Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#19.3 March 2016 i Australian Country

While some farms in western Queensland and northwestern NSW received good rain, the falls were patchy, and while one farmer might have been celebrating the good fortune of “getting under a cloud”, his neighbour missed out entirely and could do little more than cast envious glances over the fence at the green growth. In the midst of all this doom and gloom, however, came the news that the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners were making their ninth donated hay run to help farmers in drought-affected areas. It turned out to be an epic drought relief effort, entirely coordinated and executed by volunteers … 120 trucks carrying 4500 bales and rolls of hay travelling more than 1500 kilometres each way from Darlington Point on the Murrumbidgee River to Ilfracombe in the heartland of…

Helen King answers the phone with a chirpy “French & Gorgeous” followed by a slight pause and a deep chuckle. “Actually I’m neither,” she admits, “but I wish I were.” As the creator of a destination homewares store by that name in the Sunshine Coast hinterland village of Cooroy, Helen is, however, responsible for introducing gorgeous French things to the homes of both locals and visitors. For the past decade Helen has been building a business based around her flair for interior design, French provincial style, love of vintage pieces and antique furniture and passion for chalk paint, in particular the work of the English queen of the painted finish, Annie Sloan. In doing so, she is repeating a pattern established in her native England, where she started small and…

As antiques dealer and gardener James Stein recalls, the first time he visited Mt Wilson in the NSW Blue Mountains “every green finger started twitching”. About two weeks after arriving in Sydney from WA he brought his wife, Annemie, and son, also James, up for a look around. “I’d always been a gardener, and when we lived in Perth I used to spend weekends looking after my mother’s cottage garden at York,” he recalls. “But I was just bowled over by what I saw at Mount Wilson. It has the most wonderful volcanic soil, and because of the volcanic rock it’s perfectly drained. And we are blessed with water, both from the sky and the ground. We went down 40 metres and struck the most incredibly pure water.” Bewitched as…

A Tavola! (Vic) Tie your hair back, put on your apron and dig in at the hands-on cooking classes at Pizzini Winery’s A Tavola! cooking school. With a range of different classes available, there is plenty to learn (and eat) about the Italian cuisine. The morning to lunch classes commence at 10am and coffee and biscotti are offered on arrival. After the introductions and the tasty treats, students move into the kitchen where they learn to prepare five different dishes. Then join the staff and other students and indulge in the feast that you’ve just created along with a well-deserved glass of wine. Other classes include the paddock-to-pantry, whistle-stop tour of street food, and an Italian pastries class. An exclusive class for couples is also available, called the pig-on-a-spit dinner…

Ambling down the historic Rivulet Track energises him on his way to work. In the shared Designed Objects Tasmania (DOT) workshop in North Hobart, shavings of Tasmanian eucalyptus and other timbers tingle nostrils and conjure canopy. For a forest lover, it’s the ultimate aromatherapy. Designer Duncan Meerding deftly springs onto the table, drill in one hand and a pendant light in the other, eager to play photographer’s assistant in helping capture the best shots of his work. He is smiley and chatty while he bores fixtures into the ceiling, as if auditioning for a Bunnings commercial. Although Duncan started life more as a maker, using hand tools to build billycarts with his Dad to race on the reserve near his family home, he has emerged as a furniture and lighting…

A SIMPLE TABLE MICHELLE CRANSTON, MURDOCH BOOKS, $39.99 Michelle Cranston has enjoyed a 25-year career as a cook and food stylist, and is currently Food Editor at Large at The Australian Women’s Weekly. A Simple Tableis Cranston’s newest and 13th cookbook, and it features uncomplicated yet mouth-watering recipes, which prove that simple food can still be colourful and full of flavour. What makes this cookbook special is how it is divided into chapters based on how we eat. For instance, Two Bowlsis for those nights we are home alone or cooking for two, and One Potis for the cooking a range of wonderful ingredients together into a simple dish for a hungry family. GUILLAUME FOOD FOR FAMILY GUILLAUME BRAHIMI, PENGUIN BOOKS, $79.99 Embark on a personal food-infused journey with acclaimed…

1825 Interiors 29 Elizabeth St, Wetherill Park NSW 2164. ph: (02) 9616 6600, e: info@1825interiors.com.au, w: 1825interiors.com.au Alliance Furniture Trading w: alliancefurniture.com.au Annabel James e: hello@annabel james.co.uk, w: annabeljames.co.uk Annabel Trends 18 Alex Fisher Dr, Burleigh Heads Qld 4220. ph: (07) 5593 4755, w: annabeltrends.com Amalfi Homewares 87 Chifley Drive, Preston, VIC 3072. Ph: (03) 9474 1300 w: amalfihomewares.com.au Art Hide w: arthide.co Australian Alpaca Centre e: retail@alpacaaustralia.com.au, w: alpacaaustralia.com.au Bowerbird w: collectbowerbird.com Boyd Blue ph: (07) 5527 0899, e: info@boydblue.com, w: boydblue.com Bungalow Living Dayboro Qld 4521. m: 0419 684 689, e: info@bungalowliving.com.au, w: bungalowliving.com.au Burbia Suite 5a, Level 5, 2-12 Foveaux St, Surry Hills NSW 2010. m: 0416 920 412, e: prints@burbia.com.au, w: burbia.com.au Candle Me m: 0400 347 004, w: candleme.com.au Classic with a Twist ph: (03)…

BRONTE CAMILLERI STYLIST & LOCATION SCOUT Bronte’s career began in visual merchandising for major Australian retailers, including R. M. Williams, Myer and Cue. She has been a lecturer on the subject for the tertiary education system. She has worked on a range of projects from small studio propping to major photo shoots for international corporations. ROSS WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHER Ross has been a photographer for 30 years, shooting food, wine and commercial and residential architecture, as well as travelling overseas to shoot everything from mining projects to aircraft. He relishes the challenge of arriving at a previously unseen location and working on the best way to showcase it.…

By her own account, New Zealand-born caterer Brigid Kennedy gained her first job picking raspberries at the age of 10 and has been “full throttle” ever since. “Growing up in the Taranaki region of the North Island in the 1970s, we knew about hard work,” she says. “Britain had entered the EU [European Union], so suddenly the demand for New Zealand butter and lamb just disappeared. They were tough times for farmers all over the country. My mother went back to working as a nurse and we all had to help out on the farm. I wanted a bike, and there was no way I was getting one without earning the money to pay for it myself.” There may not have been much fruit on the sideboard, but there was…

Not many Australians would list the tamarillo in their top five favourite fruits. Perhaps sporadic supply and expense has hampered a groundswell of awareness of this versatile fruit. But once discovered, there is no going back. The tamarillo, like the feijoa, is a much-loved fruit in New Zealand, where both are grown for export as well as local consumption. It was known as the tree tomato until 1967, when it was renamed by the New Zealand Tree Tomato Promotions Council to create an image independent of the garden tomato, and reflect its exotic origins. A native of Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia, the tamarillo tree occurs naturally in the Andes at altitudes between 1000 and 3000 metres. It also grows in sub-tropical regions throughout the world, including Australia. Explanations of…

When Sally Wise describes herself as a “mother of six with no recognisable skills or qualifications” she’s modestly overlooking the precise attributes that have led to her becoming one of Tasmania’s best-loved media cooks. Who could possibly know more about feeding a family of foodies on a budget, catering for her brood’s allergies and aversions, making the most of each season’s surplus produce by preserving and pickling, stretching a meal to accommodate the unexpected guests that kids inevitably bring home and turning leftovers into treats? Sally has been there and done all that, raised her family to adulthood, done a regular radio gig for the past 20 years and written 13 cookbooks in her “spare” time. More recently she’s started sharing her vast repertoire of recipes and culinary wisdom through…

CLASSIC WITH A TWIST You can’t beat the blue-and-white colour scheme in this beautiful rug by Classic with a Twist. Place it in your living room or bedroom for a peaceful and calming ambience. classicwithatwist.com.au FLORENCE AND MYRTLE Florence and Myrtle offers 100 per cent soy candles poured in beautiful glassware. Available at the Sunday Queen Victoria Market Shed I Organics and the in.cube8r gallery on Smith St. Fitzroy. florenceandmyrtle.com HARKAWAY HOMES One of the signature houses from Harkaway Homes, the Victorian Traditional series is a classic design. Tall walls, high ceilings, a central hallway, French doors and leadlight windows are key features. harkawayhomes.com.au BOWERBIRD Featuring a delicate swallow, these earrings are etched with intricate detailing and emit nature-inspired appeal. Handcrafted with sterling silver and dipped in rhodium for a…

Brickbat Just got around to the last few pages of the latest issue and read the comment from Mary Arnott about the weight loss ad in the previous issue. I fully concur with Mary and almost said out loud “oh no”. I also enjoy the countryside, gardens, cooking, fashion and people – and as I am due to resubscribe next issue, was seriously thinking about finding another country magazine to enjoy with my eldest daughter who lives on property in regional suburbia. Judy Darby, Coffs Harbour Jetty NSW Ed’s note: We hear you Judy. There will be no more weight loss ads. Bouquet Oh my. I have only read a little of this edition so far, as I have only just picked it up from the newsagency, but already fallen…

GETTING COMFY Gently does it. These soft furnishings set the scene for a welcoming home. CLUTTER BUSTERS Keep the clutter at bay and well stacked. FINISHING TOUCHES Make you room shine with these prints, candles and final touches.…

QUENCHING XXXX Gold Australian Pale Ale, $16 per six pack XXXX Gold Lager put mid-strength beers to the fore in the warmer parts of our great country and this Pale Ale is an excellent follow up. It has much more character and personality than every other mainstream mid-strength brew. WEST CAPE HOWE There’s a wine marketing theory that goes: If you want your wine to be respected, put a big price on it. It’s a strategy that taps into the “if it’s expensive it must be good” part of consumer logic. West Cape Howe obviously pays no heed to this sort of trickery. When you taste a West Cape Howe wine and look at the price you do a double take. Did someone make a mistake? Nope, value is a…

WYONG FAMILY FUN DAY RACES While the adults enjoyed the punting and the racing side of things, it was the kids who stole the show as Wyong Racecourse saw plenty of stunning outfits from the little racegoers. With Best Under Fives and Miss & Master Young Wyong for ages six to 11 and 12 to 16, kids shone in their costumes and summer race wear, with one particular little girl outshining the rest. As daughter of well-known Ukrainian jockey Serg Lisnyy, the little girl wore a miniature jockey outfit and took home the Best Under Fives title. The poor weather prior to race day might have encouraged a few trainers to scratch their horses from the races, but it did not prevent the hundreds of visitors and families from attending…