Country Style

RECENTLY, I had the pleasure of visiting Pavilion Dining at Pialligo Estate, just outside Canberra in the ACT. The restaurant, the food, the service and the wine were all spot-on. An impressive lunch indeed, but the enduring memory was of touring the

Other Horizons, until Apr 23 Fremantle Arts Centre hosts this powerful visual narrative about the paths that lead people to the land Down Under. From the stark reality of slavery to colonialism, migration and First Nations spirituality, it’s a thou

WE HAVE A NEW PUPPY arriving next week. It’s not a work dog pup, but a new companion dog. I’m feeling both excited about this new, very cute arrival and a little bit sad. It’s a changing of the guard; an acceptance that our beloved dog family is grow

ROW UPON ROW of bobble-headed, mauve garlic crops lead to native bush at Rose Hawkins’ and Steve Scott’s certified organic farm in Tenterfield in northern New South Wales. Sitting on Tenterfield Creek, where the Bundjalung people are the original cus

PROPERTIES ON THE Delatite River in Mansfield in Victoria’s romantic high country are, unsurprisingly, hard to come by. So, the Roberts-Thomson family, third-generation cattle farmers, didn’t hesitate when a farm neighbouring their own home suddenly

BOASTING AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST COLLECTION of Georgian homes, the township of Oatlands in Tasmania’s Southern Midlands region oozes charm and history. It’s also home to seventh-generation farmer Nick Weeding, who lives with his wife, Sophie, and their s

IT ALL STARTED WITH A French teacher at a high school in Phoenix, Arizona. “I had a really good French teacher who made moving to France seem possible,” says Kendall Smith Franchini, co-owner of The Cook’s Atelier, a culinary school she set up with h

FRENCH ANTIQUE URNS overflow with billowy garden roses and blousy dahlias, while footed vases spill over with frilly, fragrant sweet peas and elegant foxgloves. This is the work of Helen Leighton, a floral designer who blends traditional cut flowers

A pink AGA takes pride of place in this 1860s cottage in Maldon, Vic. “We chose Blush for a touch of romance and a subtle pop of colour,” says its owner, stylist Kirsty Davey of Otis & Otto. The cabinets, in Porter’s Paints French Green, are full of

SET ON THE BANKS of the Molonglo River, a 15-minute drive from Canberra, is the fifth-generation, family-owned farm Pialligo Estate. Tucked among the vineyards you’ll find an olive grove, orchard, market garden, award-winning Smokehouse and a hatted

One of last year’s most welcome additions to the Hunter Valley’s dining scene was Sebastian, the Spanish-influenced fine diner at Spicers Tower Lodge hotel. The restaurant is named for San Sebastian, where head chef Gianni Moretto earned his stripes;

DOWN WHERE THE WOLLOMBI Brook runs quiet and strong, where the peaks of the Broken Back Range slice the sky, there’s a valley. It’s a valley thick with history: the Wanaruah people have lived here for 30,000 years; and it’s been known by its current

OWNERS, WOODSIDE CERAMICS “There is a sense of mateship and generosity that permeates our township.” HOME TO SOME 7000 PEOPLE, Dayboro is a thriving township about 45 minutes’ drive north-west of Brisbane in Queensland. Framed by the lush peaks of t

COOKS AND ENTREPRENEURS, 60 AND 41 RESPECTIVELY Marjorie and Kendall run their cooking school, The Cook’s Atelier, in the small town of Beaune in the French countryside. Marjorie resides in town with her partner, while Kendall lives with her husban

Stephanie Trethewey, Allen & Unwin, $34.99 What do you say to a woman who watches a man hurl a cat at the wall and shoot it dead – but still marries him? Did he turn out to be a great father? Sadly, no. Part of Karen’s problem was that there were no