Country Style May 2022

excitedly (forgive our youthful insensitivity) ask Mum if school would be closed tomorrow. Although our house was on a hill and we could always get to school, the kids coming in from cane farms in Broadwater, and those who lived in Woodburn and Coraki, couldn’t get to Lismore as the roads would be cut off by floodwaters. My nan and pop in Kyogle would pack everything up under their house and go and stay with my aunty and uncle. If the water rose faster than expected, they would lose whatever they were storing, and businesses in Lismore’s main street would have water all through their shops. There was loss and there was mess, but there certainly wasn’t the death and destruction we saw in February and March. People that I went…

MARTINA GEMMOLA Photographer Martina, who took the images of Emma and Tom Hawkins’s house on page 82, loves escaping to the Grampians. “There was a lot of freedom growing up with the paddocks as our playground,” says Martina, 39, of her childhood at the foot of the Grampians in Victoria. “We’d disappear for hours down the creek, making cubbies and objects out of creek clay. We spent holidays on my grandparents’ sheep farm, playing in the woodshed and dressing up the poddy lambs.” Now living in Melbourne with husband Ari and sons Iraklis, seven, and Enzo, four, Martina often heads home for a break. Of her work, she says, “I’ve forever been interested in stories, and to see and capture the way other people live is a joy.” ANGELA SAURINE A recent tree-changer, journalist…

A SALVE FOR GRIEF Jetting my way back through the clouds to coastal Victoria from Queensland following my father’s funeral, I opened the March edition of Country Style and took a deep breath. After a week of family tension and grief, ‘The Art Issue’, always a personal favourite, was my salve. Married to an artist myself, I love reading the stories of other artists. In addition, having a large collection of handmade ceramics, Chrystie Longworth’s amazing molten vases reminded me of my West German ’70s lava glaze collectables. And Alison Fraser’s raw pinch and coil techniques made me wish I lived nearer to Burradoo so that I could attend one of her workshops. Perhaps the empty annexe off my husband’s art studio at the bottom of the garden might house a future…

to Jo Ellem, who has won a pair of Peggy & Twig Elizabeth earrings, made from a freshwater pearl and nine-carat gold, valued at $500. Turn to page 29 to see Peggy & Twig designer Emily Burton wearing her earrings at her wedding. peggyandtwig.com.au 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.…

QUEENSLAND Port Douglas Carnivale, May 20-22 Presented by the Douglas Shire Council, Port Douglas Carnivale invites tourists to the tropics for a weekend of art, music, food and family fun. The Macrossan Street Parade draws thousands of spectators and ends with a dazzling fireworks display, along with markets, food stalls and amusement rides. This year’s Longest Lunch will be held at the Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina, with diners treated to a four-course meal showcasing the distinctive flavours of Far North Queensland, as performers from the Wonderland Spiegeltent work their magic. Elsewhere, Family Beach Day, held on Four Mile Beach, hosts the annual sand-sculpting contest. Book early to see Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows performing live on May 22. carnivale.com.au Callide Valley Show, May 13-14 The town of Biloela, just under two hours’…

VIC Greasy Zoe’s Just under an hour’s drive from Melbourne in the town of Hurstbridge, you’ll find Greasy Zoe’s, a one-hatted, eight-seat restaurant run by just two people – chef Zoe Birch and her partner, Lachlan Gardner. What’s more, there is no set-in-stone menu; instead, Zoe creates a new fine-dining experience each day. Sustainability and a minimal environmental footprint are key for Zoe and Lachlan, who grow many of their own ingredients and source the rest from hyperlocal farmers. Diners will be treated to a multi-course meal, featuring delicacies such as organic Wapengo rock oysters, Koji eggplant with miso sprouted lentils, and strawberry with purple basil. Elevate the unique experience with a range of paired wines. Book online. greasyzoes.com.au TAS Mewstone Wines Tasmania’s family-run Mewstone Wines recently opened their new cellar…