Table of contents for June 2016 in Country Style

Having built a house with some recycled materials, I’m always intrigued by stories of people creating homes using unusual building components, so when pictures of Natasha Morgan and Michael Howard’s home came in with a glimpse of a shipping container in the backyard, I was immediately interested. Many months later, when our team finally visited, the sad hulk of the original pictures had become a lovely new space, cleverly converted into a studio that Natasha uses for dinner parties and the regular workshops she holds at her property at Spargo Creek, near Daylesford in Victoria. I’m impressed at how quickly the transformation seems to have happened since she first saw the farm: “We came on the weekend, stood under the trees in the paddocks, looked at each other and said,…

weekend away TASMANIA Entally Estate Located in Hadspen, near Launceston, Entally Estate has recently renovated its accommodation and now offers 20 Scandinavian-inspired king suites. Entally Lodge also houses the estate’s kitchen, bar and cellar. Wander through the lovely gardens and vineyard to the western side of the property to visit the historic Entally House homestead, which features Australia’s oldest conservatory, plus chapel, stables and carriage house. From $129 per night. (03) 6393 3200; entally.com.au TASMANIA Freycinet Eco Retreat This back-to-nature hideaway at Mt Paul on the Freycinet Peninsula has just opened its new ocean-view Eco Studios that make the perfect romantic getaway for wilderness lovers. The open decks afford views of Saltwater Lagoon, Friendly Beaches and the Tasman Sea, while abundant bushwalking tracks offer ample opportunity to explore…

“We’re all about capturing the full and complex flavours of the milk… you can definitely taste the seasons in our cheese.” From up high on the Inverloch Road, just when you can glimpse the sea and the South Gippsland hills seem to roll into every horizon, a narrow lane veers sharply to the right and plunges down to the valley floor. Suddenly, the pastures flatten out and a small cheese factory seems to spring up from the middle of a paddock; you’ve arrived at Prom Country Cheese. Farmers and cheesemakers Burke and Bronwyn Brandon, who live here with their children, Michael, 16, and Katrina, 14, and a flock of 400 dairy sheep, were just as struck by the landscape when they first saw the Moyarra farm in 2011. “We knew…

PURE AND SIMPLE The innovative bin emptying mechanism drives out collected dust and debris with the push of the button, so there’s no need to get your hands dirty. As an added bonus, the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball’s bin capacity is 33 per cent larger than that of the previous generation of Dyson Cinetic barrel vacuums, which means even less work for you. SMOOTH MOVES Engineered to have a single stable resting point and low centre of gravity, the vacuums can right themselves if they fall over. The use of the ball instead of wheels means they can also turn on the spot and roll smoothly around furniture and other obstacles. The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Pro vacuum comes with a range of tools for cleaning different surfaces and…

THE DRIVE TO Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills isn’t one to be rushed. For a start, it’s worth enjoying the journey, as you slalom past farms and cottages in the dappled light under the trees. But also, unless you’re well acquainted with the road, it’s not without its challenges. There you are focusing on the twists and turns — this hairpin bend and that unexpected dip — and suddenly you’ve driven right past a rustic corrugated-iron building teetering on the side of the hill, and realised that was it. Once inside, perched above a valley with vines stretching in every direction, it all makes sense. Head chef Matt Fitton remembers being mesmerised by the view when he came here for his wife Victoria’s 30th birthday early last…

JONATHAN — THE ASTROLOGER at Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper — thinks that, considering Mercury’s change of direction, I should become a little more adventurous. Just how, he didn’t say, but he’ll tell me if I call him and pay $1.32 per minute including GST. Nice try, Jonathan, but I think I’ll try to work it out for myself. I have no wish to become more adventurous in my sexual preferences or even my breakfast menu. And it’s too late to change my outfitter from Blowes Menswear to whoever Lady Gaga uses. But Jonathan may be on the money for those who share my star sign (it’s the one no-one owns up to) as far as wine selection is concerned. It is an area in which we should all become a…

FEW PLACES ARE as idyllic for a weekend than among the picturesque hills of the Hindmarsh Valley, just 10 minutes from Port Elliot on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula. The region has, after all, long been the favoured playground of Adelaide folk. So thought Denise Riches, too, back in 2000, when she and her partner, James Keirnan, flew their light aircraft over a 40-hectare area, thinking it would be just the spot to chill out from their busy city lives. “We were looking for the ‘mythical’ four-hectare holiday block and had looked all over South Australia by flying over and looking at the topography,” Denise says. “We saw this beautifully laid-out block with lots of trees.” Today, they operate the award-winning Hindmarsh Valley Dairy, running 1200 dairy goats, milking up to…

“THE KIDS ARE BEING CHALLENGED AND GAINING CONFIDENCE.” SINCE 1973, LIONS Clubs have enabled more than 50,000 children to attend camps at their Licola Wilderness Village, on the doorstep of Victoria’s Alpine National Park, 254 kilometres east of Melbourne. The five-day camps for disadvantaged children and those with special needs provide social interaction, and the opportunity to learn new skills, engage in teamwork and overcome challenges. According to Adam Wake, Licola’s CEO and operations manager, the kids not only make new friends, but they come away with improved confidence and self-esteem, and a more positive outlook. Adam has many stories of children who have benefited from attending the camps and recalls one boy in particular. “His mother came to me and said the boy’s father had committed suicide some time…

TAMARA MAYNES After growing up in the country, this author, stylist and maker loved the opportunity to head out of the city for our story on page 36 . Having spent her childhood on a sheep and cattle property near Cowra in NSW’s central west, Melbourne-based maker and stylist Tamara relished the opportunity to get out of the city and visit architect Natasha Morgan’s house near Victoria’s Daylesford. “Being in her world for a day reminded me how beautiful and uncomplicated life in the country can be, despite its challenges,” she says. With two decades’ experience of design, craftsmanship and interiors under her belt, including her first book, The Maker (Murdoch Books), Tamara currently works as creative director of The Establishment Studios, “an incredible combined prop house and photographic…

“I FELT MORE LIKE A CAPTAIN JUMPING SHIP THAN A LIGHTHOUSE AS I WALKED OVER TO THE TRIVIA NIGHT.” THE BABYSITTER LOOKED like she desperately wanted to choose ‘flight’ from the ‘fight or flight’ options of her instincts, but given she had 54 children in her charge, she could do nothing but freeze. It was dark and cold outside, and to anyone peering through the misted-up windows, the classroom at Bonshaw Public School would have resembled an evacuation centre after a mysterious natural disaster had wiped out almost all of the population over 12 years of age — a world in which only hungry children, a frazzled babysitter and her gobsmacked boyfriend were left behind. It was Bonshaw’s annual Trivia Night — a fundraiser for the tiny school with 11…

“I WANTED A PLACE TO GROW AND HARVEST.” If not for the quaint roadside stall Natasha Morgan decks out with her homemade preserves, cordials, posies and fresh cut flowers on the run through the Wombat State Forest to Daylesford, you may never notice the rambling timber cottage set back among a grove of big trees. A gravel drive meanders into this enclave of oaks, pines and an ancient monkey-puzzle tree, and circles a garden bed at the front door. Once inside the house, you take in the gardens, the beds overflowing with herbs, vegetables, berries and flowers. Further out are a cluster of beehives, an orchard and a chicken run. And overlooking it all is the shipping container Natasha has converted into a studio space, where she holds bespoke dinners…

Shot on location at Under A Peppercorn Tree, Campbells Creek, Victoria. 0432 265 720; underapeppercorntree.com…

1 CHRISTINE MANFIELD HOBART AND SURROUNDS, TASMANIA Each year, renowned chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Christine Manfield hosts an intimate, seven-day Tasting Tassie tour that starts in Hobart and takes in a sea-foraging cruise and a paddock-to-plate cooking lesson at The Agrarian Kitchen in Lachlan, 45 minutes west of the city. “You’re spoilt for choice in this region,” Christine says. “It’s so rich with food and wine experiences, dedicated, passionate producers and farmers, clean air, space and creative energy.” Saturday mornings should be spent at the markets — “Look for Provenance Growers, the primary reason to visit Salamanca Market” — before meandering along the coast road through Kettering, Woodbridge and Birchs Bay. Then head west, to Cygnet, for lunch at The Lotus Eaters. Other must-haves: the pork belly with black…

A few months ago I made a quiet pact with myself: that this would be the winter of chicory and radicchio. Of all the things I grow, these earthy, bitter, nutty and incredibly beautiful leaves are among the things I find myself craving the most when they are not around, which lately, has been most of the time — a couple of brazen sheep and turkey raids on the garden have seen to that. But a determined planting effort last autumn, and swathes of robust netting, mean that misadventures aside, we should have rows and rows of brightly coloured, crunchy heads to enjoy when winter is at its dullest and coldest, which also happens to be when the leaves are at their best. Chicory and radicchio (and endives) are closely…

Heading out from the small NSW town of Nimmitabel, along a narrow road that dips up and down over the windswept Monaro plains, the view ahead is monumental. Rising before us is the great bastion of Kosciuszko National Park, where vast expanses of high country wilderness are only matched by the great arch of chilly-looking skies. In 1957, the Commonwealth Film Unit dubbed this country the ‘Roof of Australia’ in a production that showcased the region, exploring the old droving routes established in the 19th century, the narrow passes, the snowfields, and the flora and fauna. This windy and remote landscape, on the edge of the ‘Roof ’, became home to Howard and Anne Charles in 1980 when they moved to Rockybah, their 1200-hectare cattle and sheep property. “With the…

THERE’S A LOT to love about South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. And should you happen to be in the historic south-coast town of Port Elliot, where our ambassador Campbell Haig and his wife, Anna, an artist, run No. 58 Cellar Door & Gallery, you’ll find two of this bountiful region’s biggest fans. Port Elliot, about 85 kilometres south of Adelaide, has been home to the couple and their 14-year-old son, Owen, for the past nine years. With a passion for the region’s wine, produce and old buildings, they found themselves drawn to the area and the peninsula lifestyle, as well as its diverse and creative community. When they built No. 58 five and a half years ago, it allowed them to share the best of the area with visitors. The Haigs…

CROWD FAVOURITES Encounter Bikeway Enjoy this 30-kilometre stretch of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Highlights around the Port Elliot area include Green Bay and Knights Beach, time your walk or bike ride for late afternoon, and you’ll be rewarded with the painterly colours of the sunset. visitalexandrina.com Granite Island Off the coast of Victor Harbor, a more built-up township 10 minutes away from Port Elliot, is the easily accessible Granite Island, which is home to a colony of fairy penguins. (08) 8552 7555; graniteisland.com.au Middleton Beach Next door to Port Elliot, Middleton Beach is a surfers’ and sea lions’ favourite place to play. From June to October, southern right whales call past during their annual migration. Farmers markets Each Saturday, Willunga and Victor Harbor farmers’ markets offer up a feast of fresh…

Helping local farmers through tough times is just one way of giving back to your home town; a public garden, kids’ playground or senior citizens’ centre could be your project of choice. “If you can think of a community need, chances are there’s a Lions Club doing something about it,” says Rob Oerlemans, Lions’ executive officer. There are more than 100 Lions Clubs participating in this grant program. Visit homelife.com.au/community100 for full terms and conditions and to find out if your project is eligible. You have until June 30, 2016, to apply for a $1000 grant to help you develop a project in your community. We need a short submission from you that includes: 1 An outline of the project for which funding is being sought, the community that will…

“Milk is known to be a very wholesome moisturiser.” MILK HAS A surprisingly colourful history. Legend has it that Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, required 700 lactating donkeys to keep up supply for her daily milk bath. She wasn’t alone in this seemingly eccentric habit. Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister, was also a legendary milk-bathing beauty who reportedly believed it would help preserve her pale skin’s youthful appearance. Renowned for her diva-like attitude, Pauline is rumoured to have milked this indulgent experience for all it was worth, ordering servants to cut a hole in the ceiling above the tub so they could shower her in donkey’s milk when she was ready. But is there more to the beautifying properties of milk than simply satisfying the indulgent demands of royalty? Modern…

“The silence is broken only by a passing car, a chirping bird... ” INSTAGRAM A highlight this month for the Country Style team was a visit to Orange, NSW, for our annual Country Style Producers’ Lunch. The autumnal leaves and blue skies were captured by our editorial coordinator@anna_delprat. Follow us on Instagram @countrystylemag FACEBOOK Our April cover transported readers to a faraway place. Photography Mark Roper, styling Tess Newman-Morris. Stunning. Evokes a feeling of tranquility and luxury. Gretchen Badalamenti Just received my copy and also enjoying it in digital. Monica Muschialli Mine has arrived, squeal! I’ve broken my ankle and can’t walk. Thanks for giving me something to live for. Gorgeous cover. Melinda Webster TOOLS DOWN I do absolutely love what I do, which is being a partner in a…

“I feel like we were blessed to receive the farm from my mum.” Sometimes, be it by fate or by design, life propels you — suddenly, and with great force — in an unexpected direction. Such was the case for journalist and author Amy Willesee, who, along with her sisters, Lucy and Jo, inherited Willow Farm, a 67-hectare former dairy near Berry, 145 kilometres south of Sydney in the Shoalhaven region of NSW. Originally part of David Berry’s estate — one of several Berry brothers who were among the first European settlers in the area — the farm had belonged to Amy’s actress mother, Carol. She had purchased it in 2003 and set about renovating the butter-coloured, 1920s-era homestead. By early 2006, Carol had refreshed and repainted the interiors, put…

FOR SOME PEOPLE, simply hearing the word ‘chocolate’ or reading it on a restaurant menu can stimulate an urgent desire. Confession time: I am one of those people. (However, my love of chocolate does not extend to ordering dessert before going through the charade of ordering an entree and a main course just to get to it.) Personal preferences aside, I don’t know many people who would forgo a bit of choccy — in fact, I can’t think of a single one — and if there’s a stand-by dessert that’s as universally appealing as chocolate mousse, then I’m yet to hear of it. A good chocolate mousse will tempt most people, whatever their cultural or generational differences, because as desserts go, it ticks all the right boxes. Chocolate, tick. Creamy…

HEAVEN UNEARTHED It wasn’t until truffle varietal spores were able to be separated and inoculated into host tree roots that growing truffles outside Europe, the spiritual home of this subterranean fungus fruit, became possible. In The Truffle Cookbook (Lantern, $59.99), author and chef Rodney Dunn recalls the two occasions he saw imported truffles as an apprentice at Tetsuya’s in Sydney, and the associated awe and reverence. He now uses local truffles with sheer extravagance in his cooking classes at The Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania. Thanks to a growing Australian industry, truffles are now more affordable and easier for home cooks to source. Rodney’s book represents the next step: learning more about this elusive fungus, gaining the confidence to use it in the kitchen and enjoying eating it. Whether it’s this…

Meet our ambassador There’s no greater champion of the charms of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula than Campbell Haig. Campbell, who lives in the historic coastal town of Port Elliot with his wife, Anna, and their son, Owen, 14, has a great love of hospitality, tourism, food and the arts. He’s also passionate about the early buildings that give his town its character. In 2007, Campbell decided to make a new life for his family in the town he’d known since his childhood holidays. The driving force behind the Haigs’ move was their love for a magnificent circa-1856 homestead in Port Elliot called Waverley Estate. Now beautifully restored and refurbished as luxury accommodation, the property is surrounded by lush gardens, historic stone outbuildings and a half-hectare vineyard. Waverley, however, is just…

AUSTRALIAN COASTAL TOWNS are the jewels in our regional crowns. Case in point: Port Elliot, a gentle township set on the historic shipwreck shoreline of Horseshoe Bay in South Australia, that was founded in 1852. “We love that we’re so close to larger and busier towns, but we still get to enjoy a calmness in our lifestyle, with long beach walks, stunning sand dunes and great surf,” says Stephen Schmitz, owner of Jetty Food Store. With its pristine beaches and relaxed feel, Port Elliot has long been a holiday haven for tourists — and there’s plenty to keep the locals interested, too, says Stephen. “There’s an interesting mix of retail, cafes, boutique accommodation. And you’re just a stroll away from the beach.” The true charm of the place is drawn…

1 PORT ELLIOT ARCHITECTURE “I love the historic buildings in Port Elliot, particularly the post office on The Strand because of its grandness.” fleurieupeninsula.com.au 2 HORSESHOE BAY “Situated on Port Elliot’s foreshore, this is a beautiful cove that’s clean and safe for swimming, and is also protected from the wind.” fleurieupeninsula.com.au 3 BOMBORA AT GOOLWA BEACH CAFE “The cafe’s location — on the edge of the sand at Goolwa Beach — is stunning.” Beach Road, Goolwa Beach. (08) 8555 5396; bomboragoolwa.com 4 WHALE WATCHING “South Australia’s waters have an incredible diversity of whales. The southern right whales migrate through here between June and October.” sawhalecentre.com 5 FABULOUS FARM GATE PRODUCE “You can get so many kinds of fresh produce — cheese, lamb, fruit, vegetables — from farm gates all over…

 IT TOOK MONTHS of sitting alone — waiting, hoping — in each other’s favourite Vietnamese restaurants before Sydney couple Georgia Ashdown and Alex Watts were finally able to act on their mutual attraction. Initially introduced by friends, the couple — Georgia, 38, a stylist, Alex, 40, a chef and owner of Runcible Spoon cafe in Camperdown — share a love of food, and their wedding, proved the perfect opportunity to launch the catering and events arm of their popular foodie blog, Dish-Pig. “WE WANTED AN INTIMATE CEREMONY AND A FUN RECEPTION.” “We wanted an intimate ceremony and a fun reception,” Georgia says of their NSW Southern Highlands wedding, which started with a ceremony with family in the rambling gardens of Red Cow Farm in Sutton Forest, and ended with friends…

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THE THING ABOUT CATS’ FACES IS THAT THEY SOMETIMES DISPLAY FACE-SHAPE CHARACTERISTICS SIMILAR TO HUMANS. LOOK, I DON’T know if men are from Mars and women are from Venus, or what. But our brains are definitely wired differently. The Chosen One, for instance, believes she can read the expressions on cats’ faces. “I’m concerned about Polly,” she told me the other day. “She’s brooding about something.” How could she tell? Well, she told me, the cat was looking distracted and anxious. Now, this is daft. Cats have faces, not expressions. Just to be sure, I checked out our cat’s face closely. She just looked straight back at me with that “You lookin‘ at me?” scowl shared by cats and inebriated Glaswegians. The most interesting thing about cats’ faces is that…