Inhaltsverzeichnis für December 2021 in Country Style

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…

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

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.…

• 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…

• 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…

WREATHED IN SMILES Dial back the festive frenzy and enjoy some slow 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,…

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, alcohol-free drinks are…

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…

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…

ART FABRICS Raw Home’s Pen and Ink range features printed linen textiles that you can paint to reflect your own unique colour scheme. rawhome.com.au CATCH THE SUN The Safi sunlounger by Vincent Sheppard adjusts into five positions and comes in four hues. Chair arms are optional. cotswoldfurniture.com.au IT’S A WRAP We love the bespoke linen Clara wrap dress. Use the code ‘CountryStyle’ for 15 per cent off in December and January. thehandmadecloset.com.au WALK EASY Comfortable, on-trend and versatile, the Tulsa hand-tooled leather slides will take you from country to coast in style. buckarooboutiqueaus.com BOLD STATEMENT From gorgeously gothic to feminine and fun, Zebrano offers clothes in all-embracing styles and sizes from 14 to 24. zebrano.com.au HOME ESSENTIALS These chic jute and jute/wool rugs by Zebra Home are perfect for our…

GRETA DUMBLETON Fond childhood memories of Christmas holidays in the country mean our copy editor is happiest working on stories about picturesque rural destinations. “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.” PAULA HEELAN Remote places…

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…

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…

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…

Create a beautiful home where calm and relaxation are top of mind.These oversized Australian made lounges upholstered in complementary fabrics are the perfect place to unwind. BRING TOUCHES OF SUMMER TO YOUR INDOOR RETREAT WITH bright cushions IN A RANGE OF TEXTURES AND PRINTS 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. WARM DAYS AND NIGHTS ARE THE perfect time TO LINGER OVER MEALS AND ENJOY THE COMPANY OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT HOME Create a space that carries through all seasons with these timeless leather sofas featuring button detailing in two and three-seater options. THROW OPEN…

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…

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

CULLEN WINES 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 BANKS BOTANICALS 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 CRITTENDEN WINES 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 PLUS & MINUS Plus antioxidants, minus alcohol equals a win for Blanc de Blancs from Plus & Minus wines. For a glass – or…

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…

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,”…

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

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,…

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…

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!” “Everyone’s got a Bowmont…

“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.” 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…

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…

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…

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…

FICTION RUTHLESS WOMEN Melanie Blake, Head of Zeus, $24.99 Arch-bitch versus scheming harpies; a media vendetta. 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. Sydney’s suburbs, crimes that you never dreamed were possible… find the baddie.…