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DECEMBER 2021 I AUSTRALIA COAST TO COAST

Wonderland

ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY

Life on a Christmas tree farm

The scene is set Decorate the table for a festive lunch

LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN

EDITOR’S LETTER

Mid-December is usually when the festivities begin, but celebrations started early this year. The excitement of being able to get together once lockdown finally ended kickstarted catch-ups with family and friends. I know it did for me. As soon as we were allowed to leave Sydney, we drove up the coast to Farmhouse on Oxley on the Mid-North Coast, to spend three days with my parents. We hadn’t seen them since Easter, and even though the Farmhouse was beautiful – perfect, even – it was the reunion between our four children and my mum and dad that was the highlight. I can only imagine how good it must feel to be together again after years apart because of border closures.

But, as with most hardships, people in regional areas seem to rise above each challenge and make something good of it. Bachir Houari is a great example of this.

Unable to visit his family in France since COVID began, Bachir began making pastries in Clarkefield, Victoria. By being able to taste the flavours of home, he felt less homesick and a new business, Les Nôtres, was born (see page 78).

Those lucky enough to live in the Macedon Ranges can enjoy this self-taught pastry chef’s homemade delicacies. How I would love to be able to serve his croissants on Christmas morning. Instead, I’ll be making a start on the lunch menu (page 86) from Frida’s Field in the lush, rolling hills of Nashua in northern NSW. The apricot-glazed turkey with stuffing, and cranberry and riberry sauce, will be gracing my table. I’ll also be taking inspiration from our decorating story on page 104 – those Champagne coupes are number one on my Christmas list. As for what to fill my glass with, I’m thinking the delicious cocktail in our festive drinks story (page 110).

This festive season is going to be one big reunion, and that’s why it will be extra s ecial. I ho e ever one enjoys themselves, however you choose to celebrate.

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“The kids love swimming in the dam in summer and putting yabby pots in the water.”

Clancy Paine, page 15

D e c e m b e r 2 02 1 | c o n t e n t s

34

PHOTOGRAPHY CLANCY PAINE, MARNIE HAWSON, ABBIE MELLE STYLING MICHELLE CRAWFORD, LISA BURDEN

86

COVER STORIES

28 Wonderland: Life on a Christmas tree farm 104 The scene is set: Decorate the table for a festive lunch

CELEBRATE

15 A BUSH CHRISTMAS

Clancy Paine, who photographed our stunning cover this month, shares her family’s longstanding festive traditions on the farm in Narromine, NSW.

PEOPLE

54 NATURE’S PLAYGROUND

Life revolves around the sea for the Rasura family, who celebrate Christmas at home on the Sunshine Coast.

GARDEN

74 JUST THE TONIC 76

Gardener Fiona Weir Walmsley praises the humble herb.

IN THE GARDEN What to plant in summer, plus new backyard favourites.

FOOD

28 OH, CHRISTMAS TREE

86 ALL TOGETHER

78

99

Brad and Katrina Fraser, owners of the Granite Belt Christmas Farm in Applethorpe, Qld, get to celebrate the festive season all year round!

TASTE OF HOME To quell his homesickness during the pandemic, Bachir Houari began making pastries, bringing authentic French flavours to the Macedon Ranges in Central Victoria.

HOMES

34 LIVING HISTORY

46

Michelle and Leo Crawford’s grand residence in Franklin, Tasmania has evolved many times over its 100-year history, and now a new chapter has begun.

THE HAPPIEST HOME Annette and Dr Rod Mailer are counting the days until Christmas, when their four grandchildren will arrive at their heritage-listed home.

100 102

Jeanie Wylie, of Frida’s Field restaurant in Nashua, NSW, shares recipes for an indulgent Christmas lunch. There’s plenty to share – or keep for Boxing Day leftovers.

FLAVOURS Get last-minute Christmas gift ideas, with high-tech new appliances, limited release wines and tasty condiments.

TIME WELL SPENT For chef Steve Cumper, celebrating means making favourites such as his rice, mint and feta dolmades.

SWEET LIKE HONEY Barossa Valley winemaker Prue Henschke reveals her recipe for traditional Honigkuchen.

DECORATING

104 THE MAIN EVENT

Whether you’re feasting as a family or hosting friends, we show you how to create a welcoming table setting for Christmas lunch or New Year’s Eve celebrations.

126 133 BOOK CLUB

Country Style’s Annabel Lawson offers holiday reading inspiration with new books about history, adventure, feminism, food, mateship and magic.

Plus, our summary of the year’s best titles.

REGULAR READING

10 Contributors 14 Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters 21 A Month in the Country: Summer is all about the 25 26 122

104 DRINKS

110 RAISE A GLASS

Meet the makers of exciting new wine, beer and spirit labels around the nation – and there are plenty of delicious non-alcoholic varieties, too.

18 SUBSCRIBE TO COUNTRY STYLE FOR YOUR 139 140 150

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OUR COVER

Plan a road trip from Canberra to Yass with stops at quaint inns, vineyards, artisan bakers and charming stores. Soak up the fascinating history at notable landmarks dotted along the way.

FASHION

Restaurateur and mum-of-three Jeanie Wylie looks for comfortable garments with an eclectic twist.

LET’S CELEBRATE! As end-of-year parties kick off, get tips on fashion trends, heat-friendly fabrics and flattering shapes.

PHOTOGRAPHY Clancy Paine STYLING Jemima Aldridge

ON THE COVER Stylist Jemima Aldridge created a magical bush Christmas for our December cover. Photographer Clancy Paine says, “I love the tones in the dam bank, it’s one of my favourite places to photograph.” For more, see page 15.

Tablecloth from Long Lunch Linen; wooden bowl from Barefoot Gypsy; candle in jar from Quandialla Candle Co; gumnut foliage by La Petite Fleuriste; tapers from Maison Balzac; plates from Kim Wallace Ceramics. All other props belong to stylist and photographer.

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 ABBIE MELLE, ALANA LANDSBERRY STYLING LISA BURDEN, KAYLA GEX

116 SAY YES TO YASS

130

SERVICES

Piles of presents and a sweet orphaned joey named Susie...

Clancy Paine captured this quintessential Australian Christmas setting near her home in Narromine, NSW.

TRAVEL

126 THE STYLE DIARY

154

outdoors: festivals, Christmas lights and camping.

A Day in the Country: Maggie MacKellar recalls her children’s adventures on the country school bus.

Life on a Station: Kimberley jillaroo Emma Moss says Christmas in the wet season means rain, cyclones, mozzies and… plenty of fun for the locals!

Regional Shopping Guide: We highlight suppliers of gourmet foods – perfect for a festive feast.

Country Squire: Rob Ingram shares his dos and don’ts for hosting a memorable party.

Bringing you together this festive season Discover all the latest models at AGA Australia agaaustralia.com.au | P: (03) 9521 4965

CONTRIBUTORS

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P A U L A H E E L A N

Remote places feel like home to writer and photographer Paula, who penned our story about the Granite Belt Christmas Farm on page 28.

Photojournalist and author Paula Heelan grew up by the sea in Tasmania, and moved to a remote cattle station in Queensland with her husband Peter, 64. Instantly, Paula, 63, loved the outback – the resilient people, the extreme weather, the landscape’s grandeur and teaching their children, Matt and Ali, through distance education. Having written for Country Style over the years, she says the magazine is a perfect fit: “I love that I can live and work as a photojournalist from a distance.”

Paula and Peter now live on a farm in South East Queensland with their dog, Mini, a small cattle herd and some chooks.

WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON, HANNAH PUECHMARIN, BERNHARD SCHMITZ

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“I love escaping to the country,” says Country Style’s copy editor Greta, 42, who lives in Sydney with her husband, Nathan, 44, and sons Eli, nine, and Zeke, six.

“My favourite spot is Stanthorpe in Queensland, where my aunt and uncle live. Their home is so beautiful, with sweeping countryside views and cows in the paddocks. Growing up, we would drive there from Brisbane and count all the windmills along the way. It was such an adventure… I also love visiting farmstays with my kids as it’s a novelty for them to feed the animals and have a bonfire with toasted marshmallows.”

– ONLY AT HARRIS SCARFE

TH E P E R FE CT G IFT TO I N S PIRE N E W ADV EN TU R E S

Editor KYLIE IMESON Creative director SARAH FARAGO Deputy editor HANNAH JAMES Queensland contributing editor CLAIRE MACTAGGART Art director BERNHARD SCHMITZ Copy editors GRETA DUMBLETON, SUE RAMSEY, JESSICA MAT THEWS Junior designer SAFFRON SYLVESTER Editorial coordinator ANNIK A BAKER (02) 9282 8456

A DV ERT ISI NG A N D PRODUCT ION

Commercial brand manager MICHELLE O’HANLON (02) 9282 8260 Brand executive AMELIA PATERSON (02) 9282 8038 Advertising production manager KATE ORSBORN (02) 9282 8364 Director of sales NSW KAREN HOLMES (02) 9282 8733 Victoria head of direct sales DEMI MARTELLO (03) 9823 6368 Queensland head of sales JUDY TAYLOR (07) 3101 6636 New Zealand inquiries +61 2 9282 8505 Head of Directories REBECCA WHITE (02) 9282 8273 Data and distribution manager JOSHUA BLANSHARD Production controller KARA STEAD Advertising production controller DOMINIC ROY (02) 9282 8691 Creative director CLARE CATT (02) 8116 9341 Senior event manager CATE GAZAL (02) 8226 9342

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YOUR PAGE

On our November cover, the delightful Wee Tiny house at Austinville, Qld, sits among bushland and overlooks Mudgeeraba Creek, with Belted Galloways grazing nearby.

Owners Fiona Gunn and Clancy Palmer bought the 1.6-hectare property in 2016 and restored the existing timber slab hut, which is now their home, then later built Wee Tiny using leftover timber.

Follow @palmerandgunn Photography by Morgan Kelly

Have you got your Country Style 2022 Diary and Calendar with the beautiful dahlias that Suzy and Richard Miller grow in their garden in Bathurst, NSW, on the cover? Look for it at your local newsagent or go to magshop.com.au to order yours or to purchase them as a gift in time for the new year.

Photography @moniquelovick.photography

YOUR PAGE

OUR READERS REFLECT ON THE YEAR THAT WAS, AND WHAT THEY LEARNT OR GAINED. MEANWHILE, OUR NOVEMBER ISSUE SPARKED HAPPY MEMORIES AND INSPIRATION. KIND GESTURE

It’s early Sunday evening. I am contemplating my day and I’m about to get stuck into the November issue of Country Style. The clouds are building for a predicted storm and I can smell the orange blossom from my neighbour’s yard. One of my faithful dogs is at my feet; the other is searching for lizards in the grass.

It was a good day. I got to spend time with precious friends, one of whom has a terminal illness. Next time I go over, I’ll take another stack of your magazines for my dear friend. She enjoys them as much as I do and I love seeing her smile. Time is precious and your magazine is made to share.

Ange Hyland, Gladstone, Qld

CREATIVE DISCOVERY

As Christmas nears, I reflect on 2021. I learnt a lot about patience and I created works of beauty. I was inspired to make Christmas cards at the end of 2020 by the gift of a faraway grandchild’s handmade card.

Family and friends contributed photos, pictures and materials along the way. The circle of involvement widened. A friend explained there was enjoyment in being part of creating something beautiful. I met new people and learnt about the creative process.

Ideas came when I relaxed. I saw things happening in our garden that

I never realised occurred: the gradual fall of the bougainvillea; the birds that walked, flew and ate; the rainbows, cloudbanks and iridescent colours lit up by stormy skies; butterflies and dragonflies darting about. My subject matter began to match the seasons.

Creating relaxed me. I enjoyed making complicated designs, simple designs and discovered a love of measuring and cutting (learnt as a child). The project took away the reality of never-before experienced restrictions in seeing close family.

Thank you, Country Style staff, for your magazine and shared love of beautiful places, and for providing a wonderful medium for relaxing.

Happy Christmas to the family of Country Style readers and staff.

Roslyn Carthew, Bunbury, WA

INSPIRED THINKING

I enjoyed Goodness Delivered by Sue Ramsey, in the November issue, about the couple who launched a business of home-delivered local produce during COVID. We moved to our farm on the Mid-North Coast of NSW during the pandemic and are always looking for new ideas to try. Thanks for sharing.

Narelle McGinty, Strathcedar, NSW

GOOD OLD DAYS

I loved the November issue of Country Style – the Morris Minor on the cover was identical to my first car! I grew up in country South Australia, and it brought back memories of all the adventures I had with my friends: going to netball, drive-in movies and country dances. I love your magazine!

Suzanne Elliott, Narre Warren, Vic

Congratulations

All our letter writers this month have won a gorgeous pair of Jones & Co Cockatoo Candlesticks in Pink, valued at $176 (candles not included).

Share your thoughts and experiences with us by writing to Country Style, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW, 2001, or emailing austcountrystyle@ aremedia.com.au. Please include your address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity.

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NA R ROMINE NSW CELEBR ATE Clancy relishes holiday mode with her kids, three-year-old Hardy, Dolly, nine, and Trader, six, – and Daisy, seven, who was throwing yabby pots into the dam when this photo was taken.

FOR P MINE, NSW, IS ALL ABOUT FUN, FOOD AND FAMILY TRADITIONS. WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY CLA NCY PA INE ST YLING JEMIM A A LDR IDGE

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 15

CELEBR ATE NA R ROMINE NSW

“Pavlova, trifle and pudding trick us into thinking we weren’t quite full from lunch.”

Christmas in the bush means a day of outdoor fun and lots of food. FACING PAGE Sweet orphaned joey Susie is well looked after by the children.

IT STARTS WITH A FLURRY OF FOOTSTEPS and a cacophony

of excited voices. We lie in bed, smiling through bleary eyes and anticipating the crash tackle of four warm little bodies landing on top of our doona.

Christmas morning is one of the few mornings in the year where our kids are up at first light, even beating the rooster out of his bed. Of course, if we asked them to wake this early at the start of school term it would never happen!

With four young kids in tow, the Paine family festive season is never going to be anything but a loud and messy affair. But, despite the chaos, my husband Matt and I feel fortunate each year to wake up with our kids under one roof. They are still young enough that the excitement of busting open wrapping paper still outweighs what’s inside.

We joke (but secretly relish) that our toddler will happily rip open his presents and glean more joy from the empty box than whatever was concealed inside.

With Santa sacks done and dusted, shoes become essential armour as the wrapping paper-covered floor becomes a danger zone. We learnt early on that treading on Lego, pine needles and shattered ornaments can be a very painful start to the day.

Living in the bush, Christmas morning means there are still chores to be done. The dogs, chooks and other pets that make up our menagerie all need to be watered and fed. It’s hot, too, so the kids move fast to escape the scalding ground, dodging bindies and giddy with the excitement of their next instalment – a trip to their cousins’ house to exchange sleigh-spotting and reindeer track yarns.

With the kids safely loaded in the car, Matt and I dart back and forth from the house with piles of gifts for nieces and nephews hastily packed into washing baskets.

I execute one final fridge dash to transport the cold dishes to the car to take to Mum and Dad’s, and am once again relieved to be assigned a simple meal to cook, and wonder if this is a reflection on my cooking skills or time-poor life… I like to assume the latter.

Despite the fact that the kids are hyped with excitement and anticipation, it’s guaranteed that Matt will throw into the itinerary a quick trough check or “hang on darl, I’ll just turn this tap off and open that gate on the way”.

Traditions die hard in our family and as we roll up to Mum and Dad’s, Christmas lunch is being served on a table longer than a cricket pitch on the back verandah.

We all try to sit together, but it’s a frenzied few hours with young kids leaving as fast as they can to wrestle with their cousins, the parents of young ones slicing up bite-sized bits of ham and turkey, and the stayers staying. And without fail, there’s always a spare chair at our table for a drifter.

The announcement of sweets is an effective and immediate drawcard that pulls the crowd back. Pavlova, trifle and pudding trick us into thinking we weren’t quite full from lunch. Little fingers make quick grabs for cream-covered berries as the pav is plated up.

With such a big family, we pull names from the hat and purchase a present for one person with a $100 limit. We also add in a fun themed gift. Last year, it was to regift something you no longer used; humour was only limited by the gift-giver! This always brings us undone with laughter and there are some questionable items unwrapped, much to the amusement of onlookers.

As the resident photographer, it’s my job to send videos of the water-bomb fights, cossie tans and backyard cricket matches to my sister, who resides overseas. Later in the day, as the time zones become more forgiving, we play FaceTime tag to eventually swap festive stories with her and her husband.

And then, in the blink of an eye, Matt and I are on the way home. The squeals and laughter subside and are replaced by gentle snores from the back seat. Within the quietness of the car we make the short journey home, with my only job now to be on the lookout for roadside roos.

I feel an enormous sense of gratitude at this time of year.

What more does one need apart from family, contented kids, good health, music, great food and hot weather?

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 17

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An escape to the country

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A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

These holidays, be enchanted by Christmas light displays and festivals celebrating food, art and culture.

PHOTOGRAPHY HANNAH PUECHMARIN

WORDS M ATILDA R INGROSE

Deer delight visitors at the Granite Belt Christmas Farm in Applethorpe, Qld.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 21

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

W E E K E N D AWA Y Wilderness Tiny House is one of two off-grid holiday homes available for booking on this picturesque slice of bushland just a stone’s throw from Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains of NSW. Surrounded by towering snow gums, grazing native wildlife and a bubbling river (perfect for swimming!), the well-appointed tiny house makes for the ideal do-not-disturb getaway. riparide.com

NSW

Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular, Nov 5, 2021–Jan 26, 2022 This Christmas, the Hunter Valley Gardens will dazzle visitors with more than three million lights. Spend the weekend exploring the region and enjoy an evening in the beautiful gardens with interactive lighting displays, food stalls and amusement rides. Tickets are available online at huntervalleygardens.com.au Rosé All Day – Mortimer’s Rosé Launch, Dec 4 Welcome summer with live music, grazing platters, dancing… and rosé!

Mortimer’s Winery, in the town of Orange, invites you to the launch of their brand-new tipple, All Day Rosé, at the heritage-listed Schoolhouse Cellar Door. Tickets can be purchased online at mortimerswines.com.au Meeting of Minds: Weekend Workshop, Dec 4-5 Tweed Heads Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, in the vibrant town of Murwillumbah, is hosting a weekend workshop led by

22 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

artists Michael Cusack and Christine Willcocks, two of the directors at the Byron School of Art. The workshop offers an opportunity for local artists to experiment with creative practices alongside their industry peers. artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au

QLD

Woodford Bushtime, Dec 27, 2021-Jan 1, 2022 From the organisers of the Woodford Folk Festival comes Bushtime, which will take place in lieu of the festival this year. Picture a family camping holiday with concerts at dusk, craft workshops throughout the day, yoga, presentations, food stalls and more, all set on 200 hectares of parkland in the Moreton Bay hinterland. woodfordia.org/bushtime Gimuy Fish Festival, Dec 5 Held annually in Cairns, this one-day event celebrates the culture and culinary traditions of the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people, the traditional owners of Cairns (Gimuy) who have hunted and fished in the

region for thousands of years. The festival aims to raise awareness of sustainable fishing practices through live music and performances from Yidinji dancers. There is also the highly anticipated Gimuy Cook-Off, which sees several local restaurants whipping up 200 meals – free of charge – in the hope of convincing festivalgoers to vote for them as Gimuy’s Top Chef. This year, children can participate in a special cook-off, too. gimuyfishfestival.com

WA

Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival, Dec 11 Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival returns with wine tastings, food stalls, a log chopping contest and the annual Grand Parade through Manjimup town centre. The popular Long Table Lunch, where guests dine among the cherry trees at Newton Orchards, will be held on December 12. Come for the festival and stay to explore the lush countryside. cherryfestival.com.a

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A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

WHEELS ON THE BUS AS THE SCHOOL YEAR COMES TO A CLOSE, MAGGIE MACKELLAR REMINISCES WITH HER DAUGHTER ABOUT HER TIME ON THE BUS.

PHOTOGRAPHY SAMUEL SHELLEY

ON MY WAY HOME FROM TOWN last week, I pulled up behind

a school bus as its doors opened and three small children clattered down the stairs. Time did that dance and I was suddenly back in the place of young motherhood, waiting by the cattle grid for the arrival of the school bus with my three-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter. We had just moved from the city to live on my aunt and uncle’s farm, and the contrast from the daily snarl of the suburban school drop-off was acute.

Standing on that quiet country road, I felt like I’d stepped through a door into another world. And I had.

When the bus arrived, Dawn swung the door open and her smile welcomed my two on board. The inside of the bus was a cheerful cacophony of noise. In the weeks, months and years that followed, the school bus became the bookend of my days. The much-loved Dawn retired and her equally loved daughter-in-law, Jenny, took her place behind the wheel. If we were late in the morning, the bus would wait patiently, and if I was held up in the afternoon, I could call Jenny and ask her to keep the kids on for the loop and I’d be home in time for her return trip.

But what I don’t think I appreciated, or even understood, was that while the bus was a godsend for me, it was something else entirely for my kids. I message my daughter and ask what she remembers about the bus. This prompts her to get in touch with her fellow riders. They are all out in the world now, doing their thing. One is deep in the Northern Territory, studying the life cycle of desert creatures; another is an artist; another, a writer; and my daughter is on the cusp of graduating as a vet. But the memories drop their adulthood from them and they riff off each other. They’ve kindly shared the chat…

“What do you remember?” The Christmas lucky dip; the colouring-in books Jenny would bring us; the treat of the big bus on the last day of the year; stopping at the pool for Middleton’s ice cream; the crazes – jelly strings “can you start this for me”; everyone reading Harry Potter at the same time; corners on the back seat; holding your breath past the cemetery; chicken – where you pressed your forehead to the window over the corrugated dirt road, and the last one to give up was the winner; Order in the Court!

I ask, “What on earth is Order in the Court?” Apparently it was a game that would go on for weeks. The appointed judge sat on the high chair above the wheel and shouted, “Order in the Court!” With that, the bus was called to attention and the game would commence. Where they got this from, I have no idea, but it was all very complicated – there were criminals, witnesses and a jury.

The memories keep coming: The singing! The group chat swaps rapid-fire song lyrics: “Follow Me”; “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog”; “1000 green beer bottles”; remember the girls would all sing and the boys would get annoyed, but Dawn said she liked it. One of the riders says, The bus was actually our Clubhouse.

All over country Australia, there are school bus routes.

You’ll only really notice them if you look for bikes stacked against the fence or a ute, heavy with work dogs, waiting on the side of the road around 4pm. Each school bus has a unique set of shared rules and traditions handed down from one generation of riders to the next. I’m glad I asked my daughter what she remembered, because alongside my gratitude for the generosity and kindness of the bus drivers in my children’s lives, I now have a small glimpse into the wealth of memories those years gave them.

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Kimberley locals will be hoping for daily storms and a good drenching of rain this wet season.

LIFE ON A STATION

A very merry and soggy Christmas KIMBERLEY-BASED JILLAROO EMMA MOSS SAYS MOTHER NATURE RUNS THE SHOW DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON UP NORTH.

PHOTOGRAPHY EMMA MOSS

I FIND IT AMUSING how, as humans, we try to control and

plan so many things. The Kimberley is such a grounding place, where Mother Nature decides how the year will roll out. This is a censored version of what an old stockman once told me and it very much resonates: “Mother Nature is like a five foot six lady who’s been working in the navy for 20 years. She might look sweet and cute, but because of all the things she’s capable of, the people who have been at her mercy respect her out of fear and wonder.” He was a poet and always had an amazing turn of phrase, and this description has always stuck with me.

Up here, we have a wet season and a dry season.

Officially, the wet season is November to April, with the majority of rain falling between late December and early February. And that’s the total rainfall we will get for the entire year. With this rain comes humidity, and that means mosquitoes and flies. This combination usually scares away tourists or anyone living further south.

The seasonal decline in population leads to many other changes. In the wet season, most of the shops in town shut and there is only the occasional cafe, supermarket, servo and pub open for business. Everything else closes for months on end. It’s too hot to spend much time outside, so aircon is a must. And just to make sure she has the upper hand, Mother Nature makes the hottest months of the year the favoured time for crocodiles and Irukandji jellyfish to appear. So during the wet, the beach is a no-go zone, as are many rivers close to the sea.

When I say that these towns turn into ghost towns, it’s not short of the truth. Broome goes from a peak of 70,000 people in the dry season to about 16,000 in the wet season.

It’s rare to have to wait at a roundabout and there is always a car park right outside the front door of the supermarket.

There are two things that make you a northern local: when you’ve accepted that it is socially acceptable to have a pile of sweat underneath your chair when sitting down; and you’ve mastered the art of using the toilet for similar sweat reasons – hazardous.

The humidity also means that there is no chance of getting 100 per cent dry, even after a shower (cold water doesn’t exist as everything is heated up). If you want your hair to dry, aircon time is essential. In fact, my aunty has very curly, frizzy hair that started to go mouldy after she left it in a bun for a couple of weeks up here. Be warned!

The wet season also means cyclone season. Often they occur further south, but the north is still affected.

A cyclone down south means the 10,000 people stuck in town are trying to figure out how to share the meagre groceries that are left – like the six coconuts, and long-life almond milk that tastes like dishwater.

In December 2020, we had our biggest wet-season Christmas ever. Thanks to COVID and the general nature of my family, we had an ‘orphans’ Christmas of 30 people – four of the Moss family, and 26 others aged from 18 to 55 who didn’t have family up here. We all had to stay inside because the mozzies were so bad that you couldn’t go outside for more than a couple of minutes without getting at least 10 bites. We shared a bush turkey, a roast lamb (a wild one caught on the Gibb River Road) and many kilos of fresh, delicious, local prawns. To say it was one big party is an understatement.

Grog restrictions mean we have to start buying drinks a few weeks ahead for an event like Christmas. Our IDs are scanned, regardless of age, to ensure we don’t ‘bottle shop hop’ and exceed restrictions by using multiple bottle-os.

Another funny thing about the north is the distance between towns. There is nowhere else to really ‘holiday’ apart from Broome. In a six-hour radius, there is Port Hedland, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. That’s if you can even get there because the roads are often cut.

Camping is not an option – it’s too hot and too wet. So, often locals stay in a hotel in Broome, even if they live there.

This might not sound like everyone’s cup of tea, but it means quality time with the few people around. And there’s often $10 cocktails for the locals. It’s also not unheard of to catch a barramundi off the side of the road.

The rain isn’t cold like it is down south, so it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to stay out of it.

Once again, it’s big or nothing in the Kimberley. The wet and dry seasons couldn’t contrast more from each other. And I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to brushing up on my Uno skills, having family fights over Monopoly, and watching the amazing storms roll in Follow Emma on Instagram @life_on_a_station

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 27

PEOPLE A PPLETHOR PE QLD

OH, CHRISTMAS TREE AT THEIR CHRISTMAS FARM IN QUEENSLAND’S GRANITE BELT, THE FRASER FAMILY HAVE CREATED A WONDERLAND THAT LASTS YEAR ROUND. WORDS PAULA HEELA N PHOTOGRAPHY H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN

Visitors to the Granite Belt Christmas Farm can feed Santa’s animals, including donkeys Holly, Louie and Dallas. FACING PAGE The Frasers never tire of festive fun.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 29

PEOPLE A PPLETHOR PE QLD

BRAD FRASER IS LEAPING UP AND DOWN to reach and slash

the top of a pine tree. At lightning speed he’s pruning to perfection with a razor-sharp, extended shearing knife.

As he moves swiftly down a long row of trees, clipped needles fill the air with the heavenly scent of pine. After the best season that Brad and his wife, Katrina, have experienced on their farm, this carefully designed plantation of Pinus radiata trees, or Christmas pines, is a glorious sea of lush green.

Visitors to the Granite Belt Christmas Farm, located at Applethorpe, seven kilometres west of Stanthorpe in Queensland, can buy a potted tree or choose their own small, medium or large cut tree (from 1.5 metres to 3.6 metres) from December each year. Harvesting begins in November and continues daily until December 23.

The farm sits on nine hectares, and was once an apple orchard. Brad, 39, and Katrina, 35, bought the land and planted their first trees in 2015. The two met in western Queensland, where Brad was managing a cattle property and Katrina, having taken six months off to explore the

30 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

outback, was working as a governess. “I’m originally from northern New South Wales and Brad is from Victoria,” says Katrina. “The drought was taking its toll out west – and was particularly hard on Brad, who was working seven days a week. Eventually, we wanted to start a family, so we decided to move closer to our parents and siblings.”

Brad has a diverse range of farming skills, and with Katrina’s background in tourism and hotel management, they came up with the idea of a Christmas tree farm.

“We thought it would add something new to the Granite Belt’s burgeoning wine region and tourism market,” Katrina explains.

Six years on, and with two children – Evelyn, six, and four-year-old West – Brad and Katrina not only have a flourishing crop of more than 15,000 Christmas trees, of which 2000 are sold each year, they have created a magical Christmas wonderland. The moment you walk through the farm gate, childhood memories come rushing back. This is a place to create new Christmas traditions.

It’s a place to take time out from the hustle and bustle of >

“We thought it would add something new to the Granite Belt’s wine region and tourism market.”

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The Frasers have created an enchanting tourist attraction in the Granite Belt; children are delighted to feed all the farm animals; West and Evelyn are creating their own special traditions; visitors can wander among the pine trees; the children love getting involved; the cafe has a lovely view of the farm. FACING PAGE Customers enjoy choosing their very own fresh Christmas tree to take home.

With more than 15,000 trees to tend to, it’s a full-time job for Brad and Katrina and their hardworking team.

“The kids embrace the value and wonder of Christmas and love being involved with all we do.”

A PPLETHOR PE QLD PEOPLE

the season and relive the joy of Christmas. There’s the sparkling Mistletoe Store, which is jam-packed with all things Christmassy, from exquisite ornaments and tree decorations to edible gifts and collectables.

It’s also impossible to resist the gourmet foods on offer at the cafe, including Mrs Claus’s handmade Belgian chocolates, fudge and decadent sauces. A runaway favourite is Katrina’s special hot chocolate, which took three months to perfect! Visitors can also order basket hampers and enjoy a picnic among the fragrant pines.

Adding to the excitement is a menagerie of animals, including reindeers Prancer, Dancer and Vixen, and Winter Rain, a rescue deer. “Farmers bring their orphaned animals to us, so we often get little surprises,” Katrina says. “But we’re happy to provide their forever home. We have three beautiful donkeys, plus a few sheep, chooks, ducks, goats, a calf, and we’re about to get some turkeys.”

Every October, Brad and Katrina take the time to decorate their own Christmas tree with Evelyn and West.

“Because we get so busy from this time on, we do our tree early. We like to spend quality time doing this together,” says Katrina. “Despite living and breathing Christmas on a daily basis, the kids still embrace the value and wonder of Christmas and love being involved with all we do.”

When Katrina was growing up, her family gathered at her grandparents’ farm for a traditional festive celebration with more than 50 family members. “Now, as we work full-on right up until Christmas Eve, we do things differently,” she says. “Each year, along with my parents and my sister’s family, we hook up our caravan and take off for our major holiday. We have a wonderful staff of 10, so we’re able to leave the farm in capable hands. We pick a new destination each year and as long as we’re all together to celebrate, it doesn’t matter where we are – we keep it simple and just love it.

For more information and details of trading hours, visit granitebeltchristmasfarm.com.au or follow @granitebeltchristmasfarm on Instagram.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 33

FR A NK LIN TAS HOME The building was erected in 1906 as a bank for the thriving Huon River region.

FACING PAGE When Michelle Crawford first inspected The Bowmont, she was awed by the painting of an Edwardian woman in Roman-style dress. She later bought the artwork at auction and it now hangs in the family room.

liv ing histor y FROM BANK TO BACKPACKERS’ TO FAMILY HOME, THIS HERITAGE BUILDING HAS HAD MANY IDENTITIES OVER THE PAST CENTURY. WORDS PENN Y CA R ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING MICHELLE CR AW FOR D

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 35

HOME FR A NK LIN TAS

AS THE OWNERS OF THE BOWMONT in the quiet village of

Franklin, Tasmania, Michelle and Leo Crawford often find themselves answering the door to passers-by who have a story to share about their century-old home.

Built in 1906 to serve as the then-bustling Huon region’s bank before morphing into a private hospital after the Second World War, the stately Edwardian pile “means a lot to a lot of people”, says Michelle, 53. “Over 3000 babies were born here during that time and that’s part of the reason it’s heritage listed. Everyone’s got a Bowmont story – they were born here, or know someone or married someone who was born here, or they’ve got a bit of some old door that has been pilfered over the years!”

The Crawfords’ own Bowmont story may not extend as far, but their connection to the historic building is just as strong. Michelle, a food writer, stylist and photographer, first spotted it around 15 years ago, not long after she and Leo moved to Tasmania from Sydney.

By then it was an antiques store, the kind crammed with dusty treasures, but it had been through a tumultuous journey: after the hospital closed in the late ’60s, it became emergency housing, then a home to squatters, before being earmarked for demolition. A community campaign saved it and turned it into a vibrant centre for workshops and gatherings, then it became government offices and was eventually transferred back into private hands. >

36 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Christmas calls for cider and fresh oysters; when they’re not working on The Bowmont, Leo and Michelle love taking a skiff out; after living on a farm, the Huon River is now their backyard; festive touches. FACING PAGE The Crawfords plan to spend the holidays relaxing, eating good food and completing jigsaw puzzles.

HOME FR A NK LIN TAS

“Everyone’s got a Bowmont story – they were born here, or know someone who was born here.”

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The picturesque Franklin marina; festive wreath made by Rebecca at Farm Gate Flowers Tasmania; Leo and Michelle revamped the kitchen by adding a new oven and farmhouse sink. The timber cabinets are also custom-made; open shelves display crockery and cookbooks.

FACING PAGE Michelle adores the 1980s gum-motif tiles, but says “people either love them or hate them”.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 39

HOME FR A NK LIN TAS The sunny dining room houses Michelle’s office and a piano, while the serving hutch connects to the kitchen. Vintage art features on the wall, along with a tiny portrait from Etsy; portrait Layla by Kai Hagberg; a large abstract painting – a wedding gift by Leo’s late aunt Marie Macken; the black-and-white print is by Anna Dorfman; felt cross by Fiona Whiteway; and Woolf print from Etsy.

ABOUT THE HOUSE:

• The old bank manager’s office was converted into a cosy family

room, and the walls were coated with Porter’s Paints Blue Steel.

Leo and Michelle painted much of the house in Haymes Organic 1 as an interim solution while deliberating over permanent colours.

Michelle bought many pieces of furniture – including mahogany sideboards and bookcases – from the previous owners, who ran the building as an antiques store for many years.

The original decorative finials on the blackwood staircase were removed during the building’s stint as a hospital to allow for stretchers to be more easily moved up and down the stairs.

Michelle sources bed linen from: I Love Linen, ilovelinen.com.au; Hale Mercantile Co, halemercantilecolinen.com; Cultiver, cultiver.com.au; and House of Baltic Linen, houseofbalticlinen.com

• • • •

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 41

HOME FR A NK LIN TAS

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Cat Les sits by the blackwood staircase. Painting of dogs

by GM Ford; the windows open to views of the Huon River and Franklin marina; the building was christened The Bowmont by its second owner, the doctor who turned it into a private hospital.

Wreath by Farm Gate Flowers Tasmania. FACING PAGE Michelle and Leo love the building’s arched doorways.

Artwork by Ann Conroy.

Michelle and Leo, 53, who works in telecommunications, were on their own epic journey. They made the leap to Tassie to pursue the good life in 2004, raising their young children, Elsa, now 19, and Hugo, 15, in a weatherboard cottage on an acre of land where they “did the whole vegie patch and chickens and planting fruit trees”.

Then, in 2018, they traded up to a large farm on the Huon River, with plans to build a house, an events studio and guest cabins. It was a big dream, but as it drew closer to reality, something didn’t feel right. “The costs were getting bigger and bigger. We had to make so many compromises on our original vision and realised, well, we’re not going to be able to afford to do what we want to do,” Michelle explains.

“We would’ve had to borrow a truckload of money and rely on big tourist numbers to pay for the build. And, of course, then COVID hit, so as sad as it was to walk away from the project, in hindsight, it’s fortunate we didn’t go ahead.”

Meanwhile, The Bowmont, which had evolved yet again into backpackers’ accommodation, had been listed for sale – and although Michelle was sure the heritage building would be snapped up fast, there was little interest in the run-down icon. “I’ve always loved the building,” she says.

“It has such a presence in the village of Franklin, and it has a really beautiful energy when you walk in. I thought, maybe we could buy it instead of building on the farm.

And then we would already have a home, we could do accommodation, and we could have a creative workshop space, all in the one building.” >

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 43

“I feel that the house is glad we’re here, giving it a spit and polish.”

It was the perfect solution and in late 2019, six months after negotiations began, the Crawfords moved in. The Bowmont was looking a little shabby at the time. “Because it was previously an office, it had data cabling everywhere – you could send a fax from every room! There were vertical blinds and grey carpet, fluoro lights on chains…” Michelle says. “It’s such a gracious big building, and we were hoping to rip out all that stuff and find beautiful floorboards and gorgeous stuff underneath, but it didn’t work out that way.”

What they lack in hidden gems like perfect floorboards they’ve made up for in detailed documentation, from the architect’s photos of construction to ledgers of materials used in the build. “When we’ve had builders come to look, they kind of scratch their heads and say, ‘I wonder how they built that?’ And I say, ‘Well, I can tell you exactly – they used 14 pounds of lime and this many nails,’” Michelle says.

Taking a gentle approach, they began repairing structural issues, such as leaks and damage to gutters. Then, what was meant to be a quick kitchen revamp turned into a substantial remodel when they bought a large oven and had to jackhammer the concrete floor to fit it in. But the finished result looks like it’s always been there – in part thanks to their decision to keep the old tiles with their sweet gumblossom motif. “We call them the divisive tiles,” Michelle says. “People either love them or hate them; I love them.”

44 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

Slowly but surely, they’re bringing The Bowmont back to life, with plans to turn the upper level into self-contained accommodation and host cooking workshops in the sunny ‘great room’ that houses Michelle’s well-used AGA. The stylist is like a kid in a candy store, with 22 rooms, eight fireplaces and endless nooks to play in. “I’m having fun with paint colours,” she says, “and I’m guided by the colours underneath all the layers of paint. The Edwardians were fond of deep greens for the sunny rooms, and in the darker, south-facing side of the house they used paler colours.”

Weekends are taken up with a long list of jobs (“I don’t think we’ll ever finish!” Michelle says), but they’ll down tools for a restful Christmas with their children and friends. “We get together with a few families and eat lots of beautiful hams and gorgeous peaches and oysters and cheese, and drink lots of sparkling cider,” she says.

Michelle loves to bring people together, and she has a feeling that The Bowmont loves it, too. For all its history, there are no angry ghosts haunting these halls. “It’s a happy house, and even when it was a hospital everyone says what a happy building it was,” she explains. “I feel that the house is glad we’re here, giving it a spit and polish and making sure it’s still around for another 100 years.”

For more, visit thebowmont.com.au or follow @thebowmont on Instagram.

Natural light and gentle breezes drift through the elegantly furnished bedrooms. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT The upper level of the house boasts stunning river views; antique pieces, bought from the previous owners, are a reminder of the building’s storied past.

FR A NK LIN TAS HOME

Le Chalet was built circa 1905 for Lambton butcher Arthur Lydney Payne and his family.

People would travel from all over the district in their buggies to see the beautiful house and garden. FACING PAGE Bulldog Ben sits in the dining room, which boasts an original door with leadlights. The embossed wallpaper was used in place of the wooden panelling often seen in historic homes.

LA MBTON NSW HOME

THE HAPPIEST HOME SANTA HAS A SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR THE OWNERS OF THIS HISTORIC NEWCASTLE HOME: FOUR CHERISHED GRANDCHILDREN VISITING FOR CHRISTMAS. WORDS LY N J USTICE PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 47

HOME LA MBTON NSW

ANNETTE AND DR ROD MAILER’S sprawling, century-old

home, Le Chalet, will be echoing with the happy squeals and laughter of children this festive season. “It’s going to be a great Christmas – the first time we’ll have a house full of kids,” says Rod, referring to their grandchildren: three-year-old cousins Grace and Will, and Mary and Oliver, both one.

In anticipation, Annette’s been busy wrapping presents and trimming the tree. “We’ve hardly seen the two little ones at all,” she explains, “because our boys live in Sydney and Sydney’s been in lockdown.”

Rod, an agricultural scientist who did his PhD in Canada, and Annette, a social worker, bought their stately, double-brick house in Lambton, NSW, an outer suburb of Newcastle, in 2012. They had moved from the Riverina town of Wagga Wagga, where they’d lived for 35 years.

“We are very fond of Wagga,” Annette says. “It’s a great place to live and bring up children.”

But when their three sons – William, Ben and Andrew – all settled in Sydney, they wanted to be near them.

“I wouldn’t have a bar of Sydney, though, so it was either Wollongong or Newcastle!” says Rod, who retired as principal research scientist with the Department of Agriculture, specialising in edible oils like olive, canola and avocado.

After decades in the country, Annette and Rod love the convenience of living in a regional centre like Newcastle. “We used to drive five to six kilometres to get a loaf of bread. Now, we only have to walk down the street,” Rod explains.

The pair love their spacious old house, which is also home to their seven-year-old Australian bulldog, Ben, named after their middle son, who bought him as a gift.

The house, which is heritage listed, was built around 1905 by the local butcher, Arthur Lydney Payne, who christened it ‘Le Chalet’ – and there’s still a butcher’s shop with that name in Lambton.

“Because we came from the country, we wanted a bit of space,” Rod says. And they got it. The house is on a half-acre block and has five bedrooms (one is used as an office), two bathrooms, the original outside toilet, a dining room, a lounge room and a sitting/reading room.

Plus there are old stables out the back, big enough to keep six horses and with room to accommodate a blacksmith to shoe them and a loft to store hay for feed. The original owner, who had showjumping horses, built the stables and jockeys’ rooms.

When renovating, Rod and Annette were careful to enhance but not change the home’s character. They decided against going open-plan, choosing not to knock >

“It’s going to be a great Christmas – we’ll have a house full of kids.”

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT An antique buffet has pride of place in the dining room; Annette, Rod and bulldog Ben on the front verandah; presents wrapped and ready for the grandkids; morning sun filters into the master bedroom.

FACING PAGE The grand old home’s name, Le Chalet, in its original glory.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 49

The entrance hall features a Federation-style ‘Sunrise’ pattern and pressed metal ceilings.

The paint colour used throughout is Dulux Antique White USA. FACING PAGE Annette bought the antique dining table from a canola farmer in Old Junee, and sourced new dining chairs from Provincial Home Living. She bought many of the furnishings from Billy Tea Furniture in Wagga Wagga. The stunning stained-glass door leads to a side verandah.

LA MBTON NSW HOME

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 51

HOME LA MBTON NSW

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE The original fireplace in the kitchen now houses a gas stove. The milk bottle print is from Provincial Home Living; coat hooks in the entrance way are used for baskets and hats; there are two lounge rooms – this one doubles as a sitting/reading room, while the other features a grand piano; Ben on the front verandah showing off his Christmas bow. FACING PAGE A view of Le Chalet from the street.

down any inside walls, so the original structure and layout remains. They did, however, replace the slate tiles on the roof with special tiles imported from Wales. Some of the original floorboards needed replacing with cypress pine, and they also updated the old cupboards in the kitchen.

Beautiful original features of the home include the tessellated tiles on the path leading to the front steps, ornate timberwork, such as the sunrise pattern in the hallway, moulded plaster ceiling patterns and Federation leadlight louvres. “We get a nice southerly breeze here,” says Annette. “And when the windows are open, it goes right through the house.” Rod adds: “We don’t have air conditioning. It’s a big, solid house with a lot of space underneath, so it stays cool most of the time.”

Although the garden had some lovely established trees – a magnificent jacaranda as old as the house out the front and a huge, productive mango tree out the back – it needed a refresh. Rod took on the challenge, starting out the back and removing unsightly concrete ground cover.

He had “tens of tons of it” removed and replaced with native trees and shrubs like bottlebrush, as well as a vegie garden. The fence at the back was replaced with an authentic black iron fence, to deliver the finishing touch.

Rod also bought a ride-on mower to keep the extensive grounds looking good. “We have a lawn that goes on forever that I have to mow once or twice a week,” he says.

While Rod was busy in the garden, Annette was putting the finishing touches to her book, Children Need a Happy Home – a conglomeration of all her years as a social worker

for the NSW Government and now in a private capacity.

The title dates back to when the family was living in Canada and Rod was studying for his doctorate – and is written under her professional name, Annette Smith.

“We were living in Winnipeg and Ben, who was eight at the time, won a T-shirt competition with a design of little stick figures and the words ‘Children Need a Happy Home’,” she explains.

Annette has spent her working life trying to keep children with their own family, rather than going into foster care. “Families need to look after their children and care for them,” she says, adding that if it isn’t possible for the parents, then extended family should be encouraged to provide the stability they need. She offers this support through “family group conferencing”.

Annette’s book will be published in time for Christmas, when the family will gather for a traditional hot lunch of ham, turkey and all the trimmings. But after all his research, Rod won’t be cooking with any imported oils – just “fresh, genuine, Australian extra-virgin olive oil”.

He will also have a go at making a steamed pudding this year, in memory of his late mother, Helen. “Then after lunch, we’ll all have a sleep in the afternoon,” he says, keeping up a popular Christmas Day tradition.

Annette and Rod – and bulldog Ben – can’t wait for their grandchildren to finally arrive for Christmas.

It will certainly be a happy home when they do.

To find out more about Annette’s book or to order a copy, email her at smith.annette@ymail.com

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 53

HOME PER EGI A N BEACH QLD Katie made the festive wreath displayed in the dining room. The table is flanked by 50-year-old bentwood chairs, with padding from Provincial Home Living. “Our home isn’t precious – the kids paint here,” Katie says.

FACING PAGE The family spend time at Peregian Beach every day. “It’s so special to be able to raise our kids here,” she adds.

N AT U R E’ S P L AYG R O U N D THE RASURA FAMILY CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS BY THE SEA AT THEIR BEAUTIFUL HOME ON THE SUNSHINE COAST. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT PHOTOGRAPHY H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN ST YLING CHERY L CA R R

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 55

HOME PER EGI A N BEACH QLD Sand dunes border the family’s backyard. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP A vintage McTavish surfboard is on show in the lounge room. “It’s awesome – we put the kids on the front and surf with them,” Katie says. The Eclectic Style coffee table and linen sofa sit alongside a leather sofa from Freedom; the Rasuras built a vegie garden in the backyard, along with a hen house called the Taj Mahal.

“The water is a huge part of our lifestyle. We will often be at the beach, surfing with our friends, then everyone walks back to our place.”

56 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS START EARLY for the Rasura

family, who live by the ocean at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. This time of year is a celebration of family, friends and handmade treasures, such as the Advent calendar that Katie and children Lala, nine, and seven-year-old Bambam created, now filled with 24 linen bags containing a positive affirmation and Christmas ornament.

Pre-COVID, the Rasuras would spend every Christmas with their American and Canadian family, who would fly in and stay for a month. “It’s always so lovely and so loud with lots of children running about,” Katie, 38, says.

Five days before Christmas, they all pile into four-wheel drives and head to a secret spot to find a Christmas tree.

“This is a tradition that spans back to my husband Kynan’s childhood and it’s something we have continued for our children,” explains Katie. “Kynan and his brother usually scale these huge pines and cut it down at the perfect spot, but every year it always seems way too big. We have 17-foot ceilings in our lounge room to accommodate the huge tree, but some years it’s had a rather funny-looking bend at the top as it was too tall to stand straight up!”

On Christmas Day, all the children rise early and open handmade sacks of goodies, then head to the beach for a surf.

“Then we get into action and start cooking and dressing the table, which consists of three big old farmhouse tables all joined together to form one huge table on the back deck under palm trees. Then the rest of our family arrives and we enjoy a long lunch that runs well into the afternoon,” Katie says.

From their idyllic spot on the deck, the waves can be heard lapping the shoreline. The family home is tucked behind a dune and surrounded by pandanus, banksia and paperbark trees and it’s a short stroll along a sandy path to the beach.

Summer is the family’s favourite time of year to surf, explore and picnic by the water. “It’s a huge part of our lifestyle. We will often be at the beach, surfing with our friends, then everyone walks back to our place and we’ll have a few drinks and a barbecue around the fire,” Katie says.

This home holds many memories, especially for Kynan, 42, who grew up in the coastal town and learnt to surf this particular stretch of coastline – just like his children do now.

After Kynan, who works in finance, met Katie, an interior designer, they lived in Peregian Beach with a group of friends, before venturing overseas and living in the United States for two and a half years.

Upon returning to Australia, they settled in Katie’s hometown of Newcastle and started a family. However, the Sunshine Coast’s warm climate and laid-back lifestyle lured them back in 2015. “Peregian is an idyllic place to raise children, as the village has this gorgeous small-town feeling and is only 15 minutes from Noosa,” says Katie. “Our kids are constantly immersed in the natural surroundings.” >

HOME PER EGI A N BEACH QLD

ABOUT THE HOUSE:

• Exterior paint colour is Dulux Timeless Grey with

Vivid White trim.

Katie’s favourite local stores for homewares include: Finders Keepers, finders-keepers.com.au, and Bedouin Traders, bedouintraders.com.au, both in Peregian Beach Village. She also likes Antiques & Vintage in Maleny, @antiques.and.vintage_in.maleny; and Tede & Co in Yandina, tedeandco.com “I also source larger vintage pieces from Fossil Vintage in Byron Bay, Paint Me White on the Gold Coast and White Cottage Flower Farm in Tenterfield,” Katie says. Visit fossilvintage.com.au; paintmewhite. com and @whitecottage_flowerfarm_ Online stores: “I adore Three Donkeys Home – my house has many beautiful baskets and linens. I like Provincial Home Living for big mirrors.” Visit three donkeys.com.au and provincialhomeliving.com.au For bed linen, Katie likes US brands Arhaus and Serena & Lily. Locally, she heads to Otilly & Lewis in Peregian Beach Village, otillyandlewis.com.au; and sources sheets from In Bed Store, inbedstore.com

•

•

• •

58 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

Back then, their 1980s-era, two-storey house had a dark, mustard-yellow interior and slate floors – and was clearly in need of an update. Kynan and Katie swiftly began renovations, first installing a new kitchen and bathroom.

While the work progressed, Katie would move from room to room, painting each space a fresh white hue using Dulux Lexicon Quarter to brighten the vertical-joint panelled interior.

“There was lots of prep because the house is weatherboard and it had cream aluminium windows throughout, so I would take them all out and Kynan would spray them white. We were constantly creating little spray booths in our home,” Katie says.

A fresh coat of paint instantly transformed the entire house, including the exposed rafters, and created a blank canvas for Katie to apply her design skills. While growing up, her family had renovated miners’ cottages in Newcastle, and heritage architecture continues to be an influence. Her time in the US also gave her a new perspective on detailing in a home. “I could see a lot of potential in this house, even though it isn’t that old, and I knew our furniture could fit in well. It still has that country feel, even though we are oceanside,” she explains.

Antiques and linens passed down through the family, such as Kynan’s grandmother’s patchwork quilt, are cherished display pieces. Meanwhile, heirlooms, layering and textural pieces – including Katie’s handmade wreaths – add character. Katie is currently studying building design >

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Katie teamed a pale lampshade

by Narissa Perks with an occasional chair from Interiors Online. A rustic fisherman’s basket from Coastal Vintage, in Noosaville, completes the natural look; Lala loves to climb trees; the bath is from Early Settler, while the marble-top vanity is from Vanity by Design.

FACING PAGE Katie and Kynan’s bedroom features Wylie’s Baths by local artist Vicki Lemarseny, and an heirloom quilt. A cushion

by Cathy Penton sits atop In Bed sheets. The ruffle pillowcases are from Society of Wanderers.

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Katie painted the children’s vintage wardrobe and the Hope & May baskets; the coastal theme continues with a Merchants of the Sea flag and a Migaloo whale toy by Unclebearskin Productions; a Tallow and Thyme tablecloth laden with treats. For similar dining settings, try Harvey Norman.

FACING PAGE “The outdoor shower gets a workout in summer!” Katie says.

to complement her interior design skills. She credits her mum and grandmother for influencing her early creativity.

“I spent many childhood weekends lying on Nanna’s lounge-room floor, picking out my favourite Laura Ashley and Schumacher wallpapers, and Cabbages and Roses swatches, while poring over her many books on cottage gardens and her obsession with embroidering everything to give as gifts,” says Katie. “My mother, Leigh, always inspires my sense of homeliness and cosiness, and using your home to bring together all your favourite people.”

A love of linens and tableware with a story has led Katie to create her own linen range, Tallow and Thyme – along with her friend Lucy – which is due to launch before Christmas.

“We wanted to create tableware that is timeless and doesn’t go out of style,” she explains. “It’s double-sided, so you can have different looks or use them as a picnic rug. I really want to make linen you can pass down to your daughters.”

Katie and Kynan are grateful for another generation of memories made by the seaside. “This special piece of land inspires me daily in the way we raise our children, who are constantly outdoors, and the way we fall asleep to the roaring of the ocean,” says Katie. “The greenery always soothes my mind as well, from the unique pandanus to the gorgeous paperbarks and she-oaks that line the sand dunes. Peregian Beach truly is a very special community that envelops everyone lucky enough to call it home.”

For more information, follow @arusticbeachhouse or @tallowandthyme on Instagram.

60 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

PER EGI A N BEACH QLD HOME

HOME PER EGI A N BEACH QLD “It’s so nice to be right on the beach with the kids immersed in nature,” Katie says. “The backyard really is a huge part of their childhood.”

“I could see a lot of potential in this house. It still has that country feel, even though we are oceanside.”

62 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

H A R V E Y

N O R M A N P R E S E N T S

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Live-edged timber brings a natural vibe to any dining space. The Java dining table has a beautiful feature oak veneer table top making it the perfect addition to any entertaining experience. Black metal cross legs give it a bold, solid finish.

BELOW: Java 220cm Dining Table $1299; Jade Dining Chair in Grey PU $159ea; Boscage Paprika Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $49; Esta Greenery Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $34.95ea; Flamingo/Toucan Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $49; Areca Palm 120cm Potted Plant $199.95; Areca Palm 190cm Potted Plant $499.95; Astoria 9327 Cream Rug L (200 x 290cm) $649. RIGHT: Java 165cm 3-Door Buffet $1299; ‘Monsteria’ Framed Print (W83 x H123cm) $249; Nashville Table Lamp (W38 x D38 x H81cm) $279.

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LEFT: Canape Set of 3 Nesting Tables $699; Raphis Palm Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $34.95; Esta Orange Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $34.95ea; Tropical Winter Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $34.95; Lorenzo Melon Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $39.95; Esta Midnight Blue Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $34.95ea; Tropical Deco Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $34.95; Lorenzo Navy Cushion (W45 x H45cm) $39.95.

SHOP ONLINE WITH YOUR LOCAL STORE HN.COM.AU OR CALL 1300 464 278

Harvey Norman® stores are operated by independent franchisees. Furniture prices are valid in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane metropolitan areas only. Prices in other areas will be higher due to additional freight charges. Lounges are upholstered in promotional leathers and fabrics. Other options may be available at additional cost. Promotion ends 24/12/2021.

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Many herb varieties are easy to grow and harvest in pots or garden beds.

DOWN THE GARDEN PATH

just the ton ic Fiona Weir Walmsley says plants aren’t just pretty to look at – they can also help soothe and heal what ails us.

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED in herbs. One hundred

years ago (I’m ageing well), I lived in a residential college while studying medieval history at Sydney University.

I was that girl with herbs growing all over the dorm windowsill in pots, for the love of pretty thyme, glossy rosemary and the wafting scent of marjoram.

Herbs have followed me ever since. I’ve grown them in pots and in gardens. I’ve dried them, drunk them, and read all I could about them. I’m fascinated by their history and their healing capacity, and after thinking about herbs mainly as food flavourings, to learn about their superpowers as medicine was a light-bulb moment.

How Can I Use Herbs in My Daily Life?, by the late Isabell Shipard, a prominent Australian herbalist, is a herb growers’ and users’ bible. Another fantastic resource is The Medicinal Herb Grower by Richo Cech.

Guided by Cech and Shipard, I grow and forage herbs religiously, especially in summer.

Now is your moment: the soil is warm and most herbs do not need perfect conditions. There’s elder on street corners and on verges – great for cordial, but also for coughs and colds. There’s wild yarrow growing by the side of the road – this pretty flower is an ancient treatment for fever and hayfever, and may enhance wound healing.

If it rains, search out young stinging nettles, which pop up in moist soil. You can make them into soup or pesto, and dry them for tea. Some people find they have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect which is great for arthritis.

You can create attractive herb gardens in pots or containers, against the wall of your garage, or by your front door. Peppermint thrives in pots, but it’s invasive.

The leaves can be used fresh or dried, and are gorgeously cooling as a tea, helpful for upset stomachs and calming for anxious people. Grow echinacea as a pretty flower which you can also cut and dry for tea – you can use all aerial parts of the plant (those growing above ground).

Echinacea is popular with naturopaths as a tea that can ease sniffles and help build a strong immune system.

I grow tansy in my herb garden and it’s in flower right now, with its small, yellow, bobbing button heads. During the Middle Ages, tansy was used as a contraceptive (I wouldn’t rely on it myself), and it was added to rushes on the floor because of the strong oils in its leaves: when you tread on them, they release oils that deter flies and fleas.

I often cut a nice swathe and leave it by the back door for

everyone to brush past as they come in – ideally deterring flies, and often irritating my family, who can’t get in the door without having to wrestle with drying branches.

Chamomile is also delightful and easy to grow. Cut the flowers and dry them for tea – you’ll find it sweet and nothing like a store-bought tea-bag version. Grow it from seed, or buy a plant from a nursery for a good head start.

I’ve also planted memory-boosting herbs, which will be great if I can remember to use them: calamus, gotu kola and rosemary. Gotu kola (also known as pennywort) has a tangy leaf that can be eaten fresh in salads. Isabell Shipard sang its praises as a herb that can relieve arthritis.

It was also used in Chinese medicine for centuries as an ‘elixir of youth’ that could increase longevity, boost clarity and treat flagging metabolism. Worth a shot, right?

Valerian is another favourite. This big, glossy green plant is thought to have a sedative effect. Although it has never worked for me, I once gave valerian tea to a farm volunteer who was having trouble sleeping (in retrospect, the middle-of-the-night roosters may have been the real problem). She didn’t get up for milking the next day and by mid-morning, I began to panic. I crept up to the loft to find her fast asleep. Eventually she woke up and was fine, but I was a little rattled. For the record, I’ve never given anyone valerian tea since!

We dry our herbs in a dehydrator, but you can use an oven set very low – ideally 45oC. Alternatively, you can dry them the old-fashioned way by bunching and hanging them upside down somewhere airy (ideally out of the way. Note to self).

I dry branches of bay leaves in my pantry, which my family have to move aside when they are looking for biscuits.

My two teens have a lovely nightly tea ritual for which I grow chamomile, peppermint, lavender and lemon balm.

I love that they know if they’re feeling amped-up to add in passionflower or cinnamon. Herbs can change the way you feel – how wonderful to grow, harvest and dry your own.

This summer, I hope you have herbs on your windowsill for sweet smells as you walk past; fresh oregano on your homemade pizza; and bay leaves with your biscuits.

Follow Fiona on Instagram @buenavistafarm

PHOTOGRAPHY ARE MEDIA DIGITAL LIBRARY

“I’m fascinated by herbs and their healing capacity.”

Please consult a doctor for advice on using herbs medicinally. They may cause side effects in some people, and may have contraindications with prescribed medicines or certain health conditions.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 75

IN THE GARDEN

WHAT TO PLANT

Pretty cosmos are easy to grow and will bloom all summer and even into autumn, as long as you deadhead them. Plant seeds now and you’ll be enjoying their colourful blooms and feathery foliage within a few weeks. Fill out borders or pots with vibrant marigolds, verbena, petunias, joyful sunflowers and dianthus.

in the garden

GIVE YOUR GARDEN AN UPDATE THIS SUMMER. Words Hannah James

EXPERT GUIDE

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PHOTOGRAPHY ADOBE STOCK

POTTED PERFECTION

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PEOPLE CLA R K EFIELD V IC

Creamy Basque cheesecake is a Les Nôtres specialty.

FACING PAGE Bachir’s ‘celebration cake’ with French and Algerian influences.

TASTE OF HOME

MISSING FAMILY IN FRANCE DURING THE PANDEMIC, ONE COUPLE LAUNCHED A PATISSERIE THAT BRINGS AUTHENTIC FLAVOURS TO THE MACEDON RANGES. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 79

PEOPLE CLA R K EFIELD V IC

WHEN THE PANDEMIC PREVENTED Bachir Houari from

travelling to France to see family, he turned to the food of his childhood for comfort. Specifically, the cakes and pastries they would enjoy together – buttery croissants, rich chocolate tarts and creamy Basque cheesecakes.

“Bachir’s always loved baking, and he was always baking French recipes,” says his wife, Rachel, who is now one half of the couple’s Macedon Ranges-based patisserie business, Les Nôtres. “And we’d always wanted to work for ourselves and do something together that we really liked.

I remember Bachir made me a Paris-Brest – a choux pastry filled with a hazelnut praline cream. I’d never tasted it before and I said, ‘You have to show me how to make that!’

And it started from there.”

Compounding their desire to work for themselves, the couple (who met when Bachir was visiting Melbourne in 2017) had also recently welcomed a son, Majid, now two.

“I stopped working after we had Majid,” says Rachel, 31, “so I was trying to find something we could do that gave us more balance with work and family.”

That desire for work-life balance, plus the homesickness that brought out Bachir’s superlative baking skills, combined to create the Houaris’ wildly successful patisserie, which launched in September 2020 at the Riddells Creek farmers’ market.

But it wasn’t a quick or easy process. Although Bachir, 38, has been cooking ever since he was young, he’s never trained as a pastry chef – in fact, he was a mechanical fitter. He grew up in Algeria and moved to France with his family when he was 12 – so as a child, he made mostly Algerian food with his mother: couscous, tagines and chakchouka (a spicy dish of tomatoes, eggs, onion and capsicum that’s often eaten for breakfast in North Africa).

“We don’t make desserts in the French way,” he says.

After the family moved to France, they embraced the wonders of the patisserie. Still, shaping that passion into a commercial venture was a lengthy process.

“Before we did our first market, we were trialling recipes for at least six months,” says Rachel, who has worked in cafes her whole career. “Another big thing for me was >

“I remember Bachir made me a Paris-Brest… I’d never tasted it before and I said, ‘You have to show me how to make that!’”

80 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Creating croissants; Rachel, Bachir and two-year-old Majid outside the Riddells Creek cottage that houses their pop-up patisserie; eclair fillings include vanilla bean and chocolate custard; rural views; the focus is on top-quality ingredients. FACING PAGE Pastry perfection.

PEOPLE CLA R K EFIELD V IC Rachel and her little assistant, Majid, get to work. FACING PAGE The Houaris have converted one of the rooms at their 1890s bluestone home into a bakery. “We’ve now got proper equipment that makes it a lot lighter and easier work,” says Rachel.

“I was trying to find something we could do that gave us more balance with work and family.”

82 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

PEOPLE CLA R K EFIELD V IC

trying to find good quality ingredients. I’ve never run a business, so finding where to get the produce was a bit of a challenge.” Making pastries in their domestic kitchen at home in the Macedon Ranges town of Clarkefield was another hurdle. And even figuring out how much to make was a process of trial and error. “For our first market, we made… I think it was 60 pastries,” says Rachel. “They sold out in half an hour.”

“We didn’t know if anyone would buy them,” explains Bachir. “We had no idea, but it went well.”

It’s still going well. These days, they make more like 500, with their most popular products being the lemon curd tarts and the Basque cheesecake, and they usually sell out in an hour. Les Nôtres is doing so well, in fact, that within a few months of launching the business, Bachir left his job to focus on the patisserie. “While Bachir was working, it kept us at that one level where this is as much as we can do,” explains Rachel. “We wanted to see if it could be more. It was risky, but it’s paid off.”

Bachir adds, “We’re very proud of it.”

84 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

The next step was expanding the business into a cottage in the pretty town of Riddells Creek. “There’s this little cottage in the main street and I’ve seen it used by a few businesses,” says Rachel. “So we put a note in their letterbox asking if we could potentially use it to sell cakes from.”

The cottage just happens to be owned by Country Style photographer Marnie Hawson, who took the photographs for this story. “We met Marnie and she liked us and let us use the space, and it’s just grown from there,” says Rachel.

They now sell from the cottage twice a month, and hope at some point to have a permanent shop of their own, although they don’t plan to stop their market stalls, says Bachir. “I love the markets, because it’s what I used to do with my parents every Friday in France. So selling in markets now is really enjoyable.”

Les Nôtres is a French phrase meaning ‘ours’, by the way – but all Macedon Ranges locals can be grateful that these sweet treats can be theirs, too.

To find out where Les Nôtres will be selling next, follow @les__notres on Instagram.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Happy family; Bachir’s almond dacquoise ‘celebration cake’; Rachel and Majid enjoy the sunshine; dark chocolate ganache tarts; the patisserie menu; paddocks surround the home; making pastries is a team effort. FACING PAGE The family goes for a stroll.

FOOD CHR ISTM AS MENU

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Platter by Frida’s Field. White paper sphere ornament, $10, from Nordic Rooms. Small clay oil decanter, $70, from AHW Georgia Ezra. Amber Balloton tumbler, $20, from Love After Love. Pinch pot, $25, and Plate, Build Your Own Set, both from AHW Georgia Ezra. Brushed gold 24-piece cutlery set, $349, from Krof. Linen tablecloth in Cinnamon, $145, and Cara edged napkins in Cedar, $60 (set of four), both from Cultiver. FACING PAGE The Wylie-Rawlings family.

THE WYLIE-RAWLINGS CLAN CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AT THEIR ORGANIC, REGENERATIVE FARM IN NASHUA, NORTHERN NSW, WITH A RELAXED LUNCH.

STYLING ASSISTANT JESS CORNELL

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLÉ ST YLING LISA BUR DEN

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 87

FOOD CHR ISTM AS MENU CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Linen tablecloth in Cinnamon, $145, from Cultiver. Platter by Frida’s Field. Wreath ribbon, $5.95 (1m), from The Doors of Berry. Pinch pot, $25, from AHW Georgia Ezra. Beige napkins, $2 (set of two), from Kmart. Brushed gold 24-piece cutlery set, $349, from Krof. FACING PAGE Farm life suits the family, who strive for self-sufficiency.

88 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

FRIDA’S FIELD has been open for just over a year

– a year marked by intermittent lockdowns and plenty of uncertainty. Yet against all odds, it’s been a year of outstanding successes for the thriving NSW Northern Rivers restaurant, and they’re celebrating those achievements with this Christmas feast.

Of their first long lunch at the end of September 2020, “We were kind of flying blind,” says owner Jeanie Wylie, who lives on the site of Nashua restaurant (also home to their 48-hectare mixed farm) with her partner, Edward Rawlings, and their three children, Freddie, 10, Evie, seven, and Arthur, five. “It’s moved faster than I imagined. We thought we’d start with some pop-ups, but when the pandemic hit, we thought, ‘OK, we’re just going to go for it. We’ll do a long lunch every two weeks and see how they go.’ They sold out really quickly. So we thought, ‘OK, we’ll do two every week.’

And again, they sold out. Then we did Friday, Saturday and Sunday all summer and it was packed. It’s been a wild ride!”

The farm-to-table ethos of Frida’s Field was born when Edward and Jeanie lived in London (she worked in marketing for fair-trade coffee company Café Direct, and he worked in finance) and became addicted to the TV show River Cottage, which followed chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s adventures in growing organic produce for his Dorset restaurant. “Edward and I have a shared passion for food, and dreamt about doing the same thing,” says Jeanie.

They moved back to Australia and tested out country life by spending four years breeding Tamworth pigs on the farm Edward grew up on in Ipswich, Qld. All went well, and they bought their forever farm in the Byron Bay hinterland in 2014, focusing on regenerative farming practices to increase biodiversity and re-create a forest food ecosystem.

Chef Alastair Waddell, who has won the Good Food Guide’s one-hat award no fewer than three times, is enthusiastic about the long lunch concept, and about the potential of Frida’s Field. “There’s an amazing feeling when you drive through the gate,” he says. “It’s just breathtaking. It’s so open. Guests can go for a little wander in the fields between

courses and look at the cattle – they really unwind. No-one’s in a rush; everyone’s there to relax and enjoy the long lunch.”

The spectacular local produce makes designing his seasonal menus a pleasure. “We’re extremely fortunate in this region, and at Frida’s we’ve tapped into the locality and seasonality in a big way,” says Alastair.

They’re also gradually increasing the amount of food they grow themselves. “We’re aiming to grow 50 to 60 per cent of what we put on the menu,” Jeanie says.

And that menu will have a festive flavour in December, says Alastair. “I’m looking at a Christmas pudding-spiced parfait for one of the desserts.” Though Alastair and Jeanie are expecting the restaurant to be heaving during summer, with a special Christmas Eve long lunch the highlight, it will be quiet on Christmas Day itself. Alastair will celebrate at home with his partner, Moira Waterfall, and their 15-monthold daughter, Maysie, while the Wylie-Rawlings clan usually meet up with family in Burleigh Heads. “Edward’s mum is an amazing cook,” says Jeanie. “She cooks for months beforehand, making mince pies and all sorts of Christmas cakes and biscuits. And then we have a big seafood feast, with a glazed ham and a roast turkey. We all make salads to contribute. Then we finish with plum pudding with custard.”

It’s a feast that’s fit for the foodies at Frida’s Field.

Visit fridasfield.com or follow @fridas.field on Instagram.

CHR ISTM AS MENU FOOD The Wylie-Rawlings family celebrate the festive season with chef Alastair Waddell and his partner, Moira, and daughter, Maysie.

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Clear glassware from In Bed Store. Amber Balloton tumbler, $20, from Love After Love. Scalloped vessel, $84, from AHW Georgia Ezra. Present on table wrapped in craft paper, with All Wreath large ribbon in Grosgrain Stripe White & Ivory, $5.95 (1m), from The Doors of Berry. Festive wreath by Nikau Flora in Byron Bay. Present on stool wrapped in Pebble wrapping paper, $9.95 (5m), from Provincial Home Living. Lally woven basket with long handle, $19.95, and Maxime linen throw in Natural, $159, both from Papaya.

“We have a big seafood feast with a glazed ham and a roast turkey. We all make salads to contribute. Then we finish with plum pudding with custard.”

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 91

“There’s an amazing feeling when you drive through the gate. It’s just breathtaking.”

CHR ISTM CHR AS ISTM MENU AS FOOD CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Linen tablecloth in Cinnamon, $145, and Cara edged table runner in Cedar, $85, both from Cultiver.

Scalloped casserole dish, $156.95, from AHW Georgia Ezra.

White and Olive Green paper sphere ornaments, $10 each, from Nordic Rooms. FACING PAGE There’s plenty of space on the farm for the children to roam and play.

GRILLED BALLINA PRAWNS, MANGO, MINT & COS LETTUCE Serves 8

24 large green prawns 2 mangoes 4 heads cos lettuce 1 bunch mint, leaves picked 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked 4 avocados salt and pepper good pinch of smoked paprika 300ml olive oil juice and zest of 2 limes 50ml sherry vinegar

Peel prawns, remove waste chute. Peel mango and chop into 2cm dice. Place

mango in a large mixing bowl.

Roughly tear lettuce leaves. Add to mixing bowl with mint and coriander.

Peel and deseed avocado. Slice, add to mixing bowl.

Heat 2 wide saute pans until smoking hot. Add 50ml oil.

Season prawns with salt, pepper and paprika. Also season salad with salt and pepper, add 300ml olive oil, lime juice and zest; toss to combine.

Add prawns to pans and cook on one side, turning after one minute.

Lower the heat.

Working quickly, deglaze pans with sherry vinegar and remove from heat.

Place prawns and pan juices in salad. Toss; serve immediately.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 93

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Moira and baby Maysie are in the festive spirit; Nightcap speckled platter, $129, from Kinfolk & Co. Linen tablecloth in Natural, $120, from In Bed Store.

Scalloped-edge dinner plate (part of a set, $594.36), from AHW Georgia Ezra.

Tallows dish, $16, from Kinfolk & Co. Commons medium fruit bowl, $130, from In Bed Store; Jeanie, Evie and Edward; Freddie and Arthur. FACING PAGE Holiday fun on the farm.

CHR ISTM AS MENU FOOD

POTATO PUREE Serves 8

6 large desiree potatoes (approx 800g) fine sea salt, to taste 250g chopped butter 250ml milk

Place unpeeled potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a handful of salt and allow to come to the boil. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until tender.

Drain, then remove skins from potatoes – mind your fingers; use a dry tea towel to help.

Pass potatoes through a drum sieve or mouli, or just smash them up with an old-school masher.

Return potatoes to pot. Over a low heat, gradually add butter and milk in 50g batches with a wooden spoon; stir to a silky, creamy consistency.

Season to taste and serve.

CARROTS ROASTED IN CARDAMOM Serves 8

4 bunches mixed varieties of young carrots 100ml olive oil salt flakes and pepper 12 cardamom pods juice and zest of 2 oranges

Remove carrot tops and wash carrots.

Set oven to 180°C. Place carrots on a roasting tray and dress with oil, salt, pepper, and cardamom. Roast carrots for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Remove from oven and dress carrots with orange juice and zest.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS Serves 8

1.5kg brussel sprouts 100ml olive oil salt flakes and cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 220°C. With a small knife, remove stems from sprouts. Place sprouts on a roasting tray; dress with oil, and season generously with salt and cracked pepper.

Place sprouts in oven and roast for 20-25 minutes. The end result will have crispy, charred leaves with a soft, steamy centre.

FRIDA’S FIELD SMOKED SALMON Serves 8

1 side of salmon, pin-boned and skinned fine salt, for curing woodchips, for smoking 5 eggs 4 lemons 100g cornichons 4 shallots 8 slices of wholemeal bread 50g butter 50g baby capers cracked black pepper, to taste

(stainless steel works well). Position tray over flame and allow to ignite – or ignite with a blowtorch.

Place salmon on a roasting rack.

Place in tray with flaming woodchips and cover immediately. Smoke for 15-20 minutes, reigniting smoking chips halfway through. Leave salmon at room temperature until serving.

Boil eggs for 6 minutes; peel and chop finely, season with a pinch of table salt. Cut lemons in halves or wedges.

Finely slice cornichons into rounds.

Peel the shallots and finely slice them into rounds.

Butter the bread, remove crusts and cut into triangles.

Place salmon on a large serving dish. Dress plate with the accompaniments, finish with cracked black pepper.

NOTE If you prefer to keep things simple, source a good-quality side of smoked salmon from your fishmonger.

Cover salmon, both sides, in salt and leave for 3 hours. Wash off salt and pat salmon dry with kitchen cloth.

Place woodchips in a heatproof tray

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 95

FOOD CHR ISTM AS MENU

APRICOT-GLAZED TURKEY Serves 8

8-10kg turkey olive oil salt flakes

BRINE

4 litres water 250g salt 200g sugar 1 bunch thyme

GLAZE

2kg apricots 200g sugar 150ml white wine vinegar 100ml olive oil

BRINE Combine ingredients in a large pot, bring to the boil. Allow to cool.

Submerge turkey in brine; use a large, heavy plate to weigh down.

Refrigerate for 36-48 hours. Five hours before cooking, remove turkey from the brine and dry well.

GLAZE Halve apricots and remove seed.

Place in a pot with sugar and vinegar; cook over a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring regularly.

Place apricots in a blender, blend until smooth. Gradually add olive oil until emulsified.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Rub turkey skin with olive oil and salt flakes. Place on a roasting tray and cook in the oven for 35 minutes.

Then, lower oven temperature to 150°C and cook turkey for a further 50 minutes. With a pastry brush, liberally brush on glaze and continue cooking. Do this every 15 minutes – three times in total.

Remove turkey from oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

PORK, SAGE AND APRICOT STUFFING Serves 8

50ml olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 2 bunches sage 1.2kg pork sausage meat 250g chopped dried apricots 2 eggs salt and pepper

Heat a small pan over a medium heat. Add oil, then sweat chopped onion for 3 minutes, until translucent but not coloured.

Pick sage leaves from stems and slice finely.

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix thoroughly until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

At this point, reserve stuffing mix to stuff the turkey with.

Alternatively, if you prefer to serve it separately, place stuffing mix in a deep baking tray and cook at 160°C for 30 minutes.

CRANBERRY AND RIBERRY SAUCE Serves 8

200ml port 100g sugar juice and zest of 2 oranges 250g cranberries 50g riberries pinch of salt

Place port, sugar, orange juice and zest in a pot and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add cranberries, riberries and salt; cook for a further 5 minutes.

Allow to cool.

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Board by Frida’s Field. Linen tablecloth in Natural, $120, from In Bed Store. Pink Daisy cotton napkin, $66 (set of four), bowl, Build Your Own Dinner Set, $53, and pinch pot, $25, all from AHW Georgia Ezra.

Brushed gold 24-piece cutlery set, $349, from Krof. FACING PAGE Crockery as listed earlier; Earth plate with rim, $55, from Kinfolk & Co.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 97

FOOD CHR ISTM AS MENU Delicious sherry trifle; the family home is surrounded by greenery and lush paddocks.

In a pot over a medium heat, SHERRY TRIFLE WITH STONE FRUITS, BERRIES AND CHERRIES dissolve sugar in champagne; add Serves 8 STONE FRUIT JELLY

6 sheets gelatine 180g sugar 350ml champagne 4 vanilla pods Mixed peach, plum and apricot, cut into 3cm pieces

CUSTARD

400ml cream 1 vanilla pod 5 egg yolks 40g sugar

SPONGE

1 x Swiss roll, cut into 2cm-thick slices 200ml sweet sherry 500ml cream 2 punnets cherries 2 punnets blueberries 2 punnets strawberries 2 punnets raspberries

STONE FRUIT JELLY Soak gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes.

98 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

scraped vanilla seeds.

Squeeze out gelatine sheets and stir into champagne until dissolved.

Place chopped stone fruit in a glass trifle bowl and cover with jelly.

Refrigerate.

When jelly is set (at least 1 hour), place slices of Swiss roll on top and soak with sherry. Refrigerate.

CUSTARD Add cream to pan and set on medium heat. Add scraped vanilla seeds and pod. Place yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk together. Add hot cream, whisking continuously. Return to pan, over a low heat, and stir or whisk gently to 70°C. Remove custard from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Pour custard layer into trifle bowl.

Refrigerate.

When ready to serve, semi-whip cream and pour on top of trifle.

Arrange cherries and berries on top and serve.

FLAVOURS

WINE-DING UP A LEVEL

f lavours WHAT TO EAT, DRINK AND COOK THIS MONTH.

Jacob’s Creek has moved up in the world with its handcrafted 2020 vintage Limited Release white wines.

Created in small batches at the Jacob’s Creek micro winery in South Australia, the range includes a fragrant Gewürztraminer that is ideal with spicy food, a textured Fumé Blanc to pair with seafood, and a zesty Semillon.

Vi it j r k m n-

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

WREATHED IN SMILES

Dial back the festive frenzy and enjoy some sl baking time in your kitchen. This Cinnamon Scroll Wreath will really take your Christmas table up a notch. The recipe is available in McKenzie’s free eBook, Merry Baking – visit mckenziesfoods.com.au/ebooks to download it

COFFEE BY DESIGN

’Tis the season to enjoy a refreshing coffee after all the festivities. And if you like your brew a particular way, the new De’Longhi PrimaDonna Soul automatic coffee machine, $1999, delivers a tailor-made taste, thanks to its innovative Bean Adapt Technology.

Visit delonghi.com

BUSH TUCKER TO GO

Native Australian foods are delicious but tricky to find – so thank goodness for Currong Comestibles, whose chutneys, shrubs and jams feature riberry and rainforest lime to add truly local flavours to your cocktails, marinades and cakes. Delicious!

Visit currong.com.au

Flower power

These cute, retro-style, earthenware Flower Child trays by Jones & Co are the perfect size for serving up freshly baked biscuits, scones or antipasto snacks.

Brighten up the benchtop or coffee table with all three! $33 each. Visit jonesandco.com.au

THE CUTTING EDGE A cook is only as good as her knives. Premium German and Japanese stainless steel is heat-treated twice over for hardness and edge retention in these ChefX Kusunoki and Kassel knives. Better yet, both ranges are dishwasher-friendly. Available exclusively at Myer. myer.com.au/b/ChefX DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 99

time well spent

STEVE CUMPER IS IN HOLIDAY MODE, BUT HE’S STILL CREATING MEMORABLE MORSELS FOR ONE AND ALL. PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL UR IZA R ST YLING MICHELE CR A NSTON

sat through the final team meeting and its targeted projections for 2022.

Heck, you’ve even gone out with your workmates for an overpriced and underwhelming meal and a few bevvies at the local. As you wave goodbye to your colleagues, you’re already mentally in your PJs, on the couch with the remote, Tim Tams and a cuppa. In my family’s lexicon, this state of being is referred to as “comfy time”.

Comfy time. Let those words sink in. Could they be any more direct? They best evoke that wonderful feeling of being unshackled from the burdens of the day with an economy of language usually reserved for toddlers. I think it’s essential for every person about to begin annual leave to allocate the first two days of holidays to doing absolutely nothing. Yes, it will be a challenge.

Temptation to tackle all those glaring items on your ‘to-do’ list will be compelling, however, like all things, they can wait. My recommendation of this two-day addition of leave to HR has yet to bear fruit, but I’m hopeful.

My need is to adjust to a slower speed for the duration of my break, lest I end up zipping through the holiday corners and straights like a Scalextric car. (Readers of a certain age won’t need this reference explained). Now, this ‘break within the break’ is the key to unlocking the full potential of your well-earned holiday: leave your clothes where they fall; make an indentation on your couch; and be like a tree – leave your work behind.

Once you’re through this work detox, you can do what the holiday period was intended for – having fun! My holiday regimen usually starts with the same routine: I wake up and immediately ponder what I’ll be having for dinner that night. My family has a love/hate relationship with this ritual.

They swing from a mildly annoyed, “Oh, how can you be thinking about food already!” to a rapturous, “OMG, that’s so what I needed for dinner!”

I call it my superpower. Everybody has one, so I’m not special – it’s just that mine is a practical one.

If I’m having guests over, I’ll ruminate on a whole repertoire of dishes.

I’ll flick the pages over in my conceptual cookbook, like Tom Cruise did with his virtual reality goggles in Minority Report, until I settle on something that takes my fancy. I’m lucky that, after cooking professionally for more than 40 years, it remains a passion, so I’m not in danger of ‘busman’s holiday’ syndrome.

You may not be a cooking zealot like me, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take pleasure in rustling up something interesting and tasty for your friends and family. Take my dolmade recipe, for instance. Yes, you can buy them ready-made, but when you tell your invitees you’ve cooked the filling and carefully wrapped each piece, I guarantee they’ll appreciate your efforts.

After all, you’re using that most precious of currencies: your time.

Enjoy your holidays.

100 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

RICE, MINT & FETA DOLMADES Makes 20 pieces

500g cooked long grain rice pinch cracked black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder ½ cup currants 1 bunch torn mint leaves 1 tablespoon dried dill 1 cup good-quality crumbled sheep’s milk feta zest and juice of 1 lemon 20 pickled vine leaves 1 cup good-quality olive oil juice of 1 lemon water, to cover

In a bowl, combine the cooked rice, pepper, powders, currants, mint leaves, dill, feta, zest and juice of 1 lemon; mix well. Add salt, if desired.

Separate the vine leaves, then place them in a bowl of cold water for ½ hour. Drain and pat dry each one.

Place a vine leaf, shiny-side down, on a tea towel. Use a teaspoon to fill the leaf with the rice mixture, then fold it so there is no filling exposed.

Repeat with remaining leaves.

Line the bottom of a frypan with some torn vine leaves or baking paper.

Place the dolmades in the frypan, fold-side down. When you have filled the pan with dolmades, pour over the olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon and just enough water to cover them.

Place a plate over the top to weigh the dolmades down and cook over a low heat for ½ hour or until the water has evaporated. Allow dolmades to cool in the pan, then serve.

PHOTOCHEF DIXIE ELLIOTT

SO, YOU’VE SENT YOUR LAST EMAIL, tidied your workstation, and dutifully

COUNTRY COOK FOOD

sweet like honey

IN A TIME-HONOURED TRADITION, BAROSSA VALLEY WINEMAKER PRUE HENSCHKE BAKES SILESIAN HONEY BISCUITS EACH CHRISTMAS. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL UR IZA R ST YLING MICHELE CR A NSTON

IT’S HARD TO SAY HOW LONG the tradition of baking honey

biscuits at Christmas goes back. In its native Germany, it’s certainly many hundreds of years old. And in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, so heavily settled by German immigrants, farmhouse kitchens have been turning out honey biscuits, or Honigkuchen, for nearly 200 years.

“First-generation Johann Christian Henschke settled at Lobethal, in the Adelaide Hills, in 1842,” says viticulturist Prue Henschke of her storied family history.

“He was a stonemason, a wheelwright and a farmer.

Johann Christian, his wife Dorothea, and five sons moved to their true heartland in the Barossa ranges in 1844.”

Making a living wasn’t easy – that same year, he was recorded as owning livestock including cattle, ponies, pigs and goats, keeping a vegie garden and growing crops. For hardworking families like the Henschkes, Christmas was a welcome chance to down tools and celebrate, and they imported many festive traditions from their homeland, including the Adventskranz, or Advent wreath, the tree, the carols – and, of course, the honey biscuits.

Prue originally found this recipe in her friend Angela Heuzenroeder’s book Barossa Food, but has modified it over the years to suit her family’s taste. “Everyone has their own version of this recipe,” she says. “You only have

102 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

to look in some of the local school and church cookbooks to see all of the varying recipes! I use it every Christmas.”

Such modifications mean they can be quite different from the European originals, with the strong spices of the German biscuits – loaded with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, mace and aniseed – replaced by a rich honey flavour. In Angela’s book, she points out the old recipe books that the immigrants brought with them never included these elaborate recipes laden with costly spices. They lived simple, peasant lives, after all.

But the biscuits have always had honey at their heart.

Silesia, where the Henschkes hailed from, is famous for its honey, and the settlers brought their bees (Prue notes that the first recorded European beehives in Australia arrived in Adelaide in 1839 aboard the Henry Freeling). “We share our land with the local beekeepers and always have honey on hand for cooking and spreading on hot, buttered toast,” she says. “I think many local cooks would do the same.”

If you don’t fancy making your own, Prue says, “The local bakeries offer honey biscuits, too – Apex Bakery, in Tanunda, bake Honigkuchen in their wood-fired oven.”

So, if you’re in the Barossa this Christmas, you know where to go. If you’re not, try this recipe – and taste several hundred years of celebrations.

HEIR LOOM FOOD FAR LEFT, INSET The second generation of the Henschke clan.

LEFT, INSET Ancestor Johanne Ida Selma Henschke on her wedding day to Paul Alfred.

HONIGKUCHEN Makes 36 biscuits

PHOTOCHEF DIXIE ELLIOTT

1½ cups honey 1 tablespoon butter 1½ teaspoons bicarb soda 2 eggs, beaten ½ teaspoon clove, ground ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground ½ teaspoon allspice, ground 4 cups plain flour

Simmer honey and some water in a saucepan until the honey has dissolved. Remove from the heat, cool slightly and beat in the butter.

Stir the bicarb, which will fizz and become frothy, straight into the honey and butter mixture. Stir in 2⁄3 of the beaten egg (keep the remainder for glazing biscuits later), followed by all of the spices, and mix well.

Stir in the flour and mix to a smooth, sticky dough, adding extra flour, if required.

Allow to rest for an hour, dust well with flour and roll out to about 5-7mm thick on a floured bench. Make sure you use plenty of flour to prevent the dough sticking to the bench or rolling pin. Place the dough in the fridge overnight to chill and harden.

Using a small square- or starshaped, floured cutter, cut biscuits and place on a greased baking sheet or on non-stick baking paper.

Brush biscuits lightly with remaining egg mixed with a little water and bake in a preheated oven at 150°C for 9-10 minutes, until biscuits turn a rich, deep, dark honey colour.

Remove biscuits to a cooling rack.

NOTE Biscuits can be iced, using 1 egg white mixed with 1½ cups icing mixture and a squeeze of lemon.

SHARE YOUR FAMILY FAVOURITES Do you have a recipe that has been passed down through generations of your family? Send it to us, along with the story behind it and a photograph of the relative who passed it on.

Remember to include a telephone number. Email hannah.james@ aremedia.com.au or send a letter to Heirloom Recipe, Country Style, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW, 2001.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP RIGHT Nine Muses Textiles Paisley in Petal linen fabric, $275/m, from Tigger Hall Design. Karakusa pastel series plate in Pink, $34.95, from Toka Ceramics. Assorted Indian Christmas bells, $75 (set of four), from Love After Love. Jasper beaded leaf garland, $39.95, from Papaya. Yeend glassware set, $520, from Jardan. Vintage cutlery, $2 each, from Nikki B’s. Rattan swirl placemat, $30, from The Classic Outfitter. Carron Campagne floral plate, $159.95, and Carron Campagne shallow plate, $139.95, both from The Lost and Found Department. Bell and Goldenrod multistripe napkins, $120 (set of four), both from Love After Love.

Wicker salt and pepper set, $70, from The Classic Outfitter. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Wooden and glass door panel, $950, from The Society Inc. Lime wash paint in Serene and Sedum, $120/4L, from Bauwerk. Kariba cone pendant, $699, from The Dharma Door. Vintage oil painting, from Lisa Burdus. Flowers by Muscari – for a similar vase, try Salt & Pepper White speckle origin planter, $249, from Domayne; or Splosh Botanica large planter in White, $20, from Harvey Norman. Cream Rope tapers, $50, from Love After Love. Hawkins New York simple wood candle holder in Pink, $48, from Okay. Mesh and rattan food cover, $29.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Granada salad bowl in White, $77, from Few and Far. Nova faux white marble dining table, $1789, from James Lane. White folding steel chair, $150, and Cream stool, $120, both from Ici Et La. Nine Muses Textiles Butea XL in Juane linen fabric, $275/m, from Tigger Hall Design.

Titus dining chair in Natural, $865, from Cotswold Furniture. Scalloped jute rug in Yellow, $1299 (300cm x 200cm), Tigmi Trading.

TA BLETOP DECOR ATING

SET THE TABLE FOR CHRISTMAS LUNCH WITH LOVELY LINEN, SPECIAL CROCKERY AND VASES FILLED WITH FRESH BLOOMS.

FLORAL STYLING MUSCARI ASSISTANTS KATE LINCOLN, PAVARNE LAMBERT

PHOTOGRAPHY A LA NA LA NDSBER RY ST YLING K AY LA GEX

DECOR ATING TA BLETOP

106 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Lulu linen tablecloth in Oatmeal, $260 (150cm x 350cm), from Jardan. Large vintage glass goblet, $80, from The Society Inc. Vintage linen tea towel, $55, from The Society Inc. Plate, from Nicola Hart. Vintage cutlery, $2 each, from Nikki B’s. Seven Heavenly Virtues glass in Temperance, $395, from Fairfax & Roberts Home. Rococo serving dish in round, $68, by Angela Nicholson from The Bower Society. Fluted condiment bowl, $22, and Silver wattle condiment bowl, $18, both

by Angela Nicholson from The Bower Society. Rinka plate, $46.95, from Toka Ceramics. Vintage cutlery, $2 each, from Nikki B’s. Cream short stool, $120, from Ici Et La. Belinay Vintage Turkish carpet, $1770, from Few and Far. Titus dining chair in Natural, $865, from Cotswold Furniture. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Lewis & Wood Fan Flower paper in Plaster, from Elliott Clarke. Flowers by Muscari – for a similar vase, try Roma Sand bowl, $89, from Domayne. Curtain drop in Purple Stripe, $450, from Ici Et La. Pale yellow cabinet, $2400, from The Society Inc. Carron Campagne floral plate, $159.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Josef Hoffman Patrician wine goblet, $390 (set of two), from Fairfax & Roberts Home. Wicker salt and pepper set, $70, from The Classic Outfitter. Josef Hoffman Patrician champagne coupe, $390 (set of two), from Fairfax & Roberts Home. Large vintage glass goblet, $80, and small vintage glass goblet, $60, both from The Society Inc. Luna Rattan small glass, $15 each, from The Classic Outfitter. Speckled stoneware tumbler, $30, from Kusu Ceramics. Staffordshire-inspired cup, $105, from Ginny Sims Ceramics. White jug, $70, from Hampshire Interiors. Shell white egg-shaped bowl, $13.50, from Toka Ceramics. Robert Gordon side plate in Fondant, $34.95 (set of two), and Robert Gordon condiment bowl in Fondant, $19.95 (set of two), both from Few and Far. Rinka rice bowl, $24.95 each, from Toka Ceramics. Bread proving basket in Round, $29.95 (22cm), from The Lost and Found Department. Celadon moon jar, $120, White stoneware bud vase, $60, and Stoneware blossom vase, $65, all from Kusu Ceramics. Round natural jute placemats, $125 (set of eight), from The Dharma Door. Mesh and rattan food covers, from $29.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Deep utility bowl in Coast, $86.95, from Robert Gordon. Stanford dining chair, from $1311, from Jardan. For a similar tablecloth, try Vintage linen tablecloth in Jade, $149, from Aura Home. Nine Muses Textiles Butea XL in Juane linen fabric, $275/m, from Tigger Hall Design. Vintage linen tea towel, $55, from The Society Inc. Nine Muses Textiles Paisley in Petal linen fabric, $275/m, from Tigger Hall Design. Belinay Vintage Turkish carpet, $1770, from Few and Far.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Lewis & Wood Fan Flower paper in Plaster, from Elliott Clarke. For a similar curtain, try Bijou linen curtain in Oatmeal, from $78, from Blinds Online. Wooden and glass door panel, $950, from The Society Inc. Swift NV Cuvée, $50, and 2021 Printhie Topography Pinot Gris, $30, both from Printhie Wines. Vintage silver plate champagne bucket, $340, from Love After Love. Large vintage glass goblet, $80, from The Society Inc. Josef Hoffman Patrician champagne coupe, $390 (set of two), from Fairfax & Roberts Home. Wine glass with gold rim, $25, from Ici Et La. Jasper beaded leaf garland, $39.95, from Papaya. Small vintage glass goblet, $60, from The Society Inc. Rinka rice bowl, $24.95, from Toka Ceramics. Pleated candle shade with clip, $24.95 (12cm), from The Lost and Found Department.

Mary Valley Co. Dried Lime (on gift), $19.95, from Few and Far.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Rococo serving dish in oval, $138, and Silver wattle speckle dish, $22, both by Angela Nicholson from The Bower Society.

Knife, stylist’s own. Small vintage glass goblet, $60, from The Society Inc. Pleated candle shade with clip, $29.95 (18cm), from The Lost and Found Department.

Silver wattle check condiment bowl, $22,

by Angela Nicholson from The Bower Society. Vintage cutlery, $2 each, from Nikki B’s. Karakusa green and amber plate, $58.95, from Toka Ceramics. Mary Valley Co. Dried Limes, $19.95, from Few and Far. Wattle speckle condiment bowl, $27, by Angela Nicholson from The Bower Society.

Linen tablecloth in Sage, $100, from Bed Threads. For a similar napkin, try Vintage linen fringe napkin in Jade, $59.95 (set of four), from Aura Home.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 109

DRINKS

raise a gla ss CELEBRATE IN STYLE THESE HOLIDAYS WITH OUR PICK OF THE BEST DROPS (BOTH ALCOHOLIC AND NON) FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA.

THERE’S NOTHING THAT SPEAKS of country Australia more

than cracking open a cold one at the end of a long day.

Drinking is intricately woven into the fabric of our lives as we grow and change: with the riotous fun of the B&S ball giving way to a civilised Friday-night glass of wine on the verandah with a friend. So it’s not surprising we’re rich in celebrated drinks producers, with Australian wines, spirits and beers all drawing attention (and awards) on the global stage.

More surprising, perhaps, is the boom in non-alcoholic beverages. Over the past year, the demand for alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks has risen fivefold, according to Endeavour Group, which owns BWS and Dan Murphy’s.

Once seen as the poor relation of the real thing, alcoholfree drinks are now crafted with just as much attention to flavour profiles, mouth-feel and even packaging design, so that those seeking to decrease their drinking, for whatever reason, can join in the fun.

The boys from Heaps Normal brewing company, whose alcohol-free XPA (extra pale ale) sits firmly in the craftbeer category, are keen to do what it says on the tin: make drinking alcohol-free beer heaps normal. “When we launched the Quiet XPA, we thought there were probably a few people like us, who wanted to cut back on the booze, but didn’t necessarily identify as sober,” says Andy Miller, one of the founders of the brand and its CEO. “It turns out there are a lot more people in that camp than we first

110 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

thought. No-one wants to be preached to and we reckon the most important thing is recognising different things work for different people – we’ve all got our own normal.”

Despite launching mid-pandemic in 2020, Heaps Normal sold out in its first week. At some craft beer stores, Heaps Normal outsells every other beer – and it’s not just the punters who love it. At the World Beer Awards in August, it won the country prize for no and low-alcohol brews. “It’s a perfect storm of trends, like an increase in spending on health and wellness, and a generational decline in alcohol consumption,” says Andy of the demand for zero-alcohol options. “Lockdowns created a flashpoint for these trends where people were inspired to reassess their habits. Drinking culture in Australia is shifting.”

You can now buy alcohol-free drops across the spectrum of beers, ciders, wines and spirits. But kombucha was one of the first healthy alcohol alternatives to take off in Australia, and that’s thanks to Anthony and Sarah Crabb, who in 2009 founded the country’s first kombucha company, Mojo. They were introduced to the probiotic drink in 2008, thanks to a friend who frequently travelled overseas for work. “He saw this kombucha product popping up more and more, and decided to bring some back from the US for us to taste,” says Anthony. “We were instantly hooked and decided to try and make some ourselves.”

Anthony began brewing it on his kitchen table in McLaren Vale, South Australia. “There was no ‘book’ on >

PHOTOGRAPHY PHILLIP CASTLETON STYLING CORINA KOCH RAAMI TUMBLER IN LINEN, FROM IITTALA

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

TO P TI PP L E S C UL L EN WI N E S The pioneer of biodynamic wines in Australia, Vanya Cullen was just named Viticulturist of the Year in the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion Awards.

Her WA winery is 50 years old and each wine shows that expertise and dedication. Visit cullenwines.com.au

BA N KS B O TA NI CA LS Made with native botanicals from the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Banks Botanicals is a distilled, non-alcoholic spirit that works perfectly with tonic for a slightly spicy, citrusy, booze-free cocktail. Visit banksbotanicals.com

C RI T T E N DE N WI N E S The beautiful Mornington Peninsula is home to Crittenden Wines, the winner of the Gourmet Traveller Wine Best Large Cellar Door award for 2021. Visit or buy online at crittendenwines.com.au

P LU S & M I N US Plus antioxidants, minus alcohol equals a win for Blanc de Blancs from Plus & Minus wines. For a glass – or two – of bubbles without the regrets, head to theconsciousdrop.com.au

U N D E R G ROUN D S PIR I TS Created in collaboration with the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Underground Spirits’ Ad Crescendum Gin includes native botanicals from the Banksia Garden. Visit undergroundspirits.com.au

M OJ O KO MBUC HA The pioneers of kombucha in Australia, Mojo makes probiotic, fermented, low-sugar drinks that are truly good for you. Its new Kombucha Soda containes real fruit juice and prebiotic fibre. Visit mojobeverages.com.au

DRINKS Ruby Daly, business manager of Hellfire Bluff Distillery, is happy to cater to consumers’ varied tastes.

FACING PAGE Linen tablecloth in Army Green, from Montauk.

Essence highball glass in Clear, from Iittala.

“We launched Inspirit with the ethos that no-one gets left out of a Hellfire Bluff Distillery party.”

PHOTOGRAPHY MITCH OSBORNE

kombucha back in those days; just a passion, drive and lots of trial and error to get it right,” he explains. “There were many late nights and weekends, and friends and family giving feedback.”

All the hard work was worth it. In a true homegrown success story, the company was acquired by Coca-Cola in 2018, which has helped increase production capacity. “The hardest part was keeping up with demand,” says Anthony.

That’s no longer a problem, and every bottle of Mojo is still manufactured in Willunga using the same SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) he began his first batch with. “Mojo has an exciting journey ahead,” he adds.

Also looking to the future is Hellfire Bluff Distillery in Tasmania, famous for its Sloe Gin, made from sloe berries foraged across the state. One of the few distilleries to offer both alcoholic and non-alcoholic spirits, the company launched its first zero per cent drink, Inspirit, this year.

After setting up shop in 2017 and winning Australia’s Best Contemporary Gin at the World Gin Awards this year, as well as a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, business manager Ruby Daly decided to share her family business’s distilling expertise with the sober crowd. Based on Hellfire’s London Dry Gin recipe, Inspirit adds local ingredients such as Tasmanian blackcurrant to the mix.

“We launched Inspirit in July with the ethos that no-one gets left out of a Hellfire Bluff Distillery party,” she says.

“The flavour profile works well with good-quality soda or tonic and a slice of citrus or berries.”

It wasn’t simple, though. “Without alcohol used in the distillation process, we have to be meticulous in our recipe and process to get the flavour profile right,” Ruby says. But Inspirit has flown off shelves so quickly that Hellfire Bluff has just launched Inspirit & Soda in cans. “It’s perfect for summer barbecues and picnics,” says Ruby, who predicts a continued movement towards non-alcoholic drinks.

But it’s not all about the teetotallers. Even with more non-alcoholic choices available, our storied tradition of distilling and winemaking means the good stuff will retain its place in our cellars – and our hearts. “The future is big and bright,” says Dr Toby Angstmann, co-founder of Canberra-based Underground Spirits. “Australian craft gin continues to be discovered. We are so impressed to see the craft distilling industry growing and innovating.” >

SUMMER SODA SPRITZ

Get the health benefits of kombucha plus the lift of gin in this refreshing tropical cocktail. ice sprig of mint leaves 1 teaspoon passionfruit pulp 30ml gin Mojo Kombucha Soda Tropical Twirl (250ml) 1 lime, cut into quarters

Place ice, mint leaves and passionfruit pulp in a glass.

Add gin, and give it a stir.

Top with Mojo Kombucha Soda Tropical Twirl. Garnish with extra mint and a lime wedge.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 113

DRINKS

From left: Heaps Normal co-founders Andy Miller, Ben Holdstock and Peter Brennan (along with professional surfer Jordy Smith, not pictured).

One such exciting innovation is Underground Spirits’ collaboration with the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) to create its Ad Crescendum var Flosferam Gin, with flavours of midgen berry, lemonscented gum and kurrajong.

“The ANBG is a gin-maker’s paradise,” says Toby.

“The privilege to be able to work with the horticulturist, to learn and understand the beauty of the collection was a real pleasure. Being able to play a small part in showcasing this, to be able to take all of that wonder and distil it into a glass many can sip and enjoy, that was a very easy decision to make.” Toby and his co-founder, his sister Claudia Roughley, are donating part of the profits to the gardens that inspired the gin.

Wine is just as linked to the earth from which it’s produced, and the Hunter Valley’s Margan Family Wines has been making delicious drops from its rich soils for 25 years. Yet Andrew Margan, whose latest trophy is Winemaker of the Year at the 2021 Hunter Valley Wine

114 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

Show, isn’t averse to innovation, either. When recruiting Nicole Brasier, his winemaker and Rising Star of the Year winner at the same competition, he says: “I was looking for a ‘wine palate’ I could relate to, but also wanted someone who could challenge me and the way I made wine. And she does! She’s been able to teach an old dog new tricks.”

Nicole also loves the geographic element of her work.

“I enjoy that the single vineyard focus [at Margan] allows you to adapt to the vineyard depending on the season and allows you to showcase a sense in time and place,” she says.

“The goals working for Margan has always been making the best expression of a single site and looking to improve on that each year.”

With the options for drinkers and non-drinkers alike increasing in range and quality, now everyone can raise a glass of something local this Christmas. Cheers!

For more, visit heapsnormal.com; mojobeverages.com.au; hellfirebluff.com.au; undergroundspirits.com.au; and margan.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY ROHAN THOMPSON

“It’s a perfect storm of trends, like an increase in spending on health, and a generational decline in alcohol consumption.”

TR AVEL ROA D TR IP The Yass region’s mild, cool climate is ideal for producing quality wines, including those grown and bottled at nearby Clonakilla vineyard.

S AY Y E S T O YA S S

WITH ROLLING GREEN HILLS, HISTORIC TOWNS AND WORLD-FAMOUS WINERIES, THE YASS VALLEY IS THE WEEKEND AWAY YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE

DAY 1 C A N BE R R A T O G U N DA R O O Set out from the capital and after just half an hour on the road, you’ll arrive at the first of the trip’s wineries, Lerida Estate. The high, cool slopes of the Lake George range produce award-winning, cool-climate wines, which you can sample in the winery designed by legendary Australian architect Glenn Murcutt. Stroll along the walking trail and enjoy the views over the lake bed, before heading off to the charming heritage town of Gundaroo, your home for the night. The entire town is National Trust-classified, which means a stroll down the main street is truly a glimpse into the past. Follow the Gundaroo Heritage River Walk, which takes you through local history, from the old police station and stables (now the Cork Street

Cafe) to St Joseph’s Church. Book in advance to take a workshop at Old Saint Luke’s Studio and Gallery, a pottery studio with a wood-fired kiln where Ian Jones and Moraig McKenna create specialist ceramics.

Where to stay: Tallagandra Hill Winery has three lovely cottages set among the vines, and will supply you with a glass of wine and a cheese platter, so you can sit out on the verandah, sip and relax. tallagandrahill.com.au Where to eat: From a quick snack to a three-course lunch, the cafe at Lerida Estate has everything you need for your midday pit stop. Come evening, head to the vine-clustered Royal Hotel in Gundaroo, whose gracefully ageing interiors are complemented by vibrant, innovative fare by Grazing restaurant. >

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 117

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Yass is renowned for producing fine merino wool; winemaker Stephanie Helm of The Vintner’s Daughter; Cork Street Gallery and Cafe in Gundaroo serves up loaded gourmet pizzas; relax with a wine at Four Winds Vineyard; seasonal mains at Grazing restaurant in Gundaroo; the charming interior of Cork Street Gallery and Cafe; the pretty surrounds of Grazing restaurant. FACING PAGE Leave the city behind and soak in the peaceful, varied country landscapes.

PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE, ERIN DANDO, PEW PEW STUDIO

ROA D TR IP TR AVEL

DAY 2 G U N DA R O O T O M U R RU M B AT E M A N Today’s a relaxed day best spent pottering about the Yass Valley’s wineries. The 14km-long Murrumbateman Winery Trail is set to be finished any minute, and will allow you to cycle from cellar door to cellar door, sampling as you go (you can hire an electric bike from Canberra Wine Region E-Bike Tours to give your pedal power a boost).

You’ll want to linger at The Vintner’s Daughter, whose winemaker Stephanie Helm is – as her winery’s name suggests – the daughter of a winemaker. She grew up steeped in the art of the vine and was

producing award-winning wines while she was still in school. With her husband, Ben Osborne, she crafts premium small-batch drops from their winery near town, which you can enjoy on the verandah, outside on the lawn or inside in the cosy cellar door, if the weather’s against you. Your other winery options are varied and excellent: Four Winds Vineyard is a perfect spot to kick back with a glass of wine and woodfired pizza in the sunshine – the rieslings are a must-try.

Clonakilla is the winery that launched the region to public acclaim back in the 1970s, and you can enjoy their award-winning shiraz viogniers

(the blend so typical of the Canberra region) in the stylish cellar door.

Shaw Wines is another spectacular cellar door – don’t miss the cabernet sauvignon here – while Eden Road Wines offers cheese platters to accompany its delicious tipples.

Drop in at Dionysus Winery and Murrumbateman Winery, too.

Where to stay: Abode Murrumbateman is the new kid in town, and its classic rooms are comfortable and chic. abodehotels. com.au/hotels/murrumbateman Where to eat: Olleyville restaurant at Shaw Vineyard Estate offers Italian-inspired fare that’s rustic, shareable – and delicious. >

Clonakilla winery launched the region to public acclaim in the 1970s, and you can enjoy award-winning shiraz viogniers in the cellar door.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 119

TR AVEL ROA D TR IP

DAY 3 M U R RU M B AT E M A N T O YA S S

DAY 4 YA S S T O W E E JA S PE R

The streets of Yass are still lined with grand buildings that speak to its past as a wealthy sheep-farming town. Explore that heritage in the self-guided town walk, before visiting Cooma Cottage, built in 1835 – and now in the ownership of the National Trust – that once belonged to explorer Hamilton Hume. Wander round the Yass Railway Museum, complete with its own historic steam train, then while away some time in the Merchant Campbell shop, a homewares and fashion emporium named after its current owner’s ancestor, Robert Campbell, who began importing goods from India to New South Wales back in 1798.

Where to stay: The Globe Inn was built in 1847, and has all the charm that implies, but with a healthy dose of modern comfort, too. A breezy verandah and pretty rooms make the Globe a welcome retreat. theglobeinn.com.au Where to eat: Pop into Clementine Bakery for warm croissants, scrumptious pastries and fresh sourdough. For dinner, tapas at Yazzbar will set you up for a blissful evening of wine and live music at the renowned venue.

Charming Wee Jasper is on the banks of the Goodradigbee River and was once home to Aussie bush poet Banjo Paterson. He wrote The Mountain Squatter (which hymned “my mountain home”) in 1915 on the Coodravale property he shared with the Lindeman family (of winemaking fame). Immerse yourself in the natural wonders that Paterson loved so much by walking along part of the Hume and Hovell Walking Track to Burrinjuck Dam, or delving deep into the earth at Careys Cave, exploring the fascinating limestone formations. This part of the world was once an ancient seabed, and has the 400-million-year-old fish fossils to prove it – you can book a fossil tour at Cooradigbee Homestead (see below).

Where to stay: Cooradigbee is a carefully restored 1911 homestead that sits on 3000 hectares of pristine bushland and still produces superfine merino wool. There’s character and charm to spare. Search for Cooradigbee Homestead on Airbnb.

Where to eat: The homestead is self-catering, so bring your own tasty supplies or book in advance to enjoy a delicious meal on-site.

120 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The historic Globe Inn offers bed, breakfast and country hospitality; Clementine Bakery specialises in small-batch artisan breads and treats – you’ll want to try them all; stop at Clonakilla cellar door for wine tasting; Merchant Campbell stocks beautiful homewares, furnishings and fashion.

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REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE

TIME TO INDULGE STOCK THE FRIDGE AND PANTRY FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH THE FINEST PRODUCE FROM COUNTRY COOKS, BAKERS AND ARTISANS. WORDS A BBY PFA HL

Delicious picnic provisions from The Hamilton Hamper. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Gourmet Food Merchant stocks local artisan goods and products; The Hamilton Hamper’s Jo and Bridget.

PHOTOGRAPHY GEORGIE MANN, DYLAN ALCOCK

VICTORIA The Hamilton Hamper

Hamilton, in the heart of Victoria’s Western District, is a regional centre with a prosperous history. Long-time local Bridget Pern owns The Hamilton Hamper with her husband, Daker, and says, “Our region was known as the wool capital of the world because of the richness of the surrounding land, which not only produced prime sheep but beef and dairy cattle.”

Bridget and Daker have agribusiness and retail backgrounds, and in a tribute of sorts to their rural roots, they stock their shop with goods from more than 50 artisan producers in the area – chocolates, wine, candles, olive oil, beauty products and more. “Each maker supplies our store, and hampers, with hand-picked giftware that is sought-after across Australia,” says Bridget. “We are constantly seeking new and existing local products to meet the demand from our customers in Hamilton and beyond.”

At Christmas, the hampers are hugely popular, both for family and corporate gifts. Customers have the option of purchasing readymade hampers or selecting their own.

“People look forward to our free-range hams, including Penny’s glaze recipe, and turkeys with handmade stuffing,” adds Bridget.

In store, the artisan products are on tasting platforms, which give shoppers the chance to try before

they buy. “This year, we’re so excited to introduce our own Hamilton Hamper Christmas Cake – it’s an old recipe of my grandmother’s, making it even more special,” says Bridget.

169 Gray St, Hamilton, (03) 5571 2088; hamiltonhampers.com.au, @thehamiltonhamperco

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Gourmet Food Merchant

In 2017, Jordan and Arnaud Guillemart said goodbye to their wine bar and restaurant in France’s Champagne region and returned to another area famous for its vineyards – Margaret River.

Three years later, they took over Gourmet Food Merchant in the little town of Cowaramup. The cosy, bustling store serves Margaret River Roasting Co’s coffee, along with deli-style lunches and specialty cakes.

But it’s the local produce and gourmet

goods that are the stars here. “We showcase products from the southwest of Western Australia, although you can find goodies from Geraldton to Albany,” Jordan says.

He adds that tourists and locals come to stock up on what you would only find at boutique farmers’ markets. Extra-virgin olive oils, mustards, dressings, charcuterie, cheeses and beautiful condiments – such as Crunch Preserves Caramelised Onion Jam and The Pickled Wife Dukkah – are in abundance, and there are some excellent homemade pastas and dumplings to take home.

Visit the shop’s website for handy ordering options – hampers, picnic baskets or holiday grocery menus can be made and delivered on request.

4 Bottrill St, Cowaramup, (08) 9755 5136; gourmetfoodmerchant.com. au, @gourmet_food_merchant >

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 123

QUEENSLAND The Baker’s Duck

This stylish bakery is tucked away in a quiet street in Toowoomba, surrounded by Queenslander-style houses and leafy residential gardens.

Every morning there’s a stream of regulars from the neighbourhood, keen to pick up freshly baked pastries and cups of Blackboard Coffee.

But it’s not just locals who adore The Baker’s Duck, as owner Jeyan Chamanmah explains: “The bakery has established itself as a destination, drawing people from all over South East Queensland to sample our artisanal products – all made from scratch using quality and locally sourced ingredients.”

During the year, it might be a pork sausage roll or bacon quiche that has customers calling in, or the bestselling strawberry cheesecake danish. At Christmas time, the focus shifts to ingredients like cherries, stone fruit and other traditional festive flavours.

“We love to be a part of our customers’ Christmas Day feasts,” says Jeyan. “There’s always a special menu on offer for people to pre-order,

124 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

catered toward enhancing any table setting. We create family-sized fruit pies and crumbles, par-baked croissants that just need a refresh in the oven, and sweets using the best ingredients of the season.”

124 Campbell St, East Toowoomba, 1300 339 592; thebakersduck.com. au, @thebakersduck

NEW SOUTH WALES Poachers Pantry Farm Shop

You may already be familiar with this popular range of smoked meats – they’re stocked in grocers and gourmet food shops across the country. But did you know you can visit the Poachers Pantry itself?

Housed in a charming, renovated 1950s cottage, the Poachers Farm Shop and adjoining Smokehouse Restaurant sit within a working farm and vineyard. Surrounded by a lovely sunny terrace and thriving kitchen garden, the shop is stocked with fine fare, including favourites like traditionally cured and hotsmoked duck breast, and seven-day dry-cured, cold-smoked bacon.

The 2021 Poachers Riesling has also just been released, and pairs

beautifully with the abundance of charcuterie on offer.

The business was started 30 years ago by Susan and Robert Bruce, and is now in the hands of the second generation – Lauren and William Bruce and their young family. “It has been built around our love of good food, and sharing with family and friends,” says Susan. “From simple beginnings we’ve grown to include the Smokehouse Restaurant, the Poachers Vineyard, the farm shop, a cellar door, and become a country wedding and event destination.”

Susan tells us the festive season is an exciting time at the Pantry: “The restaurant is filled with families and friends celebrating ‘the year that was’ over a lovely regional meal.

And the shop is bustling with people selecting baskets full of smoked meats, wine and local produce to celebrate Christmas at home.”

It’s the perfect place to pick up a whole smoked leg ham, the special Poachers little ham or smoked turkey breast with chestnut stuffing.

431 Nanima Rd, Springrange, (02) 6230 2487; poacherspantry. com.au, @poacherspantry

PHOTOGRAPHY ANNE CHRISTIAN, SUSAN BRUCE, MATT BEAVER

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Customers enjoy coffee and cakes at The Baker’s Duck; scrumptious pastries and tarts by The Baker’s Duck were a hit at the Christmas market last year; The Poachers Pantry’s basket of goodies. FACING PAGE A moreish cheese board by Coolamon Cheese Co is ideal for Christmas Day; a glass of Seven Seasons gin is the perfect accompaniment.

REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE

“It was a dream of mine to create a company that celebrated learning, culture and ingredients from the Top End.” Coolamon Cheese Co.

The Riverina, in the south-west of New South Wales, is renowned for its rich agricultural production of commodities like beef, wool, lamb, grain and, of course, dairy.

Making the most of this abundance is Coolamon Cheese Co, with Jennifer Nestor as head cheesemaker and Keiran Spencer the company’s general manager. Fresh local milk, for its creaminess and full-bodied flavour, is hand-collected from nearby dairy farms and used by Jennifer to carefully create her award-winning artisan cheeses.

Brie lovers will appreciate the label’s double cream D’Brie, as well as Jennifer’s signature Merlot Flour Brie. Her innovative range of semihard cow’s milk cheeses is popular, too – our picks are the tart Desert Raisin and Alpine Pepper for its subtle savoury notes.

Interestingly, Coolamon Cheese Co has also pioneered the development of small-batch, lactose-free cheeses

in Australia. The team’s motto, “traditionally progressive”, is evident upon entry to the original 1920s co-op building, which has been transformed into a modern fromagerie, cafe and store, while still retaining rustic elements of its heritage.

Cheese is made on-site, and visitors can get a glimpse of the process via a special viewing hallway. Keep an eye out for exciting festive flavours, including native fruit spice, cranberries and green peppercorn.

87 Cowabbie St, Coolamon, (02) 6927 3757; coolamoncheese.com.au, @coolamoncheese

SOUTH AUSTRALIA & NORTHERN TERRITORY Seven Seasons

A special bottle of gin comes in extra handy at this time of year – tie it with a ribbon as a gift for clients or hosts, or pour it into Christmas cocktails.

Bush Apple Gin by Seven Seasons is our current favourite, not just for its gorgeous blush colour and festive

label but for the balanced juniper flavour and slightly floral notes.

From the makers of the incredible Green Ant Gin, this latest creation is similarly distilled in South Australia from native Australian ingredients – many of which are hand-harvested by Indigenous people in the Northern Territory.

Seven Seasons founder Daniel Motlop, a proud Larrakia man, tells us: “It was a dream of mine to create a company that celebrated learning, culture and ingredients from the Top End.” The name Seven Seasons refers to the belief of the Larrakia people (whose homelands “stretch from the Cox Peninsula to Gunn Point and the Adelaide River to Manton Dam”) that there are seven seasons – each one marked by monsoonal rain, the arrival of dragonflies, the fruiting of native cherries and other natural cycles. “Bush Apple Gin is a product of Monsoon Season, when the heavy rain starts, crocs lay their eggs and the barramundi are flourishing. It’s also the time the fruit of the bush apple is ready to be picked from the treetops,” says Daniel.

You can buy Seven Seasons gin online and at all good bottle shops. seven-seasons.com.au, @sevenseasonsspirits

126 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

FASHION Pretty, flowy dresses and sandals are Jeanie’s go-tos. Sonny the 14-week-old border collie is always close by.

FACING PAGE Rural life suits Jeanie, who loves “the freedom to be creative, and have a never-ending list of projects to transform from dream into reality.”

JEANIE WYLIE, OWNER OF FRIDA’S FIELD RESTAURANT IN NSW, FAVOURS FLOATY ATTIRE WITH AN ECLECTIC EDGE. PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLÉ ST YLING LISA BUR DEN

JEANIE WYLIE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, FARMER AND RESTAURATEUR, 41

Jeanie lives on a farm in the lush Byron Bay hinterland with her husband, Edward, and their three children.

Have you always lived in the country?

I’ve lived in the country for 10 years. We spent four years on the farm where my husband grew up in Queensland, testing out whether we really did like country living, before finding our forever farm in Nashua, NSW, six years ago. I love being surrounded by nature. I love the tranquillity and slow pace.

How would you describe your style?

A bit eclectic; casual with an alternative twist. I love being super-comfortable in jeans and trainers or boots, but I also love wearing pretty, flowy dresses.

What are your wardrobe essentials?

Blundstone boots and Duckfeet sandals.

What are your favourite clothing labels?

Gorman, Mister Zimi, Oak Meadow, and Lazybones.

Where do you shop for clothing and accessories?

There are so many great shops in Bangalow. I love Bell & Ford, Bisque Traders, and Millar & More.

What are your essential beauty products?

I like Dr Hauschka Sheer Lipstick; Adderton High Definition Foundation; and effortless eyeshadow.

Do you have a favourite fragrance?

Coco Eau de Parfum Chanel.

Do you have any favourite accessories?

A round rattan handbag made in Bali.

What helps you keep a balanced life?

Gardening is like exercise, meditation, creativity and nature-bathing all rolled into one – I love it!

What are you reading/listening to/watching?

I love Galah magazine; the Sustainable World Radio podcast; David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.

Where are your favourite local spots to eat?

I love Doma Cafe in Federal, NSW. How do you celebrate Christmas?

We usually go to my husband’s family beach house at Burleigh Heads, in Qld, to catch up with extended family and enjoy Edward’s mum’s amazing cooking.

What do you like to wear on Christmas Day? Something special – a long, flowy dress.

What do you do for the Christmas holidays?

Juggle the kids’ holidays with the tourist season… it’s our busiest time of year at Frida’s Field. There’s lots of running around on the farm, play dates, motorbike rides (Edward and the kids, not me!), creek swims (we have a flying fox set up over a deep swimming hole in the creek), early trips to the beaches of Byron Bay, and visits to Burleigh Heads to see the cousins and play in Tallebudgera Creek.

For more on Jeanie and Frida’s Field, see page 86.

FASHION Jeanie with her two youngest children, Evie and Arthur. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP The family’s English Springer, 13-year-old Gertie, hopes for sneaky treats from the Christmas table; Jeanie and Sonny in the garden.

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natural impact

JEANIE LIKES PRACTICAL, QUALITY PIECES WITH A FEMININE TOUCH.

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PRODUCED BY K ATE LINCOLN

1 Rosabell open-back gown, $300, from Oak Meadow.

2 Faithfull the brand linen midi dress, $299, from Net-A-Porter.

3 Verali sass flat sandal in Tansoftee, $69.95, from Birdsnest.

4 L’Avenue shaw linen blend cushion, $49, from Harvey Norman.

5 Tidal bowl in Matt White, $16.50, from Few & Far. 6 Sienna napkin set in Blush, $48 (set of four), from L&M Home. 7 Princier gold cutlery set, $119 (sixteen pieces), from No. 22. 8 Lally woven basket with long handle, from $19.95, from Papaya. 9 Salt & Pepper Salut white wine glasses, $49 (set of six), from Domayne.

10 Cottesloe throw in Natural, $265, from Bedtonic. 11 Palma wide boater hat, $129, from Lack of Color.

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DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 129

let’s celebrate!

SAY GOODBYE TO 2021 WITH FLOATY, FEMININE ENSEMBLES AND TIMELESS ACCESSORIES FIT FOR A PARTY. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

FASHION

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON/AREMEDIASYNDICATION.COM.AU, WILL HORNER

HOLIDAY SEASON DRESSING isn’t always easy – it’s hot

and there is eating to be done, but you also want to look your best for the festivities. Clever design, good-quality fabrics and beautiful shades and prints are the key to simple, stylish outfits that will make you feel great.

Your choice of material is vital when you’re dressing up for an occasion like Christmas Day, says Yarra Trail’s designer Alison McDonald. “Comfort is key after such a long time of just wearing our trackies,” she explains of coming out of lockdown. “You don’t want to be sitting there not able to breathe, so you need cottons and linens – light and airy natural fibres. And the styling I’ve done for our summer stories is very forgiving. Everything’s quite feminine and pretty – it’s dress-up-worthy, but at the same time, really easy to throw on and simple to style.”

What are the best shapes to opt for if we’re not feeling too confident? “Fit and flare A-line or tiered dresses give you a lovely shape across the shoulders, and give you that fullness in the skirt,” she advises. “I think midi-length is forgiving – it covers the knees but it’s breezy, without making you look wide.”

Contrary to popular opinion, dressing for comfort can absolutely coincide with dressing for fashion, says Alison.

“We definitely take trends into account,” she says. “Our customer might not be a fashion leader, but she doesn’t want to be left behind, either.” So Alison’s keeping her eye on two contrasting trends: bright colours and more muted shades. “I’ve done a collection called Meadowsweet based on lovely, natural, floral colours,” she explains.

“They’re shades that evoke calm and serenity, to counter this awful, awful time that everybody’s been through.

It’s just nice to have something pretty!”

For many of us, being confined to our local area has led to a closer connection to nature – and that’s being reflected in our clothes, too. Soft sage and orchid hues are just the ticket to keep us soothed and grounded.

Meanwhile, over the summer holidays we’re craving fun, celebration and hope, which Alison has translated to a collection called Notting Hill, with hues of Fandango Pink, Primrose and Victoria. “I think everybody just wants to get out there and be seen,” she says. “I was watching the Melbourne Cup fashions and it was just a sea of colour – it was incredible, and I think that’s what people want to wear at the moment.”

So dressing for your next party, barbecue or even Christmas Day lunch can be a breeze, after all. And that’s worth celebrating For more, visit yarratrail.com.au

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TIME FOR A PARTY

Pair fun, comfy designs with classic accessories.

1 Sleeveless linen shirtdress, $169, from Yarra Trail.

2 Tiered linen dress, $179, from Yarra Trail. 3 Mini Florence leather crossbody wallet in Caramel, $179, from Bahru Leather. 4 Sterling silver rose gold-plated hoop earrings with pearls, $89.95, from Coomber Bros Jewellers. 5 Andy Oak hat, $149, from Will & Bear.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 131

BOOKS

BOOK CLUB FIND A DAY AMID ALL THE FESTIVITIES TO HUNKER DOWN WITH A BRAND-NEW READ. REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON

PHOTOGRAPHY ALANA LANDSBERRY STYLING CORINA KOCH

NELLIE Robert Wainwright, Allen & Unwin, $32.99 There has to be a word for people who, whatever the situation, can make it so much worse. Nellie Melba was surrounded by them. Her father didn’t want her to leave their home in Queensland, he didn’t want her to go to Europe, he didn’t want her to sing.

Nellie’s husband Charles Armstrong, an expatriate from Scotland, punched her in the face when she was pregnant, attacked her with his regimental sword, chased her with a razor, took her money, and kidnapped their son, George.

The nine-year-old had been enjoying a whirl of salons and parties in Paris and London when Charles took him to a ranch in Texas and trained him to be loutish and master horses. George and his mother eventually reunited 10 years later.

Hoping for a divorce and a chunk of Nellie’s earnings as opera’s most famous soprano, Charles hired agents to interrogate chambermaids and waiters in Vienna, and expose Nellie’s affair with the love of her life. His identity had to remain secret because he was the heir to the French throne.

Even though the Bonaparte clan was in charge, Philippe, duc d’Orléans, had keen supporters. The French

government banned him from setting foot on French soil.

Nellie was lucky to find the perfect coach in Paris. Mathilde Marchesi took care of the exquisite voice, making it musically correct yet still notably Australian. Nellie’s debut was in Brussels and she brought the house down. Covent Garden in London was approving, but there were snooty jibes from some quarters. “Hard, shallow, self-sufficient and altogether unsympathetic” wrote George Bernard Shaw at the height of his career as an avant-garde dramatist.

Nellie stormed back to Paris, where she felt valued. Her goal was La Scala in Milan, and she made it. For four >

FROM LEFT Peter Anderson SOH plates in White, $46 each, and Wabi ceramic cup in Green, $25 (set of two), both from The DEA Store.

Wooden stripe finial Christmas decoration in White, $5, from Target.

Kabir vintage clay pot, $49.95, from Papaya. Lewis mock-orange florals, from Hilla Florist. Jane ribbon in Moss Green, $8.95 (10m), and Tilly ribbon in Natural, $14.95 (10m), both from Provincial Home Living.

DECEMBER 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 133

BOOKS

Context is what Hunt supplies, both provocatively and hilariously.

Girt Nation is the best yet. decades, she did seasons in New York, London, Paris and Saint Petersburg.

Nellie also toured the provinces, taking the beloved arias deep into rural Britain.

Slowly, she took command of the dramatic content of her roles and won high praise from… a contrite Shaw.

And Philippe? In 1919, at the London Ritz, both of them a trifle portly… but I mustn’t spoil the surprise!

As usual, Wainwright does a superb job – just like he did for Sheila, the Aussie girl with whom the Duke of York was besotted; and Enid, the Lindeman heiress whose home in France was once the most expensive private dwelling on the planet.

Kindly but shrewd when it came to the rivalries that Marchesi had warned her about, Nellie Melba was often an enigma to those around her.

Her life reflects social and political shifts which, from the 1870s to the 1920s, foreshadowed what we’re going through today.

THE PRINCE OF THE SKIES Antonio Iturbe, Macmillan, $32.99 Hats off to translator Lilit Žekulin Thwaites, whose task was to render not just narrative and captivating scenery, but the quirky mental gymnastics and arpeggios of meaning that Iturbe does so well. His novel is based on the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the penniless count who penned the 1943 classic The Little Prince – a story beloved by children.

Paris in the 1920s was maybe the best-ever time and place for pilots and romance. Saint-Exupéry and his two friends opened up airmail routes in South America and West Africa.

His exploits as an aviator continued full throttle on the ground. He loved

134 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

benchmark women whose bravura could make a room shimmer – helped, of course, by those seductive clothes, cut by conjurers, stitched by elves, and the fabrics hissing with every step.

Little did those pioneer aviators know their skills would be tested to the limit during World War II. Saint-Exupéry vanished in 1944 while on a mission to photograph German installations.

On a totally frivolous note, how did those hard-drinking women, who neither dieted nor went to the gym, stay firm? Back from foreign places, Saint-Exupéry heads home to his wife. She greets him, naked, at the door of their apartment “saluting him with her porcelain-doll buttocks”.

We can only marvel.

GIRT NATION David Hunt, Black Inc, $34.99 It’s the third book in Hunt’s Girt series, which presents Australian history as never before. The facts are there, and at least half of them are not what you were told or believed.

Australia was at the vanguard of female emancipation – right? Well, in 1894, South Australia passed a law permitting women to stand for election; a world first. However, it was 1959 before a female MP made it into the State Assembly.

Context is what Hunt supplies, both provocatively and hilariously. Girt Nation is the best yet. It spans from 1870 to Federation. If the energy that went into snubbing women and dissing foreigners had been diverted to encouraging shared endeavour, we’d be less at a loss today with respect to trade wars and the rise of artificial intelligence, which we seem to regard as a tall poppy in need of lopping.

By 1888, three quarters of the Northern Territory’s population was Chinese. They built the railways there and elsewhere, which consumed more than half the colonies’ capital expenditure, yet they were regarded with extreme prejudice.

The narrative is loosely draped around Edmund Barton, the first PM, and Alfred Deakin, one of the weirdest leaders to gain traction.

Hunt’s account of the rise of Labor is part analysis, part lampoon. He offers a valuable and valid reinterpretation.

A YEAR OF SUNDAYS Belinda Jeffery, Simon & Schuster, $45 Belinda Jeffery’s strength is experimentation. She’ll take a classic dish that you’ve been churning out for years and tweak it. Follow her Sunday lunches through the year in this new collection and you’ll make the best-ever soups, hummus, savoury tarts, curries, salads, ice-creams… and a cheesecake that looks like it’s been seething in an AGA overnight.

Jeffery describes her book as a conversation; a bedtime read. She’s unbeatable at telling you more than any camera can show: “Oh, so that’s what I needed to do,” and sure enough you’ve moved to another level.

PLUM Brendan Cowell, 4th Estate, $32.99 Peter Lum (Plum) is doing just what he was born to do: playing football with a posse of mates and partying.

They’ve raised toxic masculinity to an art form. Plum’s ex-wife still thinks of him fondly, but as a husband he wasn’t that great. Nevertheless, their teenage son chooses to live with his dad and the new lady, who is smitten.

Surely this reckless existence cannot endure. Something’s got to give.

It does: brain damage directly related to sports injuries. The upside of gradually losing his faculties in this way is that poetry comes streaming into his head and there are meetings with dead poets.

A landmark novel begging to be made into a movie. Cowell’s done television and theatre scripts, so the screenplay will write itself. Should you read it before or after seeing it on screen? Definitely before, because matching up what is shown to what you already know is a uniquely pleasurable exercise in itself.

THE CHRISTMAS PIG J. K. Rowling, Hachette, $39.99 She’s done it again! Rowling’s latest tale ropes in children and adults alike, while Jim Field’s superb black-and-white illustrations conjure structures, creatures, sensations and, paradoxically, the illusion of colour.

The story starts on a sad note – young Jack’s parents are separating.

His mum takes up with Brendan, whose daughter Holly is unprepared, like Jack, for the loss of a father.

DP, a crumpled soft toy, helps Jack through the ensuing anxiety.

En route with Jack to a family get-together, Holly throws DP into thundering traffic. She’s sorry and buys a replacement pig, which Jack attempts to tear to pieces. Luckily, it’s a well-made toy and it’s Christmas Eve, so anything can happen.

CP (the new pig) comes to life, and the search which he and Jack embark on encompasses danger, torment and humour. Rowling’s storytelling brings forth a pantomime cosmos where lost items are triaged. Magnificent.

famous thrillers

My advice for reading memoirs is leave the childhood pages to last. More often than not, a life of fame and fortune is preceded by unspeakable wretchedness which can put you off reading further. Connect first with the adult, then you’re ready to understand where the weirdness came from.

Three brilliant memoirs have hit the stands, with great writing from actors with plenty to say. We’re reminded that commercial imperatives bite down hard on big lives. Last year, at age 87, Dame Joan Collins posed in a bikini, but it isn’t easy to keep those legs camera-ready. Brian Cox was so famous after the TV series Succession that, to producers, acting no longer mattered; Cox merely had to be there. “I can’t learn 160 pages in a couple of days,” he said when his script for the last hour of The Great Society turned up late. No worries – he could wear an earpiece and a prompter would whisper each line. And surely Cox would have rather blue-pencilled his Princess Margaret story, but the publicity team obviously wanted it in.

Billy Connolly’s Parkinson’s disease limits what he can do on camera and rules out typing. Undeterred, his agent pressed a smartphone into his hand and told him to ramble on for 70 hours and the phone would record, edit and deliver a text to publishers. The smartphone wasn’t smart at all – it didn’t twig Billy’s Glaswegian cadences. His wonderful children grappled with the beastly machine’s howlers and translated them into a lucid text.

In My Unapologetic Diaries (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, $49.99), Joan Collins twirls through her journals from 1989 to 2006. Many of the gilded people she parties with are, she reveals, lonely, badly dressed and… boring. The last eight months of the diaries are a hate-fest with Linda Evans, her co-star in Legends!: “That perma-startled look of the surgically enhanced.”

You’ll love what Cox says about his role in Churchill, and about acting in general: he doesn’t do research and acts what he finds in the author’s lines. In Putting the Rabbit in the Hat (Quercus, $34.99), he skilfully exposes the dents and rivets that acting leaves in private lives. Modern fathers, not only actors, have an impossible task, and if you’re rich enough, you should leave parenting to hired professionals.

Connolly? He beat cancer and is the poster boy for neurological challenges. But what he suffers now isn’t a patch on what happened in a tenement in Glasgow in the 1940s. Billy’s second wife, Pamela Stephenson, got him off the turps and he’s toned down those jokes – you know the ones.

It’s all there in Billy Connolly: Windswept & Interesting (Two Roads, $49.99).

Three memoirs: what a feast, and source of cheer and wisdom. Forget about gifts, keep these for yourself! >

BOOKS

best books of 2021

WORLD-SHATTERING THEMES THIS YEAR, AND INDIE PUBLISHERS DID BRILLIANTLY.

FICTION

BIOGRAPHY

SCIENCE

Melanie Blake, Head of Zeus, $24.99 Arch-bitch versus scheming harpies; a media vendetta.

Elizabeth Becker, Black Inc, $32.99 Three female war correspondents working independently during the Vietnam War. They were scandalously marginalised by fellow journalists and the military but, hey, they were superb.

Eben Kirksey, La Trobe, $32.99 Gene editing: it cost one of Kirksey’s informers less than $2000 to train, and another $1000 for equipment.

Out there, they are already queuing up for designer babies. (I have oversimplified, but not that much.)

RUTHLESS WOMEN

FACTORY 19

Dennis Glover, Black Inc, $32.99 What Aussies really want; the future disguised as the past. A tragicomedy.

HISTORICAL FICTION

STILL LIFE

Sarah Winman, HarperCollins, $39.99 A big, big novel: UK, US and Italy, from 1901 to 1979. A tsunami of romance and daring.

GARDENING

THE GOOD LIFE: HOW TO GROW A BETTER WORLD

Hannah Moloney, Affirm, $39.99 How to be capable, well-liked and happy, by growing food.

COOKERY

ONE POT, PAN, PLANET

Anna Jones, 4th Estate, $49.99 Debuting vegans will find a repertoire here, and for the rest of us, these original methods and recipes offer a whole new chapter.

YOU DON’T BELONG HERE

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

THE LIFE OF A SPY

Rod Barton, Black Inc, $32.99 Australia’s contribution to military intelligence was unique and delivered core truths, mostly ignored. Barton was given free rein, which is more than you could say for his less-fortunate counterparts in other realms.

THE MUTANT PROJECT

CURRENT AFFAIRS

AN UGLY TRUTH

Sheera Frenkel & Cecilia Kang, The Bridge Street Press, $32.99 Yes, Facebook. We’re beginning to feel sorry for founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, but he can’t play the innocent any longer.

MURDER MYSTERY

COMEDY

Saima Mir, Point Blank, $29.99 Gangs in West Yorkshire, Muslim, Polish, honour among thieves, dishonour among thieves, the new order (disorder) captured by lawyers in Savile Row suits. Can’t wait for Mir’s next revelatory thriller.

John Boyne, Doubleday, $32.99 London, post-pandemic: a horrid, overprivileged family, one by one, get their comeuppance. Our big tech addictions neatly lampooned, no-one spared.

THE KHAN

GREENWICH PARK

Katherine Faulkner, Raven, $29.99 Sydney’s suburbs, crimes that you never dreamed were possible… find the baddie.

THE ECHO CHAMBER

SLOUGH HOUSE

Mick Herron, John Murray, $22.99 MI5 punishes agents who stuff up by giving them menial tasks, but the disgraced outcasts at Slough House are just too smart for their evil masters. My vote for the funniest writer working today.

Sydney’s suburbs, crimes that you never dreamed were possible… find the baddie.

136 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

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Photography: Jess Bonde

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tallpoppygourmet.com.au 02 6341 4212

Australian Designed & Handmade Jewellery Specialising in Venetian Glass.

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Timeless bespoke linen clothing individually made for you

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Pink Tourmaline Diamond Ring

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Made in Australia with Liberty Fabric Shop online at

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Pretty French Country nighties, pure cotton nightshirts for men & women, boxer shorts, shirts, shirt dresses & more.

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MUDGEE, NSW

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Mudgee’s luxury glamping experience.

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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: Christine 0422 303 311

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MUDGEE, NSW

The little cooking school offers informal, relaxed cooking classes showcasing the best regional produce resulting in a delicious, leisurely lunch.

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MISTY VIEW COTTAGES Rejuvenate mind, body and soul

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Creating unforgettable memories for family or romance

Nestled at the base of Wollumbin, Mt Warning is Mavis’ Kitchen & Cabins.

Surrounded by rainforest & lush gardens is a modern Australian restaurant, organic produce garden, eco-friendly B&B, featuring 4 cabins dotted throughout the 24 acre property. Each cabin has private gardens & decks. The Farmhouse can sleep up to 14 guests, or hidden up a winding road is the Secret Cabin.

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Treat yourself to a totally private, tranquil waterfront retreat yet just a few minutes to the village of Cygnet. Far away from city distractions. Visit local restaurants, galleries, wineries, cheese farms, blueberries and saffron or just stay and relax.

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stay eat relax - a slice of European style

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DOGS PLAY A SPECIAL ROLE IN COUNTRY LIFE. IN COUNTRY DOGS, WE INTRODUCE YOU TO VERY CUTE CANINES AND TAKE YOU INSIDE THEIR BEAUTIFUL HOMES TO MEET THEIR OWNERS.

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TOAST (AND TALK) OF THE TOWN ROB INGRAM SAYS CHRISTMAS PARTIES SHOULD BE MEMORABLE FOR GUESTS – BUT ONLY FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. the perfect host that he enjoys his own party. But not too much – insobriety should not interfere with the duties of a good host.

It is probably best not to become a host until you have a grasp of how much liquor you can consume without losing poise, equilibrium, reputation, wife and civil liberties (in that approximate order). In simple terms, the requirements of a good host are self-confidence, self-respect and an affection for entertaining guests.

The effort involved in organising the damned thing is only worthwhile if the event is truly memorable.

An excellent example of a memorable party was established by Admiral Edward Russell, Commanding Officer of the British Mediterranean Fleet. His party on November 26, 1694, is remembered to this day – 327 years later. Now that’s memorable.

The Admiral was set the task of welcoming a delegation of top brass from London aboard his flagship moored in Spain. After appropriate ceremonies, the party rowed ashore to the Admiral’s quarters in Alicante. His garden featured a huge decorative fountain shaded by orange trees and, in honour of the visitors, the fountain had been turned into a giant punchbowl.

Charles Dickens became an enthusiastic advocate in his A ship’s boy rowed a small boat around in the fountain, ladling out the punch to thirsty guests. During the ensuing various Christmas tales. But inevitably, it evolved as a cool summer concoction for those enjoying the festivities in week of festivities, a silk canopy guarded the punch from warmer climes. Whatever, the Christmas party season dilution by rain. And the party didn’t end until the small remains a time to pull out the punchbowl and get creative. boat ran aground.

The British have retained Should you have a generoustheir affection for a hot toddy, sized marble fountain in your “INSOBRIETY SHOULD NOT garden, you might like to try INTERFERE WITH THE DUTIES most memorably bristling with bourbon, honey, lemon juice, Admiral Russell’s punch recipe.

OF A GOOD HOST.” thyme, cinnamon and star anise.

Take four hogsheads of brandy In Australia, we’ve opted for glorified cocktail recipes (a hogshead is about 240 litres), about 950 litres of Málaga and, at our place, there’s usually a brunch punch for the (Pedro Ximenez) wine, 75 litres of fresh lime juice, 2500 kitchen brigade, and a cooler to dip into later in the day lemons, 600kg of sugar, 2.3kg of nutmeg, and about 2000 to refresh the palate. litres of water.

Somewhere along the way, we inherited a punch that The first recorded reference to punch appeared in became known as Virtual Reality, which comprises a letter between two British merchants trading out of pineapple juice, prosecco, vanilla vodka, peaches, mint East India in 1638. The name of their prized discovery and ice. Christmas Day and the odd summer soiree is thought to have been derived from “panch”, the Hindi wouldn’t be the same without a bowl of Virtual Reality. word for five, and linked to its five ingredients: water, As punches go, this one’s a knockout. And Boxing Day, liquor, fruit juice, sugar and spice. of course, has its own traditions… like taking out the The heyday of hot Christmas punch in Britain dated empties and consulting a good divorce lawyer. around the middle decades of the 19th century, when

154 COUNTRY STYLE DECEMBER 2021

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

PERHAPS TOO LATE IN LIFE, I learnt it is a hallmark of

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Underwriting criteria, policy terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. Any advice provided is general advice and does not take your personal circumstances into consideration. Please read the Stella product disclosure statement (PDS) for the terms, conditions, and exclusions and consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) available at stellainsurance.com.au before purchasing this insurance. Stella Underwriting Pty Ltd (ABN 72 633 811 319) is an Authorised Representative (AR 001282046) of Allstate Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 82 073 267 053, AFSL 239010) which is acting (under its own AFSL) on behalf of the product issuer, QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited (ABN 78 003 191 035, AFSL 239545).

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The COLORBOND steel colour swatch represents actual product colour as accurately as possible. However, we recommend checking your chosen colour against an actual sample of the product before purchasing. COLORBOND and the BlueScope brand mark are registered trade marks of BlueScope Steel Limited. 2021 BlueScope Steel Limited ABN 16 000 011 058. All rights reserved.