive – construction. With its pared-back palette, characterful period windows and carefully edited selection of antique pieces, it could quite easily be mistaken for the historic stables its new name suggests.

“That was cheating,” Athol admits. “The sandstone paving stones out the front came from stables originally, so I thought, why not? And it does look like stables, with the two gables and the cupola on top.”

An old hand at house-flipping, Athol set about an extensive renovation – only this time he’s planning to stay. Over the course of a year, he renewed the roof, reclad the exterior and reworked the floor plan to eliminate a crooked hallway (“I don’t believe in hallways; they just take up space”).

He also moved the garage from the front to the side, removing a “mean little front porch that’s now a broom cupboard – so you can imagine how small it was”; removed internal walls, opening up the living area; redid the kitchen, bathroom and laundry – and, as befits his often chilly Bowral location, insulated the whole place for year-round cosiness. The addition of the three antique, arched windows was crucial in lifting the home from its builders’-grade blandness: “Janey bought those for me in Europe – she sent me a photo and said, ‘Will these do?’ and I said, ‘They’ll do nicely,’” Athol says.

As an established antiques dealer, Athol has developed a distinctive aesthetic. “It’s quite pulled-back,” he says.

“Simple and plain.” White walls and a low-contrast palette >

64 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

“That’s what I do very well: rescuing things.”

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE The gingham sofa was originally a French day bed that Athol bought from a Dirty Janes stallholder.

“The yellow is soft enough that it doesn’t glare at you – it just blends.

And it’s comfortable; that’s the main thing,” he says; the wooden settle, bought from a friend in Bowral, came from Ireland; the framed portrait paintings reflect Athol’s appreciation for period-style furnishings. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Athol enjoys sourcing interesting antiques with stories to tell; it took 12 months, but the whole roof and exterior of the house were updated and reclad.

HOME BOW R A L NSW Athol prefers white walls and a “simple, plain, pulled-back” aesthetic. A portrait he’s named The Guv’nor holds court over the sitting room.

“I like things to blend together. I like to know what I’m looking at and not get distracted by dark colours.”

66 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

are his signature. “I can’t cope with strong, vibrant colours,” he explains. “I like things to blend together, not to stand out. I like to know what I’m looking at and not get distracted by dark colours.” In other words, the whole house is a backdrop for those beautiful antiques.

With his pick of the pieces that stallholders bring to sell at Dirty Janes, as well as from the containers that regularly arrive from Europe, Athol’s house is a paean to the useful and decorative qualities of carefully chosen antiques. “Everything that goes into the house has to be worn out, nicely weathered,” says Athol. “A bit like me!”

His selection process is instinctive: “I follow my nose.”

And his nose has led him to some extraordinary items.

“There’s a portrait of a gentleman above the fireplace – we call him The Guv’nor,” recounts Athol. “I bought him >

ABOUT THE HOUSE

• The three-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-living space

home is designed so Athol can shut off part of it when he’s there alone. (His grandson was living with him until he recently went to fashion design college in Canberra).

The kitchen is solid timber, bought second hand, with a concrete slab on top.

On selecting antiques for his home, Athol says, “They’re good fun. They’re things I’m comfortable with – and they’re comfortable with me.”

• •

BOW R A L NSW HOME

The kitchen was bought at a local garage sale. The marble behind the sink is the top of an old table, and the plates are antique Spode from England. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The arched window brings in light; after missing out on this French sideboard at auction in England, Athol later found it for sale in Sydney. “I was tickled to bits,” he says; simple touches of colour add freshness and light.

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 69

HOME BOW R A L NSW CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Athol put sisal flooring in because it’s warm, doesn’t fade in the sun, and feels good underfoot. “I don’t put rugs on top because that cuts the rooms up,” he explains; the bedroom furniture is understated and practical; gentle lamplight adds softness to each room.

“Everything that goes into the house has to be worn out, nicely weathered… a bit like me!” without a frame, at an auction in Melbourne about 45 years ago. A month or two later, I went to England – I used to go quite frequently. I went to the shipper’s over there, and on the rubbish heap was a big, tatty old gilt frame. I thought, ‘That looks as if it just might fit The Guv’nor.’ I brought it home, put the picture in and it fitted perfectly. Strange, I thought. Then I saw the nail holes all matched. So I twigged that the shipper had sent a load out to the auctioneer’s in Melbourne, and he’d sent out the picture, and thrown the frame away.”

Athol takes a moment to savour the serendipity. “They’d been together for a long time – the picture is probably from the early 1800s – and now they’re back together again,” he says. “It’s nothing terribly special, but I just enjoy having rescued it. That’s what I do very well: rescuing things.”

And it’s clear that his talent extends to houses, as well as things. From a once-uninspiring, unloved building, Athol has crafted an elegant backdrop perfectly calibrated to best display his precious objects. The house itself is the frame rescued from a dump. Look: the picture fits perfectly.

For more antique finds, visit dirtyjanes.com

70 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

Stay in touch when you stay at home

It’s never been easier to stay in touch with family and friends via video call, because Telstra Smart Modem gives you reliable home Wi-Fi, backed up by Australia’s best 4G network. So if the connection to your home stops, we’ll have you back online in minutes. And because reliable home Wi-Fi is more important than ever, Telstra Smart Modem is included on eligible Telstra home internet plans for new customers who stay connected for 24 months. Head to your local Telstra store where we have the right people committed to helping you connect to the right home internet plan.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Mobile backup is available to premises in 4G coverage areas. Check coverage at telstra.com/coverage. Your mobile backup connection is capped at 25 Mbps for downloads and 5 Mbps for uploads.

Actual speeds may be lower due to local conditions and content accessed.

W INDOWS DECOR ATING

let the light in

SPRING BULBS ARE FLOWERING AND THE DAYS ARE LENGTHENING. IT’S TIME TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR SUNSHINE.

PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE, MARNIE HAWSON

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 73

W INDOWS DECOR ATING

Window on spring

With the arrival of warmer weather, the rich colours and cosy fabrics of winter can go into storage, replaced by bright, breezy cottons and linens in shades of pearl, alabaster and ivory – try Luxaflex for a wide selection of fabrics and weights for summer windows. In this 1960s cottage in Anglesea, Victoria, stone linen curtains are set off by simple black metal rods. See more @moonliters_ >

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 75

DECOR ATING W INDOWS

Pale and interesting

The ancient timbers of Coombs Hill Barn in Victoria are set off by clean-lined furniture in pared-back shades of ash and bone.

Bouncing the light around this massive structure (imported from America, where it was built in 1860) are the steel-framed windows, which also give onto views over the property’s 40 hectares of rolling farmland and out to Mt Buller. To see more of this beautiful home, pick up a copy of the October issue of Country Style, on sale Thursday 16th October. >

76 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

DECOR ATING W INDOWS

Fade away

Simple solutions for making bedrooms spring-ready include bringing out your lightest, brightest bed linen and adding a brimming vase of blousy blooms. And when lighter mornings mean too-early wake-up calls, it’s time to fit a block-out blind.

Discreet and effective, Luxaflex blinds filter the light while fitting the style of your home – even period homes like this one, belonging to photographer Abbie Mellé.

Bring out your lightest, brightest bed linen and add a brimming vase of blousy blooms.

78 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

SPRING BRINGS

IT HOME S HAYN N A BLAZE

ONLY AT HAR R I S SCAR FE

GAR DEN TOOWOOMBA QLD Caitlyn and Sam with dachshund Gertrude. FACING PAGE “The garden evolves and matures, and you learn more and do things differently,” Caitlyn explains.

PLUMP ROSES IN PASTEL SHADES THRIVE ALONGSIDE RARE BOTANICALS IN CAITLYN MASON’S WILD AND WONDROUS GARDEN IN TOOWOOMBA, QLD. WORDS JESSICA BELLEF PHOTOGRAPHY H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN

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GAR DEN TOOWOOMBA QLD

PEEK OVER THE FENCE OF NORWOOD ROSES, the fairy

floss-coloured cottage positioned on a street corner in Queensland’s ‘Garden City’ of Toowoomba, and flower bombs of sweet hues and sugar puffs of blooms reveal themselves. Caitlyn Mason, a registered nurse, bought the property in 2016, romanced by its long history starting as a general store and residence in 1897. Along with her partner, Sam Clothier, a business analyst, the quietly determined Caitlyn started renovating the run-down building, but was quickly sidetracked by the bare yard.

“I just wanted it to be full and lush, and for every area to be beautiful,” she says. “My vision was to grow flowers that I could cut and give as gifts or thank yous.”

Norwood Roses is now flush with the gorgeous florals and intoxicating scents you would expect of a cottage flower garden: dahlias, towering foxgloves, hydrangeas, cosmos and, of course, endless roses – the inspiration behind the property’s name.

Situated on a block of 405 square metres, the multilevelled garden wraps around the home in an L-shape.

“There is no front yard because the old shopfront opened onto the footpath,” says Caitlyn. “In terms of maximising a small yard space, the position of the house is amazing.”

The L-shape is divided into three sections: rose beds positioned off the back verandah; an elevated, grassed terrace bordered by a heady mix of perennials; and Caitlyn’s densely planted wildflower ‘meadow’ in between the potting shed and house. Herbaceous abundance overflows onto the meandering path that leads to the front gate, where an arbour swathed in roses greets passers-by.

Caitlyn and Sam created the layout, designing for aesthetics as well as improved functionality of the plot.

“The yard was on quite a steep slope, and the soil was built up around the house, which was bad, so we worked with an excavator to get the drainage right,” Caitlyn says.

“Sam had the vision of it being terraced with different levels, whereas I wanted it rambling, full and flowing.

And I wouldn’t have added any grass!”

She is quick to admit, however, that the outcome is a success. “It’s an amalgamation of our ideas, and it works.

Each area has a different feeling, but they all tie in with the theme of the cottage and the colours.” >

82 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT “I painted the house in Dulux Kendall Rose,” says Caitlyn; fragrant roses are the main attraction; repurposed materials reflect the home’s history; “The garden can be high-maintenance, but I like a challenge,” Caitlyn says; Gertrude among the blooms; Caitlyn tends to her roses; an obelisk made from reclaimed timber; Eyes For You rose; “I didn’t want the garden to feel neat and perfect,” says Caitlyn.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Sunshine and serenity beckon in the garden; Sam, Caitlyn and Gertrude are happiest outdoors; the refurbished shed features an updated tin roof, weatherboard panels and stained-glass windows, all found at a local salvage yard; recycled objects add structure to the garden; pretty foxgloves; the pathways and borders are formed with reclaimed bricks; David Austin roses; Caitlyn loves gifting her fresh, fragrant blooms to friends and loved ones.

TOOWOOMBA QLD GARDEN

With her former work as a fashion market editor in the publishing world, Caitlyn views the garden with an editing eye, and finds herself having to rein in her excitement about varietals and range. “I’m a bit of a plant collector, so I have to balance prettiness with this obsession I have with plants!” she says. “It’s an interesting balance because you have to refine constantly, so you don’t make the garden look higgledy-piggledy.”

Caitlyn loves rare flowers, and searches far and wide for seeds and tube stock, daytripping to nurseries or hunting for growers online. Her fellow members of the Queensland Dahlia Society, her horticulturist brother, and Sam’s mum, who once owned a nursery, are a rich source of plants and botanical advice.

Norwood Roses’ ensemble of florals and greenery ensures colour – and something to pick – all year round.

“We plant for four seasons, so we do a lot of successional planting. We’ll do a hydrangea next to hellebore next to a Japanese anemone and some bulbs, and that’s the four seasons in one garden,” Caitlyn explains.

Already deeply enamoured with the biography of her candy-pink cottage, the passionate green-thumb has developed a connection to the suburban plot, where the workload is shared with Sam, and the jobs never end.

“Our lives are controlled by the garden’s season,” she says.

“In summer, it’s obviously a lot more work, as I have to keep more things alive, and then in winter we do the maintenance jobs. We’ve got these rituals, like in dahlia season, we have a particular day for dahlia-dividing.

Your life becomes entwined with the seasons.”

There are elements of formality here – brick edges and trimmed hedges – but the overall feeling is of a wild, heartfelt expression that speaks of a pure love for plants.

Norwood Roses is Caitlyn’s canvas, and a blushing palette of pretty blooms is her medium. “Gardening wasn’t even on my radar when I was younger, but I’ve always been interested in creating beauty,” she shares. “I was looking for a creative outlet when I left my fashion role. I replaced my work in fashion with creating beauty in the garden.”

When it comes to shaping pockets of beauty in gardens as a professional endeavour, Caitlyn remains hesitant.

“I’d never say never, but I like the balance of my life now,” she says. “I like the creative outlet of gardening and not having the pressure that it’s my job. It could take the fun away from something that I find so enjoyable.”

Follow Norwood Roses on Instagram @norwoodroses

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 85

DOWN THE GARDEN PATH

fowl play

Fiona’s fresh spinach wasn’t safe from the winged thieves.

I HAVE A GARDEN THAT I CHERISH. In fact, I’m incredibly

lucky to have more than one, because as well as my beloved kitchen garden, I have a reasonably sized medicinal tea herb garden and a commercial cut-flower garden. We’re on an old family farm and I share these gardens with dogs with no manners, ducks with no sense of personal space and, very occasionally, extremely unwelcome goats. And pigs. And that one time: the cows.

At this time of year, springtime, the goats are usually too busy having babies to bother with my vegetables, and I can be found in the kitchen garden happily tidying up winter: pulling out the leggy ends of broccoli and cauliflower; cutting the pretty red cabbages that I’ve kept in too long because I like admiring them; and feeling happy to see the back of the brassicas for another year while looking forward enormously to our summer crops.

I’m planting the first tomatoes and basil (together – they’re excellent companions), as well as putting in climbing beans, capsicum, eggplants and chillies – always too many – and leaving space for the sweetcorn and cucumbers. I do, however, also share my garden with the guinea fowl.

About a year ago, a friend who lives in nearby Berry asked us whether we could house her guinea fowl because her neighbour was complaining about the noise and perhaps could we come and get them today?

I asked Siri to play me a guinea fowl call and it didn’t sound so bad. They chase snakes! They eat ticks! They have adorable prehistoric heads! Of course we can come and pick them up today – what a win.

I think the guineas, as they are known about these parts, are just about the only thing my husband, Adam, and I disagree on. I think they belong in the oven. Or back in Berry. Or anywhere that isn’t outside my bedroom window at 5:30am.

They shriek. They carry on like pork chops. They shred my garden. Adam sustained an argument for weeks declaring it was the ducks eating my greens and definitely

not the guineas and RIGHT AT THAT VERY MOMENT a guinea fowl wandered past the window WITH A WHOLE SPINACH LEAF in its beak.

Anyway, one morning last week they were gone. It wasn’t me, I promise! They were not barbecuing in my kitchen.

But oh my, it was so peaceful and quiet. No early morning shrieking. No tension-inducing shouting outside the kitchen mid-morning.

Then, at lunchtime, they came back. Wandered in like they owned the place (they obviously do). Where did they sleep? There are NINE of them! I have so many questions.

And then – gone again. “Oh my goodness,” I thought, “They must be in someone’s tree in the estate across the road. Someone will commit murder and it will be the fault of those shrieking birds.” I messaged my neighbours and suggested that if they saw them, not to make eye contact. Or they could keep them. Whichever they preferred. I thought: “Perhaps they’ll migrate! Or at the very least only spend their afternoons here quietly murdering snakes and keeping the greenery decimation to a minimum.” Because from that day, every afternoon they showed up for a few hours, flew in over my chicken- and duck-proof fence, and shredded my spinach.

My dad, 83 years old, who lives in another house on the farm with Mum, optimistically reported that there appeared to be one fewer guinea fowl, and maybe it had been taken by a fox? Adam, their biggest champion, said no, it was sitting on quite a large nest of eggs, the location of which would remain undisclosed to either Dad or me just in case of misadventure. “How many eggs?” I asked.

“A lot,” Adam replied.

Well then. Let’s see how that turns out, shall we?

(I’m planting more spinach. And if you see the guineas, I suggest you don’t make eye contact. Or you can keep them. Much appreciated.)

Follow Fiona on Instagram @buenavistafarm or on Facebook.

“One morning, the guineas were gone. It wasn’t me, I promise!”

86 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

PHOTOGRAPHY FIONA WALMSLEY, HEADSHOT KATHERINE WILSON

New columnist Fiona Walmsley, of Buena Vista Farm, reflects on spring in the garden.

BARKING GLAD From Scout the Jack Russell, who patrols his 160-year-old bluestone homestead in western Victoria, to kelpie Flash, who works sheep in Central West NSW, to Booma, the wolfhound-Smithfield cross who keeps his teenage owner company on the farm in Goondiwindi, Queensland, the pups in our new Country Dogs book will warm your heart.

From aremediabooks.com.au and all good bookshops.

in the garde

WHAT TO GROW, BUY AND LOOK AT IN YOUR PLOT THIS MONTH.

SETTLE IN

Kickstart warm days in the garden by overhauling your outdoor cushion collection.

Katrina Read hand-illustrates her bright, beautiful designs. $89.99 each, katrinaread.com.au

PAINT PERFECT

Leaf through beautiful botanical art by William T. Cooper, described by Sir David Attenborough as the “world’s greatest living wildlife illustrator”. This glorious volume collects his plant paintings. The Botanical Art of William T. Cooper

by Wendy Cooper, $65, NLA Publishing.

88 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

GLEAM AND GROW

Keep your indoor plants in tiptop condition with The Plant Runner indoor plants kit, containing Neem Oil for natural leaf shine and Plant Food to keep them healthy and happy. $28, theplantrunner.com

FLICKERING FLAMES A fire pit is an excellent focal point for any garden, perfect for gatherings or simply extending your time outdoors into the cool of the evening.

Glow Tambo Fire Pit, $69, bunnings.com.au

IN THE GAR DEN

JUST A SPLASH

For those uncertain indoor gardeners who fear the curse of the black thumb, this Northcote Pottery self-watering pot is a blessing. Overwatering kills more plants than underwatering, and this pot’s smart dish saves any excess and filters it back up for the more forgetful waterer. From $14.98, Bunnings Warehouse.

take a seat

With its harsh sun and pelting rain, the Australian climate is unkind to outdoor furniture. Osier Belle uses all-weather wicker, top-quality, A6-grade teak and fade-proof Sunbrella fabric to craft beautiful, durable pieces specifically designed to withstand our weather.

Visit osierbelle.com.au

ONE, TWO, TREE

FROM UNDERSTORY TO WHERE THE TREES WERE, INGA SIMPSON’S BOOKS HAVE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON AUSTRALIA’S ARBOREAL WONDERLAND. AND NOW SHE’S WRITTEN A BOOK OF TREES THAT’S INTENDED FOR CHILDREN BUT IS, IN FACT, A BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED IDENTIFICATION GUIDE TO OUR MAGNIFICENT FOREST DWELLERS FOR NATURE-LOVERS OF ANY AGE. THE BOOK OF AUSTRALIAN TREES BY INGA SIMPSON, $26.99, HACHETTE AUSTRALIA.

BOOT UP

When you need elegant footwear that happens to be rainproof, pop over to Pipduck. With styles ranging from chic riding boots to pretty paisley patterns, these gumboots keep feet cosy and dry, whatever the weather.

Visit pipduck.com.au

WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON, ABBIE MELLE

PLANT IT NOW

Your spring bulbs may be blooming, but there’s no rest for the gardener! These bold and beautiful flowers are perfect to sow in spring: • Begonia • Lobelia • California poppy • Cosmos • Marigold • Salvia • Nasturtium • Snapdragon • Verbena

SLIDE INTO CLOGS Getting down to all the spring gardening tasks is a joy. Walking in and out of the house with muddy shoes: less so. Clogees gardening clogs slip on and off easily, no hands required – just leave a pair by the door and forget about mopping up after mucky feet. $39.95, otwayfootwear.com.au

PEOPLE NEW H A M V IC David treats Jack, a chestnut Arabian.

FACING PAGE Karen and David have two dogs: chihuahua Lulu and a mini fox terrier called Minnie (not shown). Australian cattle dog Memphis works on the property.

A LIFE STORY FULL OF TWISTS AND TURNS LED DAVID FAIRCLOUGH TO OPEN AN ANIMAL OSTEOPATHY PRACTICE IN NEWHAM, VICTORIA. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 91

PEOPLE NEW H A M V IC David and Karen’s four-hectare property offers plenty of space and freedom to wander, horseride and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.

DAVID FAIRCLOUGH KNOWS MORE THAN MOST the healing

power of animals. Nine years ago, after a series of life-threatening strokes, he used his three horses as a kind of rehab to get his body and brain back on track.

“I had to learn to walk and speak again,” David says of the four strokes he suffered in 24 hours back in 2012.

But he used his richly diverse life experiences to help him make a full recovery – and embark on a new career.

And those experiences are extraordinary. Born in Lancashire in the UK, David started his professional life as a builder who was also a keen student of kung fu. This brought him to Australia for the first time, in 1986, to study with William Cheung, the teacher of famed martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. It was kung fu that led David towards osteopathy. “At the higher levels you do something called dim mak, which is the death touch, where you start attacking pressure points,” he recalls. “I started learning that idea, but decided I was going to fix people instead.

That’s how I got to healing.”

He trained to become a sports therapist in the UK, then moved to Australia permanently in 1995, meeting his wife Karen in a shop in Sunbury, Victoria (although as it turned out, she too was a Lancastrian, having grown up just half

an hour away from his childhood home). His thirst for knowledge led him to study osteopathy at Victoria University, and he gained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the discipline. He and Karen, a clinical masseuse, then opened their own osteopathic practice, Gisborne Osteopathy, which has been going for 20 years.

So why the turn towards non-human patients? “I’ve always loved animals,” says David of the recent addition of animal osteopathy to his repertoire of skills. “My sister had a horse, years ago, and I’ve always had dogs.”

About 18 years ago, he and Karen bought a house near Newham on four hectares, and took advantage of the space by adding horses to the family – they now have three: Jack, an Arabian; Harry, a quarter horse; and a thoroughbred called Bobby. “Once you’re into horses, it’s hard to get out,” says David. “You just get too attached.”

So when he realised he was treating a lot of horseriders, he naturally began to think of extending his practice towards their animals. “If a rider is struggling to get into a right lead, say, you look at the body and you think, ‘Well, I can understand that – the pelvis is twisted the wrong way.’ So I’d work on that. But then I started thinking, ‘Maybe the horse is also a bit twisted.’” So once again, >

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Native flowers on Karen and David’s property; David treats his horse Jack; dogs Memphis, Lulu and Minnie; Karen holding chihuahua Lulu; Jack gets a health check. David says horses respond well to their treatments and enjoy the attention, which helps greatly with positive outcomes in their movement and mental attitude.

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 93

NEW H A M V IC PEOPLE David says people usually contact him after noticing their pet is lame, vocalises pain or behaves strangely – for example, a horse that is sore while saddling up. FACING PAGE Clever cattle dog Memphis is trained to do tricks for the film industry.

“The animals enjoy their treatments because it makes them feel better, and it’s very satisfying for me, too.”

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 95

PEOPLE NEW H A M V IC FROM TOP David and Karen say that their beautiful horses, Jack, Bobby and Harry, are “very much part of the family”; Karen and David work together treating horses around the Macedon Ranges; Lulu and Memphis.

David started studying, and in 2016 completed the Animal Biomechanical Medicine course at Box Hill Institute. “It took me nine years of study before I could touch a horse,” he emphasises, keen to point out that while ‘animal osteopath’ is a job title that’s not strictly regulated in Australia, only those who have qualified as osteopaths on humans first, then separately studied animal biomechanics, as he did, can correctly claim it.

But for those with the passion and the commitment to become properly qualified, it’s a worthy investment of time. “I love getting horse and rider moving well together, as one unit,” David says. “The animals enjoy their treatments, because it makes them feel better, and it’s very satisfying for me, too.”

The obvious difference between treating animal and human patients – the fact that animals can’t tell you what’s wrong – is in fact a moot point, David says.

“Osteopathy is about observation and palpation – touching the patient,” he explains. “Even if a patient never said a word to me, I could probably work out what’s wrong, just from watching the way they walk in the room and sit down. Animals are the same – you observe, then you touch problem areas to find any inflammation or pain.”

Just as with humans, he’ll locate the problem, test range of motion, work on inflamed areas to pump away inflammation, and use soft-tissue techniques and joint manipulation to start the healing process.

Although his animal practice (he still works half the week on people) is usually horses and dogs, David has had a few more unusual patients. “I’ve treated the occasional cat, and someone asked me to treat their Highland cow.

Once I had a chicken with a leg that wouldn’t come down.”

Not only does David help animals, but they’ve helped him, too. Riding bareback around his property helped him learn balance again after his devastating strokes, as did returning to his building roots to create structures on his land. These exercises were all part of his self-devised rehab program, which was informed by his time teaching neuroscience to master’s students at Victoria University.

Yes, David is a man of many talents – when asked if he’s also by chance had careers as a circus performer or rocket scientist, he says with a smile, “Well, I do play the soprano cornet in a brass band.” Truly a renaissance man – and a healing pair of hands for any animals (or humans) who might need him.

Learn more about David’s work with animals at rangesabm.com.au, and people at gisborneosteopathy.com

96 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

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With over 120 diferent combinations to choose from, including Australia’s only range cooker with full steam oven and the stunning new Earth Colour Collection, there’s a Falcon cooker to suit any kitchen and cooking style.

FOOD Glean tips for beekeeping and attracting bees to your garden in Doug Purdie’s book.

GET A TASTE OF THE SWEET LIFE WITH DOUG PURDIE’S BOOK, BACKYARD BEES. PHOTOGRAPHY CATH MUSCAT

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 99

FOOD

HAVE A LOOK IN YOUR GARDEN. How many of

the plants you grow actually flower, and how many just have nice green leaves and not much else? The things you plant in your backyard, on your balcony or by the roadside can be beautiful, practical, low-maintenance and also provide excellent forage and habitat for a whole range of insects and birds, and even human food – all at the same time.

This is the fun bit: building a bee-friendly paradise, right in your own backyard. Those maintenance-free spiky plants and grass verges much preferred by commercial landscapers need to be replaced by (or at least intermingled with) flowering plants of all shapes and sizes. Mix it up between exotics and natives: the idea is to produce a cornucopia of forage that will suit all sorts of beneficial insects. Now don’t get scared, we are not talking rocket science (or should I say botanical science?) when it comes to making changes – these are simple.

You don’t need much. A couple of old cooking oil tins make great planters for herbs, so go foraging at the rear of your nearest fast-food restaurant and see if they’re discarding old tins. You’ll need to cut the top off and punch some holes in the bottom. Some people also find nice containers in op shops, or use old teapots or even old boots: almost any container can be used, even those reusable shopping bags. If that’s a bit too adventurous for you, buy some pots at your nursery or hardware store.

When you’re choosing pots, plastic ones are superior to anything porous as they hold water better and won’t wick it away from the roots. Avoid the expensive self-watering pots, as these are often just a gimmick. The easiest things to grow are herbs. They’ll do well in small pots with a bit of sun, so try things like basil, borage, rosemary, rocket (arugula) – anything you would like to use in cooking. Just make sure you let some of them flower, as that’s the reason you’re growing them in the first place.

Just about anything that flowers will be good for all sorts of pollinators, and your aim is to have at least two plants flowering in your garden all year round – not just in spring – to provide a continuous food supply. They don’t need to be native species; they can be anything you like the look of.

Even some weeds are fine, although you don’t want to be propagating a harmful species, so check with your local council before you plant a whole backyard of dandelions (Taraxacum officinale), or something that is classified as a noxious weed in your area.

Once things start flowering, resist the urge to spray the caterpillars and aphids with poison – try to use natural methods. Don’t forget that nature equipped you with some of the best pest-control devices there are – at the end of your arms – and although the idea of picking off caterpillars or snails might be a bit confronting to you, whack on a pair of gloves and give it a go. It’s surprisingly satisfying, and the bugs can be fed to chooks or added to compost so they don’t go to waste. >

100 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

TOASTED HONEY GRANOLA Serves 8-10

2 tablespoons sunflower oil 125ml (4 fl oz/ ½ cup) maple syrup 2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract 300g (10½ oz) rolled (porridge) oats 100g (3½ oz) whole almonds 50g (1¾ oz) sunflower seeds 50g (1¾ oz) pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 100g (3½ oz) sultanas (golden raisins) 30g (1 oz) puffed millet milk, yoghurt and blueberries, to serve

Preheat oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3).

Mix the oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla in a large bowl. Add oats and almonds and mix well until combined.

Spread evenly over 2 baking trays and bake for 25 minutes until golden and crisp.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, toss through seeds, sultanas and puffed millet. Serve with milk, yoghurt and blueberries.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

NOTE Puffed millet is available from health food stores.

Granola is a scrumptious breakfast option all year round.

FOOD Chamomile Honey Ice Cream makes for a delicately flavoured dessert.

FACING PAGE Enjoy the tantalising aroma of freshly baked French Honey Loaf, smeared with warm butter.

FRENCH HONEY LOAF Serves 12

225g (8 oz) honey 225g (8 oz) caster (superfine) sugar 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 250ml (1 cup) boiling water 450g (1 lb /3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger pinch salt butter, to serve

Preheat oven to 120°C (235°F/Gas ½).

Grease and line a 10 x 21cm (4 x 8½ inch) loaf (bar) tin with baking paper.

Set your oven shelf to the lower third of the oven so the top of the loaf won’t overbrown.

Place honey and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix bicarbonate of soda and boiling water in a jug and pour in.

Mix on low speed until the honey dissolves.

Sift flour, ground ginger and salt into a bowl and add to mixer. Mix on low speed until flour is incorporated, then mix on medium speed for 1 minute until it becomes a smooth batter.

Bake for 2½ hours until the centre springs back when gently pressed.

To serve, slice loaf thinly and spread with butter.

The loaf keeps for 5 days in an airtight container. If hot or humid, store loaf in the refrigerator. >

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 103

FOOD This light yet indulgent cake is ideal for a summer afternoon tea with friends or family celebrations.

This Germanic yeasted cake is dripping with honey goodness, and it’s easier to make than you’d think.

BEE STING CAKE Serves 12

300g (10½ oz/2 cups) plain flour 55g (2 oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar 2 teaspoons dried yeast 185ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) milk, at room temperature 2 eggs, at room temperature 60g (2¼ oz/¼ cup) softened butter, chopped ½ teaspoon salt

FILLING

500g (1 lb 2 oz) cream cheese, softened 250g (9 oz) ricotta cheese finely grated zest of 2 lemons 2 tablespoons lemon juice 125g (4½ oz/1 cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted

HONEY ALMOND TOPPING

90g (3¼ oz/⅓ cup) butter, diced 50g (1¾ oz) honey 75g (⅓ cup) caster (superfine) sugar 40ml (1¼ fl oz) thick (double) cream 15g (5½ oz) flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3). Grease and line the base and side of a 23cm (9 inch) spring-form cake tin.

For the filling, put the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until just combined. Refrigerate until needed.

For the cake, put the flour, sugar,

yeast, milk, eggs, butter and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Scrape the batter into the cake tin and spread out evenly with a spoon or offset spatula. Place the tin in a clean plastic bag and tie to enclose.

Leave in a warm, draught-free place and allow to rise for 1-1½ hours.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Put butter, honey, sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until the mixture turns a slightly darker shade of yellow. Add almonds and stir through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until the cake dough has finished rising.

CHAMOMILE HONEY ICE CREAM

Makes 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups)

560ml (19¼ fl oz/2¼ cups) milk 400ml (14 fl oz) thin (pouring) cream (35% milk fat) 1 tablespoon chamomile tea leaves 200g (7 oz) honey 8 egg yolks 2 cups ice, for cooling custard waffle cones, to serve

Place milk, cream and chamomile tea leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat.

Cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a large jug and discard chamomile leaves.

Heat honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat and allow to boil for 5 minutes until it begins to caramelise – do not allow it to burn.

Slowly pour in milk mixture, whisking constantly until honey has dissolved.

Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl and slowly pour in hot milk-honey mixture while whisking.

Prepare a large metal bowl set over a bowl of ice – you will use this to cool the milk and yolk mixture.

Pour the milk and yolk mixture into a clean saucepan and stir over low heat until it reaches 82°C (180°F) or begins to thicken – do not allow it to boil. Pour through a fine sieve into the large metal bowl set over ice and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.

Churn using an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

NOTE Churning the mixture before it’s cold may mean your ice cream doesn’t set, so don’t rush it. You can place the custard in the freezer for 30 minutes or so to speed up the cooling process. >

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 105

FOOD

GRE AT HERBS FOR BEES With enough sun, most herbs are

The flowers reportedly restock

humidity and less susceptible

which only flower in the second

really easy to grow – they will

their nectaries more regularly

to fungal problems than other

season when its root is

grow like weeds in the right

to increase bee visits.

species, and once established

substantial enough. So it will take

will be mildly drought tolerant.

some time before the bees enjoy

circumstances and you’ll find new

Borage can be grown in partial

ones popping up to replace the

shade. In my balcony garden I

Lavenders, generally, are great

this one, and in the meantime

ones that are reaching the end

have a lot of borage that’s buzzing

for bees because they can have

you’ll have some lovely herby

of their cycle. You have to resist

with blue-banded bees. The plant

very long flowering periods.

flavour to add to cooking. In order

the temptation to trim off all the

has also reseeded and is taking up

flowers and leave at least half

a large area, so pots are a good

produce good lavender-fragrant

flower, harvest the outside stalks,

behind so you get the seeds to

option instead of a garden bed.

honey, but you’d need fields of it to

leaving the inner ones to grow.

allow the plant to continue, and

Bees that sup on lavender

to allow it to grow big enough to

taste it in honey your bees make.

of course provide pollen and

CH IV E S

nectar for the beneficial insects.

( All i um scho e nop ras um )

ROSEMA RY ( Ros mar in us off ic ina l is)

These relatives of the onion family

LE M ON BAL M ( Mel issa off ic i na l is )

S W E ET BA SI L

are related to garlic, leeks and

If you have a lemon balm in flower

rosemary has many varieties.

(O c i m um b as i l ic um)

spring onions (scallions). The

the bees won’t leave your garden

Some grow into big bushy plants

This is one of those plants that

purple flowers are just gorgeous

alone: they love it. It can be grown

and others are prostrate ground

you’re taught to pinch the flowers

and edible as well, not to mention

in pots or garden beds in full sun

covers. Nearly all of them can

off so it doesn’t bolt (go to flower),

very popular with your local bees.

or partial shade. Lemon balm

tolerate drought or dry soil. They

produces both pollen and nectar.

do prefer full sun, so don’t keep

but don’t! Let it grow and flower;

Another classic bee plant,

flowers and drops seeds these

CO R IAN DE R ( Co r iand r um sati v um )

M IN T ( Men tha spp.)

bees, rosemary produces carbs

will sprout into new plants. Basil

Not only fantastic in Asian dishes,

Common mint can be a crazy

for their diet (nectar) but little

is an amazing bee attractor, with

coriander (cilantro) is attractive

weed so is best in pots, where

pollen (protein).

a sweet aniseed-like smell.

to all sorts of beneficial insects.

you can control its tendency to

It flowers easily if you let it bolt,

spread. Bees seem to really love

SAGE ( Sa l v ia off ic i na l is)

pot to give it room to grow up

which mine always seems to do

its feathery sprays of white or

This is a lovely herb to have in the

big and bushy, bearing in mind

almost straight away. I’ve since

pink flowers. As for the leaves,

garden. It’s a hardy full-sun lover,

the bigger the bush, the better

found out it’s from the stress of

pick some for your mint tea, your

and its blue flowers are good

the bee magnet. It will grow

replanting seedlings, and if grown

mojito, or even just a refreshing

nectar producers. Sage is a great

anywhere there is sufficient sun

from seed it’s less likely to bolt.

jug of water, with lemon slices.

bee plant and a few leaves in burnt

let it bolt if it needs to. When it

Basil needs a generous-size

(five to six hours a day).

them in the shadows. As for the

Experiments done in eastern

butter sauce are divine. Sage is

B O RAG E (Bo rago off ic i na l is )

coriander plants increased from

ORE G AN O ( O r igan um v u l gare)

800–1200 kilograms (0.9–1.2

Another great garden herb is

People always talk about borage

tons) per hectare, up to 1800–

oregano. If you let it grow freely,

T HY ME ( T hy m us spp.)

in reverential tones as the

2000 kilograms (2–2.2 tons) per

it produces tiny, delicate flowers

There are many varieties of

ultimate bee plant, and it’s no

hectare when beehives were

in pink or white, which make it

thyme, so pick one that suits your

wonder. This plant produces lots

placed around the crops, with the

another bona fide bee magnet.

area and space. There are

of nectar-rich, star-shaped

bees preferring coriander over

Oregano honey is common in

prostrate thymes, which spread

purple flowers that bees just can’t

all the other available flowers.

Turkey and the Mediterranean –

as ground covers, and more

no surprise that it likes full sun.

upright versions that grow up to

Europe showed that yields of

go past, as well as good pollen.

LAV E ND E R ( L a vand u la spp.)

happier in a garden bed, but will also be fine in a larger pot.

be regular bushes. A traditional honey plant in Greece, thyme can

The best lavender species for

PA RS L EY ( Pe t rosel i n um c r isp um)

most of Australia is French

Have you ever seen a parsley

preferring well drained soil. It’s

lavender (Lavandula stoechas).

flower? It belongs to a special

a perennial plant and a significant

This one is more resistant to

class of plant called ‘biennials’,

honey and pollen producer.

tolerate full sun and low water,

This is an edited extract from Backyard Bees by Doug Purdie, photography by Cath Muscat ($36.99, Murdoch Books). Pre-order your copy via booktopia.com.au

106 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

FLAVOURS

IN SEASON: ASPARAGUS It’s the ‘hungry gap’ – the time of year when there’s nothing much edible in the vegie patch. But asparagus is here to save the day. In her new book Futuresteading: Live like Tomorrow Matters (Murdoch Books, $39.99), a guide to seasonal, sustainable living, farmer and podcaster Jade Miles suggests enjoying these seasonal spears in several ways: • Roasted asparagus with grilled almonds and bacon • Cream of asparagus soup • Fresh asparagus with a squeeze of lemon • Poached eggs with hollandaise sauce • Soft-boiled eggs with toast soldiers • Scrambled eggs with wilted greens • Hard-boiled eggs for picnics.

f lavours WHAT TO EAT, DRINK AND TRY THIS MONTH. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

DAIRY GOOD

PHOTOGRAPHY ADOBE STOCK

SETTING SOUTH

The South Coast of NSW hasn’t had too many gourmet diners to choose from – but The Whale Inn at Narooma is set to change all that.

French-Australian chef couple Elsa Marie and Julian May of Chez Dominique, who have cooked in acclaimed restaurants in Paris and Sydney, are running a pop-up bistro focusing on paddock-to-plate produce from the bountiful South Coast region.

As well as growing their own produce in their kitchen garden, the pair have built relationships with local farms Borrowed Ground, Queen Street, Old Mill Road and Stepping Stone to create simple, authentic French-style food. Check it out in September and October.

Visit whalemotorinn.com

THE FERTILE LANDS OF NSW’S DORRIGO PLATEAU MAKE FOR HAPPY COWS – WHICH MAKES FOR HAPPY CHEESEMAKERS. TIM WELLHAM AND JESS HOLSTEIN RECENTLY LAUNCHED WELLSTEIN CHEESE CO., GOING BACK TO A TRADITIONAL CHEESEMAKING MODEL. THEY SELL THEIR RACLETTE CHEESE MELTED ONTO DORRIGO POTATOES AT FARMERS’ MARKETS WHILE THEY’RE BUSY KICKSTARTING THEIR PRODUCTION. CHECK OUT WHERE THEY’LL BE NEXT AT WELLSTEINCHEESE.CO

A WINNING SHOT Award-winning winery Thorn-Clarke is renowned for its deep roots in the Barossa Valley, and for its delicious shiraz. It’s currently offering a case of whites, reds or mixed, plus a bottle of gold-medal-winning Shotfire Barossa Shiraz and two Dartington crystal glasses, all for $139.99 with free delivery. Order at wp.wine/6488055 or call 1300 762 832 and quote 6488055.

Made in Orange, NSW, and owned by the Schofield family, dip maker Fresh Fodder is stepping onto the wild side with its new Spicy Jalapeno, Garlic & Parsley Dip, made with 99 per cent Aussie ingredients. $4.99, freshfodder.com.au

Garden fare

STEVE CUMPER TOILS IN THE GARDEN AND UNEARTHS A FRESH SPRING FEAST. PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL URIZAR STYLING OLIVIA BLACKMORE

seasons? Those wonderful moments when you wake up and realise it’s a bit warmer in the mornings. Or you notice the days becoming a little longer, the birds seem to trill louder and the bees provide a welcome buzz in the background. Gardens are awakening, and it’s time to venture forth and reconnect with the soil.

This is, of course, if you’re lucky enough to have a garden. But it still stands if you’ve got a balcony of plants or a few small pots – it’s time to get your hands dirty!

Many of us in the know appreciate just how physical gardening can be.

In fact, next to yoga and Pilates, gardening is the ‘sleeper’ fitness regimen that tends to fly under the radar. This makes sense when you scrutinise the methodology: lots of kneeling, twisting and squatting, and that’s just getting those posh, side-vent Hunter gumboots on!

Many of the keen gardeners I’ve met over the years have a strong, toned physique born of many hours in the yard. A cocky I know once told me he swears by his ‘Farmer’s Workout’, saving a pretty penny on a formal gym membership. All this strenuous activity sure works up a thirst – and a hunger to match.

Now, while you may not have a huge bounty from a productive garden with which to curate your lunch, you can assemble a plate that would make a gardener proud. Channelling the venerable ‘Ploughman’s Lunch’ (itself a contrivance concocted some time ago by a canny brewery to partner a suitable dish for its ales), you can

108 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

use similar ingredients or mix and match them to your taste.

Not too many plough people around these days, but there are a heck of a lot of gardeners, so why shouldn’t they be honoured by having a dish named after them? The juncture in the road, however, is substituting (or adding) a jug of a refreshingly sour homemade ‘shrub’ to the meal instead of the beer. Or not.

Shrubs, to the unfamiliar, are fruit or vegetable (think beetroot) cordials enhanced by the tang of properly fermented vinegar. Don’t be put off by this. If you’ve enjoyed a kombucha or two, you’ll love the shrub!

Why shrub, you ask? According to conventional wisdom, it comes from the Arabic sharab, which means “to drink”. How it made the journey from its land of origin to the rest of the world is up for debate. However, in the 17th century, it reached the zenith of popularity before receding into the background.

One day, some modish bartender – sorry, mixologist – ‘rediscovered’ its appeal and before he even had time to affix an old-time-y font on a vintage bottle, it was everywhere!

Normally not one inclined to gild the lily, I reasoned that a beverage so aptly named could not possibly miss out on a partnership for the Gardener’s Plate of this column…

I mean, come on!

As I’ve aged, my tastes – much like my outlook – tend toward bitterness, so a good glug of shrub on a warm day, after exerting myself on our tiny balcony, is a welcome reward for my labours. Happy gardening!

GARDENER’S PLATE Serves 4

1 bunch red radishes, stalks attached 4 boiled eggs, peeled and halved 8 small cooked and halved new potatoes 1 cup pickled onions 100g salad leaves (whatever is available) 100g bitey cheddar cheese ½ cup tomato relish or mustard pickles ½ cup garlic aioli 100g thinly sliced smoked ham off the bone 3 stalks celery marigold leaves for garnish slices of sourdough bread and butter

Arrange these items attractively around a platter, and serve with jugs of iced Lemon Myrtle Shrub.

LEMON MYRTLE SHRUB Serves 4

1kg caster sugar 1 litre water 1 cup apple cider vinegar 100g lemon myrtle flakes 2-3 large gum leaves (this is plenty as they can be toxic in large quantities)

Add all of the ingredients to a large pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes and let cool.

Allow it to steep all day, before straining through a fine sieve and refrigerating for later use. You can enjoy the shrub neat or let down with water. Serve in jugs with ice, slices of cucumber and some torn mint.

PHOTOGRAPHY CHEF CLARE MAGUIRE JUG AND CANISTER THE TWO THROWERS KNIFE CHEF AND THE COOK

DON’T YOU JUST LOVE the change of

COUNTRY COOK FOOD

TR AVEL ROA D TR IP Hot-air balloons drift over the National Arboretum Canberra.

H I S T O RY L E S S O N

WITH FINE DINING AND WINE, PLUS HISTORIC HOMESTEADS, MUSEUMS AND NATURAL WONDERS, THE TINY BUT MIGHTY AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY HAS MUCH TO OFFER.

PHOTOGRAPHY VISITCANBERRA

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 111

TR AVEL ROA D TR IP

DAY 1 CANBERRA

Canberra has a dizzying array of cultural highlights to choose from.

Take in art at the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery, and pay your respects at the Australian War Memorial. There are curiosities, too: visit one of the oldest surviving steam engines in Australia and make yourself comfortable on a luxury Pullman sleeping car at the Canberra Railway Museum. Of course, the capital also has a healthy outdoors scene, too: a cycle or hike around Lake Burley Griffin is a classic way to spend a Canberra afternoon, and don’t miss the view from Mount Ainslie Lookout. The National Arboretum Canberra and Australian National Botanic Gardens provide opportunities to stroll among greenery, and come nightfall, the Mount Stromlo Observatory will have you seeing stars – in a good way.

Where to stay: Revel in Art Deco luxury at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra.

Built in 1924, it retains a lovely heritage feel. hyatthotelcanberra.com Where to eat: With no fewer than two chef hats, Aubergine is a classic of capital fine dining. Or sample wood-fired pizza, tapas and a buzzing atmosphere at Ostani at Hotel Realm.

DAY 2

CANBERRA TO THARWA

Just a 40-minute drive from the capital is the little town of Tharwa, which dates back to the 1860s, making it the ACT’s oldest official settlement. Drop in at the Tharwa Country Store, which looks the same as it has for generations, and tour the historic Lanyon Homestead (make sure you book in advance). And the history doesn’t end there. Long a sacred place to the Ngunnawal people, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is home to one of the world’s oldest inhabited rock shelters, the Birrigai Rock Shelter, which you can walk to.

The reserve is honeycombed with 22 marked trails that range from a quick stroll to hikes that take an entire day.

In these pristine surroundings, you might just spot koalas, wombats, emus and platypus. You can also visit the restored ruins of Rock Valley Homestead, built in 1895, and the lovely Gibraltar Falls.

Where to stay: Call in to heritage homestead Cuppacumbalong, which dates back to the 1920s, for afternoon tea or an overnight stay (although the facilities are fairly basic). If you don’t mind even more basic, camp out at Nil Desperandum, another heritage home operated by the ACT Parks and Conservation Service. Accessible only by four-wheel drive, the homestead has a long-drop loo, solar electricity and no running water – but it’s imbued with a true sense of history, and the surroundings of the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve can’t be beaten for beauty and tranquillity. cuppacumbalong.com.au or airbnb.com.au Where to eat: Enjoy lunch at the Barracks in Lanyon Homestead or the cafe at the Tharwa Country Store, and stock up on dinner supplies at Lanyon Marketplace. >

PHOTOGRAPHY LEAN TIMMS, VISITCANBERRA

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Local children and visitors flock to the awe-inspiring treehouse nature play area in the Australian National Botanic Gardens; nature puts on a breathtaking display in autumn in Canberra; Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North sculpture stands tall at the National Gallery of Australia; two-hatted Canberra restaurant Aubergine serves up contemporary food using fresh produce sourced from local farmers; hike to the picturesque Gibraltar Peak in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve; the elegant, sleek interior at Aubergine.

FACING PAGE The sunlit Yarrh Vineyard is popular with wine enthusiasts during Canberra’s Wine Harvest Festival.

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 113

TR AVEL ROA D TR IP CLOCKWISE, FROM BELOWGrazing’s garden; Poachers Pantry’s alfresco dining; Brindabella Hills Winery; a grazing plate at Poachers Pantry.

DAY 3

THARWA TO MURRUMBATEMAN

114 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

DAY 4

MURRUMBATEMAN TO CANBERRA

On the loop back to Canberra there are still more wineries to take in.

Yarrh Wines, Collector Wines and Lerida Estate Winery are all well worth the stop. Drop in to Robyn Rowe Chocolates for handmade treats crafted using exquisite Belgian couverture, and visit the beautifully preserved 1830s village of Gundaroo, which has a surprising variety of places to eat (try the award-winning Grazing inside the historic Royal Hotel, or tuck into a pizza at the Cork Street Cafe) and plenty of heritage homes to dream about.

Where to stay: Back in Canberra, try one of two chic options: Little National Hotel or Hotel Realm. littlenationalhotel.com.au or hotelrealm.com.a

PHOTOGRAPHY VISITCANBERRA

Today we’re rolling up the highway and into the Canberra District wine region. Technically it’s just over the border in NSW, but what’s a few kilometres between friends? This is shiraz country, and Clonakilla makes some of the best in the world.

Taste it at the rustic cellar door built from local stone and timber (the bar is crafted from the winery’s old oak barrels). At family-owned Helm Wines, you can taste the awardwinning drops inside the heritagelisted 1888 Toual Public School House, which serves as the cellar door.

Then come back to the 21st century with a bang at Shaw Wines’ architecturally designed cellar door.

Where to stay: Experience life at the turn of the last century at Merryville Homestead. Or relax in the stylish and contemporary Abode Murrumbateman. historicmerryvillehomestead.com or abodehotels.com.au Where to eat: Lunch at Smokehouse Restaurant in the delightful Poachers Pantry, or order a pizza at Four Winds Vineyard. Later, dine in style at Shaw Wines’ restaurant, Olleyville.

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Call 1300 971 451 or visit seniors.com.au

EY R E PENINSULA SA JOUR NEY Boats coast along the water at sunset in Kellidie Bay. FACING PAGE The Eyre Peninsula is bounded by Spencer Gulf, the Great Australian Bight and the Gawler Ranges.

A BR E AT H OF F R E S H E Y R E CRAVING SALTY AIR, NATURAL BEAUTY, ABUNDANT SEAFOOD, AND BIG SKIES? SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S EYRE PENINSULA IS THE IDEAL GETAWAY. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 117

JOURNEY EY R E PENINSULA SA

THERE’S A PARTICULAR KIND OF WIND-WHIPPED, salt-stung,

sun-bleached feeling that the Eyre Peninsula specialises in. It comes from spending endless days eating oysters fresh from the cool, clear waters of Coffin Bay; watching emus and kangaroos frolic on the long, white beaches; and scudding across the waves on an adventure boat in search of sea life.

It’s the ocean that drew Ben Catterall to the Peninsula.

“I’ve always had an affinity with the water,” says the builder turned oyster farmer, who opened Coffin Bay Oyster Farm Tours six years ago. “I’d been building my whole life and I wanted to do something different before I got too old.”

After spending 15 years building remote housing for Indigenous people in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands of South Australia, he decided to swap the desert for the ocean. “Oyster farming is one of those jobs where you spend a lot of time in the water,” Ben says of the thought process that led him to change careers.

And having previously been based in Adelaide when not working on the APY lands, he decided the Eyre Peninsula was the perfect spot for his sea change. “Coffin Bay is such a famous destination for its oysters, and once I got there, it was a beautiful place that sealed the deal,” he adds.

118 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

It’s not hard to see the appeal. Coffin Bay is the oyster capital of Australia, with a bustling wharf full of fishing boats returning with ocean-fresh catches. It’s also a pretty little town with a relaxed vacation vibe. Backed by the pristine Coffin Bay National Park, beloved by bushwalkers, picnickers, surfers, anglers, sailors, divers and birdwatchers, the town is the perfect base for a couple of weeks exploring the Peninsula, sustained by the world’s freshest seafood. As Ben says, “A beautiful day on the oyster lease is hard to beat.”

But Coffin Bay isn’t the only town of note: Port Lincoln, which dates back to 1839, is a much bigger settlement, so offers some lovely coastal shopping and still more excellent restaurants. The eateries draw from the catch of the fleet of fishing vessels that live in Boston Bay, Australia’s biggest natural harbour (astonishingly, it’s three times bigger than Sydney Harbour).

French natives Grace Nsimba and Marvin Lattrez, who moved to Melbourne to take advantage of its thriving food scene, then opened L’Anse Cafe in Tumby Bay three years ago, love their maritime home. “We moved to the Eyre Peninsula because we saw an opportunity to open a cafe,” says Grace, L’Anse’s business manager and >

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Botanics on the Yangie trail walk; Adventure Bay Charters offers sea lion tours; the pastel shades of sunset wash over Kellidie Bay; Port Lincoln’s Boston Bean Coffee Company serves up exceptional, fresh-roasted specialty coffee; Ben Catterall, owner of Coffin Bay Oyster Farm Tours, is passionate about fresh seafood and authentic, hands-on tourist experiences; head to 1802 Oyster Bar in Coffin Bay for the chef’s finger-lickin’-good special: homemade black bao with fried chicken; marvel at the striking cellar door upon arrival at Peter Teakle Wines in Port Lincoln. Also onsite, The Line & Label Restaurant offers exquisite fine dining with a pleasant view; L’Anse Cafe draws a hungry crowd daily with their mouth-watering, hot-from-theoven croissants. Settle in and enjoy the relaxed vibe over a hearty breakfast.

FACING PAGE Wild emus can be spotted roaming on Long Beach in Coffin Bay.

JOURNEY EY R E PENINSULA SA CLOCKWISE, FROM BELOW Tanonga Ridge Luxury Eco Lodge; waders for customers on Coffin Bay Oyster Farm Tours; Port Lincoln Marina; fresh oysters from The Fish Box Kiosk in Cowell. FACING PAGE Adventure Bay Charters visit Blythe Island.

occasional barista, while husband Marvin is the chef who turns out the dishes for which L’Anse has become locally famous. “There was a cafe for sale at a very affordable price.

While we were visiting the Peninsula to meet the landlord, we were amazed by the beauty of this place, instantly fell in love with the Eyre Peninsula and bought the business.”

After a break in 2021 due to becoming too-busy victims of their own success, Marvin and Grace are reopening in mid-September in a new location at Port Lincoln, with more space and more staff to cater for the hungry Francophile hordes. “There are so many things to love here,” says Grace.

“The coastline is simply beautiful and we love the pristine waters, the sense of community you get, the great seafood.”

With full bellies, it’s time to explore the nearby Lincoln National Park, with the secluded Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area, which is packed with wildlife, and more

beautiful beaches and dramatic cliffs than you could wish for. Wander along Donington Beach at low tide to discover the Aboriginal fish traps, explore all the park’s hidden beaches and hike up Stamford Hill for spectacular views.

With all this talk of ocean splendour, it’s easy to forget inland Eyre Peninsula. But that would be a mistake: the extraordinary rock formations of Gawler Ranges National Park, which is teeming with wildlife and rare ecosystems, are well worth a visit, as is Lake Gairdner National Park, which centres around the titular salt lake and is a perfect study in contrasts, with the white salt stark against blue skies and red earth.

But it’s hard to resist the pull of the ever-present ocean in the Eyre Peninsula, and you’ll find you’ll return there again and again, drawn to the invigorating salt air, soft sand and endless waves.

“The coastline is simply beautiful and we love the pristine waters, the sense of community you get, and the great seafood.”

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 121

JOURNEY EY R E PENINSULA SA

THE FACTS GETTING THERE

Port Lincoln, (08) 8682 6635, 0499

WHAT TO S EE AND D O

WHERE TO STAY

CAR It takes nearly four hours to

235 527; peterteaklewines.com

ADVENTURE BAY CHARTERS

TANONGA LUXURY ECO LODGES

drive to Port Augusta from Adelaide;

BEER GARDEN BREWING

Get wet or stay dry on a marine

Both options at Tanonga, The Ridge

and three and a half hours to get

An independent brew-pub serving

eco-adventure in search of great

lodge and The Valley lodge, are

from Port Augusta to Port Lincoln,

award-winning beers crafted

white sharks, sea lions and more

architecturally designed with

at the southern tip of the Peninsula.

onsite, woodfired pizzas and local

marvellous ocean creatures.

beautiful views. Pope Drive, Charlton

FLY Rex Airlines flies to Ceduna in

seafood. 28-34 London Street,

2 South Quay Boulevard, Port

Gully, 0427 277 417; tanonga.com.au

the Peninsula’s north-west, Port

Port Lincoln, (08) 8683 5303;

Lincoln, (08) 8682 2979;

CAMEL BEACH HOUSE

Lincoln in the south, and Whyalla

beergardenbrewing.com

adventurebaycharters.com.au

Set on a private, 100-hectare

in the north-east (QantasLink also

BOSTON BAY WINES

COFFIN BAY OYSTER

wilderness area, Camel Beach House

flies to Port Lincoln and Whyalla).

Family-owned winery serving up

FARM TOURS

is an off-grid haven that looks out

rex.com.au; qantas.com

award-winning riesling, sauvignon

Waterproof waders (provided)

over the Southern Ocean. 1 Mt Camel

blanc, cabernet, merlot and

let you get right out into the bay to

Beach Rd, Mt Camel Beach, Venus

shiraz alongside premium local

see how oyster farming is done.

Bay; camelbeachhouse.com.au

seafood. 1/615 Lincoln Highway,

100 Esplanade, Coffin Bay, 0488

EYRE.WAY

THE FISH BOX KIOSK

Port Lincoln, (08) 8684 3600;

139 032; oysterfarmtours.com.au

Stay amid the natural wonders

It’s perhaps not glamorous on the

bostonbaywines.com.au

EXPERIENCE COFFIN BAY

of Coffin Bay National Park in an

outside, but inside the blue-and-

BOSTON BEAN COFFEE COMPANY

Head out on a boat with Chris

off-grid, architecturally designed

white-painted donga is deliciously

Pouring the best boost on the

and Linda Hank to see their

tiny home that’s carbon-neutral

fresh, light seafood. Eat it on the

Peninsula, the Boston Bean Coffee

fresh oyster farm. 0428 261 805;

and sustainably chic. eyreway.com

deck with a view of the ocean it all

Co also sells all the kit you’ll need

experiencecoffinbay.com.au

came from. 1 Causeway Rd, Cowell,

to brew your own morning wake-up

BEACHES

WHERE TO SHOP

(08) 8629 6000.

call. 122 Mortlock Terrace,

You’ve got more than 2000

ELLA + ZAFRAN

L’ANSE CAFE

Port Lincoln, (08) 8683 5140;

kilometres of coastline to choose

Chic clothing boutique stocking

A French cafe and croissanterie in

bostonbean.com.au

from, so pick a strand and settle in.

all your holiday must-haves.

Port Lincoln? Believe it! Chef Marvin

THE FRESH FISH PLACE

Venus Bay is beloved by families

30/34 Liverpool Street, Port Lincoln,

Lattrez is cooking up authentic

Take your pick: southern calamari,

(and by dolphins), while surfers

(08) 8682 6295; ellazafran.com

continental deliciousness, with his

Coffin Bay sand crab, Port Lincoln

head for Fishery Bay. You might

THE BAY ROOM

wife Grace looking after the business

sardines, Franklin Harbour oysters

spot a kangaroo or two relaxing

David and Kristy Nisbet have been

side as well as turning out topnotch

– it’s all as fresh and local as it gets

on the sand at Memory Cove.

stocking a wide range of gorgeous

coffees. 60 Liverpool Street, Port

at this cafe and seafood centre.

NATIONAL PARKS

gifts, clothing and homewares since

Lincoln; lansecafe.com.au

20 Proper Bay Rd, Port Lincoln, (08)

The spectacular Coffin Bay National

2003 – and their current location

PETER TEAKLE WINES

8682 2166; freshfishplace.com.au

Park has it all: rolling dunes and

is a beautiful converted church.

With a spectacular new cellar door

1802 OYSTER BAR

high sea cliffs, swimming bays and

Shop 1 & 2 / 44 Liverpool St, Port

whose curves are inspired by a wine

Whether you like them Kilpatrick,

surf beaches. Lincoln National Park

Lincoln; thebayroom.com.au

barrel, Peter Teakle Wines offers

Southern fried or with native

is equally blessed with viewpoints

CALL ME THE BREEZE

maritime-climate drops that make

finger lime dressing, the oysters at

out to remote islands, with the white

Dreamy clothes and accessories

the most of its hillside location.

1802 can’t be beaten. 61 Esplanade,

sands of Memory Cove backed by

with a coastal feel. 29 Tasman

Also enjoy fine dining at The Line

Coffin Bay, (08) 8685 4626;

secluded camping spots. parks.

Terrace, Port Lincoln, (08) 8682

& Label Restaurant. 31 Whillas Road,

1802oysterbar.com.au

sa.gov.au/parks/eyre-peninsula

4163; callmethebreeze.com.au

WHERE TO EAT AND DRI NK

Gentle light washes over pristine bushland at Tanonga Luxury Eco Lodges.

122 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

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BUY YOUR $5 TICKETS TODAY! rslartunion.com.au/yourchoice | 1300 889 505 Draw 389 closes 8pm (AEST) 29 September 2021 | Drawn 10am AEST 6 October 2021 RSL Art Union Draw No.389 (AU389L) is conducted by Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) ABN 79902601713 of ANZAC House, 283 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, under QLD licence No. 29819, ACT Permit No. R21/00070.1, VIC Permit No. 10204/21, NSW Authority No. GOCAU/2332, SA Permit No. M14022. Close date: 8pm (AEST) 29/09/21. Draw Date: Drawn 10am (AEST) 06/10/21 at ANZAC House, 283 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006. Proceeds are for the purpose of veteran welfare and support in Australia. 1st prize $6,293,715. The total number of tickets available for AU389 is 7,321,100 which may include a maximum of 1,903,486 bonus tickets. Entrants must be 18 years or over. Winners notifed by registered mail. Results published in The Australian on 08/10/21. Cheque, money order and credit card payments must be received by 29/09/21 to be entered into Draw 389. If an order is received after this date or if the draw is sold out, the order will be automatically entered into the next draw, Draw 390. Some items shown in pictures are for display purposes only. Floorplans are for illustration purposes only. Any rental estimates provided are for informational purposes only. Selling costs and market variations apply when selling gold bullion. Travel is in the form of a voucher, is not redeemable for cash and must be booked directly with our selected supplier, subject to their terms and conditions. Information correct at time of printing. For up to date details and full terms and conditions please refer to www.rslartunion.com.au.

NATURE’S VARIED HUES SERVE AS STYLE AND FASHION INSPIRATION FOR NIKKI HOBBS AND CAITLYN MASON. PHOTOGRAPHY H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN

FASHION

STYLING CHERYL CARR CAITLYN’S MAKE-UP BY STACEY MORRIS FROM MIRROR MIRROR MAKE-UP ARTISTRY. CAITLYN DRESSED BY IVY DESIGNER COLLECTIONS, BOOTS BY R.M. WILLIAMS

Caitlyn Mason, with dachshund Gertrude, loves colourful garments and ethnic prints.

FACING PAGE Nikki Hobbs opts for linens and neutrals.

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 125

FASHION

NIKKI HOBBS INTERIOR DESIGNER AT HOBBS BUILDING & INTERIORS, 35

Nikki lives on a picturesque property in Canungra, Qld, with her husband, Luke.

FROM ABOVE Nikki enjoys collecting fresh herbs and flowers from the garden; Nikki and Luke spent countless hours reshaping the garden and grounds on their property; neutral tones and natural textures dominate throughout their house.

What do you love about living in the country?

Our creekside location nestled in the Canungra Valley.

We love the local Scenic Rim community and the simple, relaxed environment. I grew up on chicken farms and I’ve been riding horses since I can remember.

How would you describe your style?

My fashion and interiors align into a modern country style, comprising layers, textures, linens and neutrals.

Oh, and whatever comes in my size, as I’m six feet tall.

Who are your style influences?

Designers Lauren Liess and Shea McGee, jewellery designer Samantha Wills, and stylist Kara Rosenlund.

What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received?

I learnt from a June Dally-Watkins deportment class to wear clothes that flatter your body shape. For me, it’s high-waisted pants, belted tops and dresses.

What are your wardrobe essentials?

White tees from Witchery, singlets from Assembly Label, Lululemon athletic gear, jeans from Outland Denim, and leather boots from Bared Footwear.

What are your favourite clothing labels?

Witchery, Shona Joy, Outland Denim, Bared Footwear.

Where do you shop for clothing and accessories?

I mostly shop online, but my local favourites are My Country Escape in Canungra, and Outland Denim at Mount Tamborine.

What are your essential beauty products?

I love Ella Baché Superfluid, iKOU Neroli Face Oil, and Kérastase hair products in Blond Absolu.

Do you have a favourite fragrance?

Oh my, how to choose! I love Narciso Rodriguez in winter, Chanel Chance (which I wore on our wedding day), and Issey Miyake as a daily staple.

Do you have any favourite accessories?

My mesh wedding band from Tiffany & Co., and tan leather boots, belts and a handbag.

What helps you keep a balanced life?

My morning coffee – delivered in bed by hubby Luke – iKOU Essential Oil Roller in ‘Ground and Balance’, regular exercise – gym, yoga, cycling – and working with a fun, youthful team.

Where are your favourite local spots to eat?

Sarabah Estate Vineyard, and Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation when I’m in the area.

Where do you shop locally for homewares?

My Country Escape, Lux and Gather, Mountain House Co., Feather Road Studios. > To read more about Nikki’s idyllic life in Canungra and the house she and Luke renovated, see page 52.

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EARTHY SHADES PAIRED WITH FRESH WHITE HELPS NIKKI FEEL GROUNDED. PRODUCED BY K ATE LINCOLN

1 Home Republic Aries cushion in Natural, $59.99, from Adairs.

2 Crew shirt tail tee, $39.95, from Witchery. 3 Chanel Chance eau de parfum spray, $170 (50ml), from Myer. 4 Burgon & Ball hand trowel, $29.95, from Botanex. 5 Abigail jeans, $229.90, from Outland Denim. 6 iKOU Organic Baobab and Neroli Calming face oil, $59 (30ml), from ikou.com.au.

7 Redecker Dutch Style hand brush, $34.95, from Saison. 8 Superfluid Great SPF50+ skin tint, $55, from ellabache.com.au. 9 Brodie linen balloon-sleeve shirt dress, $295, from Shona Joy. 10 Freya jug in White, $49.95, from Provincial Home Living. 11 Woodpecker leather boots in Light Tan, $359, from Bared Footwear. 12 Dancing Lady Orchid multi napkins (set of 6), $135, from Bonnie and Neil.

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SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 127

FASHION

CAITLYN MASON REGISTERED NURSE , 30

Passionate about colour and beauty, Caitlyn grows roses and rare flowers at her home in Toowoomba, Qld.

FROM ABOVE Caitlyn’s fashion choices are influenced by the pretty pastel shades seen in her flower garden at home. She also favours original, ethnic prints. FACING PAGE Caitlyn cuddles her pet chihuahua, Ellie.

128 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

Have you always lived in the country?

Both sides of my family grew up in Toowoomba. When I moved here for uni, it felt like home after visiting so often as a child. I love that everywhere is no more than 10 minutes away; I love the small-town feel; I love the memory of the hydrangeas my grandmother grew.

How would you describe your style?

Weekends are spent in the garden or visiting nurseries or hardware stores, so comfort is a big thing for me.

When we go out, I love colour, ethnic prints… something different that no-one else has.

Are you interested in fashion?

I used to be, having worked in the fashion publishing industry. But now, I dislike fast fashion. If I buy something, it must be a garment I can wear for years.

Who are your style influences?

Chloë Sevigny – she wears what she likes without worrying about trends.

What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received?

A French woman once told me her style never changes, regardless of what she is going to. Oh, and you must feel like yourself when you wear something and only buy it if you really love it.

What are your favourite clothing labels?

March 11 makes beautiful dresses that you can wear to daytime events. Free People make amazing tops that aren’t too expensive. I like Lee Mathews, and Self-Portrait makes dresses that are really flattering.

Where do you shop for clothing and accessories?

I shop at IVY Designer Collections, and Florence and Marabel, both in Toowoomba. Otherwise, I’m a big eBay/Facebook Marketplace buyer.

What are your essential beauty products?

Korean skincare. Some By Mi make great products.

Do you have a favourite fragrance?

Estée Lauder Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang.

Do you have any favourite accessories?

I always wear a sovereign and a fob chain.

What helps you keep a balanced life?

I garden when I’m stressed, or go to a gym class called Abs and Booty – the instructor keeps me laughing.

What are you reading/listening to/watching?

I’m listening to the podcast Let’s Grow Girls.

Where are your favourite local spots to eat?

Gip’s Restaurant is in a beautiful historic building.

I also love Sofra Turkish Cuisine and Burrow Cafe.

Where do you shop locally for homewares?

I love Harolds Finishing Touches in Toowoomba. He gets beautiful pieces in, but you have to be quick!

For more on Caitlyn’s amazing garden, see page 80.

FASHION 1

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3 4

floral display

PRETTY BUT PRACTICAL WORKS BEST FOR FLOWER GROWER CAITLYN. PRODUCED BY K ATE LINCOLN

1 Garden Glory hat with navy sash by Fiona Schofield, $235, from annabellehickson.com. 2 Camila balloon-sleeve dress, $799, from Lee Mathews. 3 Spotted Begonia terracotta vase, $145 (tall), from Bonnie and Neil. 4 Leaf planter in White, $219 (large), from Domayne. 5 Honeysuckle Cocoon dress, $359, from Lee Mathews. 6 Estée Lauder Private Collection eau de parfum, $115 (50ml), from Myer. 7 Garden Glory Heartmelting Pink gardening gloves, $104 (medium), from Amara. 8 Garden Glory Diamond indoor watering can in Pearl, $104, from Amara. 9 Short Elm bench, $926.50, from St Barts. 10 Adelaide boots in Chestnut, $595, from R.M. Williams. 11 Harman Kardon Citation 200 portable smart speaker, $495, from Harvey Norman. 12 Birdsville Rugger shorts, $45, from RB Sellars.

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130 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

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HEALTH AND BEAUTY

SKINCARE SELF-SERVICE WITH LOCKDOWN AND DISTANCE, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO THE BEAUTICIAN. INVEST IN A DIY DEVICE THAT SKIN DOCTORS APPROVE OF. WORDS TR ACEY W ITHERS PHOTOGRAPHY A LA NA LA NDSBER RY ST YLING M ATTIE CRONA N

about facials sounds a little different these days. Previously, you’d hear that serious results demanded professional appointments. “Now, you’d come to us to figure out what you need or get that super-duper treatment, but we’ll say you’re missing out if you aren’t using devices at home,” says Dr Shyamalar Gunatheesan, founder of Melbourne’s medicine-meets-wellness clinic ODE Dermatology. “At-home tools might be less powerful than a dermatologist’s, but the key to skincare is consistency – it’s the cumulative effect that is going to be amazing,” she says.

High-vibe cleansers Tell your skin doctor you’ve got a facial power tool and they’ll be cool. If you want to scare them, say that you use face wipes. “A proper clean is the foundation of all great skin – it horrifies me how overlooked that is,” says Dr Naomi McCullum, the famed Sydney cosmetic doctor behind Dr Naomi skincare. “Cleansing allows serums and actives to work harder.” A quick splash won’t cut it either: “Sonic cleansing is where modern skincare is at.” Rapidly oscillating sonic spatulas, buffing brushes and silicone-nubbed pads work your cleanser in deep, jiggling out gunk (make-up, oil and dead skin) that fingertips can’t reach.

“It’s a game-changer for congested pores, but all skin types benefit from cleansing tools,” says Dr McCullum.

Keen to resurface your skin instead?

Therapist-grade microdermabrasion devices that scrub or ‘water vacuum’ pores (hydra-dermabrasion) have also been adapted for your bathroom.

Current and contour Forget (or dial back) filler and facefreezing Botox – if you want tighter,

132 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

higher snap-back, what your skin needs is squats. Hut hut hut. “If we want suppleness that looks natural, we need to exercise and pump up the facial muscles that hold skin firm,” says Dr Gunatheesan. “I’ve gotten into microcurrent devices.”

Using low-grade electrical current that feels more like a tingle than a zap, microcurrent facial tools stimulate muscles. “These muscles are woven into what’s called your SMAS – a sheet of collagen, elastin, fat cells and fascia… your face’s structure,” says Dr Gunatheesan. Target a saggy jawline or cheek like it’s leg day at the gym.

Rolling stones

Beam it up

Tech gets all the buzz, but let’s not forget the power of touch. “Hands are some of the best skincare tools,” says L’Occitane’s head of training and development, Danette Elliott. “We’ve converted yoga massage techniques from our in-spa facials into moves to do at home because hands can give you a ‘Wow, is that me?’ effect,” she says. “Warmth also activates ingredients like essential oils.”

While pinching gets blood flow and oxygen pumping, knuckle-kneading trains muscles to counteract habits like squinting. “Faces hold tension,” Danette says. “Releasing that has a visible effect on face shape.” Just take the buccal technique (massage inside the mouth) that Meghan Markle swears by. Onward and upward.

Clinics have been giving epidermises a fresh start with coloured light for decades. Now, nifty fitted masks and handheld wands that aim at the neck and décolletage have taken LED (light-emitting diode) technology DIY. The spectrum is coded by skin fix: blue light kills acne-causing bacteria; others are more about repair.

“I love yellow and amber light [to help] inflammation and rosacea,” says Dr Gunatheesan. “Red light gets fibroblasts producing collagen, and improves the skin’s scaffolding to minimise wrinkles and improve tone.

Generally, your cells are energised to work better – you get this glow from within.” Rack up a few minutes a day and “the effects can be incredible”.

Citing traditional wisdom with Instagram-age aplomb, jade rollers and Gua Sha stones are the tools of the minute, promising to hitch facial contours heaven-ward. “It’s not all hype,” says Dr Gunatheesan. “I like the technique of rolling the tool across the skin for lymphatic drainage, for [activating] acupressure points and releasing puffiness,” she says.

Shaped to curve around the jaw and cheekbones, Gua Sha tools also sculpt skin. Use oil or serum to glide – dragging is micro-damage.

Go the yoga

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER HAIR BRAD MULLINS MAKE-UP ANNETTE MCKENZIE MODEL IS NADINE AT SILVERFOX. NADINE WEARS AKUBRA HAT AND SPELL DRESS

THE TUNE DERMATOLOGISTS SING

HOME TOOLKIT

Get a visible boost with these skin-saving innovations.

Powered by a brightening flower, L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Cream ($152) melts like butter during yoga massage.

With three settings of sonic vibration and LED light, the Dr Naomi Clean Freak ($149) power device delivers a seriously thorough custom clean.

You’ll only need three minutes a day for the Dr Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro ($661) to work its LED-light magic on acne-prone or ageing skin.

Drench your skin with the sublime Ipsum Best Skin Enriching Face Oil ($58), which contains 24 organic plant

oils and delivers a massive dose of vitamin C and CoQ10.

If ageing is a concern, the professional-strength LightStim For Wrinkles ($340) aims collagen-cranking, smoothing red light over your face, neck and décolletage.

Microcurrent syncs with sonic pulsation in the Foreo Bear device ($395) to tone up 65+ muscles in the face and neck.

Featuring how-to massage techniques in the box, the Angela Caglia Rose Quartz Gua Sha Lifting Tool ($88) helps boost skin circulation and relieve muscle tension.

For easy but beautician-grade exfoliation, the Aceology Hydra-Dermabrasion Facial Device ($349) effectively removes gunk and dead skin.

BOOK CLUB INTRIGUE MEETS INTROSPECTION AS WE DELVE INTO THE PERILS OF DATING, MIDLIFE HURDLES, FAT-CAT AGENDAS, HUMAN FRAILTIES AND PLANET-FRIENDLY HABITS. REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON

138 DATES Rebekah Campbell, Allen & Unwin, $29.99 She’s a real person and she suffered humiliation. It’s a disgrace. For 10 years, Campbell had been grieving for her boyfriend killed in a car crash.

Then, in her mid-30s, she realised she wanted a reliable father for future children – sorry, but that’s about the size of it.

Campbell’s plan was to go on a date at least once a week for a year. Surely 50-plus samplings from dating sites and other sources (some quite expensive) would deliver the required outcome. She had the means to frock up. Cosmetic improvements, three therapists, plus a professor of psychology – these were well within

her budget. Add the $11,000 price tag for freezing eggs if all else failed.

Her highly successful Hey You app delivered restaurant suggestions, and a seat very quickly in Sydney and cities further afield. She was also a valuable, highly paid person to have at the table when negotiating a deal or planning an event. Until she wasn’t. And then two precious colleagues dropped her.

Within one book, you get two instructive manuals. Her business life is bursting with beastly reality and the lessons to be learned from it.

However, the 138 dates (50 wasn’t enough) trump all else when it comes to learning something that we need to know. A goodly percentage of the dates wanted ‘magic’, aka an encounter that could be disappeared

the next day with the wave of a wand.

Maybe Campbell was too demanding.

Could there be a more perfect fellow than Charlie, number 86? She bungled it. There’s a clue there.

I’d love to be able to say that she closed down all her dating accounts and sensibly waited for that man walking his dog past her window or a farmer dropping off vegetables to one of the restaurants she vets – fate will deliver if you give it a chance.

What happens in the end is fine.

But one chance in 138? There has to be another way.

THE WATTLE SEED INN Léonie Kelsall, Allen & Unwin, $29.99 A broken relationship is an excellent start to a novel. So many possibilities.

Gabrielle has parted company with Brendan, who was both her personal and professional partner. She quits her executive role in their Adelaide business (but remains a shareholder).

Brendan had accused her of being passionless. He was the visionary; she was the planner. Well, somebody had to deal with the bottom line.

What she gets in return for stepping away is his share of a derelict hotel 15 minutes off the highway, but it might as well be Outer Mongolia.

The locals don’t exactly welcome her.

With every second utterance, she’s sounding more and more ‘other’ and they are nonplussed. Why is she here?

“What on earth was I doing?” can be a powerful insight once one leaves a known habitat and looks back.

One of the endearing aspects of this story is that money worries don’t come into it. In Real Life, so many renovation and rebuilding projects falter halfway through due to lack of funds. Not Gabrielle’s. By the end, the rotting carcass has been turned

BOOKS Cute pooch Seb surveys this month’s page-turners.

into a gracious residence, and the scrublands around it burgeon with sweet blooms and healthy foliage.

In the meantime, the quixotic characters in Wurruldi and Settlers Bridge have revealed themselves.

I don’t want to do spoilers, but adorable Sharna is not as simple as she seems. Hayden would drive any normal woman round the bend, but maybe he’s just right for… About to be a centenarian, Ilse has the perfect alibi. It’s safest to make no assumptions as you take this journey with Gabrielle.

DAMNATION SPRING

PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING GIUSEPPE SANTAMARIA

Ash Davidson, Tinder Press, $32.99 Anyone who has stood in the midst of California’s redwood forests and looked upwards, breathed in resins and heard rustling and rippling has no doubt wondered whether humans were a cosmic mistake. In Davidson’s novel, the community that lives beneath the fragrant canopy must consider whether or not it’s a fit place for their children to find a future.

Rich comes from a long line of fellers. His wife, Colleen, wants a second child but, ironically, since she is the de-facto midwife to the community, can no longer carry a foetus to term. They have a fouryear-old, Chub, too young to be aware of the chemicals and mining that must surely, one day, drive him away from paradise to the city.

The redwood workers have greedy taskmasters and are fed a narrative claiming that weedkiller sprays are safe for humans. Yet something is damaging the community’s capacity to reproduce.

After Colleen is seen talking to a member of the Yurok tribe, whose traditional fishing grounds are filling up with dead salmon, Chub’s dog is found with a bullet in his head. Their neighbours, who joined a protest group, return home one day to see their house a heap of blackened embers. It doesn’t stop there.

However, the oldest member of the

redwood clan has found a way to be happy and independent, and a discovery after his death proves that one person at least had the smarts to outfox the bosses.

TERMINAL BOREDOM Izumi Suzuki, Verso, $22.99 Don’t be put off by the title – Suzuki was a sci-fi sensation in her own country. These translations come to us after more than 30 years, and so the apparent echoes of William Gibson’s Neuromancer and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale are, in fact, harbingers.

Suzuki’s seven stories describe young men and women baffled as they try out what their parents seem to find meaningful and/or enjoyable.

“Are we doing it right?” they wonder as art, food, sex and the paths to wisdom fail to engage.

Suzuki foresees all too accurately where the 21st century is heading and where fakery matched to human desire can lead. The stories anticipate worlds which are partly false, but which part?

The benefits of brief exposure to Suzuki’s foundering universes emerge only after the reader has bounced back to everyday life. A boiled egg with ‘soldiers’ never tasted so good.

A sunset churns the soul. Walking the dog is positively transcendental.

There was no bounce-back, however, for Suzuki. She became ill and died by suicide at the age of 36.

You can consume these 200 pages in less than an afternoon. Look upon it as an experiment.

THE WATTLE ISLAND BOOK CLUB Sandie Docker, Michael Joseph, $32.99 On page 294 is the reason why this novel could start a small revolution.

You’ve seen the street libraries – usually old fridges or shelves lurching among the autumn leaves – where passers-by drop off books they want to share with others. The three

nearest to me contain an excellent mix of quick reads, serious issue items, and quality fiction and journalism. However, the fun of sharing and comparing is absent.

Sure, there are book-club groups, but the members have been avid readers since kindergarten. Reading for pleasure will die out if we don’t motivate millennials and the young.

What happens in Docker’s story is that a bookshop which closed down becomes a small community library. With a combination of donations, municipal funds and volunteers – the details of start-up are briefly but usefully expressed – fiction’s opportunities for escape and solace endure.

As for the rest of the novel, it has some quirky elements – not least the opening chapter in which a cancer patient and an octogenarian take part in a bungee-jumping expedition.

ONE POT, PAN, PLANET Anna Jones, 4th Estate, $49.99 Jones’s latest compilation is so much more than 200 recipes, mostly vegan.

We’ve been inching away from feedlot beef and eggs from harried, itchy hens. But the rethink imposed by lockdown pushed us one step further to become more open to novelty.

Jones has chapters divided up according to receptacles. Soups, casseroles and curries fill the ‘Pot’ chapter; ‘Pan’ features fritters and stir-fries; and in ‘Tray’ you can roast a whole cauliflower or bake savoury tarts and pizzas or, believe it or not, cook pasta from scratch.

Towards the back of each section, there are dinner-party items. Ten vegetables get the ‘ideas for’ treatment. There’s advice about the store cupboard and avoiding waste (the average Australian household throws away 5kg of edible food per week).

If I had to pick one beauty from the whole collection, it would be the Chocolate, Olive Oil and Rosemary Cake. Outstanding

SEPTEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 135

COLLECTABLES

AT THE MUSEUM WHILE THESE STRIKING CERAMICS ARE ULTRA-CONTEMPORARY, THEY HAVE A CENTURIES-OLD HERITAGE. BORN IN THAILAND, Vipoo Srivilasa arrived in

Australia in 1997, aged 18. He studied ceramics in Bangkok and Australia, and his work, like that of many artists coming to Australia from all over the world, brings together ancient and modern traditions.

Working in porcelain and especially with blue painted decoration, Vipoo’s ceramics remind us of Chinese porcelains first made in the 14th century.

The taste for blue and white spread throughout Asia and examples were eagerly collected in Europe.

It was not until the 16th century that Italian, Dutch and English potters began to imitate Chinese porcelains, and not until the early 18th century that porcelain was successfully made in Europe.

Vipoo’s #happy_together VI (2017) draws much of its inspiration from Star Wars fantasy, and probably the Teletubbies. There is nothing frightening about these figures. They are different – from another planet, but welcoming, and perhaps that is a comment upon a modern society in which most of us come from another culture.

The Wollongong Art Gallery has a small collection of Asian ceramics, including blue-and-white porcelain from China. In acquiring this work by Vipoo, and others by Danie Mellor and Stephen Benwell, the collection demonstrates not just ceramic traditions from around the world, but also the inventive nature of contemporary artists working in clay.

Wollongong Art Gallery, Corner Kembla and Burelli Sts, Wollongong, NSW, (02) 4227 8500, wollongongartgallery.com

$75

COLLECTABLES JOHN MCPHEE EXAMINES TWO MYSTERY VASES THAT WERE PASSED DOWN TO A READER BY HER MOTHER. I AM WRITING to you in the hope of finding

out more information about a pair of vases that my mother passed on to me. The vases belonged to Edna Walker, an elderly friend of my mother’s. Edna would have been in her 40s when she was given the vases, and her elderly friend would have been well into her 70s at the time (in the 1950s). I am now 81 years old, so the vases would be well over 100 years old. I don’t know the origin of the vases nor where they were purchased.

Rita Walker, North Wollongong, NSW Your vases are made of milk glass, so-called because of its milky whiteness. They were probably made in England but could also have originated on the continent, where factories in Germany and Austria produced large quantities of decorative glass in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The central cartouches featuring playful winged putti are transfer-printed, then coloured, while the decoration is handpainted and gilded. The leaves and flowers are decorative rather than depicting a specific plant. The overall effect is richly decorative. The vases were not intended to be used to hold flowers, but as ornaments on a chimneypiece in a richly furnished room.

John McPhee is an art historian who has worked in art museums for 30 years, and was curator of Australian Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Australia.

Vipoo Srivilasa’s beautifully ornate #happy_together VI was created using cobalt pigment on Lumina porcelain.

136 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

Do you have a precious object that puzzles you or a mysterious item that has been in your family for generations? Send your inquiry, along with a colour print or high-resolution digital image, your suburb or town, and your daytime telephone number, to hannah.james@aremedia.com.au. The photographs must be clear and show the whole object against a white background. Photographs will not be returned, even if they are not published.

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COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS

THE LITTLE COOKING SCHOOL MUDGEE, NSW

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Enjoy unparalleled luxury and comfort in this stunning heritage property. Let the warm hospitality and tranquil peace overtake you… It’s all about the detail and intimacy here at Bishop’s Court Estate Bishop’s Court Estate 226 Seymour St Bathurst NSW 2795 Ph: 02 6332 4447

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SEPTEMBER 2021 COU NTRY ST Y LE 153

COUN TRY SQUIRE

MOUSE TALE ROB INGRAM PONDERS THE MOUSE PLAGUE AFFECTING COUNTRY REGIONS AND COMES UP WITH SOME RATHER INNOVATIVE, ENTERTAINING SOLUTIONS. the mouse plague. What mouse plague? The one that is costing our agricultural industry around one billion dollars. I guess that deserves a little more attention than it’s been getting here in my column.

The reason I’m in denial about the mouse plague is guilt. I feel kind of responsible for the explosion in mouse numbers over the years. Back in the days when Tom and Jerry came into our lives, the treacherous cat was forever tempting the cheeky mouse into perilous situations with a nice, plump wedge of Emmental cheese. That’s about all we knew about mice – you could entice them to do anything with a cheese reward.

Mice weren’t a big issue in the city, but when we answered the call of the wild, the mice were here to welcome us. We snapped up – excuse the term – dozens of old wire mouse traps and I set about baiting them up.

Thanks to Hanna-Barbera Productions, I knew that Emmental cheese was irresistible to mice. The problem here was that Emmental cheese is irresistible to me, too.

So the traps were loaded with Bega semi-hard cheddar – “matured for a creamy, smooth taste and medium flavour attract a decent plague without sweetened hazelnut cocoa intensity”. That should do. spread. Think about it: in the ’40s, we’d happily sit down I knew Tom the Tormentor wouldn’t approve, but to a meal of stewed tripe and onions, but now you can’t I reasoned that I should be further up the food chain than attract guests with anything less than sous-vide salmon incontinent rodents. And, while the early bird might get cheeks on braised fennel polenta followed by cinnamonthe worm, it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese! roasted rhubarb. Why wouldn’t you expect mice to become It wasn’t a huge success. Maybe the mice liked the holes more sophisticated in their culinary choices, too? in Emmental, rather than the medium flavour intensity Finally, scientific studies have confirmed that mice of Bega. Or maybe it wasn’t a very big plague. I sought local tend to prefer sweet foods. Cheese consists of proteins wisdom and was told that the cheese myth was outdated; that aren’t usually sweet. You’re the favoured lure these days was peanut butter. When the next “I WAS TOLD THAT THE CHEESE more likely to catch a mouse with a Ferrero Rocher wafer than plague came nibbling, I was ready MYTH WAS OUTDATED; THE with the peanut butter. The label FAVOURED LURE THESE DAYS a chunk of cheddar. You’re more likely to start another plague, too. said: “Suitable for vegetarians and WAS PEANUT BUTTER.” Anyway, the old wire mouse trap vegans”. No mention of mice at all, is a thing of the past out here. A local bloke has invented which I thought was a bit odd. But it certainly worked the ultimate bucket trap. The bucket is half-filled with better than cheese. When I reported increased catches water and fitted with a ramp and a springboard. A dab to my neighbour, he was scornful. of peanut butter or Nutella is placed on the end of the “People used to use peanut butter,” he said. “But Nutella springboard. The mouse races up the ramp and heads gets the best results.” So Nutella it was – and if the trap along the springboard… which collapses and tips the toll was growing, so was the size of the plagues. mouse into the water. Hours of fun for all the family I finally realised that the more delectable the lure, the calculating points for clean entry into the water, more mice would turn up; the bigger the plague, the bigger multiplied by points for degree of difficulty. Mouse the loss to the economy. I mean, Tom might have tempted plagues have never been more entertaining.

Jerry with a bit of cheese in the 1940s, but now you can’t

154 COUNTRY STYLE SEPTEMBER 2021

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLÉ BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY SAM MCADAM-COOPER STYLING PHOEBE MCEVOY

YOU’RE RIGHT, OF COURSE . I haven’t written much about

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